WO2023200164A1

WO2023200164A1 - Ar device having refractive error correction function based on dual variable lense

Info

Publication number: WO2023200164A1
Application number: PCT/KR2023/004461
Authority: WO
Inventors: 장이운; 강호성
Original assignee: 주식회사 셀리코
Priority date: 2022-04-12
Filing date: 2023-04-03
Publication date: 2023-10-19
Also published as: KR102419009B1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an AR device having a refractive error correction function based on a dual variable lens, comprising: a display module that projects light to provide an augmented reality (AR) image to a user; a waveguide into which the projected light is incident; a first variable lens and a second variable lens provided between a light projection area of the waveguide and a field of view of the user; a transfer unit that moves at least one of the first variable lens and the second variable lens; and a control unit that controls an operation of correcting a refractive error of the user by moving at least one of the first variable lens and the second variable lens by means of the transfer unit.

Description

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses

This disclosure relates to an AR device, and more specifically, to an AR device equipped with a refractive error correction function based on a dual variable lens.

According to the 2019 National Glasses Use Survey published by the Korean Optometrists Association, 55.4% of Koreans reported wearing glasses (including contact lenses).

When a person with such refractive error wears AR glasses, the virtual image or video appears blurry because it cannot be worn with glasses, and in this case, the refractive error must be corrected using a diopter.

However, AR glasses on the market do not have a diopter function, and a diopter must be installed to respond to the various refractive indices of the user's eyes. However, there is a problem that the volume of the AR glasses increases significantly and the weight increases significantly.

AR glasses have an optical combiner to irradiate the image or video generated by the display unit to the human eye. There are a semi-mirror method as shown in Figure 1 and an optical waveguide method as shown in Figure 2, but the semi-mirror type is The disadvantage of this method is that the device becomes larger and heavier, and the optical waveguide method has the problem of being expensive.

The purpose of the embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure is to provide an AR device equipped with a refractive error correction function based on a dual variable lens.

In addition, the embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure seeks to solve problems caused by the large and heavy size and high price of conventional AR devices.

In addition, the embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure seeks to solve the phase separation phenomenon that occurs in AR glasses using conventional variable lenses.

The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

An AR device equipped with a refractive error correction function based on a dual variable lens according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to solve the above-described problem projects light to provide an augmented reality (AR) image to the user. display module; a waveguide into which the projected light is incident; a first variable lens and a second variable lens provided between the light emission area of the waveguide and the user's field of view; a transfer unit provided on one side of the waveguide and moving the second variable lens; and a control unit that controls an operation to correct the user's refractive error by moving the second variable lens through the transfer unit, wherein the first variable lens is formed integrally with the lower part of the waveguide, and the upper part is formed as a flat surface. and the lower part is formed to include a convex surface and a concave surface, the second variable lens is provided below the first variable lens, one side is coupled to the transfer unit and the other side is coupled to the display module, and the upper side is convex. It is formed to include a surface and a concave surface, and the lower part is formed as a plane, and the control unit controls an operation of correcting the user's refractive error by moving the second variable lens through the transfer unit, and determines the degree of myopia of the user. Accordingly, the transfer unit is controlled so that the maximum concave surfaces of the first variable lens and the second variable lens are close, and the maximum convex surfaces of the first variable lens and the second variable lens are close according to the degree of astigmatism of the user. The transfer unit may be controlled so that the optical axes of the first variable lens and the second variable lens coincide with the center of the eyebox of the waveguide.

According to the means for solving the above-described problem of the present disclosure, an AR device equipped with a refractive error correction function based on a dual variable lens is provided.

Additionally, the embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure can solve problems caused by the large and heavy size and high price of conventional AR devices.

In addition, the embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure can solve the phase separation phenomenon that occurs in AR glasses using conventional variable lenses.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating conventional semi-mirror type AR glasses.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating conventional optical waveguide type AR glass.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an image focusing on an eye with normal vision.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating myopia correction being performed.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating how hyperopia correction is performed.

Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the application of a conventional Alvarez lens to AR glasses.

