U.S. patent application number 16/809470 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-17 for air deflector for cooling system in a head-mounted device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Phil M. HOBSON, Ivan S. MARIC, Jan K. QUIJALVO, Sivesh SELVAKUMAR, Aidan N. ZIMMERMAN.
Application Number | 20210185855 16/809470 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004734032 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210185855 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MARIC; Ivan S. ; et
al. |
June 17, 2021 |
AIR DEFLECTOR FOR COOLING SYSTEM IN A HEAD-MOUNTED DEVICE
Abstract
A head-mounted device includes a housing configured to be worn
on a head of a user. The housing includes an inlet port and an
outlet port. An air circulation device is mounted to the housing
and configured to produce a flow of air through an air flow path in
the housing that extends from the inlet port to the outlet port. A
display assembly is mounted to the housing and has a surface in the
air flow path of the housing. An air deflector mounted to the
surface of the display assembly and configured to reduce a
turbulence of the flow of air through the air flow path.
Inventors: |
MARIC; Ivan S.; (Sunnyvale,
CA) ; HOBSON; Phil M.; (Menlo Park, CA) ;
QUIJALVO; Jan K.; (Santa Clara, CA) ; ZIMMERMAN;
Aidan N.; (Sunnyvale, CA) ; SELVAKUMAR; Sivesh;
(San Francisco, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004734032 |
Appl. No.: |
16/809470 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62836290 |
Apr 19, 2019 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1656 20130101;
G06F 1/1637 20130101; G06F 1/203 20130101; H05K 7/20145 20130101;
G06F 1/163 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H05K 7/20 20060101
H05K007/20; G06F 1/20 20060101 G06F001/20; G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16 |
Claims
1. A head-mounted device comprising: a housing configured to be
worn on a head of a user, the housing comprising an inlet port and
an outlet port; an air circulation device mounted to the housing
and configured to produce a flow of air through an air flow path in
the housing that extends from the inlet port to the outlet port; a
display assembly mounted to the housing and having a surface in the
air flow path of the housing; and an air deflector mounted to the
surface of the display assembly and configured to reduce a
turbulence of the flow of air through the air flow path.
2. The head-mounted device of claim 1, wherein the air deflector is
movably mounted to the surface of the display assembly.
3. The head-mounted device of claim 1, wherein the display assembly
is one of a pair of display assemblies spaced apart from each other
by an adjustable distance, and wherein the head-mounted device
further comprises an actuator configured to adjust an angle of the
air deflector based on changes to the adjustable distance.
4. The head-mounted device of claim 1, wherein the air circulation
device comprises a fan configured to draw air into the housing
through the inlet port and urge air out of the housing through the
outlet port.
5. The head-mounted device of claim 1, wherein the display assembly
comprises: a display layer having a front side and a back side; an
optical element positioned in front of the front side of the
display layer; and a heat sink positioned behind the back side of
the display layer and in the air flow path of the housing, the heat
sink being coupled to the back side of the display layer via a
thermally conductive interface.
6. The head-mounted device of claim 5, wherein the display assembly
further comprises: a circuit board positioned behind the back side
of the display layer; and an electronic component mounted to the
circuit board, wherein the air deflector is mounted to the circuit
board and extends at least partially over the electronic
component.
7. The head-mounted device of claim 1, further comprising: an
electronic component mounted to the surface of the display assembly
in the air flow path of the housing, wherein the air deflector is
configured to shield the electronic component from the flow of
air.
8. The head-mounted device of claim 7, further comprising: a
thermally conductive material coupled between the electronic
component and the air deflector, wherein the thermally conductive
material is configured to transfer heat from the electronic
component to the flow of air via the air deflector.
9. The head-mounted device of claim 8, further comprising: a
plurality of fins on a surface of the air deflector, the plurality
of fins being configured to increase a surface area of the air
deflector that is contacted by the flow of air.
10. The head-mounted device of claim 1, wherein the air flow path
is configured to extend across a face of the user.
11. A head-mounted device comprising: a housing; a component
mounted within the housing; a fan configured to produce a stream of
air directed towards a surface of the component at a first angle
relative to the surface of the component; and an air deflector
mounted within the housing to deflect the stream of air away from
incidence onto the surface of the component, the air deflector
having a surface configured to receive the stream of air and
oriented at a second angle relative to the stream of air that is
less than the first angle.
12. The head-mounted device of claim 11, further comprising: a
display assembly having a surface within the housing, wherein the
component is an electronic component mounted to the surface of the
display assembly, and wherein the air deflector is mounted to the
surface of the display assembly so that the surface of the air
deflector forms an obtuse angle with respect to the surface of the
display assembly.
13. The head-mounted device of claim 11, wherein the component and
the air deflector are mounted to a common surface within the
housing, and wherein the surface of the air deflector forms an
obtuse angle with respect to the common surface.
