Meta Patent | Dual cell dimming assemblies
Patent: Dual cell dimming assemblies
Publication Number: 20250224635
Publication Date: 2025-07-10
Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies
Abstract
A optical element includes a first dimming panel having a first active layer disposed between first upper and lower transparent electrodes, and a second dimming panel overlying the first dimming panel and having a second active layer disposed between second upper and lower transparent electrodes, where the first active layer is configured to scatter, absorb, or reflect light incident on the first dimming panel, and the second active layer is configured to absorb or reflect light incident on the second dimming panel.
Claims
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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/608,060, filed Jan. 5, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of the present disclosure.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating pixelated dimming of an optical element according to some embodiments.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional illustration showing the structure of a liquid crystal-based dimming cell according to some embodiments.
FIG. 3 shows the operation of the liquid crystal-based dimming cell of FIG. 2 according to some embodiments.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional illustration of a dual cell dimming architecture according to various embodiments.
FIG. 5 shows exemplary pixelation paradigms according to certain embodiments.
FIG. 6 illustrates passive matrix addressing of a liquid crystal-based dimming cell according to some embodiments.
FIG. 7 shows individual pixel addressing of a liquid crystal-based dimming cell according to certain embodiments.
FIG. 8 illustrates active matrix addressing of a liquid crystal-based dimming cell according to some embodiments.
FIG. 9 is an illustration of an example artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 10 is an illustration of an example artificial-reality system with a handheld device according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 11A is an illustration of example user interactions within an artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 11B is an illustration of example user interactions within an artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 12A is an illustration of example user interactions within an artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 12B is an illustration of example user interactions within an artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 13 is an illustration of an example wrist-wearable device of an artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 14 is an illustration of an example wearable artificial-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 15 is an illustration of an example augmented-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 16A is an illustration of an example virtual-reality system according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
FIG. 16B is an illustration of another perspective of the virtual-reality systems shown in FIG. 16A.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing system components of example artificial- and virtual-reality systems.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference characters and descriptions indicate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. While the exemplary embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) eyewear devices and headsets enable users to experience events, such as interactions with people in a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional world or viewing data superimposed on a real-world view. Superimposing information onto a field of view may be achieved through an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) or by using embedded wireless glasses with a transparent heads-up display (HUD) or augmented reality overlay. VR/AR eyewear devices and headsets may be used for a variety of purposes. Governments may use such devices for military training, medical professionals may use such devices to simulate surgery, and engineers may use such devices as design visualization aids.
Virtual reality and augmented reality devices and headsets typically include an optical system having a microdisplay and imaging optics. Display light may be generated and projected to the eyes of a user using a display system where the light is in-coupled into a waveguide, transported therethrough by total internal reflection (TIR), replicated to form an expanded field of view, and out-coupled when reaching the position of a viewer's eye.
The microdisplay may be configured to provide an image to be viewed either directly or indirectly using, for example, a micro OLED display or by illuminating a liquid-crystal based display such as a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) microdisplay. Liquid crystal on silicon is a miniaturized reflective active-matrix display having a liquid crystal layer disposed over a silicon backplane. During operation, light from a light source is directed at the liquid crystal layer and as the local orientation of the liquid crystals is modulated by a pixel-specific applied voltage, the phase retardation of the incident wavefront can be controlled to generate an image from the reflected light. In some instantiations, a liquid crystal on silicon display may be referred to as a spatial light modulator.
LCos-based projectors typically use three LCoS chips, one each to modulate light in the red, green, and blue channels. An LCoS projector may be configured to deliver the red, green, and blue components of image light simultaneously, which may result in a projected image having rich and well-saturated colors. As will be appreciated, an LCoS display may be configured for wavelength selective switching, structured illumination, optical pulse shaping, in addition to near-eye displays.
Due at least in part to inherent high resolution and high fill factors (minimal inter-pixel spacing), visible pixelation on an LCoS machine may be essentially nonexistent resulting in a high fidelity, continuous image. Moreover, in contrast to micro-mirror based projection systems that can generate high frequencies that accentuate their digital nature, LCoS pixel edges tend to be smoother, which may give them an analog-like response resulting in a more natural image.
In certain applications, the lenses of an AR device may be dimmed to render AR content against bright environmental backgrounds. Dimming techniques may also be effective at preserving display projector power and lifetime. Simply attenuating the entire environmental scene, however, is inadequate in many scenarios. Because the real world remains visible through the dimmed region, the virtual content must be of sufficient brightness to overcome the spatial content of the real world, especially if there are conflicting depth cues within the virtual content.
In view of the foregoing, and in accordance with some embodiments, localized dimming in AR glasses may be achieved by dividing a dimming element into smaller individually-addressable sections or “pixels.” In contrast to global dimming, localized dimming may beneficially impact inclusive rendering, social acceptability, etc. With local dimming, selected regions of the display may be dimmed to the exclusion of non-selected regions.
A variation of localized dimming includes the introduction of optical scattering to a real world scene. With optical scattering, real world content behind virtual content may be effectively erased. A switchable scattering material may be used to achieve this effect. However, many such candidate materials, such as polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs), have unacceptably high background haze levels and require high switching voltages (>10V). Moreover, Applicants have shown that a single layer of scattering material may be inadequate to provide high contrast image light, especially under highly-illuminated conditions typically associated with outdoor use. In the case of scattering-based dimming, for example, the majority of the scattering is forward scattering, which may beneficially remove spatial information from real world image light that causes contrast masking but may undesirably scatter bright light from the environment to the eyes of a user. Further example dimming technologies, such as guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC)-based elements, when used as a single layer, may be unable to provide adequate clear as well as dark state performance.
Notwithstanding recent developments, there remains a need for localized dimming solutions for AR devices and headsets. In accordance with various embodiments, disclosed is a hybrid dimming element that includes two or more stratified dimming technologies that may be operable at low activation voltages and possess both a low scattering clear state in the OFF (unpowered) state and an effective dark state in the ON (powered) state.
In accordance with particular embodiments, a dimming element includes a stacked cell configuration. A stacked cell may include two or more overlapping cell layers with each layer providing a complementary function, such as scattering, absorption, or reflection. Dimming control may be provided through interlayer as well as intralayer cell addressing.
Scattering cell architectures may include polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC), liquid crystal physical gel (LCPG), polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT), and polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) configurations, although further scattering architectures are contemplated.
Absorbing cell architectures may include guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC), photochromic (PhCh) or electrochromic (EC) layers, and reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) structures, although further absorptive configurations are contemplated.
Reflecting cell architectures may include reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) structures, and ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (FNLC) arrangements, although further reflective configurations are contemplated.
Exemplary cell architectures include a functional liquid crystal layer disposed between transparent electrodes and may additionally include a pair of alignment layers located between the liquid crystal layer and each respective electrode. Transparent electrodes may include a transparent conductive oxide (TCO), such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO). The electrodes may include a blanket or patterned structure.
A material or element that is “transparent” or “optically transparent” may, for a given thickness, have a transmissivity within the visible light spectrum of at least approximately 80%, e.g., approximately 80, 90, 95, 97, 98, 99, or 99.5%, including ranges between any of the foregoing values, and less than approximately 5% bulk haze, e.g., approximately 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, or 5% bulk haze, including ranges between any of the foregoing values. Transparent materials will typically exhibit very low optical absorption and minimal optical scattering.
As used herein, the terms “haze” and “clarity” may refer to an optical phenomenon associated with the transmission of light through a material, and may be attributed, for example, to the refraction of light within the material, e.g., due to secondary phases or porosity and/or the reflection of light from one or more surfaces of the material. As will be appreciated, haze may be associated with an amount of light that is subject to wide angle scattering (i.e., at an angle greater than 2.5° from normal) and a corresponding loss of transmissive contrast, whereas clarity may relate to an amount of light that is subject to narrow angle scattering (i.e., at an angle less than 2.5° from normal) and an attendant loss of optical sharpness or “see through quality.”
One or more alignment layers may be configured to orient the liquid crystal molecules to a specific pre-tilt angle. Alignment layers are typically made from polymer materials that have been treated to create a specific surface texture or alignment, influencing how the liquid crystals align when deposited thereon. A specified alignment may help prevent unwanted fringing and improve the uniformity of light modulation.
In some architectures a pair of alignment layers may be used, where each alignment layer may be set at a different angle to enhance control over the liquid crystal twisting effect. This may allow for better performance in terms of contrast and viewing angles. Techniques such as rubbing, photo alignment, or using self-assembling monolayers can create the desired alignment. The character and orientation of the alignment layers may directly affect the optical properties of the display, including response time viewing angles and color accuracy and may thus impact both performance and visual quality of a display. The one or more alignment layers may include polyimide, for example.
As used herein, a polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) may refer to a multi-functional material having a polymer network dispersed throughout a continuous phase of liquid crystals. The polymer network may provide anchoring energy to align the liquid crystal molecules. In a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal, liquid crystals may be dissolved or dispersed into a liquid polymer followed by solidification or curing of the polymer. During the transformation of the polymer from a liquid phase to a solid phase, the liquid crystals may separate from the solid polymer and form second phase particles (e.g., droplets) that may be dispersed throughout the solid polymer matrix.
The liquid crystal component may include a nematic liquid crystal (LC) material having a high dielectric constant anisotropy, e.g., a dielectric constant anisotropy greater than approximately 30 at 1 KHz, or a mixture of a normally nematic LC with a small percentage of a material that possesses a ferroelectric nematic phase close to room temperature (˜23° C.). A mixture of liquid crystals may be stable in a nematic phase despite the presence of a ferroelectric nematic element. The supporting polymer may include one or more components that polymerize upon activation. The supporting polymer may be thermally or chemically activated.
In certain embodiments, the extent of residual haze in a polymer-stabilized liquid crystal composition in its clear state may be decreased by matching the refractive index of the liquid crystal component to the refractive index of the polymerized network. By way of example, the refractive index mismatch may be less than approximately 2%, e.g., 0.1, 0.5, 1, or 2%, including ranges between any of the foregoing values. The polymerized network may be characterized by bulk haze of less than approximately 5%, e.g., 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, or 5% bulk haze.
In a dual cell dimming assembly, the liquid crystal layer in each cell may be globally or locally addressed. Patterned electrodes in a single layer or in opposing layers of a given cell may be individually electrically driven to create a pixelated dimming architecture. A multi-cell dimming assembly may include respective layers of scattering and absorptive cells, for example, or scattering and reflective layers, although further functional combinations may be used.
The following will provide, with reference to FIGS. 1-17, detailed descriptions of cell architectures for spatially localized dimming using a liquid crystal-based element. The discussion associated with FIG. 1 includes a description of pixelated dimming. The discussion associated with FIGS. 2-4 includes a description of actuatable liquid crystal-based elements, including dual cell dimming elements. The discussion associated with FIGS. 5-8 includes a description of pixelization approaches for locally controlling the light attenuation properties of a liquid crystal-based element. The discussion associated with FIGS. 9-17 relates to exemplary virtual reality and augmented reality devices that may include one or more liquid crystal-based elements as disclosed herein.
Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a schematic view illustrating full lens dimming (FIG. 1A) and pixelated dimming (FIG. 1B) according to some embodiments. An example dimming cell architecture is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. The structure includes a liquid crystal or other functional layer sandwiched between opposing alignment and electrode layers. The cell may be supported by a transparent substrate, such as a glass or polymer (e.g., PET) substrate.
The operation of an example dimming cell is shown in FIG. 3, which depicts schematically the realignment of liquid crystal molecules in response to an applied voltage to generate clear (V=0) and scattering (V≠0) states. In the illustrated example, the dimming cell includes a pair of electroded substrates, and a network of liquid crystal molecules dispersed throughout a polymer matrix and located between the substrates. The liquid crystal molecules may be realigned in response to an applied voltage. In alternate embodiments, a scattering state may exist in the absence of an applied voltage (V=0) whereas a clear state may be induced when a non-zero voltage (V+0) is applied to the cell.
The transmission and haze of a PNLC scattering panel were measured using a HazeGard instrument and the data are summarized in Table 1. Transmission increases moderately whereas haze increases substantially with an increase in the applied voltage.
| Transmission and Haze for a PNLC Scattering Panel |
| State | Voltage [V] | Transmission [%] | Haze [%] | |
| Clear | 0 | 88.6 | 0.82 | |
| Scattering | 4.1 | 88.6 | 2.23 | |
| Scattering | 7.8 | 89.3 | 65 | |
| Scattering | 8.3 | 89.4 | 71.3 | |
| Scattering | 13.1 | 89 | 77.9 | |
In accordance with some embodiments, a dual cell dimming architecture is depicted in FIG. 4. Composite cell 400 includes a scattering cell 410 and a co-integrated absorbing cell 420. The scattering cell 410 may include a polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) layer 411 and the absorbing cell 420 may include a guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) layer 421 although it will be appreciated that other functional layer combinations may be used. In certain embodiments, polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) layer 411 may include a first liquid crystal material 411a interspersed within a polymer network 411b, and guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) layer 421 may include a second liquid crystal material 421a and a dye 421b, such as a photochromic dye. The first liquid crystal material 411a and the second liquid crystal material 421a may or may not be compositionally equivalent.
The scattering and absorptive cells may share a common support (substrate) 430 and may each include a symmetric stack of electrode and alignment layers that sandwich the respective functional liquid crystal layer. That is, polymer stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) layer 411 may be disposed between upper and lower alignment layers 412 and upper and lower electrodes 414, and guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) layer 421 may be disposed between upper and lower alignment layers 422 and upper and lower electrodes 424.
Stacked in series, the PSLC and GHLC functional layers may collectively provide commercially-relevant dimming and clear states to an associated optical element, such as a lens. By way of example, the PSLC layer may be characterized by a tunable transmission range over the visible spectrum from approximately 20% to approximately 90%, and the GHLC layer may be characterized by a tunable transmission range from approximately 50% to approximately 90%. That is, according to one example, the PSLC layer may have a clear state transmissivity of approximately 90% over the entire visible spectrum and a dimming state transmissivity of approximately 20% over the entire visible spectrum, and the GHLC layer may have a clear state transmissivity of approximately 90% over the entire visible spectrum and a dimming state transmissivity of approximately 50% over the entire visible spectrum. The overall stacked cell transmission range may range from approximately 81% to approximately 10%.
Spatially-localized dimming may be achieved by co-integrating the LC layer of one or both stacked dimming cells with a corresponding patterned array of individually-addressable electrodes. Referring to FIG. 5, shown are cross-sectional views of a dual cell dimming assembly having pixelated world-side dimming cells only (FIG. 5A), and a dual cell dimming assembly having pixelated world-side and eye-side dimming cells (FIG. 5B). According to exemplary embodiments, scattering, absorption, or reflection-based functionality may be incorporated into the world-side cells, whereas absorption or reflection-based functionality may be incorporated into the eye-side cells. The incorporation of a scattering function into the eye-side cells may be avoided to prevent the scattering of light into the eyes of a user.
In accordance with some embodiments, each pixel may be defined by a linear or non-linear peripheral boundary. A non-linear outline may decrease diffractive effects, for example. In some embodiments, the pixel boundaries in neighboring layers may be aligned, partially aligned, or offset.
Passive and active matrix addressing paradigms are illustrated schematically in FIGS. 6-8. As shown in FIG. 6, a passively addressed dimming cell may include a liquid crystal layer disposed between mutually-orthogonal electrode arrays (i.e., rows and columns) where individual pixels are defined at overlapping regions of the electrodes. Pixels may be activated on a row-by-row basis, for example. Referring to FIG. 7, a dimming cell includes a liquid crystal layer disposed between an upper array of individually-addressed electrodes and a lower bottom common contact. Referring to FIG. 8, an actively addressed dimming cell includes an upper array of patterned electrodes and a lower bottom common contact. A bus line array is configured to electrically power each individual electrode via a corresponding thin film transistor (TFT).
EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
Example 1: An optical element includes a first dimming panel having a first liquid crystal layer disposed between first upper and lower transparent electrodes, and a second dimming panel overlying the first dimming panel and including a second liquid crystal layer disposed between second upper and lower transparent electrodes, where the first liquid crystal layer is configured to scatter, absorb, or reflect light incident on the first dimming panel, and the second liquid crystal layer is configured to absorb or reflect light incident on the second dimming panel.
Example 2: The optical element of Example 1, where at least one of the first upper and lower transparent electrodes includes an array of individually-addressable electrodes.
Example 3: The optical element of any of Examples 1 and 2, where the first upper transparent electrode includes an array of individually-addressable electrodes, and the first lower transparent electrode includes a blanket electrode.
Example 4: The optical element of any of Examples 1-3, where the first dimming panel is configured as a world-side panel and the second dimming panel is configured as an eye-side panel.
Example 5: The optical element of any of Examples 1-4, further including a first upper alignment layer disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the first upper transparent electrode, and a first lower alignment layer disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the first lower transparent electrode.
Example 6: The optical element of Example 5, where the first liquid crystal layer directly contacts the first upper alignment layer and the first lower alignment layer.
Example 7: The optical element of any of Examples 1-6, further including a second upper alignment layer disposed between the second liquid crystal layer and the second upper transparent electrode, and a second lower alignment layer disposed between the second liquid crystal layer and the second lower transparent electrode.
Example 8: The optical element of Example 7, where the second liquid crystal layer directly contacts the second upper alignment layer and the second lower alignment layer.
Example 9: The optical element of any of Examples 1-4, further including a first upper alignment layer disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the first upper transparent electrode and a first lower alignment layer disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the first lower transparent electrode, and a second upper alignment layer disposed between the second liquid crystal layer and the second upper transparent electrode and a second lower alignment layer disposed between the second liquid crystal layer and the second lower transparent electrode.
Example 10: The optical element of Example 9, where the first liquid crystal layer directly contacts the first upper alignment layer and the first lower alignment layer, and the second liquid crystal layer directly contacts the second upper alignment layer and the second lower alignment layer.
Example 11: An optical element includes a first dimming panel including a first active layer disposed between first upper and lower transparent electrodes, and a second dimming panel overlying the first dimming panel and including a second active layer disposed between second upper and lower transparent electrodes, where the first active layer is configured to scatter, absorb, or reflect light incident on the first dimming panel, and the second active layer is configured to absorb or reflect light incident on the second dimming panel.
Example 12: The optical element of Example 11, where at least one of the first upper and lower transparent electrodes includes an array of individually-addressable electrodes.
Example 13: The optical element of any of Examples 11 and 12, where the first upper transparent electrode includes an array of individually-addressable electrodes, and the first lower transparent electrode includes a blanket electrode.
Example 14: The optical element of any of Examples 11-13, where the second upper transparent electrode includes an array of individually-addressable electrodes, and the second lower transparent electrode includes a blanket electrode.
Example 15: The optical element of any of Examples 11-14, where the first dimming panel is configured as a world-side panel and the second dimming panel is configured as an eye-side panel.
Example 16: The optical element of any of Examples 11-15, where the first active layer includes an assembly selected from a polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC), liquid crystal physical gel (LCPG), polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture (PSCT), polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC), guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC), photochromic (PhCh) layer, electrochromic (EC) layer, reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) structure, and ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (FNLC).
Example 17: The optical element of any of Examples 11-16, where the second active layer includes an assembly selected from guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC), photochromic (PhCh) layer, electrochromic (EC) layer, reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) structure, and ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal (FNLC).
Example 18: The optical element of any of Examples 11-17, where the first dimming panel is configured to have a visible spectrum transmissivity of 0.5% to 90%, and the second dimming panel is configured to have a visible spectrum haze level of less than 3%.
Example 19: An optical element includes a first dimming panel including a first active layer disposed between first upper and lower transparent electrodes, and a second dimming panel overlying the first dimming panel and including a second active layer disposed between second upper and lower transparent electrodes, where the first dimming panel is configured to have a clear state visible spectrum transmissivity of at least approximately 90%, a clear state visible spectrum haze of less than approximately 3%, and a dimming state visible spectrum haze of at least approximately 50%, and the second dimming panel is configured to have a clear state visible spectrum transmissivity of at least approximately 90% and a dimming state visible spectrum haze of less than approximately 80%.
Example 20: The optical element of Example 19, where the clear state transmissivity of the optical element is at least approximately 80% and the dimming state transmissivity of the optical element is less than approximately 40%.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may include or be implemented in conjunction with various types of Artificial-Reality (AR) systems. AR may be any superimposed functionality and/or sensory-detectable content presented by an artificial-reality system within a user's physical surroundings. In other words, AR is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some manner before presentation to a user. AR can include and/or represent virtual reality (VR), augmented reality, mixed AR (MAR), or some combination and/or variation of these types of realities. Similarly, AR environments may include VR environments (including non-immersive, semi-immersive, and fully immersive VR environments), augmented-reality environments (including marker-based augmented-reality environments, markerless augmented-reality environments, location-based augmented-reality environments, and projection-based augmented-reality environments), hybrid-reality environments, and/or any other type or form of mixed-or alternative-reality environments.
AR content may include completely computer-generated content or computer-generated content combined with captured (e.g., real-world) content. Such AR content may include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, any of which may be presented in a single channel or in multiple channels (such as stereo video that produces a three-dimensional (3D) effect to the viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, AR may also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof, that are used to, for example, create content in an artificial reality and/or are otherwise used in (e.g., to perform activities in) an artificial reality.
AR systems may be implemented in a variety of different form factors and configurations. Some AR systems may be designed to work without near-eye displays (NEDs). Other AR systems may include a NED that also provides visibility into the real world (such as, e.g., augmented-reality system 1500 in FIG. 15) or that visually immerses a user in an artificial reality (such as, e.g., virtual-reality system 1600 in FIGS. 16A and 16B). While some AR devices may be self-contained systems, other AR devices may communicate and/or coordinate with external devices to provide an AR experience to a user. Examples of such external devices include handheld controllers, mobile devices, desktop computers, devices worn by a user, devices worn by one or more other users, and/or any other suitable external system.
