JP2002072130A - Information-displaying device which can be put on man's head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent light from an external world and secure the sufficient contrast of an image monitor even when used outdoors, for an information- displaying device which is attachable to and detachable from the brim of a cap or a sun visor, by making it possible to equip the outside of the brim of the cap or the sun visor with an filter capable of reducing the light. SOLUTION: A displaying element 3 of a HMD display device is equipped with a U-shaped clip 4. The displaying element 3 is attachable to and detachable from the brim 7 of the cap or the sun visor 2, and is held on the front part of a man's head. As the external appearance of a worker, therefore, becomes close to his (or her) usual appearance when he (or she) puts on the display device, a feeling of discomfort to a customer can be reduced. Further, the light from the external world is prevented by equipping the outside of the brim 7 of the cap or the sun visor 2 with a light-shielding filter, which is attachable to and detachable from the brim, capable of reducing the light from the external world and the contrast of the image monitor can be sufficiently secured even when used outdoors. This display device, accordingly, can be used as an outdoor guide.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head-mounted information display device for visually recognizing business-related information in a customer service operation such as a convenience store cash register, a drive-through store counter, and guidance at an outdoor facility. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the revolutionary progress of information technology, various types of information equipment equipped with small computer functions have been developed. A wearable information processing device that can be worn close to the device is being put to practical use. Such a signal from the information processing device is transmitted to the worker as sound through an earphone, or is transmitted to the worker as an image that can be visually recognized by attaching a small display device to the head. An information display device having an image monitor and worn on the head is called a head mounted display device (hereinafter, referred to as an HMD device), and the amount of information is significantly increased by voice.

[0003] HMD devices include a compound eye type that can be viewed with both eyes, a monocular type that can be viewed with one eye, a see-through type that allows an image monitor to be visually recognized while observing the outside scene, and a non-transmissive type that cannot observe the outside scene. It is used as appropriate in a wide range of fields such as video, display of work contents at the site of manufacturing and assembling various products, educational display such as English conversation, and explanation of exhibits in a showroom.

[0004] The display unit of the HMD device comprises at least a display for producing a display image and a reflection optical member having a reflection surface for reflecting display light emitted from the display. For this purpose, liquid crystal display devices are often used. The reflection optical member is configured by combining a total reflection mirror, a half mirror, a prism, and the like.
In addition to the display unit, a circuit board for driving the same, a connector, and connection cords are mounted, and a power supply and other circuit boards necessary for display are held in appropriate parts of the body.

[0005] As an HMD device, an image monitor is structurally arranged above or below the temporal region or the eyeball, and this is made visible using an aspherical reflecting optical system. There are known a type having a structure to be fixed to the head with a mounting member of a mold, a type having a U-shape such as a hair band, and a type having a ring shape. There is also an HMD of a type in which a display unit is fixed by an arm protruding from the side to a mounting member shaped to go around the occiput from the side of the head.

[0006]

A conventional headset-type HMD device which is firmly fixed to the head, although being lightened by applying recent technology, is slightly large and weighs more than 100 g. In addition, since it is intended to fix the head to the head using a device having a structure different from that of a wearing device used in daily life, there is a sense of incongruity for the worker when wearing the device. Furthermore, when wearing the HMD device, it hinders the use of glasses,
Further, problems such as the appearance of the HMD device being worn when wearing it being extraordinary and the appearance of wearing the HMD device being inappropriate for the situation such as customer service remain unsolved. Further, the conventional HMD device is mainly put to practical use for indoor work, but there is a problem that it is difficult to put it into practical use in outdoor use because sufficient contrast cannot be secured. Further, a monocular HMD device, which is often adopted as a small HMD device, has a problem that a bright external view can be seen by the eyes other than the image monitor side, so that the monitor display becomes difficult to see with an HMD device which cannot secure sufficient luminance. . The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is necessary to provide a head-mounted information display device that can be easily attached to and detached from a brim of a cap, a sun visor, and other crowns, and that can be used outdoors. Is what you do.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a head-mounted information display device according to the present invention is a display device which is worn close to the frontal head, and includes a hat or a sun visor. A clip is attached to the display device so that it can be easily attached and detached.Furthermore, a filter that reduces external light is provided around the outer edge of the brim of the hat or sun visor so that it can be attached and detached to block external light entering the field of view. In addition, the image monitor contrast of the display device can be sufficiently ensured even when used outdoors.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a head mounted information display device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an HMD display device 1 and a cap-type sun visor 2 according to the present invention.
The display device 1 includes a display unit 3, a clip 4, a cable 5, and a clip 6 for fixing the cable. The clip 4 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section by using a member having a spring property, and the display unit 3 is mounted on the sun visor 2 by inserting the U-shaped opening into the collar 7. A clip 6 for fixing the cable 5 to the sun visor 2 is slidably engaged with the cable 5 and its position can be easily adjusted. FIG. 2 shows that the clip 4 of the HMD display device 1 is inserted into the collar 7 of the sun visor 2 and the cable 5 is
Shows a state fixed to the collar 7 by. FIG. 3 shows an HMD device in which the HMD display device 1 is mounted on the sun visor 2 and a light-shielding filter 8 for reducing external scenery light. The light-shielding filter 8 includes a filter 9 and a clip 10.
Composed of FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the display unit 3, and includes a combiner 11 and a half mirror 12 having a beam splitter function, and a beam splitter 1 having a polarization function.
3, a light source 14, a polarizing plate 5, and a reflective liquid crystal element 16.

