Patent Application
20060146012
This application is related to the following U.S. patent applications:
This invention relates in general to electronic devices and their display systems, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for displaying more than one mode on a display screen(s) and for automatically switching therebetween.
Wireless networks are used to transmit digital data both through wires and through radio links. Examples of wireless networks are cellular telephone networks, pager networks, and Internet networks. Such wireless networks may include land lines, radio links and satellite links, and may be used for such purposes as cellular phone systems, Internet systems, computer networks, pager systems and other satellite systems. Such wireless networks are becoming increasingly popular and of increasingly higher capacity. Much information and data is transmitted via wireless networks, and they are becoming a common part of people's business and personal lives.
The transfer of digital data includes transfer of text, audio, graphical and video data. Other data is and may be transferred as technology progresses. A user may interactively acquire the data (e.g., by sending commands or requests, such as in Internet navigation) or acquire data in a passive manner (e.g., by accepting or automatically transmitting data, using and/or storing data).
Wireless networks have also brought about a change in devices that send and receive data. A wide variety of handheld wireless devices have been developed along with wireless networks. Such handheld wireless devices include, for example, cellular phones, pagers, radios, personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebook or laptop computers incorporating wireless modems, mobile data terminals, application specific gaming devices, video gaming devices incorporating wireless modems, etc.
Wireless technology has advanced to include the transfer of high content data. Mobile devices now may include Internet access. However, limitations of a three inch screen size in an electronic device provide a less than complete web experience compared to those displayed by a 19 inch or greater computer screen. Internet providers have compensated for the portable device's screen size by limiting the data sent to Internet capable cell phones. Also, the mobile device may be configured to reduce the amount of data received.
Additionally, with the extended capabilities of cellular telephone technology, space inside the unit's housing is at a premium. Opportunities to reduce component volume and to provide additional and enhanced components or smaller cellular telephones are frequently considered.
Disclosed herein are a method, system and apparatus for an electronic device capable of displaying output for multidimensional viewing of the content in a way that projects an image into the viewer's eye. An electronic device such as a mobile device or a cellular telephone is capable of receiving, processing, and displaying multidimensional data and displaying the data in the visual field of the viewer. In the current environment, on a display of the size in a typical cellular telephone, most web browsing is done using WAP protocol. Some 3 G handsets (typically larger display size as in a PDA) permit HTML browsing.
The device includes a substrate allowing an expanded field-of-view when the display screen is positioned in close proximity to the user's eye. The expanded field-of-view substrate provides a high resolution virtual image and is automatically activated when the device's proximity sensor detects an object within a predefined distance parameter. Until the unit's proximity sensor detects such an object, the substrate is inactive and is substantially transparent.
Additionally, the method, system and apparatus described herein further include a touch sensing system in parallel with the above-described high resolution substrate. A touchscreen is rendered inactive when the substrate allowing an expanded field-of-view is activated.
Moreover, the system and apparatus includes a sealed optical/acoustic chamber within the device's housing. The above-discussed optical components are supported within the housing of the mobile device by a structure that includes support for a speaker. The speaker support can also include vibration damping features to prevent image degradation when the speaker is used.
The instant disclosure is provided to further explain in an enabling fashion the best modes of making and using various embodiments in accordance with the present invention. The disclosure is further offered to enhance an understanding and appreciation for the invention principles and advantages thereof, rather than to limit in any manner the invention. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
It is further understood that the use of relational terms, if any, such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like are used solely to distinguish one from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Much of the inventive functionality and many of the inventive principles are best implemented with or in software programs or instructions and integrated circuits (ICs) such as application specific ICs. It is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. Therefore, in the interest of brevity and minimization of any risk of obscuring the principles and concepts according to the present invention, further discussion of such software and ICs, if any, will be limited to the essentials with respect to the principles and concepts within the preferred embodiments.
Depending upon the device, the multidimensional viewing of content may take place at different distances from the device. Here, an electronic device such as a cellular telephone with a small screen is discussed. A device with a larger screen may be used as well, and be viewed in the multidimensional viewing mode at a different distance. Any one of these may be in communication with digital networks and may be included in or connected to the Internet, or networks such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), virtual private network (VPN), etc. Also, the data may be displayed on the screen from a non-networked data source such as a CD, DVD or a data stick or embedded in the handset memory.
The electronic device 104 of
In the normal viewing mode, a user 102 typically may hold the electronic device 104, in this example, a cellular telephone having display 108, between about 45 cm and 60 cm (approximately 18 inches to 24 inches) from his or her eyes. In the technology described herein, a real image display is active in the electronic device 104 in the normal viewing mode. In the near-to-eye mode for a cellular telephone, a user 102 holds the display 108 at approximately 1 to 4 inches (around 2.5 cm to 10 cm) from his or her eyes. However, the distance for viewing depends upon, for example, the type of display used, the user's visual abilities, the user's preference, the configuration of the device, the size of the display and the type of data.