FIGS. 9-12B illustrate example artificial-reality (AR) systems in accordance with some embodiments. FIG. 9 shows a first AR system 900 and first example user interactions using a wrist-wearable device 902, a head-wearable device (e.g., AR glasses 1500), and/or a handheld intermediary processing device (HIPD) 906. FIG. 10 shows a second AR system 1000 and second example user interactions using a wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or an HIPD 1006. FIGS. 11A and 11B show a third AR system 1100 and third example user 1108 interactions using a wrist-wearable device 1102, a head-wearable device (e.g., VR headset 1150), and/or an HIPD 1106. FIGS. 12A and 12B show a fourth AR system 1200 and fourth example user 1208 interactions using a wrist-wearable device 1230, VR headset 1220, and/or a haptic device 1260 (e.g., wearable gloves).
A wrist-wearable device 1300, which can be used for wrist-wearable device 902, 1002, 1102, 1230, and one or more of its components, are described below in reference to FIGS. 13 and 14; head-wearable devices 1500 and 1600, which can respectively be used for AR glasses 904, 1004 or VR headset 1150, 1220, and their one or more components are described below in reference to FIGS. 15-17.
Referring to FIG. 9, wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 can communicatively couple via a network 925 (e.g., cellular, near field, Wi-Fi, personal area network, wireless LAN, etc.). Additionally, wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 can also communicatively couple with one or more servers 930, computers 940 (e.g., laptops, computers, etc.), mobile devices 950 (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.), and/or other electronic devices via network 925 (e.g., cellular, near field, Wi-Fi, personal area network, wireless LAN, etc.).
In FIG. 9, a user 908 is shown wearing wrist-wearable device 902 and AR glasses 904 and having HIPD 906 on their desk. The wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and HIPD 906 facilitate user interaction with an AR environment. In particular, as shown by first AR system 900, wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 cause presentation of one or more avatars 910, digital representations of contacts 912, and virtual objects 914. As discussed below, user 908 can interact with one or more avatars 910, digital representations of contacts 912, and virtual objects 914 via wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906.
User 908 can use any of wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 to provide user inputs. For example, user 908 can perform one or more hand gestures that are detected by wrist-wearable device 902 (e.g., using one or more EMG sensors and/or IMUs, described below in reference to FIGS. 13 and 14) and/or AR glasses 904 (e.g., using one or more image sensor or camera, described below in reference to FIGS. 15-17) to provide a user input. Alternatively, or additionally, user 908 can provide a user input via one or more touch surfaces of wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, HIPD 906, and/or voice commands captured by a microphone of wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906. In some embodiments, wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 include a digital assistant to help user 908 in providing a user input (e.g., completing a sequence of operations, suggesting different operations or commands, providing reminders, confirming a command, etc.). In some embodiments, user 908 can provide a user input via one or more facial gestures and/or facial expressions. For example, cameras of wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 can track eyes of user 908 for navigating a user interface.
Wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 can operate alone or in conjunction to allow user 908 to interact with the AR environment. In some embodiments, HIPD 906 is configured to operate as a central hub or control center for the wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or another communicatively coupled device. For example, user 908 can provide an input to interact with the AR environment at any of wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906, and HIPD 906 can identify one or more back-end and front-end tasks to cause the performance of the requested interaction and distribute instructions to cause the performance of the one or more back-end and front-end tasks at wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906. In some embodiments, a back-end task is a background processing task that is not perceptible by the user (e.g., rendering content, decompression, compression, etc.), and a front-end task is a user-facing task that is perceptible to the user (e.g., presenting information to the user, providing feedback to the user, etc.). HIPD 906 can perform the back-end tasks and provide wrist-wearable device 902 and/or AR glasses 904 operational data corresponding to the performed back-end tasks such that wrist-wearable device 902 and/or AR glasses 904 can perform the front-end tasks. In this way, HIPD 906, which has more computational resources and greater thermal headroom than wrist-wearable device 902 and/or AR glasses 904, performs computationally intensive tasks and reduces the computer resource utilization and/or power usage of wrist-wearable device 902 and/or AR glasses 904.
In the example shown by first AR system 900, HIPD 906 identifies one or more back-end tasks and front-end tasks associated with a user request to initiate an AR video call with one or more other users (represented by avatar 910 and the digital representation of contact 912) and distributes instructions to cause the performance of the one or more back-end tasks and front-end tasks. In particular, HIPD 906 performs back-end tasks for processing and/or rendering image data (and other data) associated with the AR video call and provides operational data associated with the performed back-end tasks to AR glasses 904 such that the AR glasses 904 perform front-end tasks for presenting the AR video call (e.g., presenting avatar 910 and digital representation of contact 912).
In some embodiments, HIPD 906 can operate as a focal or anchor point for causing the presentation of information. This allows user 908 to be generally aware of where information is presented. For example, as shown in first AR system 900, avatar 910 and the digital representation of contact 912 are presented above HIPD 906. In particular, HIPD 906 and AR glasses 904 operate in conjunction to determine a location for presenting avatar 910 and the digital representation of contact 912. In some embodiments, information can be presented a predetermined distance from HIPD 906 (e.g., within 5 meters). For example, as shown in first AR system 900, virtual object 914 is presented on the desk some distance from HIPD 906. Similar to the above example, HIPD 906 and AR glasses 904 can operate in conjunction to determine a location for presenting virtual object 914. Alternatively, in some embodiments, presentation of information is not bound by HIPD 906. More specifically, avatar 910, digital representation of contact 912, and virtual object 914 do not have to be presented within a predetermined distance of HIPD 906.
User inputs provided at wrist-wearable device 902, AR glasses 904, and/or HIPD 906 are coordinated such that the user can use any device to initiate, continue, and/or complete an operation. For example, user 908 can provide a user input to AR glasses 904 to cause AR glasses 904 to present virtual object 914 and, while virtual object 914 is presented by AR glasses 904, user 908 can provide one or more hand gestures via wrist-wearable device 902 to interact and/or manipulate virtual object 914.
FIG. 10 shows a user 1008 wearing a wrist-wearable device 1002 and AR glasses 1004, and holding an HIPD 1006. In second AR system 1000, the wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 are used to receive and/or provide one or more messages to a contact of user 1008. In particular, wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 detect and coordinate one or more user inputs to initiate a messaging application and prepare a response to a received message via the messaging application.
In some embodiments, user 1008 initiates, via a user input, an application on wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 that causes the application to initiate on at least one device. For example, in second AR system 1000, user 1008 performs a hand gesture associated with a command for initiating a messaging application (represented by messaging user interface 1016), wrist-wearable device 1002 detects the hand gesture and, based on a determination that user 1008 is wearing AR glasses 1004, causes AR glasses 1004 to present a messaging user interface 1016 of the messaging application. AR glasses 1004 can present messaging user interface 1016 to user 1008 via its display (e.g., as shown by a field of view 1018 of user 1008). In some embodiments, the application is initiated and executed on the device (e.g., wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006) that detects the user input to initiate the application, and the device provides another device operational data to cause the presentation of the messaging application. For example, wrist-wearable device 1002 can detect the user input to initiate a messaging application, initiate and run the messaging application, and provide operational data to AR glasses 1004 and/or HIPD 1006 to cause presentation of the messaging application. Alternatively, the application can be initiated and executed at a device other than the device that detected the user input. For example, wrist-wearable device 1002 can detect the hand gesture associated with initiating the messaging application and cause HIPD 1006 to run the messaging application and coordinate the presentation of the messaging application.
Further, user 1008 can provide a user input provided at wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 to continue and/or complete an operation initiated at another device. For example, after initiating the messaging application via wrist-wearable device 1002 and while AR glasses 1004 present messaging user interface 1016, user 1008 can provide an input at HIPD 1006 to prepare a response (e.g., shown by the swipe gesture performed on HIPD 1006). Gestures performed by user 1008 on HIPD 1006 can be provided and/or displayed on another device. For example, a swipe gestured performed on HIPD 1006 is displayed on a virtual keyboard of messaging user interface 1016 displayed by AR glasses 1004.
In some embodiments, wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, HIPD 1006, and/or any other communicatively coupled device can present one or more notifications to user 1008. The notification can be an indication of a new message, an incoming call, an application update, a status update, etc. User 1008 can select the notification via wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 and can cause presentation of an application or operation associated with the notification on at least one device. For example, user 1008 can receive a notification that a message was received at wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, HIPD 1006, and/or any other communicatively coupled device and can then provide a user input at wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 to review the notification, and the device detecting the user input can cause an application associated with the notification to be initiated and/or presented at wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006.
While the above example describes coordinated inputs used to interact with a messaging application, user inputs can be coordinated to interact with any number of applications including, but not limited to, gaming applications, social media applications, camera applications, web-based applications, financial applications, etc. For example, AR glasses 1004 can present to user 1008 game application data, and HIPD 1006 can be used as a controller to provide inputs to the game. Similarly, user 1008 can use wrist-wearable device 1002 to initiate a camera of AR glasses 1004, and user 308 can use wrist-wearable device 1002, AR glasses 1004, and/or HIPD 1006 to manipulate the image capture (e.g., zoom in or out, apply filters, etc.) and capture image data.
Users may interact with the devices disclosed herein in a variety of ways. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a user 1108 may interact with an AR system 1100 by donning a VR headset 1150 while holding HIPD 1106 and wearing wrist-wearable device 1102. In this example, AR system 1100 may enable a user to interact with a game 1110 by swiping their arm. One or more of VR headset 1150, HIPD 1106, and wrist-wearable device 1102 may detect this gesture and, in response, may display a sword strike in game 1110. Similarly, in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a user 1208 may interact with an AR system 1200 by donning a VR headset 1220 while wearing haptic device 1260 and wrist-wearable device 1230. In this example, AR system 1200 may enable a user to interact with a game 1210 by swiping their arm. One or more of VR headset 1220, haptic device 1260, and wrist-wearable device 1230 may detect this gesture and, in response, may display a spell being cast in game 1110.
Having discussed example AR systems, devices for interacting with such AR systems and other computing systems more generally will now be discussed in greater detail. Some explanations of devices and components that can be included in some or all of the example devices discussed below are explained herein for ease of reference. Certain types of the components described below may be more suitable for a particular set of devices, and less suitable for a different set of devices. But subsequent reference to the components explained here should be considered to be encompassed by the descriptions provided.
In some embodiments discussed below, example devices and systems, including electronic devices and systems, will be addressed. Such example devices and systems are not intended to be limiting, and one of skill in the art will understand that alternative devices and systems to the example devices and systems described herein may be used to perform the operations and construct the systems and devices that are described herein.
An electronic device may be a device that uses electrical energy to perform a specific function. An electronic device can be any physical object that contains electronic components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, diodes, and integrated circuits. Examples of electronic devices include smartphones, laptops, digital cameras, televisions, gaming consoles, and music players, as well as the example electronic devices discussed herein. As described herein, an intermediary electronic device may be a device that sits between two other electronic devices and/or a subset of components of one or more electronic devices and facilitates communication, data processing, and/or data transfer between the respective electronic devices and/or electronic components.
