HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY AND IMAGE DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20130222215A1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• 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: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

A head mounted display includes an external world information acquisition unit that acquires external world information, a visual effect unit that generates an effect image for visual effect in response to the acquired external world information, and an image display unit that superimposes and displays an outside view on the generated effect image.

Claims

1. A head mounted display comprising:

an external world information acquisition unit that acquires external world information;

a visual effect unit that generates an effect image for visual effect in response to the acquired external world information; and

an image display unit that superimposes and displays an outside view on the generated effect image.

2. The head mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes the acquired external world information to estimate an action of an actor in the external world,

wherein the visual effect unit generates an effect image in response to the estimated action.

3. The head mounted display according to claim 2, further comprising:

a touch sensation stimulation unit that is provided in the image display unit and applies a stimulus to a user of the head mounted display through touch sensation; and

a touch effect unit that activates the touch sensation stimulation unit in response to the estimated action.

4. The head mounted display according to claim 2, further comprising a detection unit that detects information on a motion of the user of the head mounted display,

wherein the visual effect unit generates the effect image further in response to the information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit in addition to the estimated action.

5. The head mounted display according to claim 2, wherein the external world information acquisition unit includes an imaging device, and

the external world information is an image taken by the imaging device.

6. The head mounted display according to claim 2, wherein the external world information is information on the motion of the actor in the external world received from an external device.

7. The head mounted display according to claim 6, wherein the information on the motion of the actor in the external world includes at least one of acceleration information, angular velocity information, and a heart rate of the actor in the external world.

8. The head mounted display according to claim 4, wherein the detection unit includes at least one of

a head acceleration information detection part provided in the image display unit for detecting acceleration information of a head of the user of the head mounted display,

a head angular velocity information detection part provided in the image display unit for detecting angular velocity information of the head of the user of the head mounted display, and

a heart rate meter provided in the image display unit for measuring a heart rate of the user of the head mounted display.

9. An image display system comprising a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 6, wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted displays transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the other head mounted display that operates as the external device, and acquires the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the other head mounted display.

10. An image display system comprising a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 7, wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted displays transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the other head mounted display that operates as the external device, and acquires the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the other head mounted display.

11. An image display system comprising a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 8, wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted displays transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the other head mounted display that operates as the external device, and acquires the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the other head mounted display.

12. An image display system comprising:

a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 6; and

a server as the external device,

wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted display transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the server, and acquires the information transmitted by the other head mounted display as the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the server.

13. An image display system comprising:

a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 7; and

a server as the external device,

wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted display transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the server, and acquires the information transmitted by the other head mounted display as the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the server.

14. An image display system comprising:

a plurality of the head mounted displays according to claim 8; and

a server as the external device,

wherein the external world information acquisition unit of one of the head mounted display transmits information on the motion of the user of the head mounted display detected by the detection unit of itself to the server, and acquires the information transmitted by the other head mounted display as the information on the motions of the users of the head mounted displays detected in the respective head mounted displays as the external world information from the server.