IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,645,081
Granted Patent B2
US 12,645,081 · App. 18/233,091 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Lens based on human visual system, video see-through apparatus employing the lens, and method of designing the lens

Inventors: Youngmo Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Jongchul Choi (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G02B27/0172
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,645,081
App. No.
18/233,091
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lens includes at least one lens element configured to interface with a user's pupil along an optical-axis direction from a side of the user's pupil to a side of a display surface. The at least one lens element defines an aperture stop that is configured to be at least a portion of an area for facing the user's pupil. The aperture stop defines a plurality of sub-stop areas corresponding to a plurality of gaze directions within an entire viewing angle of the user with respect to the optical-axis direction. An orientation of the plurality of sub-stop areas are based on a human visual system.

Claims (40)

1 . A lens comprising:

at least one lens element configured to interface with a user's pupil along an optical-axis direction from a side of the user's pupil to a side of a display surface,

wherein the at least one lens element includes an aperture stop that is configured to be at least a portion of an area for facing the user's pupil,

wherein the aperture stop includes a plurality of sub-stop areas corresponding to a plurality of gaze directions within an entire viewing angle of the user with respect to the optical-axis direction,

wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas corresponds to a first gaze direction of 0°, a second gaze direction of 10°, and a third gaze direction of 20°, respectively, by eye rotation, and

wherein an orientation of the plurality of sub-stop areas are based on a human visual system.

2 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein a radial width of each sub-stop area with respect to the optical-axis direction is based on a human pupil size.

3 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas is rotationally symmetrical about an optical axis in the optical-axis direction.

4 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-stop areas comprise a first sub-stop area and a second sub-stop area that partially overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical-axis direction.

5 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas includes a sub-field range which is determined based on a change in visual acuity according to a human corneal eccentricity.

6 . The lens of claim 5 , wherein the sub-field range is allocated within an angular range of ±9° corresponding to a macular range in each of the plurality of gaze directions.

7 . The lens of claim 5 , wherein the sub-field range is nine degrees.

8 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein a central sub-stop area of the plurality of sub-stop areas corresponds to a front gaze direction to provide the entire viewing angle.

9 . The lens of claim 1 , wherein a size of an entire stop area of the stop surface is based on a total rotation angle (α) of a human eye.

10 . The lens of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one lens element comprises a first lens element, a second lens element, and a third lens element, and

wherein the first lens element, the second lens element, and the third lens element are oriented sequentially along the optical-axis direction.

11 . The lens of claim 10 , wherein at least one surface of each of the first lens element, the second lens element, and the third lens element comprises a polarization-selective reflection layer.

12 . The lens according to claim 1 , wherein an aspherical shape of the lens is optimized to have modulation values that exceed a predetermined optical performance value in a preset range of spatial frequencies in a central area of the lens according to each of the plurality of gaze directions of each of the plurality of sub-stop areas.

13 . A head-mounted display (HMD) apparatus comprising:

an electronic display configured to display an image; and

a lens comprising at least one lens element configured to interface with a user's pupil along an optical-axis direction from a side of the user's pupil to a side of a display surface,

wherein the at least one lens element includes an aperture stop that is configured to be at least a portion of an area for facing the user's pupil,

wherein the aperture stop includes a plurality of sub-stop areas corresponding to a plurality of gaze directions with respect to the optical-axis direction,

wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas corresponds to a first gaze direction of 0°, a second gaze direction of 10°, and a third gaze direction of 20°, respectively, by eye rotation.

14 . A method of making a lens including at least one lens element configured to interface with a user's pupil along an optical-axis direction from a side of the user's pupil to a side of a display surface, the method comprising:

setting at least a portion of an area of the lens facing the user's pupil as an aperture stop;

dividing the aperture stop into a plurality of sub-stop areas corresponding to a plurality of gaze directions within an entire viewing angle of the user with respect to the optical-axis direction;

allocating a plurality of sub-field ranges to the plurality of sub-stop areas, respectively; and

optimizing each sub-stop area based on a corresponding gaze direction,

wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas corresponds to a first gaze direction of 0°, a second gaze direction of 10°, and a third gaze direction of 20°, respectively, by eye rotation.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a radial width of each of the plurality of sub-stop areas with respect to the optical-axis direction is based on a human pupil size.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas is rotationally symmetrical about an optical axis in the optical-axis direction.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sub-stop areas comprise a first sub-stop area and a second sub-stop area that partially overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the optical-axis direction.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-stop areas includes the sub-field range which is determined based on a change in visual acuity according to a human corneal eccentricity.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the sub-field range is allocated within an angular range ±9° corresponding to a human macula range in each of the plurality of gaze directions.

20 . The method of claim 14 ,

wherein the at least one lens element comprises a first lens element, a second lens element, and a third lens element, and

wherein the first lens element, the second lens element, and the third lens element are oriented sequentially along the optical-axis direction.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein at least one surface of each of the first lens element, the second lens element, and the third lens element includes a polarization-selective reflection layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2023
From: JEONG, YOUNGMO; CHOI, JONGCHUL
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064572/0514 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0090576 · Jul 21, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0143021 · Oct 31, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023010570 · Jul 21, 2023
Related Publication 20240027768A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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