HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20180164594A1
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Haklim, Im, Sanghyuk, Han, Jongbeom
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• 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: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a head-mounted display device includes a main body including an opening formed in a rear surface thereof, a band part connected to the main body and fixing the main body to a head of a user, an image output unit disposed inside the main body to face the opening and configured to provide an image to the user, an earbud holder partially depressed into the main body and positioned at a corner between a side surface and a bottom surface of the main body, an earbud mounted on the earbud holder, and a controller configured to control the image output unit and the earbud. The head-mounted display device may be integrated with the audio output unit, thereby improving portability. In addition, even if the audio output unit is provided, increase in size and weight may be minimized, and thus inconvenience caused by pressing the nose or the check when the head-mounted display device is worn may be addressed.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display device comprising:

a main body comprising an opening formed in a rear surface thereof;

a band part connected to the main body and fixing the main body to a head of a user;

an image output unit disposed inside the main body to face the opening and configured to provide an image to the user;

an earbud holder partially depressed into the main body and positioned at a corner between a side surface and a bottom surface of the main body;

an earbud mounted on the earbud holder; and

a controller configured to control the image output unit and the earbud.

2. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor configured to switch to to an OFF state when the earbud is stored in the earbud holder and switch to an ON state when the earbud holder is removed from the earbud,

wherein the controller outputs sound through the earbud when the first sensor is in the ON state.

3. The head-mounted display device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a speaker mounted on the main body,

wherein the controller outputs sound through the speaker when the first sensor is in the OFF state.

4. The head-mounted display device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second sensor configured to switch to the ON state when the main body is worn by the user on the rear surface thereof,

wherein, when the first sensor is in the OFF state and the second sensor is in the ON state, the controller controls the image output unit to output an image for guiding a storage position of the earbud.

5. The head-mounted display device according to claim 4, wherein, when the first sensor switches to the ON state, the controller controls the image output unit to output the image.

6. The head-mounted display device according to claim 4, wherein, when the first sensor switches from the ON state to the OFF state while the image output unit is outputting the image, the controller stops outputting the image.

7. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein, when the image output to the image output unit is completed, a notification indicating that the earbud should be stored in the earbud holder is provided to the user.

8. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the earbud holder has an inner side surface located on a rear side with respect to the earbud and extending downward so as to be inclined toward the rear surface.

9. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an audio cable having one end connected to the earbud and an opposite end disposed inside the main body through a cable hole formed in the earbud holder; and

a rotary module mounted inside the main body, the audio cable being wound on the rotary module.

10. The head-mounted display device according to claim 9, wherein the rotary module comprises:

a cylindrical rotary part allowing the audio cable to be wound or unwound around or from an outer circumferential surface thereof according to a rotation direction; and

a fixing unit comprising a rotating shaft arranged through the rotary part, the fixing unit being fixed to the main body,

wherein the cable hole and a side surface of the rotary part are aligned on a straight line in a vertical direction.

11. The head-mounted display device according to claim 10, wherein an extension direction of the audio cable extending through the cable hole is coincident with an extension direction of a portion of the audio cable extending from the rotary part to the cable hole.

12. The head-mounted display device according to claim 11, wherein the fixing unit comprises:

a first fixing part positioned on one surface of the rotary part;

a second fixing part positioned on an opposite surface of the rotary part; and

a plurality of third fixing parts connecting the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit and spaced apart from a lateral surface of the rotary part,

wherein the third fixing parts are not positioned on a straight line between the rotary part and the cable hole.

13. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of openings formed at the corner between the side surface and bottom surface of the main body,

wherein the earbud holder is inserted into the pair of openings to cover the pair of openings, and comprises;

a data hole formed in the earbud holder; and

a data cable for connecting an external terminal and the controller through the data hole.

14. A head-mounted display device comprising:

a main body comprising an opening formed in a rear surface thereof;

a first band and a second band connected to one end and an opposite end of the main body, respectively, and having ends fastened to each other to surround the head of the user;

an image output unit disposed inside the main body to face the opening and configured to provide an image to the user; and

a controller configured to control the image output unit.

15. The head-mounted display device according to claim 14, wherein the first band comprises a plurality of first magnets arranged at the end thereof side by side along a longitudinal direction,

wherein the second band comprises a plurality of second magnets arranged at the end thereof side by side along the longitudinal direction,

wherein the first band and the second band are arranged to be fastened to each other such that a first pole of the first magnets and a second pole of the second magnets face each other,

wherein the main body, the first band, and the second band form a closed loop.

16. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein, when the first band in the second band overlap each other, a side surface of each of the first magnets closely contacts a side surface of a corresponding one of the second magnets.

17. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein the first magnets are disposed such that the first pole faces in a direction opposite to the end of the first band,

wherein the second magnets are disposed such that the second pole is oriented in a direction in which the second pole does not face the second band.

18. The head-mounted display device according to claim 14, wherein a length of a first area having the first magnets in the first band is greater than a length of a second area having the second magnets in the second band.

19. The head-mounted display device according to claim 14, wherein both ends of the main body comprise a light shielding part protruding backward and positioned on left and right sides of a face of the user,

wherein an upper portion of the rear surface of the main body is curved to have a first curvature,

wherein a lower portion of the rear surface of the main body is curved to have a second curvature larger than the first curvature.