System for and method of projecting augmentation imagery in a head-mounted display

Inventors: David M. Palacios (Pasadena, CA); Joseph W. Gee (South Pasadena, CA); Chris S. Peay (Valencia, CA)

Assignee: Augmenteum, Inc.

G02B27/0172 G02B27/0093 G02B27/017 G02B27/10 G02F1/133 G02F1/1343 G02B2027/013 G02F2203/18

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12704729
App. No.: 19/259,391
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A system and method of projecting augmentation imagery in a head-mounted display are disclosed. The system includes an eye tracking system configured to generate eye tracking data at an eye-tracking rate in response to a position of a pupil of a user, a head tracking system configured to estimate a change in orientation of the user's head at a head tracking rate and generate jitter data at a jitter sensing rate, a controller configured generate a field mapping in response to render data at a projector update rate, a light generator configured to generate a color encoded light associated with the augmentation imagery, the light generator includes a 2D pixelated display and an optical system configured to image the color encoded light into a field of view of the user, wherein the optical system includes a foveated optical system.

Claims (35)

1 . An optical system for introducing wave front changes, the system comprising:

at least a liquid crystal cell; and

at least a patterned electrode layer configured to generate a spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell, the at least a patterned electrode layer comprising a plurality of electrodes separated by gaps and arranged in at least an electrode pattern associated with at least a wavefront mode, wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer comprises:

a first patterned electrode layer configured to generate a first spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell and comprising a first plurality of electrodes arranged in a first electrode pattern according to a first single orthonormal wavefront mode, wherein the first single orthonormal wavefront mode is an azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode, and

wherein the optical system is configured to produce a wavefront change associated with the at least a wavefront mode as a function of the spatially variable electrical field.

2 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the first single patterned electrode is arranged in an electrode pattern according to a single azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode that consists of one of a vertical coma wavefront mode, a horizontal coma wavefront mode, a vertical trefoil wavefront mode, an oblique trefoil wavefront mode, a vertical secondary astigmatism wavefront mode, an oblique secondary astigmatism wavefront mode, a vertical quadrafoil wavefront mode, and an oblique quadrafoil wavefront mode and the optical system is configured to produce an azimuthally asymmetric wavefront change associated with the single azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode.

3 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the wave front change has a maximum optical path difference of at least 3 waves.

4 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer further comprises one or more transparent resistors electrically communicative between two or more adjacent electrodes of the plurality electrodes, wherein the one or more transparent resistors are spatially located between the two or more adjacent electrodes within the at least a patterned electrode layer.

5 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising at least a floating electrode layer in electrical field communication with the at least a patterned electrode layer and the liquid crystal cell, wherein the at least a floating electrode layer comprises:

at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes is disposed between at least a gap of the first patterned electrode layer and the at least a liquid crystal cell.

6 . The optical system of claim 5 , wherein the at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes has a width greater than the at least a gap.

7 . The optical system of claim 6 , wherein the at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes has a width that is about half a width of a corresponding electrode of the first patterned electrode layer which is adjacent to the at least a gap.

8 . The optical system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer comprises:

a second patterned electrode layer configured to generate a second spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell and comprising a second plurality of electrodes arranged in a second electrode pattern according to a second single orthonormal wavefront mode different that the first single orthonormal wavefront mode; and

wherein the wavefront change is an aggregate of changes in the first single orthonormal wavefront mode and the second single orthonormal wavefront mode.

9 . The optical system of claim 1 , further comprising at least a controller configured to control at least a potential of an electrode of the at least a patterned electrode to varying the spatially variable electrical field and produce a desired wavefront change.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical system is foveated.

11 . A method for introducing wave front changes in an optical system, the method comprising:

providing at least a liquid crystal cell;

generating a spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell using at least a patterned electrode layer, the at least a patterned electrode layer comprising a plurality of electrodes separated by gaps and arranged in at least an electrode pattern associated with at least a wavefront mode, wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer comprises:

producing, using the optical system, a wavefront change associated with at least a wavefront mode as a function of the spatially variable electrical field.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first single patterned electrode is according to a single azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode that consists of one of a vertical coma wavefront mode, a horizontal coma wavefron mode, a vertical trefoil wavefront mode, and oblique trefoil wavefront mode, a vertical secondary astigmatism wavefront mode, an oblique secondary astigmatism wavefront mode, a vertical quadrafoil wavefront mode, and an oblique quadrafoil wavefront mode and the method further comprises:

producing, using the optical system, an azimuthally asymmetric wavefront change associated with the single azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wave front change has a maximum optical difference of at least 3 waves.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer further comprises one or more transparent resistors electrically communicative between two or more adjacent electrodes of the plurality electrodes, wherein the one or more transparent resistors are spatially located between the two or more adjacent electrodes within the at least a patterned electrode layer.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing at least a floating electrode layer in electrical field communication with the at least a patterned electrode layer and the liquid crystal cell, wherein the at least a floating electrode layer comprises:

a floating electrode layer comprising a first plurality of floating electrodes that are electrically floating and arranged in a first floating electrode pattern according to the first single orthonormal wavefront mode, which is the azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode, and at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes is disposed between at least a gap of the first patterned electrode layer and the at least a liquid crystal cell.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes has a width greater than the at least a gap.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least a floating electrode of the first plurality of floating electrodes has a width that is about half a width of a corresponding electrode of the first patterned electrode layer which is adjacent to the at least a gap.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating, using a second patterned electrode layer, a second spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell and comprising a second plurality of electrodes arranged in a first second electrode pattern according to a second single orthonormal wavefront mode different tha n the first single orthonormal wavefront mode, wherein the wavefront change is an aggregate of changes in the first single orthonormal wavefront mode and the second single orthonormal wavefront mode.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling, using at least a controller, at least a potential of an electrode of the at least a patterned electrode to varying the spatially variable electrical field and produce a desired wavefront change.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical system is foveated.