Tunable Lens Elements for AR Occlusion and Contrast
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) face challenges in presenting high-contrast graphical content and simulating occlusion with real-world objects at varying focal depths, often requiring increased display size or power consumption, which is incompatible with eyeglass-style form factors.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating tunable lens elements, such as sliding, electrode-wetting, fluid-filled, or dynamic graphene-based lenses, to selectively adjust focal modulation and blur specific portions of the real-world view, allowing for more realistic AR content presentation by simulating occlusion and enhancing contrast without increasing device size or power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods are used to present high-contrast graphical content and simulate occlusion, then AR content quality is improved, but device size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing tunable lens elements that can dynamically adjust their optical properties (focal length, curvature) to control the focus and blur of real-world objects. This allows the system to enhance AR content quality by selectively blurring background objects to improve contrast and simulate occlusion, without requiring increased power consumption or device size, as the lens elements are passively controlled by the display system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by integrating tunable lens elements into the existing WHUD optical path, allowing these lenses to serve multiple purposes: enhancing contrast for graphical content, simulating occlusion effects, and maintaining compatibility with eyeglass-style form factors. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate mechanisms, thereby avoiding increased power consumption and device size while improving AR content quality
2Reliability
If traditional methods are used to present high-contrast graphical content and simulate occlusion, then AR content quality is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nesting principle by integrating tunable lens elements within the existing WHUD optical structure, specifically positioning them in the world-side optical path. This nested integration allows the lens elements to be housed within the compact form factor of eyeglass-style devices, enabling advanced AR content quality enhancement without increasing overall device size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes through tunable lens elements that can dynamically adjust their optical properties to control focus and blur. This allows the system to enhance AR content quality by selectively blurring background objects, while the compact, tunable nature of these lens elements ensures they can be integrated into eyeglass-style form factors without increasing device size
3Reliability
If tunable lens elements are used to blur real-world objects, then contrast and occlusion simulation are improved, but optical system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by incorporating tunable lens elements that can dynamically adjust their optical properties (focal length, curvature) to control the blur and focus of real-world objects. This enhances contrast and occlusion simulation by selectively blurring background objects, while the tunable nature of these lenses allows for programmable control, managing optical system complexity through software-driven parameter adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by using tunable lens elements whose optical properties can be dynamically adjusted in real-time. This allows the system to adaptively enhance contrast and simulate occlusion based on the specific AR content and environmental conditions, managing optical system complexity through dynamic, programmable control rather than fixed optical designs
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 tunable lens system enables realistic AR content presentation by selectively blurring real-world objects, improving contrast and accommodating user focus, while maintaining power and weight efficiency, allowing for enhanced user experience in augmented reality applications.
Implementation Method 1
tunable lens elements, such as sliding, electrode-wetting, fluid-filled, or dynamic graphene-based lenses, to selectively adjust focal modulation and blur specific portions of the real-world view
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are described in which one or more tunable lens elements are incorporated within a lens structure communicatively coupled to a wearable display device operable to present augmented reality (AR) content to a user. The lens structure includes a display optics lens layer having a provided AR display, one or more eye-side lens layers disposed adjacent to the display optics lens layer and facing an eye of the user, and one or more world-side lens layers disposed adjacent to the display optics lens layer and facing away from the eye of the user. The world-side lens layers includes a tunable lens component to selectively adjust a focal modulation of at least a portion of a real-world view of the user via the lens structure.