Immersive display system

• US 20030103016A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mertz, Pierre H., Tullis, Barclay J., Walker, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,870,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

An immersive display system which provides for an optical correlator for imaging a surface and generating data representative of the position or movement of the optical correlator and any object physically associated with the optical correlator. Imagery is generated and displayed on a display device in accordance with the data generated by the optical correlator.

Claims

1. A display system for displaying imagery to a user comprising:

a display unit comprising headgear, an optical correlator; and

a visual display, the headgear being shaped to be placed upon the head of a user, the optical correlator being mounted to the headgear and being operative to monitor a surface optically and to generate an image output signal corresponding to the surface, the visual display being mounted to the headgear such that the visual display can be viewed by the user when the headgear is placed upon the head of the user, the visual display being operative to display imagery based upon the image output signal from said optical correlator.

2. A display system according to claim 1 wherein said visual display comprises a liquid crystal display.

3. A display system according to claim 1, wherein said

4. A display system according to claim 1, wherein said optical correlator comprises an imager being monitored operative to capture image data corresponding to the surface being monitored.

5. A display system according to claim 4, wherein said optical correlator further comprises an optical system operative to focus light onto said imager.

6. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising an enclosure sized and shaped to at least partially surround said display unit.

7. A display system according to claim 6, wherein the surface monitored by said optical correlator is at least a portion of said enclosure.

8. A display system according to claim 1, wherein said image output signal of said optical correlator is provided to a connected system which generates imagery for display on said visual display in accordance with said image output signal.

9. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image generator operative to generate an output signal, the output signal being used by said visual display to display imagery to the user.

10. A display system according to claim 9, further comprising a navigation engine operative to receive the image output signal from said optical correlator, determine a relative position of said optical correlator with respect to the surface, and provide a positional signal to said image generator for use in generating the output signal.

11. A visual display according to claim 10 wherein said image generator and navigation engine are mounted to said headgear.

12. A display system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for transmitting signals to said display unit from said image generator.

13. A display device according to claim 4, wherein said imager comprises a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photo imager.

14. A display device according to claim 10, further comprising a wireless interface;

and

wherein said image generator communicates with said headgear via said wireless interface.

15. A display device according to claim 14, wherein said wireless interface comprises an infrared-transmitter.

16. A method for displaying imagery to a user comprising:

receiving positional signals generated by an optical correlator which represent an image of a surface of a environment;

determining a relative position relating to a user based upon said positional signal;

generating imagery for display on a display device in accordance with said determined relative position; and

displaying said imagery on said display device for viewing by said user.