Augmented reality (AR)-capable headset and visually detected controller devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11277496-B2
Application number	US-202017127239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2019
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Aspects described herein include a wearable headset comprising an optical arrangement configured to couple light from a display onto a first field of view, and one or more visual sensors defining a second field of view. The wearable headset further comprises one or more computer processors configured to receive a signal indicating that the headset is in an unworn state, and, while the headset is in the unworn state, operate the one or more visual sensors to detect one or more user inputs within the second field of view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable headset comprising:
an optical arrangement configured to couple light from a display onto a first field of view;
one or more visual sensors defining a second field of view; and
one or more computer processors configured to:
receive a signal indicating that the headset is in an unworn state; and
while the headset is in the unworn state, operate the one or more visual sensors to detect one or more user inputs within the second field of view.

2. The wearable headset of claim 1 , wherein the one or more visual sensors comprise a camera that has a forward-oriented field of view when the headset is in a worn state.

3. The wearable headset of claim 1 , wherein the signal indicates whether the headset is physically coupled with a docking device.

4. The wearable headset of claim 3 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to:
while the headset is in a worn state, output visual content to the display; and
while the headset is in the unworn state, output the visual content to an external display.

5. The wearable headset of claim 4 , wherein the external display is communicatively coupled with the one or more computer processors via the docking device.

6. The wearable headset of claim 1 , wherein detecting the one or more user inputs comprises:
visually detecting one or more hand-held or body-worn controller devices within the second field of view.

7. The wearable headset of claim 1 , wherein the wearable headset is operable in one or both of an augmented reality (AR) mode and a virtual reality (VR) mode.

8. A system comprising:
a docking device; and
a wearable headset comprising:
an optical arrangement configured to couple light from a display onto a first field of view;
one or more visual sensors defining a second field of view; and
one or more computer processors configured to:
receive a signal indicating that the headset is docked with the docking device; and
while the headset is docked with the docking device, operate the one or more visual sensors to detect one or more user inputs within the second field of view.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more visual sensors comprise a camera that has a forward-oriented field of view when the headset is in a worn state.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to:
while the headset is in a worn state, output visual content to the display; and
while the headset is docked, output the visual content to an external display.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the external display is communicatively coupled with the one or more computer processors via the docking device.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
one or more hand-held or body-worn controller devices,
wherein detecting the one or more user inputs comprises:
visually detecting one or more hand-held or body-worn controller devices within the second field of view.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more controller devices are configured to dock with the docking device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the docking device is configured to:
deliver electrical power to one or both of the headset and the one or more controller devices, when docked with the docking device.

15. A method for use with a wearable headset, the method comprising:
receiving a signal indicating whether the headset is an unworn state;
while the headset is in a worn state:
outputting visual content to a display of the headset, wherein the headset further comprises an optical arrangement configured to couple light from the display onto a first field of view; and

while the headset is in the unworn state:
operating one or more visual sensors of the wearable headset to detect one or more user inputs within a second field of view of the one or more visual sensors.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more visual sensors comprise a camera that has a forward-oriented field of view when the headset is in the worn state.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signal indicates whether the headset is docked with a docking device.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
while the headset is in the unworn state, outputting the visual content to an external display.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the visual content is output to the external display via the docking device.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein detecting the one or more user inputs comprises:
visually detecting one or more hand-held or body-worn controller devices within the second field of view.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Nocon Nathan D
• Yeung Jason A

Classifications

• H04L67/131 Primary

  Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G06F3/011

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