Control of ambient and stray lighting in a head mounted display

• US 10,416,453 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Bolas, Mark, Jones, J. Adam, Krum, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beatty, Collin X
• Application Number:
  US15/044,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 359464, 359466, 359475
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/34 Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0294 adapted to provide an additional optical effect, e.g. anti-reflection or filter
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources

Abstract

A head mounted display (HMD) for viewing a virtual environment generally include a flat display (FD), lenses for focusing on the FD, and a housing to enclose the FD and lenses. The housing is generally opaque to block out all external light, so the viewer only sees light from the FD. By making a portion or all of the housing translucent or transparent, ambient light and other external light can be seen by the viewer, providing additional visual cues and a larger perceived field of view. Additionally, other people can see light from the FD. The lenses are configured to view the FD and parts of the translucent housing.

Claims

1. A virtual environment viewing device for a user comprising:

a display having a display area and being configured to emit light;

an optics component oriented towards the display and having a field of view, the optics component being configured to pass the emitted light within the field of view through to the user; and

a translucent housing connected to the display and the optics component and being configured to diffuse environmental light transmitted into the translucent housing and reflect the emitted light from the display into the field of view of and through the optics component to give the user an impression of a larger viewing angle,

wherein the field of view includes the display area and a portion of the translucent housing.

2. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein an internal surface of the translucent housing has a differential surface.

3. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein an internal surface of the translucent housing has a reflective surface.

4. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein an internal surface of the translucent housing has a diffusive surface.

5. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein the display is non-planar.

6. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a multiple element display panel.

7. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein a translucency of the translucent housing is variable.

8. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 7, wherein the translucent housing includes a translucent window configured to vary the translucency.

9. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 7, wherein the translucent housing includes an adjustable opening that is configured to vary an amount of light that passes through.

10. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 7, wherein the translucency is controlled mechanically, electrically, chemically, or through light.

11. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, further comprising an optical element configured to modify external or internal light from the display.

12. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting device.

13. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 12, wherein a brightness of the light emitting device is variable.

14. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, further comprising a light pipe configured to provide selective illumination.

15. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, further comprising a translucent baffle within the translucent housing.

16. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 1, wherein the translucent housing is configured to pass the reflected light through the optics component to the user at a subtended angle greater than a subtended angle of the emitted light from the display.

17. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 16, wherein the subtended angle of the translucent housing is greater than the subtended angle of the display.

21. The virtual environment viewing device of claim 2, wherein the display is non-planar.

18. A stereoscopic head mounted display comprising:

a display configured to display a left image and a right image;

a left optics component oriented towards the left image;

a right optics component oriented towards the right image;

a translucent housing connected to the display, the left optics component, and the right optics component,

wherein the left optics component has a first view and the right optics component has a second view, wherein the first view includes the left image and a first translucent portion of the translucent housing and the second view includes the right image and a second translucent portion of the translucent housing,

wherein the first translucent portion and the second translucent portion of the housing are configured to diffuse environmental light transmitted into the translucent housing and reflect a portion of the left image into the first view of and through the left optics component and a portion of the right image into the second view of and through the right optics component to give a user an impression of a larger viewing angle, respectively.

19. The head mounted display of claim 18, wherein the translucent housing further comprises a translucent baffle between the left optics component and the right optics component.

20. A head mounted display for a user comprising:

a display for viewing a virtual environment and being configured to emit light;

an optics component oriented towards the display and being configured to pass the emitted light through to the user; and

a translucent housing connected to the display and the optics component and being configured to diffuse environmental light transmitted into the translucent housing and reflect the emitted light from the display into a field of view of and through the optics component and through to the user,

wherein an exterior portion of the translucent housing is capable of being illuminated from an interior of the translucent housing by the display.