US 11,741,864 B2
Headset for virtual reality applications with variable field of view and resolution
Jasmine Soria Sears, Kirkland, WA (US); and Afsoon Jamali, Issaquah, WA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/721,079.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/210,402, filed on Jun. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0398953 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G09G 3/02 (2006.01); G09G 3/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/28 (2006.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01); G06F 1/16 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01)
CPC G09G 3/002 (2013.01) [G02B 5/3016 (2013.01); G02B 27/286 (2013.01); G06F 1/163 (2013.01); G06F 3/013 (2013.01); G09G 2320/08 (2013.01); G09G 2340/045 (2013.01); G09G 2340/0407 (2013.01); G09G 2354/00 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
a display including multiple pixels, each pixel having an optical emitter to provide at least one light beam from an image;
an optical element configured to relay multiple light beams from the display to a viewer through an eye box, the eye box limiting an area that includes a pupil of the viewer;
a varifocal assembly configured to direct, through the eye box, one of a first group of light beams having a first polarization state and one of a second group of light beams having a second polarization state, according to a desired mode of operation of the device, wherein the first group of light beams forms a first field of view of the image in a focused mode of operation of the device, and the second group of light beams forms a second field of view of the image in an immersive mode of operation of the device, wherein the varifocal assembly includes a thin film formed on a surface of the optical element, the thin film including a liquid crystal polymer having a three-dimensional pattern configured to provide, in each point of a cross section perpendicular to a propagation direction, a first phase delay for the first group of light beams and a second phase delay for the second group of light beams; and
a planar waveguide configured to relay the at least one light beam through the eye box.
 
9. A method, comprising:
determining a desired mode of operation for a headset configured to provide an image to a viewer;
generating, with a display including multiple optical emitters, wherein each optical emitter forms a pixel in the display, multiple light beams forming the image;
relaying, with an optical element, the light beams from the display to the viewer through an eye box that delimits an area enclosing a pupil of the viewer; and
selecting, via a varifocal assembly, one of a first group of light beams or a second group of light beams to be directed through the eye box, based on the desired mode of operation, wherein the first group of light beams forms a first field of view of the image in a focused mode of operation, and the second group of light beams forms a second field of view of the image in an immersive mode of operation, wherein selecting a first group of light beams or a second group of light beams comprises providing, in each point of a cross section perpendicular to a propagation direction, a first phase delay for the first group of light beams and a second phase delay for the second group of light beams in a thin film formed on a surface of the optical element, the thin film having a liquid crystal polymer formed into a three-dimensional pattern.