Abstract: An eye and environment sensing system for a head-mounted device may be configured to determine changes in an eye orientation and range objects in the environment by sharing a common light source. The eye and environment sensing system includes a light source, a first photodetector, and a second photodetector. The light source is coupled to a frame of a head-mounted device and configured to provide a light beam to illuminate a portion of an eyebox region. The first photodetector is coupled to the frame and is oriented towards the eyebox region to receive reflections of the light beam from the eyebox region. The second photodetector is coupled to the frame and is oriented towards a scene side of the head-mounted device to receive reflections of the light beam from an environment of the head-mounted device. With a shared light source, battery consumption in the head-mounted device may be reduced.

Abstract: An illumination system for eye tracking is described herein. The illumination system may include a laser light source and an ultra-fast scanning micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) operating at a frequency range from about ten (10) kilohertz (kHz) to about one-hundred (100) kilohertz (kHz) to reflect laser light to the eye and generating a desired fringe pattern controlling intensity and timing. A surface of the MEMS may include diffractive optical element (DOE) to reflect the laser light as a concentrated optical beam. The light may also be projected by grating-based illuminators on a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) controlled through adiabatic couplers projecting multiple binary/grayscale images onto the eye. On the detection side, a 2D single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor or a SPAD array detector and an active MEMS shutter array may be used. Compressive sensing techniques may be applied on the detection side.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing device for a receiver in an optical sensing system. The optical sensing device includes a light concentrator configured to collect a light beam. The light concentrator includes an input aperture configured to collect the light beam, an output aperture configured to output the light beam, and a side surface in contact with the input aperture and the output aperture. The side surface is configured to reflect the collected light beam towards the output aperture. The optical sensing device also includes a photodetector placed behind the light concentrator. The photodetector is configured to receive the light beam collected through the output aperture and convert the light beam to an electrical current.

Abstract: Embodiments described include a head mounted display (HMD) including an ultrasound array configured to emit ultrasound signals to dynamically arrange micro-particles into a hologram. The hologram includes an image that is viewable when the micro-particles are illuminated by a light source. In some embodiments, the image included in the hologram is viewable from an eyebox region of a head mounted display.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an image pixel array and a plurality of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) Alvarez tunable lenses disposed over regions of the imaging pixels. The MEMS Alvarez tunable lenses are configured to be adjusted to varying optical powers to focus image light to the plurality of imaging pixels at varying focus depths. Processing logic is configured to drive the plurality of MEMS Alvarez tunable lenses to provide varying optical powers to focus the image light to the imaging pixels during a plurality of image captures with the imaging pixels.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror configured to oscillate at a first resonant frequency about a first axis and at a second resonant frequency about a second axis. The disclosed apparatus may also include a laser light source configured to direct light to the MEMS mirror to reflect from the MEMS mirror toward a user’s eye for illumination of the user’s eye. Additionally, the MEMS mirror may be configured to illuminate the user’s eye in a scanning pattern that can repeat at a rate, and the repetition rate of the scanning pattern may be tunable by altering a ratio of the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency within a range of 1.0:1.8 to 1.0:2.2. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A photodetector is made sufficiently large to receive an entire designed field of view (e.g., for a LiDAR system). At least one lens is mounted to direct reflected laser beams to the photodetector. A plurality of electrodes (e.g., 16, 32 or 64) are coupled to the photodetector, each electrode corresponding to a different pixel position. A processor is coupled to the plurality of electrodes and the processor is configured to detect a pixel position of a reflected laser beam by detecting which electrode produces the largest digital signal.

Abstract: Eye safety and eye tracking accuracy is enhanced through pupil-aware eye tracking, where a fringe pattern projection or illumination onto the eye is locally dimmed in an area corresponding to the pupil. Fringe projection local dimming is accomplished by modifying (locally dimming) the fringe pattern at the projector. Illumination local dimming is accomplished at the light source (e.g., a laser source) before the light is provided by a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) to the eye. An amount of light provided to non-pupil areas such as sclera may be increased to enhance a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which may lead to more accurate eye tracking.

Abstract: Techniques are described for improved eye-tracking through the combination of multiple sensor modalities. Embodiments of the present disclosure may include a wearable device (e.g., artificial-reality device) comprising an eye-tracking module that tracks the positions of either or both of the wearer's eyes based on image data of the eye(s) in addition to other sensor data. The additional sensor data may include, for instance, a depth sensor, an inertial sensor, a face-tracking system, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a scanner for steering optical beams. In certain configurations, the scanner may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror independently rotatable around a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. The scanner may further include a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the MEMS scanning mirror, where the piezoelectric actuator has a first pair of piezoelectric electrodes configured to drive the MEMS scanning mirror to rotate around the first axis, and a second pair of piezoelectric electrodes configured to drive the MEMS scanning mirror to simultaneously rotate around the second axis.

