Imaging display apparatus and method

• US 8,514,149 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Tsuruta, Masaaki, Ito, Taiji, Asukai, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US13/564,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8, 345/7, 345/32
• 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: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths

Abstract

An imaging display apparatus, includes: display means for image display; first image signal generation means for generating a display image signal based on a captured image signal captured by an imaging section with a field of view direction of a user being a direction of an object; second image signal generation means for generating a display image signal of an image different from an image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation means; and control means for allowing, simultaneously on the display means, display of the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation means and display of the image of the display image signal generated by the second image signal generation means.

Claims

1. An imaging display apparatus, comprising:

a display unit for image display;

a first image signal generation unit that generates a display image signal based on a captured image signal captured by an imaging section with a field of view direction of a user being a direction of an object;

a second image signal generation unit that generates a display image signal of an image different from an image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit;

a display change trigger generation unit that generates a trigger in response to the state of the user or the state of the outside world; and

a control unit that allows, simultaneously on the display unit, display of the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit and display of the image of the display image signal generated by the second image signal generation unit and makes a display detail change or a display configuration change on the display unit based on the trigger generated by the display change trigger generation unit.

2. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is disposed before eyes of a user for the image display.

3. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is formed in a chassis different from a chassis including therein the first image signal generation unit.

4. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first image signal generation unit includes:

the imaging section; and

a signal processing section that performs signal processing with respect to the captured image signal captured by the imaging section.

5. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second image signal generation unit generates the display image signal to be supplied to the display unit based on the captured image signal captured by the imaging section.

6. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the second image signal generation unit includes:

the imaging section; and

a signal processing section that performs signal processing with respect to the captured image signal captured by the imaging section.

7. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the second image signal generation unit generates the display image signal of the image different from the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit by operation control exercised by the imaging section over an imaging lens system.

8. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the second image signal generation unit generates the display image signal of the image different from the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit by the signal processing in the signal processing section.

9. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second image signal generation unit includes a reception section that receives an image signal from an external device, and generates, based on the image signal received by the reception section, the display image signal of the image different from the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit.

10. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second image signal generation unit includes a reproduction section that reproduces an image signal from a recording medium, and generates, based on the image signal reproduced by the reproduction section, the display image signal of the image different from the image of the display image signal generated by the first image signal generation unit.

11. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is set with, in a screen area, a master screen area and a slave screen area, and in either the master screen area or the slave screen area, image display is made by the display image signal provided by the first image signal generation means, and on the remaining screen area, image display is made by the display image signal provided by the second image signal generation section.

12. The imaging display means according to claim 1, wherein

in the display unit, a screen area is split into two areas, and in one of the two areas, image display is made by the display image signal provided by the first image signal generation unit, and in the remaining area, image display is made by the display image signal provided by the second image signal generation section.

13. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured by close-range imaging or long-range imaging.

14. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured by telephoto imaging or wide-angle imaging.

15. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured by scale-up processing or scale-down processing.

16. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured with an increase or a decrease of an imaging sensitivity.

17. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured with an increase of an infrared imaging sensitivity.

18. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured with an increase of an ultraviolet imaging sensitivity.

19. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured in a field of view direction of a user being a direction of an object.

20. The imaging display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the display image signals generated by the first and second image signal generation unit is an image signal captured in a direction, as the direction of the object, different from the field of view direction of the user.