Operation based on the state of electronic devices

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to devices, systems, and methods for operating head-mountable devices. [Solution] Specifically, a head-mountable device may operate according to different operating modes depending on the current device state of the head-mountable device. The head-mountable devices described herein may be configured to operate in a plurality of candidate device states. In a plurality of these candidate device states, the head-mountable device may be attached to the corresponding part of the user's body. As the head-mountable device moves between these different body-attaching states, the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode. In some examples, the plurality of candidate device states may include one or more additional device states, and the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode when it enters one of these additional device states.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The described embodiments generally relate to head - wearable devices, and more specifically to head - wearable devices that can change the current operating mode based on the detected device state.

[0002] (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.§ 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 699,755, filed on September 26, 2024, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0003] Head - wearable devices can be worn by users for various purposes. In some examples, head - wearable devices can be configured to provide information to the user via visual information (e.g., displayed as part of a virtual reality (VR) system, augmented reality (AR) system, mixed reality (MR) system, etc.), audio output, and / or tactile feedback. In some examples, the user can interact with the head - wearable device to provide inputs (e.g., tactile inputs, voice commands, etc.) that can be used to control the operation of the head - wearable device.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments described herein are directed to systems, devices, and methods for selecting an operating mode of a head - wearable device. Some embodiments are directed to a method of operating a head - wearable device that includes identifying the current device state of the head - wearable device and selecting, in response to identifying that the current device state is a body - worn state among a plurality of candidate body - worn states, an operating mode corresponding to the body - worn state as the current operating mode. The method further includes operating the head - wearable device according to the current operating mode.

[0005] Multiple candidate body mounting states may include face mounting states, and in some variations, may include forehead mounting states and / or torso mounting states. In some examples, identifying the current device state of a head-mountable device includes determining the orientation of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, identifying the current device state of a head-mountable device may include determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device.

[0006] In some variations, the method may include determining that the current device state of a head-mountable device has changed from a body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among several candidate body-mounted states, and changing the current operating mode to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-mounted state. In other variations, the method may include determining that the current device state of a head-mountable device has changed from a body-mounted state, and changing the current operating mode to a transition operating mode. In some of these variations, the current operating mode is changed to a transition operating mode in response to determining that a set of transition criteria has been met. In some of these variations, the set of transition criteria is selected based on the body-mounted state.

[0007] Other embodiments relate to a system including a head-mountable device. The head-mountable device comprises a head-mountable support structure and one or more processors operably coupled to memory. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device and, upon identifying that the current device state is a body-mounted state among a plurality of candidate body-mounted states, to select an operating mode corresponding to the body-mounted state as the current operating mode. The process is further configured to operate the head-mountable device according to the current operating mode.

[0008] The head-mountable support structure may comprise a frame and a set of temples connected to the frame. Multiple candidate body-mounting states may include a face-mounting state, and in some modifications, a forehead-mounting state and / or a torso-mounting state may be included. In some modifications, one or more processors are configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the orientation of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors are configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device may include an eye-tracker, and one or more processors may be configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using information from the eye-tracker.

[0009] In some modifications, one or more processors are configured to determine that the current device state of a head-mountable device has changed from a body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among several candidate body-mounted states. One or more processors may be configured to change the current operating mode to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-mounted state. In other modifications, one or more processors are configured to determine that the current device state of a head-mountable device has changed from a body-mounted state and to change the current operating mode to a transitional operating mode.

[0010] Further variations relate to a method for operating a head-mountable device, which includes identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device and determining that the current device state is a first device state among a plurality of candidate device states, wherein the plurality of candidate device states include a plurality of candidate body-mountable device states. The method further includes selecting a first operating mode as the current operating mode, the first operating mode corresponding to a first device state. The method further includes determining that the current device state has changed from the first device state to a second device state among a plurality of candidate device states, and updating the current operating mode to a second operating mode corresponding to the second device state.

[0011] Multiple candidate body mounting states may include a face mounting state, and in some variations, a forehead mounting state and / or a torso mounting state. In some variations, multiple candidate device states include an additional set of candidate device states. In some variations, the method includes determining that the current device state has changed from a second device state to a third device state that does not correspond to any of the multiple candidate device states, and updating the current operating mode to the default operating mode. In some examples, identifying the current device state of a head-mountable device includes determining the orientation of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, identifying the current device state of a head-mountable device may include determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device.

[0012] Further embodiments relate to a system including a head-mountable device. The head-mountable device comprises a head-mountable support structure and one or more processors operably coupled to memory. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device and determine that the current device state is a first device state among a plurality of candidate device states, the plurality of candidate device states including a plurality of candidate body-mountable device states. The one or more processors are further configured to select a first operating mode as the current operating mode, the first operating mode corresponding to a first device state. The one or more processors are further configured to determine that the current device state has changed from a first device state to a second device state among a plurality of candidate device states and to update the current operating mode to a second operating mode corresponding to the second device state. In some modifications, the one or more processors are configured to determine that the current device state has changed from a second device state to a third device state that does not correspond to any of the plurality of candidate device states and to update the current operating mode to a default operating mode.

[0013] The head-mountable support structure may comprise a frame and a set of temples connected to the frame. Multiple candidate body-mounting states may include a face-mounting state, and in some modifications, a forehead-mounting state and / or a torso-mounting state may be included. In some modifications, multiple candidate device states may include an additional set of candidate device states. In some modifications, one or more processors are configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the orientation of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors are configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device may include an eye-tracker, and one or more processors may be configured to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using information from the eye-tracker.

[0014] In addition to the exemplary embodiments and models described above, further embodiments and models will become apparent by referring to the drawings and considering the following description.

[0015] The disclosure will be easily understood by the following detailed description, along with the attached drawings in which similar reference numbers specify similar structural elements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This specification shows a schematic diagram of exemplary components of the head-mountable device described herein.

[0017] [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows a front view of a modified head-mountable device as described herein, and Figures 2B and 2C show top views thereof, respectively. [Figure 2B] Figure 2A shows a front view of a modified head-mountable device as described herein, and Figures 2B and 2C show top views thereof, respectively. [Figure 2C]FIG. 2A shows a front view of a modification of the head-mounted device as described in this specification, and FIGS. 2B and 2C show top views thereof, respectively.

[0018] [Figure 3] Fig. shows a schematic diagram of a modification of a system including the head-mounted device described in this specification.

[0019] [Figure 4A] Figs. show different scenes in which the head-mounted device is worn in different body-worn states. [Figure 4B] Figs. show different scenes in which the head-mounted device is worn in different body-worn states. [Figure 4C] Figs. show different scenes in which the head-mounted device is worn in different body-worn states.

[0020] [Figure 5A] Figs. show an exemplary process by which the head-mounted device can set the current operating mode of the head-mounted device. [Figure 5B] Figs. show an exemplary process by which the head-mounted device can set the current operating mode of the head-mounted device. [Figure 5C] Figs. show an exemplary process by which the head-mounted device can set the current operating mode of the head-mounted device.

[0021] The proportions and dimensions (relative or absolute) of various features and elements (as well as their collections and groups), and the boundaries, separation points, and positional relationships presented between them are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate the understanding of the various embodiments described in this specification, and thus may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and it should be understood that there is no intention to indicate any preference or requirement for the illustrated embodiments, excluding the embodiments described with reference thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Herein, representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings are described in detail. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit these embodiments to one preferred embodiment. On the contrary, the following description is intended to include alternative forms, modifications, and equivalents that may be included in the spirit and scope of the embodiments described by the accompanying claims.

[0023] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to devices, systems, and methods for operating a head-mountable device. Specifically, a head-mountable device may operate according to different operating modes depending on the current device state of the head-mountable device. The head-mountable devices described herein may be configured to operate in a plurality of candidate device states. In a plurality of these candidate device states, the head-mountable device may be attached to a corresponding part of the user's body. As the head-mountable device moves between these different body-attachment states, the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode. In some examples, the plurality of candidate device states may include one or more additional device states, and the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode when it enters one of these additional device states.

[0024] As used herein, “device state” refers to the contextual state of a head-mountable device that satisfies a corresponding set of criteria, and the contextual state indicates the current location of the head-mountable device relative to the user and / or the surrounding environment. “Body-mounted” device state refers to the device state in which the head-mountable device is worn by the user in a particular manner. Additional device states may indicate that the head-mountable device is placed in a particular location (e.g., positioned on a desk surface), physically engaged with a particular accessory device (e.g., placed in a carrying case and / or connected to a charging device), or a combination thereof.

[0025] These embodiments and other embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5C. However, those skilled in the art will readily understand, with reference to these figures, that the detailed description provided herein is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0026] Generally, the head-mountable devices described herein are configured as electronic devices that are mounted in multiple positions on the user's body, including being mounted on the user's head. The head-mountable devices may include various components that can facilitate the operation of the head-mountable devices. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary head-mountable device 100 described herein. The head-mountable device 100 includes a control circuit configured to control the operation of the head-mountable device 100. Specifically, the control circuit may comprise a processing circuit 102, a memory 104, and an I / O section 106. The I / O section 106 includes various system components that can assist the operation of the head-mountable device 100, as will be described in more detail herein. The head-mountable device 100 may also include a bus 108 that operably connects the I / O section 106 to the processing circuit 102 and the memory 104, thereby enabling the processing circuit 102 and the memory 104 to control the operation of various components of the I / O section 106. Furthermore, the bus 108 can interconnect different components within the I / O section 106, thereby enabling communication between these components.