Figure 7 is a block diagram of AR glasses according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

8 to 10 are diagrams illustrating AR glasses according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

11 to 13 are diagrams illustrating AR glasses according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

14 to 16 are diagrams illustrating AR glasses according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating AR glasses according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout this disclosure.

The present disclosure does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and general content or overlapping content between the embodiments in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains is omitted. The term 'unit, module, member, block' used in the specification may be implemented as software or hardware, and depending on the embodiment, a plurality of 'unit, module, member, block' may be implemented as a single component, or It is also possible for one 'part, module, member, or block' to include multiple components.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be “connected” to another part, this includes not only direct connection but also indirect connection, and indirect connection includes connection through a wireless communication network. do.

Additionally, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that it may further include other components rather than excluding other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Throughout the specification, when a member is said to be located “on” another member, this includes not only cases where a member is in contact with another member, but also cases where another member exists between the two members.

Terms such as first and second are used to distinguish one component from another component, and the components are not limited by the above-mentioned terms.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly makes an exception.

The identification code for each step is used for convenience of explanation. The identification code does not explain the order of each step, and each step may be performed differently from the specified order unless a specific order is clearly stated in the context. there is.

Hereinafter, the operating principle and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

In this specification, 'AR glasses device according to the present disclosure' includes all various devices that can perform computational processing and provide results to the user. For example, the AR glasses device according to the present disclosure may include all of a computer, a server device, and a portable terminal, or may take the form of any one.

Here, the computer may include, for example, a laptop, desktop, laptop, tablet PC, slate PC, etc. equipped with a web browser.

The server device is a server that processes information by communicating with external devices, and may include an application server, computing server, database server, file server, game server, mail server, proxy server, and web server.

The portable terminal is, for example, a wireless communication device that guarantees portability and mobility, such as PCS (Personal Communication System), GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), PHS (Personal Handyphone System), and PDA. (Personal Digital Assistant), IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), WiBro (Wireless Broadband Internet) terminal, smart phone ), all types of handheld wireless communication devices, and wearable devices such as watches, rings, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, glasses, contact lenses, or head-mounted-device (HMD). may include.

Before describing the AR device 10 equipped with a refractive error correction function based on the dual variable lens 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, technologies in the same field will be briefly described.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating conventional semi-mirror type AR glasses.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a conventional optical waveguide 30 type AR glass.

In conventional AR glasses, the semi-mirror method of FIG. 1 and the light pipe 30 method of FIG. 2 were used to focus the image/video generated in the display unit on the user's eyes.

As shown in Figure 1, the semi-mirror method reflects the image on the display and transmits the external real view, thereby combining the real and virtual views. It can secure the quality of the image, but has the disadvantage of making the device large and heavy. .

In the optical waveguide (30) method, the light from the projector is diffracted and replicated through a passage (light pipe (30); wave guide) formed in the lens through which the light can pass, and is finally output to the eye box part of the lens. (30) Because it is nano-scale, the lens size can be innovatively reduced, but it has the problem of being expensive.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating myopia correction being performed.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating how hyperopia correction is performed.

Referring to Figure 4, the user's myopia is corrected using a concave lens, and referring to Figure 5, the user's hyperopia is corrected using a convex lens. This method is a typical conventional method for correcting myopia and hyperopia. It was a method.

In the case of general glasses, they are custom-made for the user, so the lenses are manufactured taking into account whether the user is nearsighted or farsighted and the degree of that degree.

However, since AR glasses are used by a variety of people, they must be manufactured to respond to the various refractive indices of each user, which makes the AR glasses bulky and heavy and expensive.

To solve these problems, a recent attempt is to use a multi-focal adjustable lens.

A representative variable lens method is to adjust the refractive index of the lens by making the inside of the lens consist of water and oil and applying electricity, but this also did not completely solve the increase in volume and weight.

In addition, as shown in Figure 6, Alvarez lenses are provided above and below the lens of the light pipe 30. In this case, only half of the variable lens is affected, so the external view passes through both lenses and is properly formed, but the AR view is only on one side. However, there is a problem that the focus is not as desired and phase separation occurs.

