Augmented reality system eye relief adjustment mechanism

• US 9,933,625 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tazbaz, Errol Mark, Riccomini, Roy Joseph, Hodge, Andrew Bert, Steiner, Bradley William, Basha, Michael James, Meyer, Azhar K., Laszlo, Zoltan, Fruhauf, Christopher Bramley, Anderson, Perry Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, James
• Application Number:
  US15/419,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20170139215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 359630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed

Abstract

A head mounted display (HMD) may comprise an adjustable crown band, a crown band circumference adjusting mechanism coupled to the adjustable crown band and configured to adjust a crown band circumference to releasably secure the crown band to the user'"'"'s crown, an armature including left and right arms, each of the left and right arms mounted at a respective proximal end to corresponding left and right HMD attachment structures, a display mounted at left and right sides to respective distal ends of the left and right arms, and an eye relief distance adjustment mechanism configured to move the left and right arms in a timed manner toward and away from the crown band along a substantially linear path, to thereby adjust an eye relief distance from the display to an eye of a the user when the crown band is fitted on the crown of the user.

Claims

1. A head mounted display (HMD) to be worn by a user, comprising:

an adjustable crown band;

left and right crown racks at posterior ends of the crown band;

a crown band circumference adjusting mechanism coupled to the crown band and configured to adjust a circumference of the crown band by moving the left and right crown racks in a timed manner;

a display mounted at an anterior side of the crown band; and

an eye relief distance adjustment mechanism configured to (1) move the display toward and away from the crown band along a substantially linear path, to thereby adjust an eye relief distance from the display to an eye of the user when the crown band is fitted on the crown of the user, and (2) adjust the eye relief distance while maintaining the circumference of the crown band.

2. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism comprises:

a housing mounted at a posterior end of the HMD, the housing including a first knob and a first pinion rotatably coupled thereto;

wherein the left and right crown racks pass through the housing and are engaged to the first pinion, and wherein rotating the first pinion via the first knob adjusts a length of the left and right crown racks passing through the housing to adjust the circumference of the crown band.

3. The HMD of claim 2, wherein the first knob and the first pinion are coaxial.

4. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism further comprises a sliding structure configured to enable the display to move toward and away from the crown band along the substantially linear path, when a pushing or pulling force is applied to the display by the user.

5. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism is non-backdrivable to prevent adjustment of the eye relief distance without actuation of the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism.

6. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism includes a linear motion actuator.

7. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising left and right bands extending along at least a portion of the crown band, the left and right bands including a flexible material that is configured to elastically deform.

8. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust the circumference of the crown band by moving the left and right crown racks in the timed manner such that translation of the left and right crown racks is synchronized.

9. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust the circumference of the crown band by moving the left and right crown racks in the timed manner such that the left and right crown racks translate at the same rate.

10. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism is further configured to adjust the circumference of the crown band by moving the left and right crown racks anteriorly or posteriorly.

11. The HMD of claim 1,

wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism comprises an inner housing and an outer housing both mounted at a posterior end of the HMD.

20. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism is configured to move the display toward and away from the anterior side of the crown band.

12. A head mounted display (HMD) to be worn by a user, comprising:

an adjustable crown band;

a crown band circumference adjusting mechanism coupled to the crown band and configured to adjust a circumference of the crown band in a timed manner to releasably secure the crown band to the crown of the user;

an armature including a left arm and a right arm, each of the left arm and the right arm mounted at a respective proximal end to corresponding left and right attachment structures on the HMD;

a display mounted at a central mounting position of the armature; and

an eye relief distance adjustment mechanism configured to (1) move the display toward and away from the crown band along a substantially linear path, to thereby adjust an eye relief distance from the display to an eye of the user when the crown band is fitted on the crown of the user, and (2) adjust the eye relief distance while maintaining the circumference of the crown band.

13. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the crown band and the armature occupy an anterior side of the HMD.

14. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the left and right attachment structures each comprise at least one mounting hole.

15. The HMD of claim 12, wherein actuation of the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism moves the armature anteriorly or posteriorly relative to the crown band.

16. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism comprises:

a housing mounted at a posterior end of the HMD, the housing including a first knob and a first pinion rotatably coupled thereto; and

left and right crown racks mounted at posterior ends of the crown band, the left and right crown racks passing through the housing and engaged to the first pinion, wherein rotating the first pinion via the first knob adjusts a length of the left and right crown racks passing through the housing to adjust the circumference of the crown band.

17. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the eye relief distance adjustment mechanism further comprises a sliding structure configured to enable the display to move toward and away from the crown band along the substantially linear path, when a pushing or pulling force is applied to the display by the user.

18. The HMD of claim 12, further comprising left and right bands extending along at least a portion of the crown band, the left and right bands including a flexible material that is configured to elastically deform.

19. A head mounted display (HMD) to be worn by a user, comprising:

an adjustable crown band;

a crown band circumference adjusting mechanism coupled to the crown band and configured to adjust a circumference of the crown band in a timed manner to releasably secure the crown band to the crown of the user, the crown band circumference adjusting mechanism comprising;

a housing mounted at a posterior end of the HMD, the housing including a first knob and a first pinion rotatably coupled thereto; and

left and right crown racks at posterior ends of the crown band, the left and right crown racks passing through the housing and engaged to the first pinion, wherein rotating the first pinion via the first knob adjusts a length of the left and right crown racks passing through the housing to adjust the circumference of the crown band;

an armature including a left arm and a right arm, each of the left arm and the right arm mounted at a respective proximal end to corresponding left and right attachment structures on the HMD;

a display mounted at a central mounting position of the armature; and

an eye relief distance adjustment mechanism configured to (1) move the display toward and away from the crown band along a substantially linear path, to thereby adjust an eye relief distance from the display to an eye of the user when the crown band is fitted on the crown of the user, and (2) adjust the eye relief distance while maintaining the circumference of the crown band.