[0027] The processing circuit 102 may comprise one or more computer processors, each of which may include, for example, a processor, a microprocessor, a programmable logic array (PLA), a programmable array logic (PAL), a generic array logic (GAL), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other programmable logic device (PLD) that can be configured to run the operating system and applications of the head-mountable device 100 and to facilitate the various processes described herein.

[0028] The memory 104 of the head-mountable device 100 may include a storage device such as a computer-readable storage device. The computer-readable storage device may be any medium that can tangibly contain or store computer-executable instructions used by the processing circuit 102 of the head-mountable device 100. In some embodiments, the storage device is a temporary computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the storage device is a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The non-temporary computer-readable storage device may include, but is not limited to, magnetic disks, CDs, DVDs, or optical disks based on Blu-ray® technology, as well as magnetic, optical, and / or semiconductor storage devices such as flash, solid-state drives, and other persistent solid-state memories.

[0029] Memory 104 may include one or more non-temporary computer-readable storage devices used to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit 102, allow the processing circuit 102 to control the operation of the head-mountable device 100. For example, a non-temporary computer-readable storage device may store computer-executable instructions that are executed on the processing circuit 102 (e.g., via one or more processors) to perform the processes described herein. Furthermore, a non-temporary computer-readable storage device may be used to store information generated or received by the head-mountable device 100 during its operation (e.g., images or image information captured by the head-mountable device 100, results of physiological measurements performed by the head-mountable device 100, etc.).

[0030] Therefore, any of the processes described herein may be stored as instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable memory device, so that one or more processors may utilize these instructions to perform various operations of the processes described herein. Similarly, the devices described herein comprise memory (e.g., memory 104) and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuit 102) operably coupled to the memory. One or more processors are configured to receive instructions from memory and execute these instructions to perform various blocks of the processes described herein. Any of the processes described herein may be performed using the systems and devices described herein as a method for selecting and / or changing the current operating mode of the head-mountable device 100.

[0031] I / O section 106 may include various components used to facilitate the operation of the head-mountable device 100. Figure 1 shows an exemplary set of components that may be included in I / O section 106. It should be understood that the components shown in I / O section 106 in Figure 1 are not intended to be exhaustive (for example, the head-mountable device 100 may include additional components not shown in Figure 1), and the head-mountable device 100 does not need to include all of the components shown in Figure 1 (for example, the head-mountable device 100 may include a subset of the components of I / O section 106 shown in Figure 1).

[0032] In some modifications, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more sensors configured to detect the movement of the head-mountable device 100 and / or to determine the orientation of the head-mountable device 100. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more accelerometers 110, one or more gyroscopes 112, and / or one or more magnetometers 114. In some modifications, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to detect the movement of the head-mountable device 100 (e.g., translational and / or rotational). The head-mountable device 100 can use information from some or all of these sensors to detect and characterize the movement of the head-mountable device 100. The movement of the head-mountable device 100 may represent the movement of the user (e.g., when the head-mountable device 100 moves with the user, such as when the head-mountable device 100 is body-mounted), the relative movement between the head-mountable device 100 and the user, and / or the relative movement between the head-mountable device 100 and its surrounding environment. Therefore, the head-mountable device 100 can use this motion information to determine the current device state of the head-mountable device 100, as will be described in more detail herein.

[0033] Similarly, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to determine its orientation. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may determine its orientation using information from some or all of these sensors. The head-mountable device 100 may use this orientation information to determine the current device state of the head-mountable device 100, as will be described in more detail herein. In some modifications, the head-mountable device 100 may include an inertial measuring unit which may include one or more sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers) and is configured to generate motion information and / or orientation information of the head-mountable device 100.

[0034] In some modifications, as will be described in more detail with respect to the head-mountable device 200 in Figures 2A to 2D, the head-mountable device 100 may include support structures that are movable relative to each other. In these examples, the head-mountable device 100 may be moved between different device configurations, each corresponding to a different spatial configuration of its support structure. In some of these modifications, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to determine the current device configuration of the head-mountable device 100. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may select the current device configuration from a plurality of candidate device configurations, as will be described in more detail herein.

[0035] Therefore, in some modifications, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to detect the relative position and / or movement of two or more support structures, and the head-mountable device 100 may use this information when determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device 100. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more position sensors 116, each configured to detect the relative position or orientation between two components of the head-mountable device 100. Each position sensor 116 may be any type of sensor capable of measuring the relative position between two components. For example, the position sensor 116 may include a magnetic position sensor (e.g., a Hall sensor, a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor, a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor, or an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) sensor) configured to produce an output signal that depends on the magnetic field the position sensor 116 is subjected to. In these examples, the first component of the head-mountable device 100 (e.g., the first support structure) may include a magnet, and the second component of the head-mountable device 100 (e.g., the second support structure) may include a magnetic position sensor positioned to measure the magnetic field of the magnet. As the first component moves relative to (or vice versa) the second component, the output signal generated by the magnetic position sensor changes relative to the magnetic field of the magnet. Additionally or alternatively, one or more position sensors 116 may include one or more inductive position sensors, capacitive position sensors, optical position sensors, or combinations thereof.

[0036] In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more additional electronic devices, as described herein with respect to the system 300 in Figure 3. Thus, the head-mountable device 100 may include a communication unit 118 configured to enable the head-mountable device 100 to communicate information such as application and operating system data with external devices (e.g., additional electronic devices, remote servers, etc.). For example, the communication unit 118 may be configured to enable the head-mountable device 100 to wirelessly communicate with external devices using cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, near-field communication (NFC), and / or other wireless communication technologies. The communication unit 118 may include any circuitry (e.g., transceiver circuits) as needed to facilitate communication with external devices.

[0037] The head-mountable device 100 may include one or more components configured to collect information about the environment surrounding the head-mountable device 100. For example, in some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more cameras 120. Each camera may capture images of a corresponding area of ​​the environment surrounding the head-mountable device 100, and the head-mountable device 100 may use these images during its operation. In some examples, one or more cameras 120 may be configured to capture one or more images in response to receiving an image capture request. An image capture request may arise from a user command or under certain predetermined conditions (for example, a software application running on the device may, with appropriate permissions, automatically request the camera to capture one or more images when certain criteria are met). For example, if a user wants to capture and save an image or video using the head-mountable device 100, the user may provide a corresponding command (for example, by interacting with a user interface on the display, pressing a specified button, or giving a voice command). Upon receiving an image capture request, the head-mountable device 100 may use one or more cameras 120 to capture a set of images, which may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable storage device (e.g., as part of memory 104) and / or used to generate a set of output images (e.g., still images, videos, etc.) that are sent to a different electronic device (e.g., as part of email, messages, live streams, etc., or for remote storage).

[0038] Additionally or alternatively, the user may provide commands relating to target objects present in the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100. In these examples, one or more images may be captured by one or more cameras 120 and analyzed by the head-mountable device 100 to identify target objects. It should be understood that the user may provide commands to the head-mountable device 100 directly (e.g., by interacting with the input mechanism of the head-mountable device 100) or indirectly (e.g., by interacting with the input mechanisms of different electronic devices that relay commands to the head-mountable device 100).

[0039] In some examples, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to operate one or more cameras to continuously capture images, depending on the current operating mode of the head-mountable device 100. Each of these cameras may then operate to capture images according to a corresponding default frame rate when the head-mountable device 100 is not otherwise processing an image capture request. The head-mountable device 100 may have certain active features that require information about the physical environment surrounding the head-mountable device 100 in certain operating modes. In some examples, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to perform a predetermined action when a corresponding set of criteria regarding the physical environment is met. In one non-limiting example, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to notify the user when a particular object or type of object is identified in the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100 (for example, the head-mountable device 100 may remind the user to refill a water bottle when the head-mountable device 100 identifies a water dispenser in an image captured by the head-mountable device 100). Therefore, when images are captured by one or more cameras according to their corresponding default frame rates, the head-mountable device 100 can analyze these images to determine information about the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100. When the head-mountable device 100 receives an image capture request, it can temporarily change the corresponding frame rate of one or more of the cameras 120. For example, the default frame rate of a given camera may be selected to help conserve power, but it may be temporarily increased (at the expense of additional power consumption) when additional images are useful for a given device function (e.g., as part of an image capture request).

[0040] In some examples, the head-mountable device 100 comprises multiple cameras 120. In these variations, each camera has a corresponding field of view having a corresponding size. The size of a camera's field of view may depend, at least in part, on the size of its image sensor and the focal length of its lens arrangement. The head-mountable device 100 may comprise multiple cameras having corresponding fields of view that at least partially overlap, and these cameras can simultaneously capture images of a common portion of the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100. In some examples, different cameras may have corresponding fields of view having different sizes, such that a first camera has a corresponding first field of view that is larger than a second field of view corresponding to a second camera. In these examples, the image captured by the first camera may provide information about a larger portion of the physical environment, while the image captured by the second camera may provide higher-resolution information about a specific portion of the physical environment.

[0041] In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more depth sensors 122, each configured to compute depth information for a corresponding portion of the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100 (e.g., the portion of the physical environment in front of the head-mountable device). Each depth sensor 122 may generate depth information for one or more regions of the physical environment within a corresponding coverage area (e.g., the widest spatial range for which the depth sensor can provide depth information). In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more cameras 120, the coverage area of ​​the depth sensor 122 may at least partially overlap with the field of view of at least one of the cameras 120, thereby enabling the depth sensor to compute depth information associated with the field of view of the camera(s) 120.