In the example shown, the display screen's 108 diagonal display aperture (or image's size as it appears in the light guide optical substrate) is 1.5 inches (about 3.5 cm). For a field of view of 30 degrees (on the diagonal), this may correlate to viewing a computer/laptop screen of 20 inches (48 cm) from a distance of approximately 34 inches (80 cm).
The virtual image display may be triggered at a distance less than the diagonal screen size, depending on the particular display implementation. Larger screens may have a shorter distance to trigger a virtual image while smaller screens may have a longer distance to trigger the virtual images.
In the near-to-eye mode depicted in
Referring to
In one embodiment, a proximity sensor 318 is in communication with a switch for activating the microdisplay 306 and the virtual image subsequently viewed on the optical element 202 of the virtual image display when the proximity sensor 318 detects an object (a user) within a predetermined distance to the proximity sensor 318. Also, this event deactivates the real image LCD 302. Conversely, in the event that the proximity sensor does not detect an object within the predetermined distance to the proximity sensor, the image for the real image LCD 302 is activated and the image for the optical element 202 is deactivated. A hard or soft key as part of keypad 320 may also be used to permit the user to manually change modes as well.
In some instances, either display may have varying degrees of display capability, and the activation and deactivation of either component may be in stages. Additionally, in another embodiment, the optical element 202 may include varying degrees of imaging, that is, from a real image to a virtual image, so that the real image LCD is not included in the housing.
Returning to
The sensor 318 monitors the user interaction with the handset 502. If there is an object within a predetermined distance from the handset 502, the proximity sensor is triggered on 504. The system will then query whether there is data available for a virtual image to be displayed. That is, the system queries whether there an appropriate website download, image or other link highlighted on the real image LCD display 506. Additionally, another setting may allow the user to stay in near-to-eye mode, i.e. over ride the proximity sensor switch, while, for example, waiting for a page to load or to put the handset down to attend to another task.
Briefly turning to
The interactivity of the system may be accomplished by the use of a touchscreen. Therefore, the user may touch the screen at “weather” which is highlighted in
Now returning to
In addition or as an alternative to visual highlighting, voice control may operate to highlight or activate a link. The user might say “scroll” to highlight the first item in a list. The user could then say “next,” “next,” and “select” to activate a link.
In an embodiment including a touchscreen for interactivity, a touchscreen would be deactivated when the microdisplay 306 is activated to transmit a virtual image that is passed through optical element 202 also at step 508. The mode of optical element 202 would remain on until the proximity sensor is triggered off at step 510. As long as the proximity sensor is on, that is, the proximity sensor is not triggered off at 510, the virtual image mode is maintained at 511. When the sensor is triggered off at 512, the real image mode is activated, the high resolution virtual image display of the virtual image mode is deactivated, the touchscreen is activated and a cursor of the device may be used during normal mode.
Turning to
In another embodiment shown in
Also shown in
In the configuration of
The touch sensing system 802 shown in
As an alternative to a partially activated touchscreen, the keypad on a cellular telephone may be used to drive a cursor. As mentioned above, a voice command may be used to drive a cursor. In this way, the touchscreen 802 need not be activated during the near-to-eye mode.
The combination of substrates as discussed above provides at least one arrangement that may be thin enough to include other objects nearby within the housing. The thickness of optical element 202 is typically 4 mm. The real image LCD may have a thickness between 3 and 4 mm, and the touchscreen system 802 is approximately 0.1 mm in thickness. The arrangement with the lightguide optical substrate 202 and the associated components discussed above are smaller than those used in traditional optical devices. Traditional optical devices include lens eyepieces or waveguide elements. Accordingly, the system and apparatus as provided herein may occupy less space than a traditional display substrate configuration.
The optical component support structure supporting the optical and substrate elements described above with reference to
In
Damping element 1008 integrated with speaker support 1006 may be provided to prevent image degradation when the speaker is used. If the speaker is vibrating, items which are directly connected to it may vibrate also. Thus, in the embodiment described herein, the microdisplay 306 may vibrate and the image may not appear clearly unless the vibrations are damped. Also, the life of the microdisplay 306 may be reduced by undamped vibrations. By providing over-molding of an elastomer onto the locations of the support 1006 that support the microdisplay 306 and other elements, the transmission of vibrations to these devices may be reduced. Other materials could include rubber, silicon and urethane. Materials with a durometer range from 40A to 60A may be utilized.
This disclosure is intended to explain how to fashion and use various embodiments in accordance with the technology rather than to limit the true, intended, and fair scope and spirit thereof. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment(s) was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principle of the described technology and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims, as may be amended during the pendency of this application for patent, and all equivalents thereof, when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitable entitled.
