US-12625386-B2 - Proportional frame deflection to maintain glasses display alignment

Abstract

Improved augmented reality smartglasses ensure alignment of displays in a head-mounted wearable device such as AR smartglasses by specifying a relationship between material properties of the frame at the shoulder and nose bridge. For example, such a material relationship may be a rigidity and/or stiffness characteristic. In some implementations, the specified relationship is that a difference between the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness is less than a tolerance (e.g., 5%, 1%, or less than 1%).

Inventors

• Daniel Adema
• Timothy Paul Bodiya

Assignees

• GOOGLE LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230407

Claims (10)

1. 1 . A head-mounted wearable device, including: a left display and a right display; a frame worn by a user, including: a left rim portion in which the left display is mounted; a right rim portion in which the right display is mounted; a nose bridge joining the left rim portion and the right rim portion, the nose bridge being formed of a first material having a first bending stiffness; a left arm portion forming a left shoulder with the left rim portion; and a right arm portion forming a right shoulder with the right rim portion, each of the left shoulder and right shoulder being formed of a second material having a second bending stiffness, the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness satisfying a specified relationship.
2. 2 . The head-mounted wearable device as in claim 1 , wherein the specified relationship is that a difference between the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness is less than a tolerance.
3. 3 . A method, comprising: in a frame of a head-mounted wearable device that includes a left display and a right display: mounting the left display on a left rim portion of the frame; mounting the right display on a right rim portion of the frame; joining the left rim portion and the right rim portion with a nose bridge, the nose bridge being formed of a first material having a first bending stiffness; forming a left shoulder with the left rim portion and a left arm portion of the frame; and forming a right shoulder with the right rim portion and a right arm portion of the frame, each of the left shoulder and right shoulder being formed of a second material having a second bending stiffness, the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness satisfying a specified relationship.
4. 4 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein the specified relationship is that a difference between the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness is less than a tolerance.
5. 5 . The head-mounted wearable device as in claim 2 , wherein the tolerance is based on the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness.
6. 6 . The head-mounted wearable device as in claim 5 , wherein the tolerance is based on an average of the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness.
7. 7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the head-mounted wearable device includes a pair of augmented reality glasses.
8. 8 . The method as in claim 4 , wherein the tolerance is based on the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness.
9. 9 . The method as in claim 8 , wherein the tolerance is based on an average of the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness.
10. 10 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein the head-mounted wearable device includes a pair of augmented reality glasses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/362,647, filed on Apr. 7, 2022, entitled “PROPORTIONAL FRAME DEFLECTION TO MAINTAIN GLASSES DISPLAY ALIGNMENT”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD This description relates in general to head mounted wearable devices, and in particular, to head mounted wearable computing devices including a display device. BACKGROUND Eyewear in the form of glasses may be worn by a user to, for example, provide for vision correction, inhibit sun/glare, provide a measure of safety, and the like. These types of eyewear are typically somewhat flexible and/or deformable, so that the eyewear can be manipulated to comfortably fit the user. An ophthalmic technician can typically manipulate rim portions and/or temple arm portions of a frame of the eyewear, for example, through cold working the frame and/or heating and re-working the frame, to adjust the eyewear for a particular user. In some situations, this re-working of the frame may occur over time, through continued use/wearing of the eyewear by the user. Manipulation in this manner, due to the flexible and/or deformable nature of the material of the frame and/or lenses of the eyewear, may provide a comfortable fit while still maintaining ophthalmic alignment between the eyewear and the user. In a situation in which the eyewear is a head mounted computing device including a display, such as, for example, smartglasses, this type of flexibility/deformation in the frame may cause inconsistent alignment or the display, or misalignment of the display. Inconsistent alignment, or misalignment of the display can cause visual discomfort, particularly in the case of a binocular display. A frame having rigid/non-flexible components, while still providing some level of flexibility in certain portions of the frame, may maintain alignment of the display, and may be effective in housing electronic components of such a head mounted computing device including a display. SUMMARY In one general aspect, a head-mounted wearable device includes a left display and a right display. The head-mounted wearable device also includes a frame worn by a user. The frame includes a left rim portion in which the left display is mounted and a right rim portion in which the right display is mounted. The frame also includes a nose bridge joining the left rim portion and the right rim portion, the nose bridge being formed of a first material having a first bending stiffness. The frame further includes a left arm portion forming a left shoulder with the left rim portion, and a right arm portion forming a right shoulder with the right rim portion, each of the left shoulder and right shoulder being formed of a second material having a second bending stiffness, the first bending stiffness and the second bending stiffness substantially satisfying a specified relationship. The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A illustrates an example system, in accordance with implementations described herein. FIG. 1B is a front view, FIG. 1C is a rear view, and FIG. 1D is a perspective view, of the example head mounted wearable device shown in FIG. 1A, in accordance with implementations described herein. FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate an example bending of a frame of a wearable device. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an example improved system using a partial retroreflector, in accordance with implementations described herein. FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of aligning displays in a wearable device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION This disclosure relates to mechanisms for eyewear in augmented or mixed reality (AR/MR) that maintain alignment of the displays in the presence of frame deflections. For example, ophthalmic glasses frames should have some compliance or flexibility for the comfort of the wearer. Such glasses are typically somewhat flexible and/or deformable so that the glasses can be manipulated to adapt to a particular head size and/or shape, a particular arrangement of features, a preferred pose of the glasses on the face, and the like, associated with a user to provide a comfortable fit for the user. Along these lines, a frame of the eyewear can be deformed by, for example, heating and re-forming plastic frames, or bending/flexing frames made of other materials. Thus, flexible or deformable characteristics of the material of the frame of the eyewear may allow the eyewear to be customized to fit a particular user, while still maintaining the functionality of the eyewear. A technical problem with allowing such flexibility in the frame is that such flexibility may cause misalignment between left and right images, which may provide confusion and disco