Head mounted type display apparatus capable of generating or detecting vibrations

• US 5,986,813 A
• Filed: 08/22/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Saikawa, Haruko, Tabata, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US08/916,550
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/631, 359/633, 359/636, 359/638, 345/7, 345/8, 381/368, 381/388
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

A head mounted type display composed of a display device for displaying an optical picture based on inputted picture signal, an ocular optical system for projecting the picture to an eye of the user, a head band, forehead resting section and right- and left-hand side head supporting sections for supporting a body section including the display device and the ocular optical system while being brought into contact with a head section of the user, a vibration device placed on each of the right- and left-hand side head supporting sections for receiving a caution signal to vibrate the vibration device to give a caution to the user. With this arrangement, the head mounted type display apparatus can surely give a caution to the user without affecting a picture and a sound.

Claims

1. A head mounted type display apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying an optical picture based on an inputted picture signal;

an ocular optical system for projecting said picture to an eye of a user;

a supporting section having a contact surface for supporting said display device and said ocular optical system through said contact surface on a head section including a head and face of said user; and

a vibration device placed on said contact surface of said supporting section, said vibration device engaging said head section and vibrating in response to an input of a caution signal which is a signal for alerting said user.

2. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting section includes at least one of a forehead pressing section for pressing a forehead of said user and side head pressing sections for pressing right- and left-hand side head portions of said user as portions having said contact surface, and said vibration device is placed on at least one of these forehead pressing section and said right- and left-hand side head pressing sections.

3. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibration device changes its vibration in accordance with a type of a caution signal applied thereto.

4. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibration device is composed of a plurality of vibration devices located at a plurality of portions of said supporting section, and said plurality of vibration devices each change their vibrations accordance with a type of caution signal, said change of vibration including stopping a vibration of at least one vibration device.

5. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said display device has a caution display, comprising a visual display for alerting said user, corresponding to a kind of caution signal, and said vibration device is located on said supporting section to take a position corresponding to a visual location of a caution display in said display device.

6. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibration device generates vibration including a component in a direction perpendicular to said contact surface of said supporting section, and further comprising pressing force detecting means for detecting a signal outputted from said vibration device when a pressing force is applied to said vibration device and for outputting a pressing force signal.

7. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein, when a decision is made based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means that said head mounted type display apparatus is not mounted on said head section, a power supply to a display system including at least said display device is cut off or suppressed.

8. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein at least one of a current value and a voltage value to be inputted to said vibration device is controlled based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means to obtain optimal vibration corresponding to said pressing force.

9. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said vibration device also serves as operational input means for performing an operational input, and a detection is made whether or not an operational input is made based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means.

10. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said ocular optical system also serves as an optical system for projecting external light to an eye of said user, and further comprising external light quantity varying means for varying a quantity of external light to be projected to the eye of said user, with said external light quantity varying means being controlled based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means.

11. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the vibration of said vibration device is stopped based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means.

12. A head mounted type display apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying an optical picture based on an inputted picture signal;

an ocular optical system for projecting said picture to an eye of a user;

a supporting section having a contact surface and supporting said display device and said ocular optical system through said contact surface on a head section including a head and face of said user; and

a bone-conduction sound speaker placed on said contact surface of said supporting section, said bone-conduction sound speaker vibrating in response to an input of a sound signal.

13. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said supporting section includes side head pressing sections for pressing right- and left-hand side head portions of said user as portions having said contact surface, and said bone-conduction sound speaker is placed on each of said right- and left-hand side head pressing sections.

14. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising pressing force detecting means for detecting a signal outputted from said bone-conduction sound speaker when a pressing force is applied to said bone-conduction sound speaker to output a pressing force signal.

15. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein, when a decision is made based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means that said head mounted type display apparatus is not mounted on said head section, a power supply to a display system including at least said display device is cut off or suppressed.

16. a head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein at least one of a current value and a voltage value to be inputted to said bone-conduction sound speaker is controlled based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means to obtain optimal vibration corresponding to said pressing force.

17. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said bone-conduction sound speaker also serves as operational input means for performing an operational input, and a detection is made whether or not an operational input is made based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means.

18. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said ocular optical system further serves as an optical system for projecting external light to an eye of said user, and further comprising external light quantity varying means for varying a quantity of external light to be projected to the eye of said user, with said external light quantity varying means being controlled based on said pressing force signal from said pressing force detecting means.

19. A head mounted type display apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying an optical picture based on an inputted picture signal;

an ocular optical system for projecting said optical picture to an eye of a user;

a supporting section having a contact surface and supporting said display device and said ocular optical system through said contact surface on a head section including a head and face of said user; and

a bone-conduction device for detecting a bone conduction sound propagating in said head section of said user and for imparting vibration to the head of the user.

20. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said bone conduction device is placed on said contact surface of said supporting section.

21. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said supporting section includes at least one of a forehead pressing section for pressing a forehead of said user and side head pressing sections for pressing right-and left-hand side head portions of said user as portions having said contact surface, and said bone-conduction sound microphone is placed on at least one of said forehead pressing section and said right- and left-hand side head pressing sections.

22. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein a bone-conduction sound speaker which vibrates when receiving an input of a sound signal is located on at least one section of said supporting section where said bone-conduction sound microphone is not placed.

23. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein, when a decision is made on the basis of an inputted signal from said bone-conduction sound microphone that said head mounted type display apparatus is not mounted on said head section, a power supply to a display system including at least said display device is cut off or suppressed.

24. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said bone-conduction sound microphone also serves as operational input means for performing an operational input.

25. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said ocular optical system further serves as an optical system for projecting external light to an eye of said user, and further comprising external light quantity varying means for varying a quantity of the external light to be projected to the eye of said user, with said external light quantity varying means being controlled when an inputted signal from said bon-conduction sound microphone exceeds a given threshold value.

26. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 19, further comprising:

a speaker for receiving an input of a sound signal to generate a sound,

sound signal converting means for converting said sound signal based on a given transfer function; and

canceling means for subtracting a sound signal converted by said sound signal converting means from an inputted signal from said bone-conduction sound microphone to cancel a sound component generated by said speaker.

27. A head mounted type display apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying an optical picture based on an inputted picture signal;

an ocular optical system for projecting said picture to an eye of a user;

a supporting section having a contact surface and supporting said display device and said ocular optical system through said contact surface on a head section including a head and face of said user; and

a vibration device combining a bone-conduction sound speaker which vibrates in response to an input of a sound signal and a bone-conduction sound microphone which detects a bone conduction sound propagating in said head section of said user.

28. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein said vibration device is placed on said contact surface of said supporting section.

29. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 27, further comprising switching means for conducting switching between a function of said bone-conduction sound speaker and a function of said bone-conduction sound microphone which are achieved by said vibration device.

30. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein said switching means performs switching between said functions when a decision is made based on an output of said vibration device when said vibration device is pressed.

31. A head mounted type display apparatus as defined in claim 27, further comprising:

sound signal converting means for converting a sound signal outputted to said vibration device based on a given transfer function; and

canceling means for subtracting an outputted sound signal converted by said sound signal converting means from an inputted signal from said vibration device to cancel a sound component generated from said vibration device.

32. A head mounted type display apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying an optical picture based on an inputted picture signal;

an ocular optical system for projecting said optical picture to an eye of a user;

a supporting section having a contact surface and supporting said display device and said ocular optical system through said contact surface on a head section including a head and face of said user; and

a vibration device provided on said contact surface of said supporting section for selectively performing one of a delivery of vibration to said user and a reception of vibration from said user.