Head mounted image display apparatus and image forming apparatus related thereto

• US 5,737,012 A
• Filed: 11/29/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Iba, Yoichi, Tabata, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US08/564,711
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 348/53, 348/43, 345/8, 353/7, 359/462, 359/466
• US Class Current: 348/53
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/279 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A head mounted image display apparatus capable of performing a stereoscopical viewing, having first and second image display sections and displaying first and second images each having parallax on these first and second image display sections is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a position of convergence deciding means for deciding diopter adjusting signals corresponding to parallax or convergence angle of the line of sight position of a viewer by detecting the line of sight direction of at least one eye of the both right and left eyes to decide the line of sight position of the viewer in a viewing region; a diopter adjusting mechanism adapted to receive the diopter adjusting signal for adjusting the diopter of the first and second image display sections; and the line of sight position deciding means including a diopter adjusting signal selecting means for selecting the diopter adjusting signal out of a plurality of diopter adjusting signals or the signals corresponding thereto, based on the position of convergence.

Claims

1. A head mounted image display apparatus capable of performing a stereoscopical viewing, having first and second image display sections and displaying first and second images each having parallax on these first and second image display sections;

characterized by comprising;

a position of convergence deciding means for deciding diopter adjusting signals corresponding to parallax or convergence angle of the position of convergence of a viewer by detecting the line of sight direction of at least one eye of the both right and left eyes to decide the position of convergence of the viewer in a viewing region;

a diopter adjusting mechanism adapted to receive the diopter adjusting signal for adjusting the diopter of the first and second image display sections; and

the position of convergence deciding means including a diopter adjusting signal selecting means for selecting the diopter adjusting signal out of a plurality of diopter adjusting signals or the signals corresponding thereto, based on the position of convergence.

2. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position of convergence deciding means comprises an image generating means for generating the first and second images based on the object to be viewed to decide the diopter adjusting signal corresponding to the object to be viewed present at the position of convergence after transmitting the line of sight position signals to the image generating means.

3. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second image display sections are LCD, and the diopter adjusting mechanism performs adjustment of the diopter by moving the LCD with respect to the right and left eyes.

4. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewing region is divided into a plurality of regions, and the line of sight direction decides whether the position of convergence converges which region of the plural regions, thereby deciding the diopter adjusting signals corresponding to the decided region.

5. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, further comprising two cameras for generating image signals of the first and second images each having the parallax, and a plurality of a range measuring mechanisms provided in either one of the cameras, the diopter adjusting signals being range signals outputted in accordance with the distance up to the object to be viewed which is to be measured by the plural range measuring mechanisms.

6. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the first and second image signals recorded on a record medium, on which first and second image signals corresponding to right and left eyes of the viewer and a plurality of range signals given in accordance with the object to be viewed in the images, are transmitted to the first and second image display sections, and a reproducing device capable of reproducing the plural range signals as the plural diopter adjusting signal is provided.

7. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plural range signals given in accordance with the first and second image signals and the plurality of range signals given in accordance with the object to be viewed in the images are the signal formed by a computer.

8. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signals or signals corresponding thereto are formed by subjecting the first and second image signals to a correlating operation.

16. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 13, further comprising:

a resolution improving means for improving a resolution of viewing subject in display region of the image corresponding to the convergence position in accordance with the signals representing the convergence position decided by the position of convergence deciding means.

18. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising two cameras for generating image signals of first and second images each having parallax, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means are accommodated in either one of the cameras, and are a plurality of range measuring mechanisms corresponding to the position of convergence, the diopter adjusting signals are distance or range signals outputted in accordance with the distance up to the viewing substance ranged by the plural range measuring mechanisms and resolution improving means are focusing mechanisms for focusing the viewing subject in the display region of the image corresponding to the convergence position and arranged in the two cameras.

24. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising two cameras for generating image signals of first and second images each having parallax, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means are accommodated in either one of the cameras, and are a plurality of range measuring mechanisms corresponding to the position of convergence, and the diopter adjusting signals are distance or range signals outputted in accordance with the distance up to the viewing substance ranged by the plural range measuring mechanisms.

25. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means are corresponded to coordinates of the image regions of the image, and the diopter adjusting signal generating means selection means decides the corresponding coordinates of the image regions in accordance with the position of convergence decided by the position of the convergence deciding means, thereby selecting the diopter adjusting signal generating means based on the coordinates.

9. A head mounted image display apparatus capable of performing a stereoscopical observation and having an image display section for displaying an image having parallax of first and second eyes of a viewer, respectively;

characterized by comprising;

a diopter adjusting mechanism for adjusting diopter of the image display section in accordance with the inputted diopter adjusting signal;

a diopter adjusting signal generating means for generating a plurality of diopter adjusting signals related to the parallax or convergence angle of the image or signals in connection thereto;

a position of convergence deciding means for deciding the position of convergence of the viewer in a viewing region by detecting the line of sight direction of at least one eye of the first and second eyes of the viewer; and

a diopter adjusting signal selection means for selecting the diopter adjusting signal transmitted to the diopter adjusting mechanism from the plural diopter adjusting signals or the signals corresponding thereto based on the position of convergence.

10. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising;

an image forming device including;

the image signal generating means for generating image signals of the image,

the diopter adjusting signal generating means,

the waveform composer for superimposing the plural diopter adjusting signals or signals in connection thereto on the image signals; and

the transmitting means for transmitting the superimposing signals; and

a receiving means for receiving the superimposed signals transmitted by the transmitting means, for transmitting the image signals to the image display section and for transmitting the diopter adjusting signals or the signals in connection therewith to the diopter adjusting signal selecting means.

11. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a recording device for recording the image signals of the image having the parallax, the plural diopter adjusting signals or the signals in connection thereto on a record medium; and

a reproducing device for transmitting signals of the image having the parallax and recorded on the record medium, and for reproducing the plural distance of signals as the plural diopter adjusting signals.

12. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signals or the signals in connection thereto are corresponded to coordinates of the image regions of the image, and the diopter adjusting signal selection means decides the corresponding coordinates of the image regions based on the position of convergence decided by the position of convergence deciding means, thereby selecting the diopter adjusting signal based on the coordinates.

13. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signals in connection with the parallax or convergence angle of the image are formed by subjecting the first and second image signals having parallax of first and second eyes of a viewer to a correlating operation.

14. A head mounted image display apparatus capable of performing a stereoscopical observation and having an image display section for displaying an image having parallax of first and second eyes of a viewer, respectively;

characterized by comprising;

a diopter adjusting mechanism for adjusting diopter of the image display section in accordance with the inputted diopter adjusting signal;

a plurality of diopter adjusting signal generating means for each generating a plurality of diopter adjusting signals for operating the diopter adjusting mechanism and related to the parallax or convergence angle of the image or signals in connection thereto, in accordance with the viewing subject in the display region of the image;

a position of convergence deciding means for deciding the position of convergence of the viewer in a viewing region by detecting the line of sight direction of at least one eye of the first and second eyes of the viewer; and

a diopter adjusting signal generating means selection means for selecting the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means for outputting the diopter adjusting signals in accordance with the position of convergence; and

the diopter adjusting signals generated by the selected diopter adjusting signal generating means or signals in connection thereto being inputted to the diopter adjusting mechanism as a diopter adjusting signal to be inputted.

15. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

an image forming device including;

an image signal generating means for generating image signals of the image,

a plural diopter adjusting signal generating means,

a position of convergence signal receiving means for receiving the line of sight position signal from the position of convergence decision decision means,

a diopter adjusting signal generating means selection means for selecting the diopter adjusting signal generating means by the position of convergence signal receiving means, in accordance with the received line of sight position signal,

a waveform composer for superimposing the diopter adjusting signals generated by the diopter adjusting signal generating means selected by the diopter adjusting signal generating means selection means or signals in connection thereto on the image signals, and

a receiving means for receiving the superimposed signals transmitted by the transmitting means, for transmitting the image signals to the image display section and for transmitting the diopter adjusting signals or the signals in connection therewith to the diopter adjusting signal selecting means.

17. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 14 or 15, further comprising two cameras for generating image signals of first and second images each having parallax, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means are accommodated in either one of the cameras, and are a plurality of range measuring mechanisms corresponding to the position of convergence, and the diopter adjusting signals are distance or range signals outputted in accordance with the distance up to the viewing substance ranged by the plural range measuring mechanisms.

19. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the plural diopter adjusting signal generating means are corresponded to coordinates of the image regions of the image, and the diopter adjusting signal generating means selection means decides the corresponding coordinates of the image regions in accordance with the position of convergence decided by the position of the convergence deciding means, thereby selecting the diopter adjusting signal generating means based on the coordinates.

20. A head mounted image display apparatus capable of performing a stereoscopical observation and having an image display section for displaying first and second images having parallax of first and second eyes of a viewer, respectively;

characterized by comprising;

a diopter adjusting mechanism for adjusting diopter of the image display section;

a position of convergence deciding means for deciding the position of convergence of the viewer in a viewing region by detecting the line of sight direction of at least one eye of the first and second eyes of the viewer; and

a diopter adjusting signal generating means for each generating diopter adjusting signals operating the diopter adjusting mechanism in accordance with the line of sight position determined by the diopter position deciding means and a correlation calculation between the first and the second images.

21. A head mounted image display apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the diopter adjusting signal generating means comprises:

a parallax distribution signal generating means for generating a parallax distribution signal in accordance with the first and second images;

a transmitting means for transmitting the first image signal and the parallax distribution signal;

a distributing means for distributing the parallax distribution signal of the transmitted signals; and

a second image signal generating means for generating the second image signal from the one of distributed parallax distribution signal and the first image signal; and

a diopter adjusting signal selecting means for deciding the diopter adjusting signal transmitted to the diopter adjusting mechanism in accordance with the convergence position decided by the other of the distributed parallax distribution signals and the convergence position deciding means.

22. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image signal generating means for generating image signals of the image having parallax corresponding to first and second eyes of a viewer;

a diopter adjusting signal generating means for generating a plurality of diopter adjusting signals related to the parallax or convergence angle of the image, or signals in connection thereto; and

a waveform composer for superimposing the plural diopter adjusting signals or signals in connection thereto on the image signals;

a transmitting means for transmitting the superimposing signals.

23. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image signal generating means for generating image signals of the image having parallax corresponding to first and second eyes of a viewer;

a diopter adjusting signal generating means for generating a plurality of diopter adjusting signals related to the parallax or convergence angle of the image, or signals in connection thereto; and

a recording device for recording the image signals, the plural diopter adjusting signals or the signals in connection thereto on a record medium.