HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR RETAINING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH DISPLAY

• US 20100079356A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hoellwarth, Quin C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/028 characterised by the supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 : Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 : Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 : Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 : using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 : Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 : for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 : Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 : Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 : carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 : specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 : according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Head-mounted display systems and methods of operation that allow users to couple and decouple a portable electronic device such as a handheld portable electronic device with a separate head-mounted device (e.g., temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit) are disclosed. The portable electronic may be physically coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device can be worn on the user'"'"'s head. The portable electronic device may be operatively coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device and head mounted device can communicate and operate with one another. Each device may be allowed to extend its features and/or services to the other device for the purpose of enhancing, increasing and/or eliminating redundant functions between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A head-mounted device that is worn on a user'"'"'s head, comprising:

a frame that is configured to physically receive and carry a portable electronic device, wherein the frame places a display screen of the portable electronic device in front of the user'"'"'s eyes, and wherein the display screen of the portable electronic device acts as the primary display screen of the head-mounted device such that the display screen of the portable electronic device is primarily used to view image based content when the head-mounted display device is worn on the user'"'"'s head.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensing mechanism that is operative to detect that the portable electronic device is being carried by the frame of the head-mounted device, and that is operative to instruct the portable electronic device to present image based content configured for head-mounted device viewing on the display screen.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a connector that is operative to couple with a corresponding connector of the portable electronic device, wherein the coupled connectors allows communication between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more input devices for receiving inputs.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more output devices for providing feedback associated with content being outputted by the portable electronic device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a docking area for placement of the portable electronic device, wherein the docking area includes an opening that provides viewing access to the display screen of the portable electronic device.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device creates an image frame that is smaller than the size of the screen when it is carried by the frame.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the head-mounted device does not include a display screen.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the frame defines a cavity into which the portable electronic device is inserted.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising one clip operative to help retain the portable electronic device to the frame.

11. A method of controlling a portable electronic device having a screen capable of presenting image based content, wherein the portable electronic device presents the image based content in a normal viewing mode that substantially fills the screen during normal use of the portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a connection with a head-mounted device that is capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s head, wherein the connection indicates that the portable electronic device is operatively coupled and physically carried by the head-mounted device; and

switching to a head-mounted mode on the screen of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the head-mounted mode has a higher resolution than the normal viewing mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein switching to the head-mounted mode comprises:

displaying a plurality of image frames on the screen, wherein the size of the plurality of image frames forms a portion of the size of the screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of image frames displays image based content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of image frames comprises two image frames, wherein the two image frames are spaced apart and centered relative to the user'"'"'s eyes when the head-mounted device is worn on the user'"'"'s head.

16. A method for displaying image based content on a head-mounted device, comprising:

coupling a portable electronic device to the head-mounted device such that a screen of the portable electronic device faces a user;

providing an instruction to play back image based content stored on the portable electronic device, wherein the image based content is displayed on the screen of the portable electronic device; and

adjusting the image based content displayed on the screen for close up viewing.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the image based content comprises:

generating left and right image frames from a single image frame generated by the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

aligning the left and right image frames with the user'"'"'s eyes.