JP2002268815A - Head-mounted display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a head-mounted display device that can be used not only as a display device of a portable terminal, etc., but also as an input device that does not have to be operated by a hand. SOLUTION: Pressure sensors 8 and 10 arranged at positions that respectively come into contact with the left and right sides of the head when this head- mounted display device in mounted on the human head are provided, and a controlling means controls an image displaying means 6 on the basis of pressure detection results by the pressure sensors 8 and 10. When a user moves his chin in such a manner to bite something with left teeth, strength of pressure detected by the pressure sensor 8 is changed, and the controlling means thereby moves a pointer figure on a screen to the left. Meanwhile, when the user moves the chin in such a manner to bite something with right teeth, strength of pressure detected by the pressure sensor 10 is changed, and the controlling means can thereby moves the pointer figure to the right.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head mount display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art PDA (Personal Digit)
al Assistants) can view and enter information wherever they are,
Due to its convenience, it has been widely used. By the way, when using a mobile terminal, the device is usually held by hand, and the user views the screen and performs various operations in that state. Therefore, it cannot be used when people are crowded, such as in a crowded train, or when both hands are occupied.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-219705 discloses an input device in which a switch is operated by moving a face by attaching a switch to spectacles or the like. By combining such a device with a portable terminal, it is possible to operate the portable terminal without using a hand. However, since the display is performed by the main body of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal must be held by hand, and the mobile terminal cannot be used when it is crowded or when both hands are occupied.

It is also possible to use a device for detecting the direction of the line of sight of a person disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-333259 and operate the portable terminal by changing the direction of the line of sight. However, the display problem still remains in this case. Furthermore, this configuration has a disadvantage that it is difficult to perform an operation corresponding to a click operation of a mouse, which is an input device of a personal computer, and there is also a problem that the device becomes large.

[0005] On the other hand, the head-mounted display device has image display means arranged close to the eyes when worn on a human head, and the image display means comprises a liquid crystal display device and a lens. Thus, the user can easily view an image on an equivalently large screen regardless of the location by using the head-mounted display device. And since the head mounted display device is mounted on the head, there is no need to support it by hand, and no space is required. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a head-mounted display device as a display means of a mobile terminal. With such a configuration, the convenience of the mobile terminal can be further improved, and the user can view an image on a large screen. Will be able to do it.

[0006] However, even if a head-mounted display device is used, the operation must be performed on the main body of the portable terminal. The terminal cannot be used.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and its object is to use not only as a display device such as a portable terminal but also as an input device without using hands. It is to provide a possible head mount display device.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a main body mounted on a human head, the main body includes image display means, and the main body is mounted on a human head. A head-mounted display device in which the image display means is disposed in front of the eyes when worn, and is attached to the main body, and when the main body is worn on a human head,
Pressure-sensitive sensors that contact the left and right sides of the head,
Control means for controlling the image display means based on a pressure detection result by the pressure-sensitive sensor.

As described above, the head-mounted display device of the present invention is provided with the pressure-sensitive sensors that respectively contact the left and right sides of the head when the main body is mounted on the head of the person, and the control means includes: The image display means is controlled based on the detection result of the pressure by the pressure sensor. Therefore, the control means displays a pointer graphic similar to that of a mouse cursor or the like on a personal computer on the screen of the image display means, based on the detection result of the pressure by the pressure-sensitive sensor. Control is performed to change the position of the figure on the screen.

The pressure applied to the pressure-sensitive sensor changes, for example, by moving the jaw in a manner of biting an object or applying force to the jaw, so that the user can move the pointer graphic without using his / her hand. Can be. Therefore, the head mounted display device of the present invention can be used not only as a display device but also as an input device,
For example, by combining with a mobile terminal, the convenience of the mobile terminal can be further enhanced.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a head-mounted display device main body constituting an example of a head-mounted display device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the entire head-mounted display device of the embodiment, and FIG. It is a functional block diagram showing a head mount display device of an example of an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 4 constituting the head mounted display device 2 according to the present embodiment is basically mounted on a human head, and an image display means 6 using a liquid crystal display device. Is arranged in front of the eyes and an image is displayed. In addition, the main body 4 is provided with two pressure-sensitive sensors which are disposed at locations respectively contacting the left and right sides of the head when mounted on a human head and detect pressure and output an electric signal. 8, 10, and as shown in FIG.
A control unit 12 is provided for controlling the image display unit 6 based on the result of pressure detection by the pressure sensors 8 and 10.

More specifically, the main body 4 has a housing 14 for holding the image display means 6, and one end attached to each of both side ends of the housing to hold the head when mounted on a human head. Two arms 1 whose other end is hung on the ear
6 and 18, and the pressure sensors 8 and 10 are mounted inside the arms 16 and 18, respectively. In the present embodiment, the initialization switch 20 is connected to the arm 18.
The control means 12 determines the magnitude of the detection result of the pressure sensor based on the detection result of the pressure sensor when the initialization switch 20 is operated.

