JP2010062970A - Monocular head-mounted display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To modify display contents on a display easily to watch for a wearer by detecting a case where the monocular display is disposed in front of any arbitrary left or right eye of the wearer. <P>SOLUTION: A head-mounted display device includes a display section for imaging and displaying a video signal from an external portable information processor. A display unit 3 is configured to be selectively disposed in front of one of right and left eyes of a wearer, a position of the display unit 3 is detected by a position detection means 1 for detecting whether the position of the display unit 3 is for the left eye or for the right eye and on the basis of the detected position of the display unit 3, an information processor 2 modifies display contents on the display unit 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device (hereinafter also referred to as HMD) that allows a wearer to visually recognize various types of information by mounting a display and an optical system on the head of the wearer. The head-mounted display device of the present invention can be used, for example, as a display for a wearable computer for the purpose of displaying a PC screen, a TV image, or information necessary for an operator during the work and viewing it. The present invention relates to a so-called monocular head-mounted display device.

  A so-called wearable that allows a portable computer device to be worn by an operator and that can be executed on the spot using a computer when performing complicated processing or highly sophisticated work. Computer systems (wearable PCs) are being put into practical use.

  In the wearable computer system, an HMD that allows a monitor image (display virtual image) formed by a display device to be visually recognized during work is used. That is, an image serving as information is displayed by an HMD image display, and a virtual image is formed by an optical system arranged in front of the wearer's eyes. The wearer can obtain necessary information by visually recognizing the formed virtual image. The wearer can view the necessary information on the display screen in a hands-free manner while moving around.

In particular, a monocular HMD that displays a virtual image only on a single eye has recently been widely used. And in the case of such a monocular type HMD, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it is configured in consideration of disposing the display in front of the wearer's left and right (for example, effective) eyes. Often done.
JP-A-9-318905 JP 2007-219116 A

  On the other hand, since the display screen of the display device is often horizontally long, when the information to be displayed is divided into two windows, it is common to arrange two of them side by side.

  By the way, in the case of a monocular HMD, since it is known that the display closer to the center of both eyes is easier to see than the distant display for the display content in the horizontal direction, there are two pieces of information to be viewed. And if there is a priority order that you want to see, assuming that it is viewed with the right eye, a window with high priority information is displayed on the left side (center side of both eyes), and a window with low priority information is displayed on the right side. Place above.

  However, depending on the situation, when the user wants to view the outside scene directly on the right eye (dominant eye) side, it is necessary to move the display unit to the left eye side. Further, the display device may be worn instead of a wearer with a dominant left eye.

  In this case, it is possible to exchange the left and right windows by operating an external input means such as a mouse, but such an operation is necessary and is troublesome and inconvenient.

  The present invention is a monocular head that can detect and change the display content of the display so that it can be easily seen by the wearer when the display is placed in front of the left and right eyes of the wearer. An object is to provide a wearable display device.

  The present invention is a head-mounted display device including a display unit that visualizes and displays an external video signal, and the display unit is configured to be selectively disposed in front of one of the left and right eyes of the wearer. In addition, based on the position detection means for detecting whether the position of the display is for the left eye or the right eye and the position of the display detected by the position detection means, the display contents on the display And an information processing unit for changing the information.

  With the configuration described above, it is possible to detect that the display has been placed in front of the eyes of the wearer and automatically change the display content of the display so that the wearer can easily see the display. Ease of operation is improved and operability is improved.

  FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a monocular head-mounted display device of this embodiment. The position detection unit 1 detects whether the display unit 3 is used by the left eye or the right eye of the wearer, and transmits the detection signal to the information processing unit 2.

  The information processing unit 2 generally includes an image controller 2-1 that outputs an image, a CPU 2-2 that performs various controls, an image memory 2-3 that stores image information, a hard disk 2-4, an input / output interface 2-5, It consists of a main memory 2-6. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a recording medium such as a compact flash or smart media may be used for the hard disk 2-4.

  The display unit 3 includes an image processing interface 3-1, a liquid crystal driver 3-2, a liquid crystal panel 3-3, and a liquid crystal light source 3- that convert the image signal sent from the information processing unit 2 into an image signal for a liquid crystal display. 4 and an optical system 3-5. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and display means such as a CRT may be used.

  Next, the operation of the monocular head-mounted display device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition to the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the wearer can, for example, a camera that captures the direction of the line of sight of the wearer (not shown), a self-position detection device that detects the position of the wearer, such as GPS, camera information, A wireless device capable of transmitting and receiving with fellow wearers is worn on the body, and these devices are connected to the information processing unit 2.

  Further, in FIG. 2, a window 5-1 for displaying on the map where the person or the fellow is located and a window 5-2 for displaying information taken by the fellow camera are divided into two in the horizontal direction. The information processing unit 2 controls the image on the display unit 2 so that the window 5-1 that displays the position information of the person and the fellow who is determined to have high priority is arranged on the center side of both eyes.

  In FIG. 2, since the display unit 3 is disposed in front of the right eye, the position detection unit 1 detects the information and transmits it to the CPU 2-2 via the input / output interface 2-5 of the information processing unit 2. . Based on the information, the CPU 2-2 automatically moves the window 5-1 having a high priority order through the image controller 2-1 to the center side of both eyes, that is, the left side from the wearer toward the display unit. Deploy.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the display unit 3 is switched from the front of the right eye to the front of the left eye, the position detection unit 1 detects the information and passes through the input / output interface of the information processing unit 2. Based on this information, the CPU 2-2 opens the window 5-1 having a high priority level through the image controller 2-1, toward the center of both eyes, that is, from the wearer to the display unit. Automatically place it on the right side.

  In the present embodiment, the window 5-1 and the window 5-2 are divided into two in the horizontal direction, but may be divided into three or more or may be divided in the vertical direction. In addition, the plurality of divided windows may be configured to be automatically arranged in descending order of priority from the center of both eyes, and other arrangement methods may be employed.

It is the block diagram which showed schematic structure of the head mounted display apparatus of a present Example. It is the figure which showed the display content at the time of arrange | positioning the display unit in front of the right eye in the head mounted display apparatus of a present Example. It is the figure which showed the display content at the time of arrange | positioning the display unit in front of the left eye in the head mounted display apparatus of a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Position detection means 2 Information processing part 3 Display unit

Claims (1)

A head-mounted display device including a display unit that visualizes and displays an external video signal, and the display unit is configured to be selectively disposed in front of the left and right eyes of the wearer, Based on position detection means for detecting whether the position of the display is for the left eye or for the right eye and the position of the display detected by the position detection means, the display content on the display is changed. A monocular head-mounted display device comprising an information processing unit.

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