Spatially-resolved dynamic dimming for augmented reality device
Techniques are described for operating an optical system. In some embodiments, light associated with a world object is received at the optical system. Virtual image light is projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system. A portion of a system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed is determined based on information detected by the optical system. A plurality of spatially-resolved dimming values for the portion of the system field of view may be determined based on the detected information. The detected information may include light information, gaze information, and/or image information. A dimmer of the optical system may be adjusted to reduce an intensity of light associated with the world object in the portion of the system field of view according to the plurality of dimming values.
1. A method of operating an optical system, the method comprising:
receiving, at the optical system, light associated with a world object;
detecting world light information for the light associated with the world object, the world light information including a plurality of spatially-resolved world light values;
determining a first portion of a system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed based on the plurality of spatially-resolved world light values;
generating, at a projector of the optical system, virtual image light to be projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system, the virtual image light representing one or more virtual objects to be displayed;
projecting the virtual image light onto the eyepiece;
detecting virtual image information for the virtual image light, the virtual image information including a plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values;
determining a second portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed based on the plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values, wherein the second portion of the system field of view is different from the first portion of the system field of view;
combining the first portion of the system field of view and the second portion of the system field of view into a combined portion of the system field of view; and
adjusting a dimmer to reduce an intensity of the light associated with the world object in the combined portion of the system field of view.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises a light sensor configured to detect the world light information.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical system comprises an eye tracker configured to detect gaze information corresponding to an eye of a user of the optical system, wherein a third portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed is determined based on the gaze information.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a plurality of spatially-resolved dimming values for the combined portion of the system field of view based on detected information, wherein the dimmer is adjusted according to the plurality of dimming values.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dimmer comprises a plurality of pixels.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at an optical system, light associated with a world object;
detecting world light information for the light associated with the world object, the world light information including a plurality of spatially-resolved world light values;
determining a first portion of a system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed based on the plurality of spatially-resolved world light values;
generating, at a projector of the optical system, virtual image light to be projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system, the virtual image light representing one or more virtual objects to be displayed;
projecting the virtual image light onto the eyepiece;
detecting virtual image information for the virtual image light, the virtual image information including a plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values;
determining a second portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed based on the plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values, wherein the second portion of the system field of view is different from the first portion of the system field of view;
combining the first portion of the system field of view and the second portion of the system field of view into a combined portion of the system field of view; and
adjusting a dimmer to reduce an intensity of the light associated with the world object in the combined portion of the system field of view.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the optical system comprises a light sensor configured to detect the world light information.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the optical system comprises an eye tracker configured to detect gaze information corresponding to an eye of a user of the optical system, wherein a third portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed is determined based on the gaze information.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a plurality of spatially-resolved dimming values for the combined portion of the system field of view based on detected information, wherein the dimmer is adjusted according to the plurality of dimming values.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the dimmer comprises a plurality of pixels.
11. An optical system comprising:
a projector configured to project virtual image light onto an eyepiece;
a dimmer configured to dim light associated with a world object;
a processor communicatively coupled to the projector and the dimmer, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
generating the virtual image light to be projected onto the eyepiece, the virtual image light representing one or more virtual objects to be displayed;
detecting virtual image information for the virtual image light, the virtual image information including a plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values;
determining a second portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed based on the plurality of spatially-resolved virtual image brightness values, wherein the second portion of the system field of view is different from the first portion of the system field of view;
combining the first portion of the system field of view and the second portion of the system field of view into a combined portion of the system field of view; and
adjusting the dimmer to reduce an intensity of the light associated with the world object in the combined portion of the system field of view.
12. The optical system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a light sensor configured to detect the world light information.
13. The optical system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an eye tracker configured to detect gaze information corresponding to an eye of a user of the optical system, wherein a third portion of the system field of view of the optical system to be at least partially dimmed is determined based on the gaze information.