Information display system

• US 20060017657A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Masafumi
• Application Number:
  US11/180,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017657A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

An information display system according to the present invention includes a head-mounted unit for displaying images by projecting display data on eyes of an observer so that the images can be observed as virtual images and a main unit having a hard disk or a record memory for storing display original information, a main unit memory for temporarily storing the display data read out and converted from the display original information, an LCD for displaying images based on the display data, and a second operating switch including a display select switch for alternatively selecting any one of the displaying by the head-mounted unit and the displaying by the LCD.

Claims

1. An information display system comprising:

a head-mounted unit having first displaying means for displaying specific information so that the information displayed by the first displaying means can be observed;

a main unit having second displaying means for displaying specific information and generating display data for displaying information on the second displaying means or display data for displaying information on the first displaying means; and

selecting means for alternatively selecting any one of the first displaying means and the second displaying means.

2. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the head-mounted unit may have any one of an available state and an unavailable state, and the selecting means selects the first displaying means when the head-mounted unit is in the available state.

3. The information display system according to claim 2, wherein the head-mounted unit further comprises a front portion arranged substantially in parallel with the face of an observer when the head-mounted unit is mounted by the observer and a temple arranged to be collapsible relative to the front portion so as to have a closed position substantially along the front portion and an opened position along a side face of the head of the observer when the head-mounted unit is mounted by the observer at a point crossing with the front portion, and

wherein when the temple is folded from the opened position toward the closed position by more than a predetermined angle, the head-mounted unit is put into the unavailable state.

4. The information display system according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the head-mounted unit, wherein when the head-mounted unit is in the unavailable state, the power supply from the power supply circuit is forcedly turned off.

5. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the selecting means is arranged in the main unit, and includes transmitting means for transmitting an inquiry signal whether the head-mounted unit is available or unavailable to the head-mounted unit, and

wherein when no replay is received from the head-mounted unit, the head-mounted unit is determined to be unavailable and the second display means is selected.

6. The information display system according to claim 1, wherein the head-mounted unit further comprises angular velocity detecting means for substantially detecting an angular velocity of the head of an observer by detecting the angular velocity of the head-mounted unit so as to output as angular velocity information, and

wherein when the first displaying means is selected by the selecting means, the main unit generates display data in which information displayed on the first displaying means moves in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the head calculated based on the angular velocity information by an angle corresponding to the rotational angle of the head calculated based on the angular velocity information so as to maintain a position of images observed by the observer substantially constant regardless of inclination of the observer head.