Interactive headgear

Abstract

To provide an interactive headgear in which interactive features are incorporated.SOLUTION: A headgear comprises one or more sensors that provide input information to a controller of the headgear. The controller can receive input information that indicates a headgear direction, a headgear position, a communication signal, and / or an image or a video. The headgear may also comprise one or more output devices (for example, an actuator, an electronic display, light, a speaker, and / or a communication interface) that can be controlled with the controller. A command can be output in order to actuate an actuator to display an image in the electronic display, and further, to actuate light and emit sound by using the speaker. The headgear determines a command that should be transmitted to an output device in response to reception of input information, and the command can be transmitted to the output device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] <Cross-reference to related applications> This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 883,458, entitled "INTERACTIVE HEADGEAR," filed August 6, 2019, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] Some clothing is worn or associated with recreational purposes, such as hats or headbands that include decorative elements, and shirts that feature famous movie characters. It is now recognized that such clothing can incorporate more interactive features.

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, as described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. As such, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following summarizes some embodiments common in scope to the subject matter of the original claims. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, but rather to provide merely a brief summary of some disclosed embodiments. Indeed, the disclosure may include a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0005] In one embodiment, the headgear motion system includes an accelerometer coupled to the headgear to detect an orientation of the headgear. The headgear motion system also includes an actuator coupling an extension portion of the headgear to a body of the headgear. The actuator extends the extension portion away from the headgear body and retracts the extension portion toward the headgear body. The headgear motion system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the acceleration sensor and the actuator. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to receive an indication of an orientation of the headgear from the acceleration sensor. The machine-readable instructions also cause the processor to determine an instruction to send to the actuator based on the indication of the orientation of the headgear. The instructions cause the actuator to extend the extension portion away from the body of the headgear and retract the extension portion toward the body of the headgear. The machine-readable instructions further cause the processor to send an instruction to the actuator.

[0006] In another embodiment, the headgear movement system has an accelerometer coupled to the headgear to detect an orientation of the headgear. The headgear movement system also has an electronic display coupled to the headgear. The electronic display displays eyes to mimic eye movements. The headgear movement system further has a controller communicatively coupled to the acceleration sensor and the electronic display. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to receive an indication of the headgear orientation from the acceleration sensor. The machine-readable instructions cause the processor to determine instructions to send to the electronic display for adjusting the display of the eyes based on the indication of the headgear orientation. The machine-readable instructions further cause the processor to send instructions to the electronic display.

[0007] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated with like numerals throughout. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A-1C are diagrams of example head gear in the form of a helmet worn by a user, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] [Diagram 2] 1A-1C are diagrams of example head gear in the form of glasses worn by a user, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a headgear operation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a process for determining instructions to send to an output device of the headgear based on receiving sensed input according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 1 tilted to the left and the resulting output performed by the actuators in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 1 tilted to the right and the resulting output performed by the actuator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 1 tilted downward and the resulting output performed by the actuators in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 1 tilted upwards and the resulting output performed by the actuators in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 9] 3 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 2 tilted downward and the resulting output performed by the electronic display in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 10] 3 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 2 tilted upwards and the resulting output performed by an electronic display in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 11] 3 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 2 tilted to the left and the resulting output performed by the electronic display in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 12] 2 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 1 within the presence of another headgear, and the resulting output performed by an output device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 13] 3 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 2 receiving a position signal and the resulting output performed by an electronic display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 14] 3 is a diagram of the headgear of FIG. 2 receiving an image and the resulting output performed by an electronic display according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In order to concisely describe these embodiments, not all of the features of the implementations are described herein. It should be understood that the development of any such implementation, as in any engineering or design project, requires numerous implementation-specific decisions to be made to achieve the developer's particular goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints that may vary from implementation to implementation. Moreover, it should be understood that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but are routine undertakings of design, fabrication and manufacture for those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0023] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean the presence of one or more of the element. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. It should also be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also contain the described features.

[0024] The present disclosure relates generally to interactive headgear, and specifically to headgear that receives sensory input and performs actions based on the sensory input. As disclosed herein, "headgear" can include any garment worn on a human head, such as helmets, hats, headbands, glasses, and goggles. Additionally, while the disclosed embodiments describe garments worn on a human head, any of the disclosed systems or methods can also be applied to any other suitable garments, such as shirts, vests, jackets, belts, pants, shorts, shoes, socks, gloves, and scarves. Additionally, while the disclosed embodiments describe headgear that is generally used for recreational purposes, the disclosed embodiments can also be applied to headgear that is used for any other suitable purposes, such as for safety, medical or health reasons, for vision enhancement, and for providing shade.

