Microsoft AR Recent Patent

Joe sent an article this morning with a couple of interesting pictures from a recent Microsoft patent.

The glasses at the top are Osterhaut glasses. (A version after what I managed to try.) The amount of hardware they had resting on your nose was too much for comfort.

This article also features some interesting interface devices, like a bracelet and rings. (As cool as the glasses might be, we're probably not going to want to make gestures in groups of people to control our glasses, but fiddling with a ring or wrist controller wouldn't make anyone feel too weird.)

ONMSFT



Beyond shrinking the overall size of HoloLens, Microsoft’s patent also details new multi-use cases for use of AR outside of the previous work, lab, warehouse and home showcases the company used to highlight.

In this latest patent filing, Microsoft developers are sorta of resurrecting the spirit of Google Glass in corner mounted AR information but the company is also aiming to introduce additional wearables such as smart rings that should help with navigating augmented UI’s and information.

LiveMap Helmet (updated 5/21/2015)

I am not sure this is using Microvision, but it does look promising. (the text below from their website talks about using PicoP in various resolutions. They aren't referring to a resolution that specifically singles out Microvision or Microvision/Sony)

They also talk of using a lense, which doesn't speak to Microvision -- although the installation is unusual and such an unusual installation may require a lense.

If it is not Microvision's PicoP -- it is a potential market for it.

To be unveiled in MAY 2015 

"The final version will be unveiled in the US in May, and go on sale in August, costing 2,000 dollars each."

Recent Summary Article (Added 5/21/15)

LiveMap Helmet YouTube Channel

LiveMap Website







The video below, they mention "laser pico engine" twice between 4:25-4:50 (it's all interesting.)




From Livemap.info/news

2014 Year’ result in R&D, news about finance injection.

---

December 19, 2014 

Do you want heard news about our product?

Did we tell you that we decided to switch to the more comfortable flip-up scheme & said about it in TechCrunch Hardware battlefield CES 2014? Yes, we did.

All 2014 year we are busy building the pre-production prototype of the new optics – tiny and effective. It’s a quite new approach based on aspherical elements. Specs and drawings cannot be disclosed yet until the patent application is approved. Otherwise we will not be able to obtain the patent in the USA and Europe according to the law.

We make serial version in aspheric optics to minimize volume & weight (1st variant in the video reel & our public plans based on the spherical optics, and it’s answer why 1st variant integral helmet have unusual size). A single aspheric lens can often replace a much more complex multi-lens system. The resulting device is smaller and lighter, and sometimes cheaper than the multi-lens design.

You can read about this in 2 links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspheric_lens
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/opinion/html/aspherical.htm

Aspheric optics it’s very hard work in calculation & a lot of work to start mass production. I understand is hard to understanding & i have short example to show it – Many objectives Nikon/Tamron/Canon/Zeiss have only 1-2 aspheric lenses in objectives and other 4-7 spherical, but in our serial product all lenses will be aspheric with with ultra precision characteristics .

The other hard task in this work, to control cost serial optics, in 2014 year we made 5 absolutely different new designs (a few hundreds implementations in Zemax) optic system & downgrade costs for serial optics from a few thousands $ to a few hundred $ at this moment, aspheric optics is not cheaper (ask google, about price for objectives with aspheric lenses) & make aspheric design with good/normal costs for mass-market is a little crazy hard task.

We prepared our serial product at 720p picop engine (in the 1st prototype, you can see it in the video-reel, we already use 848×480 picop eniges). It’s will be “Retina” projection system. New optic system have higher resolution (2.2X more pixels than previous prototype) & have 3 times brighter than previous well-known 1st prototype & at the same time have only 30% volume from 1st optic prototype.

In order to provide this specifications, we have broken the theoretical limits in Aspheric optics & downgrade costs to produce aspheric optics with ultra precision characteristics.

The work was carried out by two science institutes in Russia together with optical glass melt company from Japan and worldwide market leader in aspheric optics (company from USA). Total number of engineers and opticians who worked on this work was more than 20 people from different countries.

Received results of our work are disruptive innovation in the aspheric optics industry, thats is the answer why Russian Ministry of Science support us and give us grant in December, the amount of 300 000 USD for R&D and for building revolutionary aspheric prototype.

PS We will present pre-serial prototype in the Spring 2015.
We will start sales final helmets in the Summer 2015 in the 1st market USA.

Google Glass Alive and Well

Peter Jungmann

There's a lot here to find interesting. A few snippets from the article have been pulled. If you are a long-term Microvision follower, you know that the company had a relationship with Motorola and has continued that relationship since it was purchased by Google.

Also, Google glass was mentioned during the stockholder meeting as "a fail in its current form." A significant part of that fail is the location of the display, it's limited field of view, and the fact that a user would have to refocus to look at the display. (I haven't used it so I can't speak from experience on that part of the matter.)

