Active dimming control using disparity camera images
A waveguide display includes a waveguide, a projector configured to project images (e.g., images to be displayed to a user and/or disparity test images) onto the waveguide, an input coupler configured to couple the images into the waveguide, and one or more output couplers on the waveguide. At least one output coupler of the one or more output couplers is configured to direct the projected images towards the user's eye. At least one output coupler of the one or more output couplers is configured to direct the projected images towards a disparity camera. The waveguide display includes an active dimming layer on the side of the waveguide opposing the user's eye. The active dimming layer is electrically controllable to attenuate ambient light reaching the users eye via the waveguide, based on the effect of the ambient light on the visibility of the projected images measured using the disparity camera.
1 . A near-eye display system comprising:
a projector configured to generate a displayed image;
a waveguide display configured to replicate the displayed image, the waveguide display including an output coupler configured to couple a replicated image of the displayed image out of a peripheral region of a waveguide of the waveguide display;
an active dimming layer on a side of the waveguide opposing an eye of a user of the near-eye display system, the active dimming layer configurable to attenuate ambient light in response to a control signal;
a camera configured to receive both the replicated image of the displayed image and an image of an ambient environment see through the active dimming layer and the waveguide; and
a controller configured to control the projector and the active dimming layer based on the replicated image of the displayed image and the image of the ambient environment from the camera.
2 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on or off the projector such that an image captured by the camera includes the image of the ambient environment but not the replicated image of the displayed image, or both the replicated image of the displayed image and the image of the ambient environment.
3 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the active dimming layer based on a brightness level of an area of the image of the ambient environment that overlaps the replicated image of the displayed image.
4 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide display includes:
one or more input couplers configured to couple the displayed image generated by the projector into the waveguide; and
one or more output couplers configured to couple replicated images of the displayed image out of the waveguide at a plurality of regions of the waveguide.
5 . The near-eye display system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more input couplers and the one or more output couplers include a surface-relief grating, a holographic grating, a polarization volume hologram, a transflective mirror, or a combination thereof.
6 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the active dimming layer includes an electrochromic material, a photochromic material, a liquid crystal layer, or a material including suspended nano-scale particles.
7 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the projector includes collimation optics configured to collimate the displayed image.
8 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the displayed image includes:
an image to be displayed to the user;
a disparity test light pattern including infrared light;
a disparity test light pattern displayed during a blinking of the eye of the user; or
a combination thereof.
9 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second projector configured to generate a second displayed image;
a second waveguide display configured to replicate the second displayed image, the second waveguide display including a second output coupler configured to couple a replicated image of the second displayed image out of a peripheral region of a second waveguide of the second waveguide display;
a second active dimming layer on a side of the second waveguide opposing a second eye of the user of the near-eye display system, the second active dimming layer configurable to attenuate the ambient light in response to a second control signal; and
an optical combiner configured to direct the replicated image of the displayed image, the replicated image of the second displayed image, the ambient light attenuated by the active dimming layer, and the ambient light attenuated by the second active dimming layer towards the camera.
10 . The near-eye display system of claim 9 , wherein the optical combiner includes a third waveguide and a plurality of optical couplers formed on or in the third waveguide.
11 . The near-eye display system of claim 9 , wherein the optical combiner includes a plurality of reflectors.
12 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein:
the near-eye display system is in a form of a pair of glasses; and
the projector is positioned on or in a temple of the pair of glasses.
13 . The near-eye display system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide display is configured to replicate the displayed image along two dimensions.
14 . A near-eye display system comprising:
a first waveguide display subsystem including:
a first projector configured to generate a first displayed image;
a first waveguide display configured to replicate the first displayed image, the first waveguide display including a first output coupler configured to couple a replicated image of the first displayed image out of a peripheral region of a first waveguide of the first waveguide display; and
a first active dimming layer on a side of the first waveguide opposing a first eye of a user of the near-eye display system, the first active dimming layer configurable to variably attenuate ambient light;
a second waveguide display subsystem including:
a second projector configured to generate a second displayed image;
a second waveguide display configured to replicate the second displayed image, the second waveguide display including a second output coupler configured to couple a replicated image of the second displayed image out of a peripheral region of a second waveguide of the second waveguide display; and
a second active dimming layer on a side of the second waveguide opposing a second eye of the user of the near-eye display system, the second active dimming layer configurable to variably attenuate the ambient light;
a camera configured to receive at least the replicated image of the first displayed image and an image of an ambient environment see through the first active dimming layer and the first waveguide; and
a controller configured to control at least the first projector and the first active dimming layer based on the replicated image of the first displayed image and the image of the ambient environment.
15 . The near-eye display system of claim 14 , further comprising an optical combiner configured to direct the replicated image of the first displayed image, the replicated image of the second displayed image, the ambient light attenuated by the first active dimming layer, and the ambient light attenuated by the second active dimming layer towards the camera,
wherein the camera is further configured to receive both the replicated image of the second displayed image and an image of the ambient environment seen through the second active dimming layer and the second waveguide.
16 . The near-eye display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to turn on or off the first projector such that an image captured by the camera includes the image of the ambient environment seen through the first active dimming layer but not the replicated image of the first displayed image, or both the replicated image of the first displayed image and the image of the ambient environment seen through the first active dimming layer.
17 . The near-eye display system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the first active dimming layer based on a brightness level of an area of the image of the ambient environment that overlaps the replicated image of the first displayed image.
18 . The near-eye display system of claim 14 , wherein the first displayed image includes:
an image to be displayed to the user;
a disparity test light pattern including infrared light;
a disparity test light pattern displayed during a blinking of the first eye of the user; or
a combination thereof.
19 . A method comprising, by a controller of a near-eye display system:
receiving, from at least one disparity camera of the near-eye display system, one or more images including a displayed image and an image of an ambient environment seen through an active dimming layer;
determining a brightness level of an area of the image of ambient environment that overlaps the displayed image; and
generating, based on the determined brightness level, a control signal to control a dimming level of the active dimming layer.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining a disparity of the near-eye display system based on the received one or more images; and
controlling at least one projector of the near-eye display system to compensate the disparity of the near-eye display system.