14. The head-mounted device of claim 11, further comprising: a
piezo electric actuator coupled to the air deflector and operable
to rotate the air deflector to adjust the second angle.
15. The head-mounted device of claim 11, wherein: the component is
an electronic component that generates heat; and the air deflector
includes a heat sink thermally coupled to the electronic component
via a thermally conductive material.
16. The head-mounted device of claim 11, wherein the air deflector
is a dedicated wall structure.
17. A head-mounted device comprising: a housing having an interior
space; a display assembly movably mounted in the interior space;
and an air deflector movably attached to a surface of the display
assembly.
18. The head-mounted device of claim 17, wherein: the display
assembly is one of a pair of display assemblies separated from each
other by a distance that is adjustable based on movement of the
display assembly; and the air deflector is configured to move
relative to the display assembly based on the movement of the
display assembly.
19. The head-mounted device of claim 17, wherein the air deflector
is pivotally attached to the surface of the display assembly.
20. The head-mounted device of claim 19, further comprising: an
actuator coupled to the air deflector and configured to rotate the
air deflector relative to the display assembly upon movement of the
display assembly.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/836,290, entitled "AIR DEFLECTOR FOR A COOLING
SYSTEM IN A HEAD-MOUNTED DEVICE," filed Apr. 19, 2019, the entirety
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The described embodiments relate generally to cooling
systems, and more particularly, to an air deflector for a cooling
system in a head-mounted device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A head-mounted device can be worn by a user to display
visual information within the field of view of the user. The
head-mounted device can be used as a virtual reality (VR) system,
an augmented reality (AR) system, and/or a mixed reality (MR)
system. A user may observe outputs provided by the head-mounted
device, such as visual information provided on a display. The
display can optionally allow a user to observe an environment
outside of the head-mounted device. Other outputs provided by the
head-mounted device can include speaker output and/or haptic
feedback. A user may further interact with the head-mounted device
by providing inputs for processing by one or more components of the
head-mounted device. For example, the user can provide tactile
inputs, voice commands, and other inputs while the device is
mounted to the user's head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in
the appended claims. However, for purpose of explanation, several
embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the
following figures.
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example of a
head-mounted device.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of an example of a
head-mounted device.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an example of a cooling
system.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of an example of a cooling
system having an air deflector.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of an example of a cooling
system having an air deflector.
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of an example of a cooling
system having an air deflector.
[0011] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of an example of air flow in
a cooling system.
[0012] FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of an example of air flow in
a cooling system.
[0013] FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a
head-mounted device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a
description of various configurations of the subject technology and
is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the
subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are
incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed
description. The detailed description includes specific details for
the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject
technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled
in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the
specific details set forth herein and may be practiced without
these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures
and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid
obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.
[0015] Head-mounted devices are an attractive technology for
providing an immersive user experience. For example, head-mounted
devices are gaining increased popularity for providing VR, AR, and
MR experiences for applications such as gaming, movies, or
simulations for professional training, among other potential
applications.
[0016] Head-mounted devices can employ a wearable device housing
that is secured to a user's head, and various electronic components
within the housing, such as displays, integrated circuits, memory,
audio devices, or electronic circuitry. As with other electronic
devices, head-mounted devices can employ a cooling system based on
circulation of air to maintain electronic components at desirable
operating temperatures. The cooling system can also be used to cool
the user's face from heat build-up inside the head-mounted
device.
[0017] Maintaining efficient operation without unduly detracting
from the user experience is a challenging task for head-mounted
devices. The shape of the head-mounted device or layout of internal
components can lead to a tortuous flow path for the cooling system.
The proximity of the air flow path to the user's head can create
undesired effects that detract from the user experience, such as
excessive noise that interferes with the audio of the device in a
noticeable manner. Some head-mounted devices may employ movable
components that can interrupt the air flow path, such as adjustable
optics that can be moved to account for a given user's
interpupillary distance (IPD). IPD is defined as the distance
between the centers of the pupils of a user's eyes. This
adjustability can in turn make it difficult to design a cooling
system in a given device that is suitable for different users.
[0018] According to some embodiments disclosed herein, a cooling
system for a head-mounted device may employ an air deflector
designed to affect a flow of air within the head-mounted device.
The air deflector may be positioned in an air flow path extending
through the housing of the head-mounted device, and can be designed
to reduce the turbulence of air in the cooling system. For example,
the air deflector can be positioned between a surface of an
internal component and an incoming stream of air, at a reduced
angle relative to the surface of the internal component so as to
create smooth or more laminar flow over or across the component.
The air deflector can be mounted to a movable component, such as an
adjustable display assembly, so as to affect the flow of air as the
moveable component is adjusted for particular users in a manner
that results in a partial occlusion of the air flow path by the
movable component. The air deflector can be configured to pivot or
otherwise move to account for changes in the incident angle of air
resulting from changes in the position of movable components. The
air deflector can include or be coupled to additional thermal
structures to enhance heat transfer affects resulting from the flow
of air over the air deflector. For example, the air deflector can
include an integrated heat sink and/or be coupled to
heat-generating components via a thermally conductive interface
material to enhance dissipation of heat from such components.
