Head mounted display and method of outputting a content using the same in which the same identical content is displayed

• US 8,427,396 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yongsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Snyder, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US13/587,527
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of outputting a content using a head mounted display (HMD), and more particularly, to a method of outputting a currently displayed content of a digital device to an HMD. The present invention includes performing a pairing with a digital device having at least one display unit configured to display the content, detecting a location state of the paired digital device, and outputting the content displayed on the digital device to the HMD, wherein the location state comprises a first state in which a display unit of the digital device is located within a preset view angle region of the HMD and a second state in which the display unit of the digital device is not located within the view angle region.

Claims

1. A method of outputting a content using an HMD (head mounted display), the method comprising:

performing a pairing with a digital device having at least one display unit configured to display a first content;

detecting a location state of the paired digital device, wherein the location state comprises a first state in which a display unit of the digital device is located within a preset view angle region of the HMD and a second state in which the display unit of the digital device is not located within the preset view angle region of the HMD;

when the location state is changed from the first state to the second state, receiving the first content which is displayed by the digital device and outputting the first content that is on the HMD; and

when the location state is changed from the second state to the first state, determining whether a second content currently being displayed on the digital device is identical to the first content currently being output on the HMD, and terminating the output of the first content on the HMD when the second content is identical to the first content or continuing the output of the first content on the HMD when the second content is not identical to the first content,

wherein the first content output on the HMD is the same identical first content displayed on the digital device without changing a spatial dimension and without augmenting a reality of the first content displayed on the digital device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step further comprises:

establishing a communication connection with the digital device; and

receiving the first content currently displayed on the communication connected digital device when the location state is changed from the first state to the second state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises determining whether to output the content to the HMD if the detected location state is switched and the switched location state continues over a preset time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the detected location state is switched between the first state and the second state, providing a vibration feedback on the HMD.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises fading in the first content if the detected location state is switched from the first state to the second state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises fading out the first content if the detected location state is switched from the second state to the first state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting step further comprises when the detected location state is switched from the first state to the second state, outputting the first content in a manner that the first content slides to move into a center region from a side in which the display unit of the digital device deviating from the location of the view angle region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if the first content comprises a video content and the detected location state is switched from the first state to the second state, an output of the video content of the digital device is paused for a preset time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step further comprises detecting the location state using signals transceived with the digital device via a plurality of antennas included in the HMD.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step further comprises detecting the location state based on whether a light pattern output by the paired digital device is detected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the detected location state is the second state, detecting whether a display unit of at least one external device is present within the view angle region; and

if the display unit of the at least one external device is detected within the view angle region, outputting the first content to the display unit of the corresponding external device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the location state comprises a third state in which the display unit of the digital device is located within a view angle region of a user wearing the HMD and a fourth state in which the display unit of the digital device is not located within the view angle region of a user wearing the HMD.

13. An HMD (head mounted display) comprising:

a processor configured to control an operation of the HMD;

a display unit configured to output an image based on a command given by the processor; and

a communication unit configured to transceive data with at least one digital device based on the command given by the processor,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

perform a pairing with a digital device having at least one display unit configured to display a first content,

detect a location state of the paired digital device, the location state comprising a first state in which the display unit of the digital device is located within a preset view angle region of the HMD and a second state in which the display unit of the digital device is not located within the view angle region of the HMD,

when the location state is changed from the first state to the second state, receive the first content which is displayed by the digital device and output the first content on the HMD, and

when the location state is changed from the second state to the first state, determine whether a second content currently being displayed on the display device is identical to the first content currently being output on the HMD and terminate the output of the first content on the HMD when the second content is identical to the first content or continue the output of the first content on the HMD when the second content is not identical to the first content, and

wherein the first content output on the HMD is the same identical first content displayed on the digital device without changing a spatial dimension and without augmenting a reality of the first content displayed on the digital device.

14. The HMD of claim 13, wherein the HMD establishes a communication connection with the digital device, and receives the first content currently displayed on the communication connected digital device when the location state is changed from the first state to the second state.

15. The HMD of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the location state when the detected location state is switched and the switched location state continues over a preset time.

16. The HMD of claim 13, wherein if the detected location state is switched between the first state and the second state, a vibration feedback is provided to the HMD.

17. The HMD of claim 13, wherein if the detected location state is switched from the first state to the second state, the first content is faded in.

18. The HMD of claim 13, wherein if the detected location state is switched from the second state to the first state, the first content is faded out.

19. The HMD of claim 13, wherein when the detected location state is switched from first state to the second state, the first content is output in a manner that the first content slides to move into a center region from a side in which the display unit of the digital device deviating from the location of the view angle region.

20. The HMD of claim 13, wherein if the first content comprises a video content and the detected location state is switched from the first state to the second state, an output of the video content on the digital device is paused for a preset time period.

21. The HMD of claim 13, wherein the communication unit comprises a plurality of antennas and wherein the processor detects the location state using signals transceived with the digital device via a plurality of antennas included in the HMD.

22. The HMD of claim 13, wherein the location state is detected based on whether a light pattern output by the paired digital device is detected.

23. The HMD of claim 13, wherein if the detected location state is the second state, it is detected whether a display unit of at least one external device is present within the view angle region and wherein if the display unit of the at least one external device is detected within the view angle region, the first content is output to the display unit of the corresponding external device.

24. The HMD of claim 13, wherein the location state comprises a third state in which the display unit of the digital device is located within a view angle region of a user wearing the HMD and a fourth state in which the display unit of the digital device is not located within the view angle region of a user wearing the HMD.