Electronic devices with adjustable lenses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12153229-B2
Application number	US-202117168008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 12, 2020
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

A head-mounted device may include one or more adjustable lens elements. The adjustable lens element may include a transparent substrate, a collapsible wall that forms an enclosed perimeter on the transparent substrate, and a flexible membrane on the collapsible wall that together define an interior volume. The interior volume may be filled with a fluid. The adjustable lens element may include a lens shaping component that applies a force to the collapsible wall to adjust a height of the collapsible wall relative to the transparent substrate, which in turn may be used to adjust the shape of the flexible membrane and thus the lens power of the lens element. The collapsible wall may have bellows that allow the collapsible wall to fold on itself when compressed, thereby minimizing unintended lateral movement of the collapsible wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a display that emits light;
a lens module supported by the head-mounted support structure that receives the light from the display, wherein the lens module comprises a fluid-filled lens element having a flexible membrane supported by a foldable sidewall and an outer flexible sidewall that surrounds the foldable sidewall; and
control circuitry configured to control the lens module to adjust a curvature of the flexible membrane, wherein the foldable sidewall and the outer flexible sidewall are configured to fold in response to forces applied to the flexible membrane.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the fluid-filled lens element comprises a transparent substrate on which the foldable sidewall is formed.

3. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the transparent substrate comprises glass.

4. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the fluid-filled lens element comprises a lens shaping component that adjusts a height of the foldable sidewall relative to the transparent substrate to adjust the curvature of the flexible membrane.

5. The system defined in claim 4 further comprising a reinforcement ring in the foldable sidewall.

6. The system defined in claim 5 further comprising an additional reinforcement ring in the foldable sidewall, wherein the reinforcement ring and the additional reinforcement ring are laterally offset from one another and have different perimeter lengths.

7. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the reinforcement ring comprises metal.

8. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a fluid interposed between the foldable sidewall and the outer flexible sidewall.

9. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a sensor that detects leaks in the fluid-filled lens element, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of: a pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, and a force sensor.

10. An adjustable lens, comprising:
a transparent substrate;
a wall that forms a closed perimeter on the transparent substrate, wherein the wall comprises bellows, and wherein the wall comprises first and second reinforced regions that are strengthened relative to other regions of the wall, and wherein the first reinforced region has a first perimeter length and the second reinforced region has a second perimeter length that is greater than the first perimeter length;
a flexible membrane attached to the wall, wherein the transparent substrate, the wall, and the flexible membrane define an interior volume that contains a fluid; and
a lens shaping component that applies a force to the wall to adjust a height of the wall relative to the transparent substrate.

11. The adjustable lens defined in claim 10 wherein the transparent substrate comprises glass and wherein the wall comprises polymer.

12. The adjustable lens defined in claim 10 wherein the lens shaping component has a non-uniform modulus of elasticity.

13. The adjustable lens defined in claim 10 wherein the wall folds on itself when compressed by the lens shaping component.

14. The adjustable lens defined in claim 10 wherein the first and second reinforced regions are laterally offset from one another.

15. A system, comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a display that emits light;
an adjustable lens element supported by the head-mounted support structure that receives the light from the display, wherein the adjustable lens element comprises a flexible membrane that is supported by a collapsible sidewall and an outer sidewall, and wherein the adjustable lens element has a liquid located between the collapsible sidewall and the outer sidewall; and
control circuitry configured to control the adjustable lens element to adjust a shape of the flexible membrane.

16. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the adjustable lens element comprises a rigid substrate and wherein the rigid substrate, the flexible membrane, and the collapsible sidewall define an interior volume that is at least partially filled with a fluid.

17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the collapsible sidewall has first and second curved portions that extend around a perimeter of the collapsible sidewall.

18. The system defined in claim 17 wherein the first and second curved portions face towards the fluid.

19. The system defined in claim 18 further comprising a reinforced ring portion interposed between the first and second curved portions.

20. The system defined in claim 16 further comprising a lens shaping component having actuators that adjust a height of the collapsible sidewall relative to the rigid substrate to adjust the shape of the flexible membrane.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Topliss Richard J
• Stamenov Igor
• He Ran
• Li Yuan
• Lv Peng
• Pedder James E

Classifications

• G02B26/004

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B3/14 Primary

  of variable focal length · CPC title