[0019] These and other embodiments are discussed below with
reference to FIGS. 1-9. However, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with
respect to these Figures is for explanatory purposes only and
should not be construed as limiting.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a head-mounted device 100
secured to a head 20 of a user 10. As seen in FIG. 1, the
head-mounted device 100 can include a housing 110 that is securable
to the user's head 20 via a securement element 150. The securement
element 150 can include a band, a strap, a rim, temples of a
glasses frame, or any other suitable mechanism that serves to
secure and retain the housing 110 on the head 20 of the user 10.
The securement element 150 can be an integral part of the housing
110 or be implemented as a separate component attached thereto. The
housing 110 can further include or be coupled to one or more nose
pads that serve to rest the housing 110 on the nose of the user
10.
[0021] The housing 110 can enclose and support various functional
components therein, such as integrated circuits, memory devices,
processors, electronic circuitry, input/output devices, or other
electronic components. In FIG. 1, housing 110 is shown as
containing a display 120, a controller 130, and an air circulation
device 140 therein. The display 120 can be positioned in front of
the eyes of the user 10 to provide information within the user's
field of view. The air circulation device 140 can urge air through
the housing 110 and over components such as the display 120 to cool
such components. The controller 130 can be configured to control
operation of one or more components, such as the display 120 and/or
air circulation device 140.
[0022] The display 120 can transmit light from a physical
environment for viewing by the user 10. For example, the display
120 can include optical elements, such as lenses for vision
correction. The display 120 can be configured to present
information in addition to (e.g., overlaid with) the physical
environment viewed by the user. Alternatively, the display 120 can
be configured to provide information to the exclusion of the
physical environment. In either case, the display 120 can be
configured to present graphics to, for example, present a
computer-generated reality environment to the user 10.
[0023] A physical environment refers to a physical world that
people can sense and/or interact with without aid of electronic
systems. Physical environments, such as a physical park, include
physical articles, such as physical trees, physical buildings, and
physical people. People can directly sense and/or interact with the
physical environment, such as through sight, touch, hearing, taste,
and smell.
[0024] In contrast, a computer-generated reality (CGR) environment
refers to a wholly or partially simulated environment that people
sense and/or interact with via an electronic system. In CGR, a
subset of a person's physical motions, or representations thereof,
are tracked, and, in response, one or more characteristics of one
or more virtual objects simulated in the CGR environment are
adjusted in a manner that comports with at least one law of
physics. For example, a CGR system may detect a person's head
turning and, in response, adjust graphical content and an acoustic
field presented to the person in a manner similar to how such views
and sounds would change in a physical environment. In some
situations, (e.g., for accessibility reasons), adjustments to
characteristic(s) of virtual object(s) in a CGR environment may be
made in response to representations of physical motions (e.g.,
vocal commands).
[0025] A person may sense and/or interact with a CGR object using
any one of their senses, including sight, sound, touch, taste, and
smell. For example, a person may sense and/or interact with audio
objects that create 3D or spatial audio environment that provides
the perception of point audio sources in 3D space. In another
example, audio objects may enable audio transparency, which
selectively incorporates ambient sounds from the physical
environment with or without computer-generated audio. In some CGR
environments, a person may sense and/or interact only with audio
objects.
[0026] Examples of CGR include virtual reality and mixed
reality.
[0027] A virtual reality (VR) environment refers to a simulated
environment that is designed to be based entirely on
computer-generated sensory inputs for one or more senses. A VR
environment comprises a plurality of virtual objects with which a
person may sense and/or interact. For example, computer-generated
imagery of trees, buildings, and avatars representing people are
examples of virtual objects. A person may sense and/or interact
with virtual objects in the VR environment through a simulation of
the person's presence within the computer-generated environment,
and/or through a simulation of a subset of the person's physical
movements within the computer-generated environment.
[0028] In contrast to a VR environment, which is designed to be
based entirely on computer-generated sensory inputs, a mixed
reality (MR) environment refers to a simulated environment that is
designed to incorporate sensory inputs from the physical
environment, or a representation thereof, in addition to including
computer-generated sensory inputs (e.g., virtual objects). On a
virtuality continuum, a mixed reality environment is anywhere
between, but not including, a wholly physical environment at one
end and virtual reality environment at the other end.
[0029] In some MR environments, computer-generated sensory inputs
may respond to changes in sensory inputs from the physical
environment. Also, some electronic systems for presenting an MR
environment may track location and/or orientation with respect to
the physical environment to enable virtual objects to interact with
real objects (that is, physical articles from the physical
environment or representations thereof). For example, a system may
account for movements so that a virtual tree appears stationery
with respect to the physical ground.
