Display apparatus and method with detecting elements allocated on side facing face of user and on lower side of display windows

• US 6,900,778 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/501,728
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/617, 345/589, 345/601, 345/602, 345/102, 348/602, 348/603, 348/227, 359/630, 359/631, 359/632, 359/13
• 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 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/026 Arrangements or methods related to booting a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A display apparatus and method in which a display unit displays a first image for a left eye and a second image for a right eye. First and second detecting elements detect a brightness around the left eye and right eye, respectively, and first and second brightness adjusting units adjust a brightness of first and second images according to the brightness detected by the first and second detecting elements, respectively. The first detecting element is allocated on a side facing to a face of a user and is allocated on a lower side of a first display window which displays the first image. The second detecting element, in turn, is allocated on a side facing to a face of the user and is allocated on a lower side of a second display window which displays the second image.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display unit adapted to display a first image for a left eye and a second image for a right eye;

a first detecting element adapted to detect a brightness around the left eye;

a second detecting element adapted to detect a brightness around the right eye;

a first brightness adjusting unit adapted to adjust a brightness of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

a second brightness adjusting unit adapted to adjust a brightness of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element,

wherein the first detecting element is allocated on a side facing to a face of user and is allocated on a lower side of a first display window which displays the first image; and

wherein the second detecting element is allocated on a side facing to a face of user and is allocated on a lower side of a second display window which displays the second image.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first contrast adjusting unit adapted to adjust a contrast of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

a second contrast adjusting unit adapted to adjust a contrast of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first detecting element is adapted to detect a brightness between the left eye and the display unit, and wherein the second detecting element is adapted to detect a brightness between the right eye and the display unit.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is mountable on a user'"'"'s head.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first detecting element is adapted to detect a brightness between the left eye and the display unit, wherein the second detecting element is adapted to detect a brightness between the right eye and the display unit, and wherein said display apparatus is mountable on a user'"'"'s head.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first tint adjusting unit adapted to adjust a tint of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

a second tint adjusting unit adapted to adjust a tint of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first contour enhancement adjusting unit adapted to adjust a contour enhancement of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

a second contour enhancement adjusting unit adapted to adjust a contour enhancement of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.

8. A method for a display apparatus including a display unit adapted to display a first image for a left eye and a second image for a right eye, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a brightness around the left eye using a first detecting element;

detecting a brightness around the right eye using a second detecting element;

adjusting a brightness of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

adjusting a brightness of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element;

wherein the first detecting element is allocated on a side acing to a face of user and is allocated on the lower side of a first display window which displays the first image; and

wherein the second detecting element is allocated on a side facing to a face of user and is allocated on the lower side of a second display window which displays the second image.

9. A method according to claim 8, ether comprising the steps of:

adjusting a contrast of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

adjusting a contrast of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first detecting step is adapted to detect a brightness between the left eye and the display unit using the first detecting element, and wherein the second detecting step is adapted to detect a brightness between the right eye and the display unit using the second detecting element.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein said display apparatus is mountable on a user'"'"'s head.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first detecting step is adapted to detect a brightness between the left eye and the display unit using the first detecting element, wherein the second detecting step is adapted to detect a brightness between the right eye and the display unit using the second detecting element, and wherein said display apparatus is mountable on a user'"'"'s head.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

adjusting a tint of the fist image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

adjusting a tint of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

adjusting a contour enhancement of the first image according to the brightness detected by the first detecting element; and

adjusting a contour enhancement of the second image according to the brightness detected by the second detecting element.