Depth of field control for see-thru display

A method for controlling a virtual depth of field perceived by a wearer of a see-thru display device, the virtual depth of field bracketing in-focus virtual imagery presented to the wearer, the method comprising:

• determining at runtime a pupil size of the wearer via a detector;
• estimating via an estimation engine of the see-thru display device, an ocular depth of field of the wearer based on the pupil size, the ocular depth of field bracketing in-focus real imagery viewed by the wearer through the see-thru display device, the estimation engine operatively coupled to the detector;
• and
• projecting the virtual imagery with a specified amount of blur determined as a function of the ocular depth of field such that the virtual depth of field differs from the ocular depth of field.

A see-thru display device for presenting real and virtual imagery to a wearer, the device comprising:

• a projector configured to increase a pixel brightness of the virtual imagery to contract the wearer's pupils and thereby deepen an ocular depth of field of the wearer, the ocular depth of field bracketing in-focus real imagery viewed by the wearer through the see-thru display device;
• an electronically controllable dimming filter configured to decrease a transmittance of the see-thru display device to the real imagery to dilate the wearer's pupils and thereby contract the ocular depth of field;
• a camera configured to image the wearer's pupils;
• an estimation engine operatively coupled to the camera and configured to estimate the ocular depth of field perceived by the wearer based on a size of the wearer's pupils as imaged by the camera at runtime;
• and
• a blur engine operatively coupled to the estimation engine and to the projector, the blur engine configured to apply a specified amount of blur to the virtual imagery, the specified amount determined as a function of the ocular depth of field such that the virtual depth of field differs from the ocular depth of field.