Therefore, the present disclosure seeks to solve the problems of the prior art that occur in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 described above through the AR device 10 equipped with a refractive error correction function based on the dual variable lens 50.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Referring to FIG. 7, the AR device 10 equipped with a refractive error correction function based on the dual variable lens 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit 90, a display module 20, a waveguide 30, It includes a transfer unit 40, a variable lens 50, a transfer unit 40, and an eye tracking module 60.

However, in some embodiments, the AR glasses may include fewer or more components than those shown in FIG. 7 .

The display module 20 projects light to provide an augmented reality (AR) image to the user.

The waveguide 30 guides the light incident from the display module 20 and projects it toward the variable lens 50.

The variable lens 50, as its name suggests, is not fixed as a concave or convex lens and is variable.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the variable lens 50 is provided between the light emission area of the waveguide 30 and the user's field of view.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the variable lens 50 includes a first variable lens 51 and a second variable lens 52.

For example, the waveguide 30 is located at the top, the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52 are arranged in that order, and the user's field of view is located at the bottom.

Specifically, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the variable lens 50 may be an Alvarez lens, and one variable lens 50 includes at least a convex lens in part and a concave lens in at least part of the entire lens. The surface contains both convex and concave lenses.

The transfer unit 40 can move at least one of the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52, and an actuator is typically applicable.

The gaze tracking module 60 may track the gaze direction of at least one of the user's left eye and right eye.

The memory 70 may store various commands and algorithms for operating the AR device 10, and in some embodiments, an artificial intelligence model that can be customized for each user and operated may be stored therein.

The control unit 90 is responsible for controlling the components within the AR device 10, and can specifically control the display module 20, the transfer unit 40, and the eye tracking module 60.

Additionally, the control unit 90 may execute a refractive error correction method based on the dual variable lens 50 by executing commands and algorithms stored in the memory 70.

Hereinafter, AR glasses according to the first, second, and third embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail through FIGS. 8 to 16.

The basic functions of the components included in the first to third embodiments are the same as those described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 7, and detailed descriptions, such as differences in the arrangement of additional functions, are dealt with in detail with reference to the respective drawings. do.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 16, the first, second, and third embodiments will be sequentially described.

Referring to FIG. 8, the transfer unit 40 is provided on the lower side (for example, the left side) of the waveguide 30.

The first variable lens 51 is installed at the top of one side (for example, the right side) of the transfer unit 40, and the second variable lens 52 is installed at the bottom of one side (for example, the right side) of the transfer unit 40. .

The first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52 are separated from each other and coupled to the transfer unit 40. Specifically, the first variable lens 51 is connected to the first actuator and the second variable lens 52. Can be combined with the second actuator.

In the first embodiment, the display module 20 is provided on the lower side of the other side (eg, right side) of the waveguide 30.

Accordingly, in the first embodiment, the light output from the display module 20 is input to the waveguide 30 and then is guided and transmitted through the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52 in that order to the user. It is delivered.

Figure 8 illustrates that since the user has normal vision, the variable lens 50 is positioned in place without the control unit 90 separately controlling the transfer unit 40.

Figure 9 illustrates a user with maximum myopia, in which the control unit 90 controls the transfer unit 40 so that light is transmitted through the maximum concave surfaces of the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52. It is illustrated.

Figure 10 illustrates a user with maximum hyperopia, and the control unit 90 controls the transfer unit 40 to transmit light through the maximum convex surface of the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52. It is illustrated.

Figures 9 and 10 are merely examples of users with maximum myopia and maximum hyperopia, respectively, and in reality, the control unit 90 controls the transfer unit 40 according to the degree of myopia and hyperopia of the user to provide the first variable lens 51 and the first variable lens 51. By appropriately moving the second variable lens 52, light can be transmitted depending on the degree of myopia or hyperopia of the user.

In the second embodiment, the first variable lens 51 is combined with the waveguide 30 to reduce the size and size of the AR glasses, and the transfer unit 40 moves the second variable lens 52 to adjust the focus.

