Head mounting type image display system

• US 6,124,843 A
• Filed: 01/25/1996
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kodama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/591,100
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/145, 345/121, 345/123, 345/7, 345/8, 345/341
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

Mounted on the head of an observer, an image display element has an eyepiece optical system which guides the displayed image onto the eyeballs of an observer. An input position indication mark is displayed on the image. An image converter transmits an image signal to the image display element with the relative positional relationship between the image and the position indication mark changed. The converted image signal forms the input position indication mark so that it is movable within a range which has a radius of 1/4 or less of a diagonal line length extending from the intersection between the diagonal lines of the display surface. The image scrolls as a background image with respect to the position indication mark.

Claims

1. A head mounting type image display system comprising:

a head mounting type image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element to an eyeball of an observer, and

c) mounting means for allowing said image display element and said eyepiece optical system to be mounted on a head portion of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed upon operation of said operation device,

wherein the image signal converted by said image conversion means has a function of forming the input position indication mark to be movable within a circular range which has a radius not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from an intersection of diagonal lines of the display surface and a function of scrolling the image as a background image with respect to the input position indication mark, both upon operation of said operation device.

6. A system according to any one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 13 wherein said operation device comprises a face direction detector which is arranged integrally with said head mounting type image display system main body, and can detect a displacement of a direction of a face of the observer, and

the image signal converted by said image conversion means has a function of scrolling the image as a background image with respect to the input position indication mark so as to scroll the image in a direction opposite to the direction of the displacement of the direction of the face detected by said face direction detector, both upon detection of the displacement of the direction of the face by said face direction detector.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said operation device is arranged independently of said head mounting type image display system main body.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said operation device comprises a keyboard, and the image signal converted by said image conversion means is an image signal for scrolling the image to a left side in cooperation with an input operation at said keyboard.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein said operation device comprises an input position conversion operation device which can instruct a two-dimensional conversion of the relative positional relationship of the image and the input position indication mark displayed on the display surface of said image display element, and the image signal converted by said image conversion means is an image signal for scrolling the image in correspondence with an operation direction and/or a position of said input position conversion operation device.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said input position conversion operation device comprises a mouse, and the image signal converted by said image conversion means is an image signal for scrolling the image in correspondence with an operation direction of said mouse.

11. A system according to any one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 13, wherein said head mounting type image display system main body further has a window which allows the observer to visually confirm an external field.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein a pixel density in the vicinity of the input position indication mark on a virtual image is higher than a pixel density at an end portion of the image.

14. A system according to claim 6, wherein the amount of the displacement of a direction of a position of the image is equal to the amount of the displacement of the direction of the face of the observer.

2. A head mounting type image display system comprising:

a head mounting type image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element to an eyeball of an observer, and

c) mounting means for allowing said image display element and said eyepiece optical system to be mounted on a head portion of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed upon operation of said operation device,

wherein the image signal converted by said image conversion means has a function of forming the input position indication mark to be fixed in position within a circular range which has a radius not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from an intersection of diagonal lines of the display surface and a function of scrolling the image as a background image with respect to the input position indication mark, both upon operation of said operation device.

3. A head mounting type image display system comprising:

a head mounting type image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element to an eyeball of an observer, and

c) mounting means for allowing said image display element and said eyepiece optical system to be mounted on a head portion of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed upon operation of said operation device,

wherein said operation device comprises;

input position indication mark moving means for moving a display position of the input position indication mark with respect to the display surface in correspondence with an operation of the observer; and

input position indication mark fixing means for fixing the input position indication mark at the display position of the input position indication mark which is changed by said input position indication mark moving means, and

the image signal converted by said image conversion means has a function of forming the input position indication mark to be fixed in position within a circular range which has a radius not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from the changed display position and a function of scrolling the image as a background image with respect to the input position indication mark, both upon operation of said operation device.

4. A head mounting type image display system comprising:

a head mounting type image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element to an eyeball of an observer, and

c) mounting means for allowing said image display element and said eyepiece optical system to be mounted on a head portion of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed upon operation of said operation device,

wherein the input position indication mark is arranged on the display surface or a transparent substrate arranged in the vicinity of the display surface, and is located within a circular range which has a radius not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from an intersection of the diagonal lines of the display surface, and

the image signal converted by said image conversion means has a function of scrolling the image as a background image in correspondence with the input position indication mark upon operation of said operation device.

5. A head mounting type image display system comprising:

a head mounting type image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element to an eyeball of an observer, and

c) mounting means for allowing said image display element and said eyepiece optical system to be mounted on a head portion of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed upon operation of said operation device;

wherein the image signal converted by said image conversion means is an image signal for moving the input position indication mark on the display surface and scrolling the image as a background image in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the input position indication mark with respect to the input position indication mark, both upon operation of said operation device; and

wherein the image signal converted by said image conversion means locates the input position indication mark within a range separated by a distance not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from an intersection between diagonal lines of the display surface upon operation of said operation device.

13. A head mounting type of image display system comprising:

a head mounting type of image display system main body having;

a) an image display element for displaying an image,

b) an eyepiece optical system for guiding the image displayed on said image display element in response to an eyeball position of an observer, and

c) mounting means for enabling said image display element and said eyepiece optical system being adapted to be mounted on a head of the observer;

an operation device for displaying an input position indication mark on the image, and for operating the input position indication mark; and

image conversion means for transmitting, to said image display element, an image signal in which a relative positional relationship between the image and the input position indication mark displayed on a display surface of said image display element has changed in response to an operation of said operation device,

wherein the image signal converted by said image conversion means limits a location of said input position indication mark to a circular range having a radius which is not more than 1/4 a diagonal line length from an intersection of diagonal lines of the display surface.