ON-HEAD DETECTION FOR HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY

• US 20150156716A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Raffle, Hayes Solos, Martin, Matthew Wyatt
• Granted Patent: US 9,204,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• 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 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure describe an on-head detection technique for an HMD that includes an optical sensor positioned to detect light reflected from at least one of a face of a user or a lens worn by the user. A flexible frame assembly supports an image source and further supports the optical sensor relative to the face or the lens when worn by the user. The flexible frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to at least one of the face or the lens when the HMD is worn by the user. Embodiments determine whether the user is wearing the HMD based on optical sensor data output from the optical sensor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data from an optical sensor included in a head-mountable display (HMD), the HMD including;

the optical sensor positionable in front of a lens to detect reflected light from the lens;

an image source to generate display light; and

a flexible frame assembly to support the image source and to support the optical sensor relative to the lens when worn on a head of a user, wherein the flexible frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the lens when the HMD is worn by the user;

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determining whether the HMD should enter or exit a low power state based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the lens.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is positionable to further detect reflected light from the user'"'"'s face, the method further comprises:

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face based, at least in part, on the sensor data,

wherein determining whether the HMD should enter or exit the low power state is further based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the HMD should enter the low power state, deactivating the image source from generating light for the HMD; and

in response to determining that the HMD should exit the low power state, activating the image source to generate light for the HMD.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the HMD should enter the low power state, transitioning a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to determining that the HMD should exit the low power state, transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to a non-volatile memory of the HMD, and wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMD further comprises a light emitter disposed near the optical sensor to emit light towards the lens when worn by the user, and wherein the reflected light from the lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the lens.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMD further comprises a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the HMD should enter the low power state, maintaining a network connection via the network interface while the HMD is in the low power state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein maintaining the network connection via the network interface in response to determining that the HMD should enter the low power state includes reducing a network polling rate for the network interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein HMD further comprises an audio speaker to output audio data, and the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the HMD should enter the low power state, disabling the audio speaker from outputting at least one of an alarm output or an audio notification output.

10. A head-mountable display (HMD), comprising:

an optical sensor mounted to detect reflected light from at least one of a face of a user or a lens worn by the user when the HMD is worn on a head of the user;

an image source to generate light for the HMD;

a flexible frame assembly to support the image source and to support the optical sensor relative to the face or the lens when worn on the head of the user, wherein the flexible frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the face or the lens when the HMD is worn by the user; and

a logic module communicatively coupled to the optical sensor, wherein the logic module is configured to;

receive sensor data from the optical sensor;

determine a proximity between the optical sensor and the face or the lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determine whether the user is wearing the HMD based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and at least one of the face or the lens.

11. The HMD of claim 10, wherein the logic module is further configured to:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, deactivate the image source from generating light for the HMD; and

in response to determining the user is wearing the HMD, activate the image source to generate light for the HMD.

12. The HMD of claim 10, wherein the logic module is further configured to:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, transition a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, transition the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

13. The HMD of claim 12, further comprising:

non-volatile memory, wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to the non-volatile memory, and transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

14. The HMD of claim 10, further comprising:

a light emitter mounted to the flexible frame assembly near the optical sensor to emit light towards at least one of the face or the lens, wherein the reflected light from the face or the lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the face or the lens.

15. The HMD of claim 10, further comprising:

a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network, wherein the logic module is further configured to;

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, maintain a network connection via the network interface.

16. The HMD of claim 10, further comprising:

an audio speaker to output audio data,

wherein the logic module is further configured to;

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, disable the audio speaker from outputting at least one of an alarm output or an audio notification output.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving sensor data from an optical sensor included in a head-mountable display (HMD), the HMD comprising;

the optical sensor positioned to detect reflected light from at least one of a face of a user or a lens worn by the user when the HMD is worn on a head of the user;

an image source to generate display light; and

a flexible frame assembly to support the image source and to support the optical sensor relative to the face or the lens when worn on the head of the user, wherein the flexible frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the face or the lens when the HMD is worn by the user;

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and at least one of the face or the lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determining whether the user is wearing the HMD based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and at least one of the face or the lens.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, deactivating the image source from generating the display light for the HMD; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, activating the image source to generate the display light for the HMD.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, transitioning a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to a non-volatile memory of the HMD, and wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the HMD further comprises a light emitter disposed near the optical sensor to emit light towards the face or the lens, and wherein the reflected light from the face or the lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the face or the lens.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the HMD further comprises a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, maintaining a network connection via the network interface.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein maintaining the network connection via the network interface in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD includes reducing a network polling rate for the network interface.