In the present embodiment, the control means 12 is a portable terminal connected to the main body 4 by a cable 22. The control means 12 sends a signal to the main body 4 through the cable 22, and And displays the pointer graphic on the screen, and changes the position of the pointer graphic on the screen based on the pressure detection result by the pressure sensor.

More specifically, the control means 12 moves the pointer figure to the left when the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor 8 attached to the left arm 16 changes, and controls the sensor attached to the right arm 18. When the detection result of the pressure sensor 10 changes, the pointer graphic is moved to the right. And
When the detection results of the two pressure-sensitive sensors 8 and 10 change simultaneously, the control unit 12 performs a specific operation corresponding to the change. The control means 12 also detects the operation of the initialization switch 20 through the cable 22.

The pointer graphic may be in the form of a mouse cursor displayed on a screen of a personal computer, for example. The control means 12
As shown in FIG. 3, the A / D converters 24, 26,
It is configured to include a CPU 28 (central processing unit), a memory 30, a graphic circuit 32, and the like. The A / D converter 24 converts the output signal of the pressure sensor 8 into a digital signal and supplies it to the CPU 28, and the A / D converter 26 converts the output signal of the pressure sensor 10 into a digital signal and supplies it to the CPU 28. I do. A signal from the initialize switch 20 is also input to the CPU 28.

The CPU 28 operates based on the program data stored in the memory 30 and controls the graphic circuit 32 according to the output signals of the A / D converters 24 and 26 and the operation result of the initialize switch 20. Display and move the pointer graphic. In addition, the CPU 28 controls the entire portable terminal to realize various functions inherent in the portable terminal.

Next, the operation of the head mounted display device 2 configured as described above will be described. When the head mount display device 2 is used, the user puts the arms 16 and 18 on his / her ears and wears the main body 4 in the same manner as eyeglasses. At this time, the pressure sensors 8 and 10 are in a state of being slightly pressed near the temple of the user. As a result, the pressure sensors 8, 10 detect the pressure and output an electric signal of a corresponding magnitude, and the A / D converter 24,
The CPU 26 converts the electric signal into a digital signal and converts the signal into a digital signal.
To supply.

Then, under the control of the CPU 28, an image signal is output from the control means 12 (portable terminal) to the main body unit 4, supplied to the liquid crystal display device of the image display means 6, and displayed on the screen. The user can view this image on a screen of a sufficiently large size equivalently via a lens constituting the image display means 6.

At this time, a pointer graphic is displayed on the screen by the CPU 28, and the user can move the pointer graphic on the screen by moving the chin (or by applying a force to the chin). When performing such an operation, the user operates the initialize switch 20 in a natural state in which the power of the chin is released in advance. As a result, the CPU 28 captures the signals output from the A / D converters 24 and 26 at that time and stores the signals in the memory 30 as the reference values.

Thereafter, when moving the pointer graphic to the left, the user moves the jaw in the manner of biting the left tooth.
As a result, the vicinity of the left temple moves and the pressure-sensitive sensor 8 moves.
And the pressure-sensitive sensor 8 outputs a larger signal. The CPU 28 obtains the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor 8 through the A / D converter 24 and compares it with the reference value stored in the memory 30 in advance.
Since the detected value has increased, it is determined that movement of the pointer graphic to the left has been instructed, and the graphic circuit 32 is controlled to change the pointer graphic at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the difference between the detected value and the reference value. Move left.

On the other hand, when moving the pointer graphic to the right, the user moves the jaw in the manner of biting the right tooth. As a result, the vicinity of the right temple moves and the force applied to the pressure-sensitive sensor 10 increases, and the pressure-sensitive sensor 10 outputs a larger signal. The CPU 28 obtains the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor 10 through the A / D converter 26 and compares the result with the reference value stored in the memory 30 in advance. It is determined that the instruction has been given, and the graphic circuit 32
To move the pointer graphic to the right at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the difference between the detected value and the reference value.

When the mouse is operated on a personal computer or the like, the pointer figure is moved as described above,
A mouse click is performed after the mouse is placed at a specific location on the screen. In the head-mounted display device 2, as an operation equivalent to a mouse click, the user moves the jaw in a manner of simultaneously biting the left and right teeth. As a result, the force applied to both the pressure sensors 8 and 10 increases, and both the pressure sensors 8 and 10 output larger signals. The CPU 28 acquires the detection results of the pressure sensors 8 and 10 through the A / D converters 24 and 26,
Detecting that the force applied by both pressure sensors 8 and 10 has increased, a specific operation corresponding to the position on the screen where the pointer graphic is located is performed.

As described above, in the head mounted display device 2 of the present embodiment, the image can be viewed by attaching the main body 4 to the head, and the chin can be moved or the chin can be moved without using the hands. The pointer figure can be moved by applying force. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the device by hand at the time of use, and the mobile terminal can be used even when crowded people such as in a crowded train or when both hands are occupied, for example, e-mail And browse websites. Further, in the present embodiment, the main body 4 is simply provided with the pressure-sensitive sensor 8,
Since only the 10 and the initialization switch 20 are provided, the structure is extremely simple.

