Mixed Reality Head Mounted Display Device

Abstract

Disclosed are a Head mounted Display (HMD) device for use in mixed reality applications such as virtual or augmented reality. The disclosed HMD includes improvement to comfort and convenience of wearing. Convenience features include shifting portions of the HMD's heat generating and heavier components off the user's head and on to their neck, or neck and shoulders. Shifting components to the user's neck opens additional input schemes and enables the use of further feedback devices that improve the immersiveness of the mixed reality experience. An additional convenience feature is an adjustable visor that lifts up and down such that the user may view the real-world or the virtual-world without having to remove the HMD fully from their heads.

1 . A head mounted display comprising:
 a face-mounted unit, configured to mount on a face of a user, including:
 a display; and 
   a neck-mounted unit configured to wrap around a neck of the user and communicatively coupled to the face unit, the neck-mounted unit having a single hollow volume that encircles the neck of the user, the hollow volume encasing:
 a controller; and 
 a battery. 
   
     
     
         2 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the communicative connection between the face-mounted unit and the neck-mounted unit is implemented via a wired connection. 
     
     
         3 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the communicative connection between the face-mounted unit and the neck-mounted unit is implemented via a wireless connection, and the face-mounted unit further comprises:
 a wireless transceiver; and   a second battery that powers the wireless transceiver and the display.   
     
     
         4 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises any of:
 a central processing unit; or   a graphics processing unit.   
     
     
         5 . The head mounted display of  claim 4 , wherein the battery provides the majority of the power consumed by any of:
 the display;   the central processing unit; or   the graphics processing unit.   
     
     
         6 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , the face-mounted unit further comprising any of:
 a binocular optical module;   a camera sensor;   an inertial measurement sensor;   a microphone;   a radar sensor;   a LIDAR sensor;   a proximity sensor;   an eye gaze sensor; or   speakers.   
     
     
         7 . The head mounted display of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a sensor fusion system that is configured to fuse sensor data locally collected from the face-mounted unit into an input stream and communicates the input stream to the processor.   
     
     
         8 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , further comprising any of:
 buttons; or   a peripheral control device.   
     
     
         9 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the neck-mounted unit further comprises any of:
 a cooling system;   a haptic feedback system;   speakers;   an air jet system;   a memory; or   a wireless transceiver.   
     
     
         10 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the neck-mounted unit is shaped in a necklace configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The head mounted display of  claim 10 , wherein the battery and the controller are positioned in a pendant module on the necklace configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , wherein the neck-mounted unit is shaped in a mantle configuration and is further supported by shoulders of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The head mounted display of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a rear processing unit mounted behind the head of the user and including any of:
 a graphics processing unit; or 
 a central processing unit. 
   
     
     
         14 . A mixed reality device comprising:
 a near-eye display mounted on a head of a user;   a neck-mounted unit including a battery, a processor, and a cooling unit, wherein the battery provides power for both the processor and the near-eye display and the processor provides graphical processing for the near-eye display to render, and the cooling unit manages temperatures for the battery and the processor; and   a connection between the near-eye display and the neck-mounted unit that transmits power and electrical signals there between.   
     
     
         15 . The mixed reality device of  claim 14 , the near-eye display further comprising any of:
 a binocular optical module;   a camera sensor;   an inertial measurement sensor;   a microphone;   a radar sensor;   a LIDAR sensor;   a proximity sensor;   an eye gaze sensor; or   speakers.   
     
     
         16 . The mixed reality device of  claim 14 , wherein the neck-mounted unit further comprises any of:
 a haptic feedback system;   speakers;   an air jet system;   a memory; or   a wireless transceiver.   
     
     
         17 . The mixed reality device of  claim 14 , wherein the neck-mounted unit is shaped in a necklace configuration. 
     
     
         18 . The mixed reality device of  claim 17 , wherein the battery and the processor are positioned in a pendant module on the necklace configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The mixed reality device of  claim 14 , wherein the neck-mounted unit is shaped in a mantle configuration and is further supported by shoulders of the user. 
     
     
         20 . A method of operating a mixed reality device comprising:
 displaying a mixed reality experience on a near-eye display mounted on a head of a user to the user; and   transmitting power and electrical signals between a neck-mounted unit and the near-eye display via a connection, wherein the neck-mounted unit includes a battery and a processor contained within a single hollow volume that encircles a neck of the user.