Microdisplay based immersive headset

• US 9,366,871 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eMagin Corporation (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: eMagin Corporation (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Amal, Ho, John Chi-Liang, Rosen, Andrew Thomas Manning
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US14/921,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• 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 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0181 Adaptation to the pilot/driver
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/10 Display system comprising arrangements, such as a coprocessor, specific for motion video images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes

Abstract

An immersive headset device is provided that includes a display portion and a body portion. The display portion may include microdisplays having a compact size. The microdisplays may be movable (e.g., rotational) relative to the body portion and can be moved (e.g., rotated) between a flipped-up position and a flipped-down position. In some instances, when the microdisplays are flipped up, the headset provides an augmented reality (AR) mode to a user, and when the microdisplays are flipped down, the headset provide a virtual reality (VR) mode to the user. In certain implementations, the headset includes an electronics source module to provide power and/or signal to the microdisplays. The electronics source module can be attached to a rear of the body portion in order to provide advantageous weight distribution about the head of the user.

Claims

1. An immersive headset device comprising:

a body portion adapted to be worn on a head of a user;

a display portion movably attached to the body portion, the display portion comprising at least one display and adapted to transition between a VR mode and an AR mode,

wherein, (i) when the display portion is in the VR mode, the display is in a line-of-sight of a user, and (ii) when the display portion is in the AR mode, the display is displaced from the line-of-sight of the user while providing an image to the user.

2. The immersive headset of claim 1, further comprising an electronics source module for housing at least one of power and display signal electronics located at a rear of the body portion, wherein the body portion comprises semi-rigid side frame members.

3. The immersive headset of claim 2, wherein the body portion further comprises a strap assembly adapted to connect the semi-rigid side frame members about the rear of the head, the electronics source module forming part of the strap assembly and shaped to hold the strap assembly in an appropriate location on the head.

4. The immersive headset of claim 1, wherein the display portion further comprises a diopter adjust mechanism and an interpupillary distance adjust mechanism, wherein at least one of the diopter adjust mechanism and the interpupillary distance adjust mechanism is adapted to be adjusted without removing the headset from the head of the user.

5. The immersive headset of claim 2, wherein the display comprises at least one microdisplay.

6. The immersive headset of claim 5, wherein the microdisplay comprises a diagonal dimension in a range from about 0.5 inches to about 1.5 inches.

7. The immersive headset of claim 5, wherein the microdisplay displays an image having a resolution selected from the group consisting of 1024×

576, 1152×

648, 1280×

720, 1600×

900, 1920×

1080, 2560×

1440, 3840×

2160, and 1366×

768.

8. The immersive headset of claim 5, wherein the microdisplay comprises two microdisplays comprising one microdisplay for each eye of the user.

9. The immersive headset of claim 8, wherein each microdisplay is adapted to receive an independent input from the electronics source module.

10. The immersive headset of claim 1, wherein the display portion is adapted to transition between the AR mode and the VR mode by rotating with respect to the body portion.

11. The immersive headset of claim 10, further comprising a hinge mechanism adapted to rotate the display portion with respect to the body portion.

12. The immersive headset of claim 2, wherein the electronics source module forms a disk shape.

13. The immersive headset of claim 2, wherein the electronics source module is adapted to provide data in both 2D and 3D formats.

14. The immersive headset of claim 2, wherein the electronics source module is adapted to provide at least one of a single and a dual output.

15. The immersive headset of claim 1, further comprising a holding structure adapted to maintain the display portion in at least one of the VR mode and the AR mode, wherein the holding structure is selected from the group consisting of a spring mechanism, a snap connector, a latch, a catch, a detent, and a ratcheting mechanism.

17. The immersive headset device of claim 1, further comprising a reflective structure disposed in the line-of-sight during the AR mode.

18. The immersive headset device of claim 17, wherein the reflective structure comprises a flat plate combiner.

19. The immersive headset device of claim 18, wherein the flat plate combiner comprises both reflective and transmissive properties, wherein:

when the display portion is in the VR mode, the flat plate combiner is not in the line-of-sight of the user; and

when the display portion is in the AR mode, the flat plate combiner is at least partially in the line-of-sight of the user such that (i) the user can see through the flat plate combiner and (ii) the display reflects the image to the user off the flat plate combiner.

20. The immersive headset device of claim 19, wherein the flat plate combiner comprises at least one of a partially reflective surface, an angular reflective surface, and a notch coating.

21. The immersive headset device of claim 19, wherein, when the display portion is in the AR mode, the flat plate combiner forms an acute angle with the line-of-sight of the user.

22. The immersive headset device of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronics source module adapted to (i) make a determination of whether the display is in the VR mode or the AR mode, and (ii) apply an image correction to the image based on the determination.

23. The immersive headset device of claim 22, wherein the image correction comprises at least one of a brightness adjustment, a contrast adjustment, a sharpness adjustment, and an image flip.

16. A method of using an immersive headset device, the method comprising the steps of:

wearing a body portion of the immersive headset device about a head of a user;

transitioning a display portion comprising at least one display between a VR mode and an AR mode, such that (i) when the display portion is in the VR mode, the display is in a line-of-sight of a user, and (ii) when the display portion is in the AR mode, the display is displaced from the line-of-sight of the user while providing an image to the user.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the transitioning step further comprises transitioning a reflective structure between an AR mode position and a VR mode position, wherein the reflective structure is disposed in the line-of-sight in the AR mode position.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the reflective structure comprises a flat plate combiner.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the flat plate combiner comprises both reflective and transmissive properties, wherein:

in the VR mode position, the flat plate combiner is not in the line-of-sight of the user; and

in the AR mode position, the flat plate combiner is at least partially in the line-of-sight of the user such that (i) the user can see through the flat plate combiner and (ii) the display reflects the image to the user off the flat plate combiner.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the flat plate combiner comprises at least one of a partially reflective surface, an angular reflective surface, and a notch coating.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein, in the AR mode position, the flat plate combiner forms an acute angle with the line-of-sight of the user.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

making a determination of whether the display is in the VR mode or the AR mode; and

applying an image correction to the image based on the determination.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the image correction comprises at least one of a brightness adjustment, a contrast adjustment, a sharpness adjustment, and an image flip.