Head-mounted electronic display device with lens position sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12061345-B2
Application number	US-202318330072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2023
Priority date	Aug 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A head-mounted device may have a display with first and second pixel arrays that display content for a user. A head-mounted support structure in the device supports the pixel arrays on the head of the user. A left positioner may be used to position a left lens module that includes a left lens and the first pixel array. A right positioner may be used to position a right lens module that includes a right lens and the second pixel array. Sensing circuitry such as proximity sensing circuitry may be used to detect relative positions between the left and right lens modules and facing surfaces of a user's nose while the user is wearing the head-mounted support structure. Control circuitry may adjust the positions of the left and right lens modules using interpupillary distance information for the user and using information from the sensing circuitry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted device, the head-mounted device comprising:
a support structure;
a display in the support structure;
first and second lens modules in the support structure;
sensors configured to determine whether the first and second lens modules are applying pressure to a nose; and
positioning circuitry configured to adjust positions of the first and second lens modules based on an interpupillary distance and measurements from the sensors.

2. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the sensors are configured to determine whether the first and second lens modules are applying pressure to the nose that is above a threshold.

3. The head-mounted device of claim 2 , wherein the positioning circuitry is further configured to stop moving the first and second lens modules toward the nose in response to determining that excessive pressure has been applied to the nose.

4. The head-mounted device of claim 3 , wherein the positioning circuitry is further configured to back the first and second lens modules off of the nose.

5. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional sensor coupled to the support structure, wherein the additional sensor is configured to measure the interpupillary distance.

6. The head-mounted device of claim 5 , wherein the additional sensor comprises a gaze tracking sensor.

7. The head-mounted device of claim 6 , wherein the gaze tracking sensor comprises an infrared image sensor.

8. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical position encoder configured to determine the positions of the first and second lens modules.

9. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the positioning circuitry comprises a motor, the sensors comprise a motor feedback sensor, and the sensors are configured to determine if the first and second lens modules are applying pressure to the nose based on the motor feedback sensor.

10. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise force sensors configured to detect pressure applied to the nose by the first and second lens modules.

11. The head-mounted device of claim 10 , wherein the force sensors comprise strain gauges.

12. The head-mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise proximity sensors.

13. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a support structure;
first and second displays in the support structure;
left and right lens modules in the support structure, wherein the left lens module includes the first display and a left lens and the right lens module includes the second display and a right lens;
sensors that determine whether the right and left lens modules are applying pressure to a nose; and
a positioner configured to move the left and right lens modules toward the nose based on an interpupillary distance, wherein the positioner is configured to stop moving the left and right lens modules toward the nose in response to determining that the right and left lens modules are applying pressure to the nose that exceeds a threshold.

14. The head-mounted device of claim 13 , wherein the positioner is further configured to back off the left and right lens modules from the nose.

15. The head-mounted device of claim 13 , wherein the sensors comprise force sensors one the left and right lens modules.

16. The head-mounted device of claim 13 , wherein the positioner comprises a motor, and the sensors comprise a motor feedback sensor.

17. The head-mounted device of claim 13 , further comprising:
an optical sensor configured to measure the interpupillary distance.

18. The head-mounted device of claim 17 , wherein the optical sensor comprises an infrared light source and an infrared image sensor.

19. A head-mounted device comprising:
a first lens module that includes a first display and a first lens;
a second lens module that includes a second display and a second lens;
sensors configured to detect positions of the first and second lens modules relative to sides of a nose; and
a positioning system configured to move the first lens module and the second lens module to adjust a lens-to-lens spacing between the first lens and the second lens based on an interpupillary distance and the positions of the first and second lens modules.

20. The head-mounted device of claim 19 , wherein the positioning system to adjust the lens-to-lens spacing to be larger than the interpupillary distance in response to the sensors determining that the first and second lens modules apply excessive pressure to the nose when the lens-to-lens spacing is equal to the interpupillary distance.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franklin Jeremy C
• Tao Jia
• Hobson Phil M
• Dey Stephen E

Classifications

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K1/0274

  Optical details, e.g. printed circuits comprising integral optical means (H05K1/0269 takes precedence; coupling light guides with opto-electronic components G02B6/42) · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · 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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title