US-12627879-B2 - Near infrared (NIR) transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) display

Abstract

A micro-OLED display includes a substrate with a coating made of IR-transparent material such as Zinc Selenide or Zinc Sulfide to allow a pupil tracking camera, which may include photodiodes, to be mounted directly behind the display. The coating is transparent to near infrared (NIR) radiation but opaque to visible light.

Inventors

• Dennis Castleman

Assignees

• SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20241004

Claims (14)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: causing a display of a head-mounted display (HMD) to present frames of demanded images, wherein causing the display of the HMD to present the frames comprises scanning lines of the display in frame rendering periods, wherein the frame rendering periods comprises a first frame rendering period for presenting a first frame of the frames on the display and a second frame rendering period for presenting a second frame of the frames on the display; and causing a camera to capture at least one image in a period that begins after the first frame rendering period and ends during the second frame rendering period.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the camera to capture the at least one image comprises irradiating an area within a field of view of the camera with infrared (IR) light during at least a portion of the period.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein irradiating the area within the field of view of the camera with the infrared (IR) light comprises irradiating a pupil of an eye of a user with the infrared (IR) light.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing the at least one image to a machine-learning model.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the HMD comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein the camera is juxtaposed with an outer surface of a layer of the plurality of layers.
6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the layer is a substrate that is coated with a coating that is configured to allow infrared (IR) light to propagate through the layer while blocking visible light from propagating through the layer.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the period ends after a start of the second frame rendering period, and wherein one or more lines of the display are scanned in the second frame rendering period during a time the camera is energized.
8. 8 . An apparatus comprising: a camera; and a plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers comprises an emissive layer, a substrate, and a plurality of intermediate layers between the emissive layer and the substrate, wherein a coating is deposited on an outer surface of the substrate, wherein the emissive layer comprises a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes, and wherein the coating is configured to allow infrared light to propagate through the coating to the camera and to block visible light emitted from the emissive layer from propagating through the coating.
9. 9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: (i) cause the apparatus to scan lines of a display in frame rendering periods comprising a first frame rendering period for presenting a first frame on the display and a second frame rendering period for presenting a second frame on the display; and (ii) cause the camera to capture at least one image in a period that begins after the first frame rendering period and ends during the second frame rendering period.
10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the period ends after a start of the second frame rendering period, and wherein one or more lines of the display are scanned in the second frame rendering period during a time the camera is energized.
11. 11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide the at least one image to a machine-learning model.
12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the apparatus to irradiate an area within a field of view of the camera with infrared (IR) light during at least a portion of the period.
13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein irradiating the area within the field of view of the camera with the infrared (IR) light comprises irradiating a pupil of an eye of a user with the infrared (IR) light.
14. 14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the camera is juxtaposed with the outer surface.

Description

FIELD The present application relates generally to near infrared transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays such as head-mounted displays for extended reality (XR) applications such as computer games. BACKGROUND As recognized herein, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays may be used in head-mounted displays (HMD) or headsets to facilitate eye tracking of the wearer for purposes of, e.g., presenting augmented reality and/or virtual reality images on the display. As understood herein, eye tracking of the wearer is necessary for many XR applications and furthermore camera placement for eye tracking optimally is directly in front of the pupil. However, present principles further understand that eye tracking cameras are not located optimally. This is because, if located between the substrate of the display and the eye, a camera directly in front of the pupil blocks the display, and if located on the outside of the display, the opaque coating on the display substrate for allowing the display to appear black when a pixel is not active blocks images of the pupil from reaching the camera. SUMMARY A micro-OLED display includes a substrate with a coating made of IR-transparent material such as Zinc Selenide or Zinc Sulfide to allow a pupil tracking camera, which may include photodiodes, to be mounted directly behind the display, i.e., with the display between the pupil and the camera. The coating is transparent to near infrared (NIR) radiation but opaque to visible light. Accordingly, in one aspect an assembly includes at least one organic light emitting diode (OLED) display with an innermost surface and at least one substrate. A coating is on the substrate. The coating has infrared (IR)-transparent material that is transparent to at least near infrared (NIR) radiation but opaque to visible light. At least one camera is configured to generate images from IR light. The camera is disposed to receive light through the coating. The coating may include Zinc Selenide and/or Zinc Sulfide. In some examples the OLED display includes a micro-OLED display. In example embodiments at least one IR illumination lamp is configured to emit IR toward an eye of a wearer of the apparatus. In example implementations the assembly includes at least one processor configured with instructions to activate the camera or the lamp or both the camera and the lamp starting at a beginning of a null period between first and second periods of rendering respective first and second frames of a demanded image. The instructions may be executable to deenergize the camera or the lamp or both the camera and the lamp at the end of the null period. Or, the instructions may be executable to deenergize the camera or the lamp or both the camera and the lamp at a time during the second period of rendering the second frame of the demanded image. In an example, the camera is disposed on an outer surface of the substrate. In another example, the camera is connected to an arm and is oriented to image an outer surface of the substrate. In some examples, the camera is an IR image sensor. In a non-limiting implementation, the IR image sensor is bonded directly to the back (outer surface) of the substrate, opposite the innermost surface, and the substrate is used as a lens. In another aspect, a method includes presenting frames of demanded images on at least one head-mounted display (HMD). The method also includes, at least during a null period between first and second frames, generating at least one image of a pupil of a wearer of the HMD. The method may include, during the null period, illuminating the pupil with infrared (IR) light. In examples, the method includes generating the image of the pupil using the IR light after the IR light passes through a layer of material that blocks visible light. The image can be used for eye tracking of the wearer. The method can include energizing the camera only during the null period plus part but not all of a period of scanning the second frame. Or, the method can include energizing the camera only during the null period. In another aspect, a head-mounted display (HMD) for generating demanded images of at least one computer simulation based at least in part on tracking at least one pupil of a wearer of the HMD includes at least one organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The HMD also includes at least one pupil tracking camera configured to generate images from infrared (IR) light. At least one substance is configured to pass IR light from the pupil to the camera for generation of the images by the camera and to block, from the camera, visible light from the OLED display such that at least one computer simulation engine configured to generate the demanded images can do so based at least in part on images from the camera. The details of the present application, both as to its structure and operation, can be best understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to