Video See-Through Display Optical Deflection Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional head-mounted augmented reality systems often cause user disorientation due to a mismatch between the camera's point of view and the user's line of sight, leading to inaccurate object location and interaction challenges, especially when interacting with real objects in close proximity.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted display system with eye display units, each equipped with a camera unit and an optical deflection module that directs light from the scene to the camera and from the image forming module to the user's eye, ensuring a point of view similar to the user's, thus providing seamless and spatially registered augmented reality experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the camera is mounted with a line of sight different than the user's eye, then the device can be compact and wearable, but user disorientation occurs due to mismatch between camera view and user's line of sight
Solution Approach 1:
An optical deflection module is introduced as an intermediary component between the camera and the user's eye. This module deflects light from the scene to align the camera's field of view with the user's line of sight, allowing the camera to be mounted at a different position while maintaining accurate spatial registration and preventing user disorientation.
2Quantity of substance
If a single camera is used for video acquisition, then the amount of pixels to be processed is reduced, but stereoscopic cue is limited or lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical solution of using two cameras (which would capture stereoscopic information) with an optical solution. The optical deflection module creates a virtual image that provides stereoscopic cues to the user's eyes, allowing a single camera to suffice while maintaining depth perception capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the camera's field of view does not match the user's line of sight, then device mounting is simplified, but object location accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical deflection module serves as a mediator that decouples the camera mounting position from the user's line of sight. It allows the camera to be mounted in a convenient position while still providing accurate object location information by deflecting light to create a virtual image aligned with the user's perspective.
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 configuration enhances user orientation and interaction accuracy by aligning the camera's field of view with the user's, allowing for more authentic and reliable augmented reality experiences, particularly when interacting with real objects at close distances.
Implementation Method 1
an optical deflection module located in front of said eye and configured to direct light arriving from a scene in front of said user to be collected by said at least one associates camera unit and to direct light arriving from said at least one image forming module to said user's eye
Data Source
AI summary
A display system with video see-through eye display unit is disclosed. The eye display unit includes: at least one camera unit; at least one image forming module; and an optical deflection module including at least one double sided light reflecting optical element which is at least partially reflecting to light arriving from both sides thereof. The camera unit is configured for collecting light arriving from a region of interest of a scene along a first optical path intersecting the optical deflection module, and generating image data indicative of the region of interest. The image forming module is configured for receiving imagery data indicative of images to be projected to an eye of a user, and generating and projecting the received images to propagate along a second optical path intersecting the optical deflection module. The double sided light reflecting optical element of the optical deflection module is arranged in the display system to be located in front of the eye while intersecting the first and second optical paths, and is oriented to define the first optical path (between the camera unit and the scene) and the second optical path (between the image forming unit and the eye), such that the camera unit has a point of view substantially similar to line of sight of the eye.