IP Library Granted Patent US 11,977,676
Granted Patent B2
US 11,977,676 · App. 17/369,314 · Granted May 7, 2024

Adjusting content of a head mounted display

Inventors: John W. Nicholson (Cary, NC); Daryl C. Cromer (Raleigh, NC); Howard Locker (Cary, NC); Mengnan Wang (Chapel Hill, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F3/013
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,977,676
App. No.
17/369,314
Granted
May 7, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for adjusting content of a head mounted display. An apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor to determine a field of view for a user relative to a display of a head-mounted display unit, detect that the user is attempting to look at content that is presented on the display of the head-mounted display unit but is out of the user's field of view, and adjust the content that is out of the user's field of view to make the content visible to the user.

Claims (34)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:

determine a field of view for a user relative to a display of a head-mounted display (HMD) unit, the field of view including first virtual content being displayed on the display;

detect that the user is attempting to look at second virtual content, wherein the second virtual content is outside the user's field of view and is not currently visible to the user; and

while maintaining the user's field of view and responsive to a change in the user's gaze, move the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user by moving the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view from its current location outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user to allow the user to simultaneously view the first virtual content and the second virtual content in the user's field of view,

wherein the second virtual content that is moved to within the user's field of view does not block the first virtual content that is of interest to the user being displayed on the display within the user's field of view.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code is executable by the processor to detect that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user by detecting eye movement within an eye-box defined for the HMD unit directed towards the second virtual content.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the code is executable by the processor to detect the eye movement within the eye-box based on input from a camera mounted on the HMD unit and pointed towards the user's eyes.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the code is executable by the processor to detect the eye movement within the eye-box based on input from a distance sensor mounted on the HMD unit and pointed towards the user's eyes.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the code is executable by the processor to detect the eye movement within the eye-box in response to detecting that the user is manually adjusting a position of the HMD unit on the user's head.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code is executable by the processor to detect that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user by detecting that the user is looking in a direction of the second virtual content and detecting that the user is moving the HMD unit in a same direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein moving the second virtual content further comprises resizing the second virtual content to be one of larger and smaller to avoid the second virtual content from overlapping with the first virtual content displayed on the display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user comprises tag-along content.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code is further executable by the processor to trigger re-calibrating the user's field of view relative to the display of the HMD unit in response to detecting that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user.

10. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a field of view for a user relative to a display of a head-mounted display (HMD) unit, the field of view including first virtual content being displayed on the display;

detecting that the user is attempting to look at second virtual content, wherein the second virtual content is outside the user's field of view and is not currently visible to the user; and

while maintaining the user's field of view and responsive to a change in the user's gaze, moving the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user by moving the second virtual content from its current location outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user to allow the user to simultaneously view the first virtual content and the second virtual content in the user's field of view,

wherein the second virtual content that is moved to within the user's field of view does not block the first virtual content that is of interest to the user being displayed on the display within the user's field of view.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein detecting that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user comprises detecting eye movement within an eye-box defined for the HMD unit directed towards the second virtual content.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting the eye movement within the eye-box based on input from a camera mounted on the HMD unit and pointed towards the user's eyes.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting the eye movement within the eye-box based on input from a distance sensor mounted on the HMD unit and pointed towards the user's eyes.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting the eye movement within the eye-box in response to detecting that the user is manually adjusting a position of the HMD unit on the user's head.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the second virtual content further comprises resizing the second virtual content to be one of larger and smaller to avoid the second virtual content from overlapping with content displayed on the display.

16. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to:

determine a field of view for a user relative to a display of a head-mounted display (HMD) unit, the field of view including first virtual content being displayed on the display;

detect that the user is attempting to look at second virtual content, wherein the second virtual content is outside the user's field of view and is not currently visible to the user; and

while maintaining the user's field of view and responsive to a change in the user's gaze, move the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user by moving the second virtual content from its current location outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user to within the user's field of view and visible to the user to allow the user to simultaneously view the first virtual content and the second virtual content in the user's field of view,

wherein the second virtual content that is moved to within the user's field of view does not block the first virtual content that is of interest to the user being displayed on the display within the user's field of view.

17. The program product of claim 16 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to detect that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user by detecting eye movement within an eye-box defined for the HMD unit directed towards the second virtual content.

18. The program product of claim 16 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to detect that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user by detecting that the user is looking in a direction of the second virtual content and detecting that the user is moving the HMD unit in a same direction.

19. The program product of claim 16 , wherein moving the second virtual content further comprises resizing the second virtual content to be one of larger and smaller to avoid the second virtual content from overlapping with the first virtual content displayed on the display.

20. The program product of claim 16 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to trigger re-calibrating the user's field of view relative to the display of the HMD unit in response to detecting that the user is attempting to look at the second virtual content that is outside the user's field of view and not visible to the user.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070269/0077 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2021
From: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 058132/0698 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2021
From: NICHOLSON, JOHN W; CROMER, DARYL C; LOCKER, HOWARD; WANG, MENGNAN
To: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
Reel/Frame 057216/0833 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230008009A1 · Jan 12, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,333,879