Granted Patent B2

US 12,498,566 · App. 18/297,893 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Inventor: Timothy Smeeton (Milton Keynes, GB)

Assignee: Envisics Ltd.

G02B27/0101G02B27/0103G02B2027/0187

Abstract

Claims (47)

1 . A display system comprising an eye-box from which virtual images formed by the display system are visible, the display system comprising:

an image projector arranged to project a virtual image at a virtual image distance from the eye-box; and

a user-tracking system arranged to determine an eye-box position of a user within the eye-box and a confidence value associated with the determined eye-box position, wherein the image projector is arranged to (i) project the virtual image at a finite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is above a threshold value and (ii) project the virtual image at an infinite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is below the threshold value.

2 . The display system of claim 1 , wherein the image projector comprises a holographic projector, wherein the holographic projector comprises a spatial light modulator arranged to display a hologram of the virtual image and spatially modulate light in accordance with the hologram, wherein the virtual image distance is encoded in the hologram.

3 . The display system of claim 2 , wherein the hologram comprises a computer-generated hologram calculated by a hologram engine of the display system, wherein hologram calculation is based on the determined eye-box position.

4 . The display system of claim 3 , wherein the hologram calculation is based on the determined eye-box position when the image projector is arranged to project the virtual image at an infinite image distance.

5 . The display system of claim 3 , wherein the determined eye-box position is used to determine a sub-area of an optical combiner used to form the virtual image, and wherein the hologram engine is arranged to compensate for a shape of the optical combiner in the sub-area during hologram calculation.

6 . The display system of claim 3 , wherein the determined eye-box position is used to determine the position of an aperture in the display system, and wherein the hologram engine is arranged to exclude from the hologram calculation a contribution of light blocked by the aperture.

7 . The display system of claim 3 , wherein the hologram is configured to angularly distribute spatially modulated light of the image in accordance with a position of image content, such that angular channels of the spatially modulated light correspond with respective continuous regions of the image, wherein the holographic projector further comprises:

at least one waveguide pupil expander arranged to form an array of replicas of the hologram; and

a control device arranged to control a delivery of angular channels to the eye-box position.

8 . The display system of claim 1 , wherein the user-tracking system is arranged to repeatedly determine the eye-box position of a user during display of the virtual images.

9 . The display system of claim 1 , wherein the image projector is arranged to transition from projection at an infinite virtual image distance to projection at a finite virtual image distance in response to the confidence value increasing above the threshold, wherein the transition comprises projecting at an intermediate virtual image distance.

10 . The display system of claim 1 , wherein the confidence value is zero when no eye-box position can be established and the threshold value is greater than zero.

11 . A method performed by a display system, the method comprising:

projecting a virtual image at a virtual image distance from an eye-box;

determining an eye-box position of a user within the eye-box and a confidence value associated with determination of the eye-box position;

projecting the virtual image at a finite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is above a threshold value; and

projecting the virtual image at an infinite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is below the threshold value.

12 . The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising:

calculating a hologram of the virtual image;

displaying the hologram on a spatial light modulator; and

spatially modulating light in accordance with the hologram, wherein the virtual image distance is encoded in the hologram.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein calculating the hologram is based on the eye-box position.

14 . The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising:

determining a sub-area of an optical combiner used to form the virtual image using the determined eye-box position; and

compensating for a shape of the optical combiner in the sub-area during hologram calculation.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining a position of an aperture in the display system; and

excluding a contribution of light ray paths blocked by the aperture from the hologram calculation.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the hologram is configured to angularly distribute spatially modulated light of the image in accordance with a position of image content, such that angular channels of the spatially modulated light correspond with respective continuous regions of the image, wherein the display system comprises a holographic projector, wherein the holographic projector further comprises at least one waveguide pupil expander arranged to form an array of replicas of the hologram and therefore an array of replicas of the angular channels, and wherein the method further comprises:

using a control device to control a delivery of angular channels to the eye-box position such that some angular channels are allowed to propagate to the eye-box and other angular channels are blocked from propagating to the eye-box.

17 . Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions stored thereon, wherein the program instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a display system to perform functions comprising:

projecting a virtual image at a virtual image distance from an eye-box;

determining an eye-box position of a user within the eye-box and a confidence value associated with determination of the eye-box position;

projecting the virtual image at a finite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is above a threshold value; and

projecting the virtual image at an infinite virtual image distance after determining that the confidence value is below the threshold value.

18 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the functions further comprise:

calculating a hologram of the virtual image;

displaying the hologram on a spatial light modulator; and

spatially modulating light in accordance with the hologram, wherein the virtual image distance is encoded in the hologram.

19 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein calculating the hologram is based on the eye-box position, and wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a sub-area of an optical combiner used to form the virtual image using the determined eye-box position; and

compensating for a shape of the optical combiner in the sub-area during hologram calculation.

20 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein calculating the hologram is based on the eye-box position, and wherein the functions further comprise:

determining a position of an aperture in the display system; and

excluding a contribution of light ray paths blocked by the aperture from the hologram calculation.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (16)