[0042] Depth information can be calculated in any preferred manner and can be used to calculate the distance between the depth sensor and various points in the environment around the head-mountable device 100. For example, the depth sensor can utilize stereo imaging, where a pair of images are taken from different positions (e.g., from different cameras), and the depth information can be calculated using the distance (parallax) between corresponding pixels in the images. In another example, the depth sensor can utilize time-of-flight sensing, where depth information is calculated based on the time it takes for light (typically infrared) emitted from the depth sensor to return from the physical environment. Time-of-flight depth sensors can utilize direct or indirect time of flight, and can illuminate the entire coverage area at once, or illuminate only a subset of the coverage area at a given time (e.g., by one or more spots, stripes, or other patterns that can be fixed or scanned across the coverage area). In another example, a depth sensor may utilize structured light imaging, during which the depth sensor may image the scene while projecting a predetermined illumination pattern onto the scene, and then analyze the distortion of the pattern as it is returned from the physical environment in order to calculate depth information. Time-of-flight sensing and structured light imaging typically utilize infrared illumination, which may be used under certain ambient conditions without being perceived by the user.

[0043] In some examples, the head-mountable device 100 includes one or more cameras 120 and / or one or more depth sensors 122. Information captured by these components (e.g., images and / or depth information) can be used to determine the motion and / or orientation information of the head-mountable device 100 (or one or more specific components thereof), for example, by using a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technique. Thus, in some examples, this information can be used to determine the current device state of the head-mountable device 100.

[0044] In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may include an eye-tracker 124. The eye-tracker 124 may be configured to determine information about the user's eyes. For example, the eye-tracker 124 may be configured to determine whether the user's eyes are within a predetermined area relative to the head-mountable device 100 (or a particular component thereof). In some variations, the eye-tracker 124 may be further configured to determine the relative position between the user's eyes and the head-mountable device 100 (or a particular component thereof). Additionally or alternatively, the eye-tracker 124 may also be configured to determine the direction of the user's gaze. Thus, information from the eye-tracker 124 may be used to determine the gaze location in the physical environment that represents the portion of the physical environment the user is currently looking at. Information about the user's gaze may, in some examples, be used to control the operation of the head-mountable device 100. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may take action in response to determining that the user is looking in a particular direction and / or has moved their gaze according to a predetermined movement pattern.

[0045] The eye-tracker 124 may include any suitable combination of hardware, software, and firmware for identifying and locating the user's eyes. For example, the eye-tracker 124 may include one or more cameras, depth sensors, or a combination thereof. It should be understood that the eye-tracker 124 may comprise a single module configured to determine the position of each of the user's eyes, or it may comprise multiple units, each configured to determine the position of the user's corresponding eye.

[0046] The head-mountable device 100 may be equipped with one or more microphones 126, which may be used to receive voice commands from the user and / or to detect audio information from the physical environment around the head-mountable device 100. In some examples, the one or more microphones 126 may comprise an array of microphones that can operate as beamforming microphones. In these variations, the sound captured by the array of microphones may be processed to prioritize sound coming from a particular direction. This may allow the array of microphones to emphasize a specific sound source (e.g., the user's voice) while reducing noise coming from other directions.

[0047] The head-mountable device 100 may include one or more input mechanisms configured to receive manual input from a user. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more input devices 128, such as buttons, switches, or rotatable knobs. The user may provide input to the head-mountable device 100 by applying force to the input devices 128 (e.g., by pressing down a button or rotating a knob). Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more touch sensors 130 that define one or more corresponding touch-sensitive areas of the head-mountable device 100. Specifically, the touch sensors 130 may be configured to detect user contact with their corresponding touch-sensitive areas (or sub-areas). The user may provide input to the head-mountable device 100 by touching a specific part of the touch sensor 130 and / or performing a touch gesture on the touch sensor 130. Each of the one or more touch sensors 130 may utilize any suitable touch-sensing component, such as a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or a surface acoustic wave sensor.

[0048] In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may be configured to measure one or more physiological parameters of the user, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygenation. Thus, the head-mountable device 100 may comprise one or more physiological sensors capable of operating to measure one or more physiological parameters of the user. For example, in some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may comprise an optical sensor 132. The optical sensor 132 may be configured as a photoplethysmography sensor configured to emit light at one or more wavelengths toward the user's skin surface and collect the light reflected back to the optical sensor 132 from the skin surface. The relative amount of light reflected back to the optical sensor may vary over time and may be used to calculate one or more physiological parameters (e.g., heart rate, blood oxygenation, etc.). In some examples, the optical sensor 132 may be additionally or alternatively configured to measure the proximity between the optical sensor 132 and the user's skin surface.

[0049] Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more biopotential sensors 134 that measure one or more signals associated with the electrical activity of the user's body using a set of electrodes. For example, the biopotential sensors 134 may be configured to measure an electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), etc. In some variations, the signals(s) measured by the biopotential sensors 134 may be analyzed to calculate the user's physiological parameters (for example, the ECG signal may be analyzed to determine the user's heart rate). Additionally or alternatively, the signals(s) measured by the biopotential sensors 134 may be analyzed to detect user input (for example, using the EMG signal to detect the movement of a particular user), and thus the head-mountable device 100 may perform one or more actions based on the measured signals(s). It should also be understood that other sensors of the head-mountable device 100 (e.g., one or more accelerometers 110) may, in some examples, be used to measure one or more of the user's physiological parameters.

[0050] In some variations, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more output mechanisms configured to provide information to the user. For example, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more audio output devices 136 configured to transmit sound (e.g., sound from voice calls, audio or video content, alerts, etc.) to the user. In some variations, the one or more audio output devices 136 include one or more speakers. In some examples, the one or more speakers may include an array of speakers that can act as a beam steering array of speakers. In these examples, the beam steering array of speakers may output audio content such that individual sounds appear to be coming from a particular direction. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more audio output devices 136 may be configured to transmit sound using bone conduction. In these examples, the one or more audio output devices 136 may include transducers configured to convert audio signals into mechanical vibrations transmitted to the user's ears through the user's skull.

[0051] Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more tactile devices 138 configured to transmit information to the user via controlled vibrations of the head-mountable device 100 (or a portion thereof). Different information may be transmitted based on the duration and / or intensity of these vibrations. Each of the one or more tactile devices 138 may utilize any suitable tactile technology, such as a linear actuator, rotary actuator, or piezoelectric actuator.

[0052] Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device 100 may include one or more displays 140. In a variation in which the head-mountable device 100 includes one or more displays 140, the head-mountable device 100 may have a single display or multiple displays (e.g., one display for each of the user's eyes). Each display may be opaque or transparent, and any suitable display technology may be used (e.g., light-emitting diode (LED) displays, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), holographic displays, waveguide displays, etc.).

[0053] Generally, the head-mountable devices described herein include a head-mountable support structure configured to accommodate various components of the head-mountable device. The head-mountable support structure may enable the head-mountable device to be mounted on the user's head as part of one or more body-mounted device states. In some examples, the head-mountable support structure is formed from a set of support structures that facilitate mounting the head-mountable device by the user. For example, the head-mountable support structure may be configured as eyeglasses or goggles. Figure 2A shows a front view of a modified head-mountable device 200 configured as eyeglasses and which can be configured in any way as described herein with respect to the head-mountable device 100 of Figure 1, and Figures 2B and 2C show top views thereof, respectively. Specifically, the head-mountable device 200 includes a set of support structures comprising a frame 202 and a set of temples 204a to 204b connected to the frame 202. The head-mountable device 200 can be worn in one device state such that the frame 202 is positioned in front of the user's face and the set of temples 204a to 204b can rest on the user's ears (for example, the first temple 204a can rest on one of the user's ears and the second temple 204b can rest on the user's other ear).

[0054] The frame 202 may have any suitable shape that may be desired to facilitate attachment to the user's head. For example, the frame 202 may have a nose bridge, a set of nose pads, and / or other features configured to rest on the user's nose. In some modifications, the frame 202 may carry one or more lenses, such as a pair of lenses 206a-206b, as shown in Figures 2A-2C. For example, each lens may be positioned within a corresponding lens opening of the frame. The frame 202 can position the pair of lenses 206a-206b in front of the user's eyes so that the user can see a portion of their surrounding environment through the pair of lenses 206a-206b (for example, the first lens 206a is positioned in front of the user's first eye and the second lens 206b is positioned in front of the user's second eye). In some variations, one or more of the lenses 206a to 206b may be configured as corrective lenses (for example, configured with refractive power to provide vision correction based on the user's optical prescription). In some variations, the head-mountable device 200 includes one or more displays (for example, one or more displays 140 of the head-mountable device 100 in Figure 1), where each display may be incorporated into or otherwise supported by a corresponding lens from a pair of lenses 206a to 206b.

