WO2020222752A1 - Head-mounted display with nose detection - Google Patents

Head-mounted display with nose detection Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2020222752A1
WO2020222752A1 PCT/US2019/029683 US2019029683W WO2020222752A1 WO 2020222752 A1 WO2020222752 A1 WO 2020222752A1 US 2019029683 W US2019029683 W US 2019029683W WO 2020222752 A1 WO2020222752 A1 WO 2020222752A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
nose
hmd
eyecup
wearer
hmd wearer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2019/029683
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Eric Bokides
Original Assignee
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. filed Critical Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority to PCT/US2019/029683 priority Critical patent/WO2020222752A1/en
Publication of WO2020222752A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020222752A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B27/00Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
    • G02B27/01Head-up displays
    • G02B27/017Head mounted
    • G02B27/0176Head mounted characterised by mechanical features

Definitions

  • a head-mounted display is a display device worn on the head or as part of a helmet.
  • An HMD includes a small display in front of one or each eye of a user.
  • XR extended reality
  • VR virtual reality
  • AR augmented reality
  • MR mixed reality
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram of a perspective view of an example
  • HMD head-mounted display
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram of a perspective view of a portion of an example HMD.
  • FIGs. 3A and 3B are diagrams depicting an example as to how movement of lenses of an HMD to adjacent the nose of the HMD wearer can maximize stereoscopic field of view.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example HMD.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example non-transitory computer- readable data storage medium for an HMD.
  • FIG. 6 is another block diagram of an example HMD.
  • FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for an HMD.
  • FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting an example as to how nose detection can avoid having to truncate HMD lenses.
  • HMDs head-mounted displays
  • XR Extended reality
  • VR virtual reality
  • AR augmented reality
  • MR mixed reality
  • MR mixed reality
  • the HMD For the user of an HMD to receive an optimal experience, the HMD has to be properly fitted or worn by the user. From a visual perspective, the HMD provides a maximal stereoscopic optical field of view when lenses of the HMD are aligned with pupils of the HMD wearer’s eyes- that is, when the interpupillary distance (IPD) matches the distance between the lenses’ optical axes. Because different people have differently sized heads and faces, different sizes of noses, and different IPDs, mass-produced HMDs and HMDs that are otherwise not manufactured for particular wearers are often adjustable.
  • IPD interpupillary distance
  • an HMD can include a pair of adjustable eyecups.
  • Each eyecup can include a lens at the end of the eyecup positioned closer to or against a corresponding eye of the wearer of the HMD, and a display at the opposite end of the eyecup.
  • the eyecups are adjustable so that they can be positioned farther from or closer to each other.
  • the wearer of an HMD may be instructed to adjust the eyecups so that the lenses are aligned with the pupils of the wearer’s eyes.
  • HMD wearers especially novice users of HMDs - often do not properly adjust the eyecups or do not adjust them at all after putting on the HMDs. Even when instructed by the HMD, a wearer may be too timid to properly adjust the eyecups, or may not understand exactly how the eyecups should be adjusted. Such wearers may not receive an optimal XR experience.
  • Techniques described herein provide for automatic adjustment of the eyecups of an HMD. After a user has put on an HMD, the HMD via corresponding motors moves the eyecups and lenses inward toward the wearer’s nose. Once a nose detection sensor of the HMD has detected the eyecups adjacent to the wearer’s nose, the HMD ceases movement of the eyecups and the lenses.
  • an HMD may have cameras or other sensors that detect the pupils of the wearer’s eyes. Such an HMD may move the eyecups and lenses inward until the lenses become aligned with the wearer’s eye pupils - that is, until the distance between the optical axes of the lenses matches the IPD of the pupils of the wearer’s eyes.
  • HMDs that use cameras or other sensors that detect wearers’ eye pupils resolve this issue by truncating the lenses.
  • each lens of an HMD is truncated, or cut off, so that the eyecups can be moved closer together without uncomfortably impinging the wearer’s nose even if the nose is relatively large.
  • Lens truncation undesirably decreases optical stereoscopic field of view.
  • uncomfortable nose impingement is an issue affecting just a small number of wearers, lens truncation is undesirable because it decreases the optical stereoscopic field of view for most users just to improve comfort for a much smaller number of users.
  • eye pupil detection e.g., IPD detection
  • the eyecups and lenses of an HMD are moved inward towards the wearer’s nose. While such movement occurs, the HMD tracks the wearer’s eye pupils in relation to the lenses and monitors the eyecups in relation to the wearer’s nose.
  • the HMD stops moving the eyecups and lenses when the wearer’s eye pupils have become aligned with the lenses or when the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose - whichever comes first.
  • the lenses of the HMD do not have to be truncated. Wearers with large noses do not experience uncomfortable nose impingement, because the HMD stops moving the eyecups and lenses towards such a wearer’s nose once the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose. Because the lenses are not truncated, the majority of wearers of the HMD do not experience decreased field of view.
