IP Library Granted Patent US 10,579,140
Granted Patent B2
US 10,579,140 · App. 15/815,119 · Granted Mar 3, 2020

Eye glint imaging in see-through computer display systems

Inventor: John N. Border (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
G06F3/013G02B27/0093G02B27/017G02B27/0172G02B27/0189G06F1/163G06F1/1686G06F3/005G06K9/00604G06K9/00671G06K9/222G06T19/006G09G5/003G09G5/10G02B2027/014G02B2027/0118G02B2027/0127G02B2027/0138G02B2027/0178G02B2027/0187G02C7/086G09G2354/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,579,140
App. No.
15/815,119
Filed
Nov 16, 2017
Granted
Mar 3, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2623
USPC
345/156
Abstract

Disclosure herein concerns a method that includes illuminating a user's eye with an illumination source in a head-worn display, capturing an image of the user's eye with an eye camera in the head-worn display, wherein the image includes an eye glint produced by light from the illumination source that is reflected from a surface of the user's eye, determining a size of an eye glint in the captured image, and identifying a change in focus distance for the user's eye in correspondence with a change in the size of the eye glint.

Claims (40)

1. A method, comprising:

illuminating a user's eye with an illumination source of a wearable head device including a display to produce an eye glint;

capturing an image of the user's eye with a camera of the wearable head device, wherein the image includes the eye glint;

determining a sharpness of the eye glint in the captured image;

determining, based on the sharpness of the eye glint, a focus distance for the user's eye;

adjusting a display image based on the determined focus distance; and

presenting the display image on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source comprises an LED.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises the illumination source.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the determined focus distance, a view target of the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting, based on the determined focus distance, a display mode for the display.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the display mode comprises a brightness.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eye glint is positioned a non-zero distance from an iris of the user's eye in the captured image.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the image of the user's eye comprises capturing the image of the user's eye using a camera lens having an f-number greater than five.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting a brightness of a dedicated light source directed at the user's eye.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

modulating the brightness of the dedicated light source by adjusting a duty cycle of the dedicated light source; and

synchronizing the camera with the duty cycle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises an infrared camera.

12. A wearable head device comprising:

a display;

an illumination source configured to illuminate an eye of a user of the wearable head device, wherein illuminating the eye produces an eye glint;

a camera configured to capture an image of the eye, the captured image including the eye glint; and

one or more processors configured to:

determine a sharpness of the eye glint in the captured image;

determine, based on the sharpness of the eye glint, a focus distance of the eye;

adjust a display image based on the determined focus distance; and

present the display image on the display.

13. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the illumination source comprises an LED.

14. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the display comprises the illumination source.

15. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine, based on the determined focus distance, a view target of the user.

16. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select, based on the determined focus distance, a display mode for the display.

17. The wearable head device of claim 16 , wherein the display mode comprises a brightness setting.

18. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the eye glint is positioned a non-zero distance from an iris of the eye in the captured image.

19. The wearable head device of claim 12 , further comprising a camera lens having an f-number greater than five, wherein capturing the image of the eye comprises capturing the image of the eye using the camera lens.

20. The wearable head device of claim 19 , further comprising a dedicated light source directed at the eye, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to adjust a brightness of the dedicated light source.

21. The wearable head device of claim 20 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

modulate the brightness of the dedicated light source by adjusting a duty cycle of the dedicated light source; and

synchronize the camera with the duty cycle.

22. The wearable head device of claim 12 , wherein the camera comprises an infrared camera.

Assignments (7)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: MAGIC LEAP, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC; MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073388/0027 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050967/0138 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 22, 2019
From: MAGIC LEAP, INC.; MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC
To: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050138/0287 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENTS AND PATENT APPLICATIONS Recorded Apr 18, 2019
From: JGB COLLATERAL, LLC
To: MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC
Reel/Frame 048945/0939 →
SECURED PARTY BILL OF SALE Recorded Apr 18, 2019
From: OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC.
To: JGB COLLATERAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 051018/0883 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 26, 2018
From: BORDER, JOHN N.
To: OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 047583/0995 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2018
From: OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC.
To: JGB COLLATERAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 045606/0295 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,333,069