[0025] It is now recognized that interactive features can be incorporated into clothing worn for recreational purposes. For example, the headgear can include one or more sensors that provide input information to a controller of the headgear, which uses the input to perform operations according to the present embodiment. The sensors can include accelerometers, position sensors (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors), wireless sensors (e.g., sensors that operate using infrared, radio, proximity, satellite, microwave, WiFi, mobile communication and / or Bluetooth technology), cameras, and the like. Thus, the controller can receive input information in the form of headgear orientation, headgear position, communication signals, and / or images or videos. The headgear can also include one or more output devices (e.g., actuators, electronic displays, lights, speakers, and / or communication interfaces) that can be controlled by the controller. Thus, the headgear can output instructions to activate actuators, display images on electronic displays, activate lights, emit sounds using speakers, and transmit communication signals using communication interfaces. Among other things, the headgear can determine instructions to be sent to the output device in response to receiving the input information, and send the instructions to the output device. In other embodiments, other wearable articles (eg, vests or shoes having wings configured for actuation) may be employed in place of the headgear.

[0026] For example, the headgear may include left and right decorative extensions (e.g., plastic ears made to resemble rabbit ears or rubber extensions made to resemble octopus tentacles) that are initially oriented flat along the headgear. A user may put on the headgear and tilt their head to the left. This tilt may be detected by an accelerometer attached to the headgear and information related to the tilt (e.g., amount of yaw, pitch and / or roll) may be transmitted to the controller. The controller may receive the tilt-related information and determine, based on the tilt of the user's head, that an actuator coupling the right decorative plastic ear to the headgear should be actuated and transmit a command to the actuator to lift the right decorative plastic ear. In some embodiments, the degree of detected movement may determine different actuation levels.

[0027] By way of preamble, FIG. 1 is a diagram of example headgear 10 in the form of a helmet worn by a user 12, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The headgear 10 can include one or more sensors 14. Among other things, the headgear 10 is shown as having a wireless receiver or sensor 16 (e.g., a proximity sensor or an infrared sensor). The wireless receiver 16 can receive information or signals over a communication network using wireless communication protocols or technologies such as radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, infrared, Ethernet, Thread, ZigBee, Z-Wave, KNX, mobile and / or microwave. In particular, the wireless receiver 16 can receive signals indicating the presence of another headgear in the vicinity of the wireless receiver 16 from a wireless transmitter of another headgear worn by another user over a communication network using these wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, the wireless receiver 16 can receive proximity information (e.g., indicating the distance to the other headgear) from the wireless transmitter of the other headgear. Additionally, the wireless receiver 16 can receive signals from any other suitable communication devices, such as a smartphone, a wearable device, a tablet, a personal computer, a laptop and / or other computing devices. Additionally or alternatively, the radio receiver 16 may be a radio transceiver capable of both receiving and transmitting signals.

[0028] The headgear 10 is also shown to have one or more motion sensors, such as a magnetometer, an accelerometer 18, and / or a gyroscope. The accelerometer 18 can detect the orientation or position of the headgear 10 due to movement of the user's head 20. Among other things, the headgear 10 can be fitted with an accelerometer 18 that detects the pitch, yaw, and / or roll of the headgear 10.

[0029] The headgear 10 may include a controller that receives sensory information from the wireless receiver 16 and / or the accelerometer 18 and outputs commands to an output device based on the sensory information. As shown, the headgear includes what may be referred to as extensions or actuatable features 22, 23. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, these actuatable features include decorative rabbit ears 22, 23 that are oriented flat (e.g., along and / or flush with the top surface 24 of the headgear 10). The ears 22, 23 may be coupled to the body 26 of the headgear 10 via actuators that may raise and lower the ears 22, 23 (e.g., toward and away from the body 26) based on the sensory information. It should be understood that the ears 22, 23 are exemplary and that any suitable device or feature that may be actuated between the body 26 of the headgear 10 is contemplated. For example, in one embodiment, a feature fashioned to resemble an elephant's trunk may be actuated in a manner similar to the ears 22, 23. As another example, artificial eyes on the headband could be configured to operate in the same manner as the ears 22,23.

[0030] Similarly, FIG. 2 is a diagram of example headgear 10 in the form of glasses worn by a user 12, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The headgear 10 is also shown to include a sensor 14 in the form of a wireless receiver 16 and an accelerometer 18. The headgear 10 includes an output device 40 in the form of an electronic display 42. Specifically, each lens 44 of the headgear 10 may be transparent or semi-transparent to a user 12 wearing the headgear 10, allowing the user 12 to see through the lens 44 while allowing what is displayed on the electronic display 42 to be visible to people around or in front of the user. The display 42 may include any suitable display technology, including electroluminescent (ELD) displays, liquid crystal (LCD) displays, light emitting diode (LED) displays, organic LED (OLED) displays, active matrix OLED displays, plasma display panels (PDPs), quantum dot LED (QLED) displays, and the like.