Next, the operation based on the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the clip 4 attached to the display unit 3 of the HMD display device 1 is formed in a U-shape,
It is formed so as to have a suitable elastic force that can be inserted and removed with respect to the thickness of the collar 7. In consideration of mechanical strength and weight reduction, the clip 4 is formed of a stainless steel thin plate. When the U-shaped opening of the clip 4 is pressed firmly against the collar 7 by hand, the U-shaped opening is spread by the pressing force and is placed on the collar 7, and the display unit 3 is clamped at that position. It is possible to grip the collar 7 and the clip 4 and slide the clip 4 back and forth and left and right with respect to the collar 7 to adjust the positional relationship between the collar 7 and the operator. By adjusting the positional relationship, the display unit 3 can be held between the collars 7 so that the operator can most easily view the image. Further, the position can be adjusted so that use with the left and right eyes can be freely selected.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the display unit 3 is mounted on the collar 7. In the case of a monocular HMD device, the HMD display device 1
Has a light weight of 30 to 40 g, and even with such a clip structure, the HMD display device 1 can be securely held. When the sun visor 2 is mounted on the head, the cable 5 for sending a signal to the display unit 3 is arranged with clips 6 so that the cable 5 does not hinder the operator.
As shown in the figure. When the operation is completed, the clip 4 can be easily pulled out by operating the HMD display device 1 so as to be lightly pulled out from the collar 7, so that the HMD display device 1 is delivered to the next worker or stored. Is easy.

There is a strong demand for the HMD display device 1 to be smaller and lighter, and it is difficult at present to provide the display unit 3 with sufficient brightness for use in outdoor work, aside from indoor use. Practical application is hindered. In the present invention, in order to solve this problem, as shown in FIG. 3, after the HMD display device 1 is mounted on the sun visor 2, the light shielding filter 8 can be provided around the collar 7 by the clip 10. The light-shielding filter 8 is a filter 9 formed of a plastic having a characteristic of low transmittance with respect to light rays in the visible region, as used in general sunglasses, and a filter 9 for inserting the filter 9 into the collar 7 of the sun visor 2. It is composed of a clip 10. Since the light-shielding filter 8 is rarely needed in indoor work, the light-shielding filter 8 is inserted and removed from the collar 7. However, when the HMD display device 1 is used outdoors, the outside light of the background is reduced by the see-through type HMD device. The light-shielding filter 8 is indispensable in order to enhance the display contrast and improve the visibility, and it also has the effect of reducing the external scenery light that is directly visible to the outside, not the display side, and has the effect of making the display easier to see. The burden is greatly improved.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the display unit 3.
A drive circuit for driving the reflective liquid crystal element 16 and the light source 14 is not shown. Light emitted from the light source 14 passes through the polarizing plate 15 as shown by a two-dot chain line,
The light of the S-polarized component is extracted and enters the beam splitter 13. The beam splitter 13 has a reflection / transmission surface 13a that highly reflects S-polarized component light and highly transmits P-polarized component light. The light of the S-polarized component incident on the beam splitter 13 is reflected by the reflection / transmission surface 13a, and the reflection type liquid crystal element 16
Incident on. The incident S-polarized component light is emitted from the reflective liquid crystal element 16 as P-polarized component image display light.
The light of the P-polarized component emitted from the reflective liquid crystal element 16 transmits through the reflection / transmission surface 13a and is reflected by the half mirror 12,
The light is reflected by the combiner 11, passes through the half mirror 12, and enters the worker's eyes as image display light.

