VR Headset Dichroic Display Switching for 20/20 Acuity Tests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer-grade VR headsets lack sufficient full frame pixel resolution to accurately measure visual acuity at the 20/20 level, and existing solutions either require additional hardware or manual feedback, which are costly or inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A modified consumer-grade VR headset with a first display and a smaller, lower pixel count second display, combined with dichroic filters and pixel data control circuitry, allows for hands-free visual acuity testing by directing and darkening displays based on test requirements, using an eyetracker camera for gaze tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a standard consumer-grade VR headset is used, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but visual acuity measurement precision deteriorates due to insufficient full frame pixel resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into two independent displays: a first display for general VR content and a second display specifically for visual acuity testing. The second display has dedicated high-resolution pixel elements that can be independently controlled to present test patterns at required acuity levels (e.g., 20/20), while the first display maintains standard consumer-grade resolution. This segmentation allows the system to achieve medical-grade measurement precision without requiring the entire VR headset to have expensive high-resolution displays throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
High pixel density and resolution are applied locally only to the region where visual acuity testing occurs (the second display), rather than requiring the entire VR headset display system to have uniformly high resolution. The dichroic filter directs light from the second display's high-resolution pixels to the user's foveal vision area, ensuring that critical measurement functionality has sufficient resolution while other areas maintain standard consumer-grade quality.
2Measurement precision
If additional hardware is added to achieve accurate visual acuity measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The visual acuity testing functionality is merged into the existing consumer-grade VR headset by integrating a second display and dichroic filter within the same housing. The system combines the first display (for general VR) and second display (for testing) into a unified optical path through the dichroic filter, which directs appropriate light to the user's eyes based on the active application. This merging approach achieves medical-grade measurement capability without requiring separate standalone testing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The VR headset is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a consumer-grade virtual reality device and as a medical-grade visual acuity measurement tool. The pixel data control circuitry automatically selects which display to activate based on the running application, allowing the same hardware platform to fulfill multiple purposes: general entertainment VR using the first display, and clinical visual testing using the second display with appropriate test patterns.
3Measurement precision
If manual feedback is required for visual acuity testing, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates an eyetracker camera that provides automatic feedback by tracking the user's gaze direction and determining visual acuity based on gaze stability and accuracy during test pattern presentation. The pixel data control circuitry receives signals from the eyetracker camera and automatically processes the visual acuity measurement, eliminating the need for manual user feedback. This automated feedback loop maintains measurement precision while significantly improving ease of operation, as users simply need to look at the test patterns without requiring manual responses.
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
Enables accurate visual acuity measurement at 20/20 level with a cost-effective, hands-free solution, utilizing standard consumer-grade VR headsets by optimizing display usage and gaze tracking.
Implementation Method 1
a dichroic filter positioned to pass visible light from the first display toward the eye and reflect visible light from the second display toward the eye
Data Source
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AI summary
A headset includes a first display, a second display that is smaller than the first display and has lower resolution than the first display, and a dichroic filter positioned to pass visible light from the first display toward the eye and reflect visible light from the second display toward the eye. Pixel data control circuitry is coupled to darken the first display while simultaneously activating the second display to display a pattern for testing visual acuity, responsive to a first visual acuity test selection. Other aspects are also described and claimed