Projected HMD Optics With External Tracking and Image Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional head-mounted displays (HMDs) for virtual reality experiences are expensive, power-hungry, and heavy, detracting from the immersive experience due to onboard electronics and cameras, which increase cost, power consumption, and weight.
Innovation Solution
A projection system that projects images onto a viewing device, such as glasses, using a separate projection device with a tracking system to adjust image properties based on the device's location and orientation, eliminating the need for onboard electronics and focusing lenses to provide a low-cost, comfortable, and power-conserving option.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional head-mounted displays use onboard electronics and cameras to generate and track images, then image generation and tracking capabilities are achieved, but cost, power consumption, and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the image generation and processing functions from the head-mounted display and relocates them to an external projection device. The HMD is reduced to minimal components (screen and focusing lens), eliminating heavy onboard electronics while maintaining full image generation capability through the external projector system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external projection device as an intermediary between the user and the image source. This mediator handles all computational tasks, image processing, and tracking, allowing the HMD to remain lightweight while achieving full functionality through the intermediary system.
2Reliability
If traditional head-mounted displays include onboard electronics to generate images, then virtual reality experience is provided, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts all power-consuming electronic components from the head-mounted display and relocates them to an external projection device. The HMD consumes minimal power only for the focusing lens and screen, while the external device handles all energy-intensive computational and projection tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The external projection device serves as a powerful intermediary that handles all energy-intensive operations. This allows the HMD to provide full virtual reality functionality with minimal power consumption, as the intermediary assumes the energy burden of image generation and processing.
3Measurement precision
If traditional head-mounted displays use onboard cameras to determine location and orientation, then tracking accuracy is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tracking function from the head-mounted display and relocates it to an external tracking system. The HMD eliminates onboard cameras and sensors, achieving full tracking accuracy through the external system that monitors the receiver surface position and orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external tracking system as an intermediary that handles all location and orientation measurement tasks. This mediator provides accurate tracking data to the projection device, allowing the HMD to remain simple while achieving precise tracking through the intermediary system.
4Reliability
If traditional head-mounted displays have onboard electronics to process images, then image quality is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts all expensive electronic processing components from the head-mounted display and relocates them to an external projection device. The HMD is manufactured with only simple mechanical components (frame, screen, focusing lens), dramatically reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining image quality through the external projection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The external projection device serves as an intermediary that handles all complex image processing and generation tasks. This allows the HMD to be manufactured simply and inexpensively, while the intermediary system ensures high image quality is maintained through its sophisticated projection capabilities.
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 system offers a cost-effective, lightweight, and energy-efficient way to display images, allowing for immersive experiences by offloading computational tasks to the projection device, enabling consistent image display despite user head movements.
Implementation Method 1
The screen is configured to permit transmission of the one or more images through the screen from the receiver surface to the viewing surface
Implementation Method 2
The focusing lens of the viewing device is configured to focus the one or more images viewable on the viewing surface for the user when wearing the viewing device
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a projection device configured to project images onto a receiver surface of a viewing device. The viewing device includes a screen having the receiver surface and a viewing surface opposite the receiver surface. The screen is configured to permit transmission of the images through the screen, from the receiver surface, to the viewing surface such that the images are viewable on the viewing surface. The viewing device also includes a focusing lens configured to focus the images for a user when wearing the viewing device. Further, the system includes a tracking system configured to determine a location and orientation of the receiver surface of the viewing device. The projection device is configured to adjust image properties of the images based at least in part on the determined location and orientation of the receiver surface.