By using a half mirror, the combiner 11 can constitute a see-through type HMD device that allows an operator to recognize the image display light and at the same time visually recognize the outside scenery. By using a curved mirror as the combiner 11 and the half mirror 12, the position of the image can be displayed at a long distance.

In the case of a see-through type HMD device in which the display unit 3 is a see-through type, it is possible to visually recognize the outside scene through the half mirror 12 while simultaneously viewing the image with both eyes. The unit 3 is used with a single eye. In this case, the position is adjusted so that the image is visually recognized by either the right eye or the left eye.

When a see-through type HMD device for a single eye is used, the weight is as light as 30 to 40 g as described above, and there is an advantage that the visual recognition work load of an operator is improved. However, by using a non-transmissive HMD device, a small and light clip-type HMD device with higher display luminance can be obtained, and there is a merit that comfort is improved. However, there is a demerit that the outside scene can be visually recognized only by one eye without the display unit 3 and requires some skill for use.

Although the clip 4 is fixed to the display unit 3 in the above description, a clip may be provided on the collar 7 so as to sandwich the display unit 3. The clip 10 of the light shielding filter 8 may be provided on the side of the collar 7 to hold the filter 9, or a projection may be provided on the collar 7 to engage with a hole formed in the filter 9.

Instead of the sun visor 2, the present invention can be applied to all hats having a brim 7. It is also possible to slightly change the shape and dimensions of the clip 4 and mount it on an arm or head holder of a frame mirror such as a medical tool. As described above, the present invention can be attached to and detached from the headgear that can be worn on the head, and is not limited to hats and sun visors. The present invention can be applied to a short helmet such as a construction helmet by increasing the shape of the clip 4.
The structure of the clip is not limited to the U-shape, but may be a structure using a coil spring, a pin using a pin, inserting with a string, attaching with an adhesive tape, or adsorbing using a magnetic member.
Various methods are conceivable that conform to the above. The light-shielding filter 8 is not inserted into and removed from the collar 7 and is rotatably locked to the sun visor 2. It may be held at the top.

It can be easily inferred that the quality of information can be greatly improved by using the HMD display device 1 of the present invention together with a voice type information device using earphones.

In the HMD display device 1 of the present invention, a power source such as a battery or a photovoltaic power generation is provided near the display unit 3,
It is theoretically possible to omit the cable 5 by adopting a means that can be wirelessly operated and to improve the comfort at the time of mounting. However, at the current technical level, the display unit 3
In order to obtain sufficient display contrast, power consumption of several watts is required, so that there is a limitation due to the capacity of the battery.

[0020]

As described above, the present invention has been used in the customer service business such as a drive-through window where a sun visor and a hat are worn on a daily basis. This approach reduces the sense of discomfort given to visitors as it approaches the appearance of an amusement park, and improves the service by providing easy-to-read display images with high visibility even in bright outside scenes when guiding in outdoor facilities such as amusement parks. Leads to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an HMD display device 1 and a sun visor 2 for mounting on a head.

FIG. 2 shows an HMD device in which the HMD display device 1 is inserted into and integrated with a collar 7 of a sun visor 2;

FIG. 3 shows an HMD device and a light shielding filter 8 having a clip mechanism to be inserted into the HMD device.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the display unit 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... HMD display device 2 ... Sun visor 3 ... Display part 4 ... Clip 5 ... Cable 6 ... Clip 7 ... Collar 8 ... Light shielding filter 9 ... Filter 10 ... Clip 11 ... Combiner 12 ... Half mirror 13 ... Beam splitter 13a ... Reflection / transmission surface 14 light source 15 polarizing plate 16 reflective liquid crystal element

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An information display device mounted close to a forehead, wherein a clip is attached to the display device so as to be detachable from a head cap. apparatus. 2. The head-mounted information display device according to claim 1, wherein a filter for reducing external light is provided along the outer edge of the headgear between the display device and the outside world. Head-mounted information display device.