HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THEREFOR

• US 20150029088A1
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Jihwan, LEE, Doyoung, CHUN, Sinae, KIM, Yongsin
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 2027/0178 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of controlling a head mounted display (HMD) according to one embodiment of the present specification includes the steps of detecting a first contact contacted with a nose pad of the HMD, detecting a second contact contacted with a temple of the HMD, if the first contact and the second contact are detected, operating in a wearing mode to activate a display unit and an audio input unit, if the first contact is not detected and the second contact is detected, operating in a mute mode to activate the display unit and inactivate the audio input unit, and if the first contact and the second contact are not detected, operating in a non-wearing mode to inactivate the display unit and the audio input unit.

Claims

1. A head mounted display (HMD), comprising:

a display unit configured to display a digital image;

an audio input unit configured to receive an audio signal and convert the audio signal into an electric signal;

an audio output unit configured to convert an electric signal to an audio signal and output the audio signal;

a first sensor configured to detect a first contact, wherein the first sensor is positioned at a nose pad of the HMD;

a second sensor configured to detect a second contact, wherein the second sensor is positioned at a temple of the HMD; and

a controller configured to;

activate a wearing mode if the first contact and the second contact are detected, wherein both the audio input unit and the audio output unit are switched to an active state in the wearing mode,

activate a mute mode if the first contact is not detected and the second contact is detected, wherein the audio input unit is switched to an inactive state and the audio output unit is maintained in the active state in the mute mode,

activate a non-wearing mode if the first contact and the second contact are not detected, wherein both the audio input unit and the audio output unit are switched to the inactive state in the non-wearing mode,

switch the wearing mode to the mute mode if the first contact is not detected in the wearing mode,

switch the mute mode to the wearing mode if the first contact is detected in the mute mode,

switch the mute mode to the non-wearing mode if the second contact is not detected in the mute mode, and

switch the non-wearing mode to the wearing mode if the first contact and the second contact are detected in the non-wearing mode.

2. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the first contact corresponds to a contact between the first sensor and a nose of a user and wherein the second contact corresponds to a contact between the second sensor and a side of a face of the user.

3. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising a third sensor configured to detect a gaze of a user, wherein if the first contact is not detected, the second contact is detected, and the gaze of the user is not detected, the controller is further configured to activate a mute and display off mode and inactivate the audio input unit and the display unit.

4. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the temple of the HMD comprises a left temple and a right temple and wherein the second sensor is positioned at the left temple and the right temple, respectively.

5. The HMD of claim 4, wherein if a contact is detected by the second sensors positioned at the left temple and the right temple, the controller is further configured to determine that the second contact is detected.

6. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio input unit in the activated mute mode.

8. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is positioned at a point adjacent to the audio output unit in the temple.

9. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is configured to measure a first distance to an object of the first contact and wherein the controller is further configured to control a mute level according to the measured first distance.

10. The HMD of claim 9, wherein if the measured first distance is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio output unit.

11. The HMD of claim 9, further comprising a camera unit configured to capture the digital image, wherein if the measured first distance is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the controller is further configured to stop capturing the digital image.

12. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising:

a third sensor configured to detect a third contact, wherein the third sensor is at a point adjacent to the display unit in the temple.

13. The HMD of claim 12,

wherein if the third contact is detected and the first contact is no longer detected after detecting the first contact and the second contact during a voice call, the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio input unit and the audio output unit, and

wherein if the third contact is not detected and the first contact is no longer detected, the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio input unit.

14. The HMD of claim 12,

wherein the temple of the HMD comprises a left temple and a right temple,

wherein the third sensor is positioned at the left temple and the right temple, respectively,

wherein if the third contact is detected by the third sensor positioned at the left temple and the first contact is no longer detected, the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio input unit,

wherein if the third contact is detected by the third sensor positioned at the right temple and the first contact is no longer detected, the controller is further configured to inactivate the audio input unit and the audio output unit, and

wherein if the third contact is detected by the third sensor positioned at the left temple and the right temple, and the first contact is no longer detected, the controller is further configured to inactivate the display unit, the audio input unit, and the audio output unit.

15. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising a third sensor configured to detect a third contact, wherein the third sensor is positioned at a bridge of the HMD.

16. The HMD of claim 15, wherein if the third contact is detected by the third sensor, the controller is further configured to toggle whether the audio input unit is activated.

17. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising a camera unit,

wherein if the HMD captures a video containing video information and audio information, the controller is further configured to:

store both the video information and the audio information in the wearing mode,

selectively store the video information in the mute mode, and

terminate capturing the video in the non-wearing mode.

18. The HMD of claim 17, further comprising a third sensor configured to detect a gaze of a user, wherein if the first contact is not detected, the second contact is detected, and the gaze of the user is not detected, the controller is further configured to activate a pause mode.

19. The HMD of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to temporarily stop storing the video information and the audio information in the pause mode.

21. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display a first digital image in the wearing mode and a second digital image in the mute mode, and

wherein the first digital image and the second digital image are substantially identical with each other.

7. (canceled)

20. A method of controlling a head mounted display (HMD), the method comprising:

detecting a first contact contacted with a nose pad of the HMD;

detecting a second contact contacted with a temple of the HMD;

operating in a wearing mode to activate both an audio input unit and an audio output unit, if the first contact and the second contact are detected;

operating in a mute mode to activate the audio output unit and inactivate the audio input unit, if the first contact is not detected and the second contact is detected; and

operating in a non-wearing mode to inactivate both the audio input unit and the audio output unit, if the first contact and the second contact are not detected,

wherein if the first contact is not detected in the wearing mode, the method switches the wearing mode to the mute mode,

wherein if the first contact is detected in the mute mode, the method switches the mute mode to the wearing mode,

wherein if the second contact is not detected in the mute mode, the method switches the mute mode to the non-wearing mode, and

wherein if the first contact and the second contact are detected in the non-wearing mode, the method switches the non-wearing mode to the wearing mode.