Selectively attenuating light from the outside world for augmented or virtual reality

Abstract

Configurations are disclosed for presenting virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to users. The system may comprise an image-generating source to provide one or more frames of image data in a time-sequential manner, a light modulator configured to transmit light associated with the one or more frames of image data, a substrate to direct image information to a user's eye, wherein the substrate houses a plurality of reflectors, a first reflector of the plurality of reflectors to reflect transmitted light associated with a first frame of image data at a first angle to the user's eye, and a second reflector to reflect transmitted light associated with a second frame of the image data at a second angle to the user's eye.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of displaying virtual content to a user, the method comprising:
 projecting light associated with one or more frames of image data to be presented to the user; and   selectively attenuating at least a portion of the light coming from the outside world, thereby modifying a perception of light associated with one or more frames of image data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a light beam is selectively attenuated based at least in part on angle of incidence of the light beam. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein different portions of the one or more frames of image data are attenuated to different amounts. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a focus level of the attenuated light beams is varied. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the selective attenuation of the at least a portion of the light from the outside world comprises blocking light hitting the viewing optic at one or more angles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selective attenuation is employed to display a dark virtual object. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selective attenuation is based at least in part on one or more characteristics of a virtual image to be presented to the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more characteristics is a color scale of the virtual image. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying one or more characteristics of a one or more frames of image data to be presented to the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  implemented as a system having means for implementing the method steps.