Users exploiting near-to-eye (NR2I) displays for augmented reality and / or correction of low vision are typically wearing these NR2I displays for specific tasks or for extended periods of time, potentially all their time awake. Conflicting tradeoffs between user comfort and minimal fatigue and strain during use, ease of attachment, minimizing intrusiveness and aesthetics should be concurrently balanced with providing an optical vision system that provides the user with a wide field of view, high image resolution, and a large exit pupil for eye placement with sufficient eye clearance. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide NR2I displays meeting these conflicts whilst also addressing the inherent variations between user in respect of their head dimensions, head and eye geometry, as well as adapting the displayed content to reflect the user's task at-hand, visual defects or degradations, visual focus and intent upon various regions-of-interest within their field of view. Such HMDs providing enhanced user experiences.
The majority of applications for head mounted display (HMD) users, irrespective of whether they are for short-term, long-term, low vision, augmented reality, etc. yield a conflicting set of tradeoffs between user comfort and minimal fatigue and strain during use, ease of attachment, minimizing intrusiveness and aesthetics which must be concurrently balanced with and are often in conflict with providing an optical vision system that provides the user with a wide field of view and high image resolution whilst also offering a large exit pupil for eye placement with sufficient eye clearance. Further, individual users' needs vary as do their needs with the general task at-hand, visual focus, and various regions-of-interest within their field of view. To address these issues, it is necessary to provide a high performance optical system, eyepiece design, and system features which overcome these limitations.
A61B 3/113 - Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients perceptions or reactions for determining or recording eye movement
Within applications for Near-to-Eye (NR2I) displays, irrespective of whether they are for short-term, long-term, low vision, augmented reality, etc., there is a conflicting tradeoff between user comfort, ease of attachment, minimizing intrusiveness and aesthetics which must be concurrently balanced with and are often in conflict with providing an optical vision system within the NR2I display that provides the user with a wide field of view and high image resolution whilst also offering a large exit pupil for eye placement with sufficient eye clearance. Embodiments of the invention address these issues and provide a high performance optical system through the design of the optical eyepiece design to overcome these limitations within a bioptic configuration with laterally disposed displays.
Near-to-eye displays support a range of applications from helping users with low vision through augmenting a real world view to displaying virtual environments. The images displayed may contain text to be read by the user. It would be beneficial to provide users with text enhancements to improve its readability and legibility, as measured through improved reading speed and / or comprehension. Such enhancements can provide benefits to both visually impaired and non-visually impaired users where legibility may be reduced by external factors as well as by visual dysfunction(s) of the user. Methodologies and system enhancements that augment text to be viewed by an individual, whatever the source of the image, are provided in order to aid the individual in poor viewing conditions and / or to overcome physiological or psychological visual defects affecting the individual or to simply improve the quality of the reading experience for the user.
Near-to-eye displays support a range of applications from helping users with low vision through augmenting a real world view to displaying virtual environments. The images displayed may contain text to be read by the user. It would be beneficial to provide users with text enhancements to improve its readability and legibility, as measured through improved reading speed and / or comprehension. Such enhancements can provide benefits to both visually impaired and non-visually impaired users where legibility may be reduced by external factors as well as by visual dysfunction(s) of the user. Methodologies and system enhancements that augment text to be viewed by an individual, whatever the source of the image, are provided in order to aid the individual in poor viewing conditions and / or to overcome physiological or psychological visual defects affecting the individual or to simply improve the quality of the reading experience for the user.
G09G 5/26 - Generation of individual character patterns for modifying the character dimension, e.g. double width, double height
G09G 5/32 - Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of individual characters or indicia using display control signals derived from coded signals representing the characters or indicia with a character-code memory with means for controlling the display position
6.
LANGUAGE ELEMENT VISION AUGMENTATION METHODS AND DEVICES
Near-to-eye displays support a range of applications from helping users with low vision through augmenting a real world view to displaying virtual environments. The images displayed may contain text to be read by the user. It would be beneficial to provide users with text enhancements to improve its readability and legibility, as measured through improved reading speed and / or comprehension. Such enhancements can provide benefits to both visually impaired and non-visually impaired users where legibility may be reduced by external factors as well as by visual dysfunction(s) of the user. Methodologies and system enhancements that augment text to be viewed by an individual, whatever the source of the image, are provided in order to aid the individual in poor viewing conditions and / or to overcome physiological or psychological visual defects affecting the individual or to simply improve the quality of the reading experience for the user.