  • FIG. 1 shows an example HMD 100 in which a specific area 102 thereof is identified
  • FIG. 2 shows an example portion 202 of the example HMD 100 that is located within this specific area 102.
  • the HMD portion 202 corresponds to the right side of the HMD 100 from the perspective of the wearer 210 of the HMD 100.
  • the HMD portion 202 includes a lens 204A positioned at an end of a corresponding eyecup 206A, and a nose detection sensor 208A.
  • the HMD 100 can include a similar portion including another lens and another eyecup in correspondence with the left side of the HMD 100.
  • the HMD 100 can move the eyecup 206A and the lens 204A, such as in unison with one another, inwards towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 until the nose detection sensor 208A detects that the eyecup 206A has become positioned adjacent to the nose 212.
  • FIGs. 3A and 3B shows an example as to how movement of the lens 204A and a lens 204B of the HMD 100 to become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212 can maximize optical field of view.
  • the lenses 204 are not positioned adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210.
  • the resulting stereoscopic field of view 306 is the overlap between the respective optical fields of view of the individual lenses 204.
  • FIG. 3B the lenses 204 have been adjusted to become adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210.
  • the resulting stereoscopic field of view 308 is again the overlap between the respective fields of view of the individual lenses 204.
  • the stereoscopic field of view 308 is larger in FIG. 3B than the stereoscopic field of view 306 is in FIG. 3A, because the lenses 204 are closer together.
  • FIGs. 3A and 3B thus show how moving the lenses 204 inwards toward each other until the lenses 204 are positioned adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 maximizes the stereoscopic field of view the HMD wearer 210 experiences when wearing the HMD 100.
  • FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the example HMD 100.
  • the HMD 100 includes the pair of lenses 204, and a pair of eyecups 206.
  • the eyecups 206 include the right eyecup 206A of FIG. 1 as well as a left eyecup 206B.
  • the HMD 100 includes one or more nose detection sensors 208, such as the nose detection sensor 208A that detects the position of the right eyecup 206A in relation to the right side of the HMD wearer’s nose 212.
  • the nose detection sensors 208 may include another nose detection sensor 208B that detects the position of the left eyecup 206B in relation to the left side of the wearer’s nose 212.
  • a nose detection sensor 208 can be a pressure sensor.
  • the pressure sensor detects contact of an eyecup 206 against the HMD wearer’s nose 212, by signaling increased pressure as the eyecup 206 continues to move inwards after making contact against the wearer’s nose 212.
  • the eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 may be moved slightly outward to release the pressure that the HMD wearer 210 may otherwise uncomfortably experience.
  • a nose detection sensor 208 can be an optical sensor.
  • the optical sensor detects proximity of an eyecup 206 in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose 212.
  • the nose detection sensor 208 can detect that an eyecup 206 has become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 by detecting that a gap between the eyecup 206 and the nose 212 has decreased to less than a threshold.
  • the HMD 100 includes motors 402.
  • the motors 402 can move the eyecups 206 and lenses 204 inward toward the HMD wearer’s nose 212 or outward from the wearer’s nose 212.
  • the HMD 100 includes hardware logic 404.
  • the hardware logic 404 can include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general- purpose processor, or other type of hardware.
  • the hardware logic 404 performs processing, as embodied within program code.
  • the hardware logic 404 can cause the motors 402 to move the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 until the nose detection sensors 208 have detected that the eyecups 206 have become positioned adjacent to the nose 212.
  • FIG. 5 shows an example non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium 500 for the HMD 100.
  • the computer-readable data storage medium 500 stores program code 502 that the HMD 100 executes to perform processing.
  • the computer-readable data storage medium 500 may be a part of the hardware logic 404, including the implementation in which the logic 404 includes an ASIC and the implementation in which the logic 404 includes a general-purpose processor.
  • the processing includes moving an eyecup 206 and a
  • the processing includes, while moving an eyecup 206 and a corresponding lens 204, detecting the eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212 (506). Such detection similarly can include detecting each eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212.
  • the processing includes, in response to detecting that the eyecup 206 has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212, ceasing movement of the eyecup 206 and the corresponding lens 204 (508).
  • each eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 may be controlled independently of the other eyecup 206 and lens 204. For example, if the right eyecup 206A becomes positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 before the left eyecup 206B does, then movement of the right eyecup 206A and the right lens 204A may cease while movement of the left eyecup 206 and the left lens 204B continue. Movement of the left eyecup 206B and the left lens 204B may subsequently stop when the left eyecup 206B has become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212.
