Body-mountable display system

• US 6,140,981 A
• Filed: 10/13/1997
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth H. Dickenson Jr, Kuenster, Gordon B.
• Original Assignee: Kenneth H. Dickenson Jr, Kuenster, Gordon B.
• Inventors: Kuenster, Gordon B., Dickenson, Kenneth H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Said, Mansour M.
• Application Number:
  US08/949,255
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/156, 359/630, 359/631
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A body-mountable display system having a first structure for receiving an input signal and producing a video output in response thereto, a garment wearable by a user, and a second structure for operatively connecting the first structure to the garment to allow the first structure to be universally repositionable relative to the garment. The first structure includes a hand-holdable portable display including a housing having a viewing aperture for viewing the video output. The second structure includes a flexible element having spaced ends with one end pivotally mounted to the garment and the other end including a structure for detachably mounting the portable display to the flexible element. The portable display may include a portable virtual image display for focusing the video output at one of (a) infinity and (b) a desired finite distance viewable by an observer. The body-mountable display system may include, in combination, a computer producing the input signal. The body-mountable display system may include a computer mouse formed on the portable display or garment for controlling operation of the computer.

Claims

1. A body-mountable display system comprising:

first means for receiving an input signal and producing a video output in response thereto;

a garment wearable by a user; and

second means for pivotably connecting the first means to the garment to allow the first means to be pivotable between in-use and storage positions relative to the garment,

said body-mountable display system in combination with a computer that produces an input signal that is received by the first means, wherein the video output includes a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer,

wherein the second means comprises a connecting element having spaced ends with one end pivotably mounted to the garment and the other end including means for detachably mounting the first means to the connecting element.

2. The body-mountable display system of claim 1, wherein said one end of the connecting element includes a disc-shaped element having oppositely facing side walls and a central bore, the disc-shaped element operatively received in a channel defined by facing side walls formed in a base element attached to the garment, and pivotably mounted to the base element via a pin extending through the central bore and secured to the base element.

3. The body-mountable display system of claim 2, further comprising means operatively associated with the connecting element and garment for operatively securing the first means in a plurality of different pivoting positions relative to the garment.

4. The body-mountable display system of claim 3, wherein the securing means comprises:

a plurality of detents formed in one of the facing side walls of the base element and the oppositely facing side walls of the disc-shaped element; and

a plurality of raised members formed in the other of the facing side walls of the base element and the oppositely facing side walls of the disc-shaped element,

said plurality of detents and plurality of raised members cooperating during pivoting of the first means to frictionally secure the first means in a plurality of different pivoting positions relative to the garment.

5. The body-mountable display system of claim 3, wherein the connecting element comprises a flexible element universally repositionable to place the first means in an infinite number of different positions relative to the garment in each of the different pivoting positions.

6. The body-mountable display system of claim 5, wherein the flexible element comprises a gooseneck support.

7. A body-mountable display system comprising:

first means for receiving an input signal and producing a video output in response thereto;

a garment wearable by a user; and

second means for pivotably connecting the first means to the garment to allow the first means to be pivotable between in-use and storage positions relative to the garment,

said body-mountable display system in combination with a computer that produces an input signal that is received by the first means, wherein the video output includes a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer, wherein the first means comprises a hand-holdable portable display comprising;

a housing having a viewing aperture for viewing the video output; and

a computer mouse formed on the housing for selectively controlling the video output and operation of the computer.

8. The body-mountable display system of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a front wall at which the viewing aperture is defined, and wherein the portable display further includes a shroud disposed about an outer periphery of the viewing aperture and projecting from the front wall.

9. A body-mountable display system comprising:

first means for receiving an input signal and producing a video output in response thereto;

a garment wearable by a user;

second means for pivotably connecting the first means to the garment to allow the first means to pivotable between in-use and storage positions relative to the garment, said body-mountable display system in combination with a computer that produces an input signal that is received by the first means, wherein the video output includes a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer; and

a computer mouse formed on the garment for selectively controlling the video output and operation of the computer, said computer mouse comprising;

a track ball for universal positioning of the cursor on the video output; and

a touch pad engageable by a user for activating the computer to perform functions relating to a location of the cursor on the video output.

10. A body-mountable display system comprising:

first means for receiving an input signal and producing a video output in response thereto;

a garment wearable by a user;

second means for pivotably connecting the first means to the garment to allow the first means to pivotable between in-use and storage positions relative to the garment, said body-mountable display system in combination with a computer that produces an input signal that is received by the first means, wherein the video output includes a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer; and

a computer mouse operably connected to the garment for selectively controlling the video output and operation of the computer, wherein the garment comprises a backpack having straps engageable by a user for operatively securing the backpack thereto, and wherein the computer mouse is formed on one of the straps.

11. The body-mountable display system of claim 10, wherein the computer is disposed in the backpack.

12. The body-mountable display system of claim 10, wherein the first means is pivotably connected to one of the straps via the second means.

13. In a display system for receiving a video signal produced by a computer and displaying video information generated by the video signal from the computer as a display image, the display image including a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer, the improvement comprising:

a display for viewing the display image;

a garment wearable by a user;

means for operatively mounting the display to the garment to allow the display to be selectively repositionable relative to the garment; and

manual control means operably connected to the garment for selectively controlling the display image and operation of the computer, wherein the manual control means comprises a computer mouse formed on the garment.

14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein the computer mouse comprises:

a track ball for universal positioning of the cursor on the video output; and

a touch pad engageable by a user for activating the computer to perform functions relating to a location of the cursor on the video output.

15. The improvement of claim 13, wherein the garment comprises a backpack having straps engageable by a user for operatively securing the backpack thereto, and wherein the computer mouse is operatively connected to one of the straps.

16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein the computer is disposed in the backpack.

17. The improvement of claim 15, wherein the display is operatively mounted to one of the straps and selectively repositionable relative to the backpack.

18. In a display system for receiving a video signal produced by a computer and displaying video information generated by the video signal from the computer as a display image, the display image including a cursor for selectively controlling operation of the computer, the improvement comprising:

a display for viewing the display image;

a garment wearable by a user;

means for operatively mounting the display to the garment to allow the display to be selectively repositionable relative to the garment; and

manual control means operably connected to the garment for selectively controlling the display image and operation of the computer,

wherein the mounting means comprises a flexible element having spaced ends with one end attached to the garment and the other end including means for detachably mounting the display to the flexible element, said flexible element universally repositionable to place the display in an infinite number of different positions relative to the garment, wherein

the display comprises a hand-holdable portable display,

the garment comprises a backpack having straps engageable by a user for operatively securing the backpack thereto,

the manual control means is operably connected to one of the straps, and

said one end of the flexible element is operatively attached to one of the straps.

19. The improvement of claim 18, wherein said one end of the flexible element is pivotally attached to said one of the straps to allow pivoting movement of the display relative to the backpack.

20. The improvement of claim 19, wherein the manual control means comprises a computer mouse formed on said one of the straps.