Head-mounted display systems and methods of operation that allow users to couple and decouple a portable electronic device such as a handheld portable electronic device with a separate head-mounted device (e.g., temporarily integrates the separate devices into a single unit) are disclosed. The portable electronic may be physically coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device can be worn on the user's head. The portable electronic device may be operatively coupled to the head-mounted device such that the portable electronic device and head mounted device can communicate and operate with one another. Each device may be allowed to extend its features and/or services to the other device for the purpose of enhancing, increasing and/or eliminating redundant functions between the head-mounted device and the portable electronic device.

An immersive headset device is provided that includes a display portion and a body portion. The display portion may include microdisplays having a compact size. The microdisplays may be movable (e.g., rotational) relative to the body portion and can be moved (e.g., rotated) between a flipped-up position and a flipped-down position. In some instances, when the microdisplays are flipped up, the headset provides an augmented reality (AR) mode to a user, and when the microdisplays are flipped down, the headset provide a virtual reality (VR) mode to the user. In certain implementations, the headset includes an electronics source module to provide power and/or signal to the microdisplays. The electronics source module can be attached to a rear of the body portion in order to provide advantageous weight distribution about the head of the user.

A pair of projection glasses, a wearable projection apparatus, and a foldable optical engine are provided. The foldable optical engine includes a projection mechanism and a light emitting mechanism. A light input portion of the projection mechanism corresponds in position to a light output portion of the light emitting mechanism. The projection mechanism and the light emitting mechanism are pivotally connected to each other along a rotation axis so as to be rotatable relative to each other along the rotation axis. When the projection mechanism and the light emitting mechanism are rotated relative to each other to cause the light output portion to face toward the light input portion, the light emitting mechanism is configured to emit a light beam from the light output portion toward the light input portion, so as to allow the projection mechanism to receive the light beam for projecting an image light.

The majority of applications for head mounted display (HMD) users, irrespective of whether they are for short-term, long-term, low vision, augmented reality, etc. yield a conflicting set of tradeoffs between user comfort and minimal fatigue and strain during use, ease of attachment, minimizing intrusiveness and aesthetics which must be concurrently balanced with and are often in conflict with providing an optical vision system that provides the user with a wide field of view and high image resolution whilst also offering a large exit pupil for eye placement with sufficient eye clearance. Further, individual users' needs vary as do their needs with the general task at-hand, visual focus, and various regions-of-interest within their field of view. To address these issues, it is necessary to provide a high performance optical system, eyepiece design, and system features which overcome these limitations.

Aspects of the present disclosure relates to user interface systems and methods for use in head-worn computing systems.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to synchronizing presentation of content in head-worn computing systems including linking the multiple users to the same access point in the cloud, the users indicating to the cloud that they would like to participate in a synchronized experience of the content and identifying, by the cloud, how many head-worn computers will be included in the synchronized experience of the content. The method further includes downloading the content to the multiple head-worn computers from the cloud, polling the multiple head-worn computers to determine the percentage of the content that has been downloaded to each of multiple head-worn computers, and when all of the multiple head-worn computers has exceeded a predetermined percentage of content that has been downloaded, sending a start command from the cloud to each of the head-worn computers simultaneously to begin a synchronized presentation of the content to all of the multiple users.

A head-up display includes at least three light sources, each one arranged to emit light with a basic color different from the basic color of the other light sources, a digital micro mirror device including an array of micro mirrors, wherein the light of the light sources is directed onto the digital micro mirror device, at least one combiner for displaying an image, and at least one control unit for multiplexing the light sources so as to sequentially emit light thus creating a field sequential color system and for controlling the digital micro mirror device so as to selectively rotate the micro mirrors between an on state, where the light from the light sources is reflected into an optical path towards the combiner, and an off state, where the light is reflected away from that optical path. A method for operating the head-up display is also disclosed.

An optical display system configured for attachment to a user wearable optical device, the user wearable optical device includes a user attachment section, and a partially transmissive partially reflective lens that is coupled with the user attachment section, the user attachment section is configured for detachably mounting the user wearable optical device to a head of a user, the partially transmissive partially reflective lens is configured to be facing at least one eye of the user, the optical display system comprising: an electro-optical unit comprising: a processor; and a light projection unit coupled with said processor, said light projection unit is configured to transmit light beams onto said partially transmissive partially reflective lens; and at least one coupler that is configured to couple said electro-optical unit with at least one of said user attachment section and said partially transmissive partially reflective lens, wherein said electro-optical unit is configured to be positioned with respect to said user attachment section such that when said user wearable optical device is mounted on said user, said electro-optical unit is located at the glabellar region of said user.

A head-up display device is for projecting display light onto a projection member. The head-up display device includes a display, a reflecting member, an outside light prevention portion, and a state controller. The display emits the display light. The reflecting member reflects the display light emitted from the display in a reflection direction to project the display light onto the projection member. The outside light prevention portion changes between an entering state in which outside light is able to enter the display and a preventing state in which outside light is prevented from entering the display. The state controller controls the outside light prevention portion to be (i) in the entering state when the display light is projected onto the projection member and (ii) in the preventing state when the display light is not projected onto the projection member.

A system for providing virtual reality imagery to a rider of an amusement park ride having a headgear piece for securing a viewing screen to a head of the rider. The viewing screen is removable from the headgear piece to allow the headgear piece to be cleaned and sanitized.