[0030] Different forms of head-mounted devices that enable a person
to sense and/or interact with various CGR environments. Examples
include smart glasses, helmets, visors, or goggles. A head-mounted
device may have one or more speaker(s) and an integrated opaque
display. Alternatively, a head-mounted system may be configured to
accept an external opaque display (e.g., a smartphone). The
head-mounted device may incorporate one or more imaging sensors to
capture images or video of the physical environment, and/or one or
more microphones to capture audio of the physical environment.
Rather than an opaque display, a head-mounted device may have a
transparent or translucent display. The transparent or translucent
display may have a medium through which light representative of
images is directed to a person's eyes. The display may utilize
digital light projection, OLEDs, LEDs, uLEDs, liquid crystal on
silicon, laser scanning light source, or any combination of these
technologies. The medium may be an optical waveguide, a hologram
medium, an optical combiner, an optical reflector, or any
combination thereof. In one embodiment, the transparent or
translucent display may be configured to become opaque selectively.
Projection-based systems may employ retinal projection technology
that projects graphical images onto a person's retina. Projection
systems also may be configured to project virtual objects into the
physical environment, for example, as a hologram or on a physical
surface.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows an example of the head-mounted device 100 in
front view. As seen in FIG. 2, the display 120 (FIG. 1) can include
a first display assembly 121a and a second display assembly 121b,
which collectively form a pair of display assemblies corresponding
to the two eyes of a user. Each of the display assemblies may
include any appropriate combination of electronic and optical
elements to present graphical information to the user. For example,
each display assembly may include a display layer having an array
of electronically controlled pixels that can provide a visual
output. The display assembly may further include optical elements,
such as lenses, mirrors, etc., and/or a gaze tracking device, to
facilitate generation of an enhanced computer generated reality
that is responsive to a gaze and/or pose of the user.
[0032] The pair of display assemblies can be mounted to the housing
110 and separated by a distance 215. The distance 215 between the
pair of display assemblies can designed to correspond to the IPD of
a user. The distance 215 can be adjustable to account for different
IPDs of different users that may wear the head-mounted device 100.
For example, either or both of the display assemblies may be
movably mounted to the housing 110 to permit the display assemblies
to move or translate laterally to make the distance 215 larger or
smaller. Any type of manual or automatic mechanism may be used to
permit the distance 215 between the display assemblies to be an
adjustable distance. For example, the display assemblies can be
mounted to the housing via slidable tracks or guides that permit
manual or electronically actuated movement of one or more of the
display assemblies to adjust the distance 215.
[0033] As seen in FIG. 2, the air circulation device 140 can be
positioned in or otherwise mounted to the housing 110 so as to urge
a flow of air through an interior space 225 of the housing 110. The
housing 110 can include a port that permits fluid communication
between the interior space 225 and an environment external to the
housing 110, to create a flow path of air in the housing 110. In
FIG. 2, the housing is shown with a pair of inlet ports 240 at a
bottom side thereof, and an outlet port 250 at a top side thereof,
which creates air flow paths 275 extending from the inlet ports 240
to the outlet port 250. Each of the ports can include a vent,
screen, hole, porous membrane, and/or other fluidic opening that
permits fluid communication thereacross. However, it is
contemplated that the housing 110 can generally include any
suitable number inlet ports and outlet ports in any suitable
locations with respect to the housing to permit a flow of air
therein. The air circulation device 140 can be implemented as a fan
that is configured to draw air into the inlet port(s) 240 and urge
air out of the outlet port 250. However, any suitable number of
fans or other air circulation devices can be included to urge
movement of air.
[0034] The air flow path 275 can extend over or across components
such as heat-generating electronic components mounted within the
housing. For example, the pair of display assemblies may include
heat-generating display layers, and the air circulation device 140
may be configured to generate a flow of air so that the air flow
path 275 extends over each of the display assemblies 121a and 121b
to cool the heat-generating layers by dissipating heat therefrom.
Alternatively, or in combination, the air circulation device 140
may be configured to circulate air over other electronic
components, such as integrated circuit chips, other input/output
devices, or the like, or across the user's face.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows an example of a display assembly 121, and an
air flow path 275 extending over surfaces of the display assembly.
The display assembly 121 can be one of a pair of display assemblies
like in the example shown in FIG. 2, where each of the first and
second display assemblies 121a and 121b can be configured similarly
to the display assembly 121. As seen in FIG. 3, the display
assembly 121 can include a display layer 314, a heat sink 342, a
circuit board 370, one or more components 386 on the circuit board,
and an enclosure 393 that serves to enclose and support the
foregoing components.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the display assembly 121 can have a
front side for viewing images and a back side opposite the front
side. The display layer 314 can include operative components of the
display that form images capable of being viewed by the user from
the front side thereof. The display layer 314 can, for example,
include any suitable operational display panel having an array of
electronically controlled pixels that can provide a visual output,
such as an OLED, uLED, or LCD panel. The display assembly 121 can
further include other optional components, which can support
specialized display functions for providing an immersive
head-mounted display. For example, the display assembly 121 can
include as gaze-tracking devices or eye trackers (e.g., positioned
beside the display layer 314), and/or optics (e.g., positioned in
front of the display layer). The optics can be configured to help
optically adjust and correctly project the image based content
being displayed by the display layer 314 for close up viewing. The
optics can include one or more lenses, mirrors, or other optical
elements.
