Dynamic lighting for head mounted device

• US 9,844,119 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: DAQRI, LLC
• Inventors: Mullins, Brian, Kammerait, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US15/019,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• 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 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A head mounted device includes a helmet, an ambient light sensor, a pupil dimension sensor, a lighting element, and a dynamic lighting system. The ambient light sensor is disposed in an outside surface of the helmet and measures ambient light outside the helmet. The pupil dimension sensor is disposed in a housing of the helmet and measures a size of a pupil of a wearer of the helmet. The lighting element is disposed in the outside surface of the helmet. The dynamic lighting system controls the lighting element and adjusts an intensity of the lighting element based on the ambient light and the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet.

Claims

1. A head mounted device comprising:

a helmet;

an ambient light sensor disposed in an outside surface of the helmet and configured to measure ambient light outside the helmet;

a pupil dimension sensor disposed in a housing of the helmet and configured to measure a size of a pupil of a wearer of the helmet;

a lighting element disposed in the outside surface of the helmet and directed away from the pupil of the wearer of the helmet, the lighting element being configured to illuminate a physical object external to the head mounted device; and

a dynamic lighting system configured to control the lighting element and adjust an intensity of the lighting element based on the ambient light and the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet.

2. The head mounted device of claim 1, wherein the pupil dimension sensor comprises an infrared camera pointed towards an eye of the wearer of the helmet to capture an image of the pupil of the wearer, and to measure the size of the pupil based on the image of the pupil.

3. The head mounted device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic lighting system is configured to increase the intensity of the lighting element in response to the pupil size exceeding a pupil size threshold.

4. The head mounted device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic lighting system is configured to decrease the intensity of the lighting element in response to the pupil size falling below a pupil size threshold.

5. The head mounted device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic lighting system is configured to adjust the intensity of the lighting element to maintain the size of the pupil within a predefined pupil size range.

6. The head mounted device of claim 1, further comprising:

an eye gaze sensor configured to determine a position of the pupil relative to an eye of the wearer of the helmet,

wherein the dynamic lighting system is configured to adjust a position of the lighting element to direct an output of the lighting element in a direction corresponding to the position of the pupil.

7. The head mounted device of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera embedded in the outside surface of the helmet;

a hardware processor of a machine comprising an augmented reality application configured to generate augmented reality content based on images captured with the camera; and

a transparent display lens mounted to a frame connected to the housing of the helmet, the transparent display lens configured to display the augmented reality content.

8. The head mounted device of claim 7, wherein the pupil dimension sensor is embedded in the transparent display lens.

9. The head mounted device of claim 7, wherein the dynamic lighting system is further configured to adjust a brightness of the augmented reality content in the transparent display lens in conjunction with the intensity of the lighting element based on the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet.

10. The head mounted device of claim 7, wherein the augmented reality application is configured to identify an object in an image captured with the camera, to retrieve a three-dimensional model of a virtual object from the augmented reality content based on the identified object, to render the three-dimensional model of the virtual object in the transparent display lens, the virtual object perceived as an overlay on the object.

11. A method comprising:

measuring ambient light outside a head mounted device comprising a helmet, an ambient light sensor disposed in an outside surface of the helmet;

measuring a size of a pupil of a wearer of the helmet with a pupil dimension sensor disposed in a housing of the helmet; and

adjusting an intensity of a lighting element based on the ambient light and the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet, the lighting element being disposed in the outside surface of the helmet and being directed away from the pupil of the wearer of the helmet, the lighting element being configured to illuminate a physical object external to the head mounted device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring the size of the pupil of the wearer with an infrared camera pointed towards an eye of the wearer of the helmet to capture an image of the pupil of the wearer.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

increasing the intensity of the lighting element in response to the pupil size exceeding a pupil size threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

decreasing the intensity of the lighting element in response to the pupil size falling below a pupil size threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting the intensity of the lighting element to maintain the size of the pupil within a predefined pupil size range.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a position of the pupil relative to the eye of the wearer of the helmet; and

adjusting a position of the lighting element to direct an output of the lighting element in a direction corresponding to the position of the pupil.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating augmented reality content based on images captured with a camera in the helmet; and

displaying augmented reality content in a transparent display lens of the helmet.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting a brightness of the augmented reality content in the transparent display lens in conjunction with the intensity of the lighting element based on the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying an object in an image captured with the camera;

retrieving a three-dimensional model of a virtual object from the augmented reality content based on the identified object; and

rendering the three-dimensional model of the virtual object in the transparent display lens, the virtual object perceived as an overlay on the object.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

measuring ambient light outside a head mounted device comprising a helmet, an ambient light sensor disposed in an outside surface of the helmet;

measuring a size of a pupil of a wearer of the helmet with a pupil dimension sensor disposed in a housing of the helmet; and

adjusting an intensity of a lighting element based on the ambient light and the pupil size of the wearer of the helmet, the lighting element being disposed in the outside surface of the helmet and being directed away from the pupil of the wearer of the helmet, the lighting element being configured to illuminate a physical object external to the head mounted device.