Audio headphones for virtual reality head-mounted display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9635450-B2
Application number	US-201514627639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

An audio headphone to couple to a strap for a head-mounted display is disclosed. The audio headphone includes a headphone speaker, a strap connector, and a four-bar linkage coupled to the strap connector to provide inward and outward movement of the headphone speaker with respect to a user's ear. The four-bar linkage comprises a first member coupled to the strap connector via a first joint, a second member coupled to the first member via a second joint, a third member coupled to the second member via a third joint, and a fourth member connected to the third member and coupled to the first member via a fourth joint. The fourth member is further coupled to the strap connector via a fifth joint. The third member comprises one or more rigid poles extending from the second member to the fourth member and surrounded by one or more respective elastic springs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio headphone to couple to a strap for a head-mounted display, the audio headphone comprising:
a headphone speaker;
a strap connector; and
a four-bar linkage coupled to the strap connector to provide inward and outward movement of the headphone speaker with respect to a user's ear, the four-bar linkage comprising a first member, a second member, a third member, and a fourth member, wherein:
the first member has a first end portion coupled to the strap connector via a first joint;
the second member has a first end portion coupled to a second end portion of the first member via a second joint;
the third member has a first end portion coupled to a second end portion of the second member via a third joint, the third member comprising a rigid pole extending from the second member to the fourth member and surrounded by an elastic spring; and
the fourth member has a first portion coupled to the rigid pole and first and second sides that are connected by the first portion and that extend along a vertical dimension, wherein:
the first member is further coupled to the first and second sides of the fourth member via a fourth joint; and
the fourth member has a second portion coupled to the strap connector via a fifth joint.

2. The audio headphone of claim 1 , wherein the inward and outward movement includes movement between a first stable position inward from a vertical plane in a range from −1° to −10°, and a second stable position outward from the vertical plane in a range from 25° to 35°.

3. The audio headphone of claim 1 , wherein the first member includes a bend at a mid portion, the mid portion of the first member coupled to mid portions of the first and second sides of the fourth member at the fifth joint.

4. The audio headphone of claim 1 , wherein:
the rigid pole is a first rigid pole; and
the four-bar linkage comprises a plurality of parallel rigid poles, including the first rigid pole, extending between the second end of the second member and the first portion of the fourth member, each rigid pole of the plurality of parallel rigid poles being surrounded by a respective elastic spring.

5. The audio headphone of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame, coupled to the headphone speaker, wherein:
the four-bar linkage is coupled to the strap connector through an opening in the frame; and
the headphone speaker is mounted on the frame below the opening.

6. The audio headphone of claim 5 , wherein the frame is to slide upward and downward with respect to the four-bar linkage and the strap connector.

7. The audio headphone of claim 6 , wherein the frame is to slide upward and downward with respect to the four-bar linkage and the strap connector for a distance in a range from 0 mm to 25 mm.

8. The audio headphone of claim 5 , further comprising:
a cover piece fixedly attached to the frame to cover the frame and the four-bar linkage from an outward side away from the user's ear, a space being formed between the cover piece and the frame for housing the four-bar linkage.

9. The audio headphone of claim 5 , wherein:
the audio headphone further comprises a mount; and
the strap connector comprises a cylindrical component that is rotatable with respect to the mount.

10. The audio headphone of claim 9 , wherein:
the cylindrical component comprises a base part and a protruding part that protrudes from the base part; and
the base part is fixedly connected to the four-bar linkage to transmit rotational motion from the cylindrical component to the four-bar linkage and the frame, such that the frame and the headphone speaker are rotatable relative to the mount for the head-mounted display within a vertical plane.

11. The audio headphone of claim 9 , wherein the frame and the headphone speaker are rotatable relative to the mount in a range from −30° to 30° within a vertical plane.

12. The audio headphone of claim 9 , wherein:
the mount comprises a mounting bracket having structures for engaging the protruding part of the cylindrical component such that the cylindrical component is rotatable with respect to the mounting bracket, and
the mounting bracket is fixedly connectable to the strap to connect the audio headphone to the strap for the head-mounted display.

13. The audio headphone of claim 1 , wherein the strap connector comprises an electrical connection to electrically couple the audio headphone with the strap for the head-mounted display.

14. A head-mounted system providing virtual reality experience for a user, the head-mounted system comprising:
a head-mounted display;
a strap system for mounting the head-mounted display on the user's head, the strap system comprising:
first and second flexible segments that are stretchable;
first and second rigid guide segments coupled to the first and second flexible segments respectively, the first and second rigid guide segments further connected to the head-mounted display, wherein the first and second flexible segments are stretchable within the first and second rigid guide segments respectively along the lateral dimension so as to adjust the strap system in accordance with the user's head; and
at least one semi-rigid segment, coupled to the first and second rigid guide segments, to conform to a portion of the user's head, the at least one semi-rigid segment comprising arc portions to extend from above the user's ears to below the user's occipital lobe; and

first and second audio headphones coupled to the strap system and integrated with the head-mounted display, each of the first and second audio headphones comprising:
a headphone speaker;
a strap connector coupling the audio headphone to the first or second rigid guide segment of the strap system; and
a four-bar linkage, coupled to the strap connector, to provide inward and outward movement of the headphone speaker with respect to a user's ear, the four-bar linkage comprising a first member, a second member, a third member, and a fourth member, wherein:
the first member has a first end coupled to the strap connector via a first joint;
the second member has a first end coupled to a second end of the first member via a second joint;
the third member has a first end coupled to a second end of the second member via a third joint, the third member comprising a rigid pole extending from the second member to the fourth member and surrounded by an elastic spring; and
the fourth member has a first portion coupled to the rigid pole and first and second sides that are connected by the first portion and that extend along a vertical dimension, wherein:
the first member is further coupled to the first and second sides of the fourth member via a fourth joint; and
the fourth member has a second portion coupled to the strap connector via a fifth joint.

15. The head-mounted system of claim 14 , wherein the inward and outward movement of the headphone speaker includes movement between a first stable position inward from a vertical plane in a range from −1° to −10°, and a second stable position outward from the vertical plane in a range from 25° to 35°.

16. The head-mounted system of claim 14 , wherein each of the first and second audio headphones further comprises:
a frame, coupled to the headphone speaker, wherein:
the four-bar linkage is coupled to the strap connector through an opening in the frame,
the headphone speaker is mounted on the frame below the opening, and
the frame is to slide upward and downward with respect to the four-bar linkage and the strap connector for a distance in a range from 0 mm to 25 mm.

17. The head

Assignees

• Oculus Vr Llc

Inventors

• Drinkwater Jared I
• Andersen Blake Francis

Classifications

• H04R1/105 Primary

  Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• G02B27/0176

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• H04R1/1066

  Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R1/1008

  Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type · CPC title