JP5891705B2 - Head-mounted display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device that is a display device mounted on a head.

  2. Description of the Related Art A head mounted display (HMD) that is a display device that is used by being mounted on a head is known. The head-mounted display device, for example, generates image light representing an image using a liquid crystal display and a light source, and guides the generated image light to a user's eye using a projection optical system or a light guide plate Thus, the user is made to recognize the virtual image. In such a head-mounted display device, it is possible to enjoy images (videos) and audio anywhere, regardless of location, while being worn like glasses, for example.

  In the prior art, when a head-mounted display device is mounted, it is common for a user to always wear an earphone for sound output. Wearing earphones is time consuming and troublesome for the user, and is not preferable in terms of appearance. In addition, the use of the earphone for a long time has a problem in that the user may be stressed. In order to solve such a problem, a head-mounted display device is known in which a sound output unit that supplies sound without pressing the ear is arranged around the user's ear (for example, Patent Document 1). ).

JP-A-11-331730 JP 2002-232810 A JP-A-10-294983 JP 2006-74798 A JP 2005-534269 Gazette Japanese Patent No. 039631818

  In the conventional technology, it is not necessary to wear an earphone when the head-mounted display device is worn. However, the reality is that sufficient ingenuity has not been made with regard to the ease of listening to voice.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the ease of listening to sound in a head-mounted display device that does not include an earphone.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples. A head-mounted display device, wherein the head-mounted display device is mounted on the user's head and has an eye cover disposed in front of the user's eyes, and an end of the eye cover A holding part for holding the head-mounted display device on a user's head, and inside the holding part, from the central part in the longitudinal direction of the holding part to the holding part A speaker built in up to the tip located at the tip in the extending direction, an oscillating unit built in the holding unit, and a vibration built in the holding unit and in contact with the oscillating unit A transmission unit; and an output control unit that controls whether or not to transmit an electric signal to each of the speaker and the oscillation unit according to a predetermined condition, wherein the predetermined condition is , Acoustic characteristics of the speaker, and the oscillation unit and the vibration transmission unit It is a condition in consideration of the sound characteristics, head-mounted display device. In addition, the present invention can be realized as the following forms or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
A head-mounted display device,
In the wearing state in which the head-mounted display device is worn on the user's head, an eye cover that is arranged in front of the user's eyes;
A holding part for extending from the end of the eye cover and holding the head-mounted display device on the user's head;
A speaker built in between the inside of the holding part and from the center part in the longitudinal direction of the holding part to the tip part located at the tip in the extending direction of the holding part;
A head-mounted display device comprising:
With such a configuration, it extends from the end of the eye cover disposed in front of the user's eyes and is inside the holding unit for holding the head-mounted display device on the user's head. The vibration of the sound is transmitted from the user's external auditory canal to the inner ear (cochlea) through the eardrum and ear ossicles between the central part in the longitudinal direction of the holding part and the tip part located at the tip in the extending direction of the holding part. Built-in speaker. As a result, in a head-mounted display device that does not include an earphone, it is possible to improve the ease of hearing a voice.

[Application Example 2]
A head-mounted display device according to Application Example 1,
The speaker is built in a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the head-mounted display device is worn inside the holding unit,
The holding portion extends from an end portion of the eye cover portion to a position corresponding to a user's temporal region when the head-mounted display device is worn, and corresponds to a position where the speaker is incorporated. A head-mounted display device in which an opening is formed at a position to be mounted.
With such a configuration, the speaker is inside the holding unit, and is further built in a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the head-mounted display device is worn. Since the opening for facilitating the transmission of sound vibration is formed at a position corresponding to the position where the speaker is built in, it is possible to further improve the ease of hearing of sound in the head-mounted display device.

[Application Example 3]
A head-mounted display device according to Application Example 1 or 2,
Inside the holding part,
An oscillation unit;
Abutting on the oscillating portion and a vibration transmitting portion for abutting on the rear of the user's temple or ear;
Head mounted display device with built-in
With such a configuration, the bone conduction mechanism further includes an oscillating portion and a vibration transmitting portion that contacts the oscillating portion and the user's temple or the back of the ear inside the holding portion. Is built-in. In bone conduction, sound vibration is transmitted directly from the user's skull to the inner ear (cochlea), so that clear sound can be transmitted directly to the inner ear even in a noisy environment. As a result, it is possible to further improve the ease of hearing the voice in the head-mounted display device.

[Application Example 4]
The head-mounted display device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, further comprising:
A head-mounted display device comprising a resonator that surrounds the speaker and resonates with vibration of the speaker, the resonator having an opening formed at a position corresponding to a position where the speaker is built. .
With such a configuration, the head-mounted display device is further a resonator that surrounds the speaker and resonates with the vibration of the speaker, and is opened at a position corresponding to the position where the speaker is built. Since the resonator is formed, the bass sound of the speaker can be amplified. As a result, it is possible to further improve the ease of hearing the voice in the head-mounted display device.

[Application Example 5]
The head-mounted display device according to any one of Application Examples 2 to 4,
The head-mounted display device, wherein the holding unit includes a cushioning material at least at a part other than the opening of the holding unit.
With such a configuration, the holding part includes a cushioning material in at least a part other than the opening of the holding part, so that the wearing feeling of the head-mounted display device can be improved.

[Application Example 6]
The head-mounted display device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, further comprising:
A second speaker having a frequency characteristic different from that of the speaker is built in between the inside of the holding portion and the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion, and the second speaker is built in. A head-mounted display device in which an opening is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the head.
With such a configuration, a second speaker having a frequency characteristic different from that of the speaker is built in the inside of the holding portion and up to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion, and the second speaker is built in. Since the opening is formed at a position corresponding to the position where it is placed, a better acoustic effect can be obtained by appropriately selecting the frequency characteristics of the speaker and the second speaker. As a result, it is possible to further improve the ease of hearing the voice in the head-mounted display device.

