Eyewear with display-optimized lenses
Eyewear such as a head-mounted device may include display-optimized lenses. The lenses may be optimized for viewing an external display while also providing sun protection for the user's eyes. The external display may form part of a handheld electronic device that serves as a controller for the head-mounted device. The lenses in the head-mounted device may reduce ambient light brightness while maintaining the brightness of the external display so that the user can use the external display while wearing the head-mounted device. The user may, for example, provide touch input to the external display to adjust display content on the head-mounted display. The lenses may include a polarizer and a color filter having a transmission spectrum curve with peaks corresponding to the primary colors of the external display. The lenses may be removable clip-on lenses and the light filter may be an electrochromic filter.
1 . A head-mounted device configured to be controlled by a handheld electronic device having a touch-sensitive display that emits display light, the head-mounted device comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a transparent display supported by the head-mounted support structure, wherein the transparent display comprises a waveguide and is configured to display content provided by the handheld electronic device; and
a lens through which a user views the touch-sensitive display, wherein the lens reduces a brightness of ambient light by a first amount and reduces a brightness of the display light from the touch-sensitive display by a second amount that is less than the first amount, wherein the display light is viewable through the lens and the transparent display, and wherein the transparent display comprises a quarter wave plate, the lens comprises a half wave plate, and light from the transparent display passes back and forth through the quarter wave plate.
2 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the lens comprises a color filter having a transmission spectrum curve with peaks corresponding to primary colors of the display.
3 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent display comprises an optical combiner.
4 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the lens is configured to transmit infrared light emitted by a facial recognition sensor in the handheld electronic device.
5 . A head-mounted device, comprising:
a frame;
a transparent display mounted to the frame and configured to display first display content, wherein the transparent display comprises a waveguide; and
a lens mounted to the frame and configured to transmit polarized display light from an external display that is displaying second display content, wherein the second display content is viewable through the transparent display and wherein the lens comprises:
a polarizer that transmits the polarized display light; and
a color filter that reduces a brightness of ambient light, wherein the color filter has a transmission spectrum curve with peaks that correspond to first, second, and third primary colors of the external display, and wherein the transparent display comprises a quarter wave plate, the lens comprises a half wave plate, and light from the transparent display passes back and forth through the quarter wave plate.
6 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 5 wherein the color filter comprises an electrochromic filter and the lens is a removable clip-on lens.
7 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 5 wherein the first display content is adjusted in response to user input on the external display.
8 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 5 wherein a brightness of the polarized display light that passes through the lens is greater than the brightness of ambient light that passes through the lens.
9 . A head-mounted device, comprising:
a head-mounted support structure;
a head-mounted display supported by the head-mounted support structure, wherein the head-mounted display comprises a waveguide; and
a lens overlapping the head-mounted display, wherein display light emitted by an external display is viewable through the lens and the head-mounted display, wherein the lens reduces a brightness of sunlight by a first amount and reduces a brightness of the display light by a second amount that is less than the first amount, wherein the lens comprises a light filter having a transmission spectrum curve with first, second, and third peaks corresponding respectively to first, second, and third primary colors of the external display, and wherein the head-mounted display comprises a quarter wave plate, the lens comprises a half wave plate, and light from the head-mounted display passes back and forth through the quarter wave plate.
10 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the head-mounted display is transparent and the lens is a removable clip-on lens.
11 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the display light is polarized display light and wherein the lens comprises:
a polarizer that transmits the polarized display light.
12 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the transmission spectrum curve has a fourth passband that transmits infrared light and wherein the first, second, and third peaks are separated by troughs that have non-zero values.
13 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the display light emitted by the external display is circularly polarized and wherein the lens comprises a circular polarizer that transmits the circularly polarized display light.
14 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 13 wherein the circular polarizer comprises a linear polarizer and a quarter wave plate.
15 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the head-mounted display is configured to display content that is adjusted in response to user input to the external display.
16 . The head-mounted device defined in claim 9 wherein the lens comprises an electrochromic filter.