HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20130241948A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kimura, Fusashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/18 Use of optical transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

An optical transmission-type head mounted display apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires image data; an image display unit that generates image light based on the image data, and outputs the image light in order to cause a user to see the image light as a virtual image; and a control unit that performs control so as to reduces an output level of the image light corresponding to a part of regions of the virtual image from among the image light to a level at which the user cannot see the virtual image in a specific condition.

Claims

1. An optical transmission-type head mounted display apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires image data;

an image display unit that generates image light based on the image data, and outputs the image light in order to cause a user to see the image light as a virtual image; and

a control unit that performs control so as to reduce an output level of the image light corresponding to a part of regions of the virtual image from among the image light to a level at which the user cannot see the virtual image in a specific condition.

2. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image display unit includes an image forming panel which includes a plurality of pixels and outputs the image light, and

wherein the control unit, as the control, converts apart of the plurality of pixels into non-display pixels in which the output level of the image light is reduced to the level at which the user cannot see the virtual image.

3. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the pixels are formed in a square lattice shape in the image forming panel, and

wherein, when the control is performed, a plurality of non-display pixel groups, each of which includes N (N is an integer which is equal to or greater than 1) non-display pixels of the image forming panel, and a plurality of display pixel groups, each of which includes N display pixels outputting the output level of the image light as a level at which the user can see the virtual image, are alternately arranged in the image forming panel.

4. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, when the control is performed, a ratio of a number of non-display pixels to a total number of pixels of the image forming panel differs depending on a position on the image forming panel.

5. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the ratio in a center of the image forming panel is lower than the ratio in circumference of the image forming panel.

6. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the control includes control which is performed to reduce brightness of the display pixels which output the output level of the image light to the level at which the user can see the virtual image.

7. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit that receives an operation from the user,

wherein the specific condition is a case in which the operation unit receives an operation for performing the control.

8. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the control unit automatically performs the control when the operation unit receives an operation which causes the image display unit to generate the image light based on the image data.

9. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the specific condition is that the image data is image data of a still image.

10. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a detection unit that detects a positional state of the head mounted display apparatus,

wherein the image display unit is worn on a head of the user,

wherein the operation unit is separated from the image display unit, and

wherein the specific condition is a case in which the detected state is a specific state.

11. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the state is acceleration of the head mounted display apparatus, and

wherein the specific state is a state in which the acceleration is equal to or greater than a specific value.

12. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein, if a specific time elapses from a point of time that acceleration which is equal to or greater than the specific value is not detected after the acceleration which is equal to or greater than the specific value is detected, the control unit outputs the output level of the image light corresponding to a part of the regions, the levels of which are reduced to the level at which the user cannot see the virtual image, as a level at which the user can see the virtual image.

13. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the detection unit includes a signal transmission unit which is arranged in the operation unit, and a signal reception unit which receives a signal transmitted from the signal transmission unit arranged in the image display unit,

wherein the state is a state of a positional relationship between the operation unit and the image display unit, which is acquired from the signal transmission unit and the signal reception unit, and

wherein the specific state is a state in which a position of the operation unit overlaps with the virtual image.

14. A method of controlling an optical transmission-type head mounted display apparatus which includes an image display unit causing a user to see image light as a virtual image, the method comprising:

acquiring image data;

generating the image light based on the image data; and

performing control so as to reduce an output level of the image light corresponding to a part of regions of the virtual image from among the image light to a level at which the user cannot see the virtual image in a specific condition.