[0031] In this instance, the controller of the headgear 10 receives sensory information from the wireless receiver 16 and / or the accelerometer 18 and outputs instructions to the electronic display 42 to display an image of the eyes 46 and mimic eye movement. For example, the controller can change the image of the eyes 46 to indicate different gaze directions and different moods of the user (e.g., happy, sad, angry, pensive, tired and / or excited), etc. based on the sensed movement of the headgear 10 (indicative of the movement of the user's head 20). In some embodiments, the sensory information can be provided by, for example, an inward-facing camera that captures or senses the gaze, pupils, irises, lenses, etc. of the user's eyes, and the controller of the headgear 10 can display and adjust the image of the eyes 46 based on the captured image from the inward-facing camera. It should be understood that the eyes 46 are one example and that any suitable image or video that can be displayed on the electronic display 42 is contemplated. Additionally, in some embodiments, the headgear 10 can include a combination of both the helmet worn by the user 12 of FIG. 1 and the glasses worn by the user 12 of FIG. 2.

[0032] With this in mind, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a headgear operating system 60 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A portion of the headgear operating system 60 may be located in or on the headgear 10. As shown, the headgear operating system 60 may include one or more sensors 14. The sensors 14 may include an accelerometer 18, a wireless receiver 16, a position sensor 62, a camera 63, a microphone 64, and / or a light sensor 65. The position sensor 62 may be any suitable sensor for determining a location of the headgear 10. For example, the position sensor 62 may send and receive signals to and from GPS satellites and determine the location of the headgear 10 based on these signals (e.g., via triangulation or other location methods). The camera 63 may include any suitable device for capturing images and / or video. The microphone 64 may include any suitable device for capturing sound or audio data. The light sensor 65 may include any suitable device for detecting light and / or determining brightness levels. Furthermore, the sensors 14 may include any suitable sensing device capable of generating an output, such as a heart rate monitor, a pulse sensor, an eye movement sensor, a motion sensor, and a facial recognition sensor.

[0033] The sensor 14 may be communicatively coupled to a controller 66 having one or more processors (shown as a single processor 68) and one or more memories or storage devices (shown as a single memory device 70). The processor 68 may execute software programs and / or instructions stored in the memory device 70 that facilitate determining instructions to send to an output device based on receiving sensed input from the sensor 14. Additionally, the processor 68 may include multiple microprocessors, one or more "general purpose" microprocessors, one or more special purpose microprocessors, and / or one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICS). For example, the processor 68 may include one or more reduced instruction set (RISC) processors. The memory device 70 may store information such as control software, look-up tables, and configuration data. The memory device 70 may include a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium, such as a volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), a non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)), a flash memory, one or more hard drives, and / or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium. Memory device 70 may store a variety of information and may be used for a variety of purposes, such as instructions that facilitate determining instructions to send to an output device based on receiving sensed input.

[0034] The controller 66 may also be communicatively coupled to one or more output devices 40, including actuators 72, electronic displays 42, lights 74, speakers 76, haptic devices 78, wireless transmitters 80, and / or augmented reality devices 81. Among other things, the output devices 40 may be coupled to the headgear 10 to generate outputs based on receiving commands or signals transmitted by the controller 66. For example, the one or more actuators 72 may be output devices 40 coupled to the body 26 of the headgear 10 and one or more extensions of the headgear 10, such as the decorative rabbit ears 22, 23 shown in FIG. 1. An electronic display 42, such as the electronic display 42 disposed within the lens 44 in FIG. 2, may also be an output device 40 operable to display images or videos. Additionally, while the display 42 shown in FIG. 2 faces outward (e.g., away from the user 12), in some embodiments, the display 42 may also face inward (e.g., toward the user 12) so that the user 12 can view the images / videos displayed by the display 42.

