On-head detection for head-mounted display

• US 8,958,158 B1
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Raffle, Hayes Solos, Martin, Matthew Wyatt
• Primary Examiner(s): SAHLE, MAHIDERE S
• Application Number:
  US14/095,649
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359/630
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• 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 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• 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 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure describe on-head detection processes for HMD devices that include at least one lens, an optical sensor positioned in front of the lens to detect light reflected from the lens, at least one image source positioned in front of the lens, and a frame assembly to support the lens and the image source for wearing on a head of the user, wherein the frame assembly comprises a flexible frame assembly to flex such that the optical sensor moves closer to the at least one lens when the HMD is worn by the user. In some embodiments, the optical sensor is positioned to also detect a reflected light from the user'"'"'s face. The light received by the optical sensor is stronger when the user is wearing the HMD, and thus embodiments determine whether the user is wearing the HMD based on the optical sensor data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data from an optical sensor included in a head-mount display (HMD), the HMD further comprising;

at least one lens, wherein the optical sensor is positioned in front of the at least one lens to detect a reflected light from the at least one lens;

at least one image source positioned in front of the at least one lens; and

a frame assembly to support the at least one lens and the at least one image source for wearing on a head of a user, wherein the frame assembly of the HMD comprises a flexible frame assembly, and wherein the frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the at least one lens when the HMD is worn by the user;

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determining whether the user is wearing the HMD based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is positioned to further detect a reflected light from the user'"'"'s face, and the method further comprises:

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face based, at least in part, on the sensor data;

wherein determining whether the user is wearing the HMD is further based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, deactivating the at least one image source from generating light for the HMD; and

in response to determining the user is wearing the HMD, activating the at least one image source to generate light for the HMD.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, transitioning a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to determining the user is wearing the HMD, transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to a non-volatile memory of the HMD, and wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMD further comprises a light emitter disposed near the optical sensor to emit light towards the at least one lens, and wherein the reflected light from the at least one lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the at least one lens.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMD further comprises a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, maintaining a network connection via the network interface while the user is not wearing the HMD.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein maintaining the network connection via the network interface in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD includes reducing a network polling rate for the network interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein HMD further comprises an audio speaker to output audio data, and the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, disabling the audio speaker from outputting at least one of an alarm output or an audio notification output.

10. A system comprising:

head-mounted display (HMD) comprising;

at least one lens;

at least one image source positioned in front of the at least one lens to generate light for the HMD;

an optical sensor positioned in front of the at least one lens to detect a reflected light from the at least one lens; and

a frame assembly to support the at least one lens and the at least one image source for wearing on a head of a user, wherein the frame assembly comprises a flexible frame assembly, and wherein the frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the at least one lens when the HMD is worn by the user; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the HMD, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive sensor data from the optical sensor;

determine a proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determine whether the user is wearing the HMD based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the optical sensor is positioned to further detect a reflected light from the user'"'"'s face, and the processor to further;

determine a proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face based, at least in part, on the sensor data;

wherein determining whether the user is wearing the HMD is further based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face.

12. The system of claim 10, the processor to further:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, deactivate the at least one image source from generating light for the HMD; and

in response to determining the user is wearing the HMD, activate the at least one image source to generate light for the HMD.

13. The system of claim 10, the processor to further:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, transition a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, transition the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

non-volatile memory;

wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to the non-volatile memory, and transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the HMD further comprises:

a light emitter disposed near the optical sensor to emit light towards the at least one lens;

wherein the reflected light from the at least one lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the at least one lens.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network;

wherein the processor to further;

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, maintain a network connection via the network interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein maintaining the network connection via the network interface in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD includes reducing a network polling rate for the network interface.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein HMD further comprises an audio speaker to output audio data, and the processor to further:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, disable the audio speaker from outputting at least one of an alarm output or an audio notification output.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving sensor data from an optical sensor included in a head-mount display (HMD), the HMD further comprising;

at least one lens, wherein the optical sensor is positioned in front of the at least one lens to detect a reflected light from the at least one lens;

at least one image source positioned in front of the at least one lens; and

a frame assembly to support the at least one lens and the at least one image source for wearing on a head of a user, wherein the frame assembly of the HMD comprises a flexible frame assembly, and wherein the frame assembly flexes such that the optical sensor moves closer to the at least one lens when the HMD is worn by the user;

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens based, at least in part, on the sensor data; and

determining whether the user is wearing the HMD based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the at least one lens.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the optical sensor is positioned to further detect a reflected light from the user'"'"'s face, and the method further comprises:

determining a proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face based, at least in part, on the sensor data;

wherein determining whether the user is wearing the HMD is further based, at least in part, on the proximity between the optical sensor and the user'"'"'s face.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, deactivating the at least one image source from generating light for the HMD; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, activating the at least one image source to generate light for the HMD.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining the user is not wearing the HMD, transitioning a power state of the HMD from a power-on state to a power-save state; and

in response to the determining the user is wearing the HMD, transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-on state to the power-save state comprises saving a system context to a non-volatile memory of the HMD, and wherein transitioning the power state of the HMD from the power-save state to the power-on state comprises restoring the system context from the non-volatile memory of the HMD.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the HMD further comprises a light emitter disposed near the optical sensor to emit light towards the at least one lens, and wherein the reflected light from the at least one lens comprises light from the light emitter reflected from the at least one lens.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the HMD further comprises a network interface for connecting to at least one of a Wi-Fi or cellular network, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the determining the user is not wearing the HMD, maintaining a network connection via the network interface.