4966 results about "Virtual image" patented technology

A head mounted device provides an immersive virtual or augmented reality experience for viewing data and enabling collaboration among multiple users. Rendering images in a virtual or augmented reality system may include capturing an image and spatial data with a body mounted camera and sensor array, receiving an input indicating a first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the body mounted camera and displaying a virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected first anchor surface. Further operations may include receiving a second input indicating a second anchor surface within the captured image that is different from the first anchor surface, calculating parameters with respect to the second anchor surface and displaying the virtual object such that the virtual object appears anchored to the selected second anchor surface and moved from the first anchor surface.

The present invention comprises a compact optical see-through head-mounted display capable of combining, a see-through image path with a virtual image path such that the opaqueness of the see-through image path can be modulated and the virtual image occludes parts of the see-through image and vice versa.

This invention concerns an ergonomic optical see-through head mounted display device with an eyeglass appearance. The see-through head-mounted display device consists of a transparent, freeform waveguide prism for viewing a displayed virtual image, a see-through compensation lens for enabling proper viewing of a real-world scene when combined together with the prism, and a miniature image display unit for supplying display content. The freeform waveguide prism, containing multiple freeform refractive and reflective surfaces, guides light originated from the miniature display unit toward a user's pupil and enables a user to view a magnified image of the displayed content. A see-through compensation lens, containing multiple freeform refractive surfaces, enables proper viewing of the surrounding environment, through the combined waveguide and lens. The waveguide prism and the see-through compensation lens are properly designed to ergonomically fit human heads enabling a wraparound design of a lightweight, compact, and see-through display system.

A near-eye display includes a compound waveguide for presenting viewers with virtual images visible within an eyebox at a limited relief distance from the compound waveguide. The compound waveguide is assembled from a plurality of waveguides that are at least partially optically isolated for conveying different portions of the virtual image. An input couple injects the different portions of the virtual image into predetermined combinations of the waveguides, and an output coupling ejects the different portions of the virtual image from the waveguides toward the eyebox in a form that at least partially constructs a pupil within the eyebox.

A virtual image display device is provided which displays a two-dimensional image for viewing a virtual image in a magnified form by a virtual optical system. The virtual image display device includes an optical waveguide (13) to guide, by internal total reflection, parallel pencil groups meeting a condition of internal total reflection, a first reflection volume hologram grating (14) to diffract and reflect the parallel pencil groups incident upon the optical waveguide from outside and traveling in different directions as they are so as to meet the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide and a second reflection volume hologram grating (15) to project the parallel pencil groups guided by internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide as they are from the optical waveguide by diffraction and reflection thereof so as to depart from the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide. Some of the parallel pencil groups guided through the optical waveguide being totally reflected different numbers of times for a period from external incidence upon the optical waveguide until outgoing from the optical waveguide.

A vehicle information display system includes a head-up display for reflecting an image on a windshield of a vehicle and displaying the image so that a driver recognizes the image as a virtual image. Information is collected for being displayed by the head-up display. A circumstance of the vehicle, a circumstance of surrounding of the vehicle, or a circumstance of the driver is detected. The collected information is classified in accordance with a detection result. Then, display contents of the head-up display are controlled in accordance with a classification result.

A head-mounted display apparatus comprises a see-through image display portion for setting a display frame in a display-capable range, and displaying an image in such a manner that the image is superimposed on an image of the external environment in the display frame, an angular velocity sensor for detecting the tilting angle of the head of an observer; an LCD driver, a second CPU and the like which control the display frame to move in an amount corresponding to the angle detected by the angle detection means in the direction opposite to the tilting direction of the observer's head, whereby the position of a virtual image, observed by the observer, is kept substantially constant, irrespective of the tilting of the observer's head, and first CPU which controls the apparatus so that the mode of the apparatus is automatically changed to a low consumption power mode.

A digital imaging system and method using multiple cameras arranged and aligned to create a much larger virtual image sensor array. Each camera has a lens with an optical axis aligned parallel to the optical axes of the other camera lenses, and a digital image sensor array with one or more non-contiguous pixelated sensors. The non-contiguous sensor arrays are spatially arranged relative to their respective optical axes so that each sensor images a portion of a target region that is substantially different from other portions of the target region imaged by other sensors, and preferably overlaps adjacent portions imaged by the other sensors. In this manner, the portions imaged by one set of sensors completely fill the image gaps found between other portions imaged by other sets of sensors, so that a seamless mosaic image of the target region may be produced.