[0035] The lights 74 may include decorative lights arranged so that people viewing the user 12 can see the lights 74 turn on and off, although any suitable light emitting device is contemplated. The speakers 76 may emit sound so that people near the user 12 can hear the sound, although any suitable audio output device is contemplated, including headphones or earphones that emit sound toward the user 12. The haptic device 78 may include an eccentric rotating mass actuator, a linear resonant actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, an air vortex ring, ultrasonic, or any other suitable haptic device, and may move, vibrate, emit sudden air bursts, etc. The wireless transmitter 80 may transmit information or signals over a communications network using wireless communication protocols or technologies, such as radio, Bluetooth, WiFi, infrared, Ethernet, Thread, ZigBee, Z-Wave, KNX, mobile, and / or microwave. The augmented reality device 81 may overlay virtual images onto real-world objects or environments and / or virtually augment these objects or environments. The augmented reality device 81 may include glasses, goggles, a smartphone, a tablet, and / or any other suitable device, including a camera. Furthermore, output device 40 may include any suitable device that generates output in response to sensed input, such as augmentation devices, auxiliary devices, and virtual reality devices.

[0036] The memory device 70 may store an input / output relationship table 82 or other relationship defining data structure that maps sensed inputs to outputs. That is, the controller 66 of the headgear operation system 60 may receive input information or signals from one or more sensors 14, determine an output to be performed by the output device 40 that corresponds to the input information, and send instructions to the output device 40 to perform the determined output.

[0037] With this in mind, FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process 90 for determining instructions to send to output device 40 based on receiving a sensed input, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Process 90 may be performed by any suitable device, such as processor 68, capable of determining instructions to send to output device 40 based on receiving a sensed input. Although process 90 is described using a particular order of steps, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates performing the described steps in an order different from that illustrated, omitting some described steps, or not performing them altogether. In some embodiments, process 90 may be implemented by using a processor, such as processor 68, to execute instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory device 70.

[0038] As shown, in process block 92, processor 68 receives indications of headgear orientation or movement, headgear 10 position, presence of another headgear, images or sounds. Among other things, processor 68 may receive indications of headgear orientation or movement (e.g., pitch, yaw and / or roll) from accelerometer 18. Processor 68 may receive indications of headgear 10 position from position sensor 62. Additionally or alternatively, processor 68 may receive indications from wireless receiver 16 of another headgear being worn by another user (e.g., based on signals transmitted from wireless transmitters of the other headgear). Processor 68 may receive indications of images (e.g., images of a user's facial expression) from camera 63. Processor 68 may receive indications of sounds from microphone 64. Processor 68 may receive indications of light presence or light brightness level above a threshold brightness level from light sensor 65.

[0039] At decision block 94, processor 68 determines whether there are instructions to be sent to output device 40 based on the instruction from process block 92. Specifically, processor 68 may query an input / output relationship table 82 or other relationship definition data structure stored in memory device 70 that maps instructions to instructions to be sent to output device 40. In some cases, there may be no instructions to be sent to output device 40 based on the instruction. For example, an instruction regarding headgear orientation may indicate that headgear 10 is level and / or not moving. Even if processor 68 queries table 82, table 82 may not provide instructions to be sent to output device 40 for headgear 10 (e.g., there is no entry in table 82 corresponding to headgear 10 being level and / or not moving). Thus, processor 68 may repeat process 90 and return to process block 92 to receive instructions regarding headgear orientation or movement, headgear 10 position, presence of another headgear, image or sound.

[0040] In other cases, the processor 68 may determine that there is an instruction to send to the output device 40 based on the indication. For example, the indication of the headgear orientation may indicate that the headgear 10 is tilted to the left. Specifically, the indication of the headgear orientation may include a roll measurement provided by the accelerometer 18 indicating that the headgear 10 is tilted to the left. When the processor 68 queries the table 82, the table 82 may indicate that an extension instruction should be sent to an actuator on the right side of the headgear 10 (e.g., an actuator coupled to the decorative rabbit ear 22 on the right side of the headgear 10). Additionally or alternatively, the table 82 may indicate that an instruction to adjust the image of the eye 46 should be sent to the display 42 (e.g., in response to a change in the tilt of the headgear 10 or the user's facial expression provided by the camera 63).

[0041] As another example, the indication of the location of the headgear 10 may indicate that the headgear 10 is within a particular area (e.g., a room, a food court, a section of a theme park, an amphitheater, or a theme park attraction) that corresponds to a particular output provided by the table 82. Thus, the table 82 may provide instructions to be sent to the appropriate output device 40 to perform a particular output (e.g., flashing the lights 74 in a certain pattern). As a specific example, if the indication of the location of the headgear 10 indicates that the headgear 10 is located near a restaurant or food vendor, an actuator attached to a nose-like extension may be activated to mimic a sniffing action.

[0042] As yet another example, if the indication indicates the presence of another headgear and / or another headgear within a threshold proximity range of the headgear 10, the table 82 may provide instructions that the appropriate output device 40 should display an image indicating recognition (e.g., via the outward-facing display 42) or alert the user 12 (e.g., by vibrating the headgear 10 using the haptic device 78). In such an example, the processor 68 may receive the proximity (e.g., distance) from the headgear 10 to the other headgear and determine whether the proximity is within a threshold proximity range (e.g., 1 inch to 500 feet, 6 inches to 100 feet, or 1 foot to 10 feet).

[0043] In some cases, camera 63 can capture an image that corresponds to or triggers a particular output. For example, the image can include image recognition information, such as barcode or quick response (QR) code information, characters or cartoons, and / or text related to movies, television, comic books, and the like. In some cases, processor 68 can apply an image recognition process to the image to recognize the code information, characters, and / or text. If the image corresponds to an entry in table 82 (e.g., related to movies, television, or cartoons), table 82 can provide instructions that the appropriate output device 40 should generate a sound (e.g., using speaker 76) or an action (e.g., using actuator 72).

[0044] Additionally or alternatively, microphone 64 may capture a sound that corresponds to or triggers a particular output. For example, the sound may include a keyword, vocalization, sound effect, and / or music associated with a movie, television, or comic book. In some instances, processor 68 may apply an audio recognition process to the sound to recognize the keyword, vocalization, sound effect, and / or music. If the sound corresponds to an entry in table 82 (e.g., associated with a movie, television, or comic book), table 82 may provide instructions that the appropriate output device 40 should display an image (e.g., via outward-facing display 42 or augmented reality device 81) or an action (e.g., using actuator 72). For example, in response to capturing the word "hello" (e.g., spoken by user 12), a virtual character displayed by augmented reality device 81 may respond with a unique greeting (e.g., waving).

[0045] As another example, the light sensor 65 can detect the presence of light or a brightness level of light above a threshold brightness. For example, the brightness level of light can correspond to being excessive such that the light is uncomfortable for the user's eyes or causes the user 12 to squint. If the brightness level of the light is above the threshold brightness level, the table 82 can provide instructions that the appropriate output device 40 should block the user's eyes (e.g., via a blocking device actuated in a blocking direction using the actuator 72). Additionally or alternatively, if the brightness level of the light is above the threshold brightness level, the table 82 can provide instructions that the appropriate output device 40 display an indication of the glare of the light, such as instructions to cause the electronic display 42 to display squinted eyes.

[0046] At process block 96, the processor 68 transmits instructions to the output device 40. In an example where the instruction is to extend the right actuator 72 in response to receiving an indication that the headgear 10 is tilted to the left, the processor 68 may transmit an instruction to the right actuator 72 to extend or actuate. In an example where the instruction is to display an image (e.g., of a movie character) on the display 42 in response to receiving an indication that another headgear is present, the processor 68 may transmit an instruction to the display 42 to display the image. Thus, the process 90 may determine an instruction to send to the output device 40 (e.g., the right actuator 72 or the display 42) based on receiving the sensed input.

[0047] 5-8 are diagrams of headgear 10 in the form of a helmet tilted in different directions, as well as the resulting outputs performed by actuators 110, 112, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, in FIG. 5, user 12 tilts his head 20 to the left. Thus, accelerometer 18 detects a change in roll (e.g., about an axis parallel to the z-axis). Controller 66 can receive an indication of the change in roll or a measurement indicative of the change in roll and determine that right actuator 110 coupled to right ear 22 (as shown by table 82) should be actuated to extend right ear 22 away from body 26 of headgear 10. Controller 66 can then send a command to right actuator 110 to actuate right ear 22 to extend.

[0048] In FIG. 6, the user 12 tilts his / her head 20 to the right. Thus, the accelerometer 18 detects a change in roll (e.g., about an axis parallel to the z-axis). The controller 66 receives the indication of the change in roll or a measurement indicative of the change in roll and can determine that the left actuator 112 coupled to the left ear 23 should be actuated to extend the left ear 23 away from the body 26 of the headgear 10 (as shown by table 82). The controller 66 can then send a command to the left actuator 112 to actuate and extend the left ear 23. In this case, the controller 66 can also determine that the right actuator 110 should be actuated to retract the right ear 22 toward the body 26 of the headgear 10 (as shown by table 82). Thus, the controller 66 can also send a command to the right actuator 110 to actuate and retract the right ear 22.

[0049] In some embodiments, the sensor 14 can sense a series of indications and associate these indications with a particular output. For example, FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate actuating both actuators 110, 112 in response to the headgear 10 being tilted down and then up, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, in FIG. 7, the user 12 tilts his head 20 down. Thus, the accelerometer 18 detects a change in pitch (e.g., about an axis parallel to the x-axis). The controller 66 can receive an indication of the change in pitch or a measurement indicative of the change in pitch. However, the controller 66 can determine that it should not send a command to the actuators 110, 112 based solely on the change in pitch caused by the headgear 10 being tilted down (e.g., because there is no entry in the table 82 corresponding solely to this change in pitch).

[0050] Then, in FIG. 8, the user 12 tilts his head 20 upward after tilting it downward in FIG. 7. In some embodiments, the user 12 tilts his head 20 upward within a threshold time after tilting it downward. Thus, the accelerometer 18 detects a change in pitch (e.g., about an axis parallel to the y-axis) within a specified time frame. The controller 66 can receive an indication of a change in roll or a measurement indicative of a change in roll and determine that the actuators 110, 112 coupled to the ears 22, 23 should be actuated (as indicated by the table 82) to extend the ears 22, 23 away from the body 26 of the headgear 10. That is, if there is a first indication of an upward tilt within a threshold time period after the user tilts his head 20 downward, the table 82 can indicate that both ears 22, 23 should be extended. As a result, the controller 66 can send commands to the actuators 110, 112 to actuate and extend the ears 22, 23.

[0051] 9-11 are diagrams of headgear 10 in the form of goggles or glasses tilted in different directions, as well as the resulting output performed by displays 120, 122, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, in FIG. 9, user 12 tilts his head 20 downward. Thus, accelerometer 18 detects a change in pitch (e.g., about an axis parallel to the y-axis). Controller 66 can receive an indication of the change in pitch or a measurement indicative of the change in pitch and determine (e.g., as shown by table 82) that displays 120, 122 should be adjusted to display eyes with eyelids or eyes that are closing or appearing to be closed, instead of displaying eyes 46 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2), to simulate drowsiness. Controller 66 can then send instructions to displays 120, 122 to display eyes with eyelids or eyes that are closing or appearing to be closed.

[0052] In Figure 10, the user 12 tilts his head 20 upward. Thus, the accelerometer 18 detects a change in pitch (e.g., about an axis parallel to the y-axis). The controller 66 can receive an indication of the change in pitch or a measurement indicative of the change in pitch and determine that the displays 120, 122 should be adjusted to display eyes that appear to be looking up (e.g., as shown by table 82) instead of displaying eyes 46 (e.g., as shown in Figure 2). The controller 66 can then send instructions to the displays 120, 122 to display eyes that appear to be looking up.

[0053] In FIG. 11, the user 12 tilts his / her head 20 to the left. Thus, the accelerometer 18 detects a change in roll (e.g., about the z-axis or an axis parallel to the axial direction of the headgear 10). The controller 66 receives the indication of the change in roll or a measurement indicative of the change in roll and can determine that the left display 122 should adjust to display closed or winking eyes 126 in place of displaying eyes 46 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2 ) and that the right display 120 should display open eyes 124 (e.g., as shown by table 82). The controller 66 can then send instructions to the left display 122 to display closed or winking eyes 126 and send instructions to the right display 120 to display open eyes 124. Similarly, if the user tilts his or her head 20 to the right, the controller 66 can send an instruction to the left display 122 to display open eyes 124 and an instruction to the right display 120 to adjust the display of eyes 46 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2) to display closed or winking eyes 126.

[0054] FIG. 12 is a diagram of headgear 10 in the form of a helmet within range of another headgear 140, and the resulting output performed by actuators 110, 112, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, the wireless receiver 16 of the headgear 10 can receive a signal 141 from a wireless transmitter 142 of the other headgear 140. For example, the wireless transmitter 142 can periodically or continuously transmit an infrared or radio signal that includes identification information and / or timing information of the other headgear 140. The wireless receiver 16 of the headgear 10 can receive this identification information, and the controller 66 can determine instructions to send to the output device 40 based on the identification information. In some embodiments, different instructions can be sent to the output device 40 based on the different identification information, allowing the user 12 to customize different outputs for different users wearing the other headgear (e.g., headgear 140).

[0055] In some cases, the wireless receiver 16 of the headgear 10 can receive timing information (e.g., information related to a timestamp of when the signal 141 was transmitted from the wireless transmitter 142), and the controller 66 can determine the distance to the wireless transmitter 142 based on the time of receipt of the timing information by the wireless receiver 16 and the timestamp of when the signal 141 was transmitted. The controller 66 can then determine instructions to send to the output device 40 based on the distance to the wireless transmitter 142 (e.g., depending on whether the distance is within a threshold).

