HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20150138645A1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YOO, Chungkeun, KIM, Jonghae
• Granted Patent: US 9,529,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-mounted display apparatus including a face plate having a first surface formed to face a user'"'"'s face, and a support part configured to be coupled with at least a part of the face plate so as to allow the face plate to be fixed on the user'"'"'s face. A cavity structure may be formed on second surface of the face plate which is opposite to the first surface so as to mount an external electronic device to the head mounted display apparatus. One or more position adjustment units are configured to adjust a position of the external electronic device and may be formed on at least one side surface of the face plate.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display (HMD) apparatus comprising:

a face plate having a first surface formed to face a user'"'"'s face; and

a support part configured to be coupled with at least a part of the face plate to arrange the face plate on the user'"'"'s face,

wherein a cavity structure is formed on a second surface of the face plate which is opposite to the first surface of the face plate so that an external electronic device is mounted on the second surface of the face plate and within the cavity structure, and one or more position adjustment units are formed on at least one side surface of the face plate and the one or more position adjustment units are configured to adjust a position of the external electronic device.

2. The HMD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face plate further includes, on the at least one side surface of the face plate, a touch panel configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) to operate a function of the external electronic device, and to receive an input signal from the user.

3. The HMD apparatus of claim 2, wherein the face plate further includes a lens adjustment unit configured to adjust a distance between one or more lenses included in a lens module.

4. The HMD apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first surface of the face plate has a curved structure corresponding to a shape of the user'"'"'s face to facilitate being worn by the user, and the second surface of the face plate includes a structure configured to mount the external electronic device therein.

5. The HMD apparatus of claim 3, wherein the face plate includes:

a front case having, on the first surface, a structure curved in correspondence to a shape of a face to be wearable by the user;

a connection case having a lens barrel structure and configured to block external light and transmit light output from a display of the external electronic device to the lens module or to the user;

a movable case coupled to the connection case and including therein a space or a structure to which the external electronic device is coupled, the movable case being configured to move in correspondence with movement of the external electronic device; and

a gear module configured to move the external electronic device by an operation of the user, the gear module being positioned between the front case and the connection case.

6. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lens module is positioned between the front case and the connection case and is configured to transmit the light, which is output from the external electronic device and transmitted through the connection case, to the user.

7. The HMD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face plate is configured to be coupled with the external electronic device regardless of a size of the external electronic device.

8. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, further comprising, a cover arranged on the face plate and coupled with the movable case to support the external electronic device.

9. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gear module comprises:

a horizontal bevel gear connected with the one or more display position adjustment units, and the bevel gear configured to transmit a force received to the one or more display position adjustment units positioned left and right;

one or more intermediate bevel gears being connected with the one or more display position adjustment units and configured to transmit a force in a vertical direction in relation to a frame; and

one or more moving gears configured to transmit the movable case and the external electronic device with the force transmitted from the one or more intermediate bevel gears.

10. The HMD apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more moving gears are configured to move the external electronic device toward or away from the user'"'"'s face.

11. The HMD apparatus of claim 9, further comprising one or more rail shafts on which the one or more display position adjustment units rotate, and the one or more rail shafts being configured to fixedly support the one or more display position adjustment units to the frame and provide a movable range of the external electronic device while coupled to the HMD.

12. The HMD apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more display position adjustment units include a gear configured to transmit the force received to the horizontal bevel gear and to the one or more intermediate bevel gears.

13. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gear module includes:

a horizontal bevel gear connected with the one or more display position adjustment units, and configured to transmit a force received to the one or more display position adjustment units positioned left and right; and

a link device connected with the one or more display position adjustment units, the link device being configured to convert a rotational movement to a rectilinear movement according to the force transmitted from the one or more display position adjustment units to move the external electronic device.

14. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gear module includes:

a horizontal bevel gear connected with the one or more display position adjustment units, and configured to transmit a force received to the one or more display position adjustment units positioned left and right of the horizontal bevel gear;

one or more vertical dual gears configured to transmit a force transmitted from the one or more display position adjustment units;

a horizontal dual gear configured to transmit the force transmitted from the one or more vertical dual gears; and

a spur gear configured to move the movable case and the external electronic device with the force transmitted from the horizontal dual gear.

15. The HMD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face plate includes:

a non-transitory memory;

a communication module;

a user input module configured to receive a user input signal; and

a processor,

wherein when the processor is coupled with the external electronic device, the processor is configured to control the communication module to perform communication connection, control a graphical user interface (GUI) configured to control a function of the external electronic device to be displayed on the user input module, and control the communication module to transmit the user input signal to the external electronic device or to transmit a signal based on the user input signal for controlling the external electronic device.

16. The HMD apparatus of claim 15, wherein when a focus adjustment mode is selected according to the user input signal, the processor is configured to perform a control operation in which a focus adjustment mode is displayed on the external electronic device.

17. The HMD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the face plate includes a nose recess on the first surface.

18. The HMD apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support part comprises one of a goggle band, eyeglass temples, a helmet, and a strap.

19. The HMD apparatus of claim 5, wherein a horizontal bevel gear is positioned at a top end of the face plate.

20. A HMD apparatus comprising:

a face plate having a first surface formed to face a user'"'"'s face; and

a support part configured to be coupled with at least a part of the face plate to arrange the face plate on the user'"'"'s face,

wherein the face plate includes, on at least one surface thereof, a display configured to display an image, and one or more display position adjustment units configured to adjust a position of an external electronic device are formed on at least one side surface of the face plate.