Electronic Device With Facial Sensors

Abstract

A system may include a head-mounted device. The head-mounted device may have a head-mounted housing that includes a display. The display is configured to display an image for viewing by a user when the user's eyes are located in eye boxes adjacent to the head-mounted housing. The head-mounted housing may have a compressible opaque light seal. The light seal may have a ring shape and may block stray ambient light around the periphery of the head-mounted housing, thereby ensuring that stray light does not interfere with viewing of the image by the user. Sensors may be provided in the light seal to measure facial expressions and gather other measurements. Information on a measured facial expression of a user can be transmitted to external devices so that the external devices can update corresponding facial expressions on an avatar to reflect the user's current facial expression.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A head-mounted device, comprising:
 a display configured to display an image for viewing from eye boxes;   a head-mounted housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the head-mounted housing has a structure and a light seal, the light seal has opposing first and second surfaces, and the second surface is coupled to the structure; and   a facial sensor embedded in the light seal between the first and second surfaces, wherein the facial sensor is configured to measure facial expressions, and a portion of the light seal is interposed between the facial sensor and the first surface.   
     
     
         2 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an antenna that is configured to send the facial expressions to external equipment that displays an avatar with the facial expressions.   
     
     
         3 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to display an avatar with the facial expressions. 
     
     
         4 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to adjust the displayed image based on information from the facial sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The head-mounted device of  claim 4 , wherein the display is configured to compensate for misalignment based on the information from the facial sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to display a video, to stop the video in response to first information from the facial sensor, and to resume playback of the video in response to second information from the facial sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 control circuitry configured to authenticate a user based on information from the facial sensor.   
     
     
         8 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a facial image sensor, wherein the facial expressions are measured by the facial sensor and the facial image sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the light seal comprises a compressible material. 
     
     
         10 . The head-mounted device of  claim 2 , wherein the facial sensor comprises capacitive sensor electrodes coupled to the compressible material. 
     
     
         11 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the facial sensor comprises an electromyography sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the facial sensor comprises a motion sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the facial sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a compass, and a gyroscope. 
     
     
         14 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the facial sensor comprises an optical sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The head-mounted device of  claim 1 , wherein the facial sensor comprises a magnetic sensor configured to measure force against the light seal. 
     
     
         16 . A head-mounted device, comprising:
 a display configured to display an image for viewing from eye boxes;   a head-mounted housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the head-mounted housing comprises a structure and a light seal coupled to the structure; and   a facial sensor embedded in the light seal, wherein the facial sensor is completely surrounded by portions of the head-mounted housing.   
     
     
         17 . The head-mounted device of  claim 16 , wherein the facial sensor is completely surrounded by portions of the light seal. 
     
     
         18 . The head-mounted device of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an antenna that is configured to send information from the facial sensor to external equipment that displays an avatar based on the information from the facial sensor.   
     
     
         19 . The head-mounted device of  claim 16 , wherein the display is configured to display an avatar based on information from the facial sensor. 
     
     
         20 . A head-mounted device configured to be used with external equipment, the head-mounted device comprising:
 a display configured to display an image for viewing from eye boxes;   a head-mounted housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the head-mounted housing has a structure and a light seal coupled to the structure;   a facial sensor embedded in the light seal, wherein the facial sensor is configured to measure facial expressions; and   an antenna that is configured to send the facial expressions to external equipment that displays an avatar with the facial expressions.