Mobile device light guide display

• US 10,191,515 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Westerinen, William J., Robbins, Steven John, Badyal, Rajeev, Fleck, Rod G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flora, Nurun N
• Application Number:
  US13/432,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen

Abstract

Light guide techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a housing, a light guide supported by the housing, a light engine disposed within the housing and optically coupled to the light guide, and one or more modules disposed within the housing and implemented at least partially in hardware. The one or more modules are configured to cause the light engine to output a user interface for display using the light guide along an image plane focused at infinity.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a light guide supported by the housing; and

a light engine disposed within the housing and optically coupled to the light guide to output a user interface including an augmentation that is viewable concurrently with at least a portion of the physical environment through the light guide;

wherein the light engine causes the light guide to project the user interface along an image plane focused at infinity, wherein a field of view of the user interface increases in reverse proportion to a distance between a user and the light guide, wherein a first amount of content of the user interface is in the field of view at a first distance between the user and the light guide, and a second amount of content of the user interface that is greater than the first amount of content is in the field of view at a second distance between the user and the light guide, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the physical surroundings and at least part of the user interface are viewable concurrently using the light guide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guide includes front and rear surfaces that oppose each other, each having touch sensors that are configured for use in detecting inputs to interact with the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light guide is configured to display the user interface at least partially in three dimensions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing device configured to cause the light engine to output the user interface and to control opacity of portions of the user interface based at least in part on predetermined user settings, and to execute applications and provide telephone functionality.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing is configured as a tablet or mobile phone.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is viewable by a user when the distance between the user and the light guide is approximately one inch from an eye of the user and when the distance between the user and the light guide is approximately an arm'"'"'s length from the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing device disposed within the housing to cause the light guide to selectably control opacity of at least portions of the user interface such that an amount of the physical surroundings are viewable.

19. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing device is further configured to cause the light guide to selectably control opacity of at least portions of the user interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processing device is further configured to cause the light guide to selectably control opacity of at least portions of the user interface.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a light guide, supported by the housing, having a first side configured to be viewed by a user and a second side opposing the first side that includes one or more touch sensors;

a light engine disposed within the housing and optically coupled to the light guide to output a user interface including an augmentation that is viewable concurrently with at least a portion of the physical environment through the light guide, wherein the light engine causes the light guide to project the user interface along an image plane focused at infinity, wherein a field of view of the user interface increases in reverse proportion to a distance between a user and the light guide, wherein a first amount of content of the user interface is in the field of view at a first distance between the user and the light guide, and a second amount of content of the user interface that is greater than the first amount of content is in the field of view at a second distance between the user and the light guide, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; and

a processing device disposed within the housing to cause the light engine to output the user interface and to control opacity of portions of the user interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light guide comprises at least one touch sensor configured to recognize one or more gestures from one or more inputs detected from the one or more touch sensors.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light guide further comprises at least one touch sensor included on the first side.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least part of the physical surroundings and at least part of the user interface are viewable concurrently using the light guide.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute applications and provide telephone functionality.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing is configured as a tablet or mobile phone.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further configured to cause the light engine to output the user interface for display using the light guide along an image plane focused at infinity.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a light guide supported by the housing having a first side that is viewable by a user, a second side opposing the first side, and switchable in-coupling optics; and

a light engine disposed within the housing and optically coupled to the in-coupling optics of the light guide to output a user interface including an augmentation that is viewable concurrently with at least a portion of the physical environment through the light guide, wherein the light engine causes the light guide to project the user interface along an image plane focused at infinity, wherein a field of view of the user interface increases in reverse proportion to a distance between a user and the light guide, wherein a first amount of content of the user interface is in the field of view at a first distance between the user and the light guide, and a second amount of content of the user interface that is greater than the first amount of content is in the field of view at a second distance between the user and the light guide, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second side of the light guide is disposed proximal to at least one lens to transmit an output of the light engine in out a back of the housing that is positioned opposite the first side of the light guide.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the switchable in-coupling optics are implemented at least partially using a switchable Bragg grating.