Electronic devices with optical module positioning systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092896-B2
Application number	US-202318331010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2023
Priority date	Apr 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A head-mounted device may have optical modules that present images to a user's eyes. Each optical module may have a lens barrel with a display and a lens that presents an image from the display to a corresponding eye box. To accommodate users with different interpupillary distances, the optical modules may be slidably coupled to guide members such as guide rods. Actuators may slide the optical modules towards or away from each other along the guide rods. The guide rods may be formed from fiber-composite tubes with end caps that are fastened to a frame in the head-mounted device. The tubes may be partly or completely filled with cores to add strength. Low-friction coatings such as metal coatings may be formed on the fiber-composite tubes and the corresponding inner surfaces of the optical module structures that slidably engage the fiber-composite tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a head-mounted housing;
left and right guide rods coupled to the head-mounted housing;
left and right displays respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods; and
left and right lenses respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods, wherein the left and right guide rods are separated by a gap.

2. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the left and right guide rods have surfaces selected from the group consisting of: burnished guide rod surfaces, ground guide rod surfaces, and polished guide rod surfaces.

3. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the head-mounted housing comprises a nose bridge portion and wherein the left and right guide rods are coupled to the nose bridge portion.

4. The head-mounted device defined in claim 3 wherein the left and right guide rods are coupled to the nose bridge portion using a connection selected from the group consisting of: a press-fit connection, a shrink-fit connection, and an adhesive connection.

5. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising left and right lens barrels, wherein the left display and the left lens are supported by the left lens barrel, and the right display and the right lens are supported by the right lens barrel.

6. The head-mounted device defined in claim 5 further comprising actuators configured to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods.

7. The head-mounted device defined in claim 6 further comprising gaze tracking cameras, wherein the actuators are configured to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods based on information from the gaze tracking cameras.

8. The head-mounted device defined in claim 6 further comprising stop structures on the left and right guide rods that are configured to prevent overtravel of the left and right lens barrels respectively.

9. The head-mounted device defined in claim 6 further comprising left and right threaded actuator rods that are rotated by the actuators to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods.

10. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the left and right guide rods comprise low-friction coatings.

11. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a head-mounted housing having a nose bridge portion;
left and right guide rods coupled to the head-mounted housing, wherein the left guide rod has a first end coupled to the nose bridge portion and the right guide rod has a second end coupled to the nose bridge portion;
left and right displays respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods; and
left and right lenses respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods.

12. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 further comprising left and right lens barrels, wherein the left lens barrel supports the left display and the left lens, and the right lens barrel supports the right display and the right lens.

13. The head-mounted device defined in claim 12 further comprising left and right actuators configured to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods.

14. The head-mounted device defined in claim 13 further comprising left and right threaded actuator rods that are respectively rotated by the left and right actuators to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods.

15. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the left and right guide rods have surfaces selected from the group consisting of: burnished guide rod surfaces, ground guide rod surfaces, and polished guide rod surfaces.

16. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the left and right guide rods are coupled to the nose bridge portion using a connection selected from the group consisting of: a press-fit connection, a shrink-fit connection, and an adhesive connection.

17. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a head-mounted housing including a frame;
left and right guide rods each coupled to the frame using a connection selected from the group consisting of: a press-fit connection, a shrink-fit connection, and an adhesive connection;
left and right displays respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods; and
left and right lenses respectively coupled to the left and right guide rods.

18. The head-mounted device defined in claim 17 wherein the left and right guide rods are non-parallel with one another.

19. The head-mounted device defined in claim 17 wherein the left and right guide rods have surfaces selected from the group consisting of: burnished guide rod surfaces, ground guide rod surfaces, and polished guide rod surfaces.

20. The head-mounted device defined in claim 17 further comprising:
left and right lens barrels, wherein the left lens barrel supports the left display and the left lens, and the right lens barrel supports the right display and the right lens;
left and right actuators configured to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods; and
left and right threaded actuator rods that are respectively rotated by the left and right actuators to slide the left and right lens barrels respectively along the left and right guide rods.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Maric Ivan S
• Zimmerman Aidan N
• Cramer David R
• Feinberg Zechariah D
• Resnick Samuel A

Classifications

• G02B7/12 Primary

  Adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs · CPC title

• G02B2027/0154

  with movable elements · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0132

  comprising binocular systems · CPC title

• G02B27/0176 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title