HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY, PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY

• US 20150009132A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuriya, Shinobu, Ueno, Masatoshi, Kabasawa, Kenichi, Kawakami, Daisuke, Goto, Tetsuro, Sugano, Hisako, Tsukahara, Tsubasa, Nakagawa, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,523,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• 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 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A head-mounted display comprising a display and a detector. The detector is configured to detect a direction of at least one of the head-mounted display and a line of vision. The display is configured to display an output image of an application, wherein the application is selected based on the direction being outside a range of a front direction.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display comprising:

a detector configured to detect a direction of at least one of the head-mounted display and a line of vision; and

a display configured to display an output image of an application,

wherein the application is selected based on the direction being outside a range of a front direction.

2. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the range of the front direction is set at least large enough to encompass the display when the head-mounted display is facing the front direction.

3. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the range of the front direction is set at least large enough to encompass a part of the display when the head-mounted display is facing the front direction.

4. A head-mounted display according to claim 3, wherein the part of the display displays the output image of the application.

5. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the front direction is set as a direction of the head-mounted display when the head-mounted display is powered on or when a predetermined input operation is performed.

6. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the display is a see-through display.

7. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device storing instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to select the application.

8. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect the direction of the head-mounted display.

9. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein a first application is selected based on the direction being a first direction outside the range of the front direction, and a second application is selected based on the direction being a second direction outside the range of the front direction, and wherein the first application and second application are different.

10. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the application is selected based on the direction and a timer value.

11. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein

a first application is selected based on the direction moving from inside the range of the front direction to outside the range of the front direction, and the display is configured to display an output image of the first application.

12. A head-mounted display according to claim 11, wherein a second application is selected or no application is selected based on the direction moving from outside the range of the front direction to inside the range of the front direction, and the display is configured to display an output image of the second application or to display no output image.

13. A head-mounted display according to claim 11, wherein a selection of the first application is fixed based on a timer value and the direction moving from outside the range of the front direction to inside the range of the front direction, and the display is configured to continue to display the output image of the first application.

14. A head-mounted display according to claim 13, wherein a fixation of the first application is released based on a timer value.

15. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the application is selected based on an output of at least one of a GPS and an acceleration sensor included in the head-mounted display.

16. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the output image of the application is at least one of text, a moving image, and a still image.

17. A head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the display displays a plurality of applications in menu form.

18. A head-mounted display according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of applications displayed in menu form are displayed in a sliding manner based on the direction detected by the detector.

19. A method of operating a head-mounted display comprising:

detecting a direction of at least one of the head-mounted display and a line of vision;

selecting an application based on the direction being outside a range of a front direction; and

displaying an output image of the application.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a head-mounted display to:

detect a direction of at least one of the head-mounted display and a line of vision;

select an application based on the direction being outside a range of a front direction; and

display an output image of the application.