Interpupillary distance adjustment in a head-mounted display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10848751-B2
Application number	US-201715599901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	May 19, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A device is configured to adjust interpupillary distance in a HMD. The device include a fixed plate, a button assembly, a spring, and a gear. The spring biases the button assembly towards the fixed plate to prevent movement of the button assembly. A button of the button assembly can be pressed beyond a threshold distance to disengage the button assembly and the fixed plate. Consequently, the button assembly can be moved relative to the fixed plate. The gear meshes with a gear rack of the button assembly and is associated with two display assemblies of the HMD. The movement of the button assembly drives the gear to rotate. The rotation of the gear causes the two display assemblies of the HMD to move in opposite directions. The movement of one of the display assemblies relative to the other display assembly adjusts interpupillary distance in the HMD.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for adjusting interpupillary distance in a head-mounted display, the device comprising:
a fixed plate formed with a slot and having a surface with a plurality of teeth;
a button assembly comprising:
a button at least part of which is received in the slot of the fixed plate,
a first gear rack attached to the button, and
a resilient layer having a surface that faces the surface of the fixed plate with the plurality of teeth, the surface of the resilient layer configured to (i) deform by contacting at least a subset of the plurality of teeth of the fixed plate for locking the button assembly to the fixed plate, and (ii) recover from the deformation by disengaging from the at least a subset of the plurality of teeth to unlock the button assembly from the fixed plate;

a spring configured to bias the button assembly towards the fixed plate and press the resilient layer against the plurality of teeth; and
a first gear meshing with the first gear rack of the button assembly.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of teeth of the fixed plate are configured to disengage the resilient layer of the button assembly and enable movement of the button assembly relative to the fixed plate responsive to pressing of the button away from the fixed plate beyond a threshold distance.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the movement of the button rotates the first gear, the rotating of the first gear causing a movement of a first display assembly relative to a second display assembly that changes the interpupillary distance in the head-mounted display.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first display assembly comprises:
a first display socket;
a first electronic display attached to one end of the first display socket and configured to display images; and
a second gear rack meshing with the first gear to move the first display assembly responsive to rotating of the first gear.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising:
the second display assembly comprising a second display socket and a second electronic display attached to one end of the second display socket and configured to display images; and
a second gear between a rack arm of the first display assembly and a rack arm of the second display assembly to move the first and second display assemblies in a symmetric manner responsive to rotating of the first gear.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the rotation of the first gear causes linear motions of the first display assembly and the second display assembly.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a first shaft along which the first display assembly and the second display assembly move.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising a second shaft along which the first display assembly and the second display assembly move, the first shaft slidably attached to upper portions of the first and second display assemblies, the second shaft slidably attached to lower portions of the first and second display assemblies.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve received in the button and enclose at least part of the spring.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is located at a side of the head-mounted display and with the button exposed to enable pushing of the button by a user.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the button relative to the fixed plate is linear motion.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the button is configured to move linearly along the slot that causes linear movement of the first gear rack, wherein the linear movement of the first gear rack drives the first gear to rotate, and wherein the rotation of the first gear causes a linear movement of a first display assembly relative to a second display assembly that changes the interpupillary distance in the head-mounted display.

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Miller Robin Michael
• Tempel Mark Alan

Classifications

• G02B27/0176 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• H04N13/344

  with head-mounted left-right displays · CPC title

• H04N13/332 Primary

  Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD] · CPC title

• G02B2027/0181

  Adaptation to the pilot/driver · CPC title

• H04N13/327

  Calibration thereof · CPC title