[0055] In some variations, the frame 202 and the set of temples 204a-204b are formed as a monolithic component such that the frame 202 and the set of temples 204a-204b have fixed relative positions. In other variations, one or more temples of the set of temples 204a-204b are movable relative to the frame 202. In some of these variations, each temple of the set of temples 204a-204b is movably connected to the frame 202 via a set of hinges 208a-208b. Specifically, the first temple 204a is movably connected to the frame 202 via the first hinge 208a, thereby allowing the first temple 204a to pivot relative to the frame 202. Similarly, the second temple 204b is movably connected to the frame 202 via the second hinge 208b, thereby allowing the second temple 204b to pivot relative to the frame 202. In these variations, the temples 204a-204b may be moved relative to the frame 202 to change the head-mountable device 200 between multiple device configurations.

[0056] For example, Figure 2B shows a head-mountable device 200 in a first device configuration (referred to herein as the “open configuration”) in which each of the temples 204a to 204b extends away from the frame 202 at a corresponding first angle. The head-mountable device 200 may be intended to be mounted on the user’s head in the open configuration. The first temples 204a and the second temples 204b may be folded toward the frame 202 (for example, by pivoting the temples 204a to 204b around their corresponding hinges 208a to 208b) to position the head-mountable device 200 in a second device configuration (referred to herein as the “folded configuration”) in which each of the temples 204a to 204b extends away from the frame 202 at a corresponding second angle smaller than the first angle. When positioned in a folded configuration, the head-mountable device 200 may occupy a smaller overall footprint, which may facilitate its placement inside a case, pocket, or similar. It should be understood that the head-mountable device 200 may be moved between one or more additional device configurations, such as a partially folded configuration in which only one of the temples 204a-204b folds toward the frame 202.

[0057] The support structure of the head-mountable device 200 can accommodate various electronic components of the head-mountable device 200, such as those described herein with respect to the head-mountable device 100 in Figure 1. If the head-mountable device 200 is configured as eyeglasses as shown in Figures 2A-2C, it should be understood that these components may be distributed between the frame 202 and the temples 204a-204b in any suitable manner as desired. For example, Figure 2B shows one exemplary arrangement of components that may be incorporated into the head-mountable device 200, but it should be understood that the head-mountable devices described herein may include only a subset of the components shown in Figure 2B, or additional components shown in Figure 2B, and / or different arrangements of components (e.g., distributed differently between the frame 202 and the temples 204a-204b).

[0058] For example, the head-mountable device 200 is shown in Figure 2B as comprising an eye-tracker 210 positioned to detect the presence and / or location of the user's eyes behind the frame 202. For example, the eye-tracker 210 may be configured to determine the presence and / or location of a first eye positioned in a first region 211a behind the first lens 206a, and the presence and / or location of a second eye positioned in a second region 211b behind the second lens 206b. Thus, information from the eye-tracker 210 can be used to determine whether the head-mountable device 200 is being worn in a particular body-mountable device state in which the user's eyes are positioned behind the frame 202.

[0059] The head-mountable device 200 is also shown in Figure 2B as including a set of cameras 212a-212b. In the modified version shown in Figure 2B, the set of cameras 212a-212b comprises a first camera 212a and a second camera 212b, each positioned to image a portion of the environment in front of frame 202. The first camera 212a is shown in Figure 2B as having a first field of view 214a that is larger than and partially overlaps with the corresponding second field of view 214b of the second camera 212b. In other modifications, the first field of view 214a and the second field of view 214b may have a common size, and in some examples, the first camera 212a and the second camera 212b may at least partially overlap so that they can simultaneously image a common portion of the environment in front of frame 202.

[0060] Figure 2B also shows an inertial measurement unit 216 positioned within the frame 202 and configured to detect the movement and / or orientation of the frame 202 (and thereby the movement and / or orientation of the head-mountable device 200). Additionally or alternatively, the inertial measurement unit (and / or one or more individual sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, etc.) may be incorporated into one or both of the temples 204a-204b, which may be configured to detect the movement and / or orientation of one or both of the temples 204a-204b. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device 200 may include a set of position sensors configured to determine the relative position or orientation between the frame 202 and the temples 204a-204b. For example, in the modified example shown in Figure 2, the head-mountable device 200 includes a first position sensor 218a configured to determine the relative position or orientation between the frame 202 and the first temple 204a, and a second position sensor 218b configured to determine the relative position or orientation between the frame 202 and the second temple 204b.

[0061] The head-mountable device 200 may further comprise a set of microphones. In the modified example shown in Figure 2B, the set of microphones includes an array of microphones 220a-220b, which includes at least a first microphone 220a and a second microphone 220b. Although the array of microphones 220a-220b is shown as being entirely housed by the frame 202, it should be understood that some or all of the microphones in the array may be distributed between one or both of the temples 204a-204b.

[0062] Figure 2B also shows a plurality of speakers 222a to 222b. Specifically, the plurality of speakers 222a to 222b may include a first set of speakers 222a (including, for example, a single speaker or an array of speakers) housed by a first temple 204a, and a second set of speakers 222b (including, for example, a single speaker or an array of speakers) housed by a second temple 204b. In these examples, when the head-mountable device 200 is mounted on the user's head, the first set of speakers 222a may be operated to transmit sound to the user's first ear, and the second set of speakers 222b may be operated to transmit sound to the user's second ear.

[0063] In some modifications, a head-mountable device as described herein may operate as part of a system comprising multiple electronic devices. For example, Figure 3 shows a system 300 comprising the head-mountable device 200 of Figures 2A to 2C, and one or more additional electronic devices. For example, in the modification shown in Figure 3, the one or more additional electronic devices include a smartphone 302 and a smartwatch 304. The head-mountable device 200 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more of the additional electronic devices via a set of wireless connections 306a to 306c. For example, the head-mountable device 200 may establish a first wireless connection 306a with the smartphone 302 (for example, using the corresponding communication units of the head-mountable device 200 and the smartphone 302), which may be used to transmit information between the head-mountable device 200 and the smartphone 302. Similarly, the head-mountable device 200 can establish a second wireless connection 306b with the smartwatch 304 (for example, using the corresponding communication units of the head-mountable device 200 and the smartwatch 304), which can be used to transmit information between the head-mountable device 200 and the smartwatch 304. In some examples, the head-mountable device 200 may receive information from the smartphone 302 via the smartwatch 304 (for example, via the second wireless connection 306b and the third wireless connection 306c between the smartphone 302 and the smartwatch 304), and / or receive information from the smartwatch 304 via the smartphone 302 (for example, via the first wireless connection 306a and the third wireless connection 306c).

[0064] If the head-mountable device 200 is included as part of the system 300, multiple devices of the system may collectively perform one or more operations. For example, a user may provide a command (e.g., a voice command) to the head-mountable device 200, and the smartphone 302 may present information to the user (e.g., via the display 308 of the smartphone 302) in response to the head-mountable device 200 receiving the command. This may allow visual information to be presented to the user, for example, if the head-mountable device 200 does not include a display, or if the visual information is not easily visible on the display of the head-mountable device 200.

[0065] For example, system 300 may coordinate the delivery of notifications to a user. Specifically, system 300 may deliver notifications to a user at any given time according to the current system notification settings. The current system notification settings control which electronic devices of system 300 generate alerts for a given notification, and the type of alerts generated by each electronic device. The current system notification settings may be selected based on several factors, such as the type of notification, the operating state of specific components of the electronic devices of system 300, user preferences, and how the user is currently interacting with the electronic devices of system 300. System 300 may include a hierarchy used to determine the current system notification settings of system 300.

[0066] For example, system 300 may be configured to provide a notification to the user when an electronic device of system 300 receives a text message. Depending on the current system notification settings, one or more of the electronic devices of system 300 may generate an alert. For example, under certain circumstances, system 300 may utilize a first system notification setting in which the head-mountable device 200 generates an alert (e.g., an audio alert via multiple speakers 222a-222b) when the system receives a text message. However, if the user is actively looking at the display 308 of the smartphone 302 when the text message is received, system 300 may utilize a different system notification setting. For example, system 300 may utilize a second system notification setting in which the notification is presented to the user via the display 308 of the smartphone 302, but the head-mountable device 200 does not generate an alert. In another example, system 300 could instead utilize a third system notification setting in which notifications are presented to the user via the display 308 of the smartphone 302, and the head-mountable device 200 generates different types of alerts (e.g., audio alerts under the first system notification setting, and haptic alerts under the third system notification setting). Thus, system 300 can adjust the delivery of notifications under a wide range of circumstances.

[0067] A head-mountable device may be intended to be worn in a specific body-mounting state, but it may also be worn in one or more additional body-mounting states. Therefore, the head-mountable device described may operate differently in each of these body-mounting states, and may change its current operating mode as it moves between different body-mounting states. Using the head-mountable device 200 in Figures 2A-2C as an example, Figures 4A-4C show different scenes 400a-400c illustrating examples of different body-mounting states in which the head-mountable device 200 may be worn by a user 402. Specifically, Figure 4A shows a first scene 400a in which the head-mountable device 200 is worn by a user 402 in a first body-mounting state, also referred to herein as the “face-mounting state,” and the head-mountable device 200 is positioned at least partially in front of the user’s eyes. When the head-mountable device 200 is positioned in a face-mounted state, the frame 202 may be positioned in front of the user's face such that each of the lenses 206a to 206b is positioned in front of the user's corresponding eye. When the head-mountable device 200 is worn in a face-mounted state, parts of the frame 202 (e.g., the nose bridge and / or one or more nose pads) may rest on part of the user 402's nose, and each of the temples 204a to 204b may rest on the user 402's corresponding ear. The face-mounted state may be intended as the primary body-mounted state of the head-mountable device 200.

