See-Through MicroLED Lamination for Direct Eye-Tracking Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing eye-tracking systems face challenges with oblique illumination, requiring higher optical power and more sensitive sensors due to light sources being positioned off-axis, which reduces accuracy and increases power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A low-density set of inorganic microLEDs on a flexible polymer layer with a rigid layer, allowing light to propagate out-of-plane and enabling direct illumination of the observer's eyes while maintaining visibility through the light source, using a laminated structure that is transparent for visible light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light sources are positioned off-axis for eye-tracking, then the system can illuminate the observer's eyes, but the illumination becomes oblique requiring higher optical power and more sensitive sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar/oblique illumination to three-dimensional direct illumination by positioning microLEDs at the vertex of a polyhedral structure, allowing light to propagate along the optical axis directly to the observer's eyes, eliminating oblique illumination requirements
2Measurement precision
If light sources are positioned off-axis, then eye-tracking can be performed, but measurement accuracy decreases due to oblique illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves superior illumination quality and measurement accuracy by positioning light sources in three-dimensional space at the vertex of a polyhedral structure, enabling direct axial illumination that eliminates the oblique illumination problems inherent in planar configurations
3Illumination intensity
If a dense array of light-emitting elements is used, then adequate illumination is provided, but the line of sight is obstructed and visual observation through the light source is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light source into a sparse array of discrete microLEDs positioned at the vertices of a polyhedral structure, with each microLED contributing to illumination while the large inter-element spacing maintains visual transparency, allowing observers to see through the light source
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction between illumination adequacy and visual transparency by transitioning from a two-dimensional dense array to a three-dimensional sparse polyhedral structure, where microLEDs are positioned at vertices with sufficient spacing to maintain line-of-sight transparency while providing adequate illumination through spatial distribution
4Stability of the object's composition
If a flexible polymer layer with light-emitting elements is attached to a rigid layer, then a stable laminated structure is formed, but the light-emitting elements must be sufficiently small to maintain transparency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible polymer layer as the substrate for mounting microLEDs, allowing the layer to be conformally attached to rigid structures while maintaining the small size and sparse distribution of light-emitting elements needed for visual transparency
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
This solution allows for more accurate eye-tracking with reduced power consumption by directly illuminating the observer's eyes without obstructing the line of sight, improving the accuracy and efficiency of eye-tracking systems.
Implementation Method 1
Each light-emitting element includes one or more inorganic microLEDs that are arranged to generate and emit output light
Implementation Method 2
The rigid layer and the polymer layer form a laminated structure that is transparent for visible light
Data Source
AI summary
An inventive method includes providing a set of multiple light-emitting elements disposed on a flexible polymer layer, and attaching a rigid layer to the polymer layer with a set of multiple light-emitting elements between them. Each light-emitting element includes one or more inorganic microLEDs that are arranged to generate and emit output light to propagate out-of-plane relative to a corresponding localized area of the polymer layer surrounding that light-emitting element. The rigid layer and the polymer layer form a laminated structure that is transparent for visible light. Each light-emitting element of the set being sufficiently small in at least one transverse dimension, and the light-emitting elements occupying a sufficiently small fraction of an areal extent of the set, so as to enable visual observation of a scene through the laminated structure along a sight line that passes through the set of light-emitting elements.