Elastic Facial Interface Structures for Virtual Reality Headset Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extended-reality headsets often have a fixed shape that does not accommodate different facial profiles, leading to discomfort and reduced immersive experience and stability for users.
Innovation Solution
A facial interface structure that elastically deforms to conform to varying facial profiles, featuring a front and rear portion connected by adjustable side supports, allowing the rear portion to bend and conform to the user's head shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed shape headset design is used, then manufacturing simplicity and cost are improved, but comfort and adaptability to different facial profiles deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The headset incorporates elastic components that allow the facial interface to dynamically deform and adapt to different facial profiles. The elastic deformation enables the same rigid headset structure to conform to various user faces, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the facial interface from a fixed rigid structure to an elastically deformable structure. This parameter change allows the interface to adjust its shape based on user facial profiles while maintaining a simple manufacturing process for the base structure.
2Device complexity
If a fixed shape headset design is used, then device complexity is reduced, but comfort and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic components introduce dynamic adaptability to the headset, allowing the facial interface to automatically adjust to user facial profiles. This dynamic behavior improves comfort without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, as the elastic deformation occurs passively upon donning the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic facial interface performs self-adjustment automatically when the user puts on the headset. The elastic deformation occurs without user intervention or complex control systems, providing comfort through self-service adaptation to individual facial shapes.
3Quantity of substance
If a fixed shape headset design is used, then production cost is reduced, but immersive experience and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic facial interface provides universal fit across different user facial profiles using a single headset design. This eliminates the need for multiple product variations while improving stability through personalized conforming to each user's face, resolving the contradiction between production cost and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs elastic deformation to change the effective shape parameter of the facial interface to match different user faces. This allows a single product design to serve multiple users effectively, reducing the quantity of products needed while maintaining high reliability and stability for each user.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides equal comfort for users with varying facial profiles, reducing the need for multiple product variations and enhancing the immersive experience and stability of extended-reality headsets.
Implementation Method 1
the rear portion is configured to elastically deform
Data Source
AI summary
An example, facial interface structure for an extended-reality headset comprises a front portion configured to couple with a head-facing portion of an extended-reality headset, and a rear portion configured to couple with a portion of the user's face, wherein the front portion is configured to move relative to the rear portion in response to a force applied by a strap around a head of a user. The example facial interface includes two side support structures coupling the front portion to the rear portion, where each of the side support structures is configured to be positioned on a different respective side of the user's face. In addition, movement of the front portion relative to the rear portion causes, via the two side support structures, the rear portion to deform to thereby conform the rear portion to a profile of a user's head.