An integrated circuit may be an electronic device made up of multiple interconnected electronic components such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors. These components may be etched onto a small piece of semiconductor material, such as silicon. Integrated circuits may include analog integrated circuits, digital integrated circuits, mixed signal integrated circuits, and/or any other suitable type or form of integrated circuit. Examples of integrated circuits include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), processing units, central processing units (CPUs), co-processors, and accelerators.
Analog integrated circuits, such as sensors, power management circuits, and operational amplifiers, may process continuous signals and perform analog functions such as amplification, active filtering, demodulation, and mixing. Examples of analog integrated circuits include linear integrated circuits and radio frequency circuits.
Digital integrated circuits, which may be referred to as logic integrated circuits, may include microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory chips, interfaces, power management circuits, programmable devices, and/or any other suitable type or form of integrated circuit. In some embodiments, examples of integrated circuits include central processing units (CPUs).
Processing units, such as CPUs, may be electronic components that are responsible for executing instructions and controlling the operation of an electronic device (e.g., a computer). There are various types of processors that may be used interchangeably, or may be specifically required, by embodiments described herein. For example, a processor may be: (i) a general processor designed to perform a wide range of tasks, such as running software applications, managing operating systems, and performing arithmetic and logical operations; (ii) a microcontroller designed for specific tasks such as controlling electronic devices, sensors, and motors; (iii) an accelerator, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), designed to accelerate the creation and rendering of images, videos, and animations (e.g., virtual-reality animations, such as three-dimensional modeling); (iv) a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed and reconfigured after manufacturing and/or can be customized to perform specific tasks, such as signal processing, cryptography, and machine learning; and/or (v) a digital signal processor (DSP) designed to perform mathematical operations on signals such as audio, video, and radio waves. One or more processors of one or more electronic devices may be used in various embodiments described herein.
Memory generally refers to electronic components in a computer or electronic device that store data and instructions for the processor to access and manipulate. Examples of memory can include: (i) random access memory (RAM) configured to store data and instructions temporarily; (ii) read-only memory (ROM) configured to store data and instructions permanently (e.g., one or more portions of system firmware, and/or boot loaders) and/or semi-permanently; (iii) flash memory, which can be configured to store data in electronic devices (e.g., USB drives, memory cards, and/or solid-state drives (SSDs)); and/or (iv) cache memory configured to temporarily store frequently accessed data and instructions. Memory, as described herein, can store structured data (e.g., SQL databases, MongoDB databases, GraphQL data, JSON data, etc.). Other examples of data stored in memory can include (i) profile data, including user account data, user settings, and/or other user data stored by the user, (ii) sensor data detected and/or otherwise obtained by one or more sensors, (iii) media content data including stored image data, audio data, documents, and the like, (iv) application data, which can include data collected and/or otherwise obtained and stored during use of an application, and/or any other types of data described herein.
Controllers may be electronic components that manage and coordinate the operation of other components within an electronic device (e.g., controlling inputs, processing data, and/or generating outputs). Examples of controllers can include: (i) microcontrollers, including small, low-power controllers that are commonly used in embedded systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices; (ii) programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that may be configured to be used in industrial automation systems to control and monitor manufacturing processes; (iii) system-on-a-chip (SoC) controllers that integrate multiple components such as processors, memory, I/O interfaces, and other peripherals into a single chip; and/or (iv) DSPs.
A power system of an electronic device may be configured to convert incoming electrical power into a form that can be used to operate the device. A power system can include various components, such as (i) a power source, which can be an alternating current (AC) adapter or a direct current (DC) adapter power supply, (ii) a charger input, which can be configured to use a wired and/or wireless connection (which may be part of a peripheral interface, such as a USB, micro-USB interface, near-field magnetic coupling, magnetic inductive and magnetic resonance charging, and/or radio frequency (RF) charging), (iii) a power-management integrated circuit, configured to distribute power to various components of the device and to ensure that the device operates within safe limits (e.g., regulating voltage, controlling current flow, and/or managing heat dissipation), and/or (iv) a battery configured to store power to provide usable power to components of one or more electronic devices.
Peripheral interfaces may be electronic components (e.g., of electronic devices) that allow electronic devices to communicate with other devices or peripherals and can provide the ability to input and output data and signals. Examples of peripheral interfaces can include (i) universal serial bus (USB) and/or micro-USB interfaces configured for connecting devices to an electronic device, (ii) Bluetooth interfaces configured to allow devices to communicate with each other, including Bluetooth low energy (BLE), (iii) near field communication (NFC) interfaces configured to be short-range wireless interfaces for operations such as access control, (iv) POGO pins, which may be small, spring-loaded pins configured to provide a charging interface, (v) wireless charging interfaces, (vi) GPS interfaces, (vii) Wi-Fi interfaces for providing a connection between a device and a wireless network, and/or (viii) sensor interfaces.
Sensors may be electronic components (e.g., in and/or otherwise in electronic communication with electronic devices, such as wearable devices) configured to detect physical and environmental changes and generate electrical signals. Examples of sensors can include (i) imaging sensors for collecting imaging data (e.g., including one or more cameras disposed on a respective electronic device), (ii) biopotential-signal sensors, (iii) inertial measurement units (e.g., IMUs) for detecting, for example, angular rate, force, magnetic field, and/or changes in acceleration, (iv) heart rate sensors for measuring a user's heart rate, (v) SpO2 sensors for measuring blood oxygen saturation and/or other biometric data of a user, (vi) capacitive sensors for detecting changes in potential at a portion of a user's body (e.g., a sensor-skin interface), and/or (vii) light sensors (e.g., time-of-flight sensors, infrared light sensors, visible light sensors, etc.).
Biopotential-signal-sensing components may be devices used to measure electrical activity within the body (e.g., biopotential-signal sensors). Some types of biopotential-signal sensors include (i) electroencephalography (EEG) sensors configured to measure electrical activity in the brain to diagnose neurological disorders, (ii) electrocardiogramhy (ECG or EKG) sensors configured to measure electrical activity of the heart to diagnose heart problems, (iii) electromyography (EMG) sensors configured to measure the electrical activity of muscles and to diagnose neuromuscular disorders, and (iv) electrooculography (EOG) sensors configured to measure the electrical activity of eye muscles to detect eye movement and diagnose eye disorders.
An application stored in memory of an electronic device (e.g., software) may include instructions stored in the memory. Examples of such applications include (i) games, (ii) word processors, (iii) messaging applications, (iv) media-streaming applications, (v) financial applications, (vi) calendars. (vii) clocks, and (viii) communication interface modules for enabling wired and/or wireless connections between different respective electronic devices (e.g., IEEE 1502.15.4, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, Thread, Z-Wave, Bluetooth Smart, ISA100.11a, WirelessHART, or MiWi), custom or standard wired protocols (e.g., Ethernet or HomePlug), and/or any other suitable communication protocols).
A communication interface may be a mechanism that enables different systems or devices to exchange information and data with each other, including hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software. For example, a communication interface can refer to a physical connector and/or port on a device that enables communication with other devices (e.g., USB, Ethernet, HDMI, Bluetooth). In some embodiments, a communication interface can refer to a software layer that enables different software programs to communicate with each other (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs), protocols like HTTP and TCP/IP, etc.).
A graphics module may be a component or software module that is designed to handle graphical operations and/or processes and can include a hardware module and/or a software module.
Non-transitory computer-readable storage media may be physical devices or storage media that can be used to store electronic data in a non-transitory form (e.g., such that the data is stored permanently until it is intentionally deleted or modified).
FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate an example wrist-wearable device 1300 and an example computer system 1400, in accordance with some embodiments. Wrist-wearable device 1300 is an instance of wearable device 902 described in FIG. 9 herein, such that the wearable device 902 should be understood to have the features of the wrist-wearable device 1300 and vice versa. FIG. 14 illustrates components of the wrist-wearable device 1300, which can be used individually or in combination, including combinations that include other electronic devices and/or electronic components.
FIG. 13 shows a wearable band 1310 and a watch body 1320 (or capsule) being coupled, as discussed below, to form wrist-wearable device 1300. Wrist-wearable device 1300 can perform various functions and/or operations associated with navigating through user interfaces and selectively opening applications as well as the functions and/or operations described above with reference to FIGS. 9-12B.
As will be described in more detail below, operations executed by wrist-wearable device 1300 can include (i) presenting content to a user (e.g., displaying visual content via a display 1305), (ii) detecting (e.g., sensing) user input (e.g., sensing a touch on peripheral button 1323 and/or at a touch screen of the display 1305, a hand gesture detected by sensors (e.g., biopotential sensors)), (iii) sensing biometric data (e.g., neuromuscular signals, heart rate, temperature, sleep, etc.) via one or more sensors 1313, messaging (e.g., text, speech, video, etc.); image capture via one or more imaging devices or cameras 1325, wireless communications (e.g., cellular, near field, Wi-Fi, personal area network, etc.), location determination, financial transactions, providing haptic feedback, providing alarms, providing notifications, providing biometric authentication, providing health monitoring, providing sleep monitoring, etc.
The above-example functions can be executed independently in watch body 1320, independently in wearable band 1310, and/or via an electronic communication between watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310. In some embodiments, functions can be executed on wrist-wearable device 1300 while an AR environment is being presented (e.g., via one of AR systems 900 to 1200). The wearable devices described herein can also be used with other types of AR environments.
Wearable band 1310 can be configured to be worn by a user such that an inner surface of a wearable structure 1311 of wearable band 1310 is in contact with the user's skin. In this example, when worn by a user, sensors 1313 may contact the user's skin. In some examples, one or more of sensors 1313 can sense biometric data such as a user's heart rate, a saturated oxygen level, temperature, sweat level, neuromuscular signals, or a combination thereof. One or more of sensors 1313 can also sense data about a user's environment including a user's motion, altitude, location, orientation, gait, acceleration, position, or a combination thereof. In some embodiment, one or more of sensors 1313 can be configured to track a position and/or motion of wearable band 1310. One or more of sensors 1313 can include any of the sensors defined above and/or discussed below with respect to FIG. 13.
One or more of sensors 1313 can be distributed on an inside and/or an outside surface of wearable band 1310. In some embodiments, one or more of sensors 1313 are uniformly spaced along wearable band 1310. Alternatively, in some embodiments, one or more of sensors 1313 are positioned at distinct points along wearable band 1310. As shown in FIG. 13, one or more of sensors 1313 can be the same or distinct. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of sensors 1313 can be shaped as a pill (e.g., sensor 1313a), an oval, a circle a square, an oblong (e.g., sensor 1313c) and/or any other shape that maintains contact with the user's skin (e.g., such that neuromuscular signal and/or other biometric data can be accurately measured at the user's skin). In some embodiments, one or more sensors of 1313 are aligned to form pairs of sensors (e.g., for sensing neuromuscular signals based on differential sensing within each respective sensor). For example, sensor 1313b may be aligned with an adjacent sensor to form sensor pair 1314a and sensor 1313d may be aligned with an adjacent sensor to form sensor pair 1314b. In some embodiments, wearable band 1310 does not have a sensor pair. Alternatively, in some embodiments, wearable band 1310 has a predetermined number of sensor pairs (one pair of sensors, three pairs of sensors, four pairs of sensors, six pairs of sensors, sixteen pairs of sensors, etc.).