In a second embodiment, the first variable lens 51 is fixed/coupled/provided at the lower part of the waveguide 30, and the second variable lens 52 is installed on one side (for example, the right side) of the transfer unit 40. do.

At this time, the display module 20 is provided on the lower side of the other side (eg, right side) of the waveguide 30.

The control unit 90 controls the transfer unit 40 according to the degree of myopia or hyperopia of the user to appropriately move the second variable lens 52 to transmit light according to the degree of myopia or hyperopia of the user.

In the second embodiment, the first variable lens 51 may be formed to be less than the length of the waveguide 30, may include a flat lens area (first area) in at least a partial area, and the display module 20 Can project light to a flat lens area (first area).

Therefore, when the AR glasses are configured in this way, the light projected by the display module 20 is transmitted through the flat lens area (first area) of the first variable lens 51, the waveguide 30, and the first variable lens 51. , the second variable lens 52 may be provided to the user.

However, it is not limited to this, and the first variable lens 51 may not include a flat lens area (first area), and the display module 20 is located below one side (for example, the right side) of the waveguide 30. It is also possible to project light directly into the waveguide 30.

In the case of the AR glasses according to the second embodiment, the user's focus is adjusted by moving only the second variable lens 52, so the structure of the AR glasses can be simplified and the size/volume can be further reduced.

In the third embodiment, the first variable lens 51 is fixed/coupled/provided at the lower part of the waveguide 30, and the second variable lens 52 is installed on one side (right side) of the transfer unit 40.

In the third embodiment, the transfer unit 40 is provided below one side (left side) of the waveguide 30, and the display module 20 is fixed/coupled/below the other side (right side) of the second variable lens 52. It is prepared.

The difference between the second and third embodiments is that in the second embodiment, the display module 20 is provided below the flat lens area (first area) of the waveguide 30 or the first variable lens 51. In the third embodiment, the display module 20 is fixed/coupled/provided on the other side of the second variable lens 52.

Due to this structure, when the transfer unit 40 moves the second variable lens 52, the display module 20 moves together with the second variable lens 52.

In the third embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the transfer unit 40 so that the optical axes of the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52 coincide with the center of the eyebox of the waveguide 30. ) is controlled.

And, due to this structure, the AR glasses according to the third embodiment not only automatically adjusts the user's focus by always matching the optical axis of the variable lens 50 and the eyebox center of the waveguide 30, but also prevents distortion of the user's field of view. This does not occur and has the effect of preventing dizziness from occurring.

In addition, since the AR glasses according to the third embodiment also include the advantages of the first and second embodiments, a size/volume reduction effect is also achieved through simplification of the structure.

In fact, when an experiment was conducted on various users with refractive errors, all users complained of discomfort due to lack of focus when wearing regular AR glasses without glasses.

However, as a result of wearing the AR glasses according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, users not only had their refractive error resolved but also did not experience dizziness.

In the third embodiment, the second variable lens 52 may include a flat lens area (second area) in a partial area, and the display module 20 is fixed/coupled/provided below the first area to display the first area. Light can be projected into an area.

Accordingly, the light output from the display module 20 is input to the second area of the second mask lens, the first area of the first variable lens 51, the waveguide 30, the first variable lens 51, and the first variable lens 51. 2 The variable lens 52 may be provided to the user in the following order.

However, it is not limited to this, and the first variable lens 51 may not include a flat lens area (first area), and, as in the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure described in FIG. 17 below, a display module ( 20) may not be provided on the lower side of the other side of the second variable lens 52, but may be coupled/installed/provided on the side of the second variable lens 52.

The fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the display module 20 is coupled/installed/provided on the side of the second variable lens 52, and the remaining configuration and structure are the same as the third embodiment.

Through the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the AR device 10 equipped with a refractive error correction function based on the dual variable lens 50 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described.

In addition, the step-by-step control operation of the AR glasses control unit 90 can be implemented as a refractive error correction method based on the dual variable lens 50.