  • the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 may be controlled in a more interrelated manner. For example, responsive to the nose detection sensor 208A detecting that the right eyecup 206A has becomes positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212, the left eyecup 206B and the left lens 204B are stopped in addition to the right eyecup 206A and the right lens 204A ceasing movement. There may be just a nose detection sensor 208A for the right eyecup 206A, for instance.
  • the nose detection sensor 208A may have detected positioning of the right eyecup 206A adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 before the detection sensor 208B has detected positioning of the left eyecup 206B adjacent to the nose 212.
  • FIG. 6 shows another block diagram of the example HUD 100.
  • the HMD 100 of FIG. 6 can include the eyecups 206, the lenses 204, the nose detection sensors 208, the motors 402, and the hardware logic 404.
  • the HMD 100 of FIG. 6 also includes one or more pupil sensors 602, such as a pupil sensor 602A corresponding to the right lens 204A and thus to the right eye of the HMD wearer 210, and a pupil sensor 602B corresponding to the left lens 204B and thus to the left eye of the wearer 210.
  • Each pupil sensor 602 can be a camera, other image-capturing device, or another type of sensor.
  • a pupil sensor 602 detects an eye pupil of the HMD wearer 210 through a corresponding lens 204, and thus can detect the alignment of the pupil with an optical axis of the corresponding lens 204. If there are two pupil sensors 602, the sensors 602 can detect the IPD between the eye pupils of the wearer 210, such as whether the IPD matches the distance between the optical axes of the lenses 204.
  • the hardware logic 404 can cause the motors 402 to move the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 inward toward the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 while the nose detection sensors 208 detect positioning of the eyecups 206 in relation to the nose 212 and while the pupil sensors 602 detect the eye pupils of the wearer 210 in relation to the lenses 204.
  • the hardware logic 404 can cause the motors to cease movement of the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 when the nose detection sensors 208 detect positioning of the eyecups 206 adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212 or when the pupil sensors 602 detect that the eye pupils of the HMD wearer 210 are in alignment with the lenses 204 - i.e.
  • FIG. 7 shows an example method 700.
  • the HMD 100 of FIG. 6, such as the hardware logic 404 thereof, can perform the method 700.
  • the method 700 can be implemented as program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium, such as the program code 502 stored on the computer-readable data storage medium 500 of FIG. 5.
  • the HMD 100 moves an eyecup 206 and a corresponding lens 204 inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 (702). As in part 504 of FIG. 5, such movement can include moving both eyecups 206 and their corresponding lenses 204 inwards.
  • the HMD 100 can, while an eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 move inward, detect the eyecup 206 in relation to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 (704), and detect an eye pupil of the wearer 210 in relation to the corresponding lens 204 (706).
  • the detection of an eyecup 206 in relation to the nose 212 can include detecting each eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212.
  • the detection of an eye pupil of the HMD wearer 210 in relation to a lens 204 can include detecting each eye pupil of the wearer 210 in relation to a corresponding lens 204, and thus can
  • the HMD 100 can cease movement of the eyecup 206 and lens 204 (708).
  • the eyecups 206 and their corresponding lenses 204 may be controlled
  • FIG. 8 shows an example as to how nose detection can avoid having to truncate the lenses 204 of the HMD 100, as compared to when just eye pupil detection occurs without nose detection.
  • Two cases are depicted in FIG. 8: truncation of the lenses 204 per the solid lines 802, and non-truncation of the lenses 204 per the dotted lines 804.
  • Two nose sizes are depicted in FIG. 8: a large-sized nose 806, and a regular-sized nose 808.
  • the lenses 204 can be considered as being positioned in FIG. 8 such that the lenses 204 are aligned with the HMD wearer’s eye pupils,
  • the lenses 204 are not truncated and the wearer has the large-sized nose 806, the lenses 204 significantly press against the nose 806, which can cause wearer discomfort, if nose detection is not performed to stop movement of the lenses 204 (and their corresponding eyecups 206) before the lenses 204 are moved so far inwards. Therefore, if the HMD 100 cannot perform nose detection, the lenses 204 may be truncated so that the lenses 204 do not forcefully press against the large-sized nose 806 of such an HMD wearer.
  • an HMD wearer with a regular-sized nose 808 will experience a reduced stereoscopic field of view, because truncation of each lens 204 reduces the field of view of that lens 204, reducing the overlap (and thus the stereoscopic field of view) of the fields of view of both lenses 204.
  • the HMD 100 can avoid this reduction in stereoscopic field of view for an HMD wearer with a regular-sized nose 808 by not having to use truncated lenses 204, while still ensuring the comfort of a wearer with a large-sized nose 806.
  • the HMD 100 will stop the lenses 204 and their corresponding eyecups 206 once the eyecups 206 become adjacent to the wearer’s nose 806, improving comfort of a wear with a large-sized nose 806 even though the lenses 204 have not been truncated.
  • the techniques that have been described herein employ nose detection to maximize stereoscopic field of view within an HMD. Eyecups and lenses of the HMD can be moved inwards towards an HMD wearer’s nose until the eyecups are positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose. Such nose detection can be employed without also using eye pupil detection as a condition to stop inward movement of the eyecups and the lenses, or can be employed in addition to using eye pupil detection in this respect.

