Soft head mounted display goggles for use with mobile computing devices

• US 9,599,824 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Merge Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Merge Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Lyons, Franklin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US15/148,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/156, 345/161, 345/173, 345/184, 345/620, 345/625, 345/633, 345/661, 359/630, 359/631, 348/36, 348/77, 348/207, 349/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• 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 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• 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: G02B 30/34 Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/0231 : Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A head mounted display system for use with a mobile computing device, comprises a single-piece soft main body made entirely of a homogeneous unitary soft and compressible material, the soft main body configured to be worn on a human head, a lens assembly comprising two lenses configured to focus vision of a wearer on respective areas of a display screen of a mobile computing device, the lens assembly held within one or more apertures formed in the main body, such that an image may be viewed through the two lenses on the display screen. The head mounted display system main body has a retention pocket disposed forward of the lens assembly configured to accept and secure the mobile computing device to the main body.

Claims

1. A head mounted display system for use with a mobile computing device, comprising:

a single-piece soft main body made entirely of a homogeneous unitary soft and compressible foam, the foam including at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene, polyethylene, and polyurethane, the soft main body configured to be worn on a human head;

a lens assembly comprising two lenses configured to focus vision of a wearer on respective areas of a display screen of a mobile computing device, the lens assembly held within one or more apertures formed in the main body, such that an image may be viewed through the two lenses on the display screen; and

wherein the main body has a retention pocket disposed forward of the lens assembly configured to accept and secure the mobile computing device to the main body.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the foam is a water-resistant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the main body is formed as goggles with a front face, two side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, each wall extending rearwardly from the front face, a rear face-contacting lip including a nose bridge making up a part of the bottom wall, and an internal cavity including the retention pocket and space for the lens assembly defined within the walls between the front face and the rear face-contacting lip.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the retention pocket is defined within the main body just rearward from the front face, and wherein the front face has a window positioned to provide an opening for a camera lens on a backside of the mobile computing device opposite the display screen.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the retention pocket has an opening in the main body large enough to insert the mobile computing device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the retention pocket includes at least two projections formed by the foam spaced evenly across a central vertical plane through the goggles that contact the top and bottom ends of the mobile computing device and laterally center the mobile computing device when inserted into the retention pocket.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly comprises two separate frames each of which holds one of the two lenses, and wherein the two separate frames are separately movable within the one or more apertures formed in the main body.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the lens assembly comprises a stylus having a tip coupled to and movable with each of the two lenses, wherein each stylus has a length sufficient for the stylus tip to contact the display screen of the mobile computing device when positioned within the retention pocket, and each stylus tip is capable of initiating a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display, and further including a button on the exterior of the main body such that a user may touch the button and cause the stylus tip to initiate a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the main body is formed as goggles with a front face, two side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, each wall extending rearwardly from the front face, and an internal cavity defined within the walls between the front face and rear face-contacting lip, and the system further includes a detachable remote control having attachment structure that mates with a corresponding attachment structure provided on one side wall of the goggles, the remote controller comprising a remote controller processor and at least one motion sensor such that the remote control attachment structure mates with the corresponding attachment structure on the main body to thereby detachably attach the remote control to the corresponding attachment structure on one side wall of the goggles.

10. A head mounted display system for use with the mobile computing device, comprising:

a main body made entirely of a soft and compressible foam, the foam including at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene, polyethylene, and polyurethane formed as goggles configured to be worn on a human head,

an internal cavity defining a retention pocket formed by the foam and configured to accept and secure a mobile computing device therein, the retention pocket being positioned within the internal cavity; and

a lens assembly mounted within the internal cavity comprising two lenses configured to focus vision of a wearer on a respective area of a display screen of the mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the foam is a water-resistant foam.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the lens assembly comprises two lenses mounted in lateral channels formed by the main body for relative and independent movement with respect to each other, and wherein each of the two lenses includes a frame including at least one of upper and lower finger pads that project beyond at least one of the top and bottom walls of the main body, respectively, such that a wearer can laterally displace the two lenses by manipulating the finger pads.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the frame comprises a stylus having a stylus tip coupled to and movable therewith, wherein the stylus has a length sufficient for the stylus tip to contact the display screen of the mobile computing device when positioned within the retention pocket, and the stylus tip capable of initiating a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display, and the frame further including a button on the exterior of the main body such that a user may touch the button and cause the stylus tip to initiate a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each stylus tip is movable and is retracted from the display screen until a user touches the button which advances the stylus tip into contact with the display screen.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the front face has a window open to the retention pocket and positioned to provide an opening for a camera lens on a backside of the mobile computing device opposite the display screen.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention pocket has an opening in the main body large enough to insert the mobile computing device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention pocket further includes leveling nubs extending inward from the walls of the main body that define the retention pocket, the leveling nubs being formed by the foam of the main body.

18. The system of claim 10, further including a detachable remote control having attachment structure that mates with a corresponding attachment structure provided on one side wall of the goggles, the remote controller incorporating a remote controller processor and at least one motion sensor to thereby detachably attach the remote control to the attachment structure.

19. A head mounted display system for use with a mobile computing device, comprising:

a single-piece soft main body made entirely of a homogeneous unitary soft and compressible material, the soft main body configured to be worn on a human head;

a lens assembly comprising two lenses configured to focus vision of a wearer on respective areas of a display screen of a mobile computing device comprising a capacitive touch screen display, the lens assembly held within one or more apertures formed in the main body, such that an image may be viewed through the two lenses on the display screen, wherein the lens assembly comprises two separate frames each of which holds one of the two lenses, and wherein the two separate frames are separately movable within the one or more apertures formed in the main body;

the lens assembly further comprising a stylus having a tip coupled to and movable with each of the two lenses, wherein each stylus has a length sufficient for the stylus tip to contact the display screen of the mobile computing device when positioned within the retention pocket, and each stylus tip is capable of initiating a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display, and further including a button on the exterior of the main body such that a user may touch the button and cause the stylus tip to initiate a touch response on the capacitive touch screen display and

wherein the main body has a retention pocket disposed forward of the lens assembly configured to accept and secure the mobile computing device to the main body.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each stylus tip is movable and is retracted from the display screen until a user touches the button which advances the stylus tip into contact with the display screen.