IP Library Granted Patent US 12,461,559
Granted Patent B1
US 12,461,559 · App. 18/643,244 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Head mounted device with position change detection and correction

Inventors: Samuel G. Smith (San Francisco, CA); Jae Hwang Lee (Los Gatos, CA); David A. Kalinowski (San Francisco, CA); Claire E. Dalke (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G06F1/163G02B7/005G02B7/021G02B7/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,559
App. No.
18/643,244
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A head mounted device includes a housing and an elongate member configured to support the housing with respect to the head of a user. A controller is configured to determine a correction based on a change in position of the display enclosure relative to the elongate member.

Claims (42)

1 . A head mounted device, comprising:

a housing;

an elongate member configured to support the housing with respect to a head of a user;

a first motion sensor that is located on the housing;

a second motion sensor that is located on the elongate member;

a control mechanism configured to extend and retract the elongate member; and

a controller configured to receive a first motion signal that is indicative of motion of the housing from the first motion sensor, to receive a second motion signal that is indicative of motion of the elongate member from the second motion sensor, and to control operation of the control mechanism to move the housing with respect to the head of a user,

wherein the controller determines a change in position of the housing relative to the elongate member by a comparison of the first motion signal that is indicative of motion of the housing relative to the second motion signal that is indicative of motion of the elongate member,

wherein the controller determines a correction of the position of the housing with respect to the user based on the change in position of the housing relative to the elongate member, and

wherein the controller applies the correction to the position of the housing using the control mechanism.

2 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor each include an accelerometer.

3 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the change in position of the housing relative to the elongate member includes movement of the housing from an original position to a changed position, and the correction is applied by the control mechanism to move the housing from the changed position to the original position.

4 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member includes a strap.

5 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is a headband configured to extend around the head of the user.

6 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the control mechanism includes a motorized spool.

7 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , further comprising:

lenses that are coupled to the housing; and

a display that is coupled to the housing and configured to emit light corresponding to content for display to the user using the lenses.

8 . The head mounted device of claim 1 , wherein the controller applies the correction to the position of the housing using the control mechanism by at least one of extension of the elongate member or retraction of the elongate member by the control mechanism.

9 . A head mounted device, comprising:

a housing;

lenses that are coupled to the housing;

a display that is coupled to the housing and configured to emit light corresponding to content for display to a user using the lenses;

an elongate member configured to support the housing with respect to a head of the user;

a first motion sensor that is located on the housing;

a second motion sensor that is located on the elongate member; and

a controller configured to determine a change in position of the housing relative to the elongate member by a comparison of a first motion signal indicative of motion of the housing from the first motion sensor relative to a second motion signal indicative of motion of the elongate member from the second motion sensor, to determine an image correction for the content based on the change in position of the housing relative to the elongate member, and to apply the image correction to the content.

10 . The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor each include an accelerometer.

11 . The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the image correction is configured to correct a distortion of the content caused by the change in position of the housing.

12 . The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the elongate member includes a strap.

13 . The head mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the elongate member is a headband configured to extend around the head of the user.

14 . A method for correcting orientation of a head mounted device, comprising:

detecting motion of a display enclosure using a first motion sensing device that is located on the display enclosure;

detecting motion of an elongate member using a second motion sensing device that is located on the elongate member;

determining a movement of the display enclosure from an original position to a changed position relative to a head of a user by a comparison of a detected motion of the display enclosure relative to a detected motion of the elongate member; and

in response to a determination that a position of the display enclosure has changed relative to the elongate member, applying a correction.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the correction includes activating a control mechanism coupled to the elongate member to move the display enclosure to the original position relative to the head of the user.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the correction includes at least one of extension of the elongate member or retraction of the elongate member by the control mechanism.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the correction includes applying a software image correction to a display coupled to the display enclosure.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the correction includes re-rendering content to align a new field of view with the content using a display.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the elongate member includes a strap.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the elongate member is a headband configured to extend around the head of the user.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 8, 2025
From: SMITH, SAMUEL G.; LEE, JAE HWANG; KALINOWSKI, DAVID A.; DALKE, CLAIRE E.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 072510/0809 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17408672 · Aug 23, 2021
Continuation 16509560 · Jul 12, 2019
Provisional Application 62729551 · Sep 11, 2018
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