Spatially Aligned Head-Up Display Using Face Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-up display systems are complex and costly, limiting their use to military and high-end applications due to the need for precise head tracking and collimated optics, which restricts their adoption for multiple users and requires calibration, making them unsuitable for broader applications.
Innovation Solution
A spatially aligned head-up display system that uses an image sensing system to determine the user's face position and attitude, processing data to align visible indications with the user's viewing direction, allowing for a non-collimated display that can be used by multiple users without the need for calibration, and can dynamically adjust indications based on the number of users and their viewing angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If collimated optics are used in the display, then the displayed information appears in focus at infinity, but the complexity and weight of the display increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the collimated optics component from the display system entirely. Instead of using complex optical elements to collimate light, the system projects images directly onto a transparent display surface that is positioned within the user's focal distance, eliminating the need for infinity-focused collimated optics while maintaining visual clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the real-world scene by projecting captured images onto the transparent display. This allows the display to show information that appears to be part of the real scene without requiring complex optical systems to create the illusion of infinity focus.
2Measurement precision
If collimated optics are used in the display, then the displayed information appears in focus at infinity, but the available range of viewing angles is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the collimated optics, the system eliminates the inherent viewing angle limitations that come with such optical systems. The transparent display can now be viewed from multiple angles without the strict optical constraints of collimated light paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system becomes universal and adaptable to multiple users with different viewing positions and angles. The transparent display surface allows any user within the physical space to view the content from their natural viewing angle without requiring precise optical alignment.
3Measurement precision
If helmet-mounted tracking is used, then precise head position measurement is achieved, but the system requires calibration and helmet equipment that inhibits adoption for various applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically detecting and adapting to each user's facial features and viewing geometry in real-time. The image processing system captures images of the user's face and automatically determines the viewing direction without requiring any manual calibration steps or pre-programmed user profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical helmet-mounted tracking system with an optical/image-processing-based system. Instead of using magnetic or mechanical sensors attached to the helmet, the system uses image sensors to capture facial images and computationally determine head position and viewing direction, eliminating the need for physical tracking hardware.
4Measurement precision
If helmet-mounted tracking is used, then precise head position measurement is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical and magnetic tracking hardware with a simpler optical system using standard image sensors. The complexity is shifted from physical hardware to computational processing, using algorithms to analyze facial images and derive viewing direction, which is generally less complex and more adaptable than dedicated tracking hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The image sensing system serves multiple functions: it captures user identity, determines facial geometry, tracks head position, and calculates viewing direction. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated tracking hardware, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.
5Measurement precision
If a single HUD system is used, then one user can access the display, but replication is required for each user which increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
A single transparent display system serves multiple users simultaneously by detecting each user's face and dynamically adjusting the displayed content based on that user's viewing direction and position. The system automatically adapts to different users without requiring separate calibrated displays for each person.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system dynamically adjusts its operation in real-time based on the detected user's characteristics. As different users approach or move within the viewing area, the system automatically recalculates viewing directions and repositions displayed information to maintain proper alignment, providing user-specific customization without physical reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing a spatially aligned head-up display to a user viewing a scene through a display the system includes: an image sensing system including at least one image sensor deployed to sample images of the user's face, the image sensing system generating data derived at least in part from the images; a display for displaying visible indications to the user superimposed on the scene; and a control system associated with the image sensing system and the display, the control system being configured to: process data from the image sensing system to determine a position and attitude of the user's face, determine a viewing direction from at least one eye of the user to a point of interest within the scene, and actuate the display to display a visible indication aligned with the viewing direction that provides a spatially aligned head-up display to the user.