Wearable Optical Display with Adjustable Transparency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted optical display devices either obscure the user's vision completely, providing an immersive but isolating experience, or fail to provide an immersive experience due to transparency, which limits their functionality in interacting with the environment.
Innovation Solution
A head-mountable optical display apparatus with a visor frame and adjustable transparency, incorporating image display devices, audio output, and on-board computing, allowing users to view personal media while maintaining awareness of their surroundings through a partially or fully transparent inner surface, and enabling interaction with the environment through video cameras and projectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the inner surface is made opaque to provide visual isolation and immersive experience, then the immersive experience is improved, but the user's awareness of surroundings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner surface transparency is made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the user to dynamically switch between opaque and transparent states based on their needs for immersion or environmental awareness
Solution Approach 2:
The optical property of the inner surface (transparency) is changed as a controllable parameter, enabling transition between different states to resolve the contradiction between immersion and awareness
2Loss of information
If the inner surface is made transparent to maintain awareness of surroundings, then the awareness of surroundings is improved, but the immersive experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable transparency allows the system to adapt dynamically between providing immersion and maintaining environmental awareness based on user needs
Solution Approach 2:
By making transparency a controllable parameter, the system can switch between states to provide either immersion or awareness as required
3Ease of operation
If the audio output device is integrated into the side arms to provide hands-free audio, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side arms serve multiple functions: structural support for the visor frame and integration of audio output devices, eliminating the need for separate audio components
Solution Approach 2:
The audio output devices are merged with the side arms, combining audio functionality with the existing structural elements to avoid adding separate components
Data Source
AI summary
A head-mountable optical display apparatus includes a visor frame and a first image display device. The visor frame includes an upper band, a lower band, an outer surface, and an inner surface. The upper band is configured to be proximate to a user's head. The lower band is configured to be distal to the user's head. The outer surface and the inner surface extend from the upper band to the lower band. The outer surface is configured to face away from the user's head. The inner surface extends is configured to face toward the user's head. At least a portion of the inner surface is transparent to the user. The first image display device is disposed along the lower band. The first image display device is configured to display optical images within line of sight of the user.