Patents Assigned to Pixieray Oy
  • Patent number: 11971628
    Abstract: In an optical apparatus, a processor(s) is configured to: generate a primary drive signal to drive a primary LC element including a primary active material to produce a first primary optical power for a first design wavelength, wherein there is also produced a second primary OP for a second design wavelength; and generate a secondary drive signal to drive a secondary LC element(s) with a secondary active material to produce a first secondary OP for the first design wavelength and a second secondary OP for the second design wavelength, based on said primary OPs, and different dispersion properties of secondary active material and primary active material. The first and second secondary OPs compensate for chromatic aberration produced by the primary LC element on polychromatic light for the first design wavelength and the second design wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Pixieray Oy
    Inventor: Mikko Kataja
  • Patent number: 11966509
    Abstract: An eye-tracking system (100, 302) comprises light source(s) (102, 202, 306); means (104, 200, 308) for changing direction of light beam (210) emitted by light source(s), wherein said means is to be employed to steer light beam to scan surface of user's eye (214); and light sensor(s) (106, 310) that is to be employed to sense reflected light signals. Said means is to be employed to detect when light beam is incident upon pupil of user's eye, based on variations in at least one parameter of reflected light signals; and steer light beam to be incident upon centre of pupil, wherein light beam is determined to be incident upon centre of pupil when minimum value from amongst values of at least one parameter of reflected light signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Ari Pitkänen, Klaus Melakari
  • Publication number: 20240103335
    Abstract: An active optical element includes an active material encased between a first substrate and a second substrate, first electrode(s), and second electrodes employed as a ground plane. The second electrodes divide the active optical element into segments. The first electrode(s) are driven at given voltage(s). At least one of the second electrodes corresponding to at least one of the segments is selectively connected to an electrical ground, whilst a remainder of the second electrodes are disconnected from the electrical ground. The active material in the at least one of the plurality of segments is controlled by a potential difference generated between the given voltage(s) and the electrical ground to produce a given optical power thereat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Ari Pitkänen
  • Patent number: 11927837
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes eye-tracking means, an active optical element per eye including an active material, and means for controlling the active material to generate optical powers. Gaze directions of a user's eyes are determined. When it is detected, based on the gaze directions, that the user is looking through a predefined portion of the active optical element, a drive signal is generated to drive said means to control the active material to produce a predefined optical power. When it is detected that the user's gaze is moving towards a periphery of the predefined portion, at least one other drive signal is generated to drive said means to control the active material to produce at least one intermediate optical power lying in a range between a zero optical power and the predefined optical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Rebecca Qing Melakari
  • Publication number: 20240036310
    Abstract: Disclosed is eye-tracking system (100, 302) comprising: light-emitting units (102a-b), each light-emitting unit comprising light source(s) (108a-b, 202) and means (110a-b, 200) for changing direction of light beam emitted by light source(s), wherein light-emitting units are controlled to emit respective light beams towards user's eye and to change directions of light beams; light sensors (104a-b) to sense reflections of light beams off surface of user's eye; and processor(s) (106) configured to: detect, based on reflections sensed by light sensors, specific direction of light beam at which it is incident upon pupil of user's eye; determine position of pupil, based on specific directions of light beams emitted by light sources of at least two of light-emitting units at which light beams are incident upon pupil and positions of light sources of at least two of light-emitting units; and determine gaze direction of user's eye, based on position of pupil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventor: Klaus Melakari
  • Patent number: 11885972
    Abstract: An optical element includes: a central region having a fixed optical power, wherein the fixed optical power is one of: a zero optical power, a negative optical power; and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, at least a portion of the peripheral region having an adjustable optical power, wherein the optical power of the portion of the peripheral region is to be selectively adjusted to produce a given optical power. When the fixed optical power is the zero optical power, the given optical power is a positive optical power. When the fixed optical power is the negative optical power, the given optical power is one of: the positive optical power, the negative optical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Pixieray Oy
    Inventor: Rebecca Qing Melakari
  • Patent number: 11733547
    Abstract: An active optical element includes an active material encased between a first substrate and a second substrate, first electrode(s), second electrodes employed as a ground plane, and means for applying and modulating additional impedance between an electrical ground and the second electrodes. The second electrodes divide the active optical element into segments. The first electrode(s) are driven at given voltage(s). At least one of the second electrodes corresponding to at least one of the segments is selectively connected to an electrical ground without any additional impedance, while applying and modulating the additional impedance between the electrical ground and a remainder of the plurality of second electrodes. The active material in the at least one of the plurality of segments is controlled by a potential difference generated between the given voltage(s) and the electrical ground to produce a given optical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Ari Pitkänen
  • Publication number: 20230258959
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes eye-tracking means, an active optical element per eye including an active material, and means for controlling the active material to generate optical powers. Gaze directions of a user’s eyes are determined. When it is detected, based on the gaze directions, that the user is looking through a predefined portion of the active optical element, a drive signal is generated to drive said means to control the active material to produce a predefined optical power. When it is detected that the user’s gaze is moving towards a periphery of the predefined portion, at least one other drive signal is generated to drive said means to control the active material to produce at least one intermediate optical power lying in a range between a zero optical power and the predefined optical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Rebecca Qing Melakari
  • Publication number: 20230258960
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes means for determining an optical depth at which a user is looking, an active optical element per eye, controlling means for controlling an active material in the active optical element to generate one or more optical powers, and a processor . The processor is configured to process data, collected by the means for determining, to determine the optical depth at which the user is looking; detect when the optical depth at which the user is looking is greater than a predefined optical depth; and when it is detected that the optical depth is greater than the predefined optical depth, generate a drive signal to drive the controlling means to control the active material in a portion of the active optical element to produce a predefined optical power thereat, wherein the predefined optical power is a negative optical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Rebecca Qing Melakari
  • Publication number: 20230258936
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an active optical element including an active material encased between a first substrate and a second substrate. Means for selectively controlling the active material in a central portion and a plurality of sectors of the active optical element is employed. The central portion and the plurality of sectors are arranged around an optical axis of the active optical element, wherein the plurality of sectors surround the central portion. A processor of the optical apparatus is configured to generate a drive signal to drive said means to selectively control the active material in at least one of: the central portion, at least one of the plurality of sectors to produce a given optical power thereat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Niko Eiden, Rebecca Qing Melakari
  • Publication number: 20230097774
    Abstract: An eye-tracking apparatus. At least one light source and a plurality of sensors are arranged at a periphery of a first surface of at least one lens. A frame is employed to hold the at least one lens. A processor coupled to the at least one light source and the plurality of sensors is configured to control the at least one light source to emit light towards the user's eye, control the plurality of sensors to sense reflections of the light off a surface of the user's eye, and process sensor data pertaining to the sensed reflections to determine a gaze direction of the user's eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Pixieray Oy
    Inventors: Klaus Melakari, Qing Xu, Ville Miettinen, Niko Eiden