| OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120120103 | ALIGNMENT CONTROL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY HEADPIECE - This patent discloses a method for providing an augmented image in a see-through head mounted display. The method includes capturing an image of a scene containing objects and displaying the image to a viewer. The method also includes capturing one or more additional image(s) of the scene in which the viewer indicates a misalignment between the displayed image and a see-through view of the scene. The captured images are then compared to determine an image adjustment to align corresponding objects in displayed images to the objects in the see-through view of the scene. This method provides augmented image information that is displayed in correspondence to the image adjustments so the viewer sees an augmented image comprised of the augmented image information overlaid and aligned to the see-through view. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119978 | LIGHT CONTROL IN HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAYS - A see-through head mounted display apparatus with reduced eyeglow is disclosed. Two images of a scene are combined and presented to a user, the combined image including portions of reflected image light and light from a see-through view of an external environment. The apparatus includes a light control element to block escaping portions of image light and reflected portions of scene light, while allowing incoming scene light to be transmitted from the external environment. The images are produced using a partially reflecting mirror and a light control element. A portion of scene light is transmitted through the partially reflecting mirror and is combined with a portion of image light reflected from the partially reflecting mirror. A light control element is used to block a portion of the image light and a portion of the scene light to reduce eyeglow. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120075168 | EYEPIECE WITH UNIFORMLY ILLUMINATED REFLECTIVE DISPLAY - An eyepiece includes a mechanical frame adapted to secure a lens and an image source facility above the lens. The image source facility includes an LED, a planar illumination facility and a reflective display. The planar illumination facility converts a light beam from the LED received on a side of the planar illumination facility into a top emitting planar light source, uniformly illuminates the reflective display, and is substantially transmissive to allow reflected light to pass through towards a beam splitter. The beam splitter is positioned to receive the image light and to reflect a portion onto a mirrored surface. The mirrored surface is positioned and shaped to reflect the image light into an eye of a user of the eyepiece thereby providing an image within a field of view, the mirrored surface further adapted to be partially transmissive within an area of image reflectance. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120062445 | ADJUSTABLE WRAP AROUND EXTENDABLE ARM FOR A HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY - 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 eyepiece includes an adjustable wrap around extendable arm comprising a shape memory material for securing the position of the eyepiece on the user's head, wherein the extendable arm extends from an end of an eyepiece arm. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20110231757 | TACTILE CONTROL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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. A tactile control interface mounted on the eyepiece accepts control inputs from the user through at least one of a user touching the interface and the user being proximate to the interface. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110227820 | LOCK VIRTUAL KEYBOARD POSITION IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 displayed content is an interactive control element. An integrated camera facility of the eyepiece images the surrounding environment, and identifies a user hand gesture as an interactive control element location command, wherein the location of the interactive control element remains fixed with respect to an object in the surrounding environment, in response to the interactive control element location command, regardless of a change in the viewing direction of the user. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110227813 | AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE WITH SECONDARY ATTACHED OPTIC FOR SURROUNDINGS ENVIRONMENT VISION CORRECTION - 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 eyepiece includes a see-through correction lens that attaches to an exterior surface of an optical waveguide of the eyepiece and enables proper viewing of the surrounding environment whether there is displayed content or not. Alternatively, the see-through correction lens is polarized, attaches to at least one of the optical waveguide and a frame of the eyepiece, and blocks oppositely polarized light reflected from the user's eye to minimize eyeglow. The see-through correction lens may also protect the optical waveguide. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110227812 | HEAD NOD DETECTION AND CONTROL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 eyepiece includes a plurality of head motion sensing control devices that provide control commands to the processor as command instructions based upon sensing a predefined head motion characteristic. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110225536 | SLIDING KEYBOARD INPUT CONTROL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 displayed content is an interactive keyboard control element. The keyboard control element is associated with an input path analyzer, a word matching search facility, and a keyboard input interface, wherein the user inputs text by sliding a pointing device across character keys of the keyboard input interface in a sliding motion through an approximate sequence of a word the user would like to input as text, wherein the input path analyzer determines the characters contacted in the input path, the word matching facility finds a best word match to the sequence of characters contacted and inputs the best word match as input text. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110222745 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BIOMETRIC DATA CAPTURE - A method and apparatus for biometric data capture are provided. The apparatus includes in interactive head-mounted eyepiece worn by a user that includes an optical assembly through which a user views a surrounding environment and displayed content. The optical assembly comprises a corrective element that corrects the user's view of the surrounding environment and an integrated processor for handling content to the user. An integrated optical sensor captures biometric data when the eyepiece is positioned so that a nearby individual is proximate to the eyepiece. Biometric data is captured using the eyepiece and is transmitted to a remote processing facility for interpretation. The remote processing facility interprets the captured biometric data and generates display content based on the interpretation. This display content is delivered to the eyepiece and displayed to the user. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221897 | EYEPIECE WITH WAVEGUIDE FOR RECTILINEAR CONTENT DISPLAY WITH THE LONG AXIS APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL - 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 integrated image source introduces the content to the optical assembly from a side of an optical waveguide of the eyepiece adjacent to an arm of the eyepiece. As a result, the displayed content aspect ratio is between approximately square to approximately rectangular with the long axis approximately horizontal. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221896 | DISPLAYED CONTENT DIGITAL STABILIZATION - The present disclosure concerns digital stabilization of displayed content viewed on an interactive head-mounted eyepiece. The images may be stabilized by sensing movement or vibration of the interactive, head-mounted eyepiece, sending signals from the sensors to a computer, and applying a digital stabilization technique, such as image stabilization or optical stabilization. Optical stabilization refers to the use of adjustable lenses or mounts to correct the images as they are taken. Image stabilization refers to the use of software to digitally correct the images after they are taken to reduce the chatter and vibration of the displayed content. Image enhancement techniques may also be used to enhance the displayed content. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221793 | ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY CHARACTERISTICS IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 includes an electrochromic layer that provides a display characteristic adjustment that is dependent on displayed content requirements and surrounding environmental conditions. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221672 | HAND-WORN CONTROL DEVICE IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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. A control device worn on a hand of a user of the eyepiece includes a control component that when actuated by a digit of the hand of the user, provides a control command from the actuation of the control component to the processor as a command instruction. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221671 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUDIO BIOMETRIC DATA CAPTURE - A method and apparatus for audio biometric data capture are provided. The apparatus includes in interactive head-mounted eyepiece worn by a user that includes an optical assembly through which a user views a surrounding environment and displayed content. The optical assembly comprises a corrective element that corrects the user's view of the surrounding environment and an integrated processor for handling content to the user. An integrated optical sensor captures visual biometric data when the eyepiece is positioned so that a nearby individual is proximate to the eyepiece. Audio biometric data is captured using multiple microphones mounted in an endfire array in the eyepiece. The remote processing facility interprets the captured audio biometric data and generates display content based on the interpretation. This display content is delivered to the eyepiece and displayed to the user. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221670 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VISUAL BIOMETRIC DATA CAPTURE - A method and apparatus for visual biometric data capture are provided. The apparatus includes in interactive head-mounted eyepiece worn by a user that includes an optical assembly through which a user views a surrounding environment and displayed content. The optical assembly comprises a corrective element that corrects the user's view of the surrounding environment and an integrated processor for handling content to the user. An integrated optical sensor captures visual biometric data when the eyepiece is positioned so that a nearby individual is proximate to the eyepiece. Visual biometric data is captured using the eyepiece and is transmitted to a remote processing facility for interpretation. The remote processing facility interprets the captured visual biometric data and generates display content based on the interpretation. This display content is delivered to the eyepiece and displayed to the user. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221669 | GESTURE CONTROL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 eyepiece includes an integrated camera facility that images a gesture, wherein the integrated processor identifies and interprets the gesture as a command instruction. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221668 | PARTIAL VIRTUAL KEYBOARD OBSTRUCTION REMOVAL IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - 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 displayed content is an interactive control element. An integrated camera facility of the eyepiece images a user's body part as it interacts with the interactive control element, wherein the processor removes a portion of the interactive control element by subtracting the portion of the interactive control element that is determined to be co-located with the imaged user body part based on the user's view. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221659 | AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE WITH FREEFORM OPTIC, IMAGE SOURCE, AND OPTICAL DISPLAY - This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display. An integrated image source, which includes a light source and the optical display, introduces the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content. Alternatively, an integrated projector facility projects the content to the optical assembly. The projector facility includes a light source and the LCoS display, wherein light from the light source is emitted under control of the processor and traverses a polarizing beam splitter where it is polarized before being reflected off an LCoS display and into an optical waveguide of the eyepiece. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221658 | AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE WITH WAVEGUIDE HAVING A MIRRORED SURFACE - 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 displayed content is introduced into an optical waveguide of the eyepiece at an angle of internal incidence that does not result in total internal reflection. However, a mirrored surface on the first surface of the optical waveguide reflects the displayed content towards the second surface of the optical waveguide. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221657 | OPTICAL STABILIZATION OF DISPLAYED CONTENT WITH A VARIABLE LENS - This disclosure concerns an interactive, head-mounted eyepiece with an electrically adjustable liquid lens that adjusts a focus of the displayed content for the user. The electrically adjustable liquid lens may be of the type that uses two liquids, a conducting liquid and a non-conducting liquid. Alternatively, the liquid lens may be a tunable liquid crystal cell, in which a non-uniform magnetic field is used to shape the liquid crystal and adjust a focus for the user. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110221656 | DISPLAYED CONTENT VISION CORRECTION WITH ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE LENS - This disclosure concerns an interactive, head-mounted eyepiece with an electrically adjustable liquid lens that adjusts a focus of the displayed content for the user. The electrically adjustable lens may be of the type wherein the lens is moved back and forth with a small worm drive. Alternatively, the electrically adjustable lens may be of the type that uses two liquids, a conducting liquid and a non-conducting liquid. The liquid lens may instead be a tunable liquid crystal cell, in which a non-uniform magnetic field is used to shape the liquid crystal and adjust a focus for the user. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110214082 | PROJECTION TRIGGERING THROUGH AN EXTERNAL MARKER IN AN AUGMENTED REALITY EYEPIECE - This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated camera facility that images an external visual cue. An integrated processor of the eyepiece identifies and interprets the external visual cue as a command to display content associated with the visual cue. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110213664 | LOCAL ADVERTISING CONTENT ON AN INTERACTIVE HEAD-MOUNTED EYEPIECE - This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece including an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and displayed content. The displayed content includes a local advertisement, wherein the location of the eyepiece is determined by an integrated location sensor and wherein the local advertisement has a relevance to the location of the eyepiece. The head mounted eyepiece may also include an audio device and the displayed content may comprise local advertisements and audio. | 09-01-2011 |
