# US 2017/0255012 A1 · Head mounted display using spatial light modulator to move the viewing zone > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0255012 A1 - Document ID: US20170255012A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/060,957 - Filed: 2016-03-04 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Ka Ho Tam; David James Montgomery; Tim Michael Smeeton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170255012A1 ## CPC - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G02B 27/017: {Head mounted} - G02B 27/0179: {Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - G02B 2027/0127: {comprising devices increasing the depth of field} - G02B 2027/0147: {comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image} - G02B 2027/0187: {slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A wearable device includes a light source and a display unit. The display unit includes an image engine that controls the light source to generate image content for display, and a plurality of optical elements that direct the image content into a viewing zone. An eye monitor measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user wearing the wearable device, and the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone. A spatial light modulator (SLM) moves a position of the viewing zone based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. The eye monitor measures pupil size of the user, and the optical elements direct the image content into the viewing zone that is smaller in at least one dimension than twice the measured pupil size. The light source may include a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wearable device comprising: a light source; a display unit including an image engine that controls the light source to generate image content for display, and a plurality of optical elements configured to direct the image content into a viewing zone; an eye monitor that measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user wearing the wearable device, wherein the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone; and a spatial light modulator (SLM) that is configured to move a position of the viewing zone based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the eye monitor is configured to measure pupil size of the user, and the optical elements are configured to direct the image content into the viewing zone that is smaller in at least one dimension than twice the measured pupil size. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The wearable device of claim 3, further comprising axicon optics positioned between the light source and the MEMS scanning mirror that generates a non-diffracting zone to limit diffraction from the MEMS scanning mirror. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the (SLM) comprises a pixilated liquid crystal panel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the eye monitor comprises a gaze tracker that is configured to measure gaze direction, pupil diameter, and distance of the eye from the SLM as included in the eye configuration information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the gaze tracker is configured to determine an error value of eye tracking as included in the eye configuration information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical elements includes a lens array including a plurality of lenslets, and each lenslet in the lens array directs the image content into a separate eyepoint corresponding to a respective viewing zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wearable device of claim 8, wherein the SLM is configured to move one or more of the eyepoints and/or vary separation of the eyepoints based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the image engine comprises a pixilated image display panel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wearable device of claim 10, wherein the SLM is configured to change the position of the viewing zone relative to the image display panel based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the SLM is switchable between different amplitude and/or phase patterns to create multiple eyepoints that each correspond to a respective viewing zone, and the SLM is switched to move one or more of the eyepoints and/or vary separation of the eyepoints based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises an LED light source and a collimating lens that collimates light emitted by the LED light source. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The wearable device claim 1, wherein the SLM is curved. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of laser scanners that directs light onto a single SLM. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a plurality of laser scanners that each directs light onto a respective SLM. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising a dithering component placed in a path of light from the light source to produce laser scan lines. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wearable device of claim 17, wherein the dithering component is one of an optical retarder or another SLM. ### Claim 19 A wearable device comprising: a light source; a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror that rasterizes a light beam from the light source in one dimension; a diffractive element that diverges the light beam coplanar to a rotating axis of the MEMS scanning mirror and a direction of propagation of the light beam; an astigmatic optics; an image panel, wherein the astigmatic optics directs the light beam onto the image panel, the image panel comprising an image engine that generates image content for display; an eye monitor that measures information pertaining to an eye configuration of a user wearing the wearable device, wherein the image content is visible to the user when the eye is aligned with respect to the viewing zone; and a spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives the image content from the image panel and is configured to move a position of the viewing zone based on the eye configuration information measured by the eye monitor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The wearable device of claim 19, wherein the eye monitor is configured to measure pupil size of the user, the image displayed on the image panel is synchronized with a scan angle of the MEMS scanning mirror, and the SLM is configured to generate a rectangular viewing zone that is smaller than twice the measured pupil size in at least one dimension.