Display apparatus having facility for selective indication of apparatus use term

• US 6,630,914 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1997
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Akihiro, Morofuji, Tsuyoshi, Tamekuni, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Awad, Amr
• Application Number:
  US08/864,335
• Time in Patent Office: 2,323 Days
• Field of Search: 345/6, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/156, 345/87, 345/102, 345/89, 345/88, 345/690, 463/1-2, 463/9, 463/21, 463/23, 463/36, 273/432, 273/429-431
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/14 Semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

A display apparatus according to the present invention is arranged to inform a user that the set time of a timer circuit capable of setting an arbitrary time will end shortly, immediately before the end of the set time, or inform the user that the set time has ended, immediately after the end of the set time, thereby preventing the user from using the display apparatus for an excessively long time without noticing the lapse of the use time of the display apparatus.

Claims

1. A display apparatus that is capable of being mounted on a head, comprising:

(A) video image display means for displaying a video image;

(B) optical system means for conducting a video image displayed on said video image display means to a pupil of user;

(C) time measuring means for measuring time which elapses after an operation of displaying a video image is started, and outputting time information corresponding to the measured time; and

(D) control means for changing a brightness condition of said video image display means according to said time information.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said video image display means includes a liquid crystal display element for displaying a video image, a backlight source for illuminating said liquid crystal display element from behind, and light adjusting means for adjusting an amount of light of said backlight source, and wherein said control means is arranged to control said light adjusting means according to said time information.

3. A display apparatus that is capable of being mounted on a head, comprising:

(A) video image display means for displaying a video image;

(B) optical system means for conducting a video image displayed on said video image display means to a pupil of user;

(C) time measuring means for measuring time which elapses after a power switch of said display apparatus is on, and outputting time information corresponding to the measured time; and

(D) control means for changing a brightness condition of said video image display means according to said time information.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said video image display means includes a liquid crystal display element for displaying a video image, a backlight source for illuminating said liquid crystal display element from behind, and light adjusting means for adjusting an amount of light of said backlight source, and wherein said control means is arranged to control said light adjusting means according to said time information.

5. A display apparatus that is capable of being mounted on a head, comprising:

(A) video image display means has a two-dimensional display mode for two-dimensionally displaying a video image and a three-dimensional display mode for three-dimensionally displaying a video image;

(B) optical system means for conducting a video image displayed on said video image display means to a pupil of user;

(C) use time setting means for setting a use time, said use time setting means being capable of setting an arbitrary time; and

D) display mode selecting means for selecting said two-dimensional display mode or said three-dimensional display mode according to an elapsed time of said use time.

6. A display apparatus that is capable of being mounted on a head, comprising:

(A) video image display means has a first display mode for displaying a video image in a first display size and a second display mode for displaying a video image in a second display size different from the first display size;

(B) optical system means for conducting a video image displayed on said video image display means to a pupil of user;

(C) use time setting means for setting a use time, said use time setting means being capable of setting an arbitrary time; and

(D) display mode selecting means for selecting said first display mode or said second display mode according to an elapsed time of said use time.

7. A display apparatus that is capable of being mounted on a head, comprising:

(A) video image display means has a color display mode for displaying a video image in color and a monochrome display mode for monochromatically displaying a video image;

(B) optical system means for conducting a video image displayed on said video image display means to a pupil of user;

(C) use time setting means for setting a use time, said use time setting means being capable of setting an arbitrary time; and

(D) display mode selecting means for selecting said color display mode or said monochrome display mode according to an elapsed time of said use time.