[Application Example 7]
The head-mounted display device according to any one of Application Examples 3 to 6, further comprising:
A head-mounted display device including a sound source control unit that controls transmission of an electrical signal to the speaker, the oscillation unit, and the second speaker according to a predetermined condition.
With such a configuration, since the sound source control unit that controls the transmission of the electrical signal to the speaker, the oscillation unit, and the second speaker is provided according to a predetermined condition, the speaker according to the condition, The oscillation unit and the second speaker can be used properly.

[Application Example 8]
A head-mounted display device according to Application Example 7,
The head-mounted display device, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition using a type of content being reproduced, an environmental sound, an instruction from a user, or a combination thereof.
With such a configuration, the speaker, the oscillation unit, and the second speaker can be used properly according to the type of content being reproduced, the environmental sound, the presence / absence of an instruction from the user, and the like. As a result, the head mounted display device can provide an acoustic effect corresponding to the scene.

[Application Example 9]
The head-mounted display device according to any one of application examples 1 to 8, wherein the head-mounted display device generates an image light and emits the image light; and the emitted image light An optical member that guides the eyes of the user, and the optical member may be formed as the eye cover. The head-mounted display device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 8, wherein the head-mounted display device includes an image light generation unit that generates and emits image light. The part may be formed as the eye cover part.
With such a configuration, the same effects as those of Application Examples 1 to 8 can be obtained in the head-mounted display devices of various image display methods.

  The present invention can be realized in various modes. For example, a head-mounted display device and a head-mounted display device control method, a head-mounted display system, these methods, devices, or The present invention can be realized in the form of a computer program for realizing the function of the system, a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, or the like.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the external appearance of the head mounted display apparatus in one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating a holding | maintenance part. It is a block diagram which shows the composition of a head mount display functionally. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that image light is inject | emitted by the image light production | generation part. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the virtual image recognized by the user. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the holding | maintenance part in 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the holding | maintenance part in 3rd Example. It is a block diagram which shows functionally the structure of the head mounted display in 3rd Example.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order based on examples.

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an external configuration of a head-mounted display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The head-mounted display device HM is a display device mounted on the head, and is also called a head mounted display (HMD). The head-mounted display HM of the present embodiment is an optically transmissive head-mounted display device that allows a user to visually recognize a virtual image and at the same time directly view an outside scene.

  The head-mounted display HM includes an image display unit 20 that allows the user to visually recognize a virtual image while being mounted on the user's head, and a control unit (controller) 10 that controls the image display unit 20.

  The image display unit 20 is a wearing body that is worn on the user's head, and has a glasses shape in the present embodiment. The image display unit 20 includes a right holding unit 21, a right display driving unit 22, a left holding unit 23, a left display driving unit 24, a right optical panel 26, and a left optical panel 28. The right optical panel 26 and the left optical panel 28 are disposed at positions corresponding to the right and left eyes of the user when the head mounted display HM is mounted. One end of the right optical panel 26 and one end of the left optical panel 28 are respectively connected at positions corresponding to the user's eyebrows when the head mounted display HM is mounted. The right holding portion 21 extends from the end ER that is the other end of the right optical panel 26. Similarly, the left holding portion 23 extends from the end EL which is the other end of the left optical panel 28.

  The right holding unit 21 extends from the end ER of the right optical panel 26 to a position corresponding to the user's temporal region when the head mounted display HM is mounted so as to be substantially perpendicular to the right optical panel 26. It is a member provided. Similarly, the left holding unit 23 is substantially perpendicular to the left optical panel 28 from the end EL of the left optical panel 28 to a position corresponding to the user's temporal region when the head mounted display HM is mounted. It is a member provided by being stretched. The right holding unit 21 and the left holding unit 23 hold the head mounted display HM on the user's head like a temple of glasses.

  The right display drive unit 22 is located on the inner side of the right holding unit 21 (in other words, on the side facing the user's head when the head mounted display HM is mounted) on the end ER side of the right optical panel 26. Has been placed. Further, the left display driving unit 24 is arranged inside the left holding unit 23 and on the end EL side of the left optical panel 28. Hereinafter, the right holding unit 21 and the left holding unit 23 are collectively referred to simply as “holding unit”, and the right display driving unit 22 and the left display driving unit 24 are collectively referred to simply as “display driving unit”, and the right optical unit. The panel 26 and the left optical panel 28 are collectively referred to simply as “optical panel”.

  The display driving unit includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a projection optical system, and the like (not shown). Details will be described later. The optical panel as the optical member includes a light guide plate (not shown) and a light control plate. The light guide plate is formed of a light transmissive resin material or the like, and emits image light taken from the display driving unit toward the user's eyes. The light control plate is a thin plate-like optical element, and is disposed so as to cover the front side of the head mounted display HM (the side opposite to the user's eye side). The light control plate protects the light guide plate, suppresses damage to the light guide plate, adhesion of dirt, etc., and adjusts the light transmittance of the light control plate to adjust the amount of external light entering the user's eyes. The ease of visual recognition of the virtual image can be adjusted. The light control plate can be omitted. The optical panel corresponds to the “eyepiece” in the claims.

  The image display unit 20 further includes a connection unit 40 for connecting the image display unit 20 to the control unit 10. The connection unit 40 includes a main body cord 48 connected to the control unit 10, a right cord 42 in which the main body cord 48 branches into two, a left cord 44, and a connecting member 46 provided at the branch point. Yes. The right cord 42 is inserted into the casing of the right holding unit 21 from the distal end AP in the extending direction of the right holding unit 21 and connected to the right display driving unit 22. Similarly, the left cord 44 is inserted into the housing of the left holding unit 23 from the distal end AP in the extending direction of the left holding unit 23 and connected to the left display driving unit 24.

