Patents by Inventor John N. Border

John N. Border has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11002961
    Abstract: A see-through head mounted display with controllable light blocking includes an optics module comprising a light source and image source positioned on a same side of an angled partially-reflective surface, wherein the light source projects light off the surface to the image source which reflects the light as image light to the surface which transmits the image light along a first axis. The display also includes a flat combiner positioned to reflect the image light off of a first side and simultaneously transmit incident light through the first and a second side, along an optical axis perpendicular to the first axis to provide a view of a displayed image overlaid onto a see-through view of the environment, and a controllable light blocking element arranged generally parallel to the flat combiner and in front of the second side to block light incident on the same optical axis as the image light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Publication number: 20210132349
    Abstract: A head-mounted display may include a display system and an optical system in a housing. The display system may have a pixel array that produces light associated with images. The display system may also have a linear polarizer through which light from the pixel array passes and a quarter wave plate through which the light passes after passing through the quarter wave plate. The optical system may be a catadioptric optical system having one or more lens elements. The lens elements may include a plano-convex lens and a plano-concave lens. A partially reflective mirror may be formed on a convex surface of the plano-convex lens. A reflective polarizer may be formed on the planar surface of the plano-convex lens or the concave surface of the plano-concave lens. An additional quarter wave plate may be located between the reflective polarizer and the partially reflective mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Sajjad A. Khan, Nan Zhu, Graham B. Myhre, Brent J. Bollman, Tyler Anderson, Weibo Cheng, John N. Border
  • Patent number: 10976559
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and devices for receiving and presenting content. In an example method, content is received, the content to be delivered to a plurality of recipients. Each recipient of the plurality of recipients has a preference for a respective first physical location at which the content is to be presented on a display of a wearable head device associated with the recipient. A sender of the content has a preference for a second physical location at which the content is to be presented to the respective recipient of the plurality of recipients. A respective final physical location for the presentation of the content for the respective recipient of the plurality of recipients is identified. The respective final physical location is based on the respective recipient's preference and the sender's preference. It is determined whether the respective recipient is proximate to a zone associated with the respective final physical location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventors: Ralph F. Osterhout, John D. Haddick, Robert Michael Lohse, John N. Border, Nima L. Shams
  • Publication number: 20210089129
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to providing see-through computer display optics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Ralph F. OSTERHOUT, Robert Michael LOHSE, Nima SHAMS, John D. HADDICK, John N. BORDER
  • Patent number: 10928613
    Abstract: A head-mounted display may include a display system and an optical system in a housing. The display system may have a pixel array that produces light associated with images. The display system may also have a linear polarizer through which light from the pixel array passes and a quarter wave plate through which the light passes after passing through the quarter wave plate. The optical system may be a catadioptric optical system having one or more lens elements. The lens elements may include a plano-convex lens and a plano-concave lens. A partially reflective mirror may be formed on a convex surface of the plano-convex lens. A reflective polarizer may be formed on the planar surface of the plano-convex lens or the concave surface of the plano-concave lens. An additional quarter wave plate may be located between the reflective polarizer and the partially reflective mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sajjad A. Khan, Nan Zhu, Graham B. Myhre, Brent J. Bollman, Tyler Anderson, Weibo Cheng, John N. Border
  • Patent number: 10908422
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for measuring and managing the brightness of digital content in a field of view of a head-worn computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Patent number: 10901222
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a display with a concave surface. A linear polarizer may be formed on the concave surface. A quarter wave plate may receive light from the linear polarizer. A catadioptric lens may have first and second lens elements. The first lens element may have first and second opposing surfaces. The second lens element may have opposing third and fourth surfaces. The first surface may be convex and may face the display. The fourth surface may be concave. The second surface may be concave. The third surface may be convex and may match the second surface. An additional quarter wave plate may be formed as a coating on the third surface. A partially reflective coating may be formed on the first surface. A reflective polarizer may be formed as a coating on the fourth surface. An additional polarizer may be formed on the reflective polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Victoria C. Chan, John N. Border, Yury A. Petrov, Yoshihiko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10890760
    Abstract: A see-through head mounted display with controllable light blocking includes an optics module comprising a light source and image source positioned on a same side of an angled partially-reflective surface, wherein the light source projects light off the surface to the image source which reflects the light as image light to the surface which transmits the image light along a first axis. The display also includes a flat combiner positioned to reflect the image light off of a first side and simultaneously transmit incident light through the first and a second side, along an optical axis perpendicular to the first axis to provide a view of a displayed image overlaid onto a see-through view of the environment, and a controllable light blocking element arranged generally parallel to the flat combiner and in front of the second side to block light incident on the same optical axis as the image light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Patent number: 10877270
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for providing a high transmission see-through view of the environment while trapping escaping light from the display system. In embodiments, a camera system is also provided that is aligned with the display system to provide images of the environment in a viewing direction of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Publication number: 20200400958
