Abstract: An augmented reality (AR) device is described with a display system configured to adjust an apparent distance between a user of the AR device and virtual content presented by the AR device. The AR device includes a first tunable lens that change shape in order to affect the position of the virtual content. Distortion of real-world content on account of the changes made to the first tunable lens is prevented by a second tunable lens that changes shape to stay substantially complementary to the optical configuration of the first tunable lens. In this way, the virtual content can be positioned at almost any distance relative to the user without degrading the view of the outside world or adding extensive bulk to the AR device. The augmented reality device can also include tunable lenses for expanding a field of view of the augmented reality device.

Abstract: A switchable optical assembly comprises a switchable waveplate configured to be electrically activated and deactivated to selectively alter the polarization state of light incident thereon. The switchable waveplate comprises first and second surfaces and a first liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second surfaces. The first liquid crystal layer comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules that are rotated about respective axes parallel to a central axis, where the rotation varies with an azimuthal angle about the central axis. The switchable waveplate additionally comprises a plurality of electrodes to apply an electrical signal across said first liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A time of flight based depth detection system is disclosed that includes a projector configured to sequentially emit multiple complementary illumination patterns. A sensor of the depth detection system is configured to capture the light from the illumination patterns reflecting off objects within the sensor's field of view. The data captured by the sensor can be used to filter out erroneous readings caused by light reflecting off multiple surfaces prior to returning to the sensor.

Abstract: A display system includes a head-mounted display configured to project light, having different amounts of wavefront divergence, to an eye of a user to display virtual image content appearing to be disposed at different depth planes. The wavefront divergence may be changed in discrete steps, with the change in steps being triggered based upon whether the user is fixating on a particular depth plane. The display system may be calibrated for switching depth planes for a main user. Upon determining that a guest user is utilizing the system, rather than undergoing a full calibration, the display system may be configured to switch depth planes based on a rough determination of the virtual content that the user is looking at. The virtual content has an associated depth plane and the display system may be configured to switch to the depth plane of that virtual content.

Abstract: Techniques for tracking eye movement in an augmented reality system identify a plurality of base images of an object or a portion thereof. A search image may be generated based at least in part upon at least some of the plurality of base images. A deep learning result may be generated at least by performing a deep learning process on a base image using a neural network in a deep learning mode. A captured image may be localized at least by performing an image registration process on the captured image and the search image using a Kalman filter model and the deep learning result.

Abstract: A method of generating foveated rendering using temporal multiplexing includes generating a first spatial profile for an FOV by dividing the FOV into a first foveated zone and a first peripheral zone. The first foveated zone will be rendered at a first pixel resolution, and the first peripheral zone will be rendered at a second pixel resolution lower than the first pixel resolution. The method further includes generating a second spatial profile for the FOV by dividing the FOV into a second foveated zone and a second peripheral zone, the second foveated zone being spatially offset from the first foveated zone. The second foveated zone and the second peripheral zone will be rendered at the first pixel resolution and the second pixel resolution, respectively. The method further includes multiplexing the first spatial profile and the second spatial profile temporally in a sequence of frames.

Abstract: In a display system configured to display images at multiple depth planes, images perceived to be substantially full color or multi-colored may be formed using component color images that are distributed in unequal numbers across a plurality of depth planes. The distribution of component color images across the depth planes may vary based on color. In some embodiments, a display system includes a stack of waveguides that each output light of a particular color, with some colors having fewer numbers of associated waveguides than other colors. The stack of waveguides may include multiple pluralities of different numbers of waveguides, each plurality configured to produce an image by outputting light corresponding to a particular color. A display controller can introduce blur and/or change pixel size for images to be presented for at least one depth plane, based on the contents of images.

Abstract: A head-mounted display system is configured to project light to an eye of a user wearing the head-mounted display system to display content in a vision field of said user. The head-mounted display system comprises at least one diffusive optical element, at least one out-coupling optical element, at least one mask comprising at least one mask opening, at least one illumination in-coupling optical element configured to in-couple light from at least one illumination source into a light-guiding component, an image projector configured to in-couple an image and an at least one illumination source is configured to in-couple light into at least one illumination in-coupling optical element, an eyepiece, a curved light-guiding component, a light-guiding component comprising a portion of a frame, and/or two light-guiding components disposed on opposite sides of at least one out-coupling optical element.

Abstract: A visual perception device has a look-up table stored in a laser driver chip. The look-up table includes relational gain data to compensate for brighter areas of a laser pattern wherein pixels are located more closely than areas where the pixels are further apart and to compensate for differences in intensity of individual pixels when the intensities of pixels are altered due to design characteristics of an eye piece.

