HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20150341624A1
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KIMURA, Fusashi, KOBAYASHI, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 10,009,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/041 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A head-mounted display device includes: an image-light generating unit for right eye that generates image light from image data for right eye and emits the image light; an image-light generating unit for left eye that generates image light from image data for left eye and the image light; a light guide units that guide the emitted image lights to the left and right eyes of the user; and a display control unit that transmits control signals for controlling the emission of the image lights respectively to the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye. The display control unit transitions, according to a condition set in advance, the head-mounted display device to a power saving state for causing one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye to stop the emission of the image light.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display device for making a user recognize a virtual image in a state in which the head-mounted display device is mounted on a head of the user, the head-mounted display device comprising:

an image-light generating unit for right eye to generate an image light from an image data for right eye corresponding to a right eye of the user and emits the image light;

an image-light generating unit for left eye to generate the image light from an image data for left eye corresponding to a left eye of the user and emits the image light;

a display control unit for controlling an emission of each of the image lights respectively made by the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye;

a temperature detecting unit for right eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for right eye; and

a temperature detecting unit for left eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for left eye, wherein

the display control unit controls to transit, according to a condition set in advance, the head-mounted display device to a power saving state which makes one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye stop the emission of the image light and makes another execute the emission of the image light.

2. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the condition set in advance is a condition that at least one of the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for right eye and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for left eye is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

3. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the condition set in advance is a condition that a target image used for display of the virtual image is a still image.

4. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising a battery that supplies electric power to the head-mounted display device, wherein

the condition set in advance is a condition that remaining power of the battery is equal to or smaller than predetermined remaining power.

5. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, further comprising an illuminance acquiring unit that acquires illuminance indicating ambient brightness, wherein

the condition set in advance is a condition that the acquired illuminance is equal to or lower than predetermined illuminance.

6. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the condition set in advance is any one of a condition that the head-mounted display device detects startup of an application designated in advance in an operating system installed in the head-mounted display device, a condition that the head-mounted display device acquires a request from an outside, and a condition that the head-mounted display device detects that a state in which operation for the head-mounted display device is not detected continues for a predetermined time.

7. A head-mounted display device for making a user recognize a virtual image in a state in which the head-mounted display device is mounted on a head of the user, the head-mounted display device comprising:

an image-light generating unit for right eye to generate an image light from an image data for right eye corresponding to a right eye of the user and emits the image light;

an image-light generating unit for left eye to generate the image light from an image data for left eye corresponding to a left eye of the user and emits the image light;

a display control unit for controlling an emission of each of the image lights respectively made by the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye;

a temperature detecting unit for right eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for right eye; and

a temperature detecting unit for left eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for left eye, wherein

the display control unit controls to transit, according to conditions set in advance, the head-mounted display device between a power saving state which makes one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye stop the emission of the image light and makes another execute the emission of the image light, and a normal state which makes both of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye execute the emission of the image light,

the conditions set in advance are a first condition that at least one of the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for right eye and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for left eye is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the first condition for making the head-mounted display device transit to the power saving state, and a second condition that both of the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for right eye and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for left eye below the predetermined temperature, the second condition for making the head-mounted display device transit to the normal state.

8. The head-mounted display device according to claim 7, further comprising an image processing unit that receives a source image which becomes to be the virtual image and generates the image data for right eye and the image data for left eye based on the source image.

9. The head-mounted display device according to claim 7, wherein the image light emitted by the other one of the image-light generating unit in the power saving state is a same size as an image light emitted in a non-power saving state.

10. The head-mounted display device according to claim 7, wherein the virtual image made in the power saving state by one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye display in the virtual field of the user the virtual image the same as that of the normal state.

12. The head-mounted display device according to claim 10, further comprising an image processing unit that receives a source image which becomes to be the virtual image and generates the image data for right eye and the image data for left eye based on the source image.

13. The head-mounted display device according to claim 10, wherein the image light emitted by the other one of the image-light generating unit in the power saving state is a same size as an image light emitted in a non-power saving state.

14. The head-mounted display device according to claim 10, wherein the virtual image made in the power saving state by one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye display in the virtual field of the user the virtual image the same as that of the normal state.

11. A head-mounted display device for making a user recognize a virtual image in a state in which the head-mounted display device is mounted on a head of the user, the head-mounted display device comprising:

an image-light generating unit for right eye to generate an image light from an image data for right eye corresponding to a right eye of the user and emits the image light;

an image-light generating unit for left eye to generate the image light from an image data for left eye corresponding to a left eye of the user and emits the image light;

a display control unit for controlling an emission of each of the image lights respectively made by the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye;

a temperature detecting unit for right eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for right eye; and

a temperature detecting unit for left eye that detects a temperature of the image-light generating unit for left eye, wherein

the display control unit controls to transit, according to a condition set in advance, the head-mounted display device between a power saving state which makes one of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye stop the emission of the image light and makes another execute the emission of the image light, and a normal state which makes both of the image-light generating unit for right eye and the image-light generating unit for left eye executes the emission of the image light,

the condition set in advance is a condition that a difference between the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for right eye and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit for left eye is equal to or larger than a predetermined temperature difference.