Display system with interchangeable lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298519-B2
Application number	US-201916448501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Sep 24, 2018
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A display system includes a display, a removable lens assembly, and a lens detection sensor. The removable lens is removably coupleable to the display. The lens detection sensor detects the removable lens assembly coupled to the display. The display system may further include a head-mounted display unit that includes the display and the lens detection sensor. The display system may lens information from the removable lens with the lens detection sensor, and may provide an indicator of the removable lens according to the lens information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display system comprising:
a display including a screen configured to show information to a user;
a removable lens removably coupleable to the display, the removable lens including a lens tag;
a lens detection sensor that detects whether the removable lens is coupled to the display and that communicates with the lens tag; and
a controller that:
determines lens information based upon the lens detection sensor communicating with the lens tag and receiving the lens information, wherein the lens information includes prescription information,
determines an identity of the user, wherein the identity of the user includes eye characteristic information,
determines whether the removable lens is compatible with the user or incompatible with the user based on a comparison of the lens information from the lens tag with the eye characteristic information, and
outputs a first indication to the display for presentation to the user in response to a determination that the removable lens is compatible with the user, or outputs a second indication to the display for presentation to the user in response to a determination that the removable lens is incompatible with the user.

2. The display system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a head-mounted display unit that includes the display, wherein the lens detection sensor is a camera that observes an eye of the user wearing the head-mounted display unit, and
wherein the display and the removable lens each include mechanical engagement features and magnetic coupling features by which the removable lens is removably coupleable to the display, the mechanical engagement features preventing movement of the removable lens relative to the display in directions generally perpendicular to an optical axis of the removable lens.

3. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens information includes one or more of a lens identifier or a lens characteristic.

4. The display system according to claim 3 , wherein the lens information includes the lens identifier.

5. The display system according to claim 3 , wherein the lens information includes the lens characteristic.

6. The display system according to claim 5 , wherein the lens characteristic is a refractive characteristic of the removable lens.

7. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the display system determines the lens information with the lens detection sensor from the removable lens.

8. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the lens information is stored electronically by the removable lens, and the lens detection sensor receives the lens information electronically.

9. The display system according to claim 8 , wherein the lens information is stored by one or more of an electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory device, a radio frequency identification device, or an electrical resistance.

10. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the lens tag is an optical marking of the lens information, and the lens detection sensor reads the optical marking.

11. The display system according to claim 10 , wherein the lens detection sensor is an eye camera that observes an eye of the user.

12. The display system according to claim 11 , wherein the display system identifies the user with the eye camera using iris detection.

13. The display system according to claim 12 , wherein the display system determines compatibility of the removable lens with the user by comparing the lens information with user information of the user.

14. The display system according to claim 7 , wherein the display system determines an identifier from the removable lens, and determines a lens characteristic that is stored in association with the removable lens, the lens characteristic including a refractive characteristic.

15. The display system according to claim 1 , further comprising a head-mounted display unit that includes the display, wherein the display system provides the first indication or the second indication associated with the removable lens coupled thereto.

16. The display system according to claim 15 , wherein the controller further outputs a third indication to the display for presentation to the user, and wherein the third indication includes a configuration indication that is provided irrespective of the user.

17. The display system according to claim 15 , wherein the first indication includes a first compatibility indicator that indicates that the removable lens is compatible with the user, and the second indication includes a second compatibility indicator that indicates that the removable lens is incompatible with the user.

18. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines the identity of the user by one or more of biometric sensing, receipt of user credentials, or authentication by another device.

19. The display system according to claim 18 , further comprising another sensor according to which the controller determines the identity of the user by biometric sensing.

20. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens tag has a magnetic signature indicative of the prescription information.

21. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the removable lens includes a magnet that provides a magnetic signature, and the lens detection sensor provides the lens information based on the magnetic signature.

22. The display system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens tag is an internal resistance device that has a resistance signature, and the lens detection sensor is configured to receive the lens information from the lens tag based on the resistance signature.

23. A method for operating a head-mounted display unit includes:
obtaining lens information using a sensor of the head-mounted display unit, wherein the lens information is obtained by the sensor from an electronic device included in a removable lens that is coupled to the head-mounted display unit, and the lens information includes refractive characteristics of the removable lens;
obtaining an image of an eye of a user wearing the head-mounted display unit to obtain an identity of the user based upon iris recognition, wherein the identity of the user includes eye characteristic information, and the eye characteristic information includes a refractive error of an eye of the user;
determining whether the removable lens is compatible with the user or incompatible with the user according to a comparison of the refractive characteristics of the removable lens and the refractive error of the eye of the user; and
displaying one of a first indication or a second indication on a screen of the head-mounted display unit by outputting the first indication or the second indication to the screen by a controller, wherein the first indication is displayed in response to abased on the determination that the removable lens is compatible with the user, and the second indication is displayed in response to a determination that the removable lens is incompatible with the user.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising providing a third indication to the screen by the controller according to the lens information of the removable lens, wherein the third indication is a configuration indication that differs between the removable lens and another removable lens coupleable to the head-mounted display unit.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the configuration indication is provided

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franklin Jeremy C
• Lin Wey-Jiun
• Neale Brandon R
• Williamson Heidi
• Weber Andreas G
• Wang Forrest C
• Hobson Phil M

Classifications

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• G02B2027/0156

  with optionally usable elements · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B7/14

  adapted to interchange lenses {(G02B7/027 takes precedence)} · CPC title