Wearable devices
A wearable head-up display which allows for convenient and safe stowage when not in use. A hinge component is positioned within the optical path from an image projector to a display component which ensures optical alignment for projection. A detection means is provided to signal when the wearable device is in a folded position in order to deactivate the projector.
1. A wearable head-up display, comprising:
an arm supporting an image projector including at least one collimation optic for directing image-bearing light; and
a frame supporting a combiner assembly, wherein the frame is hingeably attached to the arm by a hinge at a location between the collimation optic and the combiner assembly, such that the combiner assembly is arranged to receive the image-bearing light output by the image projector when the hinge is in an unfolded position.
2. The display of claim 1 , wherein the image projector comprises a light source and a microdisplay, arranged such that the microdisplay is illuminated by the light source to output the image-bearing light.
3. The display of claim 1 , wherein the combiner assembly comprises one or more of an output waveguide, a prism, a diffraction grating, and a mirror array for directing the received light.
4. The display of claim 1 , wherein the combiner assembly is arranged to direct the received light to a user's eye.
5. The display of claim 1 , comprising a locking mechanism to retain the wearable head-up display in the unfolded position.
6. The display of claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a magnetic or a resistance-based clip.
7. The display of claim 1 , wherein the image projector is arranged to stop outputting light when the hinge is not in the unfolded position.
8. The display of claim 1 , wherein the image projector is arranged to output the image-bearing light onto a surface when the hinge is in a folded position.
9. The display of claim 1 , wherein the arm is arranged to fold in a plane through an optical axis of the image projector.
10. The display of claim 1 , wherein the image projector comprises a processing device for receiving and processing data indicative of the image produced by the image-bearing light.
11. A wearable head-up display system, comprising:
an image projector configured to output image-bearing light;
an arm supporting the image projector;
a frame to which the arm is hingeably attached by a hinge, such that the arm has a range of movement relative to the frame, the range of movement including an unfolded position and a folded position; and
a combiner supported by the frame and arranged to receive the image-bearing light output by the image projector and to direct the received light to a wearer's eye,
wherein the image projector is arranged to output the image-bearing light onto a surface when the hinge is in a folded position.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image projector comprises a light source and a microdisplay, arranged such that the microdisplay is illuminated by the light source to output the image-bearing light.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the image projector comprises at least one collimation optic for directing the outputted image-bearing light, and the hinge is between the collimation optic and the combiner assembly.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the arm is a first arm and the hinge is a first hinge, the system further including a second arm hingeably attached to the frame by a second hinge, such that the wearable head-up display system has the form factor of eye glasses.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the arm is arranged to fold in a plane through an optical axis of the image projector.
16. A wearable head-up display system, comprising:
a processing device configured to receive data;
an image projector including at least one collimation optic and configured to output image-bearing light representative of the data;
a first arm and a second arm, one of the first and second arms supporting the image projector;
a frame to which each of the first and second arms is hingeably attached by a corresponding hinge, such that each of the first and second arms has a range of movement relative to the frame, the range of movement including an unfolded position and a folded position; and
a combiner supported by the frame and arranged to receive the image-bearing light output by the image projector and to direct the received light to a wearer's eye,
wherein one of the corresponding hinges is located between the collimation optic and the combiner.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the image projector comprises a light source and a microdisplay, arranged such that the microdisplay is illuminated by the light source to output the image-bearing light.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the wearable head-up display system has the form factor of eye glasses.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the arm is arranged to fold in a plane through an optical axis of the image projector.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the image projector is arranged to output the image-bearing light onto a surface when the one of the corresponding hinges is in a folded position.