System and method for providing views of virtual content in an augmented reality environment
View Patent ↗A system configured for providing views of virtual content in an augmented reality environment may comprise one or more of a first display, a second display, an optical element, one or more processors, and/or other components. The first display and second display may be separated by a separation distance. The first display and second display may be arranged such that rays of light emitted from pixels of the first display may travel through the second display, then reflect off the optical element and into a user's eyes. A three-dimensional light field perceived with a user's field-of-view may be generated. Distances of the first display and/or second display to the optical element may impact a perceived range of the three-dimensional light field. The separation distance may impact a perceived depth of the three-dimensional light field and/or a resolution of virtual content perceived with the three-dimensional light field.
1. A system configured to provide views of virtual content in an augmented reality environment:
a first display coupled to a first carrier;
a second display coupled to a second carrier, the second display being arranged a first separation distance from the first display;
an optical element, the optical element being arranged a first distance from the first display and a second distance from the second display, the optical element being configured to reflect light emitted from the first display in a first focal plane and to reflect light emitted from the second display in a second focal plane; and
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
control a relative intensity of one or more pixels of the first display and the second display to cause virtual content to be perceived as being present in the real world, the control of the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display further determining perceived ranges to the virtual content; and
control position of the first carrier to adjust the first distance, the first distance impacting a perceived range of the first focal plane.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions:
control position of the second carrier to adjust the second distance, the second distance impacting a perceived range of the second focal plane.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the position of the first display and the position of the second display are independently controlled via the first carrier and the second carrier such that the first distance is independently adjustable from the second distance to adjust the first separation distance.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the position of the first display and the position of the second display are simultaneously controlled via the first carrier and the second carrier such that first separation distance does not change.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first separation distance impacts a perceived depth between the first focal plane and the second focal plane.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first separation distance further impacts a resolution of the virtual content perceived as being present in the real world.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein increasing the first separation distance causes the depth to increase and the resolution to decrease, and decreasing the first separation distance causes the depth to decrease and the resolution to increase.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first display, the second display, the optical element, or the one or more physical processors are incorporated into a head-mounted display.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical element is formed from a reflective or partially reflective material.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by the machine-readable instructions to:
control the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display such that pixels of the first display are brighter than pixels of the second display to cause the virtual content to be perceived closer to the first focal plane; or
control the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display such that the pixels of the second display are brighter than the pixels of the first display to cause the virtual content to be perceived closer to the second focal plane.
11. A method to provide views of virtual content in an augmented reality environment, the method being implemented in a system comprising a first display, a second display, an optical element, one or more physical processors, and non-transitory electronic storage configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:
coupling the first display to a first carrier;
coupling the second display to a second carrier, the second display being arranged a first separation distance from the first display;
positioning the first display a first distance from the optical element and the second display a second distance from the optical element, the optical element being configured to reflect light emitted from the first display in a first focal plane and to reflect light emitted from the second display in a second focal plane;
controlling a relative intensity of one or more pixels of the first display and the second display to cause virtual content to be perceived as being present in the real world, the control of the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display further determining perceived ranges to the virtual content; and
controlling a position of the first carrier to adjust the first distance, the first distance impacting a perceived range of the first focal plane.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling a position of the second carrier to adjust the second distance, the second distance impacting a perceived range of the second focal plane.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the position of the first display and the position of the second display are independently controlled via the first carrier and the second carrier such that the first distance is independently adjustable from the second distance to adjust the first separation distance.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the position of the first display and the position of the second display are simultaneously controlled via the first carrier and the second carrier such that first separation distance does not change.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first separation distance impacts a perceived depth between the first focal plane and the second focal plane.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first separation distance further impacts a resolution of the virtual content perceived as being present in the real world.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein increasing the first separation distance causes the depth to increase and the resolution to decrease, and decreasing the first separation distance causes the depth to decrease and the resolution to increase.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the first display, the second display, the optical element, or the one or more physical processors are incorporated into a head-mounted display.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical element is formed from a reflective or partially reflective material.
20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display such that pixels of the first display are brighter than pixels of the second display to cause the virtual content to be perceived closer to the first focal plane; or
controlling the relative intensity of the one or more pixels of the first display and the second display such that the pixels of the second display are brighter than the pixels of the first display to cause the virtual content to be perceived closer to the second focal plane.