[0068] Figure 4B shows another scene 400b in which the head-mountable device 200 is worn by user 402 in a second body-mounted state, also referred to herein as the “forehead-mounted” state, with the frame 202 supported on user 402’s forehead. When the head-mountable device 200 is worn in the forehead-mounted state, the frame 202 (and thereby the lenses 206a-206b) is positioned entirely above the user’s eyes so that the head-mountable device 200 is not positioned between the user’s eyes and the surrounding environment. In some examples, the frame 202 may be positioned well above the eyes so that the user cannot see through the lenses 206a-206b. In some examples, each of the temples 204a-204b may be placed on the corresponding ear of user 402 while the head-mountable device 200 is in the forehead-mounted state so that the frame 202 is angled upward relative to the user’s face.

[0069] Figure 4C shows another scene 400c in which the head-mountable device 200 is worn by user 402 in a third body-mounted state, also referred to herein as the “torso-mounted” state, and the head-mountable device 200 is suspended from an item of clothing worn by user 402. Specifically, the head-mountable device 200 may be arranged in a folded configuration as described herein with respect to Figure 2C, and positioned so that a portion of the user’s clothing is positioned between the frame 202 and one of the temples (e.g., the first temple 204a or the second temple 204b). In this way, the user’s clothing can hold the head-mountable device 200 in front of a portion of the user’s torso. In Figure 4C, it is shown suspended from the collar of a shirt 404 worn by user 402, but the head-mountable device 200 may alternatively be suspended from a shirt pocket, a necklace, or another piece of clothing or accessory worn by the user. The frame 202 can be positioned horizontally (for example, with lenses 206a to 206b positioned along the horizontal axis) when the head-mountable device 200 is mounted on the face or forehead, but the frame 202 can be positioned vertically (for example, with lenses 206a to 206b positioned along the vertical axis) when the head-mountable device 200 is mounted on the torso.

[0070] The head-mountable devices described herein may be configured to operate in multiple different operating modes, each operating mode corresponding to a different device state of the head-mountable device. Specifically, at any given time, the head-mountable device may operate according to its current operating mode. The current operating mode of the head-mountable device defines the settings actively used to control the behavior of the head-mountable device. For example, the current operating mode may define the set of available features and functions that can be performed by the head-mountable device. The current operating mode may specify the default behavior of the head-mountable device when the user is not actively engaged with it, as well as the features of the head-mountable device that the user can access (for example, by providing the head-mountable device with corresponding commands).

[0071] Therefore, certain device features and / or functions may be available while the head-mountable device is operating in a first operating mode, but the same features and / or functions may not be available when the head-mountable device is operating in a second operating mode. For example, when operating in the first operating mode, the head-mountable device may be configured to periodically measure the user's heart rate as part of its default behavior. While operating in the second operating mode, the head-mountable device may not have to measure the user's heart rate as part of its default behavior. This may occur, for example, when the second operating mode is associated with a device state in which heart rate measurement cannot be performed (e.g., the corresponding sensor is no longer positioned to acquire a usable measurement signal), in which case heart rate sensing may also be unavailable to the user as an on-demand measurement. In other cases, the second operating mode may correspond to a device state in which power saving is prioritized, in which case heart rate sensing may not be active as the default behavior, but may be available to the user as an on-demand measurement.

[0072] Furthermore, the current operating mode can define one or more parameters of available features or functions. For example, using heart rate sensing, a head-mountable device may be configured to perform heart rate sensing in multiple different operating modes, utilizing different algorithms to determine the heart rate from underlying sensor signals (e.g., sensor signals acquired by an accelerometer and / or optical sensor). The current operating mode can also set operating parameters for various components of the head-mountable device. For example, if the head-mountable device includes a camera, the current operating mode may set the camera's default frame rate. To conserve power, the camera's default frame rate may be reduced (or the camera may be disabled) in some operating modes.

[0073] A head-mountable device may change its current operating mode when it transitions between different device states. Specifically, a head-mountable device may have multiple different operating modes corresponding to multiple candidate device states. These multiple candidate device states include at least multiple body-mountable device states. Therefore, when a head-mountable device is mounted in one of these body-mountable device states, it operates in the current operating mode corresponding to that body-mountable device state.

[0074] For example, Figures 5A to 5C illustrate variations of the process for selecting the current operating mode of a head-mountable device, such as those described herein. The operations performed as part of these processes may be performed as methods or stored as instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable memory device. When stored as instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable memory device, these instructions, when executed by one or more processors, can cause one or more processors to perform various operations of these processes. Similarly, the head-mountable devices described herein include memory (e.g., memory 104) and one or more processors (e.g., processing circuit 102) operably coupled to the memory, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing one or more processors to perform operations of these processes.

[0075] For example, Figure 5A shows a first modification of process 500 for selecting the current operating mode of a head-mountable device, the current operating mode being selected based on the current device state. In step 502, the head-mountable device (which may be configured in any manner as described herein) can identify the current device state of the head-mountable device. The head-mountable device can select the current device state from a plurality of candidate device states, each of which is associated with a different operating mode of the head-mountable device. The plurality of candidate device states include at least a plurality of candidate body-mounting states.

[0076] Multiple candidate body mounting states may include a face mounting state and at least one additional body mounting state. For example, multiple candidate body mounting states may include a forehead mounting state as described herein with respect to Figure 4B. Additionally or alternatively, multiple candidate body mounting states may include a torso mounting state as described herein with respect to Figure 4C. Process 500 is described herein with respect to an example of multiple body mounting states including a face mounting state, a forehead mounting state, and a torso mounting state, but it should be understood that the principles of Process 500 may be applied to multiple candidate body mounting states including a different number and / or selection of candidate body mounting states.

[0077] A head-mountable device may identify its current device state in any suitable manner. In some modifications, the head-mountable device may determine its orientation and use the determined orientation when identifying its current device state. Using the head-mountable device 200 in Figures 2A-2C as an example, a determination that the frame 202 has a vertical orientation may indicate that the head-mountable device 200 is more likely to be in a torso-mounted state, and a determination that the frame 202 has a horizontal orientation may indicate that the head-mountable device 200 is more likely to be in a face-mounted or forehead-mounted state. Similarly, a determination that the frame 202 is tilted upward may indicate that the head-mountable device 200 is more likely to be in a forehead-mounted state. It should be understood that the orientation of a head-mountable device can be determined using any suitable components as described herein. For example, the orientation of a head-mountable device may be used in conjunction with information generated from an inertial measurement unit, one or more cameras, and / or one or more depth sensors.

[0078] Additionally or alternatively, a head-mountable device may determine its current device configuration and use the determined current device configuration when identifying the current device state. Using the head-mountable device 200 in Figures 2A to 2C as an example, a determination that the head-mountable device 200 is in a folded configuration may indicate that the head-mountable device is unlikely to be in a face-mounted or forehead-mounted state. Similarly, a determination that the head-mountable device 200 is in an open configuration may indicate that the head-mountable device is unlikely to be in a torso-mounted state.

[0079] In some cases, a head-mounted device may utilize information from an eye-tracker to identify its current state. For example, if the eye-tracker detects that the user's eyes are within a given area relative to the head-mounted device, this may indicate that the head-mounted device is face-mounted. Conversely, if the eye-tracker cannot detect the presence of the user's eyes, this may indicate that the head-mounted device is not face-mounted. Depending on the configuration of the eye-tracker, information from the eye-tracker may further indicate whether the head-mounted device is currently forehead-mounted (e.g., by detecting the presence of hair or skin behind a part of the head-mounted device) or torso-mounted (e.g., by detecting the presence of fabric behind a part of the head-mounted device).

[0080] Additionally or alternatively, a head-mountable device may utilize motion information of the head-mountable device (e.g., generated by an inertial measurement unit or from images captured by a set of cameras) when identifying its current device state. For example, if a head-mountable device does not detect any movement of the head-mountable device, this may indicate that the head-mountable device is not currently in a body-mounted state. Conversely, different body-mounted states may be associated with different motion characteristics (for example, a head-mountable device may be more likely to experience greater and / or more frequent rotational movements in a head-mounted state, such as a face-mounted or forehead-mounted state, compared to a torso-mounted state).

[0081] Head-mountable devices should understand that they may use multiple criteria to determine whether they are currently in a particular device state. In one non-limiting example, to identify that a head-mountable device is currently in a face-mounted state, the head-mountable device may need to determine that i) the head-mountable device is in an open configuration and ii) the user's eyes are detected using an eye-tracker. In another non-limiting example, to identify that a head-mountable device is currently in a torso-mounted state, the head-mountable device may need to determine that i) the head-mountable device is in a closed configuration and ii) the head-mountable device (or part thereof) is positioned in a vertical orientation. Each candidate device state may be associated with a corresponding set of selection criteria used to identify that candidate device state as the current device state.

[0082] In step 504, the head-mountable device may determine whether its current device state is one of several candidate body-mountable states. Depending on whether it determines that the current device state is one of the candidate body-mountable states, the head-mountable device may in step 506 select an operating mode corresponding to the body-mountable state as the current operating mode. For example, the head-mountable device may determine that its current device state is a first body-mountable state among the candidate body-mountable states, and the head-mountable device selects a first operating mode corresponding to the first body-mountable state as the current operating mode.

