System for assisted operator safety using an hmd

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207457-A1
Application number	US-201514966103-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for providing assisted safety to an operator of a vehicle using a head-mounted display that provides displayed content and a see-through view of a surrounding environment, includes determining whether the operator is looking through the windshield of the vehicle or is not looking through the windshield, if the user is looking through the windshield, preventing displayed content from being provided within a display field of view of the head-mounted display, thereby providing an unencumbered see-through view of the surrounding environment, if the user is not looking through the windshield, providing displayed content for viewing by the user within the display field of view, and if important information relating to the safety of the vehicle is detected by a system associated with the vehicle while the user is looking not looking through the windshield, interrupting the displayed content and providing an alert to the operator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for providing assisted safety to an operator of a vehicle using a head-mounted display that provides displayed content and a see-through view of a surrounding environment, comprising:
determining whether the operator is looking through the windshield of the vehicle or is not looking through the windshield; if the user is looking through the windshield, preventing displayed content from being provided within a display field of view of the head-mounted display, thereby providing an unencumbered see-through view of the surrounding environment; if the user is not looking through the windshield, providing displayed content for viewing by the user within the display field of view; and if important information relating to the safety of the vehicle is detected by a system associated with the vehicle while the user is looking not looking through the windshield, interrupting the displayed content and providing an alert to the operator.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is a displayed indicator that shows the operator where to look.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is a haptic indicator.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the haptic indicator is a vibration of a portion of the head-worn display that indicates the direction the operator's head should turn.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the operator is looking through the windshield or a side window.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the important information is an impending collision detected by a collision avoidance system.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the important information is that the operator is asleep or not paying attention.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the operator is detected to be asleep or not paying attention by analyzing head movements or the time the operator is not looking through the windshield.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed content is provided with a convergence distance or focus distance that is farther away than the internal surfaces of the vehicle.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the convergence distance or focus distance is greater than 15 feet.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the convergence distance or focus distance is selected in correspondence to a speed of the vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the convergence distance or focus distance is selected in correspondence to a distance to an adjacent vehicle.

Assignees

• Osterhout Group Inc

Inventors

• Border John N
• Nortrup Edward N
• Haddick John D

Classifications

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

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

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G02B2027/0141

  characterised by the informative content of the display · CPC title