HEAD-MOUNTABLE APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20200133009A1
• Filed: 10/15/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Forster, Richard James, Walker, Andrew William, Sanders, Matthew, Grant, Jessica Rose
• Granted Patent: US 11,460,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

A head-mounted display (HMD) apparatus comprises a head attachment unit comprising a first attachment member configured to attach the HMD to a user'"'"'s head when the HMD is worn by the user and a first element having an adjustable weight distribution, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust a distribution of the weight of the HMD based on user profile information associated with the user, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the weight distribution of the first element of the HMD based on the user profile information by adjusting a configuration of one or more mobile components of the first element without adjusting a position or an orientation of the first element with respect to the HMD.

Claims

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

a head attachment unit comprising a first attachment member configured to attach the HMD to a user'"'"'s head when the HMD is worn by the user and a first element having an adjustable weight distribution; and

an adjustment unit configured to adjust a distribution of the weight of the HMD based on user profile information associated with the user, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the weight distribution of the first element of the HMD based on the user profile information by adjusting a configuration of one or more mobile components of the first element without adjusting a position or an orientation of the first element with respect to the HMD.

2. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises information indicative of one or more characteristics of the user comprising one or more from the list consisting of:

a head size of the user;

an average head movement of the user; and

an average head orientation of the user, and

the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the distribution of the weight of the first element of the HMD based on one or more of the characteristics of the user.

3. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user profile information comprises weight distribution information indicative of a weight distribution of the HMD previously selected by the user.

4. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust at least one of a position and an orientation of the first element with respect to the HMD in accordance with the user profile information.

5. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first element extends from a front portion of the HMD proximate to the user'"'"'s forehead to a rear portion of the HMD proximate to a rear portion of the user'"'"'s head.

6. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment member is configured to extend at least partially around a circumference of the user'"'"'s head and the first attachment member comprises the first element.

7. An HMD apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust a weight distribution of the first attachment member by adjusting the weight distribution of the first element.

8. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile components comprise one or more mobile magnetically sensitive mass components.

9. An HMD apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first element comprises a liquid and the one or more mobile components comprise one or more mobile magnetically sensitive mass components.

10. An HMD apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust a position of each mobile magnetically sensitive mass component with respect to the first element in accordance with the user profile information.

11. An HMD apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the head attachment unit comprises a plurality of electromagnets each configured to generate a magnetic field that exerts a force on the mobile magnetically sensitive mass components within a predetermined distance of the electromagnet.

12. An HMD apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of electromagnets are positioned at respective locations with respect to the first element and each electromagnet is configured to generate an independently adjustable magnetic field to adjust a distribution of the plurality of magnetically sensitive mass components with respect to the first element.

13. An HMD apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of electromagnets are positioned at respective locations with respect to the first element and each electromagnet is configured to generate a magnetic field according to a predetermined schedule.

14. An HMD apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a second attachment member, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the weight distribution of the second element by adjusting a configuration of one or more mobile components of the second element without adjusting a position or an orientation of the first element with respect to the HMD.

15. An HMD apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the weight distribution of the first element and the weight distribution of the second element to adjust the distribution of the weight of the HMD in accordance with the user profile information.

16. A method of adjusting a weight distribution of a head-mounted display (HMD) apparatus comprising a head attachment unit comprising a first attachment member configured to attach the HMD to a user'"'"'s head when the HMD is worn by the user and a first element having an adjustable weight distribution, the method comprising:

accessing user profile information associated with the user; and

adjusting a distribution of the weight of the HMD based on the user profile information, comprising adjusting the weight distribution of the first element of the HMD based on the user profile information by adjusting a configuration of one or more mobile components of the first element without adjusting a position or an orientation of the first element with respect to the HMD.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method of claim 16.