  The image display unit 20 and the control unit 10 transmit various signals via the connection unit 40. Each end of the main body cord 48 opposite to the connecting member 46 and the control unit 10 are provided with connectors (not shown) that are fitted to each other. The connector of the main body cord 48 and the control unit 10 The control unit 10 and the image display unit 20 are connected to or disconnected from each other by the fitting / releasing of the connector. For the right cord 42, the left cord 44, and the main body cord 48, for example, a metal cable or an optical fiber can be adopted.

  The control unit 10 is a device for operating the head mounted display HM. The control unit 10 includes a lighting unit 12, a touch pad 14, a cross key 16, and a power switch 18. The lighting unit 12 notifies the operation state of the head mounted display HM (for example, ON / OFF of the power supply) according to the light emission state. For example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used as the lighting unit 12. The touch pad 14 detects a user's finger operation on the operation surface of the touch pad 14 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected content. The cross key 16 detects a pressing operation on a key corresponding to the up / down / left / right direction, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected content. The power switch 18 switches the power-on state of the head mounted display HM by detecting a slide operation of the switch.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the holding unit. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the left holding portion 23 as viewed from the inner side. The left holding part 23 includes a front holding part 23x, a rear holding part 23y, and a connecting part 23z.

  The front holding portion 23x is a member that occupies the left holding portion 23 from the end EL of the left optical panel 28 to a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's temple when the head mounted display HM is mounted. In other words, the front holding portion 23x extends from the end EL of the left optical panel 28 to the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the left holding portion 23. In this embodiment, “center” is used to mean not only the exact center but also “near the center”. A left display driving unit 24 is disposed inside the front holding unit 23x.

  The rear holding portion 23y is a member that occupies from the front end portion of the front holding portion 23x to a position corresponding to the rear of the user's ear when the head mounted display HM is worn. In other words, the rear holding portion 23y extends from the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the left holding portion 23 to the tip portion AP of the left holding portion 23. The rear holding portion 23y includes a cushion 93. The cushion 93 is disposed inside the rear holding portion 23y.

  The cushion 93 is a cushioning material that is arranged wide at a position that abuts on the vicinity of the user's ear when the head mounted display HM is worn. The cushion 93 is preferably formed of a material having a good skin contact such as rubber or polyurethane. If it does so, the mounting | wearing feeling of the head mounted display HM can be improved. A left speaker unit 320 is built in the cushion 93 of the left holding portion 23. Details of the left speaker unit 320 will be described later.

  The connecting portion 23z is a member that connects the front holding portion 23x and the rear holding portion 23y. The connecting portion 23z functions as a hinge that allows the distal end portion AP of the rear holding portion 23y to rotate in the horizontal direction FT.

  FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a cross section of the left speaker unit 320. The left speaker unit 320 includes a speaker 321 and a resonator 325. The speaker 321 converts electrical signals into physical vibrations and transmits them as sound waves to the user's ear canal. The vibration is transmitted from the ear canal in the order of the eardrum, the ossicle (middle ear), the inner ear (cochlea), the auditory nerve, and the auditory cortex of the brain, and is recognized as “sound” by the user. The speaker 321 in this embodiment includes a cylindrical voice coil 322, a cylindrical permanent magnet 323, and a diaphragm 324. Specifically, a voice coil 322 having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the hole portion is inserted into a cylindrical space corresponding to the hole of the permanent magnet 323. A diaphragm 324 having a conical shape is fixed to the voice coil 322. The diaphragm 324 is formed of, for example, cone paper.

  The resonator 325 is arranged so as to surround the speaker 321 and resonates with the vibration of the speaker 321. The resonator 325 in the present embodiment has a box shape, but any shape can be adopted. In the resonator 325, an opening 326 is formed at a position corresponding to the position where the speaker 321 is incorporated, specifically, a position corresponding to the conical spreading direction of the diaphragm included in the speaker 321.

  Similarly, in the cushion 93, an opening 327 is formed at a position corresponding to the position where the speaker 321 is incorporated, specifically, a position corresponding to the conical spreading direction of the diaphragm of the speaker 321. Yes. In addition, a protective cover 328 for suppressing intrusion of dust from the outside is disposed inside the opening 327. As the protective cover 328, for example, a metal net, sponge, or the like can be employed.

  In the above description, the left holding portion 23 has been described as an example, but the right holding portion 21 has the same configuration as described below. That is, the right holding part 21 also includes a front holding part 21x, a rear holding part 21y, and a connecting part 21z, and a right speaker unit 310 is built in a cushion 91 included in the rear holding part 21y. The right speaker unit 310 includes a voice coil 312, a permanent magnet 313, a speaker 311 including a diaphragm 314, and a resonator 315.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram functionally showing the configuration of the head mounted display HM. The control unit 10 includes an input information acquisition unit 110, a storage unit 120, a power supply 130, a CPU 140, an interface 180, and transmission units (Tx) 51 and 52, and these units are connected to each other via a bus (not shown). Has been.

  The input information acquisition unit 110 has a function of acquiring a signal (for example, an operation input to the touch pad 14, the cross key 16, and the power switch 18) according to an operation input by the user. The storage unit 120 is a storage unit including a ROM, a RAM, a DRAM, a hard disk, and the like (not shown). The power supply 130 supplies power to each part of the head mounted display HM. As the power supply 130, for example, a secondary battery can be used.

  The CPU 140 provides a function as an operating system (OS) 150 by executing a program installed in advance. The CPU 140 also functions as an image processing unit 160, a sound processing unit 170, and a display control unit 190 by developing firmware and computer programs stored in a ROM and a hard disk in the RAM and executing them. Details will be described later.

  The interface 180 is an interface for connecting various external devices OA (for example, a personal computer PC, a mobile phone terminal, and a game terminal) serving as a content supply source to the control unit 10. As the interface 180, for example, a USB interface, a micro USB interface, a memory card interface, a wireless LAN interface, or the like can be provided. The content means information content including an image (still image, moving image), sound, and the like.

