Head mounted display, control device, and control method

• US 10,139,624 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Toshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US15/118,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00048 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

To improve communication between a wearer of a Head Mount Display (HMD) while wearing the HMD and a non-wearer of the HMD, provided is a head mounted display, including a display unit configured to present an image to a wearer, a mounting unit configured to be mounted on a head of the wearer, and a notification unit configured to notify a person other than the wearer of information that the wearer is visually recognizing.

Claims

1. A head mounted display, comprising:

a main body;

a fixing element that supports the main body on a head of a wearer; and

circuitry configured to;

control a display unit to display an image to the wearer; and

notify, information that the wearer is in a visually recognizing state to a person other than the wearer, by a plurality of light emitting elements of the head mounted display,

wherein the plurality of light emitting elements include a plurality of lamps, and

wherein the information is notified based on at least one of a number of the plurality of lamps or an amount of light emitted from each of the plurality of lamps.

2. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control display of the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state.

3. The head mounted display according to claim 1, further comprises a display device configured to display corresponding information representing the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state.

4. The head mounted display according to claim 3, wherein the display device is curved.

5. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state includes at least an endoscopic image captured by an endoscope device.

6. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

detect a visual line of the wearer, and determine, based on the detected visual line, the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state.

9. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitting elements is on a center of an external surface of the head mounted display such that the plurality of light emitting elements are visually recognizable by the wearer.

10. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the plurality of light emitting elements based on the wearer is viewing one of an endoscopic image that is captured by an endoscope device or an image that is captured by an external device, and wherein the external device is different from the endoscope device.

7. A control device, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

acquire information that a wearer of a head mounted display is in a visually recognizing state;

notify, by a plurality of light emitting elements of the head mounted display, a person other than the wearer of the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state,

wherein the plurality of light emitting elements include a plurality of lamps, and

wherein the information is notified based on at least one of a number of the plurality of lamps or an amount of light emitted from each of the plurality of lamps.

8. A control method, comprising:

in a head mounted display;

acquiring information that a wearer of a head mounted display is in a visually recognizing state; and

notifying, by a plurality of light emitting elements of the head mounted display, a person other than the wearer of the information that the wearer is in the visually recognizing state,

wherein the plurality of light emitting elements include a plurality of lamps, and

wherein the information is notified based on at least one of a number of the plurality of lamps or an amount of light emitted from each of the plurality of lamps.