G09G 5/32 - Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of individual characters or indicia using display control signals derived from coded signals representing the characters or indicia with a character-code memory with means for controlling the display position
7.
METHODS FOR NEAR-TO-EYE DISPLAYS EXPLOITING OPTICAL FOCUS AND DEPTH INFORMATION EXTRACTION
Near-to-eye displays allow a user to be presented with images that are either augmented to address defects or aberrations within their vision or provide additional information. However, an acquired image typically contains content at different depths and absent depth information image processing applied to the acquired image may discount or apply an image modification that reduces visibility of an object. Accordingly, it would be beneficial for such near-to-eye displays to exploit depth information within the image processing and / or generate depth maps allowing images presented to the user to account for depth. It would be further beneficial for such enhancements to be compatible with the evolving low weight, low volume, low complexity, and low cost near-to-eye display systems. It would be further beneficial to provide a user with other non-visual stimuli based upon depth information within the image.
For users exploiting near-to-eye (NR2I) displays for augmented reality and / or correction of low vision then the user is typically going to wear the immersive or non-immersive NR2I displays for specific tasks, for specific visual environments, etc. and hence there is an issue of repeatedly attaching and removing the NR2I display. Further, in the majority of applications irrespective of whether for short-term, long-term, low vision, augmented reality, etc. there is a conflicting tradeoff between user comfort, ease of attachment, minimizing intrusiveness and aesthetics. Accordingly, a means of pivotably attaching and supporting a NR2I display is provided wherein the pivotable mounts may be permanently attached, attached, or demountably attached to a frame which may include for some user's prescription lenses.
Near-to-eye displays within head mounted devices offer both users with and without visual impairments enhanced visual experiences either by improving or augmenting their visual perception. Unless the user directly views the display without intermediate optical elements then the designer must consider chromatic as well as other aberrations. Within the prior art the optical train is either complex through additional corrective elements adding to weight, cost, and size or through image processing. However, real time applications with mobile users require low latency to avoid physical side effects. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide near-to-eye displays mitigating these distortions and chromatic aberrations through pre-distortion based electronic processing techniques in conjunction with design optimization of the optical train with low weight, low volume, low complexity, and low cost. Further, it would be beneficial to exploit consumer grade low cost graphics processing units rather than application specific circuits.
G09G 5/36 - Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of individual graphic patterns using a bit-mapped memory
10.
METHODS AND DEVICES FOR OPTICAL ABERRATION CORRECTION
Near-to-eye displays within head mounted devices offer both users with and without visual impairments enhanced visual experiences either by improving or augmenting their visual perception. Unless the user directly views the display without intermediate optical elements then the designer must consider chromatic as well as other aberrations. Within the prior art the optical train is either complex through additional corrective elernents adding to weight, cost, and size or through image processing. However, real time applications with mobile users require low latency to avoid physical side effects. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide near-to-eye displays mitigating these distortions and chrornatic aben-ations through pre-distortion based electronic processing techniques in conjunction with design optirnization of the optical train with low weight, low volume, low complexity, and low cost. Further, it would be beneficial to exploit consurner grade low cost graphics processing units i=ather than application specific circuits.Date Rect.' e/Date Rece ived 2021-02-18
G09G 5/36 - Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the display of individual graphic patterns using a bit-mapped memory
11.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FITTING HEAD MOUNTED VISION AUGMENTATION SYSTEMS
A head worn display can be designed with an integrated camera for obtaining an image of a scene, transmitting the obtained image to a processor, modification of the image in substantially real time by the processor, and displaying the modified image on a display device worn by the individual. According to embodiments of the invention various methods are provided for adjusting the position of the displayed video in the horizontal left/right, vertical up/down, and horizontal in/out, and angular up/down dimensions relative to the individual's eyes.
Visual impairment, or vision impairment, refers to the vision loss of an individual to such a degree as to require additional support for one or more aspects of their life. Such a significant limitation of visual capability may result from disease, trauma, congenital, and / or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive correction, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, medication, or surgery. According to embodiments of the invention a method of augmenting a user's sight is provided comprising obtaining an image of a scene using a camera carried by the individual, transmitting the obtained image to a processor, selecting an algorithm of a plurality of spectral, spatial, and temporal image modification algorithms to be applied to the image by the processor, modifying the image using the algorithm substantially in real time, and displaying the modified image on a display device worn by the individual.