  The image processing unit 160 generates a clock signal PCLK, a vertical synchronization signal VSync, a horizontal synchronization signal HSync, and image data Data based on content input through the interface 180, and outputs these signals to the image through the connection unit 40. This is supplied to the display unit 20. Specifically, the image processing unit 160 acquires an image signal included in the content. For example, in the case of a moving image, the acquired image signal is generally an analog signal composed of 30 frame images per second. The image processing unit 160 separates synchronization signals such as the vertical synchronization signal VSync and the horizontal synchronization signal HSync from the acquired image signal. Further, the image processing unit 160 generates a clock signal PCLK using a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit (not shown) or the like according to the period of the separated vertical synchronization signal VSync and horizontal synchronization signal HSync.

  The image processing unit 160 converts the analog image signal from which the synchronization signal is separated into a digital image signal using an A / D conversion circuit or the like (not shown). Thereafter, the image processing unit 160 stores the converted digital image signal in the DRAM in the storage unit 120 for each frame as image data Data (RGB data) of the target image. Note that the image processing unit 160 may execute image processing such as resolution conversion processing, various tone correction processing such as adjustment of luminance and saturation, and keystone correction processing on the image data as necessary. .

  The image processing unit 160 transmits the generated clock signal PCLK, vertical synchronization signal VSync, horizontal synchronization signal HSync, and image data Data stored in the DRAM in the storage unit 120 via the transmission units 51 and 52, respectively. . The image data Data transmitted via the transmission unit 51 is also referred to as “right eye image data”, and the image data Data transmitted via the transmission unit 52 is also referred to as “left eye image data”. The transmission units 51 and 52 function as a transceiver for serial transmission between the control unit 10 and the image display unit 20.

  The display control unit 190 generates control signals for controlling the right display drive unit 22 and the left display drive unit 24. Specifically, the display control unit 190 uses the control signal to turn on / off the right LCD 241 by the right LCD control unit 211, turn on / off the right backlight 221 by the right backlight control unit 201, and control the left LCD. The left display drive unit 22 and the left display drive unit 24 are controlled by individually controlling the ON / OFF of the left LCD 242 by the unit 212 and the ON / OFF of the left backlight 222 by the left backlight control unit 202. Each controls the generation and emission of image light. For example, the display control unit 190 may cause both the right display driving unit 22 and the left display driving unit 24 to generate image light, generate only one image light, or neither may generate image light.

  The display control unit 190 transmits control signals for the right LCD control unit 211 and the left LCD control unit 212 via the transmission units 51 and 52, respectively. In addition, the display control unit 190 transmits control signals for the right backlight control unit 201 and the left backlight control unit 202, respectively.

  The audio processing unit 170 acquires an audio signal included in the content, amplifies the acquired audio signal, and connects the speaker 311 of the right speaker unit 310 and the speaker 321 of the left speaker unit 320 of the image display unit 20 to each other. 40. For example, when a Dolby (registered trademark) system is employed, processing for an audio signal is performed. As a result, different sounds with different frequencies, for example, are output from the right speaker unit 310 and the left speaker unit 320, respectively.

  The image display unit 20 includes a right display drive unit 22, a left display drive unit 24, a right light guide plate 261 as the right optical panel 26, a left light guide plate 262 as the left optical panel 28, a right speaker unit 310, And a left speaker unit 320.

  The right display driving unit 22 includes a receiving unit (Rx) 53, a right backlight (BL) control unit 201 and a right backlight (BL) 221 that function as a light source, a right LCD control unit 211 that functions as a display element, and a right An LCD 241 and a right projection optical system 251 are included. The right backlight control unit 201, the right LCD control unit 211, the right backlight 221 and the right LCD 241 are also collectively referred to as “image light generation unit”.

  The receiving unit 53 functions as a receiver for serial transmission between the control unit 10 and the image display unit 20. The right backlight control unit 201 has a function of driving the right backlight 221 based on the input control signal. The right backlight 221 is a light emitter such as an LED. The right LCD control unit 211 has a function of driving the right LCD 241 based on the clock signal PCLK, the vertical synchronization signal VSync, the horizontal synchronization signal HSync, and the right-eye image data input via the reception unit 53. Have. The right LCD 241 is a transmissive liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which image light is emitted by the image light generation unit. The right LCD 241 changes the transmittance of the light transmitted through the right LCD 241 by driving the liquid crystal corresponding to each pixel position arranged in a matrix, thereby changing the illumination light IL emitted from the right backlight 221. It has a function of modulating into effective image light PL representing an image. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the backlight method is adopted. However, the image light may be emitted using a front light method or a reflection method.

  The right projection optical system 251 in FIG. 3 is configured by a collimating lens that converts image light emitted from the right LCD 241 to light beams in a parallel state. The right light guide plate 261 as the right optical panel 26 guides the image light output from the right projection optical system 251 to the right eye of the user while reflecting the image light along a predetermined optical path. The right projection optical system 251 and the right light guide plate 261 are collectively referred to as “light guide unit”.

