A patent filing was recently discovered and is believed to be an enhancement for Microsoft's next Hololens. The patent talks about integrating waveguide-based eye tracking technology to head-mounted displays.

MSPoweruser recently disclosed a patent filing issued by Microsoft. The patent is at least in view of the possibility of waveguide-based eye tracking technology for head-mounted displays (HMDs). This technology, which utilizes wave-guides to trail infrared-lit peepers, is an effort at qualifying some of the compatibility issues experienced with prescription eyewear.

The painless way to perform eye tracking is by attaching a camera to the frame of the HMD. Unfortunately, that requires that the rig itself hamper at least part of your view. Otherwise, the only other commonly adopted way of eye tracking is with the aid of a partial reflector bending the camera's line of sight directly to your temple.

Although this aids in evading a curbed view, it does not suit well for users wearing glasses. In theory, Microsoft's waveguide-based eye tracking technology patent could resolve this problem, utilize a transparent waveguide collected of both an input and an output coupler doing all the heavy lifting.

Microsoft in the patent specifies a distinctly high-level summary of how waveguide-based eye tracking technology works, as reported by windows9. The patent summary goes on to define how the infrared beams work in aggregation with the curved grating lines of the input coupler, the junction point of which stocks the output coupler, to yield an eye-tracking effect. The patent is clearly using a highly advanced technology. It is evident that this technology is presently not in Hololens. There is, however, a clear indication that Microsoft is attracted to this wave-guides.

The present version of HoloLens does not support eye tracking, but, most probably, the succeeding version of HoloLens will contain waveguide-based eye tracking technology. SensoMotoric Instruments, a leader in eye tracking technology for HMD devices are going to exhibit their latest tech at the CES by January 2017. Hopefully, from their demonstration, we may be able to get a glimpse of how wave-guide, eye tracking will work in the future for HoloLens.