Liquid Crystal Head Mounted Display Dynamic Range Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical see-through head mounted displays fail to allow users to simultaneously see details in both bright and dark portions of a scene due to the inability to isolate external light, exceeding the human eye's dynamic range.
Innovation Solution
A head mounted display system featuring a lens set with first and second liquid crystal panels, an image capturing unit, and a processing circuit that performs tone mapping to generate image data with a reduced dynamic range, allowing controlled light transmission through liquid crystal blocks to enhance visibility of both bright and dark areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional optical see-through head mounted display does not isolate external light, then user can see outside world and display image concurrently, but user cannot see details of dark portion and bright portion in real scene concurrently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the light transmission characteristics of liquid crystal panels based on the captured image content. The processing circuit analyzes the brightness distribution and controls the liquid crystal panels to transmit different amounts of external light to different regions, enabling the display to adapt to varying brightness conditions in the real scene.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by making the light transmission properties of the liquid crystal panels adjustable and responsive to real-time image capture data. The display transitions from a static light transmission state to a dynamic one where the transmission characteristics change based on the captured scene's brightness distribution, allowing concurrent visibility of both dark and bright portions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If immersive type head mounted display completely isolates user from external light, then user is completely immersed into display environment, but user cannot see outside world
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static isolation state of immersive displays into a dynamic state where external light transmission can be adjusted. By controlling liquid crystal panels to selectively transmit external light while maintaining display image visibility, the system provides both immersion capability and real scene awareness, resolving the contradiction between complete isolation and partial visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by allowing different regions of the display to have different light transmission properties. Certain areas may maintain higher immersion by blocking external light, while other areas transmit external light to provide real scene visibility, creating a spatially differentiated display experience that balances immersion and awareness.
3Illumination intensity
If optical see-through head mounted display allows external light to reach user, then user can see outside world, but user cannot see details in extreme brightness and darkness simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by changing the light transmission parameter dynamically based on the captured image's brightness distribution. The processing circuit analyzes the image data and adjusts the liquid crystal panel transmission characteristics to optimize visibility of both bright and dark regions, preventing information loss in extreme brightness conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal panels serve as an intermediary between external light and the user's eyes. They mediate the light transmission by selectively allowing or blocking external light in different regions based on the captured image content, enabling the user to see details in both bright and dark portions of the real scene simultaneously.
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
Enables users to view detailed images in environments with extreme brightness and darkness by dynamically adjusting light transmission, compressing the dynamic range of the real world scene to match human eye capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The first liquid crystal panel comprises first liquid crystal blocks, and second liquid crystal panel comprises second liquid crystal blocks. The driving circuit drives the first liquid crystal blocks and the second liquid crystal blocks according to the regulated values, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
A head mounted display system comprises a lens set, an image capturing unit and a processing circuit. The lens set comprises a first liquid crystal panel and a second liquid crystal panel. The first liquid crystal panel comprises first liquid crystal blocks, and the second liquid crystal panel comprises second liquid crystal blocks. The image capturing unit captures front image data having a first dynamic range. The processing circuit performs tone mapping according to the front image data to generate mapping image data having a second dynamic range smaller than the first dynamic range. The processing circuit calculates regulated values according to the mapping image data. A driving circuit drives the first liquid crystal blocks and the second liquid crystal blocks according to the regulated values, respectively.