This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to electronic devices such as head-mounted devices.
Electronic devices such as head-mounted devices may have input-output components. The input-output components may include components such as displays and sensors.
A head-mounted device may have a head-mounted housing that is configured to be worn on a head of a user. While the head-mounted device is being worn, displays in the head-mounted device may provide images to eye boxes where the user's eyes are located. This allows the user to view the images. The head-mounted housing may have a forward-facing front portion, may have a rearward-facing rear portion that faces away from the front portion towards the eye boxes, and may have a middle portion located between the front and rear portions. The middle housing portion may have openings that receive left and right optical modules (sometimes referred to as optical assemblies). The left and right optical modules may contain left and right displays and corresponding left and right lenses. The module-to-module separation of the modules may be adjusted to accommodate users with different interpupillary distances.
Optical component mounting structures may be provided. These structures may be used to mount optical components in the head-mounted device. The optical component mounting structures may include a camera bracket that is used for supporting left and right forward-facing cameras and/or other optical components. The optical component mounting structures may also an optical module mounting system for supporting the left and right optical modules. The optical module mounting system may include optical module guide rails. The left and right optical modules may be slidably mounted to respective sets of left and right optical module guide rails. By sliding the optical modules along the guide rails, optical module spacing may be adjusted. Each optical module may include one of the displays and a lens through which an image from the display may be presented to a corresponding one of the eye boxes.
The optical module guide rails may be attached to a central guide rail support member. The central guide rail support member and a central portion of the camera bracket may be attached to a central portion of the middle housing portion (e.g., a portion of the middle housing portion that is located between the openings for the left and right optical modules). With this configuration, the ends of the camera bracket and the ends of the guide rails may be suspended in air in the interior of the head-mounted housing and so that the ends of these optical component support members are separated by air gaps from adjacent interior surfaces of head-mounted housing. This helps isolate the camera bracket and guide rails from housing impacts due to undesired drop events while helping to prevent over-travel of the bracket ends and guide rails that could potentially lead to plastic deformation of these parts.
A head-mounted device may include a head-mounted support structure that allows the device to be worn on the head of a user. The head-mounted device may have displays that are supported by the head-mounted support structure for presenting a user with visual content. The head-mounted device may also have sensors such as front-facing cameras and other sensors for gathering information on the environment surrounding the device. The front-facing cameras may, as an example, be mounted on left and right sides of the device and may be used in providing pass-through video to corresponding left and right displays. To ensure that the cameras and displays are satisfactorily aligned, the cameras may be mounted on a camera bracket that is isolated from surrounding housing structures by gaps. In the event that the device is dropped, the bracket can flex. When the bracket flexes sufficiently to contact surrounding housing structures, the housing structures will serve as stops to prevent over-flexing and plastic deformation of the bracket.
The camera bracket may be mounted at its center to a corresponding central internal housing structure to which an optical module system is also attached. The optical module system may have left and right optical modules containing the left and right displays. The optical modules may be mounted on guide rails that are coupled to the central internal housing structure using a central guide rail support member.
To present a user with images for viewing from eye boxes such as eye box 34, device 10 may include rear-facing displays in optical modules 16 (sometimes referred to as optical assemblies). There may be, for example, a left rear-facing display in left optical module 16L for presenting an image through a left lens to a user's left eye in a left eye box and a right rear-facing display in right optical module 16R for presenting an image through a right lens to a user's right eye in a right eye box.
The user's eyes are located in eye boxes 34 at rear side R of device 10 when inwardly facing surface 18 of housing 12 rests against the outer surface of the user's face. On rear side R, housing 12 may have cushioned structures (sometimes referred to as light seal structures) to enhance user comfort as surface 18 rests against the user's face.
Device 10 may have forward-facing components such has forward-facing cameras 20 on front side F that face outwardly away from the user. Cameras 20 may generally be oriented in the +Y direction of
Forward-facing cameras 20 may be used to capture stereo images of the environment surrounding device 10. These images may then be presented in eye boxes 34 by displays 14 in optical modules 16. Misalignment between the left and right forward-facing cameras 20 and between cameras 20 and displays 14 could lead to viewer discomfort. Accordingly, device 10 is preferably provided with component mounting structures that help ensure that cameras 20 are satisfactorily aligned with respect to each other and are satisfactorily aligned with respect to displays 14. These component mounting structures preferably have a robust configuration that helps ensure satisfactory component alignment even in the event of undesired drop events or other challenging operating conditions.
Bracket 50 may have an elongated strip shape (e.g., the thickness of bracket 50 in the Y dimension may be less than the width of bracket 50 in the Z dimension). As an example, the width of bracket 50 in the Z dimension may be 2-20 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 7 mm, less than 25 mm, less than 18 mm, less than 15 mm, less than 12 mm, less than 10 mm, less than 7 mm, or other suitable width and the thickness of bracket 50 in the Y dimension may be 0.1-2 mm, at least 0.2 mm, at least 0.4 mm, at least 0.8 mm, at least 1.2 m, at least 1.5 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 2.5 mm, less than 2.0 mm, less than 1.5 mm, less than 1.0 mm, or other suitable thickness. The length of bracket 50 (e.g., the end-to-end distance along bracket 50 along the X dimension of
Bracket 50 may be attached to housing 12 using a center-mounted arrangement. For example, screws or other threaded fasteners may pass through through-hole openings in bracket 50 at locations such as illustrative locations 52 of
Optical modules 16 and bracket 50 may be attached to opposing sides of the central chassis portion. Consider, as an example, the optical module mounting arrangement of
In component and optical module mounting structures of the types shown in
As shown in
Middle housing portion 12M of
As shown in
As shown in
Rear housing portion 12R and front housing portion 12F may be attached to the rear and front sides of housing portion 12M, respectively (e.g., the peripheral edge of housing portion 12R may be joined to the peripheral edge of housing portion 12M and the peripheral edge of housing portion 12F may be joined to the peripheral edge of housing portion 12M. As shown in the top view of
To avoid undesired plastic deformation to component support structures such as bracket 50 and system 54 during a drop even or other undesirable event that imparts excessive force to the exterior of housing 12, housing 12 may be configured so that the left and right portions of bracket 50 and the left and right portions of system 54 are separated from adjacent portions of housing 12 by air gaps (or gaps filled with soft material such as foam or other elastomeric material). With this type of arrangement, only the central portion of each component support structure (e.g., a segment made up of the middle 10% or less, the middle 20% or less, or other suitable central portion of the end-to-end length of each component support structure) is directly attached to portion CN, while the remaining end portions of each component support structure float with respect to housing 12.
