Head-mounted display system

• US 7,924,506 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rieger, Robby
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/118,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 359409-410, 359/462, 359/466, 359638-639, 359 13- 14, 359603-636, 359/404, 359/407, 345/7, 345/9, 348/115, 353 11- 12, 353/28, 353/119, 349/11, 340/438, 340/980, 340/995.1, 340/815.47, 340/815.74
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

A head-mounted display system is provided. According to one example of an implementation, the head-mounted display system includes at least one sensor detecting surrounding information, a processing unit processing the surrounding information received from the at least one sensor, a display control unit generating display information to be displayed to a user of the system from the processed surrounding information received from the processing unit, and a head-mounted display capable of displaying information received from the display control unit to the user.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display system, comprising:

at least one camera for capturing visual display information;

at least one sensor detecting surrounding information, where the at least one sensor detects relative change in ambient light intensity;

a processing unit processing the visual display information received from the camera and altering the brightness and/or contrast of the visual display information based on the relative change in ambient light intensity detected by the at least one sensor;

a display control unit generating visual display information to be displayed to a user of the system from the processed visual display information received from the processing unit; and

a head-mounted display displaying the visual display information wirelessly received from the display control unit to the user.

2. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display comprises a display incorporated into spectacles, the display projecting the visual display information as visual information to the user wearing the spectacles.

3. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the processing of the processing unit comprises a generation of a dimmed visual output information from the detected surrounding information.

4. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the processing of the processing unit comprises a generation of a visual output information with increased contrast from the detected surrounding information.

5. The head-mounted display system of claim. 1, where the processing of the processing unit comprises a generation of a visual output information with reduced reflections from the detected surrounding information.

6. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the processing of the processing unit comprises a generation of a visual output information with increased brightness from the detected surrounding information.

7. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the display control unit generates the visual display information comprising a superimposed routing information.

8. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display comprises a loudspeaker for outputting audible information to the occupant.

9. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display provides a transparent view.

10. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display system comprises furthermore a line of sight sensor, detecting a line of sight of an user of the system, the display control unit connected to the line of sight sensor generates a visual display information according the line of sight.

11. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display comprises a microphone receiving speech from the user and the head-mounted display system comprises an audio processing unit processing the received speech, upon commands comprised in the received speech the audio processing unit controls the processing unit and/or the display control unit.

12. The head-mounted display system of claim 11, where upon commands comprised in the received speech the audio processing unit controls further devices, the further devices comprising a navigation system, a car radio system, a mobile music system, a car entertainment system, a mobile entertainment system, a mobile phone, and/or a cruise control system.

13. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the head-mounted display system is used in a vehicle by a driver or occupant of the vehicle, and the at least one camera and the at least one sensor are mounted at the vehicle, the at least one camera capturing visual display information and the at least one sensor detecting surrounding information comprising the surrounding of the vehicle.

14. The head-mounted display system of claim 13, where the display control unit generates the visual display information comprising a superimposed vehicle information.

15. The head-mounted display system of claim 13, where the head-mounted display provides in a part of the visual display information a rear view showing the surrounding behind the vehicle.

16. The head-mounted display system of claim 13, where the head-mounted display provides a rear view as the visual display information showing the surrounding behind the vehicle in case a reverse gear of the vehicle is selected.

17. The head-mounted display system of claim 1, where the at least one camera and the at least one sensor are mounted at the head-mounted display, the at least one camera capturing visual display information and the at least one sensor detecting surrounding information comprising the surrounding of the user wearing the head-mounted display.

18. A display method, comprising:

capturing visual display information;

detecting surrounding information and relative change in ambient light intensity;

processing the visual display information;

generating visual display information to be displayed to a user from the processed visual display information, where the brightness and/or contrast of the visual display information is altered based on the relative change in ambient light intensity;

transmitting the visual display information wirelessly to a head-mounted display; and

displaying the visual display information to the user via the head-mounted display.

19. The display method of claim 18, where the head-mounted display comprises a display incorporated into spectacles, the display projecting the visual display information as visual information to the user wearing the spectacles.

20. The display method of claim 19, where the processing of the detected surrounding information and generating of the visual display information is controlled by commands spoken by the user.

21. The display method of claim 18, where the processing comprises a generation of a dimmed visual output information from the detected surrounding information.

22. The display method of claim 18, where the processing comprises a generation of a visual output information with increased contrast from the detected surrounding information.

23. The display method of claim 18, where the processing comprises a generation of a visual output information with reduced reflections from the detected surrounding information.

24. The display method of claim 18, where the processing comprises a generation of a visual output information with increased brightness from the detected surrounding information.

26. The display method of claim 18, furthermore detecting a line of sight of the user, where visual display information is generated according to the line of sight.

27. The display method of claim 18, where the display method is used in a vehicle, where:

the captured visual display information and the detected surrounding information compromise the surrounding of the vehicle; and

the visual display information is displayed to an occupant or driver of the vehicle via a head-mounted display.

28. The display method of claim 27, where the visual display information comprises a superimposed vehicle information.

29. The display method of claim 27, where a part of the visual display information provides a rear view showing the surrounding behind the vehicle.

30. The display method of claim 27, where the visual display information comprises a rear view showing the surrounding behind the vehicle in case a reverse gear of the vehicle is selected.

25. The display method of claim l8, where the display information comprises superimposed routing information.