Modular Head-Mounted Display Assembly for Fast Public Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted displays (HMDs) used in public settings, such as theme parks and movie theaters, face hygiene challenges due to their fragility and high cost, leading to time-consuming cleaning and reduced guest throughput.
Innovation Solution
A modular design with separable optical assemblies and support structures, where the support structures are inexpensive, rugged, and easily cleaned, while optical assemblies are shared among users, reducing the need for multiple devices and allowing efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If head-mounted displays are designed to be durable and expensive for long-term use, then reliability is improved, but cleaning time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The head-mounted display is divided into two separate components: a durable optical assembly and a disposable support structure. The optical assembly contains the expensive, fragile components that require protection, while the support structure is a simple, inexpensive housing that contacts the user. This segmentation allows the optical assembly to be reused indefinitely while the support structure can be quickly cleaned or replaced between uses, thereby maintaining reliability without sacrificing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The fragile and expensive optical components are extracted from the support structure and placed into a separate, protectable container. The support structure becomes merely a carrier that can be rapidly sanitized or discarded, while the optical assembly remains isolated and protected from contamination and damage, enabling continuous operation without lengthy cleaning procedures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If head-mounted displays are cleaned thoroughly between uses, then hygiene is improved, but cleaning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the optical assembly from the support structure, the hygiene-critical surfaces are isolated to the support structure only. This allows for rapid cleaning or replacement of the support structure without needing to disassemble or carefully clean the complex optical components, significantly reducing cleaning time while maintaining hygiene standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is designed as an inexpensive, disposable component that can be discarded after a single use or quickly sanitized. This eliminates the need for thorough, time-consuming cleaning procedures while ensuring hygiene, as each user receives a fresh or properly sanitized support structure. The expensive optical assembly never contacts the user directly, eliminating contamination risks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple head-mounted displays are maintained for public use, then availability is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the expensive optical assembly from the inexpensive support structure, allowing operators to maintain a large inventory of cheap support structures with only a few expensive optical assemblies. Multiple support structures can be used simultaneously with fewer optical assemblies, as each optical assembly can serve multiple users over time. This dramatically reduces inventory costs while maintaining high availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical assembly is designed as a universal component that can be coupled with multiple different support structures. A single optical assembly can serve many users sequentially by being paired with different disposable support structures, eliminating the need to maintain multiple identical complete head-mounted displays. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of expensive optical assemblies needed while maintaining device availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments described herein relate to head-mounted displays having an optical assembly and a support structure. The optical assembly can include the display, lenses, sensors, electronics and similar components. In this way, fragile and/or expensive components can be concentrated in the optical assembly. The support structure can include a faceplate and straps configured to hold the head-mounted display to the user's head. The optical assembly can be removably coupled to the support structure. Support structures can be interchangeable with optical assemblies such that one support structure can be configured to be removably coupled to all, most, or several optical assemblies.