Microvision, Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Gutterglove, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Shakespeare Company. LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Lewis, John R., Jr.

John R Lewis

Clarence T Tegreene

Avi Bar-Zeev

Alex Aben-Athar Kipman

Hakan Urey

Kathryn Stone Perez

Robert L Crocco, Jr

Bob Crocco

Benjamin Isaac Vaught

Thomas W Montague

Christopher A Wiklof

Robert C Lenney

Randall Brian Sprague

Yichen Wei

Dean R Brown

Bernard G Murray

Mathew David Watson

Wyatt Owen Davis

Margaret K Brown

Stephen R Willey

Steven Nabil Bathiche

Alex A Kipman

Mark O Freeman

Scott Straka

Jason B Tauscher

James G Moore

Philip C Black

Jianhua Xu

Frank B Metting, Iii

Jun Yan

Gregory Scott Bright

Chancellor W Brown

Jian Qiao Sun

Andrew David Wilson

Charles David Melville

Dawson Yee

Jonathan Westhues

Kurt Jenkins

Nigel Stuart Keam

Bruce Rothaar

Michael P Weir

John Michael Lutian

Jari Honkanen

Bin Xue

Gregory T Gibson

Richard Allen James

Nenad Nestorovic

Georg Klein

Maarten Niesten

Randall T Crane

Ben Vaught

Amar Vattakandy

Randy Sprague

William Hadlock Standing

Amjad Malik

Tze L Siu

Gary Mansouri

Mark A Holton

Martin A Kykta

V G Veeraraghavan

Jim Bovee

Malik I Amjad

Christian S L Reyerson

Gerard De Wit

Bernie Murray

Christian S Reyerson

Bob Crocco Jr

An optical see-through head-mounted display device includes a see-through lens which combines an augmented reality image with light from a real-world scene, while an opacity filter is used to selectively block portions of the real-world scene so that the augmented reality image appears more distinctly. The opacity filter can be a see-through LCD panel, for instance, where each pixel of the LCD panel can be selectively controlled to be transmissive or opaque, based on a size, shape and position of the augmented reality image. Eye tracking can be used to adjust the position of the augmented reality image and the opaque pixels. Peripheral regions of the opacity filter, which are not behind the augmented reality image, can be activated to provide a peripheral cue or a representation of the augmented reality image. In another aspect, opaque pixels are provided at a time when an augmented reality image is not present.

Opacity filter for display device

An augmented reality system provides improved focus of real and virtual objects. A see-through display device includes a variable focus lens a user looks through. A focal region adjustment unit automatically focuses the variable focus lens in a current user focal region. A microdisplay assembly attached to the see-through display device generates a virtual object for display in the user's current focal region by adjusting its focal region. The variable focus lens may also be adjusted to provide one or more zoom features. Visual enhancement of an object may also be provided to improve a user's perception of an object.

Automatic focus improvement for augmented reality displays

A method and system that enhances a user's experience when using a near eye display device, such as a see-through display device or a head mounted display device is provided. An optimized image for display relative to the a field of view of a user in a scene is created. The user's head and eye position and movement are tracked to determine a focal region for the user. A portion of the optimized image is coupled to the user's focal region in the current position of the eyes, a next position of the head and eyes predicted, and a portion of the optimized image coupled to the user's focal region in the next position.

Optimized focal area for augmented reality displays

The technology provides an augmented reality display system for displaying a virtual object to be in focus when viewed by a user. In one embodiment, the focal region of the user is tracked, and a virtual object within the user focal region is displayed to appear in the focal region. As the user changes focus between virtual objects, they appear to naturally move in and out of focus as real objects in a physical environment would. The change of focus for the virtual object images is caused by changing a focal region of light processing elements in an optical path of a microdisplay assembly of the augmented reality display system. In some embodiments, a range of focal regions are swept through at a sweep rate by adjusting the elements in the optical path of the microdisplay assembly.

Automatic variable virtual focus for augmented reality displays

Technology is disclosed for enhancing the experience of a user wearing a see-through, near eye mixed reality display device. Based on an arrangement of gaze detection elements on each display optical system for each eye of the display device, a respective gaze vector is determined and a current user focal region is determined based on the gaze vectors. Virtual objects are displayed at their respective focal regions in a user field of view for a natural sight view. Additionally, one or more objects of interest to a user may be identified. The identification may be based on a user intent to interact with the object. For example, the intent may be determined based on a gaze duration. Augmented content may be projected over or next to an object, real or virtual. Additionally, a real or virtual object intended for interaction may be zoomed in or out.

Enhancing an object of interest in a see-through, mixed reality display device

The technology provides an augmented reality display system for displaying a virtual object to be in focus when viewed by a user. In one embodiment, the focal region of the user is tracked, and a virtual object within the user focal region is displayed to appear in the focal region. As the user changes focus between virtual objects, they appear to naturally move in and out of focus as real objects would in a physical environment. The change of focus for the virtual object images is caused by changing a focal region of light processing elements in an optical path of a microdisplay assembly of the augmented reality display system. In some embodiments, a range of focal regions are swept through at a sweep rate by adjusting the elements in the optical path of the microdisplay assembly.

The technology provides for automatic alignment of a see-through near-eye, mixed reality device with an inter-pupillary distance (IPD). A determination is made as to whether a see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display device is aligned with an IPD of a user. If the display device is not aligned with the IPD, the display device is automatically adjusted. In some examples, the alignment determination is based on determinations of whether an optical axis of each display optical system positioned to be seen through by a respective eye is aligned with a pupil of the respective eye in accordance with an alignment criteria. The pupil alignment may be determined based on an arrangement of gaze detection elements for each display optical system including at least one sensor for capturing data of the respective eye and the captured data. The captured data may be image data, image and glint data, and glint data only.

Aligning inter-pupillary distance in a near-eye display system

A see-through head mounted-display and method for operating the display to optimize performance of the display by referencing a user profile automatically. The identity of the user is determined by performing an iris scan and recognition of a user enabling user profile information to be retrieved and used to enhance the user's experience with the see through head mounted display. The user profile may contain user preferences regarding services providing augmented reality images to the see-through head-mounted display, as well as display adjustment information optimizing the position of display elements in the see-though head-mounted display.

Improving display performance with iris scan profiling

Systems, methods, and computer media for estimating user eye gaze are provided. A plurality of images of a user's eye are acquired. At least one image of at least part of the user's field of view is acquired. At least one gaze target area in the user's field of view is determined based on the plurality of images of the user's eye. An enhanced user eye gaze is then estimated by narrowing a database of eye information and corresponding known gaze lines to a subset of the eye information having gaze lines corresponding to a gaze target area. User eye information derived from the images of the user's eye is then compared with the narrowed subset of the eye information, and an enhanced estimated user eye gaze is identified as the known gaze line of a matching eye image.

Enhanced user eye gaze estimation

The technology provides various embodiments for gaze determination within a see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display device. In some embodiments, the boundaries of a gaze detection coordinate system can be determined from a spatial relationship between a user eye and gaze detection elements such as illuminators and at least one light sensor positioned on a support structure such as an eyeglasses frame. The gaze detection coordinate system allows for determination of a gaze vector from each eye based on data representing glints on the user eye, or a combination of image and glint data. A point of gaze may be determined in a three-dimensional user field of view including real and virtual objects. The spatial relationship between the gaze detection elements and the eye may be checked and may trigger a re-calibration of training data sets if the boundaries of the gaze detection coordinate system have changed.

Gaze detection in a see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

John R Lewis