Head-mounted display apparatus for retaining a portable electronic device with display

• US 9,646,574 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hoellwarth, Quin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US15/274,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20170011716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable 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 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• 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: 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: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 : Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 : Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 : Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 : using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 : Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 : for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 : Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 : Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 : carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 : for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 : specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 : according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Head-mounted display systems and methods of operation that allow users to couple and decouple a portable electronic device such as a handheld portable electronic device with a separate head-mounted device (e.g., temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit) are disclosed. The portable electronic may be physically coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device can be worn on the user'"'"'s head. The portable electronic device may be operatively coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device and head mounted device can communicate and operate with one another. Each device may be allowed to extend its features and/or services to the other device for the purpose of enhancing, increasing and/or eliminating redundant functions between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a display supported by the frame;

a camera configured to capture an image;

a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;

lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and

a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor.

2. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to overlay the captured image over a portion of the image based content in the second mode.

3. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising:

communications circuitry that receives the image based content from an electronic device.

4. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein the communications circuitry is wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives the image based content from the electronic device.

5. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is a sound and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the sound.

6. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is a voice command and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the voice command.

7. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to determining that the voice command is a voice command of a person on a contact list.

8. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker that is configured to provide audio at a volume that is lowered in response to the stimulus.

9. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display a visual cue in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor and wherein the visual cue is associated with a direction of the stimulus.

10. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising a haptic device that produces vibrations corresponding to the image based content.

11. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object by the proximity sensor.

12. A head-mounted apparatus configured to be worn by a user, the head-mounted apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a display supported by the frame;

a camera configured to capture an image;

a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;

lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and

a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor, and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object around the user by the proximity sensor.

13. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:

a frame;

a display supported by the frame, wherein the display is configured to present a left image frame and a right image frame;

lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and

an optical sensor that is configured to gather eye location information, wherein the display is configured to adjust a position of the left image frame on the display and a position of the right image frame on the display based on the eye location information to accommodate an interpupillary distance.

14. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:

a support structure;

a display supported by the support structure;

a camera configured to capture an image;

a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;

lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and

a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor.

15. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to overlay the captured image over a portion of the image based content in the second mode.

16. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, further comprising:

communications circuitry that receives the image based content from an electronic device.

17. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 16, wherein the communications circuitry is wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives the image based content from the electronic device.

18. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the stimulus is a sound and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the sound.

19. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the stimulus is a voice command and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the voice command.

20. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to determining that the voice command is a voice command of a person on a contact list.

21. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, further comprising:

a speaker that is configured to provide audio at a volume that is lowered in response to the stimulus.

22. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the display is configured to display a visual cue in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor and wherein the visual cue is associated with a direction of the stimulus.

23. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, further comprising a haptic device that produces vibrations corresponding to the image based content.

24. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object by the proximity sensor.

25. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the support structure has a goggles form factor.

26. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the support structure has a glasses form factor.