Near-Eye Display Diffractive Micro-Lens Array Eye Fatigue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional near-eye displays, such as augmented reality glasses, cause eye fatigue and distract users from their physical surroundings due to the need to focus on computer-generated images at close distances, leading to a lack of seamless integration with real-world scenes and reduced peripheral vision.
Innovation Solution
A near-eye display system incorporating a transmissive electronic display and a partially diffractive micro-lens array, where the micro-lens array is positioned to diffract about 50% of light from the display onto the retina, allowing the user to focus on computer-generated images at a distance of 250 mm or more, while allowing unaltered light from the real world to pass through, thus maintaining peripheral vision and reducing eye fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional near-eye display is used to present computer-generated images, then the images can be displayed to the user, but the user experiences eye fatigue and reduced peripheral vision due to the need to focus at close distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the display system by using a diffractive micro-lens array to create a virtual image at optical infinity (250mm or more), allowing the user's eye to remain relaxed in its natural focused state while still perceiving the displayed information clearly. This eliminates the need for continuous accommodation at close distances that causes eye fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffractive micro-lens array acts as an intermediary optical element between the electronic display and the user's eye. It diffracts light from the display to form a virtual image at a distance, mediating the optical path so that the eye perceives images at infinity while the actual display remains close to the eye.
2Loss of information
If a conventional near-eye display is used, then computer-generated images can be shown, but the user becomes distracted from their physical surroundings and loses peripheral vision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical path into two distinct channels: one for computer-generated images (diffracted light forming virtual images at infinity) and one for real-world scenes (undiffracted light passing directly to the eye). This allows simultaneous presentation of digital information and environmental awareness without mutual interference, maintaining both information delivery and situational awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffractive micro-lens array is designed with local quality variations where specific regions diffract light to form virtual images while other regions remain transparent or have reduced diffraction, allowing different portions of the visual field to have different optical properties. This enables selective presentation of digital content while preserving peripheral vision and environmental awareness.
3Measurement precision
If light from the display is focused directly on the retina, then clear images are formed, but the real world scene cannot be seen simultaneously through the same optical path
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of blocking real-world light to present digital images (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by using diffraction to redirect only the display light into focus on the retina, while allowing undiffracted real-world light to pass through unaffected. This reverses the traditional occlusion model and enables simultaneous visibility of both digital and environmental content.
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
The solution enables users to simultaneously focus on both real-world and computer-generated images without eye fatigue or reduced peripheral vision, providing a seamless integration of virtual and real-world scenes, enhancing user engagement without isolating them from their environment.
Implementation Method 1
a diffractive micro-lens array configured to diffract a percentage of incoming light to form a virtual image of the display at a distance greater than or equal to 250 mm from a user's eye
Implementation Method 2
about fifty percent of light emitted from each pixel is diffracted into focus on a retina of a user's eye
Data Source
AI summary
The various embodiments include a near-eye display having a transmissive display and a diffractive micro-lens array. The transmissive display may be positioned relative to the diffractive micro-lens array so that the distance between the transmissive display and the diffractive micro-lens array is be approximately equal to focal length of the diffractive micro-lens array. The transmissive display may also be positioned relative to the diffractive micro-lens array so that a percentage of light emitted from the transmissive display is diffracted by the micro-lens array and collimated into focus on a retina of a human eye. The transmissive display may be further positioned relative to the diffractive micro-lens array so that light from a real world scene passes through transparent portions of the transmissive display and is diffracted by the micro-lens array out of focus of the human eye.