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to suppression of stray light in head worn computing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventor: John N. BORDER
  • Patent number: 10866420
    Abstract: Embodiments include a head-worn display including a display panel sized and positioned to produce a field of view to present digital content to an eye of a user, and a processor adapted to present the digital content to the display panel such that the digital content is only presented in a portion of the field of view, the portion being in the middle of the field of view such that horizontally opposing edges of the field of view are blank areas. The processor is adapted to shift the digital content into one of the blank areas to adjust the convergence distance of the digital content and thereby change the perceived distance from the user to the digital content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventors: John N. Border, Joseph Bietry, John D. Haddick
  • Patent number: 10849817
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate aids for the visually impaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Publication number: 20200365831
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a support structure that supports a display and lenses. Each lens may be a reflective lens such as a catadioptric lens that receives polarized image light from the display and provides a corresponding image to an eye box. The display may be an emissive display with pixels that include light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes may be overlapped by a light recycling layer such as a reflective polarizer or cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The light recycling layer recycles emitted light to enhance display efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Aleksandr N. Polyakov, Aditi G. Kanhere, Brandon E. Clarke, Cheng Chen, John N. Border, Nan Zhu, Rui Liu, Wei-Liang Hsu
  • Publication number: 20200356139
    Abstract: An electronic device display and a display cover layer may be coupled to a housing. The display may have an array of pixels that are configured to emit light. One or more light redirecting elements may be incorporated into the electronic device that redirect and thereby change the direction of light rays emitted from peripheral pixels in the display. The light redirecting elements may be used to enlarge the effective size of the display, to create images on sidewall surfaces of the display cover layer, and/or to create diffuse glowing areas around the periphery of the device. Light redirecting elements may be formed as integral portions of a display cover layer, as laminated optical films on a display cover layer, or as coating layers on a display cover layer. Afocal optical systems may be formed by placing first and second light redirecting elements on opposing first and second sides of a display cover layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Tyler S. Bushnell, John N. Border, Victoria C. Chan
  • Publication number: 20200301154
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for presenting digital content in a field of a view of a head-worn computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ralph F. OSTERHOUT, John D. Haddick, Robert Michael Lohse, John N. Border, Nina L. Shams
  • Publication number: 20200292833
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and devices for receiving and presenting content. In an example method, content is received, the content to be delivered to a plurality of recipients. Each recipient of the plurality of recipients has a preference for a respective first physical location at which the content is to be presented on a display of a wearable head device associated with the recipient. A sender of the content has a preference for a second physical location at which the content is to be presented to the respective recipient of the plurality of recipients. A respective final physical location for the presentation of the content for the respective recipient of the plurality of recipients is identified. The respective final physical location is based on the respective recipient's preference and the sender's preference. It is determined whether the respective recipient is proximate to a zone associated with the respective final physical location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Ralph F. OSTERHOUT, John D. HADDICK, Robert Michael LOHSE, John N. BORDER, Nima L. SHAMS
  • Patent number: 10775630
    Abstract: An optical system for a head-worn computer includes an upper optical module adapted to convert illumination into image light by illuminating a reflective display through a field lens, wherein the image light is transmitted back through the field lens, then through a partially reflective partially transmissive surface and into a lower optic module adapted to present the image light to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the upper optical module being positioned within a housing for the head-worn computer and having a height of less than 24 mm, as measured from the reflective display to the bottom edge of the rotationally curved partial mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
    Inventors: John N. Border, Joseph Bietry, John D. Haddick
  • Publication number: 20200241302
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a computer display stray-light suppression system for a head-worn computer comprising an eye cover including a flexible material with a perimeter, wherein the perimeter is formed to substantially encapsulate an eye of a person, and the eye cover including an attachment system adapted to removably and replaceably attach to a perimeter of the head-worn computer to suppress light emitted from a computer display in the head-worn computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Ralph F. Osterhout, John N. BORDER, Edward H. NORTRUP
  • Publication number: 20200241637
    Abstract: Disclosure herein concerns a method that includes illuminating a user's eye with an illumination source in a head-worn display, capturing an image of the user's eye with an eye camera in the head-worn display, wherein the image includes an eye glint produced by light from the illumination source that is reflected from a surface of the user's eye, determining a size of an eye glint in the captured image, and identifying a change in focus distance for the user's eye in correspondence with a change in the size of the eye glint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventor: John N. BORDER
  • Publication number: 20200225485
    Abstract: An optical system for a head-worn computer includes an upper optical module adapted to convert illumination into image light by illuminating a reflective display through a field lens, wherein the image light is transmitted back through the field lens, then through a partially reflective partially transmissive surface and into a lower optic module adapted to present the image light to an eye of a user wearing the head-worn computer and the upper optical module being positioned within a housing for the head-worn computer and having a height of less than 24 mm, as measured from the reflective display to the bottom edge of the rotationally curved partial mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: John N. BORDER, Joseph BIETRY, John D. HADDICK