  The left display driving unit 24 includes a receiving unit (Rx) 54, a left backlight (BL) control unit 202 and a left backlight (BL) 222 that function as a light source, a left LCD control unit 212 and a left that function as a display element. An LCD 242 and a left projection optical system 252 are included. The left backlight control unit 202, the left LCD control unit 212, the left backlight 222, and the left LCD 242 are collectively referred to as an “image light generation unit”, the left projection optical system 252, and the left light guide plate 262. Are also collectively referred to as “light guides”. The right display drive unit 22 and the left display drive unit 24 are paired. Since each unit of the left display drive unit 24 has the same configuration and operation as each unit described in the right display drive unit 22, a detailed description will be given. Omitted.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a virtual image recognized by the user. As described above, the image light guided to both eyes of the user of the head mounted display HM forms an image on the retina of the user, so that the user can visually recognize the virtual image. As shown in FIG. 5, a virtual image VI is displayed in the visual field VR of the user of the head mounted display HM. In addition, the user can see the outside scene SC through the right optical panel 26 and the left optical panel 28 except for the portion of the user's visual field VR where the virtual image VI is displayed. In the head mounted display HM of the present embodiment, the outside scene SC can be seen through the virtual image VI even in the portion where the virtual image VI is displayed in the visual field VR of the user.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the head-mounted display device (head mounted display HM) includes an eye cover (right optical panel 26, left optical panel 28) disposed in front of the user's eyes. The holding parts (the right holding part 21 and the left holding part 23) for extending the head-mounted display device are provided on the user's head. In addition, the cushions 91 and 93 disposed inside the holding portion and between the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion and the tip portion AP positioned at the tip in the extending direction of the holding portion have sound vibrations. Are incorporated into the inner ear (cochlea) through the eardrum and ear ossicles from the user's external auditory canal. As a result, the ease of hearing of the sound can be improved in the head-mounted display device that does not include the earphone by the speaker built in the holding unit.

  Further, as in the first embodiment, the speakers 311 and 321 are inside the cushions 91 and 93 disposed inside the holding portions (the right holding portion 21 and the left holding portion 23), and further, It is preferable that the wearable display device is built in a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the wearable display device is worn. Moreover, it is preferable that openings (openings 317 and 327) for easily transmitting sound vibrations are formed in the holding portion at positions corresponding to positions where the speakers are built. If it does so, the ease of hearing of the sound in a head-mounted display apparatus can be improved more by presence of the speaker incorporated in the position corresponding to the periphery of a user's ear, and opening.

  Further, as in the first embodiment, the head-mounted display device preferably includes resonators 315 and 325 that surround the speakers 311 and 321 and resonate with the vibration of the speakers. Moreover, it is preferable that the resonator has openings 316 and 326 formed at positions corresponding to positions where the speakers are built. By doing so, it is possible to amplify the bass sound of the speaker by the resonator, and as a result, it is possible to further improve the ease of listening to the sound in the head-mounted display device.

B. Second embodiment:
In the second embodiment of the present invention, a configuration in which a bone conduction mechanism is built in the holding portion instead of the speaker unit will be described. Below, only the part which has a different structure and operation | movement from 1st Example is demonstrated. In the figure, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a holding unit in the second embodiment. FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of the left holding portion 23a as viewed from the inner side. The left holding part 23a includes a front holding part 23x, a rear holding part 23ya, and a connecting part 23z.

  The arrangement and material of the cushion 93a included in the rear holding portion 23ya are the same as those of the cushion 93 of the first embodiment. The cushion 93a disposed inside the left holding portion 23a incorporates a bone conduction unit 340 at a position corresponding to the rear of the user's temple or ear when the head mounted display HM is worn.

  FIG. 6B is a schematic view of a cross section of the bone conduction unit 340. The bone conduction unit 340 converts electrical signals into physical vibrations and transmits them to the user's skull. The vibration is transmitted from the skull in the order of the inner ear (cochlea), auditory nerve, and auditory cortex of the brain, and is recognized as “sound” by the user. The bone conduction unit 340 in the present embodiment includes a cylindrical voice coil 342, a columnar permanent magnet 343, a columnar weight 344, and a circular flat plate-shaped vibration transmission plate 345. Specifically, one surface of the permanent magnet 343 is joined to the weight 344. The voice coil 342 is disposed so as to surround at least part of the side surfaces of the bonded permanent magnet 343 and the weight 344, and the other end is fixed so as to contact the vibration transmission plate 345. The vibration transmission plate 345 is made of, for example, plastic or aluminum. The weight 344 can be omitted. The voice coil 342 and the permanent magnet 343 correspond to an “oscillator” in the claims, and the vibration transmission plate 345 corresponds to a “vibration transmitter” in the claims.

  In the above description, the left holding portion 23a has been described as an example, but the right holding portion 21a has the same configuration as described below. That is, the right holding portion 21a also includes a front holding portion 21x, a rear holding portion 21ya, a cushion 91a, and a connecting portion 21z, and the bone conduction unit 330 is built in the cushion 91a. The bone conduction unit 330 includes a voice coil 332, a permanent magnet 333, a weight 334, and a vibration transmission plate 335.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the cushions 91a and 93a disposed inside the holding portions (the right holding portion 21a and the left holding portion 23a) of the head-mounted display device (head mounted display HM). Is an oscillating portion composed of voice coils 332 and 342 and permanent magnets 333 and 343, and a vibration transmitting portion (vibration transmitting plates 335 and 345) for coming into contact with the oscillating portion and behind the user's temple or ear And a bone conduction mechanism (bone conduction units 330 and 340). In bone conduction, sound vibration is transmitted directly from the user's skull to the inner ear (cochlea), so that clear sound can be transmitted directly to the inner ear even in a noisy environment. As a result, it is possible to further improve the ease of hearing the voice in the head-mounted display device.

C. Third embodiment:
In the third embodiment of the present invention, a configuration in which two speaker units and a bone conduction mechanism are built in the holding portion will be described. Below, only the part which has a different structure and operation | movement from 1st, 2nd Example is demonstrated. In the figure, the same components as those of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first and second embodiments described above, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a holding unit in the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the left holding portion 23b as viewed from the inner side. The left holding part 23b includes a front holding part 23xb, a rear holding part 23yb, and a connecting part 23z.

  A left display driving unit 24b is disposed inside the front holding unit 23xb. The left display driving unit 24b is different from the first embodiment only in that the left sub speaker unit 360 is incorporated. The left sub-speaker unit 360 is the same as the left speaker unit 320 described in the first embodiment, except for the portions having different frequency characteristics.

