Infrared Gaze Tracking in Retinal Projection for Jitter-Free Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retinal projection displays face challenges in maintaining precise alignment between the display and the eye due to changes in gaze direction, necessitating accurate gaze tracking to ensure continuous image projection onto the retina.
Innovation Solution
A retinal projection display system incorporating an infrared light source, scanning mirror, reflective surface, and infrared photodetectors to determine gaze direction, with a hardware computation module that aligns the visible light image projection based on gaze direction and pupillary distance alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gaze tracking is implemented to maintain precise alignment, then image stability on the retina is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional infrared components and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the gaze tracking system with the retinal projection display system by integrating infrared light sources, photodetectors, and processing modules into the existing display device. This merging approach allows the system to maintain image stability while avoiding the complexity of completely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where infrared photodetectors continuously monitor the user's gaze direction, and the hardware computation module uses this information to dynamically adjust the image projection position on the retina. This real-time feedback mechanism ensures image stability despite eye movements.
2Ease of operation
If the eye box area is enlarged to accommodate gaze changes, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase to maintain projection accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a static large eye box, the patent uses dynamic gaze tracking to adapt the projection position in real-time based on the user's eye movements. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain high projection accuracy while accommodating natural gaze changes, effectively providing a larger operational range without compromising precision.
3Measurement precision
If infrared light sources and photodetectors are added for gaze tracking, then measurement precision of gaze direction is improved, but loss of energy increases due to additional active components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or computational gaze tracking methods with an optical-based infrared reflection system. By using infrared light sources and photodetectors to detect gaze direction through optical reflection patterns, the system achieves high measurement precision while consuming less energy compared to alternative approaches.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures stable and jitter-free image projection onto the retina by dynamically adjusting the image position according to gaze direction changes, maintaining alignment and minimizing image distortion.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared photodetector for receiving reflected infrared light that reflects off of the eye of a user
Implementation Method 2
at least one infrared photodetector for receiving reflected infrared light
Data Source
AI summary
A retinal projection display system includes at least one visible light source for projecting a visible light image, an infrared light source for projecting infrared light, a scanning mirror having a field of view larger than the visible light image, a reflective surface on which the visible light image is projected and on which the infrared light is reflected at least partially towards an eye of a user, wherein the reflective surface is larger than the visible light image, at least one infrared photodetector for receiving reflected infrared light that reflects off of the eye of the user, and a hardware computation module comprising a processor and a memory, the hardware computation module configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on the reflected infrared light.