Today the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application from Microsoft about a next-gen Head Mounted Displays (HMD) device that goes far beyond their current HMD device known as HoloLens.

Microsoft notes in their filing that there's been a surge in interest in virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and augmented reality (AR) devices. Many of these devices make use of user-worn headsets that are able to project images onto a user's eyes to create two-dimensional or three-dimensional images displayed to a user.

Often, these headsets are bulky and cumbersome to wear. This can be caused in some devices due to the inefficient nature of projectors and optical devices in the headsets. In particular, the inefficiencies of projectors and waveguides results in the need to use higher power for transmission and the corresponding need to have bulky cooling systems to dissipate excess generated heat.

Additionally, in some devices even the weight of the projectors and waveguides create a significant amount of bulk and weight. This can make such headsets difficult to wear and use for long periods of time.

Further, such devices often have a limited field of view. For example, some current VR, MR, and AR devices have a field of view somewhere between 30 and 40.degree. In a recent Samsung HMD patent filing, they were shooting for a field of view in the 200 degree range. In Microsoft's latest published patent filing they note that with their new design, the field of view can be "practically unlimited"

Movement based Display Device

Microsoft's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates a "movement based display device"; FIG. 2B illustrates additional details of a movable member, light emitter array and lens array of a movement based display device.

Microsoft's patent FIG. 4A below illustrates a movement based display device with a movable member configured to rotate about a user's head; FIG. 4B illustrates a movement based display device with a movable member configured to reciprocate in front of user's eyes; FIG. 4C illustrates a movement based display device with movable members configured to spin in front of the user's eyes

Because Microsoft's next-gen mixed reality Head Mounted Display is so different from anything on the market today, details matter and summary just wouldn't do this invention justice. Below is Scribd document covering full details of this invention.

Microsoft Technology Licens... by Jack Purcher on Scribd

Microsoft's patent application which was published today by the U.S. Patent Office was originally filed back in Q3 2017. Considering that it's a patent application, timing to market is unknown.

The mixed reality and VR headsets are being pursued by Apple, Samsung, Huawei, HTC and others. Facebook will be releasing Oculus Rift S something this spring. The new promotional video was released recently.

Microsoft's HoloLens 2 has its sights on business. It's unknown at this time if Microsoft will continue down the corporate lane they're in today or work on this next-gen headset for consumers and gamers.

With Google introducing Stadia this past Thursday, it's pretty clear that they'll eventually want to have their own HMD to work with Stadia. A new Google patent application published today from Google shows us their work on an HMD hand controller accessory. I'll try to get to that today or in the next few days if it looks to be of interest.