Consider, as an example, the arrangements of
The same gaps 82 that are formed on the right side of device 10 may be formed around the corresponding left portion of member 80. For example, both the right and left ends of bracket 50 may be suspended in air about center portion CN where bracket 50 is attached to housing portion 12M. Both the right and left portions of housing system 54 such as the right and left ends of upper rail 26T and the right and left ends of lower rail 26T may also be suspended in air about center portion CN, where system 54 is attached to housing portion 12M. These suspended end portions (illustrated as member 80 in
By suspending the ends (e.g., the non-central portion) of bracket 50 and rods 26T/26L in air (or a compressible material such as foam) relative to housing 12 as shown in
Consider, as an example, the arrangement of
In addition to being sufficiently small to prevent member 80 from experiencing excessive bending and therefore exhibiting undesired plastic deformation, the size of gaps 82 may be selected to be sufficiently large to help isolate member 80 from movement and potential deformation due to deformation of housing 12. As shown in
In some embodiments, sensors may gather personal user information. To ensure that the privacy of users is preserved, all applicable privacy regulations should be met or exceeded and best practices for handling of personal user information should be followed. Users may be permitted to control the use of their personal information in accordance with their preferences.
In accordance with an embodiment, a head-mounted device is provided that includes a head-mounted housing having a central interior portion and having interior surfaces, a bracket mounted to the central interior portion, the bracket has opposing left and right ends that are suspended in air within an interior of the head-mounted housing and are separated from the interior surfaces by gaps, and left and right cameras mounted, respectively, to the left and right ends of the bracket.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes left and right optical assemblies configured to display images respectively in left and right eye boxes located adjacent to the head-mounted housing.
In accordance with another embodiment, the left and right cameras include respective left and right forward-facing cameras that face away from the eye boxes and that are configured to capture images in front of the head-mounted housing.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes left and right optical assembly guide rails coupled to the central interior portion.
In accordance with another embodiment, the left optical assembly is slidably coupled to the left optical assembly guide rail and the right optical assembly is slidably coupled to the right optical assembly guide rail.
In accordance with another embodiment, the left and right optical assembly guide rails have end portions that are suspended in air in the interior.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes a fastener configured to attach a central segment of the bracket to the central interior portion of the head-mounted housing.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes a guide rail support member configured to receive the left and right guide rails.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes a fastener configured to attach the guide rail support member to the central interior portion.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted housing is configured so that the interior surfaces form stops that prevent the left and right ends from exhibiting plastic deformation due to bending across the gaps.
In accordance with an embodiment, a head-mounted device is provided that includes a head-mounted housing having a central interior portion and having interior surfaces, a guide rail support member attached to the central interior portion, and left and right optical assembly guide rails attached to the guide rail support member, the left and right optical assembly guide rails are suspended in air in an interior of the head-mounted housing and are separated from the interior surface by gaps.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes left and right optical assemblies slidably coupled to the left and right optical assembly guide rails, respectively.
In accordance with another embodiment, the left optical assembly has a left lens and a left display configured to display a left image to a left eye box through the left lens and the right optical assembly has a right lens and a right display configured to display a right image to a right eye box through the right lens.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted housing has a front portion and a rear portion and the central interior portion is between the front portion and the rear portion and is centrally located between opposing left and right sides of the head-mounted housing.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes a camera bracket that is centrally mounted to the central interior portion and that has opposing left and right ends that are suspended in air and separated from the interior surfaces.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes left and right forward-facing cameras mounted respectively to the left and right ends of the camera bracket.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes first screws that attach a central segment of the camera bracket to the central interior portion and second screws that attach the guide rail support member to the central interior portion.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted housing includes a front portion, a rear portion, and a middle portion between the front and rear portions, the middle portion has left and right openings configured to receive, respectively, the left and right optical assemblies and the central interior portion is formed from part of the middle portion located between the left and right openings.
In accordance with an embodiment, a head-mounted device is provided that includes a head-mounted housing, a camera bracket having opposing left and right ends that are suspended in air and that do not contact the head-mounted housing and having a central segment that is located between the left and right ends and that is attached to the head-mounted housing, a left camera mounted to the left end, and a right camera mounted to the right end.
In accordance with another embodiment, the head-mounted device includes left and right optical modules respectively mounted to left and right optical module guide rails, the left and right optical module guide rails have ends that are suspended in air and that do not contact the head-mounted housing.
The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.
This application is a continuation of international patent application No. PCT/US2022/040418, filed Aug. 16, 2022, which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/237,102, filed Aug. 25, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63237102 | Aug 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US22/40418 | Aug 2022 | WO |
Child | 18435407 | US |