  The rear holding portion 23yb is a member that extends so as to wrap around from the front end portion of the front holding portion 23xb to a position corresponding to the rear of the user's ear when the head mounted display HM is mounted. The rear holding portion 23y in the first embodiment is different in that the length in the longitudinal direction is long and the tip portion AP does not have a tapered shape.

  The cushion 93b is a cushioning material that is arranged wide inside the rear holding portion 23yb. The material of the cushion 93b is the same as that of the first embodiment. A left speaker unit 320 is built in the cushion 93b at a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the head mounted display HM is worn. The details of the left speaker unit 320 are the same as in the first embodiment. Further, a bone conduction unit 340 is built in the cushion 93b at a position corresponding to the rear of the user's ear when the head mounted display HM is worn. The details of the bone conduction unit 340 are the same as in the second embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram functionally showing the configuration of the head mounted display HM in the third embodiment. 3 is different from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 in that the audio processing unit 170 further includes an output control unit 171 and in addition to the left and right speaker units 310 and 320, the left and right bone conduction units 330 and 340 are also provided. And the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360 are provided, and other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  The output control unit 171 includes the speakers 311 and 312 of the left and right speaker units 310 and 320, the voice coils 332 and 342 of the left and right bone conduction units 330 and 340, the left and right sub-speaker units 350, according to predetermined conditions. It has a function of controlling transmission of electrical signals to 360 speakers 351 and 361.

  For example, the output control unit 171 includes the frequency characteristics (acoustic characteristics) of the left and right speaker units 310 and 320, the frequency characteristics (acoustic characteristics) of the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360, and the left and right bone conduction units 330 and 340. The transmission of electric signals to each unit can be controlled according to a predetermined condition that takes into account acoustic characteristics. In this case, the type of the content being reproduced, the analysis result of the content, the user setting, etc. can be adopted as the predetermined condition. For example, the left and right speaker units 310 and 320 are excellent in low to medium sound reproducing ability, the bone conduction units 330 and 340 are excellent in low sound reproducing ability including medium sound, and the left and right sub speaker units 350 and 360 are excellent in high sound reproducing ability. If the content being played back is a “movie”, the output control unit 171 sends electrical signals only to the left and right speaker units 310 and 320 and the bone conduction units 330 and 340. It is good also as transmitting.

  For example, the output control unit 171 can acquire external environmental sound and can control transmission of an electrical signal to each unit according to a predetermined condition in consideration of the environmental sound. The environmental sound can be acquired, for example, by providing the head mounted display HM with a microphone. In this case, the magnitude of the environmental sound or the like can be adopted as the predetermined condition. For example, when the acquired environmental sound is low, it is estimated that the user is using the head mounted display HM in a relatively quiet environment, so the output control unit 171 includes the left and right speaker units 310 and 320. Electric signals are transmitted to the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360. On the other hand, if the acquired environmental sound is loud, it is estimated that the user is using the head-mounted display HM in a noisy environment such as in a crowd or at a station. In addition to the speaker units 310 and 320 and the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360, electrical signals are also transmitted to the bone conduction units 330 and 340.

  For example, the output control unit 171 can acquire an instruction from the user and can control transmission of an electric signal to each unit in accordance with the instruction. For example, the “manner mode” can be selected on the head mounted display HM. When the manner mode is not selected, the output control unit 171 sends electrical signals to all of the left and right speaker units 310 and 320, the bone conduction units 330 and 340, and the left and right sub speaker units 350 and 360. Send. On the other hand, the output control unit 171 transmits an electrical signal only to the bone conduction units 330 and 340 when the manner mode is selected. Since bone conduction is a sound that propagates inside the living body of the user, the user can enjoy the sound without leaking the sound to the surroundings in this way.

  The ambient environmental sound can be acquired by providing a microphone in the control unit 10, the image display unit 20, or the like. The “predetermined condition” can be stored in advance in the storage unit 120 in the head mounted display HM, or may be set by a user of the head mounted display HM.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the head mounted display HM further includes the inside of the holding portion (the right holding portion 21b and the left holding portion 23b), and from the end portions ER and EL of the eye cover portion. Inside the display drive units 22 and 24 arranged between the center of the holding unit in the longitudinal direction, second speakers having different frequency characteristics from the speakers 311 and 321 (of the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360) are arranged. Speakers 351, 361) are built in, and an opening is formed at a position corresponding to the position where the second speaker is built. For this reason, a better acoustic effect can be obtained by appropriately selecting the frequency characteristics of the speaker and the second speaker.

  Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, the output control unit 171 of the head mounted display HM determines whether the speaker (the left and right speaker units 310, 320 speakers 311 and 312), an oscillation unit (voice coils 332 and 342 of the left and right bone conduction units 330 and 340), and a second speaker (speakers 351 and 361 of the left and right sub-speaker units 350 and 360). Can be used properly. As a result, the head-mounted display device can provide an acoustic effect corresponding to the scene as described above.

D. Variations:
In addition, this invention is not restricted to said Example and embodiment, A various structure can be taken in the range which does not deviate from the summary. For example, a function realized by software may be realized by hardware. In addition, the following modifications are possible.

D1. Modification 1:
In the said Example, it illustrated about the structure of the head mounted display. However, the configuration of the head-mounted display can be arbitrarily determined without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, each component can be added, deleted, converted, and the like.

  For example, the eye-covering part does not need to cover the user's eyes completely, and only needs to cover a part of the user's eyes. In addition, the eye cover need not be disposed in front of both eyes of the user, and may be disposed in front of the eyes of the user.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the holding unit is divided into a front holding unit in which the display driving unit is disposed and a rear holding unit that rotates along the user's head. However, the holding portion may be integrally formed without distinction between the front holding portion and the rear holding portion, for example, by being formed of a flexible material.

