Microsoft finds way to reduce HoloLens part count, cost

One of the biggest challenges of the second generation of Microsoft HoloLens, in addition to its field of vision, is to reduce the volume and cost of the device.

A new Microsoft patent would allow Microsoft to do both, allowing them to use a single component for two purposes.

Entitled "COMPACT OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH MEMS SCANNERS FOR THE GENERATION OF NEXT IMAGES AND OBJECTS", the patent would allow Microsoft to allow a light generation system to create both holograms and depth detection systems and of gestures.

Microsoft writes:

•  The technologies described in this document provide an optical system implementing one or more electromechanical system (MEMS) scanners to generate computer-generated images from the perspective of the user on a real environment and to map the terrain of the environment. real and / or follow one or more objects in the real world environment. In certain configurations, a lighting engine emits electromagnetic radiation (EM) into an optical network, wherein EM radiation includes both a first spectral bandwidth for generating CG images and a second spectral bandwidth for scanning a field of view using a ground mapping protocol. The optical network may cause the first spectral bandwidth and the second spectral bandwidth to propagate along a common optical path, and then separate the first spectral bandwidth from the second spectral bandwidth.

•  In particular, the optical network directs the first spectral bandwidth of the common optical path to an optical path to generate images for generating computer generated images via a screen, while directing the second bandwidth of the common optical path to a path of map optical map to be scanned. an area of ​​the real world environment, thus radiating one or more objects in the real world environment. As used herein, the term "field mapping" generally refers to the process of scanning light in a field of view and upon receiving light reflected from terrain features, determining the characteristics of the terrain in the field of view. a field environment. real world around the optical system. The characteristics, characteristics and / or spatial distributions of the surfaces of a field of a real environment can be scanned and the data defining these characteristics can be generated by the optical system. For example, a ground mapping protocol can be implemented to map the characteristics of the surfaces of a room such as a piece of furniture, a table or a sofa, a structural feature of a building such as a wall or a wall. wall edge, or even empty spaces like a hallway or an open door. In some implementations, the terrain mapping may include the terrain mapping features in three dimensions, and the generated data defining the features may be of any suitable format, for example, point cloud data. or any other data representation corresponding to a three-dimensional global environment. In some implementations, field mapping may include tracking one or more objects in the field, for example, tracking a bullet that travels a field of view of terrain mapping, gesture tracking. of the hand that can be interpreted as ground controls. user, etc. the optical system can implement the MEMS scanner (s) to generate CG images by directing the first spectral bandwidth in the optical path of the image generation and also to irradiate the object by scanning the second spectral bandwidth in a field of vision.

•  The disclosed optical system thus eliminates the need for a dedicated optical image generation system and a dedicated ground mapping optical system within a device requiring both of these features, such as, for example, a NED device. . As a result, the described optical system represents a substantial advance in the production of compact and lightweight NED devices.

We already know that the next HoloLens will have an improved holographic processing unit with more artificial intelligence capabilities, an improved Kinect depth camera and will run on an Intel processor or possibly an arm, in line with recent developments. With the new Hololens, Microsoft's main challenge is to improve the field of view, described at 35 degrees as a worldview through a mail space. According to reports, Microsoft entrusts the development of lenses internally to achieve this at a reasonable cost.

Microsoft is expected to announce its successor to HoloLens this quarter, but like all Microsoft, it can still slide a little more during the year.