The refractive error correction method based on the dual variable lens 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method performed on AR glasses, where the control unit 90 controls the user to wear the AR glasses or turn on the AR glasses. A step of detecting, the control unit 90 tracking the gaze direction of at least one of the user's left eye and the right eye through the gaze tracking module 60, and the control unit 90 tracking the user's gaze direction based on the tracked gaze direction. A step of determining focus, and the control unit 90 controlling at least one of the first variable lens 51 and the second variable lens 52 to move through the transfer unit 40 based on the determined focus of the user. The steps can be performed, and the AR glasses can correct the user's refractive error through the steps performed by the control unit 90.

In addition, in the refractive error correction method based on the dual variable lens 50 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the description of the composition and structure of the AR glass is the same as that described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 17, so further description is omitted. do.

The method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure described above may be implemented as a program (or application) and stored in a medium in order to be executed in combination with a server, which is hardware.

The above-mentioned program is C, C++, JAVA, machine language, etc. that can be read by the processor (CPU) of the computer through the device interface of the computer in order for the computer to read the program and execute the methods implemented in the program. It may include code coded in a computer language. These codes may include functional codes related to functions that define the necessary functions for executing the methods, and include control codes related to execution procedures necessary for the computer's processor to execute the functions according to predetermined procedures. can do. In addition, these codes may further include memory reference-related codes that indicate at which location (address address) in the computer's internal or external memory additional information or media required for the computer's processor to execute the above functions should be referenced. there is. In addition, if the computer's processor needs to communicate with any other remote computer or server in order to execute the above functions, the code uses the computer's communication module to determine how to communicate with any other remote computer or server. It may further include communication-related codes regarding whether communication should be performed and what information or media should be transmitted and received during communication.

The storage medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specifically, examples of the storage medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., but are not limited thereto. That is, the program may be stored in various recording media on various servers that the computer can access or on various recording media on the user's computer. Additionally, the medium may be distributed to computer systems connected to a network, and computer-readable code may be stored in a distributed manner.

The steps of the method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented directly in hardware, implemented as a software module executed by hardware, or a combination thereof. The software module may be RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), Flash Memory, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or It may reside on any type of computer-readable recording medium well known in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

Above, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the attached drawings, but those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical idea or essential features. You will be able to understand it. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

A display module that projects light to provide augmented reality (AR) images to users;

a waveguide into which the projected light is incident;

a first variable lens and a second variable lens provided between the light emission area of the waveguide and the user's field of view;

a transfer unit provided on one side of the waveguide and moving the second variable lens;

A control unit that controls the operation of correcting the user's refractive error by moving the second variable lens through the transfer unit,

The first variable lens is formed integrally with the lower part of the waveguide, and the upper part is formed as a plane and the lower part is formed to include a convex surface and a concave surface,

The second variable lens is provided below the first variable lens, one side of which is coupled with the transfer unit and the other side of which is coupled with the display module, the upper part of which is formed to include a convex surface and a concave surface, and the lower part of which is flat. It is formed by,

The control unit,

Controlling an operation to correct the user's refractive error by moving the second variable lens through the transfer unit,

Controlling the transfer unit so that the maximum concave surfaces of the first variable lens and the second variable lens are close according to the degree of myopia of the user,

Controlling the transfer unit so that the maximum convex surfaces of the first variable lens and the second variable lens are close according to the degree of astigmatism of the user,

Characterized in that the transfer unit is controlled so that the optical axes of the first variable lens and the second variable lens are aligned with the center of the eyebox of the waveguide.

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.
According to paragraph 1,

The projected light is input into the waveguide and then transmitted through the first variable lens and the second variable lens in that order and delivered to the user.

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.
According to paragraph 1,

The display module is. Characterized in that it is provided in the lower part of the other side of the second variable lens,

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.
According to paragraph 3,

The area where the display module is provided in the second variable lens is formed of a flat lens,

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.
According to paragraph 1,

Characterized in that the width of the first variable lens and the second variable lens is formed by more than the difference between the highest height of the convex surface and the lowest height of the concave surface of the second variable lens.

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.
According to paragraph 1,

The first variable lens and the second variable lens include an Alvarez lens,

AR device with refractive error correction function based on dual variable lenses.