Display instrument and image display method

• US 10,540,822 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Jwalant
• Application Number:
  US15/925,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

A head-mounted display device including an image display apparatus configured to display a captured image of a portion of an environment viewable through the head-mounted display device; and a dimmer configured to, while the captured image is displayed, allow a portion of ambient light from the environment to pass through the dimmer. Also, a method of displaying information on a head-mounted display device. The method may include displaying a captured image of a portion of an environment viewable through the display device; and dimming ambient light received through the head-mounted display device from the environment while displaying the captured image.

Claims

1. A display device adapted to be mounted on a part of a user'"'"'s head, the display device comprising:

an image display section configured to display a captured image of a portion of an environment viewable by the user through the display device when the display device is mounted on the part of the user'"'"'s head, the image display section comprising a first surface which faces an eye of the user when the display device is worn on the part of the user'"'"'s head and a second surface opposing the first surface and facing a protection member;

a dimmer comprising a first electrode residing on the protection member, a second substrate, a second electrode residing on the second substrate, and a light transmission control material layer, at least a portion of the light transmission control material layer residing between the first electrode and the second electrode, the dimmer being configured to, while the captured image is displayed, allow an amount of ambient light from the environment to pass through the dimmer; and

a controller configured to process at least one feature of the captured image, and as a result of the processing;

cause the image display section to present display data, and

cause the dimmer to modify an amount of ambient light from the environment that is allowed to pass through;

wherein the dimmer is detachable from the display device.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display data is selected from the group comprising a character, a word, a sentence, a figure, an illustration, a still image and a moving image.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, as a result of the processing, control the image display unit to switch from displaying the captured image to displaying the display data, and to control the dimmer to switch from allowing a first amount of ambient light from the environment to pass through the dimmer to allowing a second amount of ambient light from the environment to pass through the dimmer.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the display data is at least one word relating to at least one subject of the environment viewable through the display device.

5. The display device of claim 3, wherein the display data is at least one image relating to at least one subject of the environment viewable through the display device.

6. The display device of claim 3, wherein the first amount of ambient light allowed to pass through the dimmer is less than the second amount of ambient light allowed to pass through the dimmer.

7. The display device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an indication to switch from a first operation mode to a second operation mode from a user of the display device.

8. The display device of claim 7, further comprising:

a microphone configured to receive a voice command from the user to switch from the first operation mode to the second operation mode.

9. The display device of claim 7, further comprising:

an infrared receiver configured to receive an eye-blinking command from the user to switch from the first operation mode to the second operation mode.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch the display device from one of a plurality of operation modes to another of the plurality of operation modes, and in at least one of the plurality of operation modes, the image display section is non-transmissive.

11. The display device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch the display device from one of a plurality of operation modes to another of the plurality of operation modes, and in at least one of the plurality of operation modes, the image display section is semi-transmissive.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of operation modes comprises at least two operation modes in which the image display section is semi-transmissive, and a first of the at least two operation modes is different than a second of the at least two operation modes.

13. The display device of claim 1, comprising at least one storage device configured to store information, and wherein the controller is configured to process the at least one feature of the captured image by comparing the at least one feature of the captured image to information stored by the at least one storage device, and to cause the image display section to present display data retrieved from the at least one storage device as a result of the comparing.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is thinner than the protection member.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light transmission control material layer is formed of a liquid crystal material layer.

16. The display device of claim 1, wherein the light transmission control material layer is formed of an inorganic electroluminescence material layer.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate comprises transparent glass.