In the present embodiment, the moving speed of the pointer graphic is changed in accordance with the strength of the pressure detected by the pressure-sensitive sensors 8 and 10. However, the pointer graphic does not depend on the strength of the pressure. Alternatively, when a pressure equal to or higher than a certain level is detected, it may be moved at a certain speed.

Also, the initialization switch 20 is not provided, and the pointer figure is moved when the range of change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensors 8 and 10 exceeds a certain level. 10
It is also possible to employ a configuration in which the detected pressure is used as a reference.

It is also possible to combine with a device for detecting the direction of the line of sight as described above. In this case, for example, the pointer figure is moved based on the result of detection of the line of sight by the line of sight detection device, For example, the left click operation of the mouse can be performed based on the detection result of the above, and the right / left click operation can be performed based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 10.

In the present embodiment, the main unit 4 and the portable terminal are connected by the cable 22, but signals may be transmitted and received between them using light or radio waves. Further, in the present embodiment, a portable terminal as the control means 12 is provided separately from the main body 4, but a CPU and a memory are incorporated in the main body 4 to perform the function of the control means, and May also be performed. In that case, the mounting part to the head (body part)
A head-mounted display device having only a computer function can be realized. Of course, in this case, the cable 22 is unnecessary, and the user can use the head mounted display device without being bound by the cable or the like.

Further, in this embodiment, the control means 12 moves the pointer graphic on the screen based on the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor. However, the control means 12 displays the image based on the detection result of the pressure-sensitive sensor. The image displayed on the means 6 may be switched. For example, when the pressure sensor 8 detects a change in pressure, the next image is displayed, while the pressure sensor 10 detects the change in pressure. If so, the previous image may be displayed.

[0030]

As described above, the head-mounted display device of the present invention is provided with the pressure-sensitive sensors that contact the left and right sides of the head when the main body is mounted on the head. The control means controls the image display means based on the pressure detection result by the pressure sensor. Therefore, the control means displays a pointer graphic similar to that of a mouse cursor or the like on a personal computer on the screen of the image display means, based on the detection result of the pressure by the pressure-sensitive sensor. Control is performed to change the position of the figure on the screen.

Since the pressure applied to the pressure-sensitive sensor changes by, for example, moving the jaw in a manner of biting an object or applying force to the jaw, the user must move the pointer graphic without using his / her hand. Can be. Therefore, the head mounted display device of the present invention can be used not only as a display device but also as an input device,
For example, by combining with a mobile terminal, the convenience of the mobile terminal can be further enhanced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a head mount display device main body constituting an example of a head mount display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the entire head mounted display device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a head mounted display device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... head-mounted display device, 4 ... body part, 6 ... image display means, 8 ... pressure-sensitive sensor, 10 ...
... pressure-sensitive sensor, 12 ... control means, 14 ... housing, 16 ... arm, 18 ... arm, 20 ... initialize switch, 22 ... cable, 24 ... A / D
Converter, 26 A / D converter, 28
CPU, 30... Memory, 32... Graphic circuit.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A main body mounted on a human head, the main body including image display means, and when the main body is mounted on a human head, the image display means is close to the eyes. A head-mounted display device to be disposed, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensors are attached to the main body, and contact the left and right sides of the head when the main body is mounted on a human head, respectively. Control means for controlling the image display means based on a result of pressure detection by a pressure sensor. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a housing for holding the image display means, and one end attached to each of both side ends of the housing. 2. The head mount display device according to claim 1, further comprising two arms which are sandwiched and the other end of which is hung on an ear, wherein the pressure-sensitive sensor is attached to each arm. 3. The control means displays a pointer graphic on a screen of the image display means, and changes a position of the pointer graphic on the screen based on a pressure detection result by the pressure-sensitive sensor. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1. 4. The control means displays a pointer graphic on a screen of the image display means, and changes a position of the pointer graphic on the screen based on a result of pressure detection by the pressure-sensitive sensor. The pointer graphic is moved to the left when the detection result of the pressure sensor attached to the arm changes, and the pointer graphic is moved when the detection result of the pressure sensor attached to the right arm changes. 3. The head-mounted display device according to claim 2, wherein the head is moved to the right. 5. The head-mounted display device according to claim 4, wherein when the detection results of the two pressure-sensitive sensors change simultaneously, the control means performs a specific operation corresponding to the change. 6. An initialization switch is further provided.
2. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the magnitude of the detection result of the pressure sensor based on the detection result of the pressure sensor when the initialization switch is operated. 7. The head mount according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a CPU and a memory, and the CPU operates based on program data stored in the memory to control the image display means. Display device. 8. A gaze input device for detecting a direction of a line of sight of a person, wherein the control unit uses the detection result of the gaze input device together with the detection result of the pressure by the pressure-sensitive sensor to display the image display unit. The head mounted display device according to claim 1, wherein the head mounted display device is controlled.