  For example, the cushion (buffer material) of the holding portion can be omitted. However, from the viewpoint of improving the wearing feeling of the head mounted display, it is preferable not to omit the cushion. For example, the opening provided in the cushion of the holding portion can be omitted. However, in order to easily transmit sound waves emitted from the speaker unit including the speaker to the user's external auditory canal, it is preferable not to omit the sound wave. For example, the protective cover provided in the opening can be omitted. However, it is preferable not to omit the protective cover from the viewpoint of suppressing entry of dust from the outside.

  For example, the right cord and the left cord in the connecting portion may be inserted and connected from the lower surface of the right display driving portion and the lower surface of the left display driving portion, respectively. Further, for example, the connection unit may be omitted, and the control unit and the image display unit may be configured to perform wireless communication. Specifically, the control unit further includes a wireless communication unit, and the image display unit further includes a wireless communication unit and a power source.

  For example, the configurations of the control unit and the image display unit illustrated in FIG. 1 can be arbitrarily changed. Specifically, for example, the touch panel may be omitted from the control unit, and the operation may be performed using only the cross key. Further, the control unit may be provided with another operation interface such as an operation stick. Moreover, it is good also as what receives an input from a keyboard or a mouse | mouth as a structure which can connect devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse | mouth, to a control part. In addition, a communication unit using Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) or the like may be provided in the control unit.

  For example, the control unit illustrated in FIG. 1 is connected to the image display unit via a wired signal transmission path. However, the control unit and the image display unit may be connected by a connection via a wireless signal transmission path such as a wireless LAN, infrared communication, or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

  For example, although the head-mounted display is a binocular transmissive head-mounted display, the head-mounted display may be configured as a non-transmissive head-mounted display that blocks the outside scene when the user wears the head-mounted display. Good. A monocular head-mounted display may be used.

  For example, the image light generation unit is configured using left and right backlight control units, left and right LCD control units, left and right backlights, and left and right LCDs. EL (Organic Electro-Luminescence) and an organic EL control unit may be used. In the case of organic EL, the present invention is particularly effective because deterioration due to temperature rise is more severe than that of LCD. The organic EL and the organic EL control unit correspond to an “image light generation unit” in the claims.

  For example, functional units such as an image processing unit, a display control unit, an audio processing unit, and an output control unit are realized by a CPU developing and executing a computer program stored in a ROM or hard disk on the RAM. Described. However, these functional units may be configured using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) designed to realize the function.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the image display unit is a head-mounted display that is mounted like glasses, but the image display unit is a normal flat display device (liquid crystal display device, plasma display device, organic EL display device, etc.) ). Also in this case, the connection between the control unit and the image display unit may be a connection via a wired signal transmission path or a connection via a wireless signal transmission path. In this way, the control unit can be used as a remote controller for a normal flat display device.

  Further, as the image display unit, instead of the image display unit worn like glasses, an image display unit of another shape such as an image display unit worn like a hat may be adopted. In this case, for example, each audio output unit (left and right speaker units, left and right bone conduction units, and left and right sub-speaker units) can be provided at a position corresponding to the ear pad portion of the hat.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the secondary battery is used as the power source. However, the power source is not limited to the secondary battery, and various batteries can be used. For example, a primary battery, a fuel cell, a solar cell, a thermal cell, or the like may be used.

D2. Modification 2:
In the above embodiment, the image processing unit outputs the same image data as right-eye image data and left-eye image data. However, the image processing unit may be configured to allow the user to visually recognize a 3D virtual image by using different image data for the right eye image data and the left eye image data.

D3. Modification 3:
In the said Example, it illustrated about an example of the aspect which provided each audio | voice output unit in the head mounted display. However, when these units are provided in the head-mounted display, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and various aspects can be adopted.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, a configuration in which a single audio output unit is provided in the head mounted display is exemplified, and in the third embodiment, a configuration in which three audio output units are provided in the head mounted display is illustrated. did. However, the number of audio output units mounted on the head mounted display and the combination thereof are arbitrary. For example, two audio output units of a speaker unit and a bone conduction unit may be mounted on the head mounted display. Moreover, you may mount two audio | voice output units, a bone conduction unit and a sub speaker unit, in a head mounted display.

  For example, the configuration of the dynamic type speaker is exemplified as the configuration of the speaker included in the speaker unit. However, the configuration is not limited to the dynamic type as long as the speaker is used, and other configurations may be adopted. The same applies to the configuration of the bone conduction unit and the configuration of the sub-speaker unit.

  For example, it is preferable that the speaker unit including the speaker is incorporated in a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the head mounted display is worn, inside the cushion disposed inside the holding unit. It was. However, the speaker unit can be built in any position as long as it is inside the holding portion and between the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion and the distal end portion in the extending direction of the holding portion. That is, the cushion can be omitted, and the speaker unit may be built in a position other than the position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear.

  For example, the resonator and the opening provided in the resonator can be omitted. However, since it is possible to amplify the bass of the speaker by providing a resonator, it is preferable not to omit it.

D4. Modification 4:
In the said 3rd Example, an example of the process which an output control part performs was shown. However, the process executed by the output control unit is not limited to the above example, and various changes can be made.

  For example, the output control unit can generate an electrical signal to each audio output unit based on various conditions such as the content analysis result, in addition to the type of content being played, the environmental sound, and whether there is an instruction from the user. Can be controlled.

D5. Modification 5:
In the above-described embodiment, the projection-type head-mounted display device is exemplified. Specifically, in the above embodiment, an optical panel (optical member) serving as an eye cover is disposed in front of the user's eyes, and is located inside the holding unit extending from the eye cover, An image light generation unit that generates and emits image light is disposed on the end side of the unit. And the structure which the virtual panel displays a virtual image in front of a user's eyes by inject | emitting the image light taken in from the image light generation part toward a user's eyes was employ | adopted. However, the configuration of the above embodiment is merely an example, and various image display methods can be employed.

  For example, it can be a direct-view head-mounted display device. Specifically, a configuration may be adopted in which an image light generation unit serving as an eye cover is disposed in front of the user's eyes so that the user can directly visually recognize an image displayed on the LCD of the image light generation unit. Further, for example, a laser retinal projection type head-mounted display device may be employed.