[0083] In step 508, the head-mountable device operates according to the selected operating mode. In these examples, the selected operating mode may function as the current operating mode as long as the head-mountable device remains in the same body-mounted state. For example, in step 510, the head-mountable device may determine whether the current device state has changed. If the head-mountable device determines that it is still in the current device state, it may continue to operate according to the selected operating mode. If the head-mountable device determines that it is no longer in a previously identified device state, the process may return to step 502, and the head-mountable device may update its current device state.

[0084] For example, if a head-mountable device determines that its current device state has changed to an additional body-mounting state among the candidate body-mounting states, the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode to a different operating mode corresponding to the new body-mounting state. For example, the head-mountable device may determine that its current device state has changed to a second body-mounting state and may select a second operating mode corresponding to the second body-mounting state. The head-mountable device may operate according to the second operating mode until it determines that it is no longer in the second body-mounting state.

[0085] In some variations, multiple candidate device states may include one or more additional device states. For example, multiple candidate device states may include one or more device states corresponding to the head-mountable device being placed on a surface. In some of these examples, candidate device states may depend on the type of surface, the orientation of the head-mountable device on the surface, and / or the configuration of the head-mountable device when placed on the surface. In one non-limiting example, the head-mountable device may include candidate device states (with corresponding operating modes) that require the user to position the head-mountable device in a particular device configuration (e.g., a partially folded configuration) and place the head-mountable device on a particular type of surface (e.g., a countertop or table).

[0086] Additionally or alternatively, several candidate device states may include those in which the head-mountable device at least partially depends on the engagement of an accessory device. For example, a candidate device state may require the head-mountable device to engage with a particular accessory device, such as a charging device or a dock, in a predetermined manner (e.g., being positioned on it, connecting to it, etc.). The head-mountable device may be configured to detect this engagement and may use this information when selecting the current device state of the head-mountable device.

[0087] Figure 5B shows a modified version of process 530, which is configured and can be labeled in the same way as process 500 in Figure 5A, except that the head-mountable device may determine that the current device state is one of an additional set of candidate device states that are greater than a set of multiple body-mountable device states. For example, the multiple candidate device states may include a set of multiple candidate body-mountable states and an additional set of candidate device states. If the head-mountable device determines in step 504 that the current device state is not one of the multiple candidate body-mountable states, then in step 514, the head-mountable device may determine whether the current device state is one of the additional set of candidate body-mountable states.

[0088] Depending on whether the current device state is determined to be an additional candidate device state among several candidate states, the head-mountable device may, in step 516, select an operating mode corresponding to the additional device state as the current operating mode. In step 518, the head-mountable device may operate according to the selected operating mode and continue to operate according to the selected operating mode as long as the head-mountable device remains in the same device state. For example, in step 520, the head-mountable device may determine whether the current device state has changed. If the head-mountable device determines that it is still in the current device state, it may continue to operate according to the selected operating mode. If the head-mountable device determines that it is no longer in a previously identified device state, the process may return to step 502, and the head-mountable device may update its current device state.

[0089] In some cases, it may be desirable for a head-mountable device to operate according to a default operating mode. In some cases, there may be a range of situations in which a head-mountable device does not have a dedicated corresponding operating mode, and the head-mountable device may be configured to operate in a default operating mode in these situations. For example, a head-mountable device may be configured to operate according to a default operating mode when it is placed inside a protective case or drawer. Thus, in some modifications, a head-mountable device may be configured to operate according to a default operating mode when it determines that the current device state does not correspond to any of several candidate device states (for example, the current device state does not meet the selection criteria for any of the candidate device states). For example, if the head-mountable device determines that the current device state does not correspond to any of several candidate body-mounted states (for example, in step 504), and the head-mountable device determines that the current device state does not correspond to any additional candidate device states (for example, in step 514), the head-mountable device may operate according to a default operating mode in step 522.

[0090] In some variations, the default operating mode may be a standby mode configured to reduce power consumption of the head-mountable device. While in standby mode, most components of the head-mountable device are powered off. The head-mountable device may be configured to periodically wake certain device components to determine if the head-mountable device has changed to a different device state. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device may be configured to check its current device state in response to a predetermined wake signal (e.g., detection of threshold-level motion by an accelerometer, detection of a specific usage input). If the current device state has changed to one of several candidate device states within a threshold period, the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode; otherwise, the head-mountable device may return to the standby state.

[0091] Therefore, the head-mountable devices described herein can continuously update their current operating mode when the head-mountable device changes between device states during operation. For example, the head-mountable device may initially determine that the current device state is a first device state among several candidate device states (e.g., several candidate body-mounted states, and in some modifications, an additional set of candidate device states), and may select a first operating mode corresponding to the first device state as the current operating mode. The head-mountable device may operate in the first operating mode while the head-mountable device is in the first device state. The head-mountable device can then determine that the current device state has changed from the first device state to a second device state among several candidate device states, and can update its current operating mode to a second operating mode corresponding to the second device state. Similarly, the head-mountable device may determine that the current device state has changed (e.g., from the second device state) to a third device state that does not correspond to any of the several candidate device states. In these examples, the head-mountable device may update its current operating mode to the default operating mode.

[0092] When a user stops wearing a head-mounted device, they may place the device in a specific location (e.g., on a kitchen table, inside a backpack). If the user forgets where they placed the head-mounted device, it may be difficult for them to locate it (especially if the device is placed inside another object, such as a drawer). Therefore, it may be desirable for the head-mounted devices described herein to identify contextual information about where the device is located.

[0093] In some variations, the head-mountable device may be configured to enter a transitional operating mode in response to identifying that the current device state has changed from a body-mounted state (e.g., one of several candidate body-mounted states described herein). When operating in a transitional operating mode (e.g., the current operating mode), the head-mountable device may modify the operation of one or more components in an attempt to capture contextual information about where the head-mountable device will next be placed. For example, the head-mountable device may increase the default frame rate of one or more cameras (or activate one or more cameras that were disabled in the previous operating mode). The head-mountable device may analyze these images to identify information about where the user will next place the head-mountable device and may transmit this information to an external device (e.g., another electronic device such as the one described with respect to system 300 in Figure 3). Alternatively, these images may be transmitted to another electronic device (e.g., as part of system 300) for later analysis.

[0094] In this way, a user may be able to access information about the location of a head-mounted device. For example, information captured by the head-mounted device while in transition mode may be used to identify the general state of the head-mounted device (e.g., inside a drawer) or a specific location (e.g., inside a drawer in the user's bedroom dresser). With appropriate user permission, the user may access this information using a device tracking application on another electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, smartwatch, etc.) if it is difficult to locate the head-mounted device.

[0095] In some examples, it may be desirable for the head-mountable device to enter a transition mode only when certain criteria are met. Using the head-mountable device 200 in Figure 2 as an example, the user can temporarily lift the frame 202 of the head-mountable device 200 from the face-mounted state (for example, to rub their eyes) and return the head-mountable device 200 to the face-mounted state without removing the head-mountable device 200 from the user's head. In other examples, the user may move the head-mountable device 200 directly from the face-mounted state to the forehead-mounted state without removing the head-mountable device 200 from the user's head. In any of these examples, the head-mountable device 200 may be able to identify that the current device state has changed (for example, in step 510 of processes 500 and 530), but the user has not actually removed the head-mountable device 200 from their body. In these examples, it may be preferable not to enter a transition mode because doing so may unnecessarily consume additional power.

[0096] Therefore, in some modifications, the head-mountable device may require that a set of criteria, also referred to herein as “transition criteria,” be met before entering a transition operating mode. For example, Figure 5C shows a modification of process 550 as described herein. Process 550 may be configured and labeled the same as process 530 in Figure 5B, except that in step 510, when the head-mountable device determines that the current device state has changed (e.g., from a previous body-mounted state), the head-mountable device determines in step 524 whether the set of transition criteria has been met. If the set of transition criteria has not been met, the head-mountable device can return to step 502 and identify the current state of the head-mountable device without entering a transition operating mode. If the set of transition criteria has been met, the head-mountable device may operate according to the transition operating mode in step 526.

[0097] In some variations, the set of transition criteria may be selected based on previously identified body-mounted states. For example, a head-mountable device may experience different motion characteristics when the user removes it from a face-mounted state compared to when the user removes it from a torso-mounted state. Therefore, when the head-mountable device changes from a face-mounted state, a first set of transition criteria may be applied to determine whether the head-mountable device should enter a transition operating mode. When the head-mountable device changes from a torso-mounted state, a different second set of transition criteria may be applied to determine whether the head-mountable device should enter a transition operating mode.

[0098] A head-mountable device can operate in a transitional operating mode until one or more termination criteria are met. In some examples, a head-mountable device may terminate the transitional operating mode when the head-mountable display identifies that the current device state is one of several candidate device states, at which point the head-mountable device may operate according to the current operating mode corresponding to the identified device state. If the current device state is not yet one of several candidate device states, the head-mountable device may be configured to terminate the transitional operating mode when the head-mountable device stops moving, which may indicate that the head-mountable device has been placed in a stationary location. Additionally or alternatively, a head-mountable device may be configured to terminate the transitional operating mode after a threshold time. In these examples, the head-mountable device may change its current operating mode from the transitional operating mode to the default operating mode.

