IP Library Granted Patent US 11,782,274
Granted Patent B2
US 11,782,274 · App. 16/775,866 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Stray light suppression for head worn computing

Inventors: Ralph F. Osterhout (San Francisco, CA); John N. Border (Campbell, CA); Edward H. Nortrup (Stoneham, MA)
Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
G02B27/0172G02B5/30G02B27/0101G02B27/017G02B27/0176G06F1/163G06F3/011G06F3/013G06F5/10G02B2027/014G02B2027/0118G02B2027/0178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,782,274
App. No.
16/775,866
Filed
Jan 29, 2020
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Examiner
LIN, HANG
Art Unit
2626
USPC
345/80
Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a computer display stray-light suppression system for a head-worn computer comprising an eye cover including a flexible material with a perimeter, wherein the perimeter is formed to substantially encapsulate an eye of a person, and the eye cover including an attachment system adapted to removably and replaceably attach to a perimeter of the head-worn computer to suppress light emitted from a computer display in the head-worn computer.

Claims (47)

1. A wearable head device comprising:

a light source;

a see-through display configured to present a view of an environment of a user of the wearable head device;

an eyeglasses frame having a perimeter, the eyeglasses frame coupled to the see-through display; and

an eye cover portion configured to removably couple to the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame and further configured to occlude light produced by the light source, wherein:

the eye cover portion comprises a magnetic attachment element and an opening,

the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame by disengaging the magnetic attachment element from the eyeglasses frame, and

when the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, the view of the environment is presented via the opening,

wherein the wearable head device is configured to communicate with one or more processors configured to perform a method comprising:

determining whether the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame;

in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a first display mode; and

in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is not physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a second display mode,

wherein the first display mode is associated with presenting a first amount of color information and the second display mode is associated with presenting a second amount of color information, and wherein the first amount of color information is less than the second amount of color information.

2. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to contact the face of the user of the wearable head device.

3. The wearable head device of claim 2 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to substantially encapsulate an eye of the user of the wearable head device.

4. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a low-light display mode.

5. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a flexible material.

6. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a bellows.

7. The wearable head device of claim 1 , further comprising a front lens and a light shield, wherein:

the light source is configured to transmit light toward an exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens, and

the light shield is configured to suppress the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens.

8. The wearable head device of claim 7 , wherein the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens has a first polarization, and the light shield is configured to suppress light having the first polarization.

9. The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a monochrome mode.

10. A method comprising:

determining whether an eye cover portion of a wearable head device comprising a light source and a see-through display is physically coupled to an eyeglasses frame of the wearable head device, wherein the see-through display is configured to present a view of an environment of a user of the wearable head device;

in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to a user of the wearable head device via the see-through display in a first display mode; and

in accordance with a determination that the eye cover portion is not physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, presenting light to the user via the see-through display in a second display mode,

wherein:

the eyeglasses frame has a perimeter and is coupled to the see-through display,

the eye cover portion is configured to couple to the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame and further configured to occlude light produced by the light source,

the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame,

the eye cover portion comprises a magnetic attachment element and an opening,

the eye cover portion is removable from the perimeter of the eyeglasses frame by

disengaging the magnetic attachment element from the eyeglasses frame,

when the eye cover portion is physically coupled to the eyeglasses frame, the view of the environment is presented via the opening,

presenting light to the user in the first display mode comprises presenting a first amount of color information and presenting light to the user in the second display mode comprises presenting a second amount of color information, and

the first amount of color information is less than the second amount of color information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first display mode comprises a low-light display mode.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a flexible material.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion comprises a bellows.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wearable head device further comprises a front lens and a light shield, the method further comprising:

transmitting light toward an exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens; and

suppressing, via the light shield, the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the light transmitted toward the exterior of the wearable head device via the front lens has a first polarization, and the light shield is configured to suppress light having the first polarization.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to contact the face of the user of the wearable head device.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the eye cover portion is further configured to substantially encapsulate an eye of the user of the wearable head device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first display mode comprises a monochrome mode.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2025
From: MAGIC LEAP, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC; MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073031/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2025
From: OSTERHOUT, RALPH F.; BORDER, JOHN N.; NORTRUP, EDWARD H.
To: OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 072525/0401 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2022
From: MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC; MAGIC LEAP, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060338/0665 →