HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY

• US 20140184477A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: HINO, Makiko, MIZOGUCHI, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 9,229,236 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 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera

Abstract

A head-mounted display includes: a scanning unit that scans signal light modulated according to an image signal; a display unit on which the signal light from the scanning unit is incident and that is transmissive to visible light, the display unit including a half mirror area reflecting the signal light from the scanning unit and a transmission area having a transmittance higher than that of the half mirror area for visible light; and a control unit that scans, based on a use condition, the signal light over an area including the transmission area.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display comprising:

a scanning unit that scans signal light modulated according to an image signal;

a display unit on which the signal light from the scanning unit is incident and that is transmissive to visible light, the display unit including a half mirror area reflecting the signal light from the scanning unit and a transmission area having a transmittance higher than that of the half mirror area for visible light; and

a control unit that scans, based on a use condition, the signal light over an area including the transmission area.

2. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

the use condition includes a first condition and a second condition, and

the control unit scans the signal light over the half mirror area in the first condition and scans the signal light over the area including the transmission area in the second condition.

3. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging unit that captures an image, wherein

the control unit applies the second condition when driving the imaging unit.

4. The head-mounted display according to claim 2, wherein

the transmission area is positioned outside a scanning area where the signal light is scanned over the half mirror area, and

the control unit scans the signal light over the area including the transmission area by expanding a scanning angle range more in the second condition than in the first condition.

5. The head-mounted display according to claim 4, wherein

the scanning unit scans the signal light by resonance in a first direction and scans the signal light by non-resonance in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and

the control unit expands the scanning angle range in the second direction more in the second condition than in the first condition.

6. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission area includes a diffusion area having a diffuse transmittance higher than that of the half mirror area for visible light.

7. The head-mounted display according to claim 6, wherein

a diffusion film is formed in the diffusion area.

8. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

the area including the transmission area is the half mirror area and the transmission area.

9. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission area is adjacent to the half mirror area.

10. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising an eyeglass-type frame including a front portion including a nose pad portion, wherein

the scanning unit is positioned on the nose pad portion side of the front portion and on the side closer to the center of the front portion than an optical axis of the signal light reflected by the display unit.

11. The head-mounted display according to claim 10, further comprising a signal light generating unit that generates the signal light, wherein

the frame includes a temple portion connected to the front portion and a modern portion as an end of the temple portion, and

the signal light generating unit is disposed at the modern portion.

12. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

the scanning unit further includes

a base portion on which a reflector having a reflecting surface reflecting the signal light is disposed,

an axial portion that supports the base portion oscillatable about a first axis,

a frame body portion that is oscillatable about a second axis intersecting the first axis,

a permanent magnet that is disposed at the frame body portion,

a coil, and

a voltage applying unit that applies a voltage to the coil,

the base portion and the frame body portion are connected with the axial portion,

the permanent magnet is arranged in plan view in a direction inclined to the first axis and the second axis, and

the voltage applying unit applies to the coil a voltage obtained by superimposing on each other a first voltage at a first frequency causing the base portion to oscillate about the first axis and a second voltage at a second frequency causing the frame body portion to oscillate about the second axis.

13. The head-mounted display according to claim 12, wherein

the scanning unit scans the signal light over the area including the transmission area by making the second voltage higher in the second condition than in the first condition.