Image display apparatus

• US 5,841,409 A
• Filed: 04/16/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanijiri, Yasushi, Ishibashi, Kenji, Sugihara, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/633,167
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 348/53, 359/13, 359/630, 350/142, 350/143, 350/148, 350/149
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• 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 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• 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: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• 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 13/289 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 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An HMD is provided with two piezoelectric vibrating gyros which detect vertical and horizontal angular velocities, and a horizontal sensor which detects a vertical angle. While the user'"'"'s head rotates, shooting direction of a three-dimensional camera is varied in accordance with the angles obtained by integration of the detected angular velocities. While the head is stationary, the obtained vertical angle and the output of the gyro is corrected based on the angle detected by the horizontal sensor. The shooting direction of the camera can be manually set irrespective of the direction of the head, and information on the viewing direction is displayed together with a taken image.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus worn by a user on the head, comprising:

an angle sensor for detecting an angle of rotation of the head;

an angular velocity sensor operable independently of said angle sensor for detecting a velocity of rotation of the head;

a calculator for calculating an angle of rotation of the head, based on an output from the angle sensor or the angular velocity sensor; and

a display controller for displaying an image of a direction in accordance with the angle calculated by the calculator.

2. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a comparator for comparing a value of the velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor with a predetermined value, wherein the calculator calculates the angle based on a result of the comparison by the comparator.

3. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the calculator calculates the angle based on the output from the angle sensor when the value detected by the angular velocity sensor is smaller than the predetermined value.

4. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the calculator calculates the angle based on the output from the angular velocity sensor when the value detected by the angular velocity sensor is greater than the predetermined value.

5. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the calculator corrects an angle obtained from the output from the angular velocity sensor based on an angle detected by the angle sensor when the value detected by the angular velocity sensor is smaller than the predetermined value.

6. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an integrator for integrating the velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor to calculate an angle of rotation.

7. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for judging whether the head of the user is stationary or not, wherein the calculator is provided with a plurality of methods to calculate the angle, said calculator switching the methods based on the result of the judgment.

8. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an input device for inputting an image.

9. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display controller displays an area, in a direction in accordance with the calculated angle, of the inputted image.

10. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the input device is a camera.

11. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the display controller controls the direction of the displayed image by varying a direction of shooting of the camera.

19. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle sensor and the angular velocity sensor are located separate from each other.

12. An image display apparatus for displaying an image varying in accordance with the direction of the head of a user, comprising:

a direction detector for detecting a direction of viewing by detecting an angle of rotation of the head;

an image display controller for displaying an image in accordance with the direction detected by the direction detector;

an information display controller for displaying information on the direction of viewing;

a camera for inputting an image, the image display controller controlling a direction of shooting of the camera so that an image in accordance with the detected direction is displayed; and

a direction setting device operable independently of said direction detector for manually setting the direction of viewing, the information display controller for displaying the information on the detected direction of viewing by representing the information as a direction relative to a direction set by the direction setting device.

13. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information display controller displays information on a horizontal direction of viewing.

14. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information display controller displays information on a vertical direction of viewing.

18. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information display controller can be switched between a mode in which it represents the detected direction of viewing as a relative direction and mode in which it represents the detected direction of viewing as an absolute direction relative to a predetermined direction.

15. An image display apparatus comprising:

an angle sensor for detecting an angle of rotation of a head of a user;

an angular velocity sensor operable independently of said angle sensor and for detecting a velocity of rotation of the head;

a calculator for calculating an angle of rotation of the head based on an output from the angular velocity sensor;

means for comparing the angle of rotation detected by the angle sensor to the calculated angle of rotation so as to determine a correct angle of rotation; and

a display controller for displaying an image of a direction in accordance with the correct angle of rotation.

16. An image display apparatus for displaying an image varying in accordance with the direction of the head of a user, comprising:

a display device for displaying an image;

a direction detector for detecting a direction of viewing by detecting an angle of rotation of the head;

a direction input device operable independently of said direction detector and for inputting a direction of viewing manually therefrom;

a selector for selecting one direction out of the directions of viewing detected by the direction detector and inputted from the direction input device;

an image display controller for displaying on the display device an image in accordance with the direction selected by the selector; and

a shooting apparatus directable to the selected direction.

17. An image display apparatus for displaying an image varying in accordance with the direction of the head of a user, comprising:

a display device for displaying an image;

a direction detector for detecting a direction of viewing by detecting an angle of rotation of the head;

a direction input device operable independently of said direction detector and arranged on the display device for inputting a direction of viewing manually therefrom;

a selector for selecting one direction out of the directions of viewing detected by the direction detector and inputted from the direction input device; and

an image display controller for displaying on the display device an image in accordance with the direction selected by the selector.