An image-based tele-presence system forward warps video images selected from a plurality fixed imagers using local depth maps and merges the warped images to form high quality images that appear as seen from a virtual position. At least two images, from the images produced by the imagers, are selected for creating a virtual image. Depth maps are generated corresponding to each of the selected images. Selected images are warped to the virtual viewpoint using warp parameters calculated using corresponding depth maps. Finally the warped images are merged to create the high quality virtual image as seen from the selected viewpoint. The system employs a video blanket of imagers, which helps both optimize the number of imagers and attain higher resolution. In an exemplary video blanket, cameras are deployed in a geometric pattern on a surface.

A design professional such as an interior designer running a browser program at a client computer (i) optionally causes a digital image of a room, or a room model, or room images to be transmitted across the world wide web to a graphics server computer, and (ii) interactively selects furnishings from this server computer, so as to (iii) receive and display to his or her client a high-fidelity high-quality virtual-reality perspective-view image of furnishings displayed in, most commonly, an actual room of a client's home. Opticians may, for example, (i) upload one or more images of a client's head, and (ii) select eyeglass frames and components, to (iii) display to a prospective customer eyeglasses upon the customer's own head. The realistic images, optionally provided to bona fide design professionals for free, promote the sale to the client of goods which are normally obtained through the graphics service provider, profiting both the service provider and the design professional. Models of existing objects are built as necessary from object views. Full custom objects, including furniture and eyeglasses not yet built, are readily presented in realistic virtual image.Also, a method of interactive advertising permits a prospective customer of a product, such as a vehicle, to view a virtual image of the selected product located within a customer-selected virtual scene, such as the prospective customer's own home driveway. Imaging for all purposes is supported by comprehensive and complete 2D to 3D image translation with precise object placement, scaling, angular rotation, coloration, shading and lighting so as to deliver flattering perspective images that, by selective lighting, arguably look better than actual photographs of real world objects within the real world.

We describe a road vehicle contact-analogue head up display (HUD) comprising: a laser-based virtual image generation system to provide a 2D virtual image; exit pupil expander optics to enlarge an eye box of the HUD; a system for sensing a lateral road position relative to the road vehicle and a vehicle pitch or horizon position; a symbol image generation system to generate symbology for the HUD; and an imagery processor coupled to the symbol image generation system, to the sensor system and to said virtual image generation system, to receive and process symbology image data to convert this to data defining a 2D image for display dependent on the sensed road position such that when viewed the virtual image appears to be at a substantially fixed position relative to said road; and wherein the virtual image is at a distance of at least 5 m from said viewer.

A mechanism is provided for making information about the virtual disk image file and / or its associated virtual image configuration file more readily available to a user. The virtual disk image file format is expanded to include fields in which information about the data in the file can be stored. Extensible information on file content, compatible HW configurations, compatible host OSes, timeout status, DRM status, patch state, and network topology, tag data for indexing, configuration files, saved state files, operation history data, and the like is stored in a location within a virtual disk image file that can be read without executing the virtual machine. This information can then be used to search the contents of the virtual disk image, to enforce usage policies, to provide extensibility for vendors, and the like.

A display device (500) comprises a micro-display (22) and imaging optics (24) to transmit a light beam (BO), and a diffractive beam expander (10) having an output grating (16). The combination of said micro-display (22) and said imaging optics (24) is together adapted to form a virtual image (710) which is observable through the perimeter (15) of said output grating (16) when said diffractive beam expander (10) is positioned to at least partially intercept said light beam (BO). The combination of said micro-display (22) and said imaging optics (24) may also be adapted to project said light beam (BO) onto an external screen (600) in order to display a real image (610). The display device (500) may comprise a movable optical component (10, 380) to switch the device (500) from a virtual display mode to a projecting mode.