[0037] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the air flow path 275 passes
over the display assembly 121 across a back side thereof, so as to
dissipate heat generated from the display layer 314 through the
back side. To facilitate dissipation of heat, a heat sink 342 can
be positioned behind the back side of the display layer 314. The
heat sink 342 can include a plurality of fins 377 positioned in the
air flow path 275 so as to increase a surface area of the back
surface that is exposed to the flow of air. The heat sink 342 can
be thermally coupled to the back side or back surface of the
display layer 314 via a thermal interface 361, such as a thermally
conductive adhesive or other appropriate thermally conductive
material, to enhance heat transfer (e.g., conduction) from the
display layer through the heat sink and to the stream of air.
[0038] As seen in FIG. 3, the display assembly 121 can further
include other structures, such as a circuit board 370 (e.g., a
flexible or rigid printed circuit board) on the back side of the
display assembly. The circuit board 370 can have one or more
components 386 mounted thereon. The components 386 can be, for
example, passive or active electronic components surface mounted to
the circuit board 370, such as integrated circuit chips, resistors,
capacitors, or other structures that can protrude from the surface
of the circuit board 370.
[0039] The component(s) 386, and/or or other structures of the
display assembly, can partially impede or obstruct the free flow of
air and have a tendency to increase a turbulence of the air in the
flow path. For example, FIG. 3 shows an example in which increased
impedance caused by the presence of components 386 causes more
turbulent flow, which can degrade the efficiency or user experience
as described above.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows another example of the display assembly 121.
The example shown in FIG. 4 employs a similar structure to FIG. 3,
but additionally includes an air deflector 400 positioned in the
air flow path 275. The air deflector 400 is a structure that can be
mounted to surfaces within the head-mounted device to reduce a
turbulence of air passing through the head-mounted device and
across the air deflector. The air deflector 400 can have a surface
designed to create less turbulent, more laminar flow for air that
is incident on the surface. For example, the air deflector 400 can
provide a smoother surface or lower angle with respect to an
incoming stream of air generated by the air circulation device 140
(e.g., FIG. 2), compared to structures in the head-mounted device
that the incoming stream of air would otherwise contact if the air
deflector were not present. The air deflector 400 can be a rigid
component made of any appropriate material, such as plastic,
ceramic, or metal. In some embodiments, the air deflector 400 can
be configured as a dedicated wall structure that is mounted to
internal structures or inserted into an interior space of the
housing solely to affect the properties of the flow of air incident
through the interior space, without providing other mechanical or
electrical functions.
[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the air deflector 400 is
mounted to the back side of the display assembly 121. The air
deflector 400 is mounted on and attached to the circuit board 370,
and extends at least partially over the component(s) 386 so as to
at least partially shield the components 386 from the incoming air
in the air flow path 275. The air deflector 400 can, for example,
be positioned down-stream from the heat sink 342 with respect to
the air flow path 275. Compared to the surfaces of the components
386 in the absence of the air deflector 400, the surface of the air
deflector that is in the flow path and positioned to receive an
incident stream of air can have a smoother surface with fewer bends
or steps. Accordingly, the air deflector 400 can be configured to
make the air flow path 275 less tortuous.
[0042] Although the air deflector 400 is shown mounted to the
circuit board 370 on the back side of the display assembly 121, it
is contemplated that the air deflector 400 can be mounted in any
other desired location within the housing of the head-mounted
device in which reduced turbulence is desired. For example, the air
deflector 400 can be mounted to the heat-sink or another surface on
the back side of the display assembly 121, another non-back side
surface of the display assembly, or another internal component
within the housing of the head-mounted device.
[0043] FIG. 5 illustrates another example of the air deflector 400.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the air deflector 400 is configured
similar to the example shown in FIG. 4, but also includes an
integral heat sink so that the air deflector 400 can further
dissipate heat from the components 386 that are shielded by the air
deflector 400, where such components can be heat-generating
electronic components. The surface of the air deflector 400 that
receives the incident air can include multiple fins 477, which
increase a surface area of the surface receiving incident air. To
maintain sufficiently laminar flow, the fins 477 can, for example,
be configured as longitudinal fins that extend in the direction of
air flow, or as a series of aligned pins that are arranged in rows
extending along the direction of air flow, among other possible
structural arrangements. To facilitate heat transfer, the air
deflector 400 can be made of a material having a sufficiently high
thermal conductivity, such as copper or aluminum. The air deflector
400 can be coupled to one or several of the components 386. To
further enhance the ability of the air deflector 400 to dissipate
heat, the air deflector 400 can be thermally coupled to such
components via a thermally conductive interface 461, such as a
conductive adhesive or other appropriate thermally conductive
material.
