Near eye display and related computer-implemented software and firmware

Abstract

A near-eye display for operation of an augmented or mixed reality system that integrates the virtual image generated by the near eye display to the real environment taking account of the visual processes of the retina, the visual cortex and the oculomotor system. The near eye display is provided in the form of a transparent optical module attached to and aligned with a pair of eyeglasses providing the refractive correction required by the wearer. The effect of the light field created by the eyeglass optic and the transparent optical module are used as inputs to the software or firmware program that drive the micro-display in the transparent optical module and control the location of the content as well as the fixation point being displayed on the micro-display. The near eye display acts as the master and the wearer's or user's eyes as the slave. Thus, the light emitters of the near eye display cause the eye(s) of the user to move and be positioned.

1 . A system for displaying an image comprising:
 one or more near eye displays in optical communication with one or more optics, and   software and/or firmware,   wherein the software and/or firmware is programmed to create one or more images and one or more fixation points on the one or more near eye displays, and   wherein the one or more fixation points are at least two times brighter than the one or more images associated with the one or more fixation points.   
     
     
         2 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fixation point is separated from the one or more image by a field of view of less than about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the near eye display is a binocular display. 
     
     
         4 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the software and/or firmware controls the size and resolution of the one or more images based on a location of the one or more images relative to one or both eyes of a wearer or user. 
     
     
         5 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more images comprise a video, and wherein the video is displayed at a speed that is computed by the software and/or firmware from speed of pursuit eye movements, and wherein the speed is within a range of about 1-20 HZ. 
     
     
         6 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more optics comprise optical power that varies across the one or more optics, and wherein the optical power increases as a function of a degree of downward gaze of a user or wearer. 
     
     
         7 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the brightness of the one or more images varies across the one or more images, and wherein a zone of increased brightness is about 10-100 microns in diameter. 
     
     
         8 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fixation points is illuminated at a zone of the near eye display that is separate from the one or more images. 
     
     
         9 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more optics has an optical power that comprises a prismatic component that is capable of providing binocular summation at a distance intended for viewing a virtual image. 
     
     
         10 . An extended reality system comprising a near eye display, a micro-lens array, and software or firmware, wherein the software or firmware are capable of providing a cue that locates a virtual image along an X, Y, and/or Z axis, wherein the near eye display comprises a plurality of light emitters, wherein the near eye display is capable of moving the virtual image along an X, Y and/or Z axis as seen or perceived by a user or wearer of the extended reality system by illuminating different light emitters in accordance with said cue which causes an eye or eyes of the user or wearer to change fixation in response to changing illumination of the different light emitters. 
     
     
         11 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system, wherein the extended reality system comprises a near eye display, wherein the near eye display comprises a plurality of light emitters, and wherein the software or firmware cause the light emitters to generate a virtual image as seen by an eye or eyes of a wearer of the extended reality system, and wherein the software or firmware create a fixation point by causing one or more of the plurality of light emitters to have a brightness that is about two times or greater than the other light emitters generating the remaining virtual image. 
     
     
         12 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the fixation point created by the software of firmware is separated from the virtual image by a field of view of less than about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the fixation point created by the software or firmware is a locus of a zone in the near eye display capable of achieving an image resolution of greater than about 60 line pairs per millimeter over a field of view of about 0-5 degrees from the fixation point. 
     
     
         14 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual image generated by the software or firmware has an optical resolution of greater than about 10 lp/mm over an annular zone defined by an inner field of view of about 5 degrees and an outer field of view of about 20 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the software or firmware creates more than one fixation point, and wherein when there is more than one fixation point the fixation points are located on the near eye display such that they are misaligned by a field of view in the range of about 0.1 degrees to about 1.5 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the near eye display is a binocular display. 
     
     
         17 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the software or firmware controls a size and resolution of the virtual image based on a location of the virtual image relative to the eye or eyes of the wearer of the extended reality system. 
     
     
         18 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual image generated by the software of firmware comprises a video, and wherein the video is displayed at a speed that is computed by the software or firmware from speed of pursuit eye movements, and wherein the speed is within a range of about 1-20 HZ. 
     
     
         19 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein extended reality system further comprises one or more optics, and wherein the one or more optics comprise optical power that varies across the one or more optics, and wherein the optical power increases as a function of a degree of downward gaze of the wearer of the extended reality system. 
     
     
         20 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the brightness of the virtual image generated by the software of firmware varies across the virtual image, and wherein a zone of increased brightness is about 10-100 microns in diameter. 
     
     
         21 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the fixation point created by the software or firmware is illuminated at a zone of the near eye display that is separate from the virtual image. 
     
     
         22 . Software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more optics has an optical power that comprises a prismatic component that is capable of providing binocular summation at a distance intended for viewing the virtual image generated by the software of firmware. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method of displaying a virtual image having a memory, a central processing unit, and a near eye display, comprising:
 generating a virtual image and displaying the virtual image on the near eye display, wherein the near eye display comprises light emitters;   controlling the light emitters to create one or more fixation points on the near eye display, wherein the one or more fixation points are separate from, embedded in, or overlaid on the virtual image, and wherein the one or more fixation points are at least two times brighter than the virtual image;   using the one or more fixation points to control where an eye or eyes of the wearer of the near eye display is looking in relation to the virtual image along an X, Y and/or Z axis.   
     
     
         24 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the near eye display is a see-through near eye display. 
     
     
         25 . The software or firmware for an extended reality system of  claim 11 , wherein the near eye display is a see-through near eye display. 
     
     
         26 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more optics comprises a spectacle lens. 
     
     
         27 . The near eye display of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more optics comprises a micro-lens array.