METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A NEAR-TO-EYE DISPLAY

• US 20100109975A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Brent D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,963,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

Methods and system for operating a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to a headset are provided. Information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset is received. Spatial coordinates of the NTE display are determined based on said received information. The NTE display is controlled based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display.

Claims

1. A method for operating a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to a headset, the method comprising:

receiving information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset;

determining spatial coordinates of the NTE display based on said received information; and

controlling the NTE display based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said received information is generated by a plurality of reference elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the NTE display and at least one of the reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the headset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the reference elements is not in a fixed relative position relative to the NTE display and the headset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises a plurality of electromagnetic emitters and at least one electromagnetic sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic emitters comprise two electromagnetic emitters in a fixed position relative to the NTE display and two electromagnetic emitters in a fixed position relative to the headset.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining the spatial coordinates of the NTE display comprises calculating the at least one spatial degree of freedom relative to the at least one spatial degree of the headset based on said received information.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the NTE display is movably coupled to the headset such that the NTE display is movable between first and second fixed positions relative to the headset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises a first electromagnetic sensor configured to detect the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to the at least one spatial degree of the headset based on said received information, and a second electromagnetic sensor configured to detect the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the reference elements is movably coupled to at least one other of the reference elements.

11. A headset comprising:

a frame configured to be worn on a head of a user;

a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to the frame; and

a plurality of reference elements, each being coupled to and in a fixed position relative to one of the frame and the NTE display, wherein the plurality of reference elements are configured to generate information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the frame.

12. The headset of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the frame and at least one of the plurality of reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the NTE display.

13. The headset of claim 12, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a fixed position relative to the frame and a second plurality of LEDs in a fixed position relative to the NTE display.

14. The headset of claim 13, wherein the NTE display is movably coupled to the frame such that the NTE display is movable between first and second fixed positions relative to the frame.

15. The headset of claim 11, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises an electromagnetic sensor in a fixed position relative to the frame and configured to detect the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to the at least one spatial degree of the frame and a plurality of LEDs in a fixed position relative to the frame.

16. An avionics system comprising:

a headset comprising a frame configured to be worn on a head of a user;

a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to the frame of the headset;

a plurality of reference elements configured to generate information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the frame; and

a controller in operable communication with the NTE display, the controller being configured to;

receive the information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset from the plurality of reference elements;

determine spatial coordinates of the NTE display based on said received information; and

control the NTE display based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display.

17. The avionics system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the frame of the headset and at least one of the plurality of reference elements is in a fixed position relative to the NTE display.

18. The avionics system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a fixed position relative to the frame of the headset and a second plurality of LEDs in a fixed position relative to the NTE display.

19. The avionics system of claim 18, wherein the NTE display is movably coupled to the frame of the headset such that the NTE display is movable between first and second fixed positions relative to the frame of the headset.

20. The avionics system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of reference elements comprises an electromagnetic sensor in a fixed position relative to the frame of the headset and configured to detect the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to the at least one spatial degree of the frame of the headset and a plurality of LEDs in a fixed position relative to the frame of the headset.