Automatic variable virtual focus for augmented reality displays

An augmented reality system providing variable focus of virtual objects comprising:

• a near-eye support structure;
• one or more processors;
• a see-through display unit positioned by the near-eye support structure to be seen through by a user eye;
• a microdisplay assembly for generating one or more images, supported by the near-eye support structure and optically coupled to the see-through display unit for outputting image data for a current user focal region to the see-through display unit, the microdisplay assembly includes one or more light processing elements including a microdisplay, at least one optical element, and a variable virtual focus adjuster, the at least one optical element and the microdisplay being aligned in an optical path, the variable virtual adjuster changing the focal region of the microdisplay assembly to place one or more virtual objects in a current focal region of a user by moving a position of the one or more light processing elements in the optical path under control of the one or more processors;
• an armature for supporting at least one light processing element of the microdisplay assembly and stabilizing movement of the at least one light processing element moving along the optical path;
• the one or more processors controlling the microdisplay assembly for generating image data at the changed focal region of the one or more virtual objects in the current focal region;
• and
• the display unit receiving the generated image data from the microdisplay assembly and displaying the generated image data including a driver to control the variable virtual adjuster, the processor under the control of software directing the microdisplay to include at least one virtual object in a current user focal region;
• and
• a display optically coupled to the microdisplay assembly via the optical path for displaying three dimensional virtual images.

One or more computer readable non-volatile storage media having encoded thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform a method for displaying virtual objects with variable focus by an augmented reality system, the method comprising:

• identifying by one or more processors a three dimensional location of one or more virtual objects within a user field of view of a near-eye display device of the augmented reality system, the near-eye display device comprising a microdisplay assembly and a display unit optically coupled to receive one or more images from the microdisplay assembly, the microdisplay assembly including one or more light processing elements including at least one optical element and a microdisplay unit aligned in an optical path with the at least one optical element, and the at least one optical element of the microdisplay assembly comprises a set of insertable lenses such that changing a lens of the set of lenses in the optical path changes the focal region;
• determining by the one or more processors a three dimensional current focal region of a user wearing the near-eye display device within the user field of view;
• identifying which of the one or more virtual objects are in the current focal region of the user based on the three dimensional locations of the one or more virtual objects within the user field of view;
• adjusting a focal region of the microdisplay assembly for generating image data in the current focal region by moving a position of the one or more light processing elements in the optical path of the microdisplay assembly under control of the one or more processors;
• generating image data, by the microdisplay assembly, of the one or more virtual objects identified as being in the current focal region at the adjusted focal region;
• and
• receiving from the microdisplay assembly and displaying by the display unit the generated image data of the one or more virtual objects.