IP Library Granted Patent US 11,054,645
Granted Patent B2
US 11,054,645 · App. 16/915,919 · Granted Jul 6, 2021

External user interface for head worn computing

Inventors: Ralph F. Osterhout (San Francisco, CA); Robert Michael Lohse (Palo Alto, CA); Manuel Antonio Sanchez (El Sobrante, CA)
Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC
G02B27/017G06T19/006G02B2027/0178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,054,645
App. No.
16/915,919
Granted
Jul 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to external user interfaces used in connection with head-worn computers (HWC).

Claims (45)

1. A system comprising:

a device configured to mount to a physical control at a mount position on the physical control, wherein the physical control is configured to control operation of a vehicle and is configured to move with respect to an interior of the vehicle; and

one or more processors configured to communicate with a wearable device comprising a see-through display, the wearable device having a field-of-view of a surrounding environment through the see-through display;

wherein:

the wearable device is configured to present, via the see-through display, concurrently with presenting a view of the device, virtual content to a driver of the vehicle,

presenting the virtual content comprises:

at a first time, presenting via the see-through display a user interface element in the surrounding environment at a first position with respect to the device and at a first position with respect to the interior of the vehicle,

at a second time, in response to a movement of the physical control, presenting via the see-through display the user interface element in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device and at a second position with respect to the interior of the vehicle, wherein the user interface element has moved in correspondence with the movement of the physical control, and

the one or more processors are configured to generate a control command in response to an interaction of the driver with the user interface element, the interaction occurring in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the physical control comprises one or more of a steering wheel, a shift lever, and a handle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises the one or more processors.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises the one or more processors.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the device comprises an input device configured to provide input to the wearable device; and

the wearable device is further configured to:

in response to receiving input from the input device, adjust the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display comprises increasing or decreasing an amount of virtual content presented via the see-through display.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display comprises clearing a region of the see-through display of virtual content.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the input device comprises one or more of a button, a touch pad, a touch screen, and a switch.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual content comprises text corresponding to a command set selected via the wearable device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the command set comprises one or more navigation commands.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, via a see-through display of a wearable device, virtual content to a driver of a vehicle, the wearable device having a field-of-view of a surrounding environment through the see-through display;

concurrently with presenting the virtual content, presenting to the driver of the vehicle, via the see-through display, a view of a device mounted to a physical control of a vehicle at a mount position on the physical control, the physical control configured to move with respect to an interior of the vehicle,

wherein presenting the virtual content comprises:

at a first time, presenting via the see-through display a user interface element in the surrounding environment at a first position with respect to the device and at a first position with respect to the interior of the vehicle,

at a second time, in response to a movement of the physical control, presenting via the see-through display the user interface element in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device and at a second position with respect to the interior of the vehicle, wherein the user interface element has moved in correspondence with the movement of the physical control; and

generating a control command in response to an interaction of the driver with the user interface element, the interaction occurring in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the physical control comprises one or more of a steering wheel, a shift lever, and a handle.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the device comprises an input device configured to provide input to the wearable device, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving input from the input device, adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display comprises increasing or decreasing an amount of virtual content presented via the see-through display.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display comprises clearing a region of the see-through display of virtual content.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the virtual content comprises text corresponding to a command set selected via the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the command set comprises one or more navigation commands.

18. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising:

presenting, via a see-through display of a wearable device, virtual content to a driver of a vehicle, the wearable device having a field-of-view of a surrounding environment through the see-through display;

concurrently with presenting the virtual content, presenting to the driver of the vehicle, via the see-through display, a view of a device mounted to a physical control of a vehicle at a mount position on the physical control, the physical control configured to move with respect to an interior of the vehicle,

wherein presenting the virtual content comprises:

at a first time, presenting via the see-through display a user interface element in the surrounding environment at a first position with respect to the device and at a first position with respect to the interior of the vehicle,

at a second time, in response to a movement of the physical control, presenting via the see-through display the user interface element in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device and at a second position with respect to the interior of the vehicle, wherein the user interface element has moved in correspondence with the movement of the physical control; and

generating a control command in response to an interaction of the driver with the user interface element, the interaction occurring in the surrounding environment at the first position with respect to the device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to receiving input from the input device, adjusting the presentation of the virtual content to the user via the see-through display.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the virtual content comprises text corresponding to a command set selected via the wearable device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: OSTERHOUT, RALPH F.; LOHSE, ROBERT MICHAEL; SANCHEZ, MANUEL ANTONIO
To: OSTERHOUT GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 072534/0294 →
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 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15785505 · Oct 17, 2017
Continuation 14307114 · Jun 17, 2014
Related Publication 20200333599A1 · Oct 22, 2020