See-Through computer display systems

• US 9,651,789 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N., Osterhout, Ralph F., Shams, Nima L., Haddick, John D., Lohse, Robert Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US14/919,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20160187658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 359630, 345 7- 9
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable 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 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• 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 27/281 used for attenuating light intensity, e.g. comprising rotatable polarising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• 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: G06F 3/0317 : in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/016 : Exploded view
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/529 : from texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/36 : Indoor scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/39 : Urban scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 : Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 : for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to providing see-through computer display optics.

Claims

1. A head-worn computer, comprising:

an image source positioned within the head-worn computer such that an image from the image source is projected towards a combiner; and

the combiner comprising an optical element that is at least partially see-through and at least partially reflective such that light from a surrounding environment passes through the combiner to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the image is reflected to the eye of the user, wherein

the combiner is removably and replaceably attached to a frame of the head-worn computer,

wherein the combiner is magnetically attached to the frame.

2. A head-worn computer, comprising:

an image source positioned within the head-worn computer such that an image from the image source is projected towards a combiner; and

the combiner comprising an optical element that is at least partially see-through and at least partially reflective such that light from a surrounding environment passes through the combiner to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the image is reflected to the eye of the user, wherein

the combiner is removably and replaceably attached to a frame of the head-worn computer;

wherein the combiner is one of a plurality of types of combiners and the removability offers the user choice in combiner type and

wherein the combiner type is polarized.

3. A head-worn computer, comprising:

an image source positioned within the head-worn computer such that an image from the image source is projected towards a combiner; and

the combiner comprising an optical element that is at least partially see-through and at least partially reflective such that light from a surrounding environment passes through the combiner to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the image is reflected to the eye of the user, wherein

the combiner is removably and replaceably attached to a frame of the head-worn computer;

wherein the combiner is one of a plurality of types of combiners and the removability offers the user choice in combiner type and wherein the combiner type includes a notch mirror.

4. A head-worn computer, comprising:

an image source positioned within the head-worn computer such that an image from the image source is projected towards a combiner; and

the combiner comprising an optical element that is at least partially see-through and at least partially reflective such that light from a surrounding environment passes through the combiner to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the image is reflected to the eye of the user, wherein

the combiner is removably and replaceably attached to a frame of the head-worn computer; and

further comprising an eye imaging camera, wherein the eye imaging camera is positioned to capture an image of the eye after being reflected off of the combiner.

5. The head-worn computer of claim 4, wherein the eye imaging camera is positioned in the frame adjacent to the combiner.

6. The head-worn computer of claim 4, wherein the eye imaging camera is positioned in an upper optical module to capture the image of the eye in an optical path substantially perpendicular to the front of the eye of the user.