Electronic devices with finger sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12265682-B2
Application number	US-202318336522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2023
Priority date	Sep 23, 2019
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device such as a head mounted device may have an inner display that displays an image for a user through lenses. Head-mounted support structures may be used to support the display and lenses. One or more external displays may be publicly viewable while the head-mounted device is being worn. The head-mounted support structures may have a front face on which an external display is mounted. One or more finger sensors that are configured to detect touch input, force input, and/or other input from an external object such as a user's finger may be included in the head-mounted device. A finger sensor may have an elongated shape that runs along a peripheral edge of an external display on the front face. Finger sensors may also be located on other portions of the support structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted device, comprising:
left and right displays configured to display respective left and right images;
left and right lenses through which the respective left and right images are viewable from eye boxes, wherein the left and right lenses are separated by a distance;
a head-mounted support structure configured to support the left and right displays and the left and right lenses; and
a finger sensor on the head-mounted support structure configured to receive finger input, wherein the distance between the left and right lenses is adjusted in response to the finger input.

2. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising an outer display that overlaps the left and right displays.

3. The head-mounted device defined in claim 2 wherein the finger sensor comprises an elongated strip-shaped sensor that extends along an upper edge of the outer display.

4. The head-mounted device defined in claim 3 further comprising an additional display that is separate from the outer display and that overlaps the elongated strip-shaped sensor.

5. The head-mounted device defined in claim 2 wherein the outer display is touch-insensitive.

6. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising an actuator configured to adjust the distance between the left and right lenses in response to the finger input.

7. The head-mounted device defined in claim 6 wherein the finger input comprises sliding input in which a finger slides across the finger sensor in a direction and wherein the actuator is configured to move a given one of the left and right lenses along the direction with which the finger slides across the finger sensor.

8. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the finger sensor comprises a force sensor.

9. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the finger sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

10. The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output in response to the finger input.

11. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a display;
a lens through which the display is visible from an eye box;
a head-mounted support structure configured to support the display and the lens;
a touch sensor on the head-mounted support structure configured to receive touch input, wherein an operational setting of the display is adjusted in response to the touch input; and
an outer display that overlaps the display, wherein the touch sensor is located along an edge of the outer display.

12. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the operational setting comprises screen brightness.

13. The head-mounted device defined in claim 11 wherein the outer display is touch-insensitive.

14. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a display;
a lens through which the display is visible from an eye box;
a head-mounted support structure configured to support the display and the lens;
a touch sensor on the head-mounted support structure configured to receive touch input, wherein an operational setting of the display is adjusted in response to the touch input;
an additional display that overlaps the touch sensor; and
a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output in response to the touch input.

15. A head-mounted device, comprising:
a display;
a lens through which the display is visible from an eye box;
a head-mounted support structure configured to support the display and the lens;
a touch sensor on the head-mounted support structure configured to receive touch input, wherein an operational setting of an external electronic device is adjusted in response to the touch input; and
an outer display that is separate from the display, wherein the touch sensor is located along an edge of the outer display.

16. The head-mounted device defined in claim 15 wherein the external electronic device comprises a speaker that provides audio output and wherein a volume of the audio output is adjusted in response to the touch input.

17. The head-mounted device defined in claim 15 further comprising:
an additional display that overlaps the touch sensor; and
a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output in response to the touch input.

18. The head-mounted device defined in claim 15 wherein the display faces a first direction, the outer display faces a second direction, and the touch sensor faces a third direction, and wherein the first, second, and third directions are different.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wang Forrest C
• Shah Ritu

Classifications

• G06F3/011 Primary

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

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F2203/0339

  Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title