Display system having an audio output device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10848846-B2
Application number	US-201816144528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A display system includes a head-mounted display unit and a detachable speaker unit. The head-mounted display unit outputs visual content to a user and provides a visual pass-through of a real environment to the user. The detachable speaker unit is detachably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit for providing aural content to the user. At least one of the visual content or the aural content is changed according to a position of the detachable speaker unit relative to the head-mounted display unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display system comprising:
a head-mounted display unit that outputs visual content to a user; and
a detachable speaker unit detachably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit for providing aural content to the user;
wherein the aural content is changed gradually according to a position of the detachable speaker unit relative to the head-mounted display unit as the position changes.

2. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted display unit includes a built-in speaker, and output of the aural content by one or more of the built-in speaker or the detachable speaker unit is changed gradually according to the position as the position changes;
wherein audio signal processing of the aural content output by the detachable speaker unit changes as the detachable speaker unit is moved toward a coupling location on the head-mounted display unit, and the audio signal processing includes one or more of changing a volume, equalization, or dynamic range of the aural content output by the detachable speaker unit; and
wherein when the detachable speaker unit is in a field of view of the head-mounted display unit, the visual content includes a visual indicator in spatial proximity to the detachable speaker unit, the visual indicator indicating a sound output capability of the detachable speaker unit to the user.

3. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted display unit includes a built-in speaker, and output of the aural content is output from one or more of the detachable speaker unit or the built-in speaker according to the position.

4. The display system according to claim 3 , wherein the aural content is changed gradually by changing a volume of the built-in speaker according to the position of the detachable speaker unit.

5. The display system according to claim 4 , wherein the volume of the built-in speaker is positive when the detachable speaker unit is not coupled to the head-mounted display unit, is zero when the detachable speaker unit is coupled to the head-mounted display unit, and is changed gradually as the position of the detachable speaker unit is moved toward the head-mounted display unit, and wherein another volume of the detachable speaker unit is positive when the detachable speaker unit is coupled to the head-mounted display unit.

6. The display system according to claim 5 , wherein the other volume of the detachable speaker unit is positive when the detachable speaker unit is not coupled to the head-mounted display unit.

7. The display system according to claim 3 , wherein the aural content is changed gradually by gradually changing audio signal processing of the aural content output by one or more of the detachable speaker unit or the built-in speaker as the position of the detachable speaker unit is changed relative to a coupling location on the head-mounted display unit.

8. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the audio signal processing is changed gradually by increasing a volume as the position of the detachable speaker unit is moved toward the coupling location.

9. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the audio signal processing is changed gradually by changing low frequency gain as the position of the detachable speaker unit is moved toward the coupling location.

10. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the audio signal processing is changed gradually by increasing a dynamic range as the position of the detachable speaker unit is moved toward the coupling location.

11. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein when the detachable speaker unit is in a field of view of the head-mounted display unit, the visual content includes a visual indicator in spatial proximity to the detachable speaker unit.

12. The display system according to claim 11 , wherein the visual indicator indicates a sound output capability of the detachable speaker unit to the user.

13. The display system according to claim 1 , further comprising an audio headset having first and second ones of the detachable speaker units that are detachably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit.

14. The display system according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second detachable speaker units receive audio signals and power from the head-mounted display unit when coupled thereto.

15. The display system according to claim 14 , wherein the first and second detachable speaker units are powered and receive audio signals when detached from the head-mounted display unit.

16. The display system according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second detachable speaker units are detachably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit with magnetic attachments.

17. The display system according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic attachments are conductive and transmit one or more of audio signals or power from the head-mounted display unit to the first and second detachable speaker units.

18. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein as the position of the detachable speaker unit is changed relative to the head-mounted display unit, the aural content is changed gradually by changing audio signal processing of the aural content according to the position.

19. The display system according to claim 18 , wherein the position is a distance between the detachable speaker unit and the head-mounted display unit, and as the distance decreases, the audio signal processing is changed gradually by one or more of volume, equalization, or dynamic range of the aural content output by the detachable speaker unit.

20. The display system according to claim 19 , wherein the head-mounted display unit further includes a built-in speaker for outputting the aural content, and wherein the audio signal processing is changed gradually by one or more of volume, equalization, or dynamic range of the aural content output by the built-in-speaker as the distance decreases.

21. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the position is a distance between the detachable speaker unit and the head-mounted display unit, and as the distance decreases, the aural content is changed gradually by increasing a volume of the aural content output by the detachable speaker unit.

22. The display system according to claim 21 , wherein as the distance decreases, the aural content is changed gradually by increasing and subsequently decreasing the volume of the aural content output by the detachable speaker unit.

23. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted display unit is configured to be worn on a head of the user, and wherein the detachable speaker unit is supported by the head-mounted display unit when detachably coupled thereto.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Evans Neal D
• Vandyke James W
• Hulva Andrew M
• Silfvast Robert D
• Eubank Christopher T

Classifications

• G06F3/011

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

• H04R5/02

  Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/26

  Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges · CPC title

• G06F3/012 Primary

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• H03G5/025

  Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands · CPC title