Sensor dependent content position in head worn computing

• US 9,423,612 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Lohse, Robert Michael, Border, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US14/547,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20150279108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• 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 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for positioning content within an FOV of a HWC based on sensor feedback.

Claims

1. A head-worn computer, comprising:

a see-through display adapted to present content to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and adapted to provide the user with a see-through view of an environment proximate the user; and

a processor adapted to present the content within a display field of view of the see-through display based on (1) a forward movement vector of the head-worn computer indicative of a forward movement speed and direction of the user, and (2) a sight vector indicative of the direction the user is facing,

the processor further adapted to present the content such that (1) it appears in the display field of view when the forward movement speed is below a predetermined threshold, (2) it is not presented in the display field of view when the user is looking generally straight ahead and the forward movement speed is above the predetermined threshold, and (3) it is presented in the display field of view when the user is looking to the side of the forward movement vector and the forward movement speed is above the predetermined threshold.

2. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the position of the content within the display field of view is regulated as follows:

the content is positioned within the display field of view when the forward movement speed is indicative of a forward movement speed of the user below the predetermined threshold; and

the position of the content is moved relative to the forward movement direction when the forward movement speed is indicative of a forward movement speed of the user above a threshold such that the content can be viewed by the user within the display field of view when the user turns his head thereby increasing an angle between the forward movement direction and the sight vector.

3. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the position of the content is further dependent on a magnitude of the forward movement speed, wherein the higher the magnitude of the speed the greater the relative angle for viewing the content.

4. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to predict a user activity based on the forward movement speed and the relative angle and wherein the position of the content is further based on the predicted activity.

5. The head-worn computer of claim 4, wherein the prediction of the activity is that the user is moving in a vehicle.

6. The head-worn computer of claim 4, wherein the prediction of the activity is that the user is walking.

7. The head-worn computer of claim 4, wherein the prediction of the activity is that the user is running.

8. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising an eye imaging system adapted to determine a position of the eye of the user, wherein the content position is further determined based on the position of the eye.

9. The head-worn computer of claim 8, wherein the eye imaging system is adapted to capture images of the eye of the user, wherein light associated the images of the eye travel along an optical path that is at least partly in-line with an optical path followed by light associated with the content presented to the eye of the user, such that the images of the eye are captured from a position directly in front of the eye and the position of the eye is determined from the captured images of the eye.

10. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising an eye imaging system adapted to monitor a movement of the eye of the user, wherein the content position is further determined based on the movement of the eye of the user.

11. The head-worn computer of claim 10, wherein a rate of content position change is reduced when there is a rapid eye movement.

12. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising a change of direction sensor system adapted to monitor a lateral movement of the head-worn computer, wherein the content position is further determined based on the lateral movement of the head-worn computer.

13. The head-worn computer of claim 12, wherein a rate of position change of the content is reduced when there is a rapid lateral movement.

14. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the processor is further adapted to position a second content within the display field of view in relation to an object in the environment, such that the second content maintains a relative position with the object in the environment as seen in the see-through view irrespective of the forward movement speed of the head-worn computer.

15. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising a magnetometer that is used to measure sight-heading.