Information processing device

• US 7,248,232 B1
• Filed: 02/22/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirakata, Yoshiharu, Koyama, Jun, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick; Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US09/255,605
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/31, 345/115, 345/1.1, 345/2.3, 345/208, 348/53, 348/207, 359/466, 438/166, 438/186
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus which occupies a small space and which is capable of supplying image information having high definition and high resolution. An information processing apparatus of the invention employs a head mount display (HMD) utilizing compact flat panel displays as a display device for displaying information. The use of a head mount display as the display device of the information processing apparatus prevents any reduction in a work space. It also makes it possible to change the size of a virtual display screen freely. In addition, the information processing apparatus of the invention is capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information on the virtual display screen at a time.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having flat panel displays for right and left eyes mounted on the head of a user;

a controller which transmits a first information to at least one of said flat panel displays to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

a camera provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel displays are capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said at least one of said flat panel displays to display said image second information.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device on which one screen is written at frequencies in the range from 30 Hz to 180 Hz and on which screen display is carried out with the polarity of the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes inverted for each screen.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device which is a liquid crystal display using a liquid crystal material which is antiferroelectric liquid crystals or ferroelectric liquid crystals substantially having no threshold.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said camera is provided apart from said display device.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is a computer.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

7. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having flat panel displays for right and left eyes mounted on the head of a user;

a controller which transmits a first information to at least one of said flat panel displays to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

a camera connected to said controller,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel displays are capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information at a time, and

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said at least one of said flat panel displays to display said image second information.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the plane of said channel formation regions is oriented substantially in a {110}-direction.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein 90% or more of crystal lattices at grain boundaries of said channel formation regions have continuity.

10. A device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is a computer.

11. A device according to claim 7, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

12. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having flat panel displays for right and left eyes mounted on the head of a user, each of said flat panel displays comprising a pixel thin film transistor and a driver thin film transistor provided over a same substrate, said driver thin film transistor provided in a driving circuit;

a camera provided over said input operation device;

a controller which transmits a first information to at least one of said flat panel displays to display said first information; and

an input operation device connected to said controller,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel displays are capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said at least one of said flat panel displays to display said image second information.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein channel formation regions of TFTs connected to pixel electrodes of the flat panel displays of said display device are constituted by a semiconductor thin film formed by a collection of a plurality of bar-shaped or planar bar-shaped crystals formed on an insulating surface.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the plane of said channel formation regions is oriented substantially in a {110}-direction.

15. A device according to claim 13, wherein 90% or more of crystal lattices at grain boundaries of said channel formation regions have continuity.

16. A device according to claim 12, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device on which one screen is written at frequencies in the range from 30 Hz to 180 Hz and on which screen display is carried out with the polarity of the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes inverted for each screen.

17. A device according to claim 12, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device which is a liquid crystal display using a liquid crystal material which is antiferroelectric liquid crystals or ferroelectric liquid crystals substantially having no threshold.

18. A device according to claim 12 wherein said driving circuit comprises a source-side driving circuit.

19. A device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is a computer.

20. A device according to claim 12, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

21. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having flat panel displays for right and left eyes mounted on a head of a user;

a controller which transmits a first information to at least one of said flat panel displays to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

an image pick-up device provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device, wherein said image pick-up device converts at least images of said input operation device and a hand of said user into electrical signals and supplies said electrical signals to said controller and wherein said flat panel displays display a plurality of pieces of information including at least said images of the input operation device and said hand of the user at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said image pick-up device are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said at least one of said flat panel displays to display said image second information.

22. A device according to claim 21, wherein channel formation regions of TFTs connected to pixel electrodes of the flat panel displays of said display device are constituted by a semiconductor thin film formed by a collection of a plurality of bar-shaped or planar bar-shaped crystals formed on an insulating surface.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein the plane of said channel formation regions is oriented substantially in a {110}-direction.

24. A device according to claim 22, wherein 90% or more of crystal lattices at grain boundaries of said channel formation regions have continuity.

25. A device according to claim 21, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device on which one screen is written at frequencies in the range from 30 Hz to 180 Hz and on which screen display is carried out with the polarity of the voltage applied to the pixel electrodes inverted for each screen.

26. A device according to claim 21, wherein said flat panel displays comprise a display device which is a liquid crystal display using a liquid crystal material which is antiferroelectric liquid crystals or ferroelectric liquid crystals substantially having no threshold.

27. A device according to claim 21 wherein said image pick-up device is provided apart from said display device.

28. A device according to claim 21, wherein the controller is a computer.

36. A device according to claim 25, wherein the controller is a computer.

29. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having flat panel displays for right and left eyes mounted on the head of a user, each of said flat panel displays comprising a pixel thin film transistor and a driver thin film transistor provided over a same substrate, said driver thin film transistor provided in a driving circuit;

a controller which transmits a first information to at least one of said flat panel displays to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

a camera provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel displays are capable of displaying a plurality of window screens at a time, and

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said at least one of said flat panel displays to display said image second information.

30. A device according to claim 29, wherein the controller is a computer.

31. A device according to claim 29, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

32. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having a flat panel display mounted on a head of a user;

a controller which transmits a first information to said flat panel display to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

a camera provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel display is capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said flat panel display to display said image second information.

33. A device according to claim 32, wherein the controller is a computer.

34. A device according to claim 32, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

35. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having a flat panel display mounted on a head of a user, said flat panel display comprising a pixel thin film transistor and a driver thin film transistor provided over a same substrate, said driver thin film transistor provided in a driving circuit;

a camera provided over said input operation device;

a controller which transmits a first information to said flat panel display to display said first information; and

an input operation device connected to said controller,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel display is capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said flat panel display to display said image second information.

37. A device according to claim 35, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.

38. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having a flat panel display mounted on a head of a user;

a controller which transmits a first information to said flat panel display to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

an image pick-up device provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device, wherein said image pick-up device converts at least images of said input operation device and a hand of said user into electrical signals and supplies said electrical signals to said controller and wherein said flat panel display displays a plurality of pieces of information including at least said images of the input operation device and said hand of the user at a time,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said image pick-up device are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said flat panel display to display said image information.

39. A device according to claim 38, wherein the controller is a computer.

40. An information processing device comprising:

a display device having a flat panel display mounted on a head of a user, said flat panel display comprising a pixel thin film transistor and a driver thin film transistor provided over a same substrate, said driver thin film transistor provided in a driving circuit;

a controller which transmit a first information to said flat panel display to display said first information;

an input operation device connected to said controller; and

a camera provided over said input operation device,

wherein said controller transmits a signal in the form of an electric wave to said display device and wherein said flat panel display is capable of displaying a plurality of window screens,

wherein said display device, said controller, said input operation device and said camera are adapted to be used by the same user, and

wherein an image second information different from said first information is transmitted from a TV tuner to said flat panel display to display said image second information.

41. A device according to claim 40, wherein the controller is a computer.

42. A device according to claim 40, wherein the camera picks up an image and converts the image into an electrical signal to supply the electrical signal to the controller as one piece of the first information.