Wearable band 1310 can include any suitable number of sensors 1313. In some embodiments, the number and arrangement of sensors 1313 depends on the particular application for which wearable band 1310 is used. For instance, wearable band 1310 can be configured as an armband, wristband, or chest-band that include a plurality of sensors 1313 with different number of sensors 1313, a variety of types of individual sensors with the plurality of sensors 1313, and different arrangements for each use case, such as medical use cases as compared to gaming or general day-to-day use cases.
In accordance with some embodiments, wearable band 1310 further includes an electrical ground electrode and a shielding electrode. The electrical ground and shielding electrodes, like the sensors 1313, can be distributed on the inside surface of the wearable band 1310 such that they contact a portion of the user's skin. For example, the electrical ground and shielding electrodes can be at an inside surface of a coupling mechanism 1316 or an inside surface of a wearable structure 1311. The electrical ground and shielding electrodes can be formed and/or use the same components as sensors 1313. In some embodiments, wearable band 1310 includes more than one electrical ground electrode and more than one shielding electrode.
Sensors 1313 can be formed as part of wearable structure 1311 of wearable band 1310. In some embodiments, sensors 1313 are flush or substantially flush with wearable structure 1311 such that they do not extend beyond the surface of wearable structure 1311. While flush with wearable structure 1311, sensors 1313 are still configured to contact the user's skin (e.g., via a skin-contacting surface). Alternatively, in some embodiments, sensors 1313 extend beyond wearable structure 1311 a predetermined distance (e.g., 0.1-2 mm) to make contact and depress into the user's skin. In some embodiment, sensors 1313 are coupled to an actuator (not shown) configured to adjust an extension height (e.g., a distance from the surface of wearable structure 1311) of sensors 1313 such that sensors 1313 make contact and depress into the user's skin. In some embodiments, the actuators adjust the extension height between 0.01 mm-1.2 mm. This may allow a the user to customize the positioning of sensors 1313 to improve the overall comfort of the wearable band 1310 when worn while still allowing sensors 1313 to contact the user's skin. In some embodiments, sensors 1313 are indistinguishable from wearable structure 1311 when worn by the user.
Wearable structure 1311 can be formed of an elastic material, elastomers, etc., configured to be stretched and fitted to be worn by the user. In some embodiments, wearable structure 1311 is a textile or woven fabric. As described above, sensors 1313 can be formed as part of a wearable structure 1311. For example, sensors 1313 can be molded into the wearable structure 1311, be integrated into a woven fabric (e.g., sensors 1313 can be sewn into the fabric and mimic the pliability of fabric and can and/or be constructed from a series woven strands of fabric).
Wearable structure 1311 can include flexible electronic connectors that interconnect sensors 1313, the electronic circuitry, and/or other electronic components (described below in reference to FIG. 14) that are enclosed in wearable band 1310. In some embodiments, the flexible electronic connectors are configured to interconnect sensors 1313, the electronic circuitry, and/or other electronic components of wearable band 1310 with respective sensors and/or other electronic components of another electronic device (e.g., watch body 1320). The flexible electronic connectors are configured to move with wearable structure 1311 such that the user adjustment to wearable structure 1311 (e.g., resizing, pulling, folding, etc.) does not stress or strain the electrical coupling of components of wearable band 1310.
As described above, wearable band 1310 is configured to be worn by a user. In particular, wearable band 1310 can be shaped or otherwise manipulated to be worn by a user. For example, wearable band 1310 can be shaped to have a substantially circular shape such that it can be configured to be worn on the user's lower arm or wrist. Alternatively, wearable band 1310 can be shaped to be worn on another body part of the user, such as the user's upper arm (e.g., around a bicep), forearm, chest, legs, etc. Wearable band 1310 can include a retaining mechanism 1312 (e.g., a buckle, a hook and loop fastener, etc.) for securing wearable band 1310 to the user's wrist or other body part. While wearable band 1310 is worn by the user, sensors 1313 sense data (referred to as sensor data) from the user's skin. In some examples, sensors 1313 of wearable band 1310 obtain (e.g., sense and record) neuromuscular signals.
The sensed data (e.g., sensed neuromuscular signals) can be used to detect and/or determine the user's intention to perform certain motor actions. In some examples, sensors 1313 may sense and record neuromuscular signals from the user as the user performs muscular activations (e.g., movements, gestures, etc.). The detected and/or determined motor actions (e.g., phalange (or digit) movements, wrist movements, hand movements, and/or other muscle intentions) can be used to determine control commands or control information (instructions to perform certain commands after the data is sensed) for causing a computing device to perform one or more input commands. For example, the sensed neuromuscular signals can be used to control certain user interfaces displayed on display 1305 of wrist-wearable device 1300 and/or can be transmitted to a device responsible for rendering an artificial-reality environment (e.g., a head-mounted display) to perform an action in an associated artificial-reality environment, such as to control the motion of a virtual device displayed to the user. The muscular activations performed by the user can include static gestures, such as placing the user's hand palm down on a table, dynamic gestures, such as grasping a physical or virtual object, and covert gestures that are imperceptible to another person, such as slightly tensing a joint by co-contracting opposing muscles or using sub-muscular activations. The muscular activations performed by the user can include symbolic gestures (e.g., gestures mapped to other gestures, interactions, or commands, for example, based on a gesture vocabulary that specifies the mapping of gestures to commands).
The sensor data sensed by sensors 1313 can be used to provide a user with an enhanced interaction with a physical object (e.g., devices communicatively coupled with wearable band 1310) and/or a virtual object in an artificial-reality application generated by an artificial-reality system (e.g., user interface objects presented on the display 1305, or another computing device (e.g., a smartphone)).
In some embodiments, wearable band 1310 includes one or more haptic devices 1446 (e.g., a vibratory haptic actuator) that are configured to provide haptic feedback (e.g., a cutaneous and/or kinesthetic sensation, etc.) to the user's skin. Sensors 1313 and/or haptic devices 1446 (shown in FIG. 14) can be configured to operate in conjunction with multiple applications including, without limitation, health monitoring, social media, games, and artificial reality (e.g., the applications associated with artificial reality).
Wearable band 1310 can also include coupling mechanism 1316 for detachably coupling a capsule (e.g., a computing unit) or watch body 1320 (via a coupling surface of the watch body 1320) to wearable band 1310. For example, a cradle or a shape of coupling mechanism 1316 can correspond to shape of watch body 1320 of wrist-wearable device 1300. In particular, coupling mechanism 1316 can be configured to receive a coupling surface proximate to the bottom side of watch body 1320 (e.g., a side opposite to a front side of watch body 1320 where display 1305 is located), such that a user can push watch body 1320 downward into coupling mechanism 1316 to attach watch body 1320 to coupling mechanism 1316. In some embodiments, coupling mechanism 1316 can be configured to receive a top side of the watch body 1320 (e.g., a side proximate to the front side of watch body 1320 where display 1305 is located) that is pushed upward into the cradle, as opposed to being pushed downward into coupling mechanism 1316. In some embodiments, coupling mechanism 1316 is an integrated component of wearable band 1310 such that wearable band 1310 and coupling mechanism 1316 are a single unitary structure. In some embodiments, coupling mechanism 1316 is a type of frame or shell that allows watch body 1320 coupling surface to be retained within or on wearable band 1310 coupling mechanism 1316 (e.g., a cradle, a tracker band, a support base, a clasp, etc.).
Coupling mechanism 1316 can allow for watch body 1320 to be detachably coupled to the wearable band 1310 through a friction fit, magnetic coupling, a rotation-based connector, a shear-pin coupler, a retention spring, one or more magnets, a clip, a pin shaft, a hook and loop fastener, or a combination thereof. A user can perform any type of motion to couple the watch body 1320 to wearable band 1310 and to decouple the watch body 1320 from the wearable band 1310. For example, a user can twist, slide, turn, push, pull, or rotate watch body 1320 relative to wearable band 1310, or a combination thereof, to attach watch body 1320 to wearable band 1310 and to detach watch body 1320 from wearable band 1310. Alternatively, as discussed below, in some embodiments, the watch body 1320 can be decoupled from the wearable band 1310 by actuation of a release mechanism 1329.
Wearable band 1310 can be coupled with watch body 1320 to increase the functionality of wearable band 1310 (e.g., converting wearable band 1310 into wrist-wearable device 1300, adding an additional computing unit and/or battery to increase computational resources and/or a battery life of wearable band 1310, adding additional sensors to improve sensed data, etc.). As described above, wearable band 1310 and coupling mechanism 1316 are configured to operate independently (e.g., execute functions independently) from watch body 1320. For example, coupling mechanism 1316 can include one or more sensors 1313 that contact a user's skin when wearable band 1310 is worn by the user, with or without watch body 1320 and can provide sensor data for determining control commands.
A user can detach watch body 1320 from wearable band 1310 to reduce the encumbrance of wrist-wearable device 1300 to the user. For embodiments in which watch body 1320 is removable, watch body 1320 can be referred to as a removable structure, such that in these embodiments wrist-wearable device 1300 includes a wearable portion (e.g., wearable band 1310) and a removable structure (e.g., watch body 1320).
Turning to watch body 1320, in some examples watch body 1320 can have a substantially rectangular or circular shape. Watch body 1320 is configured to be worn by the user on their wrist or on another body part. More specifically, watch body 1320 is sized to be easily carried by the user, attached on a portion of the user's clothing, and/or coupled to wearable band 1310 (forming the wrist-wearable device 1300). As described above, watch body 1320 can have a shape corresponding to coupling mechanism 1316 of wearable band 1310. In some embodiments, watch body 1320 includes a single release mechanism 1329 or multiple release mechanisms (e.g., two release mechanisms 1329 positioned on opposing sides of watch body 1320, such as spring-loaded buttons) for decoupling watch body 1320 from wearable band 1310. Release mechanism 1329 can include, without limitation, a button, a knob, a plunger, a handle, a lever, a fastener, a clasp, a dial, a latch, or a combination thereof.
A user can actuate release mechanism 1329 by pushing, turning, lifting, depressing, shifting, or performing other actions on release mechanism 1329. Actuation of release mechanism 1329 can release (e.g., decouple) watch body 1320 from coupling mechanism 1316 of wearable band 1310, allowing the user to use watch body 1320 independently from wearable band 1310 and vice versa. For example, decoupling watch body 1320 from wearable band 1310 can allow a user to capture images using rear-facing camera 1325b. Although release mechanism 1329 is shown positioned at a corner of watch body 1320, release mechanism 1329 can be positioned anywhere on watch body 1320 that is convenient for the user to actuate. In addition, in some embodiments, wearable band 1310 can also include a respective release mechanism for decoupling watch body 1320 from coupling mechanism 1316. In some embodiments, release mechanism 1329 is optional and watch body 1320 can be decoupled from coupling mechanism 1316 as described above (e.g., via twisting, rotating, etc.).
Watch body 1320 can include one or more peripheral buttons 1323 and 1327 for performing various operations at watch body 1320. For example, peripheral buttons 1323 and 1327 can be used to turn on or wake (e.g., transition from a sleep state to an active state) display 1305, unlock watch body 1320, increase or decrease a volume, increase or decrease a brightness, interact with one or more applications, interact with one or more user interfaces, etc. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, display 1305 operates as a touch screen and allows the user to provide one or more inputs for interacting with watch body 1320.
In some embodiments, watch body 1320 includes one or more sensors 1321. Sensors 1321 of watch body 1320 can be the same or distinct from sensors 1313 of wearable band 1310. Sensors 1321 of watch body 1320 can be distributed on an inside and/or an outside surface of watch body 1320. In some embodiments, sensors 1321 are configured to contact a user's skin when watch body 1320 is worn by the user. For example, sensors 1321 can be placed on the bottom side of watch body 1320 and coupling mechanism 1316 can be a cradle with an opening that allows the bottom side of watch body 1320 to directly contact the user's skin. Alternatively, in some embodiments, watch body 1320 does not include sensors that are configured to contact the user's skin (e.g., including sensors internal and/or external to the watch body 1320 that are configured to sense data of watch body 1320 and the surrounding environment). In some embodiments, sensors 1321 are configured to track a position and/or motion of watch body 1320.
Watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can share data using a wired communication method (e.g., a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), a USB transceiver, etc.) and/or a wireless communication method (e.g., near field communication, Bluetooth, etc.). For example, watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can share data sensed by sensors 1313 and 1321, as well as application and device specific information (e.g., active and/or available applications, output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, etc.), input devices (e.g., touch screens, microphones, imaging sensors, etc.).
In some embodiments, watch body 1320 can include, without limitation, a front-facing camera 1325a and/or a rear-facing camera 1325b, sensors 1321 (e.g., a biometric sensor, an IMU, a heart rate sensor, a saturated oxygen sensor, a neuromuscular signal sensor, an altimeter sensor, a temperature sensor, a bioimpedance sensor, a pedometer sensor, an optical sensor (e.g., imaging sensor 1463), a touch sensor, a sweat sensor, etc.). In some embodiments, watch body 1320 can include one or more haptic devices 1476 (e.g., a vibratory haptic actuator) that is configured to provide haptic feedback (e.g., a cutaneous and/or kinesthetic sensation, etc.) to the user. Sensors 1421 and/or haptic device 1476 can also be configured to operate in conjunction with multiple applications including, without limitation, health monitoring applications, social media applications, game applications, and artificial reality applications (e.g., the applications associated with artificial reality).
As described above, watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310, when coupled, can form wrist-wearable device 1300. When coupled, watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 may operate as a single device to execute functions (operations, detections, communications, etc.) described herein. In some embodiments, each device may be provided with particular instructions for performing the one or more operations of wrist-wearable device 1300. For example, in accordance with a determination that watch body 1320 does not include neuromuscular signal sensors, wearable band 1310 can include alternative instructions for performing associated instructions (e.g., providing sensed neuromuscular signal data to watch body 1320 via a different electronic device). Operations of wrist-wearable device 1300 can be performed by watch body 1320 alone or in conjunction with wearable band 1310 (e.g., via respective processors and/or hardware components) and vice versa. In some embodiments, operations of wrist-wearable device 1300, watch body 1320, and/or wearable band 1310 can be performed in conjunction with one or more processors and/or hardware components.
As described below with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 14, wearable band 1310 and/or watch body 1320 can each include independent resources required to independently execute functions. For example, wearable band 1310 and/or watch body 1320 can each include a power source (e.g., a battery), a memory, data storage, a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), communications, a light source, and/or input/output devices.
FIG. 14 shows block diagrams of a computing system 1430 corresponding to wearable band 1310 and a computing system 1460 corresponding to watch body 1320 according to some embodiments. Computing system 1400 of wrist-wearable device 1300 may include a combination of components of wearable band computing system 1430 and watch body computing system 1460, in accordance with some embodiments.
Watch body 1320 and/or wearable band 1310 can include one or more components shown in watch body computing system 1460. In some embodiments, a single integrated circuit may include all or a substantial portion of the components of watch body computing system 1460 included in a single integrated circuit. Alternatively, in some embodiments, components of the watch body computing system 1460 may be included in a plurality of integrated circuits that are communicatively coupled. In some embodiments, watch body computing system 1460 may be configured to couple (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) with wearable band computing system 1430, which may allow the computing systems to share components, distribute tasks, and/or perform other operations described herein (individually or as a single device).
Watch body computing system 1460 can include one or more processors 1479, a controller 1477, a peripherals interface 1461, a power system 1495, and memory (e.g., a memory 1480).
Power system 1495 can include a charger input 1496, a power-management integrated circuit (PMIC) 1497, and a battery 1498. In some embodiments, a watch body 1320 and a wearable band 1310 can have respective batteries (e.g., battery 1498 and 1459) and can share power with each other. Watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can receive a charge using a variety of techniques. In some embodiments, watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can use a wired charging assembly (e.g., power cords) to receive the charge. Alternatively, or in addition, watch body 1320 and/or wearable band 1310 can be configured for wireless charging. For example, a portable charging device can be designed to mate with a portion of watch body 1320 and/or wearable band 1310 and wirelessly deliver usable power to battery 1498 of watch body 1320 and/or battery 1459 of wearable band 1310. Watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can have independent power systems (e.g., power system 1495 and 1456, respectively) to enable each to operate independently. Watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310 can also share power (e.g., one can charge the other) via respective PMICs (e.g., PMICs 1497 and 1458) and charger inputs (e.g., 1457 and 1496) that can share power over power and ground conductors and/or over wireless charging antennas.
In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1461 can include one or more sensors 1421. Sensors 1421 can include one or more coupling sensors 1462 for detecting when watch body 1320 is coupled with another electronic device (e.g., a wearable band 1310). Sensors 1421 can include one or more imaging sensors 1463 (e.g., one or more of cameras 1425, and/or separate imaging sensors 1463 (e.g., thermal-imaging sensors)). In some embodiments, sensors 1421 can include one or more SpO2 sensors 1464. In some embodiments, sensors 1421 can include one or more biopotential-signal sensors (e.g., EMG sensors 1465, which may be disposed on an interior, user-facing portion of watch body 1320 and/or wearable band 1310). In some embodiments, sensors 1421 may include one or more capacitive sensors 1466. In some embodiments, sensors 1421 may include one or more heart rate sensors 1467. In some embodiments, sensors 1421 may include one or more IMU sensors 1468. In some embodiments, one or more IMU sensors 1468 can be configured to detect movement of a user's hand or other location where watch body 1320 is placed or held.
In some embodiments, one or more of sensors 1421 may provide an example human-machine interface. For example, a set of neuromuscular sensors, such as EMG sensors 1465, may be arranged circumferentially around wearable band 1310 with an interior surface of EMG sensors 1465 being configured to contact a user's skin. Any suitable number of neuromuscular sensors may be used (e.g., between 2 and 20 sensors). The number and arrangement of neuromuscular sensors may depend on the particular application for which the wearable device is used. For example, wearable band 1310 can be used to generate control information for controlling an augmented reality system, a robot, controlling a vehicle, scrolling through text, controlling a virtual avatar, or any other suitable control task.
In some embodiments, neuromuscular sensors may be coupled together using flexible electronics incorporated into the wireless device, and the output of one or more of the sensing components can be optionally processed using hardware signal processing circuitry (e.g., to perform amplification, filtering, and/or rectification). In other embodiments, at least some signal processing of the output of the sensing components can be performed in software such as processors 1479. Thus, signal processing of signals sampled by the sensors can be performed in hardware, software, or by any suitable combination of hardware and software, as aspects of the technology described herein are not limited in this respect.
Neuromuscular signals may be processed in a variety of ways. For example, the output of EMG sensors 1465 may be provided to an analog front end, which may be configured to perform analog processing (e.g., amplification, noise reduction, filtering, etc.) on the recorded signals. The processed analog signals may then be provided to an analog-to-digital converter, which may convert the analog signals to digital signals that can be processed by one or more computer processors. Furthermore, although this example is as discussed in the context of interfaces with EMG sensors, the embodiments described herein can also be implemented in wearable interfaces with other types of sensors including, but not limited to, mechanomyography (MMG) sensors, sonomyography (SMG) sensors, and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) sensors.
In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1461 includes a near-field communication (NFC) component 1469, a global-position system (GPS) component 1470, a long-term evolution (LTE) component 1471, and/or a Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth communication component 1472. In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1461 includes one or more buttons 1473 (e.g., peripheral buttons 1323 and 1327 in FIG. 13), which, when selected by a user, cause operation to be performed at watch body 1320. In some embodiments, the peripherals interface 1461 includes one or more indicators, such as a light emitting diode (LED), to provide a user with visual indicators (e.g., message received, low battery, active microphone and/or camera, etc.).
Watch body 1320 can include at least one display 1305 for displaying visual representations of information or data to a user, including user-interface elements and/or three-dimensional virtual objects. The display can also include a touch screen for inputting user inputs, such as touch gestures, swipe gestures, and the like. Watch body 1320 can include at least one speaker 1474 and at least one microphone 1475 for providing audio signals to the user and receiving audio input from the user. The user can provide user inputs through microphone 1475 and can also receive audio output from speaker 1474 as part of a haptic event provided by haptic controller 1478. Watch body 1320 can include at least one camera 1425, including a front camera 1425a and a rear camera 1425b. Cameras 1425 can include ultra-wide-angle cameras, wide angle cameras, fish-eye cameras, spherical cameras, telephoto cameras, depth-sensing cameras, or other types of cameras.
Watch body computing system 1460 can include one or more haptic controllers 1478 and associated componentry (e.g., haptic devices 1476) for providing haptic events at watch body 1320 (e.g., a vibrating sensation or audio output in response to an event at the watch body 1320). Haptic controllers 1478 can communicate with one or more haptic devices 1476, such as electroacoustic devices, including a speaker of the one or more speakers 1474 and/or other audio components and/or electromechanical devices that convert energy into linear motion such as a motor, solenoid, electroactive polymer, piezoelectric actuator, electrostatic actuator, or other tactile output generating components (e.g., a component that converts electrical signals into tactile outputs on the device). Haptic controller 1478 can provide haptic events to that are capable of being sensed by a user of watch body 1320. In some embodiments, one or more haptic controllers 1478 can receive input signals from an application of applications 1482.
In some embodiments, wearable band computing system 1430 and/or watch body computing system 1460 can include memory 1480, which can be controlled by one or more memory controllers of controllers 1477. In some embodiments, software components stored in memory 1480 include one or more applications 1482 configured to perform operations at the watch body 1320. In some embodiments, one or more applications 1482 may include games, word processors, messaging applications, calling applications, web browsers, social media applications, media streaming applications, financial applications, calendars, clocks, etc. In some embodiments, software components stored in memory 1480 include one or more communication interface modules 1483 as defined above. In some embodiments, software components stored in memory 1480 include one or more graphics modules 1484 for rendering, encoding, and/or decoding audio and/or visual data and one or more data management modules 1485 for collecting, organizing, and/or providing access to data 1487 stored in memory 1480. In some embodiments, one or more of applications 1482 and/or one or more modules can work in conjunction with one another to perform various tasks at the watch body 1320.