[0044] FIG. 6 illustrates another example of the air deflector 400.
The air deflector 400 as shown in FIG. 6 can be configured similar
to the examples of FIG. 4 or 5, except that in FIG. 6, the air
deflector 400 is movably mounted to a surface (in this case, a
surface of the circuit board 370), rather than non-movably or
fixedly mounted to the surface like in the previous examples. The
movable mounting can permit the air deflector 400 to have an
adjustable angle with respect to the incoming stream of air in the
air flow path 275. This can be useful to, for example, allow the
adjustable angle to be optimized for reduced turbulence in various
positions of the air deflector when the position of the air
deflector with respect to the flow path or housing is otherwise
moved. When the air deflector 400 is mounted to a display assembly
that is movable adjust the distance 215 (e.g., FIG. 2), the air
deflector 400 can be configured to compensate for its changed
position by also moving with respect to the display assembly. For
example, the air deflector 400 can be configured to move or rotate
relative to the display assembly in response to or otherwise in
accordance with movement of the display assembly relative to the
housing. The movement of the air deflector 400 can be achieved
using, for example, a piezo electric actuator or other actuator,
and/or a mechanical linkage that synchronizes movement of the
display assembly to rotation of the air deflector 400. In the
example shown in FIG. 6, the air deflector 400 is pivotally mounted
to the surface of the display assembly 121. The actuator can be
configured to rotate the air deflector 400 about pivot point 603,
based on movement of the display assembly 121 relative to the
housing or based on changes to the distance 215 between the pair of
display assemblies, so as to adjust an angle of incidence of air
onto the surface of the air deflector 400 to account for a new
position of the air deflector with respect to the flow path
extending through the housing.
[0045] FIGS. 7-8 show an example of how an air deflector 400 can
reduce turbulence of air in a head-mounted device. FIGS. 7-8 show
examples of arrangement without and with an air deflector,
respectively.
[0046] FIG. 7 shows an arrangement having a component 386 mounted
in a flow path and positioned to receive an incoming stream 735 of
air in the flow path (e.g., similar to FIG. 3). The component 386
has a surface 759 positioned in the flow path to receive the
incoming stream 735 of air thereon. The incoming stream 735 is
incident on the surface 759, and forms an angle .theta. with
respect to the surface 759. In this example, the angle .theta.
between the incoming stream 735 and the surface of the component
386 is approximately 90 degrees. Stated another way, the angle of
incidence of the incoming stream 735 is approximately zero, wherein
the angle of incidence is defined by the angle between the incoming
stream and the normal to the incident surface. The large angle
between the incoming stream and the incidence surface, or
equivalently the low incident angle, causes a dramatic change in
the current of air that tends to create turbulent patterns as the
incoming stream impinges on the component, and then continues to
flow along a tortuous flow path around the component 386.
[0047] FIG. 8 shows an identical arrangement to FIG. 7, except that
air deflector 400 is mounted in the flow path to deflect, at least
partially, the incoming stream 735 of air away from incidence onto
the surface 759 of the component 386 (e.g., similar to FIG. 4). The
incoming stream 735 is directed towards the surface 759 of the
component 386 at the same angle .theta. as shown in FIG. 7. This is
represented in FIG. 8 by the dashed arrow, which illustrates what
the path of the incoming stream 735 would be if the air deflector
400 were not present. However, due to the presence of air deflector
400, the incoming stream 735 is wholly or partially deflected away
from incidence onto the surface 759 of the component 386. The air
deflector 400 has a surface 859 positioned in the flow path to
receive the incoming stream 735 of air thereon, and the surface 859
of the air deflector 400 forms an angle .phi. relative to the
incoming stream 735 that is less than the angle .theta.. Stated
another way, the angle of incidence of the incoming stream 735 onto
the surface 859 of the air deflector is greater than what the angle
of incidence onto the surface 759 of the component 386 would be if
the air deflector were not present. As a result of such
configuration, the air that further propagates downstream after
incidence onto the air deflector 400 is deflected to a less drastic
degree compared to if the air deflector 400 were not present and
the air were to be incident unobstructed onto the component 386. As
a result, the air follows a less tortuous flow path, which can
beneficially reduce noise within the device for a given flow
velocity and/or improve efficiency of the cooling system.
[0048] The air deflector 400 can be configured as any suitable wall
structure that forms the desired, turbulence-reducing angle, with
respect to the incoming stream 735 of air. Although the wall is
shown in FIG. 8 as having a straight geometry, in various
embodiments the wall can, for example, have a straight, a bent, or
curved geometry. As shown in FIG. 8, the air deflector 400 and the
component 386 can both be mounted to the same common surface 801,
which can be, for example, any suitable surface of the display
assembly. As shown in FIG. 8, the surface 859 (air-receiving
surface) of the air deflector can further form an obtuse angle with
respect to the surface 801 onto which the air deflector 400 is
mounted, which can be useful for reducing turbulence in cases where
the incoming stream 735 of air propagates in a direction parallel
to the surface 801.
