Head-mounted display apparatus for retaining a portable electronic device with display
Head-mounted display systems and methods of operation that allow users to couple and decouple a portable electronic device such as a handheld portable electronic device with a separate head-mounted device (e.g., temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit) are disclosed. The portable electronic may be physically coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device can be worn on the user's head. The portable electronic device may be operatively coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device and head mounted device can communicate and operate with one another. Each device may be allowed to extend its features and/or services to the other device for the purpose of enhancing, increasing and/or eliminating redundant functions between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.
1. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a display supported by the frame;
a camera configured to capture an image;
a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;
lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and
a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor.
2. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to overlay the captured image over a portion of the image based content in the second mode.
3. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
communications circuitry that receives the image based content from an electronic device.
4. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 3 , wherein the communications circuitry is wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives the image based content from the electronic device.
5. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is a sound and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the sound.
6. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is a voice command and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the voice command.
7. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to determining that the voice command is a voice command of a person on a contact list.
8. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a speaker that is configured to provide audio at a volume that is lowered in response to the stimulus.
9. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to display a visual cue in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor and wherein the visual cue is associated with a direction of the stimulus.
10. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , further comprising a haptic device that produces vibrations corresponding to the image based content.
11. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object by the proximity sensor.
12. A head-mounted apparatus configured to be worn by a user, the head-mounted apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a display supported by the frame;
a camera configured to capture an image;
a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;
lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and
a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor, wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor, and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object around the user by the proximity sensor.
13. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a display supported by the frame, wherein the display is configured to present a left image frame and a right image frame;
lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and
an optical sensor that is configured to gather eye location information, wherein the display is configured to adjust a position of the left image frame on the display and a position of the right image frame on the display based on the eye location information to accommodate an interpupillary distance.
14. A head-mounted apparatus comprising:
a support structure;
a display supported by the support structure;
a camera configured to capture an image;
a sensor that is configured to detect a stimulus;
lenses adjacent to the display through which the display is viewable; and
a processor configured to operate in a first mode in which image based content is displayed on the display without displaying the captured image and in a second mode in which the captured image is displayed on at least a portion of the display, wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor.
15. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to overlay the captured image over a portion of the image based content in the second mode.
16. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , further comprising:
communications circuitry that receives the image based content from an electronic device.
17. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 16 , wherein the communications circuitry is wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives the image based content from the electronic device.
18. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the stimulus is a sound and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the sound.
19. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the stimulus is a voice command and wherein the sensor is a microphone configured to detect the voice command.
20. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode in response to determining that the voice command is a voice command of a person on a contact list.
21. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , further comprising:
a speaker that is configured to provide audio at a volume that is lowered in response to the stimulus.
22. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the display is configured to display a visual cue in response to detection of the stimulus by the sensor and wherein the visual cue is associated with a direction of the stimulus.
23. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , further comprising a haptic device that produces vibrations corresponding to the image based content.
24. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor and wherein the stimulus is associated with detection of an object by the proximity sensor.
25. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the support structure has a goggles form factor.
26. The head-mounted apparatus defined in claim 14 , wherein the support structure has a glasses form factor.