Abstract

An eyecup and a lens of a head-mounted display (HMD) are moved inward towards a nose of a wearer of the HMD. While the eyecup and the lens are moved inward, the eyecup is detected in relation to the HMD wearers nose. in response to detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearers nose, movement of the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearers nose is ceased.

Description

HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY WITH NOSE DETECTION
BACKGROUND
[0001] A head-mounted display (HMD) is a display device worn on the head or as part of a helmet. An HMD includes a small display in front of one or each eye of a user. While HMDs have traditionally been used in aviation and tactical environments, their usage has become more widespread with the advent and increasing popularity of so-called extended reality (XR) technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0002] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a perspective view of an example
head-mounted display (HMD).
[0003] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a perspective view of a portion of an example HMD.
[0004] FIGs. 3A and 3B are diagrams depicting an example as to how movement of lenses of an HMD to adjacent the nose of the HMD wearer can maximize stereoscopic field of view.
[0005] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example HMD.
[0006] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example non-transitory computer- readable data storage medium for an HMD.
[0007] FIG. 6 is another block diagram of an example HMD.
[0008] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for an HMD. [0009] FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting an example as to how nose detection can avoid having to truncate HMD lenses.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] As noted in the background, head-mounted displays (HMDs) can be used in different environments and in conjunction with different technologies. Extended reality (XR) technologies quite literally extend the reality experienced by the wearer of an HMD. In virtual reality (VR) technologies, the HMD wearer is immersed in an entirely virtual world, whereas in augmented reality (AR) technologies, the HMD wearer’s direct or indirect view of the physical, real-world environment is augmented. In mixed reality (MR), or hybrid reality, technologies, the HMD wearer experiences the merging of real and virtual worlds.
[0011] For the user of an HMD to receive an optimal experience, the HMD has to be properly fitted or worn by the user. From a visual perspective, the HMD provides a maximal stereoscopic optical field of view when lenses of the HMD are aligned with pupils of the HMD wearer’s eyes- that is, when the interpupillary distance (IPD) matches the distance between the lenses’ optical axes. Because different people have differently sized heads and faces, different sizes of noses, and different IPDs, mass-produced HMDs and HMDs that are otherwise not manufactured for particular wearers are often adjustable.
[0012] Specifically, an HMD can include a pair of adjustable eyecups.
Each eyecup can include a lens at the end of the eyecup positioned closer to or against a corresponding eye of the wearer of the HMD, and a display at the opposite end of the eyecup. The eyecups are adjustable so that they can be positioned farther from or closer to each other. The wearer of an HMD may be instructed to adjust the eyecups so that the lenses are aligned with the pupils of the wearer’s eyes.
[0013] However, HMD wearers - especially novice users of HMDs - often do not properly adjust the eyecups or do not adjust them at all after putting on the HMDs. Even when instructed by the HMD, a wearer may be too timid to properly adjust the eyecups, or may not understand exactly how the eyecups should be adjusted. Such wearers may not receive an optimal XR experience.
[0014] Techniques described herein provide for automatic adjustment of the eyecups of an HMD. After a user has put on an HMD, the HMD via corresponding motors moves the eyecups and lenses inward toward the wearer’s nose. Once a nose detection sensor of the HMD has detected the eyecups adjacent to the wearer’s nose, the HMD ceases movement of the eyecups and the lenses.
[0015] Usage of a nose detection sensor can ameliorate shortcomings associated with other techniques that employ automatic HMD eyecup adjustment. For instance, an HMD may have cameras or other sensors that detect the pupils of the wearer’s eyes. Such an HMD may move the eyecups and lenses inward until the lenses become aligned with the wearer’s eye pupils - that is, until the distance between the optical axes of the lenses matches the IPD of the pupils of the wearer’s eyes.
[0016] However, some wearers may have large noses. This means that the lenses of an HMD may not become aligned with the wearer’s pupils until the eyecups have uncomfortably pressed against the wearer’s nose, which the wearer may not like and thus which can result in the wearer less likely to use the HMD. The techniques described herein avoid this problem, because the nose detection sensor detects the eyecups in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose.
[0017] By comparison, HMDs that use cameras or other sensors that detect wearers’ eye pupils resolve this issue by truncating the lenses.
Specifically, each lens of an HMD is truncated, or cut off, so that the eyecups can be moved closer together without uncomfortably impinging the wearer’s nose even if the nose is relatively large. Lens truncation, however, undesirably decreases optical stereoscopic field of view. To the extent that uncomfortable nose impingement is an issue affecting just a small number of wearers, lens truncation is undesirable because it decreases the optical stereoscopic field of view for most users just to improve comfort for a much smaller number of users.
[0018] The techniques described herein can be used in conjunction with eye pupil detection (e.g., IPD detection) to ameliorate this issue as well. The eyecups and lenses of an HMD are moved inward towards the wearer’s nose. While such movement occurs, the HMD tracks the wearer’s eye pupils in relation to the lenses and monitors the eyecups in relation to the wearer’s nose. The HMD stops moving the eyecups and lenses when the wearer’s eye pupils have become aligned with the lenses or when the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose - whichever comes first.
[0019] In such an implementation, the lenses of the HMD do not have to be truncated. Wearers with large noses do not experience uncomfortable nose impingement, because the HMD stops moving the eyecups and lenses towards such a wearer’s nose once the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose. Because the lenses are not truncated, the majority of wearers of the HMD do not experience decreased field of view.
