Head mounted display with remote control

• US 9,459,457 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seebright Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seebright Inc.
• Inventors: Murray, John T., Michels, Douglas L., Lachman, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US14/177,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 359/13, 359/630
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0129 comprising devices for correcting parallax
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/028 characterised by the supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

A head mounted display device that displays three dimensional images from a mobile device, which includes a strap that secures the head mounted display to the head of a viewer, a viewing assembly connected to the strap, that includes a housing, a mobile device holder, connected to the housing, a reflecting surface, connected to the housing, that reflects images displayed by the mobile device; and an eyepiece onto which the reflecting surface reflects the images.

Claims

1. A head mounted display device, comprising:

a housing;

a mobile device, secured by the housing, which fits on the head of a human viewer, comprising a forward-facing side with a display and a backward-facing side, and a camera with a camera lens on the backward-facing side;

a reflecting surface, connected to the housing, that reflects images displayed by the mobile device;

a lens, connected to the housing, that focuses images reflected by the reflecting surface, and

an eyepiece, connected to the housing, onto which the images from the lens focus for display to the viewer;

a periscope, connected to the housing, that reflects light emanating substantially from the field of view of the viewer onto the camera lens, enabling the mobile device to receive images from the field of view of the viewer; and

a remote control, comprising;

a plurality of controls operable by the viewer, and

a wireless transceiver for communicating with the inserted mobile device;

wherein the mobile device further comprises;

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device;

to receive images from the camera; and

to determine, based on the received images, the location of the remote control within the field of view of the viewer.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the remote control is detachably connected to the housing such that it can be detached from the housing by the viewer and operated by hand.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the remote control further comprises:

a housing; and

a battery.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of the plurality of controls is selected from the group consisting of forward, backward, and select.

5. The device of claim 3 further comprising an LED capable of emitting light and wherein the remote control is capable of receiving a signal from the mobile device to illuminate the LED.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the remote control is further capable of receiving a command that specifies the color of light to emit when the LED is illuminated.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein the remote control further comprises at least one sensor for determining the geographic position of the remote control.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer and wherein the remote control transmits a signal that comprises sensor data that specifies its absolute position.

10. A system for integrating a head mounted display with a mobile device comprising:

a mobile device with a forward-facing side and a backward-facing side comprising;

a display screen on the forward-facing side;

a camera with a camera lens on the backward-facing side;

a head mounted display comprising;

a housing that secures the mobile device, which fits on the head of a human viewer;

a reflecting surface, connected to the housing, that reflects images displayed by the display screen;

an eyepiece, connected to the housing, onto which the images from the mobile device display to the viewer; and

a periscope, connected to the housing, that reflects light emanating substantially from the field of view of the viewer onto the camera lens, enabling the mobile device to receive images from the field of view of the viewer; and

a remote control for the mobile device comprising;

a plurality of controls operable by the viewer each control having a state; and

a wireless transceiver for communicating with the mobile device; and

wherein the mobile device further comprises;

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor for storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device;

to receive status updates that specify the state of each of the plurality of controls; and

to provide the status updates to a mobile application that runs in the mobile device;

to receive images from the camera;

to determine, based on the received images, the location of the remote control within the field of view of the viewer; and

to provide the location of the remote control to the mobile application.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the plurality of controls is selected from the group consisting of forward, backward, and select.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the remote control further comprises an LED capable of emitting light and wherein the remote control is capable of receiving a signal from the mobile device to illuminate the LED.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the remote control is further capable of receiving a command that specifies the color of light to emit when the LED is illuminated.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the remote control further comprises at least one sensor for determining geographic position.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer and wherein the remote control transmits a signal that comprises sensor data that specifies its absolute position.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the mobile device receives the sensor data and the instructions, which when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile device to provide a specification of the absolute position of the remote control to the mobile application.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the remote control is detachably connected to the housing such that it can be detached from the housing by the viewer and operated by hand.