Compressible eyecup assemblies in a virtual reality headset

• US 9,472,025 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Thomas, Matt Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREN, VINCENT ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US14/601,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 25/001 Eyepieces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) headset includes an electronic display element, an optics block, and an adjustment mechanism. The electronic display element outputs image light. The optics block includes a cone and an additional cone coupled to a lens and an additional lens, respectively. Image light is directed to the lens and to the additional lens via the cone and additional cone, respectively. Each of the cones comprises an opaque material that is deformable to adjust a distance from a base portion of a cone to a top portion of a cone may be adjusted, via, compression, elongation, or both. An adjustment mechanism may receive input from a user and configured to adjust the distance one or more of the cone and the additional cone.

Claims

1. A virtual reality (VR) headset comprising:

an electronic display element configured to output image light;

an optics block configured to receive the image light, the optics block comprising;

a lens and an additional lens each configured to direct portions of the image light to corresponding exit pupils that correspond to locations of eyes of a user of the VR headset;

a cone including a base portion, a top portion, and a plurality of compression adjusters, the base portion coupled to a mounting surface of a rigid body of the VR headset and the top portion coupled to the lens, the plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the cone to adjust a distance between the top portion and the base portion, the cone configured to receive image light through the base portion and direct the image light toward the lens and the cone comprising an opaque material that is deformable to adjust the distance between the top portion and the base portion;

an additional cone including an additional base portion, an additional top portion, and an additional plurality of compression adjusters, the additional base portion coupled to the mounting surface of the rigid body of the VR headset and the additional top portion coupled to the additional lens, the additional plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the additional cone to adjust a distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion, the additional cone configured to receive image light through the additional base portion and direct the image light toward the additional lens, the additional cone comprising the opaque material that is deformable to adjust the distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the distance between the top portion and the base portion of the cone or the distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion of the additional cone based on a received input, the adjustment mechanism configured to individually adjust one or more of the plurality of compression adjusters and one or more of the additional plurality of compression adjusters.

2. The VR headset of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters configured to reduce the distance between the top portion and the base portion in response to an input received from the adjustment mechanism.

3. The VR headset of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters is a spring that is configured to compress in response to receiving an electrical current.

4. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein the cone comprises thermoplastic polyurethane.

5. The VR headset of claim 1, further comprising:

a rail coupled to the base portion and an additional rail coupled to the additional base portion, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a center spacing distance between a center of the base portion and a center of the additional base portion in response to receiving a center spacing adjustment input.

6. The VR headset of claim 1, wherein the opaque material is opaque to wavelengths of visible light.

7. A virtual reality (VR) headset comprising:

an electronic display element configured to output image light;

an optics block configured to receive the image light, the optics block comprising;

a lens configured to direct portions of the image light to a corresponding exit pupil that corresponds to a location of an eye of a user of the VR headset;

a cone including a base portion, a top portion, and a plurality of compression adjusters, the base portion coupled to a mounting surface of a rigid body of the VR headset and the top portion coupled to the lens, the plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the cone to adjust a distance between the top portion and the base portion, the cone configured to receive image light through the base portion and direct the image light toward the lens and the cone comprising an opaque material that is deformable to adjust a distance between the top portion and the base portion; and

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the distance between the top portion and the base portion of the cone based on a received input, the adjustment mechanism configured to individually adjust one or more of the plurality of compression adjusters.

8. The VR headset of claim 7, wherein the optics block further comprises:

an additional lens configured to direct portions of the image light to a corresponding exit pupil that corresponds to a location of another eye of the user of the VR headset;

an additional cone including an additional base portion, an additional top portion, and an additional plurality of compression adjusters, the additional base portion coupled to the mounting surface of the rigid body of the VR headset and the additional top portion coupled to the additional lens, the additional plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the additional cone to adjust a distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion, the additional cone configured to receive image light through the additional base portion and direct the image light toward the additional lens, the additional cone comprising the opaque material that is deformable to adjust a distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion; and

the adjustment mechanism is further configured to adjust the distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion of the additional cone based on the received input, the adjustment mechanism configured to individually adjust one or more of the additional plurality of compression adjusters.

9. The VR headset of claim 8, further comprising:

a rail coupled to the base portion and an additional rail coupled to the additional base portion, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a center spacing distance between a center of the base portion and a center of the additional base portion in response to a center spacing adjustment input.

10. The VR headset of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters configured to reduce the distance between the top portion and the base portion in response to an input received from the adjustment mechanism.

11. The VR headset of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters is a spring that is configured to compress in response to receiving an electrical current.

12. The VR headset of claim 7, wherein the cone comprises thermoplastic polyurethane.

13. The VR headset of claim 7, wherein the opaque material is opaque to wavelengths of visible light.

14. A virtual reality (VR) headset comprising:

an electronic display element configured to output image light;

an optics block configured to receive the image light, the optics block comprising;

a lens configured to direct portions of the image light to a corresponding exit pupil that corresponds to a location of an eye of a user of the VR headset;

a cone including a base portion, a top portion, and a plurality of compression adjusters, the base portion coupled to a mounting surface of a rigid body of the VR headset and the top portion coupled to the lens, the plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the cone to adjust a distance between the top portion and the base portion, the cone configured to receive image light through the base portion and direct the image light toward the lens and the cone comprising an opaque material that is deformable to adjust a distance between the top portion and the base portion;

an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust the distance between the top portion and the base portion of the cone based on a received input, the adjustment mechanism configured to individually adjust one or more of the plurality of compression adjusters; and

at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters is configured to reduce the distance between the top portion and the base portion in response to the received input.

15. The VR headset of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the plurality of compression adjusters is a spring that is configured to compress in response receiving an electric current.

16. The VR headset of claim 15, wherein the electric current is received by the spring in response to the received input.

17. The VR headset of claim 14, wherein the optics block further comprises:

an additional lens configured to direct portions of the image light to a corresponding exit pupil that corresponds to a location of another eye of the user of the VR headset;

an additional cone including an additional base portion, an additional top portion, and an additional plurality of compression adjusters, the additional base portion coupled to the mounting surface of the rigid body of the VR headset and the additional top portion coupled to the additional lens, the additional plurality of compression adjusters coupled to the top portion and the base portion of the additional cone to adjust a distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion, the additional cone configured to receive image light through the additional base portion and direct the image light toward the additional lens, the additional cone comprising the opaque material that is deformable to adjust a distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion; and

the adjustment mechanism is further configured to adjust the distance between the additional top portion and the additional base portion of the additional cone based on the received input, the adjustment mechanism configured to individually adjust one or more of the additional plurality of compression adjusters.

18. The VR headset of claim 14, further comprising:

a rail coupled to the base portion and an additional rail coupled to the additional base portion, wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to adjust a center spacing distance between a center of the base portion and a center of the additional base portion in response to a center spacing adjustment input.

19. The VR headset of claim 14, wherein the cone comprises thermoplastic polyurethane.

20. The VR headset of claim 14, wherein the opaque material is opaque to wavelengths of visible light.