In some embodiments, software components stored in memory 1480 can include one or more operating systems 1481 (e.g., a Linux-based operating system, an Android operating system, etc.). Memory 1480 can also include data 1487. Data 1487 can include profile data 1488A, sensor data 1489A, media content data 1490, and application data 1491.
It should be appreciated that watch body computing system 1460 is an example of a computing system within watch body 1320, and that watch body 1320 can have more or fewer components than shown in watch body computing system 1460, can combine two or more components, and/or can have a different configuration and/or arrangement of the components. The various components shown in watch body computing system 1460 are implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, including one or more signal processing and/or application-specific integrated circuits.
Turning to the wearable band computing system 1430, one or more components that can be included in wearable band 1310 are shown. Wearable band computing system 1430 can include more or fewer components than shown in watch body computing system 1460, can combine two or more components, and/or can have a different configuration and/or arrangement of some or all of the components. In some embodiments, all, or a substantial portion of the components of wearable band computing system 1430 are included in a single integrated circuit. Alternatively, in some embodiments, components of wearable band computing system 1430 are included in a plurality of integrated circuits that are communicatively coupled. As described above, in some embodiments, wearable band computing system 1430 is configured to couple (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) with watch body computing system 1460, which allows the computing systems to share components, distribute tasks, and/or perform other operations described herein (individually or as a single device).
Wearable band computing system 1430, similar to watch body computing system 1460, can include one or more processors 1449, one or more controllers 1447 (including one or more haptics controllers 1448), a peripherals interface 1431 that can includes one or more sensors 1413 and other peripheral devices, a power source (e.g., a power system 1456), and memory (e.g., a memory 1450) that includes an operating system (e.g., an operating system 1451), data (e.g., data 1454 including profile data 1488B, sensor data 1489B, etc.), and one or more modules (e.g., a communications interface module 1452, a data management module 1453, etc.).
One or more of sensors 1413 can be analogous to sensors 1421 of watch body computing system 1460. For example, sensors 1413 can include one or more coupling sensors 1432, one or more SpO2 sensors 1434, one or more EMG sensors 1435, one or more capacitive sensors 1436, one or more heart rate sensors 1437, and one or more IMU sensors 1438.
Peripherals interface 1431 can also include other components analogous to those included in peripherals interface 1461 of watch body computing system 1460, including an NFC component 1439, a GPS component 1440, an LTE component 1441, a Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth communication component 1442, and/or one or more haptic devices 1446 as described above in reference to peripherals interface 1461. In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1431 includes one or more buttons 1443, a display 1433, a speaker 1444, a microphone 1445, and a camera 1455. In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1431 includes one or more indicators, such as an LED.
It should be appreciated that wearable band computing system 1430 is an example of a computing system within wearable band 1310, and that wearable band 1310 can have more or fewer components than shown in wearable band computing system 1430, combine two or more components, and/or have a different configuration and/or arrangement of the components. The various components shown in wearable band computing system 1430 can be implemented in one or more of a combination of hardware, software, or firmware, including one or more signal processing and/or application-specific integrated circuits.
Wrist-wearable device 1300 with respect to FIG. 13 is an example of wearable band 1310 and watch body 1320 coupled together, so wrist-wearable device 1300 will be understood to include the components shown and described for wearable band computing system 1430 and watch body computing system 1460. In some embodiments, wrist-wearable device 1300 has a split architecture (e.g., a split mechanical architecture, a split electrical architecture, etc.) between watch body 1320 and wearable band 1310. In other words, all of the components shown in wearable band computing system 1430 and watch body computing system 1460 can be housed or otherwise disposed in a combined wrist-wearable device 1300 or within individual components of watch body 1320, wearable band 1310, and/or portions thereof (e.g., a coupling mechanism 1316 of wearable band 1310).
The techniques described above can be used with any device for sensing neuromuscular signals but could also be used with other types of wearable devices for sensing neuromuscular signals (such as body-wearable or head-wearable devices that might have neuromuscular sensors closer to the brain or spinal column).
In some embodiments, wrist-wearable device 1300 can be used in conjunction with a head-wearable device (e.g., AR glasses 1500 and VR system 1610) and/or an HIPD, and wrist-wearable device 1300 can also be configured to be used to allow a user to control any aspect of the artificial reality (e.g., by using EMG-based gestures to control user interface objects in the artificial reality and/or by allowing a user to interact with the touchscreen on the wrist-wearable device to also control aspects of the artificial reality). Having thus described example wrist-wearable devices, attention will now be turned to example head-wearable devices, such AR glasses 1500 and VR headset 1610.
FIGS. 15 to 17 show example artificial-reality systems, which can be used as or in connection with wrist-wearable device 1300. In some embodiments, AR system 1500 includes an eyewear device 1502, as shown in FIG. 15. In some embodiments, VR system 1610 includes a head-mounted display (HMD) 1612, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B. In some embodiments, AR system 1500 and VR system 1610 can include one or more analogous components (e.g., components for presenting interactive artificial-reality environments, such as processors, memory, and/or presentation devices, including one or more displays and/or one or more waveguides), some of which are described in more detail with respect to FIG. 17. As described herein, a head-wearable device can include components of eyewear device 1502 and/or head-mounted display 1612. Some embodiments of head-wearable devices do not include any displays, including any of the displays described with respect to AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610. While the example artificial-reality systems are respectively described herein as AR system 1500 and VR system 1610, either or both of the example AR systems described herein can be configured to present fully-immersive virtual-reality scenes presented in substantially all of a user's field of view or subtler augmented-reality scenes that are presented within a portion, less than all, of the user's field of view.
FIG. 15 show an example visual depiction of AR system 1500, including an eyewear device 1502 (which may also be described herein as augmented-reality glasses, and/or smart glasses). AR system 1500 can include additional electronic components that are not shown in FIG. 15, such as a wearable accessory device and/or an intermediary processing device, in electronic communication or otherwise configured to be used in conjunction with the eyewear device 1502. In some embodiments, the wearable accessory device and/or the intermediary processing device may be configured to couple with eyewear device 1502 via a coupling mechanism in electronic communication with a coupling sensor 1724 (FIG. 17), where coupling sensor 1724 can detect when an electronic device becomes physically or electronically coupled with eyewear device 1502. In some embodiments, eyewear device 1502 can be configured to couple to a housing 1790 (FIG. 17), which may include one or more additional coupling mechanisms configured to couple with additional accessory devices. The components shown in FIG. 15 can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, including one or more signal-processing components and/or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
Eyewear device 1502 includes mechanical glasses components, including a frame 1504 configured to hold one or more lenses (e.g., one or both lenses 1506-1 and 1506-2). One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that eyewear device 1502 can include additional mechanical components, such as hinges configured to allow portions of frame 1504 of eyewear device 1502 to be folded and unfolded, a bridge configured to span the gap between lenses 1506-1 and 1506-2 and rest on the user's nose, nose pads configured to rest on the bridge of the nose and provide support for eyewear device 1502, earpieces configured to rest on the user's ears and provide additional support for eyewear device 1502, temple arms configured to extend from the hinges to the earpieces of eyewear device 1502, and the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that some examples of AR system 1500 can include none of the mechanical components described herein. For example, smart contact lenses configured to present artificial reality to users may not include any components of eyewear device 1502.
Eyewear device 1502 includes electronic components, many of which will be described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 17. Some example electronic components are illustrated in FIG. 15, including acoustic sensors 1525-1, 1525-2, 1525-3, 1525-4, 1525-5, and 1525-6, which can be distributed along a substantial portion of the frame 1504 of eyewear device 1502. Eyewear device 1502 also includes a left camera 1539A and a right camera 1539B, which are located on different sides of the frame 1504. Eyewear device 1502 also includes a processor 1548 (or any other suitable type or form of integrated circuit) that is embedded into a portion of the frame 1504.
FIGS. 16A and 16B show a VR system 1610 that includes a head-mounted display (HMD) 1612 (e.g., also referred to herein as an artificial-reality headset, a head-wearable device, a VR headset, etc.), in accordance with some embodiments. As noted, some artificial-reality systems (e.g., AR system 1500) may, instead of blending an artificial reality with actual reality, substantially replace one or more of a user's visual and/or other sensory perceptions of the real world with a virtual experience (e.g., AR systems 1100 and 1200).
HMD 1612 includes a front body 1614 and a frame 1616 (e.g., a strap or band) shaped to fit around a user's head. In some embodiments, front body 1614 and/or frame 1616 include one or more electronic elements for facilitating presentation of and/or interactions with an AR and/or VR system (e.g., displays, IMUs, tracking emitter or detectors). In some embodiments, HMD 1612 includes output audio transducers (e.g., an audio transducer 1618), as shown in FIG. 16B. In some embodiments, one or more components, such as the output audio transducer(s) 1618 and frame 1616, can be configured to attach and detach (e.g., are detachably attachable) to HMD 1612 (e.g., a portion or all of frame 1616, and/or audio transducer 1618), as shown in FIG. 16B. In some embodiments, coupling a detachable component to HMD 1612 causes the detachable component to come into electronic communication with HMD 1612.
FIGS. 16A and 16B also show that VR system 1610 includes one or more cameras, such as left camera 1639A and right camera 1639B, which can be analogous to left and right cameras 1539A and 1539B on frame 1504 of eyewear device 1502. In some embodiments, VR system 1610 includes one or more additional cameras (e.g., cameras 1639C and 1639D), which can be configured to augment image data obtained by left and right cameras 1639A and 1639B by providing more information. For example, camera 1639C can be used to supply color information that is not discerned by cameras 1639A and 1639B. In some embodiments, one or more of cameras 1639A to 1639D can include an optional IR cut filter configured to remove IR light from being received at the respective camera sensors.
FIG. 17 illustrates a computing system 1720 and an optional housing 1790, each of which show components that can be included in AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610. In some embodiments, more or fewer components can be included in optional housing 1790 depending on practical restraints of the respective AR system being described.
In some embodiments, computing system 1720 can include one or more peripherals interfaces 1722A and/or optional housing 1790 can include one or more peripherals interfaces 1722B. Each of computing system 1720 and optional housing 1790 can also include one or more power systems 1742A and 1742B, one or more controllers 1746 (including one or more haptic controllers 1747), one or more processors 1748A and 1748B (as defined above, including any of the examples provided), and memory 1750A and 1750B, which can all be in electronic communication with each other. For example, the one or more processors 1748A and 1748B can be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 1750A and 1750B, which can cause a controller of one or more of controllers 1746 to cause operations to be performed at one or more peripheral devices connected to peripherals interface 1722A and/or 1722B. In some embodiments, each operation described can be powered by electrical power provided by power system 1742A and/or 1742B.