[0020] FIG. 1 shows an example HMD 100 in which a specific area 102 thereof is identified, whereas FIG. 2 shows an example portion 202 of the example HMD 100 that is located within this specific area 102. The HMD portion 202 corresponds to the right side of the HMD 100 from the perspective of the wearer 210 of the HMD 100. The HMD portion 202 includes a lens 204A positioned at an end of a corresponding eyecup 206A, and a nose detection sensor 208A. The HMD 100 can include a similar portion including another lens and another eyecup in correspondence with the left side of the HMD 100. The HMD 100 can move the eyecup 206A and the lens 204A, such as in unison with one another, inwards towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 until the nose detection sensor 208A detects that the eyecup 206A has become positioned adjacent to the nose 212.
[0021] FIGs. 3A and 3B shows an example as to how movement of the lens 204A and a lens 204B of the HMD 100 to become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212 can maximize optical field of view. FIGs. 3A and 3B depict both the right lens 204A and the left lens 204B, which are collectively referred to as the lenses 204. In FIG. 3A, the lenses 204 are not positioned adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210. The resulting stereoscopic field of view 306 is the overlap between the respective optical fields of view of the individual lenses 204.
[0022] In FIG. 3B, the lenses 204 have been adjusted to become adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210. The resulting stereoscopic field of view 308 is again the overlap between the respective fields of view of the individual lenses 204. The stereoscopic field of view 308 is larger in FIG. 3B than the stereoscopic field of view 306 is in FIG. 3A, because the lenses 204 are closer together. FIGs. 3A and 3B thus show how moving the lenses 204 inwards toward each other until the lenses 204 are positioned adjacent to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 maximizes the stereoscopic field of view the HMD wearer 210 experiences when wearing the HMD 100.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the example HMD 100. The HMD 100 includes the pair of lenses 204, and a pair of eyecups 206. The eyecups 206 include the right eyecup 206A of FIG. 1 as well as a left eyecup 206B. The HMD 100 includes one or more nose detection sensors 208, such as the nose detection sensor 208A that detects the position of the right eyecup 206A in relation to the right side of the HMD wearer’s nose 212. The nose detection sensors 208 may include another nose detection sensor 208B that detects the position of the left eyecup 206B in relation to the left side of the wearer’s nose 212.
[0024] In one implementation, a nose detection sensor 208 can be a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor detects contact of an eyecup 206 against the HMD wearer’s nose 212, by signaling increased pressure as the eyecup 206 continues to move inwards after making contact against the wearer’s nose 212.
In this implementation, once the nose detection sensor 208 has detected contact of an eyecup 206 against the wearer’s nose 212, the eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 may be moved slightly outward to release the pressure that the HMD wearer 210 may otherwise uncomfortably experience.
[0025] In another implementation, a nose detection sensor 208 can be an optical sensor. The optical sensor detects proximity of an eyecup 206 in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose 212. In this implementation, the nose detection sensor 208 can detect that an eyecup 206 has become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 by detecting that a gap between the eyecup 206 and the nose 212 has decreased to less than a threshold.
[0026] The HMD 100 includes motors 402. The motors 402 can move the eyecups 206 and lenses 204 inward toward the HMD wearer’s nose 212 or outward from the wearer’s nose 212. There may be a separate motor 402 for each eyecup 206 and corresponding lens 204, to move this eyecup 206 and lens 204 (such as in unison with one another) inward toward or outward from the HMD wearer’s nose 212.
[0027] The HMD 100 includes hardware logic 404. The hardware logic 404 can include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general- purpose processor, or other type of hardware. The hardware logic 404 performs processing, as embodied within program code. The hardware logic 404 can cause the motors 402 to move the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 until the nose detection sensors 208 have detected that the eyecups 206 have become positioned adjacent to the nose 212.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows an example non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium 500 for the HMD 100. The computer-readable data storage medium 500 stores program code 502 that the HMD 100 executes to perform processing. The computer-readable data storage medium 500 may be a part of the hardware logic 404, including the implementation in which the logic 404 includes an ASIC and the implementation in which the logic 404 includes a general-purpose processor.
[0029] The processing includes moving an eyecup 206 and a
corresponding lens 204 inward toward the HMD wearer’s nose 212 (504). Such movement can include moving both eyecups 206 and their corresponding lenses 204 inwards in this respect. The processing includes, while moving an eyecup 206 and a corresponding lens 204, detecting the eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212 (506). Such detection similarly can include detecting each eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212.
[0030] The processing includes, in response to detecting that the eyecup 206 has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212, ceasing movement of the eyecup 206 and the corresponding lens 204 (508). In the implementation in which there are two eyecups 206 and two lenses 204, each eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 may be controlled independently of the other eyecup 206 and lens 204. For example, if the right eyecup 206A becomes positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 before the left eyecup 206B does, then movement of the right eyecup 206A and the right lens 204A may cease while movement of the left eyecup 206 and the left lens 204B continue. Movement of the left eyecup 206B and the left lens 204B may subsequently stop when the left eyecup 206B has become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212.