A design professional such as an interior designer, furniture sales associate or advertising designer running a browser program at a client computer (i) uses the world wide web to connect to a graphics server computer, and (ii) interactively selects or specifies furnishings or other objects from this server computer and previews the scene and communicates with the server, so as to (iii) receive and display to his or her client a high-fidelity high-quality virtual-reality perspective-view photorealistic image of furnishings or other objects displayed in, most commonly, a virtual representation of an actual room of a client's home or an advertisement scene. The photorealistic images, optionally provided to bona fide design professionals and their clients for free, but typically paid for by the product's manufacturer, promote the sale to the client of goods which are normally obtained through the graphics service provider's customer's distributor, profiting both the service provider and the design professional. Models, textures and maps of existing objects are built as necessary from object views or actual objects. Full custom objects, including furniture and other products not yet built, are readily presented in realistic virtual image. Also, a method of interactive advertising permits a prospective customer of a product, such as furniture, to view a virtual but photorealistic, image of a selected product located within a customer-selected scene, such as the prospective customer's own home, to allow in-context visualization.

A compact and efficient optical illumination system featuring planar multi-layered LED light source arrays concentrating their polarized or un-polarized output within a limited angular range. The optical system manipulates light emitted by a planar light emitters such as electrically-interconnected LED chips. Each light emitting region in the array is surrounded by reflecting sidewalls whose output is processed by elevated prismatic films, polarization converting films, or both. The optical interaction between light emitters, reflecting sidewalls, and the elevated prismatic films create overlapping virtual images between emitting regions that contribute to the greater optical uniformity. Practical illumination applications of such uniform light source arrays include compact LCD or DMD video image projectors, as well as general lighting, automotive lighting, and LCD backlighting.

A virtual image display device is provided which displays a two-dimensional image for viewing a virtual image in a magnified form by a virtual optical system. The virtual image display device includes an optical waveguide (13) to guide, by internal total reflection, parallel pencil groups meeting a condition of internal total reflection, a first reflection volume hologram grating (14) to diffract and reflect the parallel pencil groups incident upon the optical waveguide from outside and traveling in different directions as they are so as to meet the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide and a second reflection volume hologram grating (15) to project the parallel pencil groups guided by internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide as they are from the optical waveguide by diffraction and reflection thereof so as to depart from the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide. Some of the parallel pencil groups guided through the optical waveguide being totally reflected different numbers of times for a period from external incidence upon the optical waveguide until outgoing from the optical waveguide.

A near-eye display projects virtual images from an image generator to an eyebox within which the virtual images can be seen by a viewer. A first optical path conveys image-bearing light from the image generator to a selectively reflective powered optic and a second optical path conveys the image-bearing light along a line of sight from the selectively reflective powered optic to the eyebox. First and second selectively reflective surfaces fold the first optical path with respect to the second optical path to locate the image generator out of the line of sight to the eyebox. The image generator is effectively inclined to the line of sight to the eyebox for reducing a thickness of the near-eye display. The selectively reflective powered optic is oriented normal to local overlapping portions of the first and second optical paths at the selectively reflective powered optic.

A virtual interactive environment enables a surgeon or other medical professional to manipulate implants, prostheses, or other instruments using patient-specific data from virtual reality models. The patient data includes a combination of volumetric data, surface data, and fused images from various sources (e.g., CT, MRI, x-ray, ultrasound, laser interferometry, PET, etc.). The patient data is visualized to permit a surgeon to manipulate a virtual image of the patient's anatomy, the implant, or both, until the implant is ideally positioned within the virtual model as the surgeon would position a physical implant in actual surgery. Thus, the interactive tools can simulate changes in an anatomical structure (e.g., bones or soft tissue), and their effects on the external, visual appearance of the patient. CAM software is executed to fabricate the implant, such that it is customized for the patient without having to modify the structures during surgery or to produce a better fit.

A medical robotic system has a surgeon console which is operatively couplable to a patient side unit for performing medical procedures or operatively couplable to a simulator unit for training purposes. The surgeon console has a monitor, input devices and foot pedals. The patient side unit has robotic arm assemblies coupled to instruments and an endoscope. When the surgeon console is coupled to the patient side unit, the instruments move in response to movement of the input devices to perform a medical procedure while captured images of the instruments are displayed on the monitor. When the surgeon console is coupled to the simulator unit, virtual instruments move in response to movement of the input devices to perform a user selected virtual procedure while virtual images of the virtual instruments are displayed on the monitor.

