JPH04370207A - Helmet equipped with display - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the subject helmet equipped with a display capable of, when the visual range by the naked eyes is insufficient, showing the forward visual range before one's eyes for making up the insufficiency. CONSTITUTION:An infrared camera 12 is fixed to the top part of a helmet 10 and the infrared image taken thereby is sent to a display device 14 and shown on a combiner 15 before one's eyes. Its power is exercised, e.g. for the purpose of specification of the combustion source especially on the fire spot. Since infrared rays are hardly scattered by smoke, the forward can be seen even in smoke.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a helmet worn by firefighters and the like.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Helmets equipped with helmet-mounted displays that display various information on a display in front of the eyes have been developed for aircraft pilots and flight simulator trainers who train them. Currently, the information displayed on this display is mainly numerical information such as the altitude and attitude of the aircraft.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] When a firefighter extinguishes a fire at a fire scene, it is difficult to see with the naked eye where the fire is burning if there is heavy smoke, so it is difficult to accurately apply water or extinguishing agent. It cannot be poured into the source of combustion, making it impossible to carry out effective fire extinguishing activities. Furthermore, when carrying out rescue work, it is difficult to find people to be rescued at night or in smoke. The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to provide a helmet with a display that displays the forward view to compensate for the insufficient visual field with the naked eye. Our goal is to provide the following.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The helmet of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, includes (a) an infrared camera fixed to the helmet to take an infrared image of the front of the helmet; and (b) an infrared camera fixed to the helmet. (c) a display provided at a position corresponding to the wearer's eyes;
The present invention is characterized by comprising an image processing device that outputs an image taken by an infrared camera to the display.

[0005]

[Operation] When a firefighter or the like wears the helmet according to the present invention, the infrared camera (a) takes an infrared image in front of the wearer. The video signal captured by the infrared camera is sent to the video processing device (c), where it undergoes signal processing similar to that of a normal video camera and is converted into an appropriate video signal. The video signal generated in this manner is transmitted to a display (b) provided in front of the wearer's eyes and displayed on the screen. This allows the wearer to see infrared images in front of them. Heat sources such as flames emit infrared rays, so infrared cameras are most effective at identifying the source of combustion at a fire scene. Furthermore, since infrared rays have long wavelengths, they are less likely to be scattered by smoke, making them suitable for use at fire sites.

[0006]

[Embodiment] A firefighter's helmet system which is an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the helmet system with display of this example is as follows:
It consists of an infrared camera 12, a display controller 13, a display device 14, and a combiner 15. Of these, three are the infrared camera 12, the display device 14, and the combiner 15.
The display controller 13 is fixed to the helmet 10, and only the display controller 13 is fixed to the wearer's (firefighter) shoulder, back, or waist belt.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), an infrared camera 1
2 is fixed to the top of the helmet 10, and as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the display device 14 is fixed to one side (the right side of the wearer in the figure). The combiner 15 is fixed to the front eaves 11 of the helmet 10 and hangs down from there so as to cover the front of the wearer's eyes.

The infrared camera 12 is fixed to the helmet 10 so that the optical axis of the optical system of the camera 12 faces straight ahead when the helmet 10 is correctly worn. In order to reduce size and weight, the optical system may be of a fixed focus type that focuses on a relatively long distance. Further, it is desirable to use a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD in the imaging device and to make it as small as possible.

The display device 14 is fixed inside a case provided at a position that covers the ears of the person wearing the helmet 10. To ensure visibility under various conditions, a small CR
Although it is desirable to use T, a backlight liquid crystal plate or the like may be used to further reduce the size and weight. It is desirable that the optical system of the display device 14 be adjusted so that the focal point when the wearer views the display surface ranges from several meters or more to infinity. In order to bring the visual recognition state closer to the naked eye (stereoscopic vision), two infrared cameras 12 are installed on the left and right overhead, and correspondingly, display devices 14 are also installed on the left and right to project images onto the left and right parts of the combiner. You may also do so.

The combiner 15 is a half mirror that reflects the image on the display surface of the display device 14 and at the same time transmits the light coming from in front of the wearer, combining both images (
combine) role. In addition to the commonly used half mirror coating with metal vapor deposition layer,
A hologram film that reflects only light of a specific wavelength may be used. In this case, the display color of the display device 14 is the color of that wavelength. In addition, when visibility is sufficiently secured and infrared images are unnecessary, the combiner 15 is of a flip-up type so that the wearer can directly see the front. In this embodiment, the display device 14 and the combiner 15 constitute the display of the solution, but a liquid crystal display device may be placed directly in front of the user's eyes.

A display controller 13 fixed to the wearer's waist belt includes a camera circuit 20 connected to an infrared camera 12 and a display circuit 2 connected to a display device 14.
1, and a power supply device 22. Camera circuit 2
0 drives the image sensor of the infrared camera 12 and generates an appropriate video signal from the signal sent from the image sensor. The display circuit 21 drives the display device 14 based on the video signal sent from the camera circuit 20. The power supply device 22 includes a battery and supplies power to both circuits 20 and 21 of the display controller 13 (and through them to the infrared camera 12 and the display device 14).

[0012] Since the firefighter's helmet 10 of this embodiment is constructed as described above, a firefighter wearing the helmet can identify the combustion source even in smoke by looking at the infrared image reflected on the combiner 15 in front of him. , can carry out accurate fire extinguishing activities. Furthermore, even when carrying out rescue operations at night in the absence of light, infrared cameras can image the human body based on body temperature, making rescue operations more efficient.

[0013] Instead of displaying the infrared image taken by an infrared camera on the display device as it is, simple image processing is performed on the taken image to detect only the position of the high temperature heat source and to adjust the position appropriately. It may also be displayed on the display device using a symbol (such as a flame mark or an x mark). This allows firefighters to know exactly where to inject water.

[0014]

[Effect of the invention] The infrared camera is fixed to the helmet,
Because it faces forward, the infrared camera always captures images in the direction the wearer is facing. For this reason, the movement of the image on the half mirror in front of the wearer does not feel strange to the wearer, and the wearer can perform natural movements such as spraying water or navigating through a bottleneck according to the image on the half mirror, just like when viewing with the naked eye. can perform actions. Since a large amount of infrared rays are generated from heat sources such as flames, the helmet of the present invention using an infrared camera is particularly effective in identifying the source of combustion at a fire scene. Furthermore, since infrared rays have long wavelengths, they are less likely to be scattered by smoke, making them suitable for use at fire sites.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a helmet system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view (a) and a plan view (b) of a helmet section (head mounting section) of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10...Helmet
11...Eaves 12...Infrared camera
13...Display controller 14...Display device
15... Combiner 20... Camera circuit
21... Display circuit 22... Power supply device

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: An infrared camera fixed to the helmet to take an infrared image of the front of the helmet; a display provided on the helmet at a position corresponding to the wearer's eyes; A helmet characterized by comprising a video processing device that outputs to a display.