Head-mounted device with an adjustable opacity system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029521-B2
Application number	US-201916352652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A head-mounted device may have a transparent display. The transparent display may be formed from a display unit that provides images to a user through an optical coupler. A user may view real-world objects through the optical coupler while control circuitry directs the transparent display to display computer-generated content over selected portions of the real-world objects. The head-mounted display may also include an adjustable opacity system. The adjustable opacity system may include an adjustable opacity layer such as a photochromic layer that overlaps the optical coupler and a light source that selectively exposes the adjustable opacity layer to ultraviolet light to control the opacity of the adjustable opacity layer. The adjustable opacity layer may block or dim light from the real-world objects to allow improved contrast when displaying computer-generated content over the real-world objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted device operable to receive real-world light from external real-world objects, the head-mounted device comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a display that generates images;
an optical coupler that is supported by the head-mounted support structure, that presents the real-world light for viewing, and that is configured to present the images from the display over the real-world light;
an adjustable opacity system including a photochromic layer that is configured to selectively darken portions of the real-world light from view;
an ultraviolet light source configured to emit ultraviolet light;
an ultraviolet light absorber that is formed separately from the photochromic layer; and
a microelectromechanical mirror array configured to receive the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source, wherein each mirror in the microelectromechanical mirror array has a first state in which the respective mirror directs the ultraviolet light towards a respective adjustable opacity pixel of the photochromic layer and a second state in which the respective mirror directs the ultraviolet light towards the ultraviolet light absorber.

2. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical coupler comprises a waveguide that receives the images from the display and presents the images for viewing.

3. The head-mounted device defined in claim 2 , wherein the waveguide receives the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source and directs the ultraviolet light towards selected portions of the photochromic layer.

4. The head-mounted device defined in claim 3 , wherein an edge of the waveguide is coated with an absorbing material that is configured to absorb the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source.

5. The head-mounted device defined in claim 2 , wherein the adjustable opacity system further comprises an additional waveguide that receives the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source and directs the ultraviolet light towards selected portions of the photochromic layer.

6. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical coupler and the photochromic layer are interposed between first and second filter layers that filter the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source.

7. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 , wherein the adjustable opacity system further comprises a heating element that is adjacent to the photochromic layer and that is configured to heat the photochromic layer.

8. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a display that generates images;
a waveguide that is supported by the head-mounted support structure and that is configured to present the images for viewing;
a photochromic layer that is supported by the head-mounted support structure and that overlaps the waveguide;
a light source that is configured to expose the photochromic layer to light to adjust an opacity of the photochromic layer;
a heating element that is supported by the head-mounted support structure and that is configured to heat the photochromic layer;
a first filter layer that is supported by the head-mounted support structure and that is configured to block the light from the light source, wherein the heating element is interposed between the first filter layer and the photochromic layer; and
a second filter layer that is supported by the head-mounted support structure and that is configured to block the light from the light source, wherein the waveguide is interposed between the second filter layer and the photochromic layer.

9. The head-mounted device defined in claim 8 , wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source.

10. The head-mounted device defined in claim 8 , wherein the light source is configured to emit the light into an input coupler of the waveguide and wherein an output coupler of the waveguide is configured to direct the light towards selected portions of the photochromic layer.

11. The head-mounted device defined in claim 8 , further comprising:
an additional waveguide, wherein the light source is configured to emit the light into an input coupler of the additional waveguide and wherein an output coupler of the additional waveguide is configured to direct the light towards selected portions of the photochromic layer.

12. The head-mounted device defined in claim 8 , further comprising:
a front-facing camera supported by the head-mounted support structure; and
control circuitry configured to control the light source to adjust the opacity of the photochromic layer based on information from the front-facing camera.

13. The head-mounted device defined in claim 8 , further comprising:
a gaze-tracking system supported by the head-mounted support structure; and
control circuitry configured to control the light source to adjust the opacity of the photochromic layer based on information from the gaze-tracking system.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kalinowski David A
• Choi Hyungryul
• Lee Jae Hwang

Classifications

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B27/0093

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title

• G02F2202/14

  photochromic · CPC title

• G02B2027/0118

  comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility · CPC title

• G02F1/0126 Primary

  Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title