Varifocal display with actuated reflectors
A head-mounted-display includes an electronic display emitting image light and a varifocal block receiving the image light and outputting the image light in at least one of the focal planes of the varifocal block. The varifocal block includes a back optical element, a front optical element, and an actuator assembly coupled to the back and front optical element. The front optical element is positioned closer to an exit pupil than the back optical element, and separated from the back optical element by an adjustable distance, the magnitude of which determines in which of the focal planes the image light is presented. The actuator assembly simultaneously adjusts positions of the back optical element and the front optical element to vary the adjustable distance between the back optical element and the front optical element in accordance with an estimated vergence depth of the user.
1. A head-mounted-display (HMD) comprising:
an electronic display configured to emit image light; and
a varifocal block configured to receive the image light and output the image light in at least one of a plurality of focal planes of the varifocal block, the varifocal block comprising:
a back optical element positioned to receive the image light from the electronic display,
a front optical element, the front optical element is positioned to receive the image light from the back optical element and is closer to an exit pupil of the HMD than the back optical element, and the front optical element is separated from the back optical element by an adjustable distance, the magnitude of the adjustable distance determines in which of the plurality of focal planes the image light exiting the front optical element is presented; and
an actuator assembly coupled to the back and front optical element, the actuator assembly configured to, in accordance with an estimated vergence depth of a user of the HMD, simultaneously and individually adjust positions of the back optical element and the front optical element either closer to each other or farther away from each other in order to vary the adjustable distance between the back optical element and the front optical element, wherein a rate of adjustment for the back optical element is the same as, but in an opposite direction of, a rate of adjustment for the front optical element.
2. The HMD of claim 1 , further comprising:
an eye tracking module configured to track eye position of one or both eyes of a user wearing the HMD to determine at least one of an interpupillary distance, an interocular distance, a three-dimensional (3D) position of each eye relative to the HMD and gaze directions for each eye of the user.
3. The HMD of claim 1 , wherein the back optical element further comprises:
a reflective polarizer surface configured to reflect linearly polarized light having a first polarization, and transmit linearly polarized light having a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; and
a waveplate surface configured to shift a polarization state of light received from the reflective polarizer surface.
4. The HMD of claim 3 , wherein the waveplate surface is a quarter waveplate.
5. The HMD of claim 1 , wherein the front optical element further comprises:
a mirrored surface configured to reflect light of a first polarization and transmit light of a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; and
a waveplate surface configured to shift a polarization state of light received from the mirrored surface.
6. The HMD of claim 5 , wherein the waveplate surface is a quarter waveplate.
7. The HMD of claim 1 , wherein the front optical element and the back optical element each include a plurality of surfaces, and each of the plurality of surfaces have a shape selected from a group consisting of: spherically concave, spherically convex, a rotationally symmetric sphere, and a freeform shape.
8. The HMD of claim 1 , wherein the front optical element and the back optical element are coupled to a screw, and a rotation of the screw causes a simultaneous change in the adjustable distance between the front optical element and the back optical element.
9. The HMD of claim 1 , wherein the actuator assembly comprises one or more motors configured to perform a movement of at least one of the front optical element and the back optical element to vary the adjustable distance between the back optical element and the front optical element.
10. A varifocal block configured to receive image light from an electronic display and output the image light in at least one of a plurality of focal planes of the varifocal block, the varifocal block comprising:
a back optical element positioned to receive image light from the electronic display,
a front optical element, the front optical element is positioned to receive the image light from the back optical element and is closer to an exit pupil than the back optical element, and the front optical element is separated from the back optical element by an adjustable distance, the magnitude of the adjustable distance determines in which of the plurality of focal planes the image light exiting the front optical element is presented; and
an actuator assembly coupled to the back and front optical element, the actuator assembly configured to, in accordance with an estimated vergence depth of a user, simultaneously and individually adjust positions of the back optical element and the front optical element either closer to each other or farther away from each other in order to vary the adjustable distance between the back optical element and the front optical element, wherein a rate of adjustment for the back optical element is the same as, but in an opposite direction of, a rate of adjustment for the front optical element.