10. Control unit (controller)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Illuminating part 14 ... Touch pad 16 ... Cross key 18 ... Power switch 20 ... Image display part 21, 21a, 21b ... Right holding part (holding part)
21x: Front holding part 21y, 21ya, 21yb ... Back holding part 21z ... Linking part 22 ... Right display drive part 23, 23a, 23b ... Left holding part (holding part)
23x, 23xb ... front holding part 23y, 23ya, 23yb ... rear holding part 23z ... connecting part 24 ... left display driving part 26 ... right optical panel (eye cover part)
28 ... Left optical panel (eye cover)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 ... Connection part 42 ... Right cord 44 ... Left cord 46 ... Connecting member 48 ... Main body cord 51 ... Transmission part 52 ... Transmission part 53 ... Reception part 54 ... Reception part 91, 91a, 91b ... Cushion (buffer material)
93, 93a, 93b ... cushion (buffer material)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Input information acquisition part 120 ... Memory | storage part 130 ... Power supply 140 ... CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 160 ... Image processing part 170 ... Audio | voice processing part 171 ... Output control part 180 ... Interface 190 ... Display control part 201 ... Right backlight control part 202 ... Left backlight control part 211 ... Right LCD control part 212 ... Left LCD control part 221 ... Right backlight 222 ... Left backlight 241 ... Right LCD
242 ... Left LCD
251 ... Right projection optical system 252 ... Left projection optical system 261 ... Right light guide plate 262 ... Left light guide plate 280 ... Power source 310 ... Right speaker unit 311 ... Speaker 312 ... Voice coil 313 ... Permanent magnet 314 ... Vibration plate 315 ... Resonator 316 ... Opening 317 ... Opening 320 ... Left speaker unit 321 ... Speaker 322 ... Voice coil 323 ... Permanent magnet 324 ... Vibration plate 325 ... Resonator 326 ... Opening 327 ... Opening 328 ... Protective cover 330 ... Bone conduction unit 332 ... Voice coil (oscillation) Part)
333 ... Permanent magnet (oscillator)
334 ... Weight 335 ... Vibration transmitting plate 340 ... Bone conduction unit 342 ... Voice coil (oscillator)
343 ... Permanent magnet (oscillator)
344 ... Weight 345 ... Vibration transmission plate 350 ... Right sub speaker unit 351 ... Speaker 360 ... Left sub speaker unit 361 ... Speaker PCLK ... Clock signal VSync ... Vertical sync signal HSync ... Horizontal sync signal Data ... Image data EL ... Edge ER ... Edge OA ... External device PC ... Personal computer SC ... Outside view VI ... Virtual image IL ... Illumination light PL ... Image light HM ... Head mounted display (head mounted display device)
VR: Field of view

Claims (11)

A head-mounted display device,
In the wearing state in which the head-mounted display device is worn on the user's head, an eye cover that is arranged in front of the user's eyes;
A holding part for extending from the end of the eye cover and holding the head-mounted display device on the user's head;
A speaker built in between the inside of the holding part and from the center part in the longitudinal direction of the holding part to the tip part located at the tip in the extending direction of the holding part;
An oscillating portion built inside the holding portion;
A vibration transmitting portion that is built in the holding portion and abuts on the oscillating portion;
An output control unit that controls whether or not to transmit an electrical signal to each of the speaker and the oscillation unit according to a predetermined condition;
Equipped with a,
Wherein the predetermined condition, the acoustic characteristics of the speaker, Ru conditions der considering acoustic characteristics of the oscillation portion and the vibration transmitting portion, a head-mounted display device. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1,
The speaker is built in a position corresponding to the periphery of the user's ear when the head-mounted display device is worn inside the holding unit,
The holding portion extends from an end portion of the eye cover portion to a position corresponding to a user's temporal region when the head-mounted display device is worn, and corresponds to a position where the speaker is incorporated. A head-mounted display device in which an opening is formed at a position to be mounted. The head-mounted display device according to claim 1 or 2,
The head mounted display device, wherein the vibration transmitting unit is built in a position that contacts the rear of the user's temple or ear inside the holding unit . The head-mounted display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:
A head-mounted display device comprising a resonator that surrounds the speaker and resonates with vibration of the speaker, the resonator having an opening formed at a position corresponding to a position where the speaker is built. . The head-mounted display device according to claim 2 or 4 ,
The head-mounted display device, wherein the holding unit includes a cushioning material at least at a part other than the opening of the holding unit.   The head-mounted display device according to claim 5,
  The head-mounted display device in which the oscillation unit and the vibration transmission unit are built inside the cushioning material. The head-mounted display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising:
A second speaker having a different acoustic characteristic from that of the speaker is built in the inside of the holding portion and up to a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion, and the second speaker is built in. A head-mounted display device in which an opening is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the head. The head-mounted display device according to claim 7 Symbol mounting further,
The output control unit, said speaker, said oscillating unit, in addition to further control whether to transmit electrical signals in pairs to said second speakers,
The head-mounted display device in which, under the predetermined condition, in addition to the acoustic characteristics of the speaker and the acoustic characteristics of the oscillating unit and the vibration transmitting unit, the acoustic characteristics of the second speaker are considered . The head-mounted display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
Wherein the predetermined condition, in addition to each of said acoustic characteristic is the conditions used and the type of content being played, and the magnitude of the environmental sound, the presence or absence of instructions from the user, or a combination thereof, the Head mounted display device. The head-mounted display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
An image light generator for generating and emitting image light;
An optical member that guides the emitted image light to a user's eye;
With
The head-mounted display device, wherein the optical member is formed as the eye cover. The head-mounted display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
An image light generation unit for generating and emitting image light;
The head-mounted display device, wherein the image light generation unit is formed as the eye cover.

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