WEARABLE COMPUTER WITH CURVED DISPLAY AND NAVIGATION TOOL

• US 20130002545A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Heinrich, Mitchell, Taubman, Gabriel, Geiss, Ryan, Braun, Max, Ho, Casey
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and devices for interfacing with a wearable heads-up display via a touch-operable input device. The wearable heads-up display may include a display element for receiving and displaying display information received from a processor, and may also include a wearable frame structure supporting the display element and having a side-arm extending away from the display element. In some embodiments, the display information may appear at least partially curved to a user. In some embodiments, only a portion of the display information is shown on the at least one display element. The side-arm may be configured to secure the heads-up display to a user'"'"'s body in a manner such that the display element is disposed within a field of view of the user. The touch-operable input device secured to the wearable frame structure is configured to sense at least one of a position and movement of a touch or finger along a planar direction relative to a surface of the input device, and to provide corresponding input information to the processor. A navigation tool may also be displayed on the at least one display element for indicating the location of the touch on the touch-operable input device.

Claims

1. A wearable heads-up display comprising:

a processor;

at least one display element configured to receive display information from the processor and to display the display information, wherein the display information appears at least partially curved when viewed on the at least one display element;

a wearable frame structure supporting the at least one display element and having at least one side-arm extending away from the at least one display element, the at least one side-arm configured to secure the heads-up display to a user body element in a manner that, when secured to the user body element, places the at least one display element within a field of view of the user; and

a touch-operable input device secured to the at least one side-arm of the wearable frame structure and configured to sense at least one of a position and movement of a touch along a planar direction relative to a surface of the input device, and to provide corresponding input information to the processor.

2. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the processor transforms the display information into a curved graphic.

3. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the at least one display element is curved.

4. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the display information appears to curve toward the user.

5. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the display information appears to curve away from the user.

6. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the movement of a touch forward toward the at least one display element on the touch-operable input device moves a cursor to the left.

7. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the movement of a touch forward toward the at least one display element on the touch-operable input device moves a cursor to the right.

8. The wearable heads-up display of claim 1 wherein the curved display information changes to a full-screen view after a predetermined period of time.

9. A method of providing input to a wearable heads-up display having a wearable frame structure supporting at least one display element and having at least one side-arm extending away from the at least one display element, the at least one side-arm configured to secure the heads-up display to a user body element in a manner that, when secured to the user body element, places the at least one display element within a field of view of the user, the method comprising:

providing, via a processor coupled to the wearable frame structure, display information to the at least one display element, wherein the display information appears at least partially curved when viewed on the at least one display element;

receiving at the processor, via a touch-operable input device secured to the wearable frame structure and configured to sense at least one of a position and movement of a touch along a planar direction relative to a surface of the input device, corresponding input information representative of the at least one of the position and movement of the touch along the planar direction; and

providing, via the processor, new display information to the at least one display element responsive to receiving the input information, wherein the new display information appears curved when viewed on the at least one display element.

10. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the processor transforms the display information into a curved graphic.

11. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the at least one display element is curved.

12. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the display information appears to curve toward the user.

13. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the display information appears to curve away from the user.

14. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the movement of a touch forward toward the at least one display element on the touch-operable input device moves a cursor to the left.

15. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the movement of a touch forward toward the at least one display element on the touch-operable input device moves a cursor to the right.

16. The wearable heads-up display of claim 9 wherein the curved display information changes to a full-screen view after a predetermined period of time.

17. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device of a wearable heads-up display having a wearable frame structure, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

providing display information to at least one display element coupled to the wearable frame structure, wherein the display information appears at least partially curved when viewed on the at least one display element;

receiving, via a touch-operable input device secured to the wearable frame structure and configured to sense at least one of a position and movement of a touch along a planar direction relative to a surface of the input device, corresponding input information representative of the at least one of the position and movement of the touch along the planar direction; and

providing new display information to the at least one display element responsive to receiving the input information, wherein the new display information appears curved when viewed on the at least one display element.

18. The wearable heads-up display of claim 17 wherein the processor transforms the display information into a curved graphic.

19. The wearable heads-up display of claim 17 wherein the at least one display element is curved.

20. The wearable heads-up display of claim 17 wherein the display information appears to curve toward the user.