In some embodiments, peripherals interface 1722A can include one or more devices configured to be part of computing system 1720, some of which have been defined above and/or described with respect to the wrist-wearable devices shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. For example, peripherals interface 1722A can include one or more sensors 1723A. Some example sensors 1723A include one or more coupling sensors 1724, one or more acoustic sensors 1725, one or more imaging sensors 1726, one or more EMG sensors 1727, one or more capacitive sensors 1728, one or more IMU sensors 1729, and/or any other types of sensors explained above or described with respect to any other embodiments discussed herein.
In some embodiments, peripherals interfaces 1722A and 1722B can include one or more additional peripheral devices, including one or more NFC devices 1730, one or more GPS devices 1731, one or more LTE devices 1732, one or more Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth devices 1733, one or more buttons 1734 (e.g., including buttons that are slidable or otherwise adjustable), one or more displays 1735A and 1735B, one or more speakers 1736A and 1736B, one or more microphones 1737, one or more cameras 1738A and 1738B (e.g., including the left camera 1739A and/or a right camera 1739B), one or more haptic devices 1740, and/or any other types of peripheral devices defined above or described with respect to any other embodiments discussed herein.
AR systems can include a variety of types of visual feedback mechanisms (e.g., presentation devices). For example, display devices in AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610 can include one or more liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) displays, organic LED (OLED) displays, and/or any other suitable types of display screens. Artificial-reality systems can include a single display screen (e.g., configured to be seen by both eyes), and/or can provide separate display screens for each eye, which can allow for additional flexibility for varifocal adjustments and/or for correcting a refractive error associated with a user's vision. Some embodiments of AR systems also include optical subsystems having one or more lenses (e.g., conventional concave or convex lenses, Fresnel lenses, or adjustable liquid lenses) through which a user can view a display screen.
For example, respective displays 1735A and 1735B can be coupled to each of the lenses 1506-1 and 1506-2 of AR system 1500. Displays 1735A and 1735B may be coupled to each of lenses 1506-1 and 1506-2, which can act together or independently to present an image or series of images to a user. In some embodiments, AR system 1500 includes a single display 1735A or 1735B (e.g., a near-eye display) or more than two displays 1735A and 1735B. In some embodiments, a first set of one or more displays 1735A and 1735B can be used to present an augmented-reality environment, and a second set of one or more display devices 1735A and 1735B can be used to present a virtual-reality environment. In some embodiments, one or more waveguides are used in conjunction with presenting artificial-reality content to the user of AR system 1500 (e.g., as a means of delivering light from one or more displays 1735A and 1735B to the user's eyes). In some embodiments, one or more waveguides are fully or partially integrated into the eyewear device 1502. Additionally, or alternatively to display screens, some artificial-reality systems include one or more projection systems. For example, display devices in AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610 can include micro-LED projectors that project light (e.g., using a waveguide) into display devices, such as clear combiner lenses that allow ambient light to pass through. The display devices can refract the projected light toward a user's pupil and can enable a user to simultaneously view both artificial-reality content and the real world. Artificial-reality systems can also be configured with any other suitable type or form of image projection system. In some embodiments, one or more waveguides are provided additionally or alternatively to the one or more display(s) 1735A and 1735B.
Computing system 1720 and/or optional housing 1790 of AR system 1500 or VR system 1610 can include some or all of the components of a power system 1742A and 1742B. Power systems 1742A and 1742B can include one or more charger inputs 1743, one or more PMICs 1744, and/or one or more batteries 1745A and 1744B.
Memory 1750A and 1750B may include instructions and data, some or all of which may be stored as non-transitory computer-readable storage media within the memories 1750A and 1750B. For example, memory 1750A and 1750B can include one or more operating systems 1751, one or more applications 1752, one or more communication interface applications 1753A and 1753B, one or more graphics applications 1754A and 1754B, one or more AR processing applications 1755A and 1755B, and/or any other types of data defined above or described with respect to any other embodiments discussed herein.
Memory 1750A and 1750B also include data 1760A and 1760B, which can be used in conjunction with one or more of the applications discussed above. Data 1760A and 1760B can include profile data 1761, sensor data 1762A and 1762B, media content data 1763A, AR application data 1764A and 1764B, and/or any other types of data defined above or described with respect to any other embodiments discussed herein.
In some embodiments, controller 1746 of eyewear device 1502 may process information generated by sensors 1723A and/or 1723B on eyewear device 1502 and/or another electronic device within AR system 1500. For example, controller 1746 can process information from acoustic sensors 1525-1 and 1525-2. For each detected sound, controller 1746 can perform a direction of arrival (DOA) estimation to estimate a direction from which the detected sound arrived at eyewear device 1502 of AR system 1500. As one or more of acoustic sensors 1725 (e.g., the acoustic sensors 1525-1, 1525-2) detects sounds, controller 1746 can populate an audio data set with the information (e.g., represented in FIG. 17 as sensor data 1762A and 1762B).
In some embodiments, a physical electronic connector can convey information between eyewear device 1502 and another electronic device and/or between one or more processors 1548, 1748A, 1748B of AR system 1500 or VR system 1610 and controller 1746. The information can be in the form of optical data, electrical data, wireless data, or any other transmittable data form. Moving the processing of information generated by eyewear device 1502 to an intermediary processing device can reduce weight and heat in the eyewear device, making it more comfortable and safer for a user. In some embodiments, an optional wearable accessory device (e.g., an electronic neckband) is coupled to eyewear device 1502 via one or more connectors. The connectors can be wired or wireless connectors and can include electrical and/or non-electrical (e.g., structural) components. In some embodiments, eyewear device 1502 and the wearable accessory device can operate independently without any wired or wireless connection between them.
In some situations, pairing external devices, such as an intermediary processing device (e.g., HIPD 906, 1006, 1106) with eyewear device 1502 (e.g., as part of AR system 1500) enables eyewear device 1502 to achieve a similar form factor of a pair of glasses while still providing sufficient battery and computation power for expanded capabilities. Some, or all, of the battery power, computational resources, and/or additional features of AR system 1500 can be provided by a paired device or shared between a paired device and eyewear device 1502, thus reducing the weight, heat profile, and form factor of eyewear device 1502 overall while allowing eyewear device 1502 to retain its desired functionality. For example, the wearable accessory device can allow components that would otherwise be included on eyewear device 1502 to be included in the wearable accessory device and/or intermediary processing device, thereby shifting a weight load from the user's head and neck to one or more other portions of the user's body. In some embodiments, the intermediary processing device has a larger surface area over which to diffuse and disperse heat to the ambient environment. Thus, the intermediary processing device can allow for greater battery and computation capacity than might otherwise have been possible on eyewear device 1502 standing alone. Because weight carried in the wearable accessory device can be less invasive to a user than weight carried in the eyewear device 1502, a user may tolerate wearing a lighter eyewear device and carrying or wearing the paired device for greater lengths of time than the user would tolerate wearing a heavier eyewear device standing alone, thereby enabling an artificial-reality environment to be incorporated more fully into a user's day-to-day activities.
AR systems can include various types of computer vision components and subsystems. For example, AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610 can include one or more optical sensors such as two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) cameras, time-of-flight depth sensors, structured light transmitters and detectors, single-beam or sweeping laser rangefinders, 3D LiDAR sensors, and/or any other suitable type or form of optical sensor. An AR system can process data from one or more of these sensors to identify a location of a user and/or aspects of the use's real-world physical surroundings, including the locations of real-world objects within the real-world physical surroundings. In some embodiments, the methods described herein are used to map the real world, to provide a user with context about real-world surroundings, and/or to generate digital twins (e.g., interactable virtual objects), among a variety of other functions. For example, FIGS. 16A and 16B show VR system 1610 having cameras 1639A to 1639D, which can be used to provide depth information for creating a voxel field and a two-dimensional mesh to provide object information to the user to avoid collisions.
In some embodiments, AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610 can include haptic (tactile) feedback systems, which may be incorporated into headwear, gloves, body suits, handheld controllers, environmental devices (e.g., chairs or floormats), and/or any other type of device or system, such as the wearable devices discussed herein. The haptic feedback systems may provide various types of cutaneous feedback, including vibration, force, traction, shear, texture, and/or temperature. The haptic feedback systems may also provide various types of kinesthetic feedback, such as motion and compliance. The haptic feedback may be implemented using motors, piezoelectric actuators, fluidic systems, and/or a variety of other types of feedback mechanisms. The haptic feedback systems may be implemented independently of other artificial-reality devices, within other artificial-reality devices, and/or in conjunction with other artificial-reality devices.
In some embodiments of an artificial reality system, such as AR system 1500 and/or VR system 1610, ambient light (e.g., a live feed of the surrounding environment that a user would normally see) can be passed through a display element of a respective head-wearable device presenting aspects of the AR system. In some embodiments, ambient light can be passed through a portion less that is less than all of an AR environment presented within a user's field of view (e.g., a portion of the AR environment co-located with a physical object in the user's real-world environment that is within a designated boundary (e.g., a guardian boundary) configured to be used by the user while they are interacting with the AR environment). For example, a visual user interface element (e.g., a notification user interface element) can be presented at the head-wearable device, and an amount of ambient light (e.g., 15-50% of the ambient light) can be passed through the user interface element such that the user can distinguish at least a portion of the physical environment over which the user interface element is being displayed.
The process parameters and sequence of the steps described and/or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and can be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated and/or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various exemplary methods described and/or illustrated herein may also omit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.
The preceding description has been provided to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize various aspects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. This exemplary description is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Reference should be made to the appended claims and their equivalents in determining the scope of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term “substantially” in reference to a given parameter, property, or condition may mean and include to a degree that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the given parameter, property, or condition is met with a small degree of variance, such as within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. By way of example, depending on the particular parameter, property, or condition that is substantially met, the parameter, property, or condition may be at least approximately 90% met, at least approximately 95% met, or even at least approximately 99% met.
As used herein, the term “approximately” in reference to a particular numeric value or range of values may, in certain embodiments, mean and include the stated value as well as all values within 10% of the stated value. Thus, by way of example, reference to the numeric value “50” as “approximately 50” may, in certain embodiments, include values equal to 50±5, i.e., values within the range 45 to 55.
Unless otherwise noted, the terms “connected to” and “coupled to” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as permitting both direct and indirect (i.e., via other elements or components) connection. In addition, the terms “a” or “an,” as used in the specification and claims, are to be construed as meaning “at least one of.” Finally, for ease of use, the terms “including” and “having” (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and claims, are interchangeable with and have the same meaning as the word “comprising.”
It will be understood that when an element such as a layer or a region is referred to as being formed on, deposited on, or disposed “on” or “over” another element, it may be located directly on at least a portion of the other element, or one or more intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or “directly over” another element, it may be located on at least a portion of the other element, with no intervening elements present.
While various features, elements or steps of particular embodiments may be disclosed using the transitional phrase “comprising,” it is to be understood that alternative embodiments, including those that may be described using the transitional phrases “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of,” are implied. Thus, for example, implied alternative embodiments to a lens that comprises or includes polycarbonate include embodiments where a lens consists essentially of polycarbonate and embodiments where a lens consists of polycarbonate.