[0056] In the illustrated example, upon receiving the signal 141, the controller 66 sends a command to the actuators 110, 112 to "wiggle" the ears 22, 23 (e.g., to have the actuators 110, 112 alternate between extending the ears 22, 23 away from and retracting them toward the body 26 of the headgear 10). Specifically, FIG. 12 shows the controller 66 causing the left actuator 112 to actuate and extend the left ear 23 (e.g., based on the table 82 associating the identification information in the signal 141 with commands to wiggle the ears 22, 23). Thus, the left actuator 112 actuates and extends the left ear 23. Additionally, in response to receiving a signal indicating the presence of another headgear 140, the controller 66 can command the wireless transmitter 144 of the headgear 10 to transmit a corresponding signal 146 to the wireless receiver 148 of the other headgear 140. A corresponding signal 146 can actuate the actuators 110, 112 of the other headgear 140 to wiggle the ear. Specifically, Figure 12 shows the left actuator 150 of the other headgear 140 actuating the left ear 152 of the other headgear 140 to extend. It should be understood that commanding the actuators 110, 112, 150 to wiggle, as well as the other actuations previously shown, are by way of example only, and that any suitable output or actuation capable of being generated by the output device 40 is contemplated.

[0057] FIG. 13 is a diagram of headgear 10 in the form of glasses receiving a location signal, as well as the resulting output performed by electronic display 42, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, the position sensor 62 of the headgear 10 can receive one or more location signals 160 (e.g., one or more GPS signals) from a location determination system 162 (e.g., a GPS system and / or GPS satellites). The controller 66 can thus receive an indication of the location of the headgear 10 based on the location signal 160 and determine instructions to send to the output device 40 based on this location. For example, the user 12 can enter an area that is frequently visited or indicated as a favorite of the user 12 (e.g., an area of ​​a theme park associated with the user's preferred movie genre). In the illustrated example, upon receiving the location signal 160, the controller 66 transmits instructions to the display 42 of the headgear 10 to display an image of a heart 164 (e.g., based on the table 82 associating the location indicated in the location signal 160 with an instruction to display a heart). Thus, the display 42 displays the heart 164. It should be understood that instructing display 42 to display heart 164 is one example and that any suitable output or image capable of being generated by output device 40 is contemplated.

[0058] FIG. 14 is a diagram of headgear 10 in the form of glasses receiving an image, as well as the resulting output performed by electronic display 42, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, a user 12 wearing headgear 10 can gaze at or observe an object 180, such as a graphic, letter, text, sign, poster, structure (e.g., window frame or building), code (e.g., barcode or QR code), etc. In FIG. 14, object 180 is shown as a star. Camera 63 of headgear 10 is approximately aligned with the user's field of view or viewpoint and can capture one or more images of object 180. Controller 66 can then receive the image of object 180 and determine instructions to send to output device 40 based on the image. In some instances, processor 68 can apply image recognition processing to the image to recognize object 180 (e.g., face). In the illustrated example, when the controller 66 receives the image of the object 180, it sends an instruction to the display 42 of the headgear 10 to display the image of the object 180 (e.g., based on the table 82 associating the object 180 with an instruction to display the object 180). Thus, the display 42 displays a star, which may be maintained for a period of time after the object 180 is observed, or may be maintained essentially while the object 180 is being observed. It should be understood that instructing the display 42 to display the object 180 is an example, and that any suitable output or image capable of being generated by the output device 40 is contemplated.

[0059] While the embodiments described in this disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. The disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following appended claims.

[0060] The technology shown and claimed herein refers to and applies to tangible objects and specific examples of a practical nature that positively improve the art and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Moreover, if any claim appended at the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] ... [function]" or "step for [performing] ... [function]," such elements are to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). On the other hand, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, such elements are not to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. an accelerometer coupled to a headgear and configured to detect an orientation of the headgear; an actuator coupling the headgear extension to a headgear body, the actuator configured to extend the extension away from the headgear body and retract the extension toward the headgear body; a controller communicatively coupled to the acceleration sensor and the actuator, the controller including a processor and a memory configured to store machine-readable instructions; Equipped with The machine readable instructions include: receiving an indication of the orientation of the headgear from the accelerometer; determining, based on the indication of the orientation of the headgear, instructions to send to the actuator, the instructions being configured to cause the actuator to extend the extension portion away from the main body of the headgear or retract the extension portion towards the main body of the headgear; transmitting said command to said actuator; configured to cause the processor to Headgear movement system.

2. a wireless receiver configured to receive a signal from a wireless transmitter of the second headgear; The headgear movement system of claim 1 .

3. The machine readable instructions include: determining a second command to send to the actuator based on the signal, the second command configured to cause the actuator to extend the extension portion away from the body of the headgear or retract the extension portion toward the body of the headgear; transmitting the second command to the actuator; configured to cause the processor to The headgear movement system of claim 2 .

