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Publication Number
US-12461364-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
An example head-mounted display device includes a light projector and an eyepiece. The eyepiece includes a light guiding layer and a first focusing optical element. The first focusing optical element includes a first region having a first optical power, and a second region having a second optical power different from the first optical power. The light guiding layer is configured to: i) receive light from the light projector, ii) direct at least a first portion of the light to a user's eye through the first region to present a first virtual image to the user at a first focal distance, and iii) direct at least a second portion of the light to the user's eye through the second region to present a second virtual image to the user at a second focal distance.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an eyepiece for a head-mounted display device that projects virtual images at multiple focal distances using different optical-power regions. A first progressive optical lens includes a first region having a first optical power and a second region having a second optical power different from the first optical power. A second progressive optical lens includes a third region having a third optical power and a fourth region having a fourth optical power, where the third optical power is an inverse of the first optical power and the fourth optical power is an inverse of the second optical power.
During operation, the eyepiece receives light from a light projector and directs at least a first portion of the light to a user's eye through the first region of the first progressive optical lens to present a first virtual image at a first focal distance, such that the first virtual image is overlaid with the user's environment. The eyepiece also directs at least a second portion of the light to the user's eye through the second region of the first progressive optical lens to present a second virtual image at a second focal distance different from the first focal distance, such that the second virtual image is overlaid with the user's environment.
In another configuration, the eyepiece includes a first progressive optical lens with a first region having a first optical power and a second region having a second optical power different from the first optical power, and includes a first polarizing filter and a second polarizing filter. The first polarizing filter is configured to prevent at least some light from the first region from being emitted, and the second polarizing filter is configured to prevent at least some light from the second region from being emitted. The eyepiece receives light from a light projector and directs different portions through the first and second regions to present virtual images overlaid with the user's environment at different focal distances.
Claims Coverage
The document contains two independent claims, each defining an eyepiece for a head-mounted display device that presents virtual images at different focal distances using progressive optical power regions. The first independent claim uses inverse optical-power relationships across two progressive lenses, while the second independent claim adds region-specific polarizing filters to prevent emission of light from specified regions.
Inverse optical powers across two progressive optical lenses
A first progressive optical lens has a first region with a first optical power and a second region with a second optical power different from the first optical power; a second progressive optical lens has a third region with a third optical power and a fourth region with a fourth optical power, where the third optical power is an inverse of the first optical power and the fourth optical power is an inverse of the second optical power, and the eyepiece directs different portions of projector light through first and second regions to present respective virtual images at different focal distances overlaid with the user's environment.
Region-specific polarizing filters for progressive optical power regions
A first progressive optical lens has a first region with a first optical power and a second region with a second optical power different from the first optical power, and includes a first polarizing filter and a second polarizing filter, where the first polarizing filter prevents at least some light from the first region from being emitted and the second polarizing filter prevents at least some light from the second region from being emitted; the eyepiece directs at least a first portion and a second portion of projector light through the first and second regions to present virtual images at different focal distances overlaid with the user's environment.
Overall, the claims cover progressive optical lenses that form multiple focal-distance virtual images overlaid with the user's environment by directing different portions of light through different optical-power regions, with one independent claim defining inverse optical-power correspondence between two progressive lenses and the other independent claim adding polarizing filters tied to the respective regions.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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