[0099] As will be described in more detail herein, head-mountable devices can operate across a variety of different operating modes, and these operating modes can differ from one another in many possible ways. For example, different candidate body-mounting states may be associated with different physiological sensing functions. In some modifications, a head-mountable device may be configured to measure the user's respiratory rate using motion information measured by the head-mountable device when operating in an operating mode corresponding to a torso-mounting state (e.g., as default behavior and / or as on-demand measurement). This motion information may be measured, for example, by one or more accelerometers or inertial measurement units and may reflect the movement of the user's torso as the user breathes.

[0100] In some of these modifications, the head-mountable device may not need to measure respiratory rate when it is operating in an operating mode corresponding to another body-mounting state. For example, the head-mountable device may not need to measure respiratory rate (as a default behavior or in response to a user command) when it is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a forehead-mounting state. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device may not need to measure respiratory rate when it is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounting state. In other modifications, the head-mountable device may also measure the user's respiratory rate when it is operating in an operating mode corresponding to another body-mounting state. For example, when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounting state, it may use different combinations of sensors (e.g., optical sensors, microphones, etc.) and / or different algorithms to measure respiratory rate.

[0101] Additionally or alternatively, a head-mountable device may be configured to measure the user's heart rate using motion information measured by the head-mountable device when operating in an operating mode corresponding to a torso-mounted state. For example, the motion information may capture vibrations that occur in the user's torso when the user's heart beats. Similarly, in some modifications, the head-mountable device may not measure the user's heart rate when operating in an operating mode corresponding to a specific other body-mounted state. For example, the head-mountable device may not measure the user's heart rate when operating in an operating mode corresponding to a forehead-mounted state. Additionally or alternatively, the head-mountable device may not measure the user's heart rate when operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounted state. In other examples, the head-mountable device may utilize different sensors and / or algorithms to measure the user's heart rate in different operating modes. For example, if the head-mountable device includes an optical sensor, the head-mountable device may be configured to measure the user's heart rate using the optical sensor (e.g., using photoplethysmography analysis techniques).

[0102] In variations where the head-mountable device includes one or more cameras, one or more operating parameters of these cameras may vary between different operating modes. For example, different operating modes of the head-mountable device may be associated with different default frame rates of a given camera. For instance, a camera in a head-mountable device may operate according to a first default frame rate when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a first body-mounted state (e.g., face-mounted state). The camera may operate according to a lower second default frame rate when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a second body-mounted state (e.g., forehead-mounted state). In some examples, the operating states corresponding to the face-mounted and forehead-mounted states may be associated with different default frame rates of the camera (e.g., the camera may operate at a lower default frame rate in the forehead-mounted state). In some variations, the operating states corresponding to the face-mounted and torso-mounted states may be associated with a common default frame rate of the camera. In other variations, the operating states corresponding to the face-mounted and torso-mounted states may be associated with different default frame rates of the camera.

[0103] In some variations, a given camera of a head-mountable device may be deactivated in certain operating modes. Using the head-mountable device 200 shown in Figures 2A-2C as an example, the second camera 212b may be able to operate to capture images (e.g., according to the corresponding default frame rate and / or in response to an image capture request) when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounted state. Conversely, the second camera 212b may be deactivated when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a specific other body-mounted state. For example, the second camera 212b may be deactivated when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a torso-mounted state. Additionally or alternatively, the second camera 212b may be deactivated when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a forehead-mounted state. When the second camera 212b is deactivated, any functions that require images captured by the second camera 212b may also become unavailable in these operating modes. It should be understood that, depending on the operating mode, the first camera 212a may or may not be deactivated.

[0104] In a modified version in which the head-mountable device includes an array of microphones, the head-mountable device may use different audio processing techniques in different operating modes corresponding to different body mounting states. Using the head-mountable device 200 shown in Figures 2A to 2C as an example, the head-mountable device 200 may utilize different beamforming algorithms when analyzing the sound captured by the array of microphones 220a to 220b. For example, when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounted state, the head-mountable device 200 may use a first beamforming algorithm to detect voice commands in the audio signal captured by the microphone arrays 220a to 220b. Conversely, when the head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a forehead-mounted state, the head-mountable device 200 may use a different second beamforming algorithm to detect voice commands in the audio signal captured by the microphone arrays 220a to 220b. Since the array of microphones 220a-220b is positioned at different locations relative to the user's mouth, the first and second beamforming algorithms may be selected to take these different positions into account. Similarly, if the head-mountable device has one or more speakers, the head-mountable device may output audio differently in different operating modes. For example, different beam steering techniques can be used to account for different distances and / or relative positions between a given speaker (or array of speakers) and the user's ears. In some examples, a given audio may be generated using a first beam steering technique when produced by the head-mountable device while operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounted state. The same audio may be generated using a second beam steering technique when produced by the head-mountable device while operating in an operating mode corresponding to a forehead-mounted state.

[0105] In some variations, a head-mountable device may be configured to change one or more notification settings between different operating modes. For example, a head-mountable device may generate different alert types for a given type of notification depending on the current operating mode. In one such example, for a given type of notification, the head-mountable device may be configured to generate a voice-based audio alert when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a first body-mounting state. For the same type of notification, the head-mountable device may be configured to generate a non-voice audio alert (e.g., a beep, chirp, or chime) when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a second body-mounting state. Using text message notifications as an example, in some examples, such as when the device is mounted on the face or forehead, it may be desirable to synthesize the text message into an audio output so that the user can hear the content of the text message without having to look at a display (e.g., the display of the head-mountable device or the display of another electronic device). When the head-mountable device is mounted on the torso, it may not be desirable to play the text message as an audio output. In these examples, in order for the user to understand the speech, the head-mounted device may need to play an audio output at a sufficient volume so that other people nearby can also see the content of the text message.

[0106] Therefore, in some variations, a head-mountable device may generate a voice-based audio alert when a text message is received while the head-mountable device is operating in a face-mounted state. For example, the content of the text message may be converted to speech using a speech synthesizer and played back for use (e.g., using one or more speakers). Conversely, a head-mountable device may generate a non-voice audio alert when a text message is received while the head-mountable device is operating in a torso-mounted state. A non-voice audio alert may direct the user's attention to the presence of the notification but may not otherwise convey the content of the text message. In order for the user to access the content of the text message, the user may move the head-mountable device to a different body-mounted state (e.g., face-mounted state) within a threshold time after the head-mountable device has generated a non-voice audio alert. In these examples, the head-mountable device may be configured to synthesize text into speech when it detects that the user has moved the head-mountable device to a new body-mounted state. Additionally or alternatively, the user may view the text message on the device's display (e.g., the head-mountable device's display or the display of another electronic device) after receiving the notification.

[0107] When a head-mountable device is used as part of a system, the head-mountable device may update system notification settings associated with the system when the head-mountable device changes between body-mounted states. Using system 300 as an example in Figure 3, system 300 may utilize one or more system notification settings that prioritize generating alerts using head-mountable device 200 (for example, using audio alerts generated using the speakers 222a-222b of head-mountable device 200) when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a face-mounted state. Conversely, when head-mountable device 200 is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a torso-mounted state, system 300 may utilize one or more system notification settings that prioritize generating alerts using other electronic devices of system 300 (for example, via smartphone 302 and / or smartwatch 304).

[0108] In variations where the head-mountable device includes an eye-tracker, the eye-tracker may operate differently in different operating modes. For example, when the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a first body-mounted state (e.g., face-mounted state), the eye-tracker may operate according to the first operating mode. For example, the eye-tracker may be configured to detect the user's eye position and / or location at a first detection rate in the first operating mode. When the head-mountable device is operating in an operating mode corresponding to a second body-mounted state (e.g., forehead-mounted state), the eye-tracker may operate according to the second operating mode. For example, the eye-tracker may be configured to detect the user's eye position and / or location at a second detection rate lower than the first detection rate in the second operating mode. In other words, when operating in the second operating mode, the eye-tracker may detect the user's eye position and / or location at a lower frequency. In this way, when the head-mountable device is in the forehead-mounted position, the head-mountable device may occasionally check whether the user's eyes are present, which may indicate that the head-mountable device has moved to the face-mounted position.

[0109] As described above, one aspect of this technology is the measurement of a user's physiological parameters. This disclosure considers that in some cases, this collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies a particular person, or personal information data that can be used to contact a particular person or locate them. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, Twitter® IDs (or aliases or handles on other social media), home addresses, data or records relating to a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), birth dates, or any other identifying or personal information.

[0110] This disclosure acknowledges that such use of personal data in the technology may be for the benefit of the user. For example, personal data may be used to provide user-specific haptic or audiovisual output. Furthermore, other uses of personal data that may benefit the user are conceivable in this disclosure. For example, health and fitness data may be used to provide insights into the user's overall wellness, or as positive feedback to individuals using the technology to pursue wellness goals.

[0111] This disclosure assumes that entities involved in the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage, or other use of such personal data will adhere to a robust privacy policy and / or privacy practices. In particular, such entities should implement and consistently use a privacy policy and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal data. Such policies must be readily accessible to users and updated as data collection and / or use changes. Personal data from users should be collected for the lawful and legitimate use of the entity and should not be shared or sold for any other purpose. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be carried out only after informing and obtaining the user's consent. In addition, such entities should consider taking all necessary steps to protect and secure access to such personal data and to ensure that others with access to the personal data faithfully adhere to those privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may undergo third-party evaluations to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be adapted to the specific types of personal data collected and / or accessed, and should be revised to comply with applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For example, in the United States, the collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be addressed accordingly. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained in each country with respect to different types of personal data.

