- Number
- 10001648
- Published
- 2018-06-19
- Filed
- 2016-04-14
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Smithwick; Quinn Yorklun Jen
- CPC
- G02B5/003; G02B17/008; G02B27/0172; G06T19/006
- Verdict
- Medium Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
AR cloaking-optics occlusion display.
Abstract
Embodiments herein describe AR systems that provide occluded AR content to a user while maintaining the perspective of the user. In one embodiment, the AR system includes an optical cloak that contains a mask display device and an AR display device and one or more focusing elements for focusing light captured from the user's environment. As the light enters the optical cloak, the mask display device occludes a portion of the user's view to generate a black silhouette. The AR system then combines AR content displayed by the AR display device with the image of the environment such that the location of the AR content overlaps with the location of the black silhouette. Furthermore, the spacing and characteristics of the focusing elements is set to maintain the perspective of the user as the light passes through the optical cloak.
Background
BACKGROUNDField of the Invention(1) The embodiments herein are generally directed to providing occlusion and maintaining the perspective of the user when displaying augmented reality (AR) content.Description of the Related Art(2) AR displays insert virtual content into real-world views of the user's environment. For example, a user may wear a headset that captures views of the real world and includes a lens and a display device that outputs the AR content. Using a beam-combiner, the headset combines the real-world image passing through the combiner with AR content viewed through the lens, so it appears in focus and at “infinity” (a far distance relative to the headset) before reaching the eye of the user. Thus, the user sees the AR content integrated into the real-world image. However, the appearance of the AR content is typically semi-transparent and cannot occlude the background since the light outputted by the display device combines with the light of the real-world image. Moreover, the AR content cannot display the color black since black is the absence of light, and thus, cannot be emitted by the display device. Put differently, if the any part of the AR content is black, when combined with the real-world image, the user will see only the real-world image at the portions of the AR content that should be black. Occlusion and high-contrast AR content is important for visually integrating AR content and real-world imagery.(3) To improve the appearance of the AR content, som
Claims
1. An augmented reality (AR) system, comprising: a first focusing element configured to receive light defining a view of a user environment; a mask display screen configured to occlude a selected portion of the view as the received light passes through the mask display screen; an AR display screen configured to generate AR content that appears in the view at a location of the occluded selected portion; and a second focusing element configured to emit the view containing the AR content to a user, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that when the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element, the exiting light propagates in respective first directions that are the same as respective second directions of the received light entering the first focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of the user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect the received light from the first directions as the received light travels through the AR system.
7. An AR system, comprising: a first focusing element configured to receive light defining a view of a user environment; a mask display screen configured to occlude a selected portion of the view as the received light passes through the mask display screen; an AR display screen configured to generate AR content that appears in the view at a location of the occluded selected portion; a second focusing element configured to emit the view containing the AR content to a user, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of the user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect light received at the first focusing element as the received light travels through the AR system; and a plurality of reflective surfaces configured to redirect an optical path of the received light as the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements, wherein the plurality of reflective surfaces fold the optical path.
12. A method, comprising: receiving light defining a view of a user environment at a first focusing element; occluding a selected portion of the view to produce a silhouette of AR content in the view; introducing the AR content into the view at the location of the silhouette; outputting the view containing the AR content at a second focusing element, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of a user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect light received at the first focusing element as the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements.