US-20260126657-A1 - REVOLVING XR EYEWEAR DISPLAY

US20260126657A1US 20260126657 A1US20260126657 A1US 20260126657A1US-20260126657-A1

Abstract

An extended Reality (XR) display system includes a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display controller, and a Light Emitting Diode (LED) near-eye display element operatively coupled to the LED display driver. The LED near-eye display element includes one or more motors and an LED array operably connected to the one or more motors. During operation, the LED display driver receives video data including a rendered virtual object of an XR experience and generates LED array control signals based on the video data, the LED array control signals causing one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a sequence. The LED display driver also generates synchronized motor control signals and simultaneously communicates the LED array control signals to the LED array and the synchronized motor control signals to the one or more motors causing the LED near-eye display element to display the rendered virtual object.

Inventors

Branislav Micusik
Georgios Evangelidis
Ramzi Zahreddine

Assignees

SNAP INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251229
Priority Date: 20221130

Claims (20)

1 . A method for providing an extended Reality (XR) display using a Light Emitting Diode (LED) near-eye display element spanning across a left eye and a right eye of a user, the method comprising: receiving binocular video data comprising renders of one or more virtual objects, the binocular video data including left view video data for the left eye and right view video data for the right eye; revolving an LED array formed in a transparent substrate about a central axis using one or more motors, the revolving of the LED array creating a circular swept area, the circular swept area including a left viewing sector visible to the left eye and a right viewing sector visible to the right eye; generating first LED array control signals based on the left view video data, the first LED array control signals causing one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a first sequence when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating second LED array control signals based on the right view video data, the second LED array control signals causing the one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a second sequence when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating synchronized motor control signals based on the binocular video data, the synchronized motor control signals causing the one or more motors to revolve the LED array in synchronization with the energizing of the one or more LEDs in the first sequence and the second sequence; communicating the first LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector; communicating the second LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector; and simultaneously communicating the synchronized motor control signals to the one or more motors causing the LED array to continuously revolve through the circular swept area to display the renders of the one or more virtual objects to the user.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the LED array is attached to a rotating rim at a first distal portion of the LED array and a second distal portion of the LED array, the LED array spanning an inner portion of the rotating rim.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotating rim comprises a magnetic ring gear, and wherein the one or more motors revolve the LED array using one or more magnetic pinion gears operably coupled to the magnetic ring gear.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising: generating, by one or more LED array drivers, magnetic fields that inductively couple to one or more LED array power receiver circuits to power the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising: communicating the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals to one or more LED array control signal receivers via a wireless communication protocol, the one or more LED array control signal receivers including LED array control logic operable to control the energizing of the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating, by a display element controller, LED sequence instructions based on the binocular video data, the LED sequence instructions including information on how to sequentially energize the one or more LEDs of the LED array as the LED array is being revolved by the one or more motors; and communicating the LED sequence instructions to one or more LED array drivers, wherein the one or more LED array drivers generate the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals based on the LED sequence instructions.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising: mapping, by the display element controller, pixels having Cartesian coordinates in video frame data of the binocular video data to pixels having polar coordinates in the circular swept area, the polar coordinates expressed as an angle of the revolution of the LED array and a distance from a center of revolution of the LED array.
8 . A machine comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: receiving binocular video data comprising renders of one or more virtual objects, the binocular video data including left view video data for the left eye and right view video data for the right eye; revolving an LED array formed in a transparent substrate about a central axis using one or more motors, the revolving of the LED array creating a circular swept area, the circular swept area including a left viewing sector visible to the left eye and a right viewing sector visible to the right eye; generating first LED array control signals based on the left view video data, the first LED array control signals causing one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a first sequence when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating second LED array control signals based on the right view video data, the second LED array control signals causing the one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a second sequence when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating synchronized synchronized motor control signals based on the binocular video data, the synchronized motor control signals causing the one or more motors to revolve the LED array in synchronization with the energizing of the one or more LEDs in the first sequence and the second sequence; communicating the first LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector; communicating the second LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector; and simultaneously communicating the synchronized motor control signals to the one or more motors causing the LED array to continuously revolve through the circular swept area to display the renders of the one or more virtual objects to the user.
9 . The machine of claim 8 , wherein the LED array is attached to a rotating rim at a first distal portion of the LED array and a second distal portion of the LED array, the LED array spanning an inner portion of the rotating rim.
10 . The machine of claim 9 , wherein the rotating rim comprises a magnetic ring gear, and wherein the one or more motors revolve the LED array using one or more magnetic pinion gears operably coupled to the magnetic ring gear.
11 . The machine of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise: generating, by one or more LED array drivers, magnetic fields that inductively couple to one or more LED array power receiver circuits to power the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
12 . The machine of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise: communicating the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals to one or more LED array control signal receivers via a wireless communication protocol, the one or more LED array control signal receivers including LED array control logic operable to control the energizing of the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
13 . The machine of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise: generating, by a display element controller, LED sequence instructions based on the binocular video data, the LED sequence instructions including information on how to sequentially energize the one or more LEDs of the LED array as the LED array is being revolved by the one or more motors; and communicating the LED sequence instructions to one or more LED array drivers, wherein the one or more LED array drivers generate the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals based on the LED sequence instructions.
14 . The machine of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise: mapping, by the display element controller, pixels having Cartesian coordinates in video frame data of the binocular video data to pixels having polar coordinates in the circular swept area, the polar coordinates expressed as an angle of the revolution of the LED array and a distance from a center of revolution of the LED array.
15 . A machine-storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: receiving binocular video data comprising renders of one or more virtual objects, the binocular video data including left view video data for the left eye and right view video data for the right eye; revolving an LED array formed in a transparent substrate about a central axis using one or more motors, the revolving of the LED array creating a circular swept area, the circular swept area including a left viewing sector visible to the left eye and a right viewing sector visible to the right eye; generating first LED array control signals based on the left view video data, the first LED array control signals causing one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a first sequence when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating second LED array control signals based on the right view video data, the second LED array control signals causing the one or more LEDs of the LED array to be energized in a second sequence when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector during revolution of the LED array; generating synchronized synchronized motor control signals based on the binocular video data, the synchronized motor control signals causing the one or more motors to revolve the LED array in synchronization with the energizing of the one or more LEDs in the first sequence and the second sequence; communicating the first LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the left viewing sector; communicating the second LED array control signals to the one or more LEDs when the LED array is positioned in the right viewing sector; and simultaneously communicating the synchronized motor control signals to the one or more motors causing the LED array to continuously revolve through the circular swept area to display the renders of the one or more virtual objects to the user.
16 . The machine-storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the LED array is attached to a rotating rim at a first distal portion of the LED array and a second distal portion of the LED array, the LED array spanning an inner portion of the rotating rim.
17 . The machine-storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the rotating rim comprises a magnetic ring gear, and wherein the one or more motors revolve the LED array using one or more magnetic pinion gears operably coupled to the magnetic ring gear.
18 . The machine-storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise: generating, by one or more LED array drivers, magnetic fields that inductively couple to one or more LED array power receiver circuits to power the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
19 . The machine-storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise: communicating the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals to one or more LED array control signal receivers via a wireless communication protocol, the one or more LED array control signal receivers including LED array control logic operable to control the energizing of the one or more LEDs of the LED array.
20 . The machine-storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise: generating, by a display element controller, LED sequence instructions based on the binocular video data, the LED sequence instructions including information on how to sequentially energize the one or more LEDs of the LED array as the LED array is being revolved by the one or more motors; and communicating the LED sequence instructions to one or more LED array drivers, wherein the one or more LED array drivers generate the first LED array control signals and the second LED array control signals based on the LED sequence instructions.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/815,484, filed Aug. 26, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/128,905, filed Mar. 30, 2023, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,092,826, which claims the benefit of priority to Greece Patent Application Serial No. 20220100979, filed on Nov. 30, 2022, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to user interfaces and more particularly to user interfaces used augmented reality and virtual reality. BACKGROUND A head-worn device may be implemented with a transparent or semi-transparent display through which a user of the head-worn device can view the surrounding environment. Such devices enable a user to see through the transparent or semi-transparent display to view the surrounding environment, and to also see objects (e.g., virtual objects such as a rendering of a 2D or 3D graphic model, images, video, text, and so forth) that are generated for display to appear as a part of, and/or overlaid upon, the surrounding environment. This is typically referred to as “augmented reality” or “AR.” A head-worn device may additionally completely occlude a user's visual field and display a virtual environment through which a user may move or be moved. This is typically referred to as “virtual reality” or “VR.” In a hybrid form, a view of the surrounding environment is captured using cameras, and then that view is displayed along with augmentation to the user on displays that occlude the user's eyes. As used herein, the term extended Reality (XR) refers to augmented reality, virtual reality and any hybrids of these technologies unless the context indicates otherwise. In order to interact with XR applications provided by an XR system or XR device, it is desirable to have a user interface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a head-worn device, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 1B illustrates a further view of the head-worn device of FIG. 1A, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 2A is an illustration of an LED array, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C are top views of optical element holders holding LED near-eye display elements, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an optical element holder and a corresponding LED near-eye display element, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 4A illustrates a front view of an alternative LED near-eye display element and FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of the alternative LED near-eye display element, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 5 is a diagram of another optical element holder and a corresponding LED near-eye display element, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 6 is an illustration of another optical element holder and corresponding LED near-eye display element, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 7A is an architecture diagram of an XR display system, and FIG. 7B illustrates an example XR display system method, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine within which a set of instructions may be executed for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein in accordance with some examples. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a software architecture within which the present disclosure may be implemented, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system including details of a head-worn XR system, in accordance with some examples. FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of a networked environment in which examples of the present disclosure may be deployed, according to some examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Some see-through XR display systems use optics-based wave guides. These wave guides may have a small Field of View (FOV), may be expensive, and may consume large amounts of energy. Therefore, a need exists for an XR display system that has a larger FOV, is less expensive to produce, and consumes less energy. In one aspect, an XR display system includes a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display controller and a Light Emitting Diode (LED) near-eye display element operatively coupled to the LED display driver. The LED near-eye display element includes one or more motors and an LED array operably connected to the one or more motors. The LED array may be inexpensive as compared to a waveguide and may be manufactured to be of arbitrary size thus creating near-eye displays with a large FOV. In addition, the power requirements of the LED array and motor may be less than that of a comparable wave guide system. During operation, video data of the XR experience is used to generate LED a