Virtual retinal display with eye tracking

A display appartus, comprising:

• an image source for generating light;
• a lensing system having an input aligned to the image source for receiving the generated light, the lensing system having an output adapted for transmitting light to and receiving light from a viewer's eye, the lensing system defining an optical path from the input to the output;
• a beamsplitter in the optical path which redirects light received from the viewer's eye along an alternative optical path;
• an optical detector positioned in the alternative optical path and responsive to the redirected light to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the redirected light;
• a memory device storing data representing a reference level;
• and
• a processor coupled to the detector and to the memory device, the processor being responsive to the electrical signal and the data to produce a signal indicative of a relationship between the electrical signal and the reference level.

A display apparatus comprising:

• an image source for generating modulated light based upon a sequence of modulated values;
• a lensing system having an input aligned to the image source for receiving the generated modulated light, the lensing system having an output adapted for transmitting modulated light to and receiving corresponding reflected light from a viewer's eye, the lensing system defining an optical path from the input to the output;
• a beamsplitter in the optical path which redirects light received from the viewer's eye along an alternative optical path;
• an optical detector positioned in the alternative optical path and responsive to the redirected light to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the redirected light;
• and
• a processor coupled to the detector, the processor being responsive to the electrical signal and the sequence of modulated values to determine a viewing orientation of the viewer's eye.

A display apparatus, comprising:

• an image source for generating light;
• a lensing system having an input aligned to the image source for receiving the generated light, the lensing system having an output adapted for transmitting light to and receiving light from a viewer's eye, the lensing system defining an optical path from the input to the output;
• a beamsplitter in the optical path which redirects light received from the viewer's eye along an alternative optical path;
• an optial detector positioned in the alternative optical path and responsive to the redirected light to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the redirected light;
• and
• a scanner along the optical path, the scanner deflecting the generated light along a raster pattern, the scanner concurrently deflecting the light received from the viewer's eye.

A virtual retinal display apparatus with eye tracking, the apparatus receiving an image data signal for generating a virtual image upon a viewer's eye, the apparatus comprising:

• an image light source which modulates image light as a function of the image data signal to output modulated image light which defines the virtual image in a sequence of display pixels;
• a scanner receiving the modulated visible light, the scanner deflecting the received visible light along a raster pattern, the scanner receiving a synchronization signal correlating to timing of a portion of the raster pattern;
• a photodetector;
• wherein the scanner receives returning light reflected from the viewer's eye, the scanner deflecting the returning light;
• a beamsplitter receiving the deflected returning light from the scanner, the beamsplitter directing said deflected returning light toward the photodetector, the photodetector generating a first signal in response to detection of the returning light;
• and
• a processor receiving the first signal and the synchronization signal, for correlating samples of the first signal to a timing position within the synchronization signal.

A method for generating a map of a viewer's retina with a virtual retinal display, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an image data signal at the display to define image content of an image to be scanned upon a viewer's retina;
• generating light modulated as a function of the image data signal;
• deflecting the light along a raster pattern with a light scanner;
• receiving returning light reflected from the viewer's eye at the light scanner,
• deflecting the returning light toward a beamsplitter;
• directing said deflected returning light with the beamsplitter toward an optical detector;
• generating a first signal at the optical detector in response to detection of the returning light;
• and
• correlating respective samples of the first signal to corresponding timing positions within the raster pattern, wherein the correlated samples define the map of the viewer's retina.