Head mounted display and method for controlling head mounted display

• US 9,740,009 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fujimaki, Yutaka, Uchiyama, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa-Gibson, Gloryvid
• Application Number:
  US14/451,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A head mounted display includes an image display unit having an image light generation unit that generates image light based on image data and outputs the image light, the image display unit not only allowing a user who wears the image display unit around user'"'"'s head to recognize the image light in the form of a virtual image but also transmitting a surrounding scene, and a control unit that compares an index set based not only on luminance of initial image light generated based on initial image data that is original image data but also on illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene with a first threshold set in advance and causes the image light generation unit to generate display image light that differs from the initial image light in that at least part of the luminance thereof is changed based on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A head mounted display comprising:

an image display having an image light generator that generates image light based on image data and outputs the image light, the image display not only allowing a user who wears the image display around user'"'"'s head to recognize the image light in the form of a virtual image but also transmitting a surrounding scene;

a luminance processor that identifies luminance at each pixel of the virtual image;

an eye imaging camera that generates images of the user'"'"'s eyes; and

a controller that (1) determines the uses line-of-sight from the images of the user'"'"'s eyes, (2) generates an index based on (a) the luminance of each pixel of the virtual image, (b) the user'"'"'s line-of-sight and (c) illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene, (3) compares the index with a first threshold set in advance and (4) causes the image light generator to generate display image light that differs from the initial image light in that at least part of the luminance thereof is changed based on a result of the comparison.

2. The head mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising:

an illuminance detector that detects the illuminance of the surrounding scene,

wherein the index is set based on the luminance of the initial image light and the detected illuminance of the surrounding scene.

3. The head mounted display according to claim 1,

wherein the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene increases, and

when the comparison result shows that the index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the controller causes the image light generator to generate the display image light that differs from the initial image light in that at least part of the luminance thereof is reduced.

4. The head mounted display according to claim 3,

wherein the index changes by a greater amount in accordance with a change in luminance in a position close to the center of a region of the image light generator where the image light is outputted than in accordance with a change in luminance in a position far away from the center of the region, and

the display image light is the image light that differs from the initial image light in that the amount of decrease in luminance in the position close to the center of the region is greater than the amount of decrease in luminance in the position far away from the center of the region.

5. The head mounted display according to claim 3,

wherein the camera identifies user'"'"'s viewing range,

the index changes by a greater amount in accordance with a change in luminance in a position close to the center of the identified user'"'"'s viewing range than in accordance with a change in luminance in a position far away from the center of the viewing range, and

the display image light is the image light that differs from the initial image light in that the amount of decrease in luminance in the position close to the center of the viewing range is greater than the amount of decrease in luminance in the position far away from the center of the viewing range.

6. The head mounted display according to claim 1,

wherein the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the luminance of the surrounding scene increases, and

when the comparison result shows that the index is smaller than the first threshold, the controller causes the image light generator to generate the display image light that differs from the image light in that at least part of the luminance thereof is increased to the extent that the index does not become greater than or equal to the first threshold.

7. The head mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light controller that adjusts the illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene with respect to the illuminance of the surrounding scene and transmits the image light,

wherein the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the illuminance of the surrounding scene increases, and

when the comparison result shows that the index is smaller than the first threshold, the controller adjusts the light controller in such a way that at least part of the illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene decreases to the extent that the index does not become greater than or equal to the first threshold.

8. The head mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light controller that adjusts the illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene with respect to the illuminance of the surrounding scene and transmits the image light,

the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the illuminance of the surrounding scene increases, and

when the comparison result shows that the index is smaller than the first threshold, the controller causes the image light to contain information on adjustment of the illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene made by the light controller as the image light to be recognized by the user.

9. The head mounted display according to claim 1,

wherein the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the illuminance of the surrounding scene increases, and

when the comparison result shows that the index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the controller causes the image light to contain information on control of the image light as the image light to be recognized by the user.

10. The head mounted display according to claim 1,

wherein the controller causes the image light generator to generate the display image light based not only on a generation period for which the image light generator generates the image light but also on the index over the generation period.

11. The head mounted display according to claim 10,

wherein the index increases as the luminance of the initial image light increases but decreases as the illuminance of the surrounding scene increases, and

when an accumulation of the index for the generation period is greater than or equal to a second threshold set in advance, the controller causes the image light to contain information on control of the image light as the image light to be recognized by the user.

13. The head mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the index is a logarithm function of the illuminance of the initial image light and the illuminance of the transmitted surrounded scene.

12. A method for controlling a transmissive head mounted display including an image display having an image light generator that generates image light based on image data and outputs the image light, the image display not only allowing a user who wears the image display around user'"'"'s head to recognize the image light in the form of a virtual image but also transmitting a surrounding scene, the method comprising:

identifying luminance at each pixel of the virtual image;

generating images of the uses eyes;

determining the user'"'"'s line-of-sight from the images of the user'"'"'s eyes;

generating an index based on (a) the luminance of each pixel of the virtual image, (b) the user'"'"'s line-of-sight and (c) illuminance of the transmitted surrounding scene;

comparing the index with a first threshold set in advance; and

causing the image light generator to generate display image light that differs from the initial image light in that at least part of the luminance thereof is changed based on a result of the comparison.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the index is a logarithm function of the illuminance of the initial image light and the illuminance of the transmitted surrounded scene.