[0049] Components of the head-mounted device can be operably
connected to provide the performance described herein. FIG. 9 shows
a simplified block diagram of an example of the head-mounted device
100.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, the head-mounted device 100 can include
a controller 130 with one or more processing units that include or
are configured to access a memory 918 having instructions stored
thereon. The instructions or computer programs may be configured to
perform one or more of the operations or functions described with
respect to the head-mounted device 100. The controller 130 can be
implemented as any electronic device capable of processing,
receiving, or transmitting data or instructions. For example, the
controller 130 may include one or more of: a microprocessor, a
central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or combinations
of such devices. As described herein, the term "processor" is meant
to encompass a single processor or processing unit, multiple
processors, multiple processing units, or other suitably configured
computing element or elements.
[0051] The memory 918 can store electronic data that can be used by
the head-mounted device 100. For example, the memory 918 can store
electrical data or content such as, for example, audio and video
files, documents and applications, device settings and user
preferences, timing and control signals or data for the various
modules, data structures or databases, and so on. The memory 918
can be configured as any type of memory. By way of example only,
the memory 918 can be implemented as random access memory,
read-only memory, Flash memory, removable memory, or other types of
storage elements, or combinations of such devices.
[0052] The head-mounted device 100 can further include a display
120 for displaying visual information for a user. The display 120
can provide visual (e.g., image or video) output, and can include a
pair of display assemblies as described herein. The display 120 can
be or include an opaque, transparent, and/or translucent display.
The display 120 may have a transparent or translucent medium
through which light representative of images is directed to a
user's eyes. The display 120 may utilize digital light projection,
OLEDs, LEDs, uLEDs, liquid crystal on silicon, laser scanning light
source, or any combination of these technologies. The medium may be
an optical waveguide, a hologram medium, an optical combiner, an
optical reflector, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments,
the transparent or translucent display may be configured to become
opaque selectively. Projection-based systems may employ retinal
projection technology that projects graphical images onto a
person's retina. Projection systems also may be configured to
project virtual objects into the physical environment, for example,
as a hologram or on a physical surface. The head-mounted device 100
can include optics configured to help optically adjust and
correctly project the image based content being displayed by the
display 120 for close up viewing. The optics can include one or
more lenses, mirrors, or other optical devices.
[0053] In some embodiments, controller 130 can receive user inputs
from controls 908 and execute operations in response to the inputs.
For example, controller 130 can be configured to receive sound from
the microphone 930. In response to receiving the sound, controller
130 can run the voice recognition module to identify voice
commands.
[0054] Head-mounted device 100 can include a battery 920, which can
charge and/or power components of the head-mounted device 100. The
battery 920 can also charge and/or power components connected to
the head-mounted device 100, such as a portable electronic device
902.
[0055] Head-mounted device 100 can include the air circulation
device 140 for cooling down components of the head-mounted device
100. The head-mounted device 100 can further include an air
deflector 400 disposed in an air flow path and configured to
receive a stream of air generated by the air circulation device
140, as further described herein. The air deflector 400 can
optionally be movable by an actuator 989, as further described
herein. The controller 130 can be configured to operate the
actuator 989 to move or rotate the air deflector based on inputs
from a user and/or adjustments to assemblies of the display
120.
[0056] The head-mounted device 100 can include an input/output
component 926, which can include any suitable component for
connecting head-mounted device 100 to other devices. Suitable
components can include, for example, audio/video jacks, data
connectors, or any additional or alternative input/output
components.
[0057] The head-mounted device 100 can include communications
circuitry 928 for communicating with one or more servers or other
external devices 90 using any suitable communications protocol. For
example, communications circuitry 928 can support Wi-Fi (e.g., a
802.11 protocol), Ethernet, Bluetooth, high frequency systems
(e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems),
infrared, TCP/IP (e.g., any of the protocols used in each of the
TCP/IP layers), HTTP, BitTorrent, FTP, RTP, RTSP, SSH, any other
communications protocol, or any combination thereof. Communications
circuitry 928 can also include an antenna for transmitting and
receiving electromagnetic signals.
[0058] The head-mounted device 100 can include audio devices such
as a microphone 930 and/or speaker 912. The microphone 930 can be
configured to detect sounds from a user and/or environment. The
microphone 930 can be operably connected to the controller 130 for
detection of sound levels and communication of detections for
further processing. The speaker 212 can be configured to emit
sounds to a user and/or environment. The speaker 212 can be
operably connected to the controller 130 for control of speaker
output, including sound levels and/or other sound
characteristics.
