Wearable Display Glasses Using Active Optical Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional VR and AR display devices, such as head-mounted goggles, are bulky and heavy, limiting user comfort and functionality, as they cannot be easily used for other tasks while wearing them.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight wearable display device designed as a pair of glasses with a minimal number of parts, using an active optical cable to connect a portable enclosure containing necessary circuits, allowing for a smaller footprint, enhanced performance, and easier manufacturing, while enabling users to see through integrated lenses or light waveguides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional head-mounted goggles are used for VR/AR display, then display function is achieved, but weight and bulkiness increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is divided into two separate parts: a lightweight glasses frame containing only optical components (lenses, waveguides) and a remote portable enclosure containing all electronic components (microdisplay, processor, power supply). This segmentation allows the wearable portion to be extremely light while the heavy components are placed in a portable case that can be carried separately or attached to clothing.
Solution Approach 2:
All heavy electronic components (microdisplay, processing unit, power supply, memory) are extracted from the glasses frame and placed in a separate portable enclosure. Only the essential optical components remain in the glasses, reducing the weight of the wearable device to a fraction of conventional head-mounted displays.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional head-mounted goggles are used, then VR/AR content can be displayed, but user cannot perform other tasks simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The glasses frame with integrated lenses and waveguides can be used for multiple purposes: viewing VR/AR content when the enclosure is connected, and normal vision when disconnected. The portable enclosure can function as a computing device independent of the glasses, allowing users to perform tasks on the enclosure while wearing the lightweight glasses for other activities.
3Reliability
If more components are integrated into the glasses for VR/AR display, then display performance improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a simple glasses frame (easy to manufacture) and a separate portable enclosure (containing complex components). This allows the glasses to be manufactured using conventional eyewear processes while the complex electronics are manufactured separately and connected via a simple interface.
Solution Approach 2:
A simple mechanical or magnetic connector serves as an intermediary between the glasses frame and the portable enclosure. This intermediary allows high-performance components to be easily attached and detached without complex integration, simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining display performance.
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
The solution provides a comfortable, versatile, and cost-effective way to display VR and AR content, allowing users to perform other tasks while wearing the device, with improved manufacturing efficiency and reduced weight compared to traditional head-mounted displays.
Implementation Method 1
The content along with control signals (including instruction data) is optically transported by the active optical cable all the way through a temple to a microdisplay embedded and deposed near one end of the temple of the glasses
Implementation Method 2
Optical images produced by the microdisplay are captured and projected into an integrated lens or an added light waveguide on a lens for displaying the optical images before the eyes of a wearer
Implementation Method 3
each of the lenses includes an optical waveguide that propagates an optical image being projected onto one end of the waveguide to another end with an optical path that a user can see the optical image
Implementation Method 4
a focusing mechanism (controllable one or more lenses) is provided to capture the optical images and projects these images into the integrated lens or the added light waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
Architecture and designs of wearable devices for displaying images or videos are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses and includes a minimum number of parts to reduce the complexity and weight thereof. Image data along with control signals (including instruction data) is optically transported by an active optical cable all the way through a temple to a microdisplay embedded and deposed near one end of the temple of the glasses. Optical images produced by the microdisplay are captured and projected into an integrated lens or an added light waveguide on a lens for displaying the optical images before the eyes of a wearer.