Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a mixed reality headset with a Dynamic Focus 3D Display. While Conventional VR systems project left and right images onto screens that are viewed by a subject, Apple new way uses a direct retinal projector system that scans the images, pixel by pixel, directly onto the subject's retinas.

Overall, Apple states that their invention covers a direct retinal projector system that provides dynamic focusing for virtual reality (VR) and/or augmented reality (AR). A direct retinal projector system scans images, pixel by pixel, directly onto the subject's retinas. This allows individual pixels to be optically affected dynamically as the images are scanned to the subject's retinas. Dynamic focusing components and techniques are described that may be used in a direct retinal projector system to dynamically and correctly focus each pixel in VR images as the images are being scanned to a subject's eyes. This allows objects, surfaces, etc. that are intended to appear at different distances in a scene to be projected to the subject's eyes at the correct depths.

Further, in a stereoscopic system the images displayed to the user may trick the eye(s) into focusing at a far distance while an image is physically being displayed at a closer distance. In other words, the eyes may be attempting to focus on a different image plane or focal depth compared to the focal depth of the projected image, thereby leading to eyestrain and/or increasing mental stress.

Accommodation-convergence mismatch problems are undesirable and may distract users or otherwise detract from their enjoyment and endurance levels (i.e. tolerance) of virtual reality or augmented reality environments. Apple's invention is to overcome this issue.

Embodiments of dynamic focusing components and techniques for direct retinal projector systems are described that may, for example, resolve the convergence-accommodation conflict in AR and VR systems.

Embodiments of the dynamic focusing components and techniques may be used in a direct retinal projector system to correctly focus each pixel in VR images as the images are being scanned to a subject's eyes.

A VR or AR headset system is described that may include or implement the dynamic focusing components and techniques in a direct retinal projector system.

The human brain typically uses two cues to gauge distance: accommodation (i.e., eye focus) and eye convergence (i.e., the stereoscopic perspective difference between the two eyes). Conventional near-eye VR systems, such as DLP (digital light processing), LCD (liquid crystal display) and LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology VR systems, typically use separate screens for each respective eye to project the images intended for the left eye and the right eye, as well as optics to allow a user to focus the eyes at a far distance during viewing of the left and right eye images.

To create a three-dimensional (3D) effect, objects at different depths or distances in the two images are shifted left or right as a function of the triangulation of distance, with nearer objects shifted more than more distant objects.

While Conventional VR systems project left and right images onto screens that are viewed by a subject, Apple new way uses a direct retinal projector system that scans the images, pixel by pixel, directly onto the subject's retinas.

This aspect of direct retinal projector systems allows individual pixels to be optically affected dynamically as the images are scanned to the subject's retinas. The dynamic focusing components and techniques used in Apple's granted patent may be used in a direct retinal projector system to dynamically and correctly focus each pixel in the VR images as the images are being scanned to a subject's eyes.

This allows content (objects, surfaces, etc.) that is intended to appear at different depths in a scene to be projected to the subject's eyes at the correct depths.

Apple's patent FIG. 14 is a logical block diagram of a frame for a VR/AR device; FIG. 15 is a logical block diagram of a device that provides augmented reality (AR) to a subject.

Apple has added 20 new patent claims to their original invention that covers "an apparatus" and "A system." For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11,070,785.

Apple's inventor is Alexander Shpunt, Architect, came to Apple after the acquisition of Israel's PrimeSense that was behind Apple's TrueDepth camera. Being the inventor of this invention gives it more credibility and likelihood of it coming to market.