Optical axis control based on gaze detection within a head-mountable display
AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
InventorRichard James Forster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A head-mountable display (HMD) apparatus includes a display unit configured to display an image to a user wearing the HMD, a first optical element configured to direct light from the image displayed by the display unit for viewing by the user so that the eye of the user observes the image via the first optical element, a detector configured to detect a gaze direction of the user's eye, and a control unit configured to control a configuration of the first optical element responsive to the detected gaze direction.
Claims17
A head-mountable display (HMD) apparatus comprising:
- a display unit configured to display an image to a user wearing the HMD;
- a first optical element configured to direct light from the image displayed by the display unit for viewing by the user so that the eye of the user observes the image via the first optical element;
- a detector configured to detect a gaze direction of the user's eye;
- and
- a control unit configured to control a configuration of the first optical element responsive to the detected gaze direction, wherein:
- the control unit is configured to control the first optical element to have a configuration that limits the optical axis associated with the first optical element to within a central portion of the user's field of view, and
- when the detected gaze direction of the user's eye is not within the central portion of the user's field of view, the control unit is configured to control the configuration of the first optical element so that the optical axis associated with the first optical element is directed within the central portion of the user's field of view with a direction that is nearest to being coincident with the user's current gaze direction within the field of view.
A method for controlling an image viewed by a user wearing a head-mountable display (HMD), the method comprising:
- displaying an image to a user wearing the HMD;
- directing light from the displayed image for viewing by the user using a first optical element so that the eye of the user observes the image via the first optical element;
- detecting a gaze direction of the user's eye;
- and
- controlling a configuration of the first optical element responsive to the detected gaze direction, wherein:
- the controlling step comprises controlling the first optical element to have a configuration that limits the optical axis associated with the first optical element to within a central portion of the user's field of view, and
- when the detected gaze direction of the user's eye is not within the central portion of the user's field of view, the controlling step comprises controlling the configuration of the first optical element so that the optical axis associated with the first optical element is directed within the central portion of the user's field of view with a direction that is nearest to being coincident with the user's current gaze direction within the field of view.
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for controlling an image viewed by a user wearing a head-mountable display (HMD) by carrying out actions, comprising:
- displaying an image to a user wearing the HMD;
- directing light from the displayed image for viewing by the user using a first optical element so that the eye of the user observes the image via the first optical element;
- detecting a gaze direction of the user's eye;
- and
- controlling a configuration of the first optical element responsive to the detected gaze direction, wherein:
- the controlling step comprises controlling the first optical element to have a configuration that limits the optical axis associated with the first optical element to within a central portion of the user's field of view, and
- when the detected gaze direction of the user's eye is not within the central portion of the user's field of view, the controlling step comprises controlling the configuration of the first optical element so that the optical axis associated with the first optical element is directed within the central portion of the user's field of view with a direction that is nearest to being coincident with the user's current gaze direction within the field of view.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.