4. a second wireless transmitter, the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit a second signal to a second wireless receiver of the second headgear in response to receiving the signal at the wireless receiver. The headgear movement system of claim 2 .

5. the memory is configured to store a table that maps the indication of the orientation of the headgear to the command to be sent to the actuator, and the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to determine the command to be sent to the actuator include querying the table and receiving the command from the table. The headgear movement system of claim 1 .

6. The headgear includes a helmet. The headgear movement system of claim 1 .

7. an accelerometer coupled to a headgear and configured to detect an orientation of the headgear; a plurality of electronic displays coupled to the headgear and configured to display eyes; a controller communicatively coupled to the acceleration sensor and the plurality of electronic displays, the controller including a processor and a memory configured to store machine-readable instructions; Equipped with The machine readable instructions include: receiving an indication of the orientation of the headgear from the accelerometer; determining instructions to send to the plurality of electronic displays causing the plurality of electronic displays to adjust the eye views based on the indication of the orientation of the headgear; transmitting said instructions to said plurality of electronic displays; configured to cause the processor to Headgear movement system.

8. The headgear includes glasses or goggles.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

9. the instructions cause the plurality of electronic displays to adjust the display of the eyes by making the eyes appear to be looking in a certain direction, winking, or closed.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

10. a position sensor configured to identify a position of the headgear, the controller being communicatively coupled to the position sensor, and the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit second instructions to the plurality of electronic displays to display one or more images based on the position of the headgear.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

11. a camera configured to capture an image, the controller being communicatively coupled to the camera, the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to send second instructions to the plurality of electronic displays to display one or more images based on image recognition information in the captured image.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

12. The machine-readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to apply an image recognition process to determine the image recognition information in the captured image.

12. A headgear actuation system as claimed in claim 11.

13. a microphone configured to capture sound or audio data, the controller being communicatively coupled to the microphone, the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit second instructions to the plurality of electronic displays for displaying one or more images based on the captured sound or audio data.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

14. a light sensor configured to detect the presence of light, the controller being communicatively coupled to the light sensor, the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit second instructions to the plurality of electronic displays to display one or more images based on the presence of the light.

8. A headgear movement system as claimed in claim 7.

15. the light sensor is configured to detect a brightness level of the light, and the machine-readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to send second instructions to the plurality of electronic displays to display one or more images in response to determining that the brightness level of the light is above a threshold brightness level.

15. A headgear actuation system as described in claim 14.

16. An interactive helmet, The main body, a motion sensor configured to detect an orientation of the interactive helmet; A plurality of extensions; a plurality of actuators, each actuator configured to couple a respective extension portion of the plurality of extension portions to the body of the interactive helmet and to extend the respective extension portion away from the body of the interactive helmet or retract the respective extension portion toward the body of the interactive helmet; a controller communicatively coupled to the motion sensor and the plurality of actuators, the controller including a processor and a memory configured to store machine-readable instructions; Equipped with The machine-readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive the indication from the motion sensor regarding the orientation of the interactive helmet, and to cause an actuator of the plurality of actuators to extend an extension portion of the plurality of extension portions away from the body of the interactive helmet or retract the extension portion toward the body of the interactive helmet based on the orientation of the interactive helmet. Interactive helmet.

17. the motion sensor is configured to detect a yaw, pitch, roll, or combination thereof of a motion of the interactive helmet, and the machine-readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to extend the extension portion away from the body of the interactive helmet or retract the extension portion toward the body of the interactive helmet based on the yaw, pitch, roll, or combination thereof of the motion of the interactive helmet.

17. The interactive helmet of claim 16.

18. The machine readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive a first indication from the motion sensor regarding a first orientation of the interactive helmet, and to cause a first actuator of the plurality of actuators to extend a first extension portion of the plurality of extension portions away from the body of the interactive helmet and a second actuator of the plurality of actuators to retract a second extension portion of the plurality of extension portions toward the body of the interactive helmet based on the first orientation of the interactive helmet.

17. The interactive helmet of claim 16.

19. The machine readable instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive a second indication from the motion sensor regarding a second orientation of the interactive helmet, and to cause the first actuator to retract the first extension portion toward the body of the interactive helmet and the second actuator to extend the second extension portion away from the body of the interactive helmet based on the second orientation of the interactive helmet.

20. The interactive helmet of claim 18.

20. a plurality of electronic displays coupled to the headgear, the plurality of electronic displays configured to display eyes, and the machine-readable instructions configured to cause the processor to adjust the display of the eyes based on the orientation of the headgear.

17. The interactive helmet of claim 16.

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