18349501. Optical Systems with Sequential Illumination simplified abstract (Apple Inc.)

Optical Systems with Sequential Illumination

Organization Name

Apple Inc.

Inventor(s)

Itai Afek of Kefar Sava (IL)

Ariel Lipson of Tel Aviv (IL)

Eran Tal of Petah Tikva (IL)

Mark R. Ayres of Boulder CO (US)

Ken Anderson of Longmont CO (US)

Maria I. Campana of Boulder CO (US)

Daniel Ott of Boulder CO (US)

Roei Remez of Tel Aviv (IL)

Sagee Rosen of Netzer Sereni (IL)

Optical Systems with Sequential Illumination - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18349501 titled 'Optical Systems with Sequential Illumination

Simplified Explanation

The abstract of the patent application describes a display system that uses infrared light for gaze tracking operations. The system includes an optical emitter that emits infrared light, a first coupler that directs the light into a waveguide, and a second optical coupler that directs the light towards the eye box. When the light reflects off the eye, it is coupled back into the waveguide by the second optical coupler and then directed towards a camera for gaze tracking.

• The display system uses infrared light to track the gaze of a user.
• An optical emitter emits the infrared light, which is then directed into a waveguide by a first coupler.
• The light is then directed towards the eye box by a second optical coupler.
• When the light reflects off the eye, it is coupled back into the waveguide by the second optical coupler.
• The reflected light is then directed towards a camera for gaze tracking operations.
• The display system can sequentially illuminate different regions of the eye using a scanning mirror, an array of light sources, or a wavelength-adjustable light source and gratings.
• This sequential illumination minimizes infrared light scattering, resulting in a higher signal-to-noise ratio for gaze tracking operations.

Potential applications of this technology:

• Gaze tracking in virtual reality and augmented reality headsets.
• Eye tracking for user interfaces and control in smart glasses.
• Gaze-based interaction in automotive displays and infotainment systems.
• Gaze tracking for medical and scientific research purposes.

Problems solved by this technology:

• Minimizes infrared light scattering, which improves the accuracy and reliability of gaze tracking.
• Maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio for gaze tracking operations, leading to more precise and consistent results.

Benefits of this technology:

• Accurate and reliable gaze tracking for various applications.
• Improved user interaction and control in virtual reality, augmented reality, and smart glasses.
• Enhanced research capabilities in medical and scientific fields.

Original Abstract Submitted

A display may include an optical emitter that emits infrared light, a first coupler that couples the infrared light into a waveguide, and a second optical coupler that couples the infrared light out of the waveguide and towards the eye box. The infrared light may reflect off an eye as reflected light. The second optical coupler may couple the reflected light into the waveguide and the first optical coupler may couple the reflected light out of the waveguide and towards a camera for performing gaze tracking operations based on the sensor data. The display may sequentially illuminate different regions of the eye with the infrared light at different times using a scanning mirror, an array of light sources, or a wavelength-adjustable light source and gratings. This may minimize infrared light scattering, which minimizes background generation and maximizes signal-to-noise ratio for gaze tracking operations.