[0059] The head-mounted device 100 can optionally connect to a
portable electronic device 902, which can provide certain
functions. For the sake of brevity, the portable electronic device
902 will not be described in detail in FIG. 9. It should be
appreciated, however, that the portable electronic device 902 may
be embodied in a variety of forms including a variety of features,
all or some of which can be utilized by the head-mounted device 100
(e.g., input/output, controls, processing, battery, etc.). The
portable electronic device 902 can be configured to receive cooling
from operation of air circulation device 140. The portable
electronic device 902 can provide a handheld form factor (e.g.,
small portable electronic device which is light weight, fits in a
pocket, etc.). Although not limited to these, examples include
media players, phones (including smart phones), PDAs, computers,
and the like. The portable electronic device 902 may include a
screen 913 for presenting the graphical portion of the media to the
user. The screen 913 can be utilized as the primary screen of the
head-mounted device 100.
[0060] The head-mounted device 100 can include a dock 906 operative
to receive the portable electronic device 902. The dock 906 can
include a connector (e.g., Lightning, USB, FireWire, power, DVI,
etc.), which can be plugged into a complementary connector of the
portable electronic device 902. The dock 906 may include features
for helping to align the connectors during engagement and for
physically coupling the portable electronic device 902 to the
head-mounted device 100. For example, the dock 906 may define a
cavity for placement of the portable electronic device 902. The
dock 906 may also include retaining features for securing portable
electronic device 902 within the cavity. The connector on the dock
906 can function as a communication interface between the portable
electronic device 902 and the head-mounted device 100.
[0061] The head-mounted device 100 can include one or more other
sensors. Such sensors can be configured to sense substantially any
type of characteristic such as, but not limited to, images,
pressure, light, touch, force, temperature, position, motion, and
so on. For example, the sensor can be a photodetector, a
temperature sensor, a light or optical sensor, an atmospheric
pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, a magnet, a gyroscope, an
accelerometer, a chemical sensor, an ozone sensor, a particulate
count sensor, and so on. By further example, the sensor can be a
bio-sensor for tracking biometric characteristics, such as health
and activity metrics. Other user sensors can perform facial feature
detection, facial movement detection, facial recognition, eye
tracking, user mood detection, user emotion detection, voice
detection, etc. Sensors can include a camera which can capture
image based content of the outside world.
[0062] It is well understood that the use of personally
identifiable information should follow privacy policies and
practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding
industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy
of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data
should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of
unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of
authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.
[0063] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to
mean one and only one unless specifically so stated, but rather one
or more. For example, "a" module may refer to one or more modules.
An element proceeded by "a," "an," "the," or "said" does not,
without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional
same elements.
[0064] Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience
only and do not limit the invention. The word exemplary is used to
mean serving as an example or illustration. To the extent that the
term include, have, or the like is used, such term is intended to
be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprise as comprise
is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used
to distinguish one entity or action from another without
necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or
order between such entities or actions.
[0065] Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some
aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the
implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one
or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another
embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a
configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some
configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology,
the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof
and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure
relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology
or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the
subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may
apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A
disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more
examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to
one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to
other foregoing phrases.
[0066] A phrase "at least one of" preceding a series of items, with
the terms "and" or "or" to separate any of the items, modifies the
list as a whole, rather than each member of the list. The phrase
"at least one of" does not require selection of at least one item;
rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of
any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the
items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example,
each of the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one
of A, B, or C" refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination
of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.
[0067] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of
steps, operations, or processes disclosed is an illustration of
exemplary approaches. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is
understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps,
operations, or processes may be performed in different order. Some
of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed
simultaneously. The accompanying method claims, if any, present
elements of the various steps, operations or processes in a sample
order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or
hierarchy presented. These may be performed in serial, linearly, in
parallel or in different order. It should be understood that the
described instructions, operations, and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software/hardware product or
packaged into multiple software/hardware products.
[0068] In one aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being
directly coupled. In another aspect, a term coupled or the like may
refer to being indirectly coupled.
[0069] Terms such as top, bottom, front, rear, side, horizontal,
vertical, and the like refer to an arbitrary frame of reference,
rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus,
such a term may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or
horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference.
[0070] The disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in
the art to practice the various aspects described herein. In some
instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block
diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the
subject technology. The disclosure provides various examples of the
subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to
these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles
described herein may be applied to other aspects.
[0071] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of
the various aspects described throughout the disclosure that are
known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the
art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended
to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein
is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether
such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim
element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
112(f) or .sctn. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is
expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in the case of a
method claim, the element is recited using the phrase "step
for".
[0072] The title, background, brief description of the drawings,
abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure
and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as
restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding
that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the
claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen
that the description provides illustrative examples and the various
features are grouped together in various implementations for the
purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is
not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed
subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in
each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter
lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration
or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed
description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately
claimed subject matter.
[0073] The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects
described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent
with the language of the claims and to encompass all legal
equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to
embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of
the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a
way.
* * * * *