Head mounted display and optical position adjustment method of the same

• US 9,201,242 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyawaki, Tetsuyuki, Matsumura, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US14/458,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0109 comprising details concerning the making of holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• 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 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display, the head mounted display including (a) an eyeglass type frame worn on the head of a viewer, and (b) two image display devices for the right and left eyes attached to the frame, and each of the image display devices including (A) an image forming device, and (B) an optical device adapted to receive, guide and emit light emitted from the image forming device, wherein the optical position adjustment method includes the step of: controlling an image signal that is supplied to the image forming device making up at least one of the image display devices so as to control the position of the image displayed on the optical device making up at least one of the image display devices and adjust the mutual positions of the two images.

Claims

1. An optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display, the head mounted display including:

(a) an eyeglass type frame worn on a head of a viewer; and

(b) an image display device attached to the frame, including an image forming device and an optical device configured to reflect light emitted from the image forming device to the viewer,

wherein the optical position adjustment method comprises the steps of;

controlling an image signal to control a position of an image displayed on the image forming device; and

based at least in part on the distance from the head mounted display to a target, further controlling the image signal such that a convergence angle of the viewer can be adjusted with a distance from the head mounted display to the target.

2. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustment of the position of the image is accomplished by a combination of horizontal and vertical movements and rotation of the image displayed on the image forming device.

3. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 2, wherein the optical device is see-through.

4. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 3, wherein:

distance information from the head mounted display to the target is transmitted to the head mounted display from external equipment in addition to the image signal supplied to the image forming device.

5. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 3, wherein:

the head mounted display further comprises a distance measurement device adapted to measure the distance to the target from the head mounted display so that distance information is obtained by the distance measurement device.

6. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 5, wherein:

a luminance signal of an image to be displayed on the optical device is transmitted to the head mounted display from external equipment in addition to the image signal supplied to the image forming device.

7. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 5, wherein:

the head mounted display further comprises a light reception sensor so that the luminance of the image to be displayed on the optical device is controlled based at least in part on luminance information of the environment obtained by the light reception sensor.

8. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 1, wherein:

the image displayed on the optical device by the image signal comprises text when, based at least in part on the distance from the head mounted display to the target, the image signal is further controlled that is supplied to the image forming device.

9. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the position of a virtual image formed by the optical device is changed over time.

10. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 9, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

11. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 9, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.

12. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 9, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed in a horizontal direction.

13. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the distance to a virtual image formed by the optical device is changed over time.

14. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 13, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

15. The optical position adjustment method of a head mounted display of claim 13, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.

16. A head mounted display, including:

(a) an eyeglass type frame worn on the head of a viewer; and

(b) an image display device attached to the frame, including an image forming device, and an optical device configured to reflect light emitted from the image forming device,

wherein the image display device is configured to control a received image signal based at least in part on a distance from the head mounted display to a target such that a convergence angle of the viewer can be adjusted with the distance from the head mounted display to the target.

17. The head mounted display of claim 16, wherein the image display device is configured to control a received image signal so as to control a position of an image displayed on the optical device of the image display device and adjust a position of the image.

18. The head mounted display of claim 17, wherein the image display device is configured to adjust the position of the image by a combination of horizontal and vertical movements and rotation of the image displayed on the optical device of the image display device.

19. The head mounted display of claim 17, wherein the position of a virtual image formed by the optical device is changed over time.

20. The head mounted display of claim 19, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

21. The head mounted display of claim 19, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.

22. The head mounted display of claim 19, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed in a horizontal direction.

23. The head mounted display of claim 17, wherein the distance to a virtual image formed by the optical device is changed over time.

24. The head mounted display of claim 23, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

25. The head mounted display of claim 23, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.

26. The head mounted display of claim 16, wherein the optical device is see-through.

27. The head mounted display of claim 16, wherein distance information from the head mounted display to the target is transmitted to the head mounted display from external equipment in addition to the image signal supplied to the image forming device.

28. The head mounted display of claim 16, further comprising a distance measurement device adapted to obtain distance information by measuring the distance to the target from the head mounted display.

29. The head mounted display of claim 16, wherein a luminance signal of an image to be displayed on the optical device is transmitted to the head mounted display from external equipment in addition to the image signal supplied to the image forming device.

30. The head mounted display of claim 16, further comprising a light reception sensor so that the luminance of the image to be displayed on the optical device is controlled based at least in part on luminance information of the environment obtained by the light reception sensor.

31. The head mounted display of claim 16, wherein the image displayed on the optical device by the image signal comprises text when, based at least in part on the distance from the head mounted display to the target, the image signal is further controlled that is supplied to the image forming device.

32. A head mounted display, comprising:

an eyeglass type frame and an image display device attached to the frame, wherein the image display device is configured to control a received image signal based at least in part on a distance from the head mounted display to a target, and wherein a position of a virtual image formed by the image display device is changed over time.

33. The head mounted display of claim 32, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

34. The head mounted display of claim 32, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.

35. The head mounted display of claim 32, wherein the position of the virtual image is changed in a horizontal direction.

36. A head mounted display, comprising:

an eyeglass type frame and an image display device attached to the frame, wherein the image display device is configured to control a received image signal based at least in part on a distance from the head mounted display to a target, and wherein a distance to a virtual image formed by the image display device is changed over time.

37. The head mounted display of claim 36, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed for reducing a viewer'"'"'s eye fatigue.

38. The head mounted display of claim 36, wherein the distance of the virtual image is changed according to a predetermined schedule.