Wearable display and method of displaying images using a wearable display

• US 20020167461A1
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bronson, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

Images are displayed on a wearable display by generating an inner region display signal, and generating an outer region display signal using the inner region signal. The outer region display signal is generated by determining motion, brightness and color characteristics from the inner region display signal. The outer region is of substantially lower resolution than the inner region, and is outside the viewer'"'"'s foveal field of view. The viewing experience is enhanced by the increase in the size of the image due to the presence of the outer region. Because the outer region is outside of the foveal field of view, the viewer of the image does not perceive the change in resolution of the outer region. An outer region may alternatively be created by distorting a source image.

Claims

1. A method of displaying images using a wearable display device, comprising:

generating an inner region display signal;

determining at least one of a motion, brightness or color characteristic from the inner region display signal;

generating an outer region display signal using the at least one motion, brightness or color characteristic;

displaying an inner region of an image on a display using the inner region display signal; and

displaying an outer region of the image on the display using the outer region display signal, wherein the outer region is of substantially lower resolution than the inner region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating an outer region display signal comprises:

adjusting the outer region display signal so that the outer region of the image blends with the inner region of the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying an outer region of an image comprises:

displaying an outer region of less than 5 cycles per degree resolution.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying an inner region of an image comprises:

displaying a center of the inner region of at least 15 cycle per degree resolution.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying an outer region of an image comprises:

illuminating an array of red, blue and green lights.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of displaying an outer region of an image comprises:

illuminating an array of white lights.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying an outer region of an image comprises:

shining red, blue and green lights into a user'"'"'s field of view.

8. A wearable display, comprising:

a display having an inner region and an outer region of substantially lower resolution than the inner region; and

a controller operably coupled to the display, wherein the controller generates an inner region display signal, and an outer region display signal using at least of one of a motion, brightness or color characteristic from the inner region display signal.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein the outer region is of less than 5 cycles per degree resolution.

10. The display of claim 8, wherein the inner region is of at least 15 cycle per degree resolution at a center of the inner region.

11. The display of claim 9, wherein the outer region comprises:

an array of red, blue and green lights.

12. The display of claim 9, wherein the outer region comprises:

an array of white lights.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of adjusting the image signal data comprises:

creating a distortion ratio between an inner region and an edge of the source image of between 2;

1 and 20;

1.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

sampling a source image signal to obtain the image signal data.

17. The display of claim 16, wherein the distortion ratio between an inner region and an edge of the source image is between 2:

1 and 20;

1.

18. The wearable display of claim 16, comprising:

an image source coupled to the controller, wherein the image source generates the source image signal.

19. The wearable display of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises:

a processor operably coupled to the image source, wherein the processor samples the source image signal.

13. A method of displaying images using a wearable display, comprising:

determining an amount of distortion for image signal data, the distortion acting to distort a source image conveyed by the image signal data so that a field of view of the source image is expanded;

adjusting the image signal data so that the source image conveyed by the image signal data is distorted according to the determined amount of distortion;

generating a display signal using the adjusted image signal data; and

displaying an image on a display using the display signal.

16. A wearable display, comprising:

a display having an inner region and an outer region; and

a controller operably coupled to the display, wherein the controller obtains image signal data from a source image signal and generates a display signal by determining an amount of distortion for the image signal data, and adjusting the image signal data so that a source image conveyed by the image signal data is distorted according to the determined amount of distortion, the distortion distorting the source image so that a field of view of the image is expanded to the outer region of the display.

20. A wearable display, comprising:

a display for displaying images;

a controller operably coupled to the display, wherein the controller obtains image signal data from a source image signal and generates a display signal for display by the display; and

optics arranged in the wearable display, wherein the optics modify an image displayed by the display by distorting an outer region of the image by a greater amount than an inner region of the image so that a field of view of the image is increased.

21. The wearable display of claim 20, wherein a distortion ratio between a portion of the outer region and a portion of the inner region is between 2:

1 and 20;

1.