[0031] In another implementation in which there are two eyecups 206 and two lenses 204, the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 may be controlled in a more interrelated manner. For example, responsive to the nose detection sensor 208A detecting that the right eyecup 206A has becomes positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212, the left eyecup 206B and the left lens 204B are stopped in addition to the right eyecup 206A and the right lens 204A ceasing movement. There may be just a nose detection sensor 208A for the right eyecup 206A, for instance. Or, if there is a nose detection sensor 208 for each eyecup 206, the nose detection sensor 208A may have detected positioning of the right eyecup 206A adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 before the detection sensor 208B has detected positioning of the left eyecup 206B adjacent to the nose 212.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows another block diagram of the example HUD 100. The HMD 100 of FIG. 6 can include the eyecups 206, the lenses 204, the nose detection sensors 208, the motors 402, and the hardware logic 404. The HMD 100 of FIG. 6 also includes one or more pupil sensors 602, such as a pupil sensor 602A corresponding to the right lens 204A and thus to the right eye of the HMD wearer 210, and a pupil sensor 602B corresponding to the left lens 204B and thus to the left eye of the wearer 210. [0033] Each pupil sensor 602 can be a camera, other image-capturing device, or another type of sensor. A pupil sensor 602 detects an eye pupil of the HMD wearer 210 through a corresponding lens 204, and thus can detect the alignment of the pupil with an optical axis of the corresponding lens 204. If there are two pupil sensors 602, the sensors 602 can detect the IPD between the eye pupils of the wearer 210, such as whether the IPD matches the distance between the optical axes of the lenses 204.
[0034] In the HMD 100 of FIG. 6, the hardware logic 404 can cause the motors 402 to move the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 inward toward the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 while the nose detection sensors 208 detect positioning of the eyecups 206 in relation to the nose 212 and while the pupil sensors 602 detect the eye pupils of the wearer 210 in relation to the lenses 204. The hardware logic 404 can cause the motors to cease movement of the eyecups 206 and the lenses 204 when the nose detection sensors 208 detect positioning of the eyecups 206 adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose 212 or when the pupil sensors 602 detect that the eye pupils of the HMD wearer 210 are in alignment with the lenses 204 - i.e. , whichever occurs (and is detected) first. For example, the pupil sensors 602 may detect that the IPD between the eye pupils matches the lenses 204 before the nose detection sensors 208 detect that the eyecups 206 are positioned adjacent to the nose 212 of the wearer 210. The hardware logic 404 may thus stop the motors 402 before the nose detection sensors 208 detect positioning of the eyecups 206 against the HMD wearer’s nose 212. [0035] FIG. 7 shows an example method 700. The HMD 100 of FIG. 6, such as the hardware logic 404 thereof, can perform the method 700. The method 700 can be implemented as program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium, such as the program code 502 stored on the computer-readable data storage medium 500 of FIG. 5.
[0036] The HMD 100 moves an eyecup 206 and a corresponding lens 204 inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose 212 (702). As in part 504 of FIG. 5, such movement can include moving both eyecups 206 and their corresponding lenses 204 inwards. The HMD 100 can, while an eyecup 206 and its corresponding lens 204 move inward, detect the eyecup 206 in relation to the nose 212 of the HMD wearer 210 (704), and detect an eye pupil of the wearer 210 in relation to the corresponding lens 204 (706). As in part 504 of FIG. 5, the detection of an eyecup 206 in relation to the nose 212 can include detecting each eyecup 206 in relation to the wearer’s nose 212. The detection of an eye pupil of the HMD wearer 210 in relation to a lens 204 can include detecting each eye pupil of the wearer 210 in relation to a corresponding lens 204, and thus can
include detection of the IPD between the eye pupils in relation to the distance between the lenses 204.
[0037] In response to detecting that the eye pupil of the HMD wearer 210 has become aligned with a corresponding lens 204 or that an eyecup 206 has become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose 212 - whichever is detected first - the HMD 100 can cease movement of the eyecup 206 and lens 204 (708). In the implementation in which there are two eyecups 206 and two lenses 204, the eyecups 206 and their corresponding lenses 204 may be controlled
independently or in a more interrelated manner, as in part 508 of FIG. 5. In the implementation in which there are two eyecups 206 and two lenses 204, there may be two nose detection sensors 208 or there may be just one nose detection sensor 208 for one of the eyecups 206. Similarly, there may be two pupil sensors 602 or there may be just one pupil sensor for one of the HMD
wearer’s eye pupils.
[0038] FIG. 8 shows an example as to how nose detection can avoid having to truncate the lenses 204 of the HMD 100, as compared to when just eye pupil detection occurs without nose detection. Two cases are depicted in FIG. 8: truncation of the lenses 204 per the solid lines 802, and non-truncation of the lenses 204 per the dotted lines 804. Two nose sizes are depicted in FIG. 8: a large-sized nose 806, and a regular-sized nose 808.
[0039] The lenses 204 can be considered as being positioned in FIG. 8 such that the lenses 204 are aligned with the HMD wearer’s eye pupils,
regardless of whether the HMD wearer has the large-sized nose 806 or the regular-sized nose 808. If the lenses 204 are not truncated and the wearer has the large-sized nose 806, the lenses 204 significantly press against the nose 806, which can cause wearer discomfort, if nose detection is not performed to stop movement of the lenses 204 (and their corresponding eyecups 206) before the lenses 204 are moved so far inwards. Therefore, if the HMD 100 cannot perform nose detection, the lenses 204 may be truncated so that the lenses 204 do not forcefully press against the large-sized nose 806 of such an HMD wearer. [0040] However, if the lenses 204 are truncated, an HMD wearer with a regular-sized nose 808 will experience a reduced stereoscopic field of view, because truncation of each lens 204 reduces the field of view of that lens 204, reducing the overlap (and thus the stereoscopic field of view) of the fields of view of both lenses 204. By employing nose detection in addition to eye pupil detection, the HMD 100 can avoid this reduction in stereoscopic field of view for an HMD wearer with a regular-sized nose 808 by not having to use truncated lenses 204, while still ensuring the comfort of a wearer with a large-sized nose 806. This is because, when nose detection is employed, the HMD 100 will stop the lenses 204 and their corresponding eyecups 206 once the eyecups 206 become adjacent to the wearer’s nose 806, improving comfort of a wear with a large-sized nose 806 even though the lenses 204 have not been truncated.
[0041] The techniques that have been described herein employ nose detection to maximize stereoscopic field of view within an HMD. Eyecups and lenses of the HMD can be moved inwards towards an HMD wearer’s nose until the eyecups are positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose. Such nose detection can be employed without also using eye pupil detection as a condition to stop inward movement of the eyecups and the lenses, or can be employed in addition to using eye pupil detection in this respect.

