Superimposing Visual Information On Observers Field Of View (e.g., Head-up Arrangement, Etc.) Patents (Class 359/630)
  • Patent number: 9740008
    Abstract: There is provided an image display device used by being mounted to a head or a face of a user, the image display device including a display device configured to display an image, a waveguide configured to guide the image to each of a location seen from a side of the user and a location seen from an outside of the image display device, and a control unit configured to control display of an internal image and an external image, the internal image being seen from the side of the user, the external image being seen from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mukawa, Yoichiro Sako, Yasushi Miyajima, Motoyuki Takai, Tatsuya Narahara, Seiji Wada, Hiroaki Ogawa, Akira Tange, Kazuhide Kemmochi, Takao Tanikame, Ichigo Hayakawa, Masashi Takeda
  • Patent number: 9733482
    Abstract: A wearable display apparatus includes a display for providing viewable images. A display support assembly can support the display. The display support assembly can be self centering and telescoping for adjusting the position of the display for viewing by a user. The display support assembly can include right side and left side arm members spaced apart from each other, and a flexibly resilient support member to which the display is mounted between the arm members. The support member can be telescopically mounted to the arm members. The support member can have flexibly resilient right and left side portions secured to the display. Each side portion can be slidably mounted to a respective arm member for telescoping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Adrian Mark Thomas West, Zachary Jarrod Traina, Junggeun Tak, Thomas Gerard Parent
  • Patent number: 9727132
    Abstract: A system and method are provided that enhances a user's experience when using a see-through near eye display device. A user interface is provided for a user to manage single or simultaneous applications in a head mounted device. Applications for the head mounted device may be activated or deactivated by the user via the user-interface. The user's total field of view (TFOV) which accounts for a complete range of rotation and translation of the user's head may be determined by tracking the user's head position and rotation relative to the user's body and an environment associated with the user. One region of the user's TFOV (e.g., the right-hand side) may display an “application menu” including a list of applications that can be launched, and another region of the user's TFOV (e.g., the left-hand side) may display an “active menu” including a list of applications currently running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: James Chia-Ming Liu, Anton Oguzhan Alford Andrews, Craig R. Maitlen, Sheridan Small
  • Patent number: 9720232
    Abstract: Eye-tracked head-mounted displays are provide which, in one aspect, may utilize the same optics for eyetracking and image viewing, with a selected portion of the optics used for an eyetracking optical path and a selected portion of the display optics used for an image viewing optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
    Inventors: Hong Hua, Chunyu Gao
  • Patent number: 9723230
    Abstract: A multi-spectral imaging (MSI) device can include an imaging plane and a diffractive optic. The imaging plane can include at least two groups of pixels an array of pixels for sensing at least two spectral bands. The at least two spectral bands can include a first spectral band and a second spectral band. The diffractive optic can be configured for diffracting an electromagnetic wave into the at least two spectral bands and focusing each spectral band component of the electromagnetic wave onto the group of pixels for the spectral band to generate an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation
    Inventor: Rajesh Menon
  • Patent number: 9720235
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the see-through computer display systems with a wide field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Patent number: 9720236
    Abstract: An optical element includes a light guide is provided with a incidence section and a emission section, a semitransmissive reflective film is provided in the inside of the light guide, a first diffraction element is provided in the incidence section, and is provided with a plurality of gratings, a second diffraction element is provided in the emission section, and is provided with a plurality of gratings, and a reflective film is provided in the incidence section in a periphery of the first diffraction element, in which the pitch of the plurality of gratings of the first diffraction element is equivalent to the pitch of the plurality of gratings of the second diffraction element, and each extension direction of the plurality of gratings of the first diffraction element is the same direction as each extension direction of the plurality of gratings of the second diffraction element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9715109
    Abstract: When a combiner is used, a cut part of a shift in an outer circumferential edge portion of the combiner is reduced, and a front scenery of a vehicle is more easily seen and recognized. A vehicular display device includes a displayer 4 configured to project display information; and a combiner 1 which enlarges and reflects the display information projected to the displayer 4, images the display information on a vehicle front side, and shows both a virtual image made by the imaging and the front scenery of the vehicle which is seen through. The thickness of an end portion of the combiner 1 gradually becomes thinner as being close to an edge of the combiner 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiromasa Miura
  • Patent number: 9715114
    Abstract: Integral optical stacks and optical systems including an image surface, a stop surface and an integral optical stack disposed between the image surface and the stop surface are described. The integral optical stack includes an optical lens, a partial reflector, a multilayer reflective polarizer and a quarter wave retarder. At least one chief light ray transmitted through the stop surface and the image surface passes through the stop surface at an incident angle of at least 40 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Zhisheng Yun, Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Timothy L. Wong, Erin A. McDowell, Gregg A. Ambur
  • Patent number: 9706941
    Abstract: A problem related to a known eyewear-type electro-oculogram measuring apparatus which detects the eye potential using a pair of electrodes positioned outside both the eyes of a user and a pair of electrodes respectively positioned above and below one eye is that the two pairs of electrodes have had an impact on the skins of users, and discomfort on them. Besides, the electrodes are not excellent in design. The present invention provides eyewear including: a frame; a pair of nose pads; and a first electrode and a second electrode respectively provided on the surface of the pair of nose pads, the first electrode and the second electrode detecting eye potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: JIN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Kanoh, Ryuta Kawashima, Hitoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9700093
    Abstract: A system, method, and helmet includes a collection optic configured to collect light from a scene and create an image; a fiber optic bundle configured to receive the image from the collection optic; an opaque ballistic face shield configured adjacent to the fiber optic bundle; and a projection optic configured to receive the image from the fiber optic bundle and project the image to a viewer. The collection optic includes a field of view (FOV) of greater than 30 degrees, and preferably greater than 50 degrees. The collection optic images the collected light gathered from the scene onto an end of the fiber optic bundle. The fiber optic bundle goes through or around the opaque ballistic face shield. The opaque ballistic face shield is non-electric and includes silicon carbide and polyethylene. In one embodiment, the opaque ballistic face shield includes at least two pounds of silicon carbide and polyethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: The United State of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Raymond M. Gamache, Leslie Brandon Shaw, Jasbinder S. Sanghera
  • Patent number: 9706286
    Abstract: A head-mounted display assembly with a headphone retention mechanism. The head-mounted display assembly includes a display housing, a headphone assembly, a headphone storage region located on the body of the display housing, and a headphone retention mechanism at the headphone storage region. The headphone retention mechanism includes a magnetic element configured to produce a magnetic field that releasably retains the headphone assembly against the headphone storage region when a user positions the headphone assembly in the vicinity of the headphone storage region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC
    Inventors: Nirav Rajendra Patel, Julian James Hammerstein
  • Patent number: 9690097
    Abstract: A short-distance optical amplification module and a near-eye display optical module using the same in the present invention relates to an optical amplification module applicable for short distance and an optical module using the same for near-eye display. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an optical amplification module for large-multiple amplification within a short distance (less than 5 cm) and a near-eye display optical module using the same to achieve super large field of view within a short distance (less than 3 cm). The short-distance optical amplification module in the present invention comprises a first 45 degree phase delay sheet (2), a partial-transmission and partial-reflection curved lens (4), a second 45 degree phase delay sheet (5) and a reflective polarizing sheet (6) which are sequentially arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: SHENZHEN DLODLO TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weiping Tang, Gang Li, Fengxue Zhang, Xu Xiong
  • Patent number: 9686388
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a projector which has: an image projection portion; an image provision portion that provides a projection image to the image projection portion; a deviation movement detection portion that detects a deviation movement of the image projection portion; and an image process portion that based on detection by the deviation movement detection portion, shifts the image provided by the image provision portion in a direction where the deviation movement is corrected. According to this, even if an image projection function does not include a deviation correction function, it is possible to perform the deviation correction by means of the image process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Naiki, Masahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9684167
    Abstract: When a combiner is used, a cut part of a shift in an outer circumferential edge portion of the combiner is reduced, and a front scenery of a vehicle is more easily seen and recognized. A vehicular display device includes a displayer 4 configured to project display information; and a combiner 1 which enlarges and reflects the display information projected to the displayer 4, images the display information on a vehicle front side, and shows both a virtual image made by the imaging and the front scenery of the vehicle which is seen through. The thickness of an end portion of the combiner 1 gradually becomes thinner as being close to an edge of the combiner 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: CALSONIC KANSEI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiromasa Miura
  • Patent number: 9684166
    Abstract: A display apparatus displays a three-dimensional graphical object. The display apparatus includes a projection device for producing an autostereoscopic projection image of the object. The object is displayed for a viewer such that the viewer has an improved three-dimensional impression from the representation. The display apparatus to this end has a specularly reflective and light-transparent combiner plate, and the projection device is configured to project the projection image onto the combiner plate such that for a viewer, viewing from a predetermined viewing direction through the combiner plate, the projection image appears as a mirror image on the combiner plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Marcus Kuehne
  • Patent number: 9684179
    Abstract: A presentation device according to the present invention includes a panel-shaped image-forming optical element and a flat panel display, and forms a video picture (image) appearing on the display as a spatial image in space over the image-forming optical element. Between the upper surface of the image-forming optical element and the spatial image, a plate (guide plate) having an opening corresponding to the planar shape of the image-forming optical element is disposed at an attitude inclined upwardly from the front toward the back side with respect to the image-forming optical element, whereby the spatial image floats up through the opening of the guide plate. This allows anyone to view a three-dimensional spatial image rich in a sense of depth without experience and skill automatically in an appropriate direction from an appropriate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noriyuki Juni
  • Patent number: 9672210
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to language translation systems for head-worn computers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph F. Osterhout
  • Patent number: 9671613
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to providing see-through computer display optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John N. Border
  • Patent number: 9671614
    Abstract: An eyepiece for a head wearable display includes a light guide component for guiding display light received at a peripheral location and emitting the display light at a viewing region. The light guide component includes an eye-ward facing surface having a reflection portion and a viewing portion, a folding surface oriented to reflect the display light received into the light guide component to the reflection portion of the eye-ward facing surface, and a first interface surface oriented to receive the display light reflected from the reflection portion of the eye-ward facing surface. A partially reflective layer is disposed on the first interface surface in the viewing region to reflect the display light through viewing portion of the eye-ward facing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ozan Cakmakci, Anurag Gupta, Oscar A. Martinez
  • Patent number: 9661889
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device includes a belt body, a buckle assembly disposed on the belt body, and an electronic module disposed on the buckle assembly. The buckle assembly includes a base movably fixed to the belt body and a cover detachably disposed on the base. One of the base and the cover includes a sliding rail while the other includes a sliding member. One of the base and the cover includes an arm and a hook protruding from the arm while the other includes an engaging indent. The electronic module including a display module is disposed on the cover. The hook is engaged with the engaging indent so that the cover is fixed to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Wei-Cheng Huang, Chin-Sheng Chao, Chun-Yao Chen, Ming-Chen Liu, Chih-Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 9664909
    Abstract: A beam splitter includes first and second prisms. The first prism includes first, second, and third optical surfaces. The second prism includes three surfaces, one of which faces the second surface of the first prism and both transmit and reflect light. The first surface of the first prism is curved and forms a lens for focusing light either transmitted or reflected by the common interface between the two prisms. The first prism is from a single piece of material. Fabrication includes making two cuts through a lens to cut-out an intermediate section. A portion of the intermediate section is cut-off to form the third surface of the first prism. The first surface of the first prism corresponds to the curved top surface of the lens. The second surface of the first prism corresponds to the bottom plano surface of the lens. The first and second prisms are then combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Bret Whiteside, Patrick Czarnota, Juergen Reich, Sam Shamouilian
  • Patent number: 9658459
    Abstract: A head-mounted image display apparatus includes: a light source that emits laser light; a splitter that splits the laser light into first laser light and second laser light having a different optical intensity than the first laser light; an image drawing section that causes the first laser light to be reflected off a mirror and causes the mirror to make pivotal motion to perform image drawing; a controller that controls the pivotal motion of the mirror; and a notification section that notifies other persons by diffusing the second laser light that the image drawing section is performing image drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makiko Hino, Yasushi Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 9651780
    Abstract: A vehicular information display device is equipped with a first reflection portion that is formed by a front windshield itself or a combiner that is provided on the front windshield, a second reflection portion that is formed by a second combiner that is provided apart from the front windshield, and a floodlight that projects display light onto the first reflection portion and the second reflection portion. The vehicular information display device is characterized in that the first reflection portion and the second reflection portion generate a three-dimensional indication with a virtual image according to the first reflection portion and a virtual image according to the second reflection portion superimposed on each other, or an integral indication with a virtual image according to the first reflection portion and a virtual image according to the second reflection portion integrated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Uno
  • Patent number: 9632312
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a first optical element having an eye-ward facing surface and an external world facing surface substantially opposite of the eye-ward facing surface. The optical apparatus also includes a diffractive optical element (“DOE”) disposed to substantially follow a curvature of the eye-ward facing surface of the first optical element. The DOE includes a partially reflective diffraction grating configured to direct a portion of image light in an eye-ward direction where the image light is incident through an eye facing side of the DOE. The curvature of the eye-ward facing surface of the first optical element has an optical power configured to collimate the image light within an eyebox sized area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ozan Cakmakci, Anurag Gupta, Bernard C. Kress
  • Patent number: 9632315
    Abstract: Head-mounted displays (100) are disclosed which include a frame (107), an image display system (110) supported by the frame (107), and a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107). The HMD (100) can employ a reflective optical surface, e.g., a free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface (a FS/UWA/RO surface) (120), supported by the frame (107), with the Fresnel lens system (115) being located between the image display system (110) and the reflective optical surface (120). The Fresnel lens system (115) can include at least one curved Fresnel lens element (820). Fresnel lens elements (30) for use in HMDs are also disclosed which have facets (31) separated by edges (32) which lie along radial lines (33) which during use of the HMD pass through a center of rotation (34) of a nominal user's eye (35) or through the center of the eye's lens (36) or are normal to the surface of the eye's cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: David Alan Smith, Gary E. Wiese, Glenn Clark Cuddihy, Gregory A. Harrison
  • Patent number: 9632321
    Abstract: An illumination device includes: a light source that emits first light at a first wavelength; an integrator optical system that the first light enters; a wavelength conversion element that converts the first light transmitting through the integrator optical system into second light at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; a wavelength separation element provided on an optical path of the first light between the integrator optical system and the wavelength conversion element; a pickup optical system that is provided between the wavelength conversion element and the wavelength separation element and receives the first light and the second light; and a chromatic aberration-correcting optical element provided at least one of between the integrator optical system and the wavelength separation element on the optical path of the first light and at downstream of the wavelength separation element on an optical path of the second light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9623750
    Abstract: An adaptive, automatically-reconfigurable, vehicle instrument display method and system are described that include widgets displayed within the instrument panel display of a vehicle. Each of the displayable widgets has at least one associated importance value that establishes a relative priority relationship among all of the multiple displayable widgets and affects where a widget will be displayed within the instrument panel display. Based upon changes detected by sensors within the vehicle, the importance values can be modified, with the modification potentially resulting in automatic repositioning of one or more widgets within the instrument panel display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Luis Carlos Cruz Huertas, Edgar Adolfo Zamora Duran
  • Patent number: 9606362
    Abstract: A display system for a head mounted device that illuminates the peripheral regions of the user's field of view to enhance an immersive experience. The system may use peripheral light emitters to the left and right of one or more central displays. Peripheral light emitters may provide lower resolution images, or only with vertical resolution, corresponding to the user's lower resolution vision in these peripheral regions. Reflective surfaces and lenses may be used to direct peripheral light into desired shapes and patterns. Rendering of peripheral light colors and intensities at each peripheral pixel may use approximations for improved performance since users may not be sensitive to precise color values in the peripheral regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ariadne's Thread (USA), Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Gregory Passmore, Adam Li
  • Patent number: 9599825
    Abstract: A head mounted device includes a sensor, a transparent display, and a processor comprising an augmented reality application and an alignment module. The augmented reality application generates a virtual content based on data from the sensor, and displays the virtual content in the transparent display. The alignment module detects an initialization of the augmented reality application and causes a temporary display of an alignment indicator in the transparent display in response to detecting the initialization of the augmented reality application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: DAQRI, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Mullins, Ryan Ries
  • Patent number: 9600925
    Abstract: A virtual reality (VR) console receives slow calibration data from an imaging device and fast calibration data from an inertial measurement unit on a VR headset including a front and a rear rigid body. The slow calibration data includes an image where only the locators on the rear rigid body are visible. An observed position is determined from the slow calibration data and a predicted position is determined from the fast calibration data. If a difference between the observed position and the predicted position is greater than a threshold value, the predicted position is adjusted by a temporary offset until the difference is less than the threshold value. The temporary offset is removed by re-calibrating the rear rigid body to the front rigid body once locators on both the front and rear rigid body are visible in an image in the slow calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC
    Inventors: Dov Katz, Jonathan Shine, Robin Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 9594249
    Abstract: An image display device includes: an image display unit that displays an image; an eyeball position acquiring unit that acquires an orientation of an eye of a viewer relative to a reference position; and an image moving unit that translates the image display unit or an image displayed on the image display unit by a distance corresponding to the acquired orientation of the eye relative to the reference position or rotationally moves the image display unit or the image displayed on the image display unit by an angle corresponding to the acquired orientation of the eye relative to the reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Saito
  • Patent number: 9588341
    Abstract: The technology provides an augmented reality display system for displaying a virtual object to be in focus when viewed by a user. In one embodiment, the focal region of the user is tracked, and a virtual object within the user focal region is displayed to appear in the focal region. As the user changes focus between virtual objects, they appear to naturally move in and out of focus as real objects in a physical environment would. The change of focus for the virtual object images is caused by changing a focal region of light processing elements in an optical path of a microdisplay assembly of the augmented reality display system. In some embodiments, a range of focal regions are swept through at a sweep rate by adjusting the elements in the optical path of the microdisplay assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Avi Bar-Zeev, John Lewis
  • Patent number: 9588345
    Abstract: A head-mounted display device includes: an image display unit including an image-light generating unit that generates image light representing an image and emits the image light and a light guide unit that guides the emitted image light to the eye of a user, the image display unit being for causing the user to visually recognize a virtual image; and a control unit that includes an operation surface, is connected to the image display unit, and controls image display by the image display unit. When it is assumed that the user shifts the user's attention from the virtual image, the control unit adjusts the luminance of the image-light generating unit or adjusts the image light generated by the image-light generating unit to reduce the visibility of the virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Nakada, Hitoshi Saito
  • Patent number: 9581817
    Abstract: Head-mounted displays (100) are disclosed which include a frame (107), an image display system (110) supported by the frame (107), and a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107). The HMD (100) can employ a reflective optical surface, e.g., a free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface (a FS/UWA/RO surface) (120), supported by the frame (107), with the Fresnel lens system (115) being located between the image display system (110) and the reflective optical surface (120). The Fresnel lens system (115) can include at least one curved Fresnel lens element (820). Fresnel lens elements (30) for use in HMDs are also disclosed which have facets (31) separated by edges (32) which lie along radial lines (33) which during use of the HMD pass through a center of rotation (34) of a nominal user's eye (35) or through the center of the eye's lens (36) or are normal to the surface of the eye's cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: David Alan Smith, Gary E. Wiese, Glenn Clark Cuddihy, Gregory A. Harrison
  • Patent number: 9575322
    Abstract: A display device and an electronic apparatus using the display device are described. The display device includes a display component configured to output initial light corresponding to a first image; and a transmission optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the initial light and configured to transmit the initial light corresponding to the first image from the display component and perform light path conversion to convert it into a first exit light; and an adjustment optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the first exit light and configured to perform light path conversion on the first exit light to obtain a second exit light, wherein an image corresponding to the first image is capable of being perceived at a particular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaopan Zheng, Feijun Weng, Fei Wu, Zhenrong Zheng
  • Patent number: 9557569
    Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) may comprise an adjustable crown band, a crown band circumference adjusting mechanism coupled to the adjustable crown band and configured to adjust a crown band circumference to releasably secure the crown band to the user's crown, an armature including left and right arms, each of the left and right arms mounted at a respective proximal end to corresponding left and right HMD attachment structures, a display mounted at left and right sides to respective distal ends of the left and right arms, and an eye relief distance adjustment mechanism configured to move the left and right arms in a timed manner toward and away from the crown band along a substantially linear path, to thereby adjust an eye relief distance from the display to an eye of a the user when the crown band is fitted on the crown of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Errol Mark Tazbaz, Roy Joseph Riccomini, Andrew Bert Hodge, Bradley William Steiner, Michael James Basha, Azhar K. Meyer, Zoltan Laszlo, Christopher Bramley Fruhauf, Perry Q. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9551579
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generating navigation paths between images. A first image taken from a first location and a second image taken from a second location may be selected. A position of the first location in relation to the second location may be determined. First and second frames for the first and second images may be selected based on the position. First and second sets of visual features for each of the first and second image frames may be identified. Matching visual features between the first set of visual features and the second set of visual features may be determined. A confidence level for a line-of-sight between the first and second images may be determined by evaluating one or more positions of the matching visual features. Based on at least the confidence level, a navigation path from the first image to the second image is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Sheridan, Scott Benjamin Satkin
  • Patent number: 9541760
    Abstract: A head-up display for a vehicle has a laser and a scanning system. An image, which is to be displayed in the field of vision of the driver of the vehicle and which is composed of individual pixels, is produced pixel-by-pixel by the laser and the scanning system. The head-up display has a projection system having a projection surface and a magnifying optical system. The projection system projects the image to be displayed onto a virtual image plane and magnifies the image in the process. The size of the pixels in the virtual image plane is smaller than the resolving ability of the human eye, which is the case for an angular distance less than 0.5?, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS GMBH
    Inventors: Yanning Zhao, Hannes Rene Boehm
  • Patent number: 9535253
    Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating, formed by modulations on a first surface of the waveguide, splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. A polarization state of each beam interacting with the modulations is controlled by a retarder film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Tapani Levola, Pasi Saarikko
  • Patent number: 9529196
    Abstract: An image processing guide comprising: a solid body comprising: a plurality of surfaces defining an optical pathway from an input surface to an output surface, where the optical pathway connects the plurality of surfaces successively; wherein the plurality of surfaces comprises at least one curved reflective surface configured to receive light from the optical pathway and to return light to the optical pathway; wherein the optical signal is not focused to an image plane within the solid body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: iPhysicist Ltd.
    Inventor: Sharon Sade
  • Patent number: 9519640
    Abstract: A see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display apparatus for providing translations of real world data for a user. A wearer's location and orientation with the apparatus is determined and input data for translation is selected using sensors of the apparatus. Input data can be audio or visual in nature, and selected by reference to the gaze of a wearer. The input data is translated for the user relative to user profile information bearing on accuracy of a translation and determining from the input data whether a linguistic translation, knowledge addition translation or context translation is useful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Kathryn Stone Perez, John Clavin, Kevin A. Geisner, Stephen G. Latta, Brian J. Mount, Arthur C. Tomlin, Adam G. Poulos
  • Patent number: 9513482
    Abstract: A Heads-Up Display (HUD) system for mounting on a pair of glasses comprises a power module for providing electrical power removably mountable to one side of a lens assembly of the glasses, an electronics module connectable to receive electrical power from the power module, the electronics module removably mountable to an opposite side of the lens assembly of the glasses; and a display housing mounted on a display arm extending from the electronics module to a position within a field of vision of a user wearing the glasses. A pair of glasses adapted to receive a HUD system comprises a lens assembly providing one or more electrically conductive paths from a first side thereof to a second side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Hamid Abdollahi, Raymond C. M. Leung
  • Patent number: 9507150
    Abstract: The head up display provides light from an image source. The head up display includes a waveguide assembly comprising a first waveguide for disposition at an angle with respect to a top surface of a glare shield and a second waveguide disposed at an angle with respect to the first waveguide. The first waveguide has a first diffractive coupler at a first end and a second waveguide has a second diffractive coupler at a second end. The first waveguide is positioned as a combiner and allows viewing of an outside scene and information from the image source. At least part of the first waveguide is disposed beneath the top surface of a glare shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric P. Stratton, Christopher M. Buchholz, Robert D. Brown, Christopher A. Keith, James H. Stanley
  • Patent number: 9507152
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display device capable of projecting a virtual image on a curved surface. a curved parallel mirror receives parallel beams from a collimator lens and outputs a plurality of transmitted beams by being configured such that a semi-transparent curved mirror and a curved mirror are arranged opposing each other, said semi-transparent curved mirror reflecting a portion of the parallel beams while allowing the other portion to pass through as transmitted beams, and said curved mirror reflecting parallel beams toward the semi-transparent curved mirror. The curved parallel mirror has a convex curved shape toward the transmission side such that when the outputted plurality of transmitted beams are reflected by a curved surface, the reflected transmitted beams become display beams representing a virtual image substantially parallel to a first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kasahara, Yuichi Takahashi, Takashi Yamazoe
  • Patent number: 9507383
    Abstract: The description relates to computing devices, such as mobile computing devices. One example can include a first portion, a second portion, and an adhesive. The example can also include micro heaters positioned proximate to the adhesive. The micro heaters are configured to be selectively energized to supply sufficient thermal energy to the adhesive to facilitate curing of the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Rajesh Dighde, Tim M. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9500863
    Abstract: A vehicle head-up display device includes a pattern generation unit and a combiner comprised of a free-form surface lens. The pattern generation unit forms at least one image, and the combiner magnifies and reflects the image of the pattern generation unit to provide a virtual image. The combiner has a dynamic distortion of smaller than 0.4%, and the dynamic distortion is an average value of a maximum horizontal dynamic distortion and a maximum vertical dynamic distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventor: Yu-Chen Lin
  • Patent number: 9503638
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus of obtaining single and video, high-resolution, panoramic images of a large field-of-view scene with a single viewpoint. The system consists of a segmented cap lens, multiple imaging sensors and imaging lenses. The cap lens is segmented to capture an individual sub-field of the entire panorama. In addition, the cap lens is optimized to relay the optical centers of the component cameras into a single viewpoint therefore reducing parallax errors. A high-resolution panoramic image with reduced artifacts is reconstructed by mosaicking multiple images taken by component cameras. The entire system is based upon refractive lenses to minimize the path length of light rays, enabling a relatively compact design for practical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: UtopiaCompression Corporation
    Inventors: Hieu Nguyen, Sheng Liu, Joseph Yadegar
  • Patent number: 9500869
    Abstract: There is provided a light-guide, compact collimating optical device, including a light-guide having a light-waves entrance surface, a light-waves exit surface and a plurality of external surfaces, a light-waves reflecting surface carried by the light-guide at one of the external surfaces, two retardation plates carried by light-guides on a portion of the external surfaces, a light-waves polarizing beamsplitter disposed at an angle to one of the light-waves entrance or exit surfaces, and a light-waves collimating component covering a portion of one of the retardation plates. A system including the optical device and a substrate, is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventor: Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 9469195
    Abstract: An adaptive, automatically-reconfigurable, vehicle instrument display method and system are described that continuously looks for any obstruction between a driver and a widget displayed within the instrument panel display of the vehicle and, upon detection of an obstruction, will move the widget to a new, unobstructed, location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Luis Carlos Cruz Huertas, Edgar Adolfo Zamora Duran