Display device

• US 20060152618A1
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Masafumi
• Application Number:
  US11/373,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152618A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/345
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0129 comprising devices for correcting parallax
• 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 2027/0187 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: G02C 11/00 Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof G02C7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/10 adjusting viewfinders field
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/12 to compensate for change of camera lens or size of picture
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/14 to compensate for parallax due to short range
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/22 coupling providing for compensation upon change of camera lens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/04 collapsible, foldable or extensible, e.g. book type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2213/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 : based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

A head-mounted camera of the present invention includes the following elements. A first image pickup device includes a first photographing optical system that can change the focal distance and a CCD for converting a subject image formed by the first photographing optical system into an image signal. A see-through image display portion displays a photographic frame indicating the photographic range as a virtual image so that it is superimposed on a subject substantially directly observed by a photographer. A remote controller includes a second operation switch for setting the visual angle of the photographic frame when viewed from the photographer. A controller/recorder includes a first CPU for setting the focal distance of the first photographing optical system so that the visual angle of the photographic frame set by the second operation switch coincides with the field angle of the first image pickup device.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

an optical element for displaying an image containing predetermined information as a virtual image so that the image is superimposed on a subject substantially directly observed by an observer;

projection means for projecting the image that is displayed by the optical element on the optical element;

virtual-image distance adjusting means for adjusting a distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element so as to correspond to a distance from the optical element to the subject.

2. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising visual-angle adjusting means for adjusting the visual-angle concerning the virtual image so as to be constant without depending upon the distance from the optical element to the virtual image.

3. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising distance-measurement means for measuring a distance from the optical element to the subject;

wherein the virtual-image distance adjusting means adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image based on the distance from the optical element to the subject measured by the distance-measurement means.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the projection means comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information;

and

the virtual-image distance adjusting means adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element by adjusting the distance between the optical element and the display element.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the projection means comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information and an image-forming optical system for forming the image generated by the display element on an optical path between the display element and the optical element, and

the virtual-image distance adjusting means adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element by adjusting a position at which the image generated by the display element is formed by the image-forming optical system.

6. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the projection means comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information, and

the visual-angle adjusting means adjusts the visual-angle concerning the virtual image so as to be constant by adjusting the size of the image generated on the display element.

7. A display device comprising:

an optical element for displaying an image containing predetermined information as a virtual image so that the image is superimposed on a subject substantially facing an observer;

a projector that projects the image that is displayed by the optical element on the optical element;

virtual-image distance adjuster that adjusts a distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element so as to correspond to a distance from the optical element to the subject.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising visual-angle adjuster that adjusts a visual-angle concerning the virtual image so as to be constant without depending upon the distance from the optical element to the virtual image.

9. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising distance measuring devices that measure a distance from the optical element to the subject;

wherein the virtual-image distance adjuster adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image based on the distance from the optical element to the subject measured by the distance measuring device.

10. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the projector comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information;

and

the virtual-image distance adjuster adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element by adjusting the distance between the optical element and the display element.

11. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the projector comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information and an image-forming optical system for forming the image generated by the display element on an optical path between the display element and the optical element, and

the virtual-image distance adjuster adjusts the distance from the optical element to the virtual image that is displayed by the optical element by adjusting a position at which the image generated by the display element is formed by the image-forming optical system.

12. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the projector comprises a display element for generating the image containing the predetermined information, and

the visual-angle adjuster adjusts the visual-angle concerning the virtual image so as to be constant by adjusting the size of the image generated on the display element.