Claims

We claim:
1. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by a head-mounted display (HMD) to perform processing comprising:
moving an eyecup and a lens of the HMD inward towards a nose of a wearer of the HMD;
while moving the eyecup and the lens inward, detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose; and
in response to detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose, ceasing movement of the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the processing further comprises:
while moving the eyecup and the lens inward, detecting an eye pupil of the wearer of the HMD in relation to the lens; and
in response to detecting that the HMD wearer’s eye pupil has become aligned with the lens, ceasing the movement of the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose,
wherein the processing ceases the movement of the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose in response to whichever of the HMD wearer’s eye pupil becoming aligned with the lens and the eyecup becoming positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose is detected first.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 2, wherein the eyecup and the lens are part of a pair of eyecups and lenses of the HMD, and the HMD wearer’s eye pupil is one of a pair of eye pupils of the HMD wearer,
wherein moving the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose comprises moving the pair of eyecups and lenses inward toward the nose,
wherein detecting the HMD wearer’s eye pupil comprises detecting an interpupillary distance (IPD) between the HMD wearer’s eye pupils in relation to the lenses,
and wherein detecting that the HMD wearer’s eye pupil has become aligned with the lens comprises detecting that the IPD between the HMD wearer’s eye pupils has become aligned with the lenses.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the eyecup and the lens are part of a pair of eyecups and lenses of the HMD,
and wherein moving the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose comprises moving the pair of eyecups and lenses inward toward the nose.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 4, wherein a nose detection sensor is disposed at a selected eyecup of the pair of eyecups, wherein detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting the selected eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose using the nose detection sensor,
and wherein detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting that the selected eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 4, wherein a nose detection sensor is disposed at each eyecup of the pair of eyecups,
wherein detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting each eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose using a respective nose detection sensor,
and wherein detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting that either eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting proximity of the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose,
and wherein detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting that a gap between the eyecup and the HMD wearer’s nose is less than a threshold.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 1 , wherein detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting contact of the eyecup against the HMD wearer’s nose,
and wherein detecting that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose comprises detecting that the eyecup has made contact with the HMD wearer’s nose.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 8, wherein the processor further comprises:
in response to detecting that the eyecup has made contact with the HMD wearer’s nose, moving the eyecup and the lens of the HMD outward from the HMD wearer’s nose.
10. A head-mounted display (HMD) comprising:
a pair of eyecups corresponding to a pair of eyes of a wearer of the HMD; a pair of lenses each disposed at a corresponding eyecup and movable with the corresponding eyecup;
a pair of motors to move the pair of eyecups and the pair of lenses inward towards a nose of the HMD wearer;
a nose detection sensor to detect the eyecups in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose; and
hardware logic to cause the motors to move the eyecups and the lenses inward toward the HMD wearer’s nose until the nose detection sensor has detected that the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose.
11. The HMD of claim 11 , wherein the hardware logic is to cause the motors to move the eyecups and the lenses inward toward the HMD wearer’s nose until whichever of an interpupillary distance (IPD) between pupils of the HMD wearer’s eyes has become aligned with the lenses or the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the wearer’s nose is detected first.
12. The HMD of claim 11 , wherein the lenses avoid interfering with the HMD wearer’s nose without having to be truncated in correspondence with any HMD wearer’s nose, maximizing stereoscopic field of view that the lenses provide.
13. The HMD of claim 10, wherein the nose detection sensor comprises an optical sensor to detect proximity of the selected eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose,
and wherein the hardware logic is to detect that the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose responsive to the nose detection sensor detecting that a gap between the selected eyecup and the HMD wearer’s nose is less than a threshold.
14. The HMD of claim 10, wherein the nose detection sensor comprises a pressure sensor to detect contact of the selected eyecup against the HMD wearer’s nose, and wherein the hardware logic is to detect that the eyecups have become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose responsive to the nose detection sensor detecting that the eyecup has made contact with the HMD wearer’s nose.
15. A method comprising:
moving an eyecup and a lens of a head-mounted display (HMD) inward towards a nose of a wearer of the HMD;
while moving the eyecup and the lens inward, detecting an eye pupil of the wearer of the HMD in relation to the lens;
while moving the eyecup and the lens inward, detecting the eyecup in relation to the HMD wearer’s nose; and
in response to detecting that the HMD wearer’s eye pupil has become aligned with the lens or that the eyecup has become positioned adjacent to the HMD wearer’s nose, whichever is detected first, ceasing movement of the eyecup and the lens inward towards the HMD wearer’s nose.
PCT/US2019/029683 2019-04-29 2019-04-29 Head-mounted display with nose detection WO2020222752A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2019/029683 WO2020222752A1 (en) 2019-04-29 2019-04-29 Head-mounted display with nose detection

