Head-mounted electronic display device with lens position sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10823970-B2
Application number	US-201916280803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2019
Priority date	Aug 23, 2018
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A head-mounted device may have a display with first and second pixel arrays that display content for a user. A head-mounted support structure in the device supports the pixel arrays on the head of the user. A left positioner may be used to position a left lens module that includes a left lens and the first pixel array. A right positioner may be used to position a right lens module that includes a right lens and the second pixel array. Sensing circuitry such as proximity sensing circuitry may be used to detect relative positions between the left and right lens modules and facing surfaces of a user's nose while the user is wearing the head-mounted support structure. Control circuitry may adjust the positions of the left and right lens modules using interpupillary distance information for the user and using information from the sensing circuitry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a display having first and second display portions;
control circuitry configured to supply content using the display;
first and second lens modules supported by the head-mounted support, wherein the first lens module includes the first display portion, wherein the second lens module includes the second display portion, and wherein the first and second lens modules are configured to be adjacent to a nose of a user when the user wears the head-mounted support structure;
sensor circuitry configured to gather sensor information indicative of relative distance between the first lens module and the nose and indicative of relative distance between the second lens module and the nose; and
positioning circuitry configured to adjust a lens-to-lens spacing between the first and second lens modules, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the positioning circuitry to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing based on the sensor information and based on interpupillary distance information for the user.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second lens modules respectively include first and second lenses, wherein the positioning circuitry is configured to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing associated with the first and second lenses, wherein the first and second lens modules have first and second lens module edges facing the nose, and wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a first proximity sensor on the first lens module edge and a second proximity sensor on the second lens module edge.

3. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the first and second proximity sensors comprise first and second capacitive proximity sensors, respectively.

4. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the first and second proximity sensors comprise proximity sensors selected from the group consisting of: optical proximity sensors and ultrasonic proximity sensors.

5. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second lens modules respectively include first and second lenses and wherein the positioning circuitry includes positioners that are configured to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing associated with the first and second lenses.

6. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a contact sensor having a switch, and a force sensor and wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the positioners to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing based on the sensor information.

7. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the positioners include a motor, wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a current sensing circuit configured to measure current through the motor to produce the sensor information, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the positioners to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing based on the sensor information.

8. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the positioners comprise a first positioner configured to position the first lens module and a second positioner configured to position the second lens module.

9. The system defined in claim 8 further comprising a first gaze tracking sensor in the first lens module and a second gaze tracking sensor in the second lens module, wherein the control circuitry is configured to gather the interpupillary distance information for the user using the first and second gaze tracking sensors and is configured to adjust the positions of the first and second lens modules with the first and second positioners respectively using the interpupillary distance information and the sensor information.

10. The system defined in claim 9 further comprising a first flexible circuit coupled to the first gaze tracking sensor and a second flexible circuit coupled to the second gaze tracking sensor, wherein the sensor circuitry comprises a first capacitive sensor having capacitive sensor electrodes on the first flexible circuit and comprises a second capacitive sensor having capacitive sensor electrodes on the second flexible circuit.

11. A head-mounted device configured to be worn by a user, the head-mounted device comprising:
head-mounted support structures;
first and second pixel arrays configured to display content;
left and right positioners;
left and right lens modules that are positioned respectively by the left and right positioners, wherein the left lens module includes a left lens and the first pixel array and wherein the right lens module includes a right lens and the second pixel array;
a left proximity sensor on the left lens module, wherein the left proximity sensor is configured to face a first side of a nose of the user when the user is wearing the head-mounted support structures;
a right proximity sensor on the right lens module, wherein the right proximity sensor is configured to face a second side of the nose of the user when the user is wearing the head-mounted support structures; and
control circuitry configured to position the left and right lens modules using the left and right positioners based on information from the left and right proximity sensors.

12. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the left and right proximity sensors comprise respective left and right capacitive sensors having respective left and right electrodes.

13. The head-mounted device defined in claim 12 wherein the left lens module has a left lens module structure that is configured to enclose the first pixel array and support the left lens and wherein the right lens module has a right lens module structure that is configured to enclose the second pixel array and support the right lens.

14. The head-mounted device defined in claim 13 further comprising:
a first flexible printed circuit that passes through the left lens module structure, wherein the left electrodes are formed on the first flexible printed circuit on an exterior portion of the left lens module structure; and
a second flexible printed circuit that passes through the right lens module structure, wherein the right electrodes are formed on the second flexible printed circuit on an exterior portion of the right lens module structure.

15. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a first positioner;
a first lens module positioned by the first positioner, wherein the first lens module includes a first display and a first lens;
a second positioner;
a second lens module positioned by the second positioner, wherein the second lens module includes a second display and a second lens;
sensor circuitry configured to detect proximity of the first and second lens modules to sides of a user's nose; and
control circuitry configured to use the first and second positioners to respectively position the first and second lens modules based on information from the sensor circuitry, wherein the first and second positioners move to adjust a distance between the first and second lens modules and the sides of the user's nose.

16. The head-mounted device defined in claim 15 wherein the user has an associated interpupillary distance, the head-mounted device further comprising:
a head-mounted support structure configured to be worn by the user, wherein the first and second lens modules are coupled to the head-mounted support structure and wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the first and second positioners to respectively position the first and second lens modules using the interpupillary distance and information from the sensor circuitry.

17. The head-mounted device defined in claim

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franklin Jeremy C
• Tao Jia
• Hobson Phil M
• Dey Stephen E

Classifications

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G02B2027/0154

  with movable elements · CPC title

• H05K1/0274

  Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means (H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42) · CPC title

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title