Vision correction system and method, light field display and light field shaping layer and alignment therefor

Abstract

Described are various embodiments of a digital display device for use by a user having reduced visual acuity. In one embodiment, the device comprises: a digital display medium comprising an array of pixels and operable to render a pixelated image accordingly; a light field shaping layer defined by an array of light field shaping elements and disposed relative to said digital display so to align each of said light field shaping elements with a corresponding set of said pixels to shape a light field emanating therefrom and thereby at least partially govern a projection thereof from said display medium toward the user; and a hardware processor operable on pixel data for the image such that said processed image is rendered to at least partially compensate for the user’s reduced visual acuity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A digital display device to render an input image for viewing by a viewer having reduced visual acuity, the device comprising:
 a digital display medium comprising an array of pixels and operable to render a pixelated image accordingly;   a microlens array disposed relative to said digital display medium so to dispose each microlens of the microlens array over an underlying set of said pixels to shape a light field emanating therefrom and thereby at least partially govern a projection thereof from said digital display medium toward the viewer; and   a hardware processor operable on pixel data for the input image to output adjusted image pixel data to be rendered via said digital display medium and projected through said microlens array in accordance with a stored alignment thereof so to produce a designated image perception adjustment to at least partially address the viewer’s reduced visual acuity;   wherein a dimension of each microlens is selected to minimize a spot size on a retina of the viewer produced by said underlying set of said pixels.   
     
     
         2 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein said hardware processor is operable to:
 digitally map the input image on an adjusted image plane designated to provide the viewer with said designated image perception adjustment;   associate said adjusted image pixel data with at least some of said pixel sets according to said mapping; and   render said adjusted image pixel data via said pixel sets thereby rendering a perceptively adjusted version of the input image when viewed through said microlens array.   
     
     
         3 . The digital display device of  claim 2 , wherein said adjusted image plane is a virtual image plane virtually positioned relative to said digital display medium at a designated minimum viewing distance designated such that said perceptively adjusted version of the input image is adjusted to accommodate the viewer’s reduced visual acuity. 
     
     
         4 . The digital display device of  claim 2 , wherein said adjusted image plane is designated as a user retinal plane, wherein said mapping is implemented by scaling the input image on said user retinal plane as a function of an input user eye focus aberration parameter. 
     
     
         5 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 3 to about 15 of said pixels. 
     
     
         6 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 3 to about 10 of said pixels. 
     
     
         7 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 5 to about 10 of said pixels. 
     
     
         8 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein said dimension of each microlens is selected to minimize said spot size on the retina of the viewer produced by each of a set of constituent subpixels for each of said underlying set of said pixels. 
     
     
         9 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 10 to about 35 of said pixels. 
     
     
         10 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 15 to 25 of said pixels. 
     
     
         11 . The digital display device of  claim 1 , wherein said microlens array is disposed at a designated distance from said digital display medium that is shorter than a focal length of said microlens array so to produce a divergent light field therefrom. 
     
     
         12 . The digital display device of  claim 11 , wherein said designated distance is selected such that said microlens array focuses on a virtual image plane generated thereby. 
     
     
         13 . A microlens array for use with a digital display medium comprising an array of pixels and operable to render a pixelated image accordingly to be viewed by a viewer having a reduced visual acuity, wherein a microlens array is dimensioned to be disposed relative to the digital display medium and comprises an array of microlenses, each one of which being disposed, when overlaid onto the digital display medium, to be centered over a corresponding set of the pixels to shape a light field emanating therefrom and thereby at least partially govern a projection thereof from said digital display medium toward the viewer, wherein a dimension of each microlens is selected to minimize a spot size on a retina of the viewer produced by given pixels of said corresponding set of the pixels. 
     
     
         14 . The microlens array of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 3 to about 15 of said pixels. 
     
     
         15 . The microlens array of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 3 to about 10 of said pixels. 
     
     
         16 . The microlens array of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 5 to about 10 of said pixels. 
     
     
         17 . The microlens array of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 10 to about 35 of said pixels. 
     
     
         18 . The microlens array of  claim 13 , wherein a diameter of each microlens is selected to correspond with a dimension of about 15 to 25 of said pixels.