DISPLAY APPARATUS, DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20100085462A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuruta, Masaaki, Sako, Yoichiro, Ito, Taiji, Asukai, Masamichi, Ebisawa, Kan
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• 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 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: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Display control that extends a user'"'"'s visual ability is accomplished. By wearing an eyeglass-type or headgear-type mounting unit, he or she is allowed to see display means disposed in front of his or her eyes. By causing a part of a screen area of the display means to be in a through-state and a display with a display image signal to be executed, the user can see an image of a scene different from a scene that he or she ordinarily sees with a display of the display image signal while he or she can see the ordinary visual scene with the through-state area.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

display means, disposed in front of eyes of a user, for displaying an image and causing a screen area on which an image is displayed to be in a through-state which is transparent or semi-transparent;

image signal generation means for generating a display image signal of a scene different from a scene which the user sees through the display means when the display means is caused to be in the through-state; and

control means for controlling a part of the screen area of the display means to be in the through-state and the display means to execute displaying with the display image signal generated by the image signal generation means.

2. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the image signal generation means includes:

an image capturing section; and

a signal processing section which performs a signal process for a captured image signal obtained by the image capturing section.

3. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the image capturing section is an image capturing section disposed such that the image capturing section performs capturing in a direction which the user sees through the display means when the screen area is caused to be in the through-state as a direction of an object.

4. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the image capturing section is an image capturing section disposed such that the image capturing section performs capturing in a direction different from a direction which the user sees through the display means when the screen area is caused to be in the through-state as a direction of an object.

5. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the image capturing section is an image capturing section capable of changing a direction of an object.

6. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the image signal generation means includes a reception section which receives an image signal from an external device.

7. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the image signal generation means includes a signal processing section which performs a signal process for a supplied image signal.

8. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the control means sets a parent screen area and a child screen area in the screen area of the display means and causes one of the parent screen area and the child screen area to be in the through-state and the other to be in a screen display state with the display image signal.

9. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the control means divides the screen area of the display means into areas and causes one of the divided areas to be in the through-state and the other to be an image display state with the display image signal.

10. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing of an image of a near scene or an image of a far scene.

11. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing of a telescopic image or a wide-angle image.

12. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by an enlargement process or a reduction process.

13. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing whose image capturing sensitivity is increased or decreased.

14. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing whose infrared image capturing sensitivity is increased.

15. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing whose ultraviolet image capturing sensitivity is increased.

16. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display image signal is an image signal obtained by capturing in a direction different from a direction which the user sees through the display means when the screen area is caused to be in the through-state as a direction of an object.

17. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the image capturing section controls an operation of an image capturing lens system such that the image signal generation means obtains a display image signal as a scene different from a scene which the user sees when the display means is caused to be in the through-state.

18. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 2,

wherein the signal processing section performs a signal process such that the image signal generation means obtains a display image signal as a scene different from a scene which the user sees when the display means is caused to be in the through-state.

19. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the receiving section receives an image signal captured by an external image capturing device such that the image signal generation means obtains the display image signal as a scene different from a scene which the user sees when the display means is caused to be in the through-state.

20. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

external information obtaining means for obtaining external information,

wherein the control means causes the display image signal to be displayed on the display means based on the external information obtained from the external information obtaining means.

21. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 20,

wherein the control means controls an area on which the display image signal is displayed based on the external information obtained from the external information obtaining means.

22. A display method of a display apparatus having display means, disposed in front of eyes of a user, for displaying an image and causing a screen area on which an image is displayed to be in a through-state which is transparent or semi-transparent, comprising:

a step of generating a display image signal of a scene different from a scene which the user sees through the display means when the display means is caused to be in the through-state; and

a step of controlling a part of the screen area of the display means to be in the through-state and the display means to execute displaying with the generated display image signal.