Abstract: A display system can include a head-mounted display configured to project light to an eye of a user to display virtual image content at different amounts of divergence and collimation. The display system can include an inward-facing imaging system possibly comprising a plurality of cameras that image the user's eye and glints thereon, and processing electronics that are in communication with the inward-facing imaging system and that are configured to obtain an estimate of a center of cornea of the user's eye using data derived from the glint images. The display system may use spherical and aspheric cornea models to estimate a location of the corneal center of the user's eye.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for generating and presenting virtual audio for mixed reality systems. A method may include determining a collision between a first object and a second object, wherein the first object comprises a first virtual object. A memory storing one or more audio models can be accessed. It can be determined if the one or more audio models stored in the memory comprises an audio model corresponding to the first object. In accordance with a determination that the one or more audio models comprises an audio model corresponding to the first object, an audio signal can be synthesized, wherein the audio signal is based on the collision and the audio model corresponding to the first object, and the audio signal can be presented to a user via a speaker of a head-wearable device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to display systems and, more particularly, to augmented reality display systems. A diffraction grating includes a plurality of different diffracting zones having a periodically repeating lateral dimension corresponding to a grating period adapted for light diffraction. The diffraction grating additionally includes a plurality of different liquid crystal layers corresponding to the different diffracting zones. The different liquid crystal layers have liquid crystal molecules that are aligned differently, such that the different diffracting zones have different optical properties associated with light diffraction.

Abstract: A method in a virtual, augmented, or mixed reality system includes a GPU determining/detecting an absence of image data. The method also includes shutting down a portion/component/function of the GPU. The method further includes shutting down a communication link between the GPU and a DB. Moreover, the method includes shutting down a portion/component/function of the DB. In addition, the method includes shutting down a communication link between the DB and a display panel. The further also includes shutting down a portion/component/function of the display panel.

Abstract: A method for displaying an image using a wearable display system including directing display light from a display towards a user through an eyepiece to project images in the user's field of view, determining a relative location between an ambient light source and the eyepiece, and adjusting an attenuation of ambient light from the ambient light source through the eyepiece depending on the relative location between the ambient light source and the eyepiece.

Abstract: A system form localizing an electronic device with dynamic buffering identifies, from the buffer, a first set of features that is extracted from a first image captured by the electronic device and receives, at the system, a second set of features that is extracted from a second image captured by the electronic device. The system further determines a first characteristic for the first set of features and a second characteristic for the second set of features and determines whether a triggering condition for dynamically changing a size of the buffer is satisfied based at least in part upon the first characteristic for the first set of features and the second characteristic for the second set of features.

Abstract: A virtual image generation system comprises a planar optical waveguide having opposing first and second faces, an in-coupling (IC) element configured for optically coupling a collimated light beam from an image projection assembly into the planar optical waveguide as an in-coupled light beam, a first orthogonal pupil expansion (OPE) element associated with the first face of the planar optical waveguide for splitting the in-coupled light beam into a first set of orthogonal light beamlets, a second orthogonal pupil expansion (OPE) element associated with the second face of the planar optical waveguide for splitting the in-coupled light beam into a second set of orthogonal light beamlets, and an exit pupil expansion (EPE) element associated with the planar optical waveguide for splitting the first and second sets of orthogonal light beamlets into an array of out-coupled light beamlets that exit the planar optical waveguide.

Abstract: An exit pupil expander (EPE) has entrance and exit pupils, a back surface adjacent to the entrance pupil, and an opposed front surface. In one embodiment the EPE is geometrically configured such that light defining a center wavelength that enters at the entrance pupil perpendicular to the back surface experiences angularly varying total internal reflection between the front and back surfaces such that the light exiting the optical channel perpendicular to the exit pupil is at a wavelength shifted from the center wavelength. In another embodiment a first distance at the entrance pupil between the front and back surfaces is different from a second distance at the exit pupil between the front and back surfaces. The EPE may be deployed in a head-wearable imaging device (e.g., virtual or augmented reality) where the entrance pupil in-couples light from a micro display and the exit pupil out-couples light from the EPE.

Abstract: A display system includes projection optics configured to project a beam of light in a first direction and an eyepiece unit including a first waveguide layer disposed in a first lateral plane and including an incident light surface and an opposing surface opposite the incident light surface and an incoupling diffractive optical element disposed on the incident light surface. The incoupling diffractive optical element is configured to incouple a first portion of the beam of light and to propagate the first portion of the beam of light by total internal reflection in a second direction and transmit a second portion of the beam of light along the first direction. The eyepiece also includes a retroreflector disposed adjacent the opposing surface. The retroreflector is configured to retroreflect the second portion of the beam of light along a reflected direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A cross reality system enables any of multiple devices to efficiently and accurately access previously stored maps and render virtual content specified in relation to those maps. The cross reality system may include a cloud-based localization service that responds to requests from devices to localize with respect to a stored map. The request may include one or more sets of feature descriptors extracted from an image of the physical world around the device. Those features may be posed relative to a coordinate frame used by the local device. The localization service may identify one or more stored maps with a matching set of features. Based on a transformation required to align the features from the device with the matching set of features, the localization service may compute and return to the device a transformation to relate its local coordinate frame to a coordinate frame of the stored map.

Abstract: Techniques for resolving hemisphere ambiguity are disclosed. One or more magnetic fields are emitted at a handheld controller. The one or more magnetic fields are detected by one or more sensors positioned relative to a headset. Movement data corresponding to the handheld controller or the headset is detected. During a first time interval, a first position and a first orientation of the handheld controller within a first hemisphere are determined based on the detected one or more magnetic fields, and a first discrepancy is calculated based on the first position, the first orientation, and the movement data. During a second time interval, a second position and a second orientation of the handheld controller within a second hemisphere are determined based on the detected one or more magnetic fields, and a second discrepancy is calculated based on the second position, the second orientation, and the movement data.