Peripheral Light Field Display for HMDs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual reality headsets are unable to provide a fully immersive experience due to their limited ability to incorporate the human visual field's extensive peripheral view, which is beyond the compact and lightweight design requirements.
Innovation Solution
The development of a head-mounted display (HMD) with a pixel array and multi-lenslet array configuration that provides both central and peripheral fields of view, using optical elements to direct light beams through an eyebox, allowing for a continuous and non-overlapping image projection on the user's retina, with digital calibration and alignment methods to optimize the display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If current VR optical designs are used, then the headset can be compact and lightweight, but the field of view is limited and cannot provide full peripheral vision
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into multiple independent optical channels, each serving a specific field of view region (central, upper peripheral, lower peripheral). Each channel has its own pixel array and optical element, allowing the system to cover the entire visual field without requiring a single complex optical path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane display architecture to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement of multiple pixel arrays positioned at different locations and orientations. This dimensional expansion allows light from different pixel arrays to be directed through separate optical channels to cover different angular regions of the field of view.
2Measurement precision
If a single pixel array is used, then the device structure is simple, but the resolution in peripheral field of view deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display is divided into multiple pixel arrays, with each array dedicated to a specific region of the field of view (central, upper peripheral, lower peripheral). This segmentation allows each pixel array to provide high-resolution imagery for its designated region, avoiding the resolution deterioration that would occur in a single-array design attempting to cover the entire field.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the field of view are served by specialized pixel arrays optimized for their specific angular ranges. The central pixel array provides high-resolution central vision, while peripheral pixel arrays provide high-resolution peripheral vision in their respective regions, ensuring local quality is maintained across the entire visual field.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple optical channels are added to expand field of view, then peripheral vision is improved, but the headset weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into separate channels, each with its own pixel array and optical element. This segmentation allows for optimized component selection and placement, enabling the use of lighter-weight optical elements for peripheral channels compared to a single large central optical element, thereby managing overall weight while expanding field of view.
Solution Approach 2:
By arranging multiple pixel arrays and optical elements in three-dimensional space at different positions and orientations, the system expands field of view coverage without requiring a proportional increase in the size and weight of individual optical components. The spatial distribution of components allows for a more weight-efficient design.
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 a compact and lightweight HMD to provide a generous field of view comparable to human vision, maintaining high resolution across the peripheral field, thus enhancing the immersive experience in virtual reality applications.
Implementation Method 1
each pixel providing multiple light beams forming an image provided to a user
Implementation Method 2
disprosing a multi-lenslet array adjacent to a pixel array, the pixel array configured in a two-dimensional surface, each pixel providing multiple light beams to the multi-lenslet array
Data Source
AI summary
A Head Mounted Display (HMD) includes a pixel array having multiple pixels configured in a two-dimensional surface, each pixel providing multiple light beams forming an image provided to a user. The HMD also includes a first optical element configured to provide a central portion of a field of view for the image through an eyebox that limits a volume including a pupil of the user, and a second optical element configured to provide a peripheral portion of the field of view for the image through the eyebox, wherein the peripheral portion of the field of view comprises at least one steradian of a user's field of view at a resolution of at least fifteen arcminutes.