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2019/029683 WO2020222752A1 (en) 2019-04-29 2019-04-29 Head-mounted display with nose detection

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2020222752A1 true WO2020222752A1 (en) 2020-11-05

Family

ID=73029094

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2019/029683 WO2020222752A1 (en) 2019-04-29 2019-04-29 Head-mounted display with nose detection

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2020222752A1 (en)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2006014903A (en) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-19 Nidek Co Ltd Optometer
US20130050642A1 (en) * 2011-08-30 2013-02-28 John R. Lewis Aligning inter-pupillary distance in a near-eye display system
US20160062454A1 (en) * 2014-09-01 2016-03-03 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Head-mounted display apparatus

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2006014903A (en) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-19 Nidek Co Ltd Optometer
US20130050642A1 (en) * 2011-08-30 2013-02-28 John R. Lewis Aligning inter-pupillary distance in a near-eye display system
US20160062454A1 (en) * 2014-09-01 2016-03-03 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Head-mounted display apparatus

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US11880043B2 (en) Display systems and methods for determining registration between display and eyes of user
EP3740847B1 (en) Display systems and methods for determining registration between a display and a user's eyes
JP2023504373A (en) Predictive eye-tracking system and method for foveal rendering of electronic displays
US10241329B2 (en) Varifocal aberration compensation for near-eye displays
US20200355928A1 (en) Method and apparatus for adjusting vr interpupillary distance
US20190004600A1 (en) Method and electronic device for image display
US9256069B2 (en) Image processing apparatus image processing method and program using electrodes contacting a face to detect eye gaze direction
JP6377080B2 (en) Method for providing a pair of progressive ophthalmic lenses (1, 2)
WO2016021034A1 (en) Algorithm for identifying three-dimensional point of gaze
WO2004097462A3 (en) Binocular viewing system
US11561392B2 (en) Method for generating and displaying a virtual object by an optical system
US11157073B2 (en) Gaze calibration for eye-mounted displays
CN114391117A (en) Eye tracking delay enhancement
WO2018120928A1 (en) Smart virtual glasses control method based on conditions of eyeballs
CN105678209B (en) Method for detecting face direction of person
CN112655204A (en) Display system and method for determining vertical alignment between left and right displays and user's eyes
CN114424147A (en) Determining eye rotation center using one or more eye tracking cameras
TW201814356A (en) Head-mounted display apparatus and lens position adjusting method thereof
US11715176B2 (en) Foveated rendering method and system of virtual reality system based on monocular eyeball tracking
WO2018120929A1 (en) Clear and smooth image playback control method based on vr glasses
CN113950639A (en) Free head area of an optical lens
TWI683134B (en) Image display method of head-mounted display apparatus and head-mounted display apparatus
WO2020222752A1 (en) Head-mounted display with nose detection
CN106066538A (en) Frivolous Fresnel Lenses for the Virtual Reality helmet
EP3570092A1 (en) Improvements in or relating to wearable optical devices

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 19927293

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 19927293

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1