A flat-panel projection display comprises a transparent slab and integral area grating, a transparent rod with rectangular cross-section and integral linear grating, arranged along the edge of the slab, and a small video projector. The projector is arranged to direct a virtual image into the end of the rod, directly or via mirrors, the light travelling along the rod via total internal reflection. The linear grating diverts the light into the plane of the slab, and the area grating projects it out of the slab towards a viewer, so that the viewer sees an image at infinity.

In regard to a second direction (combination direction) that is turned back by a reflection at the time of light-guiding, a projective optical system has an emission opening width larger than an opening width of a third reflective surface, such that it is possible to prevent a partial deficiency of image light when the image light emitted from the projective optical system is incident to the third reflective surface from occurring, and thereby it is possible to prevent the occurrence of deficiency of an image or a large variation in brightness.

In fabrication of a light guiding unit, a half mirror layer as a reflection film for folding light is covered by a light transmission main body part as a coating member, i.e., a light transmission member, and a hard coating layer is deposited thereon. Therefore, even when the surfaces of a light guide main body part and the light transmission main body part forming the light guiding unit are cleansed as pre-processing of the deposition of the hard coating layer, the situations such that the half mirror layer is separated thereby may be avoided and optical properties of the half mirror layer may not be lost.

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling an operation thereof are disclosed. In the method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal is communicatively with a head mounted display for displaying an augmented reality (AR) screen obtained by combining a virtual image with a real environment. If image data acquired through a camera is analyzed and a predetermined gesture input is detected, the head mounted display is controlled such that a display change corresponding to the detected gesture input is displayed on the AR screen. In a state of displaying the AR screen through the head mounted display, various operations related to the mobile terminal can be controlled according to the predetermined gesture input.

The present invention teaches a method of constructing head-mounted virtual display apparatuses for mobile activities based on a non-cross-cavity optical configuration, which simultaneously provides the user with "look toward" access to an inset virtual image and an unobstructed forward field of view of at least 35 degrees. In one embodiment, a pair of light deflecting elements and associated adjustment means project a light path from the normal peripheral field of view towards the eye without geometric distortion of the virtual image associated image plane tilt.

A half mirror layer has an angle dependency in which when an angle of incidence becomes larger than the angle of incidence range of image light, reflectance increases, such that it is possible to prevent unintended light, which is emitted to a light transmitting member from a light guiding member and is reflected inside a light transmitting member, from being returned to a light emission portion of the light guiding member after passing through the half mirror layer as a reflective film at a relatively large angle of incidence. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the image light passed through the light transmitting member from becoming ghost light while mitigating the demand for increasing processing accuracy of the light transmitting member, and bonding accuracy between the light guiding member and the light transmitting member.

A near-eye display projects virtual images from an image generator to an eyebox within which the virtual images can be seen by a viewer. A first optical path conveys image-bearing light from the image generator to a selectively reflective powered optic and a second optical path conveys the image-bearing light along a line of sight from the selectively reflective powered optic to the eyebox. First and second selectively reflective surfaces fold the first optical path with respect to the second optical path to locate the image generator out of the line of sight to the eyebox. The image generator is effectively inclined to the line of sight to the eyebox for reducing a thickness of the near-eye display. The selectively reflective powered optic is oriented normal to local overlapping portions of the first and second optical paths at the selectively reflective powered optic.

The invention is directed to provide a virtual image display device capable of setting the aspect ratio of the image light entering the eyes of the observer as a virtual image to a desired state while fulfilling the design limitations. In the invention, the aspect ratio of the virtual image can be converted to the aspect ratio (16:9) laterally longer than the aspect ratio (4:3) of the image area due to the conversion in the aspect ratio conversion optical system. Thus, the aspect ratio of the image light to be recognized by the eye of the observer as a virtual image can be adjusted to a desired state even in the case in which, for example, the lateral width of the image forming device with respect to the whole of the virtual image display device is limited by a design requirement.