WEARABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160140887A1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Tae-Seon
• Application Number:
  US14/944,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• 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: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A head-mounted device includes a see-through display having an inner surface and an outer surface; a Display Driver Integrated Circuit (DDIC) for driving the display; and at least one processor for controlling the DDIC. A microcontroller may control the DDIC to display content through a specific area corresponding to eye tracking information acquired from an eye tracking module in a display area of the display.

Claims

1. A head-mounted device comprising:

a see-through display having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a Display Driver Integrated Circuit (DDIC) for driving the display; and

at least one processor for controlling the DDIC.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lens disposed adjacently to the inner surface of the display.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a lens positioning module for repositioning the lens under control of the processor.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the lens positioning module is arranged to extend the lens to an extended position in which the lens overlaps with the display, and retract the lens from the extended position to a retracted position in which the lens does not to overlap with the display.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the lens positioning module comprises:

a fixed body having a through-hole for viewing the display;

a movable body receiving the lens; and

a rotation device coupled to the movable body, wherein the rotation device is arranged to extend and retract the lens by rotating the movable body between the extended position and the retracted position.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the lens positioning module is arranged to change a distance between the display and the lens.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the lens positioning module automatically changes the distance between the lens and the display based on biometric information associated with a user.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising an eye tracking module.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the controller controls the DDIC to display content at a location that is selected based on a signal received from the eye tracking module.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light source controlled by the processor.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising at least one ambient illumination sensor, wherein the processor is further configured to control the light source based on a signal from the ambient illumination sensor that indicates an amount of available ambient illumination.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein controlling the light source includes at least one of:

(a) turning on the light source based on the amount of available ambient illumination,

(b) turning off the light source based on the amount of available ambient illumination, and

(c) adjusting a brightness of the light source based on the amount of available ambient illumination.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the display includes a plurality of light-transmissive areas disposed between different pixels of the display.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein each of the light-transmissive areas comprises a through-hole.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED).

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication module for communicating with another electronic device.

17. A method for operating a head-mounted device having a see-through display and a lens, the method comprising:

detecting, by the head-mounted device, a first input;

activating the see-through display, in response to the first input; and

extending the lens to an extended position at which the lens overlaps with the see-through display, in response to the first input.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, by the head-mounted device, a second input;

deactivating the display, in response to the second input; and

retracting the lens to a retracted position at which the lens does not overlap with the see-through display, in response to the second input.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an amount of available ambient illumination when the see-through display is activated; and

activating or deactivating a light source of the display based on the amount of available ambient illumination.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying content in a portion of the display that is selected based on eye-tracking information associated with a user of the head-mounted device.