Display and vision correction system with removable lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12360367-B2
Application number	US-202016905296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A display and vision correction system includes a head-mounted display unit, a glasses frame, and a removable lens assembly. The head-mounted display unit is configured to be worn on a head of a user and includes a display for providing graphical content to the user. The glasses frame is configured to be worn on the head of the user. The removable lens assembly is removably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit and to the glasses frame. The removable lens assembly includes a corrective lens element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for vision correction comprising:
providing an interchangeable lens assembly having a corrective lens element and a first pair of magnetic coupling features that corresponds both to a second pair of magnetic coupling features of a head-mounted display unit for coupling the interchangeable lens assembly to the head-mounted display unit and to a third pair of magnetic coupling features of a glasses frame for coupling the interchangeable lens assembly to the glasses frame;
determining, via a processor of the head-mounted display unit, lens information from a lens tag of the interchangeable lens assembly from a lens detection sensor of the head-mounted display unit, wherein the lens tag includes a magnetic signature associated with magnetic fields of the first pair of magnetic coupling features and read by the lens detection sensor, and the lens information includes a lens characteristic, prescription information, or a combination thereof;
providing a configuration indication to a user via the head-mounted display unit based on the lens information of the interchangeable lens assembly;
receiving user information of the user; and
providing a compatibility indication to the user via the head-mounted display unit based on comparing the user information and the lens information,
wherein the first pair of magnetic coupling features is configured to be attracted to the second pair of magnetic coupling features and the third pair of magnetic coupling features when the interchangeable lens assembly is in a first position relative to the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame, and the first pair of magnetic coupling features is configured to be unattracted by the second pair of magnetic coupling features and the third pair of magnetic coupling features when the interchangeable lens assembly is in a second position relative to the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing includes providing the interchangeable lens assembly with a fourth coupling feature that corresponds both to a fifth coupling feature of the head-mounted display unit for coupling the interchangeable lens assembly to the head-mounted display unit and to a sixth coupling feature of the glasses frame for coupling the interchangeable lens assembly to the glasses frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fourth coupling feature, the fifth coupling feature, and the sixth coupling feature are mechanical coupling features.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fourth coupling feature is a male component, the fifth coupling feature is a female component for receiving the fourth coupling feature, and the sixth coupling feature is a female component for receiving the fourth coupling feature.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of magnetic coupling features is receivable by each of the second pair of magnetic coupling features and the third pair of magnetic coupling features.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first pair of magnetic coupling features engages each of the second pair of magnetic coupling features and the third pair of magnetic coupling features to prevent movement of the interchangeable lens assembly in directions transverse to, along, and about an optical axis of the corrective lens element.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of magnetic coupling features are distributed asymmetrically on the interchangeable lens assembly to prevent incorrect positioning of the interchangeable lens assembly relative to the head-mounted display unit and to the glasses frame.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of magnetic coupling features is configured to be repelled by the second pair of magnetic coupling features and the third pair of magnetic coupling features when the interchangeable lens assembly is in the second position relative to the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame.

9. A display and vision correction system comprising:
a head-mounted display unit configured to be worn on a head of a user and having a display module for providing graphical content to the user;
a glasses frame configured to be worn on the head of the user;
a removable lens assembly that is removably coupleable to the head-mounted display unit and to the glasses frame, the removable lens assembly having a corrective lens element and magnetic coupling features for removably coupling the removable lens assembly to corresponding magnetic coupling features of the head-mounted display unit and to the glasses frame, wherein the magnetic coupling features and the corresponding magnetic coupling features are configured to prevent incorrect positioning of the removable lens assembly relative to the head-mounted display unit and to the glasses frame;
an eye camera configured to generate a first signal associated with observation of an eye of the user and to generate a second signal associated with observation of the removable lens assembly; and
a controller configured to determine an identity of the user based on the first signal and to determine an identity of the removable lens assembly based on the second signal.

10. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the identity of the removable lens assembly includes a lens identifier, a user identifier, manufacturing information, or a combination thereof.

11. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the identity of the removable lens assembly includes prescription information.

12. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the removable lens assembly includes a mechanical coupling feature for removably coupling the removable lens assembly to the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame.

13. The display and vision correction system of claim 12 , wherein the mechanical coupling feature includes a male component that is receivable by female components of the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame to prevent relative movement of the removable lens assembly in a direction transverse to an optical axis of the corrective lens element.

14. The display and vision correction system of claim 12 , wherein the mechanical coupling feature is spaced apart from the magnetic coupling features.

15. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic coupling features are distributed asymmetrically on the removable lens assembly to prevent the incorrect positioning of the removable lens assembly relative to the head-mounted display unit and the glasses frame.

16. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein common ones of the magnetic coupling features removably couple the removable lens assembly to the corresponding magnetic coupling features of the head-mounted display unit and also removably couple the removable lens assembly to the corresponding magnetic coupling features of the glasses frame.

17. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic coupling features are permanent magnets and the corresponding magnetic coupling features are attractor plates.

18. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic coupling features and the corresponding magnetic coupling features prevent relative movement of the removable lens assembly in a direction along an optical axis of the corrective lens element.

19. The display and vision correction system of claim 9 , wherein the incorrect positioning is a rotated orientation of the removable lens assembly relative to the head-mounted display

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Maric Ivan S
• Weber Andreas G
• Mirabella Anna V
• Shaffer Benjamin A
• Wang Forrest C
• Sauers Jason C
• Franklin Jeremy C
• Hoenig Julian
• Jaede Julian
• Bauerly Kristi E
• Dey Stephen E
• Lin Wey-Jiun

Classifications

• G02B2027/0161

  characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements · CPC title

• G02B2027/0156

  with optionally usable elements · CPC title

• G02C9/04

  by fitting over or clamping on · CPC title

• G02C9/00

  Attaching auxiliary optical parts (auxiliary optical parts per se G02C7/08 - G02C7/16) · CPC title

• G02C2200/08

  Modular frames, easily exchangeable frame parts and lenses · CPC title