US 12,341,948 B1
Compensating for optical combiner curvature
Mikko Strandborg, Hangonkylä (FI)
Assigned to Distance Technologies Oy, Helsinki (FI)
Filed by Distance Technologies Oy, Helsinki (FI)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/068,107.
Application 19/068,107 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/630,182, filed on Apr. 9, 2024.
Int. Cl. H04N 13/327 (2018.01); H04N 13/139 (2018.01); H04N 13/15 (2018.01); H04N 13/324 (2018.01); H04N 13/383 (2018.01); H04N 13/398 (2018.01)
CPC H04N 13/327 (2018.05) [H04N 13/139 (2018.05); H04N 13/15 (2018.05); H04N 13/324 (2018.05); H04N 13/383 (2018.05); H04N 13/398 (2018.05)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a tracker;
a display unit;
an optical combiner arranged on an optical path of the display unit, wherein a semi-reflective surface of the optical combiner is curved; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine a relative location of eyes of at least one user with respect to the semi-reflective surface of the optical combiner, by utilising the tracker;
determine a relative pose of an imaginary image plane on which an input image is to be presented with respect to a given eye of an individual one of the at least one user, based on a relative location of the given eye with respect to the semi-reflective surface;
generate or retrieve the input image to be presented to the given eye, based on the relative pose of the imaginary image plane with respect to the given eye;
for a given region of a light-emitting surface of the display unit, perform an iterative search to find a corresponding reflection portion of the semi-reflective surface where light rays emanating from the given region of the light-emitting surface are incident and from which the light rays reflect towards the given eye, based on a curvature of the semi-reflective surface, a relative location of the semi-reflective surface with respect to the light-emitting surface, and the relative location of the given eye with respect to the semi-reflective surface; and
when the corresponding reflection portion of the semi-reflective surface is found during the iterative search,
determine a viewing direction from the given eye towards the corresponding reflection portion of the semi-reflective surface of the optical combiner, based on the relative location of the given eye with respect to the semi-reflective surface and a position of the corresponding reflection portion on the semi-reflective surface;
determine a corresponding pixel location in the input image, based on the viewing direction from the given eye towards the corresponding reflection portion of the semi-reflective surface and the relative pose of the imaginary image plane with respect to the given eye;
for the corresponding pixel location in the input image, fetch colour values of a corresponding pixel in the input image; and
utilise the colour values of the corresponding pixel in the input image to display colour at the given region of the light-emitting surface of the display unit.