Foot input device and head-mounted display device

• US 10,353,489 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hiroi, Yoshiaki, Takano, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US15/482,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0334 Foot operated pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A foot input device worn on a foot of a user and configured to output an operation signal used by an external apparatus includes an operation section configured to detect a state of a sole of the foot of the user and output the operation signal corresponding to the detected state of the sole of the foot. The operation section detects, as the state of the sole of the foot, a load received from the sole of the foot of the user and outputs the operation signal corresponding to the detected load.

Claims

1. A foot input device worn on a foot of a user and configured to output an operation signal used by an external apparatus, the foot input device comprising:

an operation section configured to detect a state of a sole of the foot of the user and output the operation signal corresponding to the detected state of the sole of the foot,

wherein the operation section detects, as the state of the sole of the foot, a load received from the sole of the foot of the user and outputs the operation signal corresponding to the detected load;

a right-foot-load detecting section configured to detect a right load received from a sole of a right foot of the user; and

a left-foot-load detecting section configured to detect a left load received from a sole of a left foot of the user,

wherein the operation section outputs the operation signal corresponding to a change in the right load and a change in the left load.

2. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation section detects a distribution of the load in a predetermined detection range of the sole of the foot and outputs the operation signal corresponding to a change in the detected distribution of the load.

3. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein

the right-foot-load detecting section detects a distribution of the right load,

the left-foot-load detecting section detects a distribution of the left load, and

the operation section outputs the operation signal corresponding to the distribution of the right load and the distribution of the left load.

4. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein

the right-foot-load detecting section and the left-foot-load detecting section have a function of detecting a change in a position of the right foot and a change in a position of the left foot, and

the operation section outputs the operation signal corresponding to the changes in the positions of the right foot and the left foot.

5. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is a signal for changing a position of a pointer in an image displayed on an image display section of the external apparatus.

6. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein the operation signal is a signal for setting a display image displayed on an image display section of the external apparatus.

7. The foot input device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation section includes:

a two-kind operation section worn on a first foot, which is one of a left foot and a right foot of the user, and configured to detect, as the state of the sole of the foot, a distribution of a load received from a sole of the first foot and output two kinds of operation signals, that is, a first operation signal and a second operation signal according to a change in the detected distribution of the load; and

a one-kind operation section worn on a second foot, which is the other of the left foot and the right foot of the user, and configured to detect, as the state of the sole of the foot, a tilt of a sole of the second foot and output a third operation signal different from the two kinds of operation signals according to a change in the tilt.

8. The foot input device according to claim 7, wherein the first operation signal, the second operation signal, and the third operation signal are three kinds of operation signals corresponding to three kinds of operation used in the external apparatus.

9. The foot input device according to claim 8, wherein

the first operation signal and the second operation signal are signals corresponding to in-plane directions of a three-dimensional image displayed on an image display section of the external apparatus, and

the third operation signal is a signal corresponding to a depth direction of the three-dimensional image.

10. The foot input device according to claim 8, wherein the three kinds of operation signals are signals for changing a position of a pointer in an image displayed on an image display section of the external apparatus.

11. The foot input device according to claim 8, wherein

the external apparatus or another external apparatus connected to the external apparatus includes a moving device capable of moving in three-dimensional directions, and

the three kinds of operation signals are signals used as operation signals for moving the moving device in the three-dimensional directions.

12. A head-mounted display device comprising:

an image display section worn on a head of a user;

the foot input device according to claim 1; and

a display setting section configured to set a display image that the display setting section causes the image display section to display, wherein

the display setting section sets, according to an operation signal output from the foot input device, a display image that the display setting section causes the image display section to display.

13. The head-mounted display device according to claim 12, wherein, when an external apparatus communicatively connected to the head-mounted display device or another external apparatus connected via the external apparatus is operated, the operation signal output from the foot input device is delivered as the operation signal used in the external apparatus or the other external apparatus.

14. The head-mounted display device according to claim 12, wherein

the display setting section sets, according to a predetermined motion of the user, an input frame to be superimposed on the display image and sets a menu around a lower frame of the input frame,

the foot input device outputs the operation signal for the user to select a menu desired by the user, and

the display setting section sets, according to the operation signal output from the foot input device, a selection image indicating a state in which the selected menu is selected.

15. A head-mounted display device comprising:

an image display section worn on a head of a user;

a load-detection-type foot input section configured to detect a load of a sole of a foot of the user;

a display setting section configured to set, according to the load detected by the load-detection-type foot input section, a display image that the display setting section causes the image display section to display; and

an inertial sensor formed separately from the load-detection-type foot input section and the image display section,

wherein the display setting section sets the display image according to inertial data acquired by the inertial sensor and the load detected by the load-detection-type foot input section.

16. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a state specifying section configured to specify an activity state of the user, wherein

the display setting section sets, when the activity state is specified as not being a moving state in which the user is moving, the display image according to the load detected by the load-detection-type foot input section and continue, when the activity state is specified as being the moving state in which the user is moving, the setting of the display image already set.

17. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein

the load-detection-type foot input section detects a distribution of a load in a predetermined range, and

the display setting section causes the image display section to display a pointer image set in advance and changes a display position of the pointer image on the image display section according to a change in the distribution of the load detected by the load-detection-type foot input section.

18. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein

the load-detection-type foot input section includes:

a right-load-detection-type foot input section configured to detect a load of a right foot; and

a left-load-detection-type foot input section configured to detect a load of a left foot, and

the display setting section sets the display image according to a change in the load detected by the right-load-detection-type foot input section and a change in the load detected by the left-load-detection-type foot input section.

19. The head-mounted display device according to claim 18, wherein

the load-detection-type foot input section specifies changes in positions of the right-load-detection-type foot input section and the left-load-detection-type foot input section, and

the display setting section executes enlargement or reduction of at least a portion of the display image according to the changes in the positions.

20. The head-mounted display device according to claim 18, wherein the display setting section causes the image display section to display a pointer image set in advance, changes a position of the pointer image according to a distribution of a right load detected by the right-load-detection-type foot input section and a distribution of a left load detected by the left-load-detection-type foot input section, and differentiates a change amount of a display position of the pointer image that changes according to a change in the distribution of the right load and a change amount of a display position of the pointer image that changes according to a change in the distribution of the left load.

21. The head-mounted display device according to claim 15, wherein, when the display image can be set according to the load detected by the load-detection-type foot input section, the display setting section causes the image display section to display an image representing a position of the load-detection-type foot input section.

22. The head-mounted display device according to claim 21, wherein

the load-detection-type foot input section has a surface shape corresponding to the sole of the foot of the user and a sensor capable of detecting a load is disposed in at least a part of the surface shape, and

the display setting section causes the image display section to display an image representing a position of the sensor with respect to the surface shape as the image representing the position of the load-detection-type foot input section.