Abstract: In one example, a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) module is provided. The LiDAR module comprises a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) formed on a surface of a silicon substrate, and a controller, the MEMS comprising a polygon assembly, the polygon assembly comprising: a polygon; a support structure connected to the polygon and forming a stack with the polygon along a rotation axis; a plurality of anchors formed on the surface of the substrate; and a plurality of actuators, each actuator of the plurality of actuators being connected between the support structure and an anchor of the plurality of actuators. The controller is configured apply a voltage across each actuator of the plurality of actuators, wherein the voltage causes each actuator to exert a torque on the support structure to rotate the polygon around the rotation axis by a target rotation angle.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system containing a diffractive optical element, and an optical sensing method using the same. For example, the optical sensing system includes a laser emitter configured to emit an optical signal. The optical sensing system further includes a steering device configured to direct the emitted optical signal toward an environment surrounding the optical sensing system. The optical sensing system additionally includes a diffractive optical element configured to diffract the optical signal returning from the environment to form a plurality of beams focusing at a plurality of spots on a focal plane. The optical sensing system additionally includes a photosensor array placed at the focal plane, configured to detect the plurality of beams diffracted by the diffractive optical element at the plurality of spots, wherein the photosensor array comprises a plurality of sensitive elements.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a transmitter containing a Risley prism-based scanning mechanism, an optical sensing system containing the same, and an optical sensing method using the same. For example, the optical sensing system includes a laser emitter configured to sequentially emit a series of optical signals. The optical sensing system further includes a plurality of prisms configured to receive the series of optical signals and sequentially direct the series of optical signals at different directions in an angle of view of the optical sensing system. At least one prism of the plurality of prisms is configured to rotate relative to at least one other prism of the plurality of prisms to refract the optical signals towards the respective different directions. The optical sensing system additionally includes a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the series of optical signals reflected from an environment surrounding the optical sensing system.

Abstract: A transmitter for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is provided. The transmitter includes a plurality of laser sources and a light modulator. Each of the laser sources includes interleaved emitting regions and gaps and is configured to provide a native laser beam in a respective incident direction. The light modulator is configured to receive the native laser beams from the plurality of laser sources in different incident directions and combine the native laser beams into a combined laser beam in a diffraction direction.

Abstract: Augmented and/or virtual reality (AR/VR), near-eye display devices that implement eye tracking via dense point cloud scanning are disclosed. In examples, an eye tracking system for an augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) display device comprises a light beam emission and sensor element located in a first location of the display device to emit a light beam. The eye tracking system may comprises a redirection element located in a second location of the display device to redirect the light beam to illuminate one of line-of-sight and a field-of-view (FOV) of the display device.

Abstract: Augmented and/or virtual reality (AR/VR), near-eye display devices that implement eye tracking are disclosed. In examples, an eye tracking system for an augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) display device includes a light source to emit an incident light beam in a first direction, a fisheye lens to propagate the incident light beam in the first direction, and a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) mirror to pivot from a first position to a second position to reflect the incident light beam in a second direction to enable angular amplification and scanning of a field-of-view (FOV).

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a transmitter containing an omni-view peripheral scanning system, an omni-view peripheral scanning system, and an optical sensing method. The optical sensing system includes an optical source configured to sequentially emit optical signals. The optical sensing system further includes an omni-view peripheral scanning system configured to receive the optical signals and sequentially direct the optical signals towards an environment following a peripheral scanning pattern. The peripheral scanning system may include a scanning mirror and a top reflector. Each optical signal may pass through the top reflector towards the scanning mirror, where the scanning mirror is configured to reflect the optical signal back onto the top reflector following a spiral pattern and the top reflector is configured to direct the optical signal towards the environment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an optical sensing system for two-dimensional (2D) environmental sensing and an optical sensing method for the optical sensing system. The optical sensing system includes a rotary base and a one-dimensional (1D) optical sensing apparatus supported by the rotary base. The 1D optical sensing apparatus includes an optical source configured to emit optical signals, a 1D MEMS scanner configured to direct the optical signals towards an environment surrounding the optical sensing system, and a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the optical signals reflected from the environment. The rotary base is configured to drive the 1D optical sensing apparatus to rotate around a first axis to scan the optical signals in a first dimension and the 1D MEMS scanner is configured to independently rotate around a second axis to scan the optical signals in a second dimension in the 2D environmental sensing.

Abstract: An eye tracking system for absolute phase unwrapping includes a fringe projector, a camera, and an illumination module. The projector provides a periodical fringe pattern onto the eye and the camera captures a reflection of the fringe pattern. Fourier transform, wavelet transform, phase shifting, and/or variants thereof may be used to determine a phase of the fringe pattern and generate a wrapped phase map. Spatial phase unwrapping is used for phase unwrapping resulting in a relative unwrapped phase map. The illumination module with a known relative position between the fringe projector and the camera is used to create glint(s) on the eye. Detected glints on the original image are used to convert the relative unwrapped phase map to an absolute unwrapped phase map.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) compressive sensing based eye tracking system using single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensors achieves high resolution depth measurement by using low resolution SPAD sensors and active encoded illumination such as two- or three-dimensional fringe patterns, random speckles, random patterns, and/or superimposed patterns projected onto a surface of an eye. The patterns may be projected by high speed illuminators such as a digital micromirror device (DMD) or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) projector in series changing at the same rate as the SPAD sensor capture rate. A processor may employ compressive sensing techniques to obtain a high resolution image and depth information from the captured images of varying patterns.