JPH0728021A - Eyepiece type display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a safe eyepiece type display device capable of recognizing a display picture of a computer while moving and working, and hardly tiring an eye. CONSTITUTION:An eyepiece window 8 and an external window 6 are provided on surfaces opposing each other of a case. Then, a translucent mirror 5 is arranged between them, and a part of the external light is flooded. Further, a back light 2, a liquid crystal displaying device 3 and a lens 4 are arranged upward the translucent mirror 5, and a display image is synthesized and recognized. Thus, circumferential safety is confirmed while viewing the image of the computer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an eyepiece type display device suitable for displaying an image on a portable computer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a display device using a cathode ray tube has been used as an image display device of a computer. The cathode ray tube display has an advantage that it can display high definition, but has a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size and weight.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for portable computers, and liquid crystal display devices are rapidly becoming popular along with downsizing of main body devices. In particular, a small color liquid crystal display device used for display on a portable television or the like is an eyepiece type because it is thin and lightweight, and is fixed in front of the eyes to eliminate head and body movements and direction restrictions. Is proposed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional eyepiece display device used to realize virtual reality. In order to realize virtual reality, by changing the display image on the display device according to the movement of the head or the like, a method of giving an illusion to the experience person as if in a virtual world created by a computer or the like. Is taken. In FIG. 4, liquid crystal displays 11a and 11b for the right eye and the left eye are arranged in the case 10. Behind the liquid crystal displays 11a and 11b, backlights 12a and 12b serving as display light sources are arranged, respectively. Lenses 13a and 13b are provided between the user's eyes and the liquid crystals 11a and 11b as shown in the figure.

When such an eyepiece type display device is worn, all the light from the outside world is blocked, and only the images generated by the computer and displayed by the liquid crystal displays 11a and 11b pass through the lenses 13a and 13b to the eyes of the wearer. Reach. The lenses 13a and 13b are the liquid crystal display 11 respectively.
The enlarged virtual images 14 are formed at positions apart from the actual positions of a and 11b. Virtual images corresponding to the left and right eyes are present at positions where they are substantially overlapped with each other, but since slightly different images are displayed, the wearer of this display device perceives the difference between the images as a parallax between both eyes and feels a stereoscopic effect. .
In the virtual reality system, the movement of the head is detected, and the computer newly generates an image corresponding to the movement of the head and displays the images on the liquid crystal displays 11a and 11b. You will feel as if a virtual world exists.

FIG. 5 shows another example of the conventional eyepiece type display apparatus. The constitution of a single-eye type eyepiece type display apparatus devised for operating a computer or confirming display contents while moving or working. FIG.
In the figure, reference numeral 15 is a liquid crystal display device for sending a computer image to the left eye, which has substantially the same configuration as that for one eye of FIG. The liquid crystal display device 15 is held on the wearer's head by a frame 16. Reference numeral 17 is a cable for connecting to a computer.

When the eyepiece display device shown in FIG. 5 is attached, the computer image can be seen by the left eye, and the external appearance can be seen by the right eye. Therefore, it is suitable for the work while looking at the computer image and the computer operation while moving.

[0008]

However, since the virtual reality eyepiece display device shown in FIG. 4 blocks all external light, the safety of the surroundings cannot be confirmed. Therefore, the usage environment is limited to a dedicated room that excludes all installations that are expected to be dangerous. Further, in the eyepiece display device shown in FIG. 5, the left field of view is blocked by the arrangement of the liquid crystal display 15 in the field of view of the right eye to see the outside world, and the perspective due to the binocular parallax is lost, so that the safety is improved. I can't secure enough. There is also a problem that eye fatigue increases because the left and right eyes continue to see different images.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an eyepiece display device capable of seeing both the outside world and a computer image with the same eyes.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a case having an eyepiece window and an outer window on the surface opposed to the eyepiece window, and a light shielding means provided on the outer window for shielding a part or all of the ambient light. And an image display unit arranged in the case for displaying an image, and arranged between the eyepiece window and the outer window in the case to transmit a part of external light and to reflect a reflection component of the image displayed by the image display unit. And a semi-transmissive mirror to be combined.

[0011]

According to the present invention having such characteristics, a part of the external light introduced from the outer window can be confirmed by the semi-transparent mirror. At the same time, a part of the external light is shielded and the image displayed by the image display means is superimposed and displayed. Therefore, the computer image and the external appearance can be recognized at the same time.

[0012]

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a vertical structure of an eyepiece display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In this figure, a backlight 2 serving as a display light source of a liquid crystal display is fixed to the upper part of the display device 1, and a liquid crystal display 3 as an image display means is attached to the lower surface thereof. A lens 4 for enlarging the display of the liquid crystal display 3 and adjusting the visual focus is attached below the semitransparent mirror 5 for reflecting a part of the light vertically from the horizontal direction.
Is installed. On the right side of the semi-transmissive mirror 5, an outer window 6 for arranging light from the outside to enter is arranged. A light-shielding device, such as a liquid crystal shutter 7, for selectively shielding some or all of the external light is attached to the outer window 6. Further, an eyepiece window 8 is provided on the surface of the eyepiece display device which faces the outer window 6 for recognizing the light incident from the outer window 6 and allowing the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 3 to enter the eye. There is.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The liquid crystal display 3 displays an image based on image information sent from a computer (not shown), and the light emitted from the backlight 2 arranged at the rear of the liquid crystal display 3 is transmitted to the liquid crystal display 3. Image light is emitted. The semi-transparent mirror 5 is coated with a dielectric multilayer film of a glass plate,
A half mirror whose other surface is coated with an antireflection film, and when tilted by 45 ° with respect to the incident angle of light, the surface coated with the dielectric multilayer film has, for example, about 50% of the incident light.
Is transmitted and goes straight, 50% is reflected and the optical path is bent 90 °. In the eyepiece display device of this embodiment, since the semi-transmissive mirror 5 is attached at an angle of 45 ° with respect to both the incident light from the outer window 6 and the incident light from the liquid crystal display 3, the outer window 6 The transmitted light of 50% from the incident light and the reflected light of about 50% of the incident light from the liquid crystal display 3 reach the eyepiece window 8 in a superimposed manner. The light emitted from the liquid crystal display 3 is 90 ° with respect to the direction of the line of sight of the wearer looking through the eyepiece window 8.
Although it has an angle of
Since it is bent, the liquid crystal display 3 looks as if it is arranged in the direction of the line of sight. However, as it is, the eyes and the liquid crystal display 3 are too close to each other to make it difficult to focus the visual focus. Therefore, the lens 4 causes a magnified display virtual image to appear at a position about 1 m in front of the eyepiece.

Further, in the combined portion of the ambient light taken in through the outer window 6 and the display image on the liquid crystal display 3, the ambient light becomes a disturbance and it becomes difficult to read the display information. So outside window 6
A liquid crystal shutter 7 is provided between the semitransparent mirror 5 and the semi-transmissive mirror 5 to block external light in a portion overlapping the display image of the liquid crystal display 3 to enhance the visibility of the display image. The liquid crystal shutter 7 is formed in a rectangular shape in a portion overlapping the display image of the glass plate-shaped liquid crystal display 3, and light blocking and transmission can be controlled by turning on / off an AC voltage.

FIG. 2 is an external view of an example in which the eyepiece display device 1 according to this embodiment can be attached to the left and right eyes. In the figure, 1a and 1b are eyepiece display devