Key features of the invention
The eyepiece includes an internal software application running on an integrated multimedia computing facility that has been adapted for 3D augmented reality (AR) content display and interaction with the eyepiece. 3D AR software applications may be developed in conjunction with mobile applications and provided through application store(s), or as stand-alone applications specifically targeting the eyepiece as the end-use platform and through a dedicated 3D AR eyepiece store.
The internal software applications may interface with inputs and output facilities provided by the eyepiece through facilities internal and external to the eyepiece, such as initiated from the surrounding environment, sensing devices, user action capture devices, internal processing facilities, internal multimedia processing facilities, other internal applications, camera, sensors, microphone, through a transceiver, through a tactile interface, from external computing facilities, external applications, event and/or data feeds, external devices, third parties, and the like.
Patent Information
Patent Number: US 9134534
Patent Title: See-through near-eye display glasses including a modular image source
Inventors: Border; John N. (Walworth, NY), Haddick; John D. (San Rafael, CA), Lohse; Robert Michael (Palo Alto, CA), Osterhout; Ralph F. (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC (Redmond, WA)
Family ID: 46828091
Appl. No.: 13/429,657
Filed: March 26, 2012
ABSTRACT: This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content. The optical assembly comprises a reflective image display that generates and reflects image light to an optically flat film then to a curved partially reflecting mirror of the optical assembly that reflects a portion of the image light from the image source and transmits a portion of the scene light from a see-through view of the surrounding environment to the user’s eye as a combined image. The optical assembly comprises a modular image source, wherein the modular image source is mounted in a frame of the eyepiece such that its position with respect to a user’s eye can be adjusted.
Claim 1: An interactive head-mounted device, comprising: a modular optical assembly through which a surrounding environment is viewable, the modular optical assembly including a curved partially reflecting mirror optically intermediate the surrounding environment and a user’s eye, and the modular optical assembly further including a beam splitting layer having an optically flat film disposed at an angle optically intermediate the user’s eye and the curved mirror; a processor for handling virtual content for display, and a modular image source for introducing the virtual content to the modular optical assembly, wherein the modular image source generates and delivers image light to the beam splitting layer, wherein the beam splitting layer reflects said image light from the modular image source away from the user’s eye to the curved partially reflecting mirror, wherein the curved partially reflecting mirror reflects a portion of the image light from the image source back to the user’s eye and transmits a portion of scene light from the surrounding environment through the beam splitting layer to the user’s eye, so that a combined image comprised of portions of the reflected image light and the transmitted scene light is transmitted through the optically flat film to the user’s eye, wherein the modular image source is mounted relative to a frame of the eyepiece such that a position of the modular image source with respect to the user’s eye is adjustable.