[0112] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Disclosure also envisions embodiments that allow a user to selectively prevent the use of or access to personal data. That is, the Disclosure envisions that hardware and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or prevent access to such personal data. For example, when determining spatial parameters, the Technology may be configured to allow a user to choose to “opt in” or “opt out” of participating in the collection of personal data during or at any time thereafter when registering for the Service. In addition to providing “opt-in” and “opt-out” options, the Disclosure envisions providing notices regarding access to or use of personal data. For example, a user may be notified when downloading an app that will access their personal data, and then reminded again immediately before the app accesses the personal data.

[0113] Furthermore, the intent of this disclosure is that personal data should be managed and processed in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risks can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data when it is no longer needed. In addition, where applicable in certain health-related applications, data anonymization can be used to protect user privacy. Anonymization can be facilitated by removing certain identifiers (e.g., date of birth), controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than the address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or by other means, where necessary.

[0114] Therefore, while this disclosure broadly covers the use of personal data to implement one or more of the disclosed embodiments, it is also conceivable that these embodiments could be implemented without requiring access to such personal data. In other words, the various embodiments of the technology would not be rendered inoperable by the absence of all or part of such personal data. For example, haptic output could be provided based on non-personal data or a minimum amount of personal information, such as events or states of a user-associated device, other available non-personal information, or publicly available information.

[0115] In the preceding description, certain technical terms have been used for illustrative purposes to provide a complete understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the described embodiments. Accordingly, the preceding descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit embodiments to the exact form disclosed. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

[0116] [Section 1] A method for operating a head-mounted device, Identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device, In response to identifying that the current device state is one of several candidate body-wearing states, the operating mode corresponding to the body-wearing state is selected as the current operating mode. A method comprising operating the head-mountable device in accordance with the current operating mode. [Section 2] The method according to item 1, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a face mounting state. [Section 3] The method according to item 2, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state. [Section 4] The method according to item 2 or 3, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state. [Section 5] The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the orientation of the head-mountable device. [Section 6] The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. [Section 7] The determination of the current device state of the head-mountable device, which has changed from the body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among the multiple candidate body-mounted states, The current operating mode is changed to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-wearing state, The method described in any one of items 1 to 6, including the method described in item 1 to 6. [Section 8] Determining that the current device state of the head-mountable device has changed from the body-mounted state, The current operating mode is changed to a transitional operating mode, The method described in any one of items 1 to 6, including the method described in item 1 to 6. [Section 9] Changing the current operating mode to the transition operating mode is The method of paragraph 8, comprising changing the current operating mode to the transition operating mode in response to determining that a set of transition criteria has been met. [Section 10] The method according to paragraph 9, wherein the set of transition criteria is selected based on the body-wearing state. [Section 11] A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein, when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform an operation including the steps described in any one of items 1 to 10. [Section 12] It is a system, It is equipped with a head-mountable device, and the head-mountable device is A head-mountable support structure, A system comprising one or more processors operably coupled to memory, wherein the one or more processors are connected to the one or more processors To identify the current device state of the head-mountable device, In response to identifying that the current device state is one of several candidate body-wearing states, the system selects the operating mode corresponding to the body-wearing state as the current operating mode. A system configured to execute commands to operate the head-mountable device in accordance with the current operating mode. [Section 13] The system according to paragraph 12, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a face mounting state. [Section 14] The system according to paragraph 13, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state. [Section 15] The system according to paragraph 13 or 14, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state. [Section 16] The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the orientation of the head-mountable device. [Section 17] The system according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. [Section 18] The head-mountable device includes an eye-tracking device, The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using information from the eye-tracker. A system described in any one of items 12 to 17. [Section 19] The one or more processors, The device determines that the current device state of the head-mountable device has changed from the body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among the multiple candidate body-mounted states. The system according to any one of paragraphs 12 to 18, configured to execute a command to change the current operating mode to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-wearing state. [Section 20] The one or more processors, The current device state of the head-mountable device has been determined to have changed from the body-mounted state. The system according to any one of paragraphs 12 to 18, configured to execute an instruction that changes the current operating mode to a transitional operating mode. [Section 21] The head-mountable support structure is Frame and, The system according to any one of claims 12 to 18, comprising a set of temples connected to the frame. [Section 22] A method for operating a head-mounted device, Identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device, The current device state is determined to be the first device state among a plurality of candidate device states, which include a plurality of candidate body-worn device states. The current operating mode is to select a first operating mode corresponding to the first device state, Determining that the current device state has changed from the first device state to the second device state among the multiple candidate device states, A method comprising updating the current operating mode to a second operating mode corresponding to the second device state. [Section 23] The method according to paragraph 22, wherein the body mounting state of the plurality of candidates includes a face mounting state. [Section 24] The method according to paragraph 23, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state. [Section 25] The method according to paragraph 23 or 24, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state. [Section 26] The method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the plurality of candidate device states include a set of additional candidate device states. [Section 27] Determining that the current device state has changed from the second device state to a third device state that does not correspond to any of the multiple candidate device states, The current operating mode is updated to the default operating mode, The method described in any one of paragraphs 22 to 26, including the method described in paragraphs 22 to 26. [Section 28] The method according to any one of claims 22 to 27, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the orientation of the head-mountable device. [Section 29] The method according to any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. [Section 30] A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein, when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform an operation including the steps described in any one of paragraphs 22 to 29. [Section 31] It is a system, It includes a head-mountable device, and the head-mountable device is A head-mountable support structure, A system comprising one or more processors operably coupled to memory, wherein the one or more processors are connected to the one or more processors To identify the current device state of the head-mountable device, The current device state is determined to be the first device state among a plurality of candidate device states, which include a plurality of candidate body-worn device states. The system is instructed to select a first operating mode corresponding to the first device state as the current operating mode. The current device state is determined to have changed from the first device state to the second device state among the multiple candidate device states. A system configured to execute an instruction to update the current operating mode to a second operating mode corresponding to the second device state. [Section 32] The system according to paragraph 31, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a face mounting state. [Section 33] The system according to paragraph 32, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state. [Section 34] The system according to paragraph 32 or 33, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state. [Section 35] The system according to any one of paragraphs 31 to 34, wherein the plurality of candidate device states include an additional set of candidate device states. [Section 36] The one or more processors, It is determined that the current device state has changed from the second device state to a third device state that does not correspond to any of the multiple candidate device states. The system according to any one of paragraphs 31 to 35, configured to execute an instruction to update the current operating mode to the default operating mode. [Section 37] The system according to any one of claims 31 to 36, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the orientation of the head-mountable device. [Section 38] The system according to any one of claims 31 to 37, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the current device configuration of the head-mountable device. [Section 39] The head-mountable device includes an eye-tracking device, The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using information from the eye-tracker. A system as described in any one of items 31 to 38. [Section 40] The head-mountable support structure is Frame and, The system according to any one of claims 31 to 39, comprising a set of temples connected to the frame.

Claims

1. A method for operating a head-mounted device, Identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device, In response to identifying that the current device state is one of several candidate body-wearing states, the operating mode corresponding to the body-wearing state is selected as the current operating mode. A method comprising operating the head-mountable device in accordance with the current operating mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a face mounting state.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the orientation of the head-mountable device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device includes determining the current device configuration of the head-mountable device.

7. The determination of the current device state of the head-mountable device, which has changed from the body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among the multiple candidate body-mounted states, The current operating mode is changed to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-wearing state, The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

8. Determining that the current device state of the head-mountable device has changed from the body-mounted state, The current operating mode is changed to a transitional operating mode, The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

9. Changing the current operating mode to the transition operating mode is The method according to claim 8, comprising changing the current operating mode to the transition operating mode in response to determining that a set of transition criteria has been met.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the set of transition criteria is selected based on the body wearing state.

11. A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors... Identifying the current device state of the head-mountable device, In response to identifying that the current device state is one of several candidate body-wearing states, the operating mode corresponding to the body-wearing state is selected as the current operating mode. A non-temporary computer-readable medium that causes an operation to be performed, including operating the head-mountable device in accordance with the current operating mode.

12. It is a system, It is equipped with a head-mountable device, and the head-mountable device is A head-mountable support structure, The system comprises one or more processors operably coupled to memory, wherein the one or more processors are connected to the one or more processors To identify the current device state of the head-mountable device, In response to identifying that the current device state is one of several candidate body-wearing states, the system selects the operating mode corresponding to the body-wearing state as the current operating mode. A system configured to execute commands to operate the head-mountable device in accordance with the current operating mode.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a face mounting state.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a forehead mounting state.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the multiple candidate body mounting states include a torso mounting state.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the orientation of the head-mountable device.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using the current device configuration of the head-mountable device.

18. The head-mountable device includes an eye-tracking device, The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions causing the one or more processors to identify the current device state of the head-mountable device using information from the eye-tracker. The system according to claim 12.

19. The one or more processors, The device determines that the current device state of the head-mountable device has changed from the body-mounted state to an additional body-mounted state among the multiple candidate body-mounted states. The system according to claim 12, configured to execute a command to change the current operating mode to a different operating mode corresponding to the additional body-wearing state.

20. The one or more processors, The current device state of the head-mountable device has been determined to have changed from the body-mounted state. The system according to claim 12, configured to execute an instruction to change the current operating mode to a transition operating mode.

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