Head-mounted display alignment assessment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345896-B2
Application number	US-202217804836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2022
Priority date	Feb 28, 2022
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A head-mounted display system includes a left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light. A first left inertial measurement unit (IMU) is configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly. A right display assembly is configured to provide right-side display light. A first right IMU is configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly. A communication interface is configured to receive a left-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second left IMU, and a right-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second right IMU. A logic machine is configured to assess an alignment of the head-mounted display system based at least in part on the orientation of the left display assembly, the orientation of the right display assembly, the left-side orientation of the head-tracking system, and the right-side orientation of the head-tracking system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A head-mounted display system, comprising:
a left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light;
a first left inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly;
a right display assembly configured to provide right-side display light;
a first right IMU configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly;
a communication interface configured to receive a left-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second left IMU, and a right-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second right IMU;
a logic machine configured to assess an alignment of the head-mounted display system based at least in part on the orientation of the left display assembly, the orientation of the right display assembly, the left-side orientation of the head-tracking system, and the right-side orientation of the head-tracking system.

2. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the second left IMU and the second right IMU measure the left-side orientation and the right-side orientation of the same head-tracking system.

3. The head-mounted display system of claim 2 , further comprising a wearable frame assembly coupled to the left display assembly and the right display assembly, and wherein the head-tracking system includes a head-tracking accessory that is removably attachable to the wearable frame assembly, and the second left IMU and the second right IMU are integrated into the head-tracking accessory.

4. The head-mounted display system of claim 2 , further comprising a wearable frame assembly coupled to the left display assembly and the right display assembly, and wherein the second left IMU and the second right IMU are integrated into the wearable frame assembly.

5. The head-mounted display system of claim 2 , wherein the head-tracking system includes one or more cameras configured to image a surrounding real-world environment.

6. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left-side orientation measured by the second left IMU is for a left-side head-tracking system, and the right-side orientation measured by the second right IMU is for a right-side head-tracking system, separate from the left-side head-tracking system.

7. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein assessing the alignment of the head-mounted display system includes comparing the orientation of the left display assembly to the left-side orientation of the head-tracking system, and comparing the orientation of the right display assembly to the right-side orientation of the head-tracking system.

8. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , further comprising a left waveguide configured to incouple the left-side display light and outcouple the left-side display light for viewing at a left eyebox, and a right waveguide configured to incouple the right-side display light and outcouple the right-side display light for viewing at a right eyebox.

9. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes a left liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display and the right display assembly includes a right LCOS display.

10. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes one of a left microoptoelectromechanical system (MOEMS) projector display, a left micro light-emitting diode (μLED) display, or a left dot matrix display, and the right display assembly includes one of a right MOEMS projector display, a right μLED display, or a right dot matrix display.

11. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the logic machine is further configured to improve a stereo alignment between the left- and right-side display light by adjusting one or both of the left- and right-side display light.

12. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the logic machine is further configured to improve a stereo alignment between the left- and right-side display light by horizontally and/or vertically shifting or rotating one or both of a left display image of the left-side display light and a right display image of the right-side display light.

13. A method for alignment assessment for a head-mounted display system, the method comprising:
measuring an orientation of a left display assembly via a first left inertial measurement unit (IMU), the left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light;
measuring an orientation of a right display assembly via a right IMU, the right display assembly configured to provide right-side display light;
receiving a left-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second left IMU and a right-side orientation of a head-tracking system as measured by a second right IMU; and
assessing an alignment of the head-mounted display system based at least in part on the orientation of the left display assembly, the orientation of the right display assembly, the left-side orientation of the head-tracking system, and the right-side orientation of the head-tracking system.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second left IMU and the second right IMU measure the left-side orientation and the right-side orientation of the same head-tracking system.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the head-mounted display system includes a wearable frame assembly coupled to the left display assembly and the right display assembly, and wherein the head-tracking system includes a head-tracking accessory that is removably attachable to the wearable frame assembly, and the second left IMU and the second right IMU are integrated into the head-tracking accessory.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein assessing the alignment of the head-mounted display system includes comparing the orientation of the left display assembly to the left-side orientation of the head-tracking system, and comparing the orientation of the right display assembly to the right-side orientation of the head-tracking system.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the head-mounted display system includes a left waveguide configured to incouple the left-side display light and outcouple the left-side display light for viewing at a left eyebox, and a right waveguide configured to incouple the right-side display light and outcouple the right-side display light for viewing at a right eyebox.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising improving a stereo alignment between the left- and right-side display light by adjusting one or both of the left- and right-side display light.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising improving a stereo alignment between the left- and right-side display light by horizontally and/or vertically shifting or rotating one or both of a left display image of the left-side display light and a right display image of the right-side display light.

20. A head-mounted display system, comprising:
a left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light;
a first left inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly;
a left waveguide configured to incouple the left-side display light from the left display assembly and outcouple the left-side display light for viewing at a left eyebox;
a second left IMU configured to measure an orientation of the left waveguide;
a right display assembly configured to provide right-side display light;
a first right IMU configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly;
a right waveguide configured to incouple the right-s

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Demaster-Smith Rayna
• Churin Dmitriy
• Terrell Jr James Peele
• Sutton Michael Scott
• Johnson Parry Byron

Classifications

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G02F1/136277

  formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

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