Information processing device, notification state control method, and program

• US 10,613,330 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2017
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Imoto, Maki, Izumihara, Atsushi, Ihara, Koji, Kawada, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US15/669,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels

Abstract

Provided is an information processing device to enable a user and an outside person to communicate smoothly, the information processing device including: a necessity degree determination unit configured to determine, based on outside information indicating a situation external to a user, a degree of necessity that the user be notified of the outside information; and a notification state control unit configured to switch a notification state of the outside information with respect to the user based on the determined degree of necessity.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

control a head-mounted display to display a content image based on content information;

acquire an external image that is captured by a camera of the head-mounted display and includes an external object in an external situation with respect to the head-mounted display;

determine a pattern corresponding to the external object included in the external image;

control the head-mounted display to arrange the pattern within the content image, the pattern indicating a position of the external object in the external situation; and

increase a size of the pattern as a distance between the external object and the head-mounted display decreases.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein outside information acquired from the external object includes sound information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein outside information acquired from the external object includes information indicating that the external object is approaching the head-mounted display.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3,

wherein the external object is a person.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the head-mounted display to substantially keep a size of the content image when the pattern is arranged within the content image by being superimposed over the content image.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the pattern comprises a circle shape of which a diameter increases as the distance between the external object and the head-mounted display decreases.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the head-mounted display includes a main body part configured to prevent a user of the head-mounted display from seeing the external situation.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7,

wherein the head-mounted display includes an outside indicator and a display unit,

wherein the display unit is positioned at an inner side of the main body part, the inner side being opposite to the user when the user wears the head-mounted display,

wherein the outside indicator is positioned at an outer side of the main body part, the outer side being an opposite side of the main body part from the inner side, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to

control the outside indicator to indicate a first notification that the user recognizes the external object when the pattern is arranged within the content image, and

control the outside indicator to indicate a second notification that the user does not recognize the external object when the pattern is not arranged within the content image.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8,

wherein the first notification includes an eye image of the user based on line-of-sight information of the user.

10. The information processing device according to claim 7,

wherein the head-mounted display further includes a display unit and a sensor,

wherein the display unit is positioned at an inner side of the main body part, the inner side being opposite to the user when the user wears the head-mounted display,

wherein the sensor is configured to detect the distance between the external object and the head-mounted display, and is positioned at an outer side of the main body part, the outer side being an opposite side of the main body part from the inner side, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to increase the size of the pattern as the detected distance decreases.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the pattern comprises at least one of a circle shape or a line shape corresponding to the external object.

12. An information processing method, implemented via at least one processor, the method comprising:

controlling a head-mounted display to display a content image based on content information;

acquiring an external image that is captured by a camera of the head-mounted display and includes an external object in an external situation with respect to the head-mounted display;

determining a pattern corresponding to the external object included in the external image;

controlling the head-mounted display to arrange the pattern within the content image, the pattern indicating a position of the external object in the external situation; and

increasing a size of the pattern as a distance between the external object and the head-mounted display decreases.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

controlling a head-mounted display to display a content image based on content information;

acquiring an external image that is captured by a camera of the head-mounted display and includes an external object in an external situation with respect to the head-mounted display;

determining a pattern corresponding to the external object included in the external image;

controlling the head-mounted display to arrange the pattern within the content image, the pattern indicating a position of the external object in the external situation; and

increasing a size of the pattern as a distance between the external object and the head-mounted display decreases.