A method and apparatus of displaying an electronic video image using a head- worn near-to-eye display in a non-immersive fashion, such that the wearer can choose, through simple adjustments of their neck and eye angles, to either look at the displayed video image or their natural environment. The invention also relates to the incorporation of prescription lenses into the optical chain of the near-to-eye display. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to enable automatic stabilization of the video image. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to automatically adjust the vertical angle of either the camera or the electronic display or both, by sensing the vertical angular position of the user's head.
A method and apparatus of displaying an electronic video image using a head-worn near-to-eye display in a non-immersive fashion, such that the wearer can choose, through simple adjustments of their neck and eye angles, to either look at the displayed video image or their natural environment. The invention also relates to the incorporation of prescription lenses into the optical chain of the near-to-eye display. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to enable automatic stabilization of the video image. The invention also relates to the use of motion and position sensors incorporated into the head-worn device to automatically adjust the vertical angle of either the camera or the electronic display or both, by sensing the vertical angular position of the user's head.
A method and apparatus of displaying a magnified image comprising obtaining an image of a scene using a camera with greater resolution than the display, and capturing the image in the native resolution of the display by either grouping pixels together, or by capturing a smaller region of interest whose pixel resolution matches that of the display. The invention also relates to a method whereby the location of the captured region of interest may be determined by external inputs such as the location of a person's gaze in the displayed unmagnified image, or coordinates from a computer mouse. The invention further relates to a method whereby a modified image can be superimposed on an unmodified image, in order to maintain the peripheral information or context from which the modified region of interest has been captured.
A61F 9/00 - Methods or devices for treatment of the eyesDevices for putting in contact-lensesDevices to correct squintingApparatus to guide the blindProtective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
A method and apparatus of displaying a magnified image comprising obtaining an image of a scene using a camera with greater resolution than the display, and capturing the image in the native resolution of the display by either grouping pixels together, or by capturing a smaller region of interest whose pixel resolution matches that of the display. The invention also relates to a method whereby the location of the captured region of interest may be determined by external inputs such as the location of a person's gaze in the displayed unmagnified image, or coordinates from a computer mouse. The invention further relates to a method whereby a modified image can be superimposed on an unmodified image, in order to maintain the peripheral information or context from which the modified region of interest has been captured.
A61F 9/00 - Methods or devices for treatment of the eyesDevices for putting in contact-lensesDevices to correct squintingApparatus to guide the blindProtective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
A method of augmenting sight in an individual. The method comprises obtaining an image of a scene using a camera carried by the individual; transmitting the obtained image to a processor carried by the individual; selecting an image modification to be applied to the image by the processor; operating upon the image to create a modified image using either analog or digital imaging techniques, and displaying the modified image on a display device worn by the individual. The invention also relates to an apparatus augmenting sight in an individual. The apparatus comprises a camera, carried by the individual, for obtaining an image of a scene viewed by the individual; a display carried by the individual; an image modification input device carried by the individual; and a processor, carried by the individual. The processor modifies the image and displays the modified image on the display carried by the individual.
A61F 9/00 - Methods or devices for treatment of the eyesDevices for putting in contact-lensesDevices to correct squintingApparatus to guide the blindProtective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
G02B 23/12 - Telescopes, e.g. binocularsPeriscopesInstruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodiesViewfindersOptical aiming or sighting devices with means for image conversion or intensification
A method of augmenting sight in an individual. The method comprises obtaining an image of a scene using a camera carried by the individual; transmitting the obtained image to a processor carried by the individual; selecting an image modification to be applied to the image by the processor; operating upon the image to create a modified image using either analog or digital imaging techniques, and displaying the modified image on a display device worn by the individual. The invention also relates to an apparatus augmenting sight in an individual. The apparatus comprises a camera, carried by the individual, for obtaining an image of a scene viewed by the individual; a display carried by the individual; an image modification input device carried by the individual; and a processor, carried by the individual. The processor modifies the image and displays the modified image on the display carried by the individual.
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