Stray light suppression for head worn computing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11782274-B2
Application number	US-202016775866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a computer display stray-light suppression system for a head-worn computer comprising an eye cover including a flexible material with a perimeter, wherein the perimeter is formed to substantially encapsulate an eye of a person, and the eye cover including an attachment system adapted to removably and replaceably attach to a perimeter of the head-worn computer to suppress light emitted from a computer display in the head-worn computer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wearable head device comprising:
a light source;
a see-through display configured to present a view of an environment of a user of the wearable head device;
an eyeglasses frame having a perimeter, the eyeglasses frame coupled to the see-through display; and
an eye cover portion configured to removably couple to the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame and further configured to occlude light produced by the light source, wherein:
the eye cover portion comprises a magnetic attachment element and an opening,
the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame by disengaging the magnetic attachment element from the eyeglasses frame, and
when the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, the view of the environment is presented via the opening,

wherein the wearable head device is configured to communicate with one or more processors configured to perform a method comprising:
determining whether the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame;
in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a first display mode; and
in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is not physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a second display mode,

wherein the first display mode is associated with presenting a first amount of color information and the second display mode is associated with presenting a second amount of color information, and wherein the first amount of color information is less than the second amount of color information.

2. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to contact the face of the user of the wearable head device.

3. The wearable head device of claim 2 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to substantially encapsulate an eye of the user of the wearable head device.

4. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a low-light display mode.

5. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a flexible material.

6. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a bellows.

7. The wearable head device of claim 1 , further comprising a front lens and a light shield, wherein:
the light source is configured to transmit light toward an exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens, and
the light shield is configured to suppress the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens.

8. The wearable head device of claim 7 , wherein the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens has a first polarization, and the light shield is configured to suppress light having the first polarization.

9. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a monochrome mode.

10. A method comprising:
determining whether an eye cover portion of a wearable head device comprising a light source and a see-through display is physically coupled to an eyeglasses frame of the wearable head device, wherein the see-through display is configured to present a view of an environment of a user of the wearable head device;
in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to a user of the wearable head device via the see-through display in a first display mode; and
in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is not physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a second display mode,
wherein:
the eyeglasses frame has a perimeter and is coupled to the see-through display,
the eye cover portion is configured to couple to the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame and further configured to occlude light produced by the light source,
the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame,
the eye cover portion comprises a magnetic attachment element and an opening,
the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame by
disengaging the magnetic attachment element from the eyeglasses frame,
when the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, the view of the environment is presented via the opening,
presenting light to the user in the first display mode comprises presenting a first amount of color information and presenting light to the user in the second display mode comprises presenting a second amount of color information, and
the first amount of color information is less than the second amount of color information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first display mode comprises a low-light display mode.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a flexible material.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a bellows.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wearable head device further comprises a front lens and a light shield, the method further comprising:
transmitting light toward an exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens; and
suppressing, via the light shield, the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens has a first polarization, and the light shield is configured to suppress light having the first polarization.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to contact the face of the user of the wearable head device.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to substantially encapsulate an eye of the user of the wearable head device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first display mode comprises a monochrome mode.

Assignees

• Mentor Acquisition One Llc

Inventors

• Osterhout Ralph F
• Border John N
• Nortrup Edward H

Classifications

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B5/30

  Polarising elements (light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00) · CPC title

• G02B27/0101

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B27/0176

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title