Nose bridge sensor

• US 8,184,067 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Geiss, Ryan, Ho, Harvey, Braun, Max, Starner, Thad Eugene, Taubman, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAH, PRIYANK J
• Application Number:
  US13/186,639
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 2/61, 2/66, 2/9, 241/0, 242/2, 242/3, 242/4, 348/E5.145, 348/E13.036, 348/E13.041, 348/53, 351/41, 351/124, 351/131, 351/132, 351/136, 359/618, 359/629, 359/630, 359/642, 359/643, 359/811, 359/815
• US Class Current: 345/7
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• 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 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting an action associated with a power state transition of a head-mounted display (HMD) in the form of eyeglasses are disclosed. A signal may be received from a sensor on a nose bridge of the eyeglasses indicating if the HMD is in use. Based on the received signal, a first powers state for the HMD may be determined. Responsive to the determined first power state, an action associated with a power state transition of the HMD from an existing power state to the first power state may be selected. The action may be selected from among a plurality of actions associated with a plurality of state transitions. Also, the action may be a sequence of functions performed by the HMD including modifying an operating state of a primary processing component of the HMD and a detector of the HMD configured to image an environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an output from a sensor on a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein the HMD is in a form of eyeglasses and the sensor is coupled to a nose bridge of the eyeglasses, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensing component that outputs a signal which is received by a second sensing component and used to determine the output, wherein the output indicates if the HMD is in use;

based on the output, determining a first power state for the HMD; and

in response to the determined first power state, selecting from among a plurality of actions, an action being associated with a power state transition of the HMD from an existing power state to the first power state, wherein a plurality of actions are associated with a plurality of power state transitions, and wherein the action comprises a sequence of functions performed by the HMD including modifying an operating state of a processing component of the HMD and modifying an operating state of a detector of the HMD configured to image an environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor coupled to the nose bridge is attached to one or more nose pads of the eyeglasses.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an infrared proximity sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an infrared trip sensor operated between two nose pads of the eyeglasses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a conductivity sensor used to sense a conductivity between two electrodes attached to two nose pads of the eyeglasses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a resistivity sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone, the method further comprising analyzing the output to identify a pattern caused by breathing.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, based on the analysis, making a determination that the HMD is being worn by a user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving multiple signals from a combination of sensors coupled to the nose bridge;

and

based on an individual analysis of the received multiple signals, determining the first power state for the HMD.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the output from the sensor on the HMD; and

after a predetermined delay period, determining the first power state for the HMD based on the output.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing one or more of a plurality of components of the HMD to modify an operating parameter value, wherein the operating parameter value is associated with a level of power consumption, wherein the one or more of the plurality of components of the HMD comprises one or more of the following:

a display element, a video camera, a projector, an on-board computing system, an input device, and a communication module.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the action associated with the power state transition further comprises:

the HMD entering a power-save mode; and

instructing the HMD to provide a prompt for authentication to operate the HMD when, based on the output, a new power state is determined.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the action associated with the power state transition further comprises:

locking a display screen of the HMD; and

powering off an input device for interacting with the display screen.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the action associated with the power state transition further comprises sending a notification to a server indicating the first power state of the HMD.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first power state is a power-on state, and wherein the action associated with the power state transition further comprises instructing a display element to power-up and instructing a camera to power-up.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions of:

receiving an output from a sensor on a head-mounted display (HMD), wherein the HMD is in a form of eyeglasses and the sensor is coupled to a nose bridge of the eyeglasses, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensing component that outputs a signal which is received by a second sensing component and used to determine the output, wherein the output indicates if the HMD is in use;

based on the output, determining a first power state for the HMD; and

in response to the determined first power state, selecting from among a plurality of actions, an action being associated with a power state transition of the HMD from an existing power state to the first power state, wherein a plurality of actions are associated with a plurality of power state transitions, and wherein the action comprises a sequence of functions performed by the HMD including modifying an operating state of a processing component of the HMD and modifying an operating state of a detector of the HMD configured to image an environment.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable to perform functions of:

selecting the action associated with the power state transition of the HMD, wherein the action associated with the power state transition further comprises instructing a display element to enter a sleep-mode and instructing a communication module to enter a sleep-mode.

19. A head-mounted display (HMD) comprising:

a memory;

a sensor on the HMD, the sensor configured to provide an output indicating if the HMD is in use based on a signal that is output from a first sensing component and received by a second sensing component, wherein the HMD is in a form of eyeglasses and the sensor is coupled to a nose bridge of the eyeglasses;

a power management component configured to determine a first power state for the HMD based on the output; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the power management component, the processor configured to;

in response to the determined first power state, select from among a plurality of actions, an action being associated with a power state transition of the HMD from an existing power state to the first power state, wherein a plurality of actions are associated with a plurality of power state transitions, and wherein the action comprises a sequence of functions performed by the HMD including modifying an operating state of the processor of the HMD and modifying an operating state of a detector of the HMD configured to image an environment.

20. The HMD of claim 19, wherein the power state transition comprises a transition from an on power state to an off power state.