This article makes it clear that Google Glass isn't dead, but is still being quietly improved behind the scenes. Microvision will be an excellent choice to replace the display with a fuller field of vision.

I suspect the "commercial applications" they are talking about will come from the kind of applications featured in the video. With such applications possible I'm pretty sure the program will thrive. 


From Patently Apple


Last week the U.S. Patent Office published a new Google Glass patent that was filed by their Motorola team that remains on board with Google.

If the user is authenticated then likely user location information is optionally utilized to further authenticate the user of the wearable device. For example, the authentication module implemented in the wearable device can optionally enhance the authentication of the user for some higher security applications by incorporating other information about the user, such as a location of the user, a route taken by the user, calendar information, and the like. If the current location of the wearable device (and user) is recognized as a likely location of the user, is a location along a likely route of the user, or is a location identified in a calendar appointment, then authentication may be further confirmed.

The last scenario definitely shows Google's is thinking of security issues in a work environment.

So in the end, Google Glass is alive and well. It's just gone underground in an attempt to reinvent itself with new technology and a focus on high-end commercial applications.

Wearable potential

MVIS is still a likely supplier for augmented reality in various forms, including glasses.

This video shows its potential.



Android Headlines

Microsoft Patents "Wearable Behavior-Based Vision System"

This has been getting some buzz on message boards, but it appears that this patent is more about how to use a head mounted display, than a patent for a head mounted display.

Good news for sure that a lot of thought is going into how to use these displays.

Pub. No.:    WO/2014/110469    International Application No.:    PCT/US2014/011183 Publication Date: 17.07.2014 International Filing Date: 11.01.2014
IPC:	G06F 3/01 (2006.01), G01C 23/00 (2006.01), G02B 27/01 (2006.01)
Applicants:	MICROSOFT CORPORATION [US/US]; One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 (US)
Inventors:	LAMB, Mathew, J.; (US). KIPMAN, Alex, Aben-athar; (US)

Patent Description

WEARABLE BEHAVIOR-BASED VISION SYSTEM

BACKGROUND

[0001] Mixed reality is a technology that allows virtual imagery to be mixed with a real world physical environment in a display. Systems for mixed reality may include, for example, see through head mounted displays or smart phones with built in cameras. Such systems typically include processing units which provide the imagery under the control of one or more applications.

[0002] Behavioral based analysis has been utilized in robotics as a framework for programming the actions of control systems. Some behavioral models in behavioral-robotics use layered sets of rules for object, with base-layer behaviors such as avoid-collision being the most basic. Behaviors are focused from the perspective of the actor or robot, and elemental behaviors used to produce advanced control systems.

[0003] In behavior-based system, the robot controller is organized as a collection of modules, called behaviors, that receive inputs from sensors and/or other behaviors, process the input, and send outputs to actuators and/or other behaviors. Each behavior generally serves some independent function, such as avoiding obstacles or homing to a goal location. All behaviors in a controller are executed in parallel, simultaneously receiving inputs and producing outputs.

SUMMARY

[0004] Technology is described to provide a behavior-based vision system in a see-through head mounted display device. A see through display apparatus includes a see-through, head mounted display and sensors on the display that detects audible and visual data in a field of view of the apparatus. A processor cooperates with the display to provide information to a wearer of the device using a behavior-based real object mapping system. At least a global and egocentric behavioral zone relative to the apparatus are established, and real objects assigned behaviors which are mapped to the respective zones occupied by the object. The behaviors assigned to the objects can be used by applications which provide services to the wearer, using the behaviors as the foundation for evaluation of the type of feedback to provide in the apparatus.

[0005] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006 - 00057]

[0058] There are different image generation technologies that can be used to implement microdisplay 120. For example, microdisplay 120 can be implemented using a transmissive projection technology where the light source is modulated by optically active material, backlit with white light. These technologies are usually implemented using LCD type displays with powerful backlights and high optical energy densities. Microdisplay 120 can

also be implemented using a reflective technology for which external light is reflected and modulated by an optically active material. The illumination is forward lit by either a white source or RGB source, depending on the technology. Digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) and Mirasol® display technology from Qualcomm, Inc. are all examples of reflective technologies which are efficient as most energy is reflected away from the modulated structure and may be used in the system described herein. Additionally, microdisplay 120 can be implemented using an emissive technology where light is generated by the display. For example, a PicoP™ engine from Microvision, Inc. emits a laser signal with a micro mirror steering either onto a tiny screen that acts as a transmissive element or beamed directly into the eye (e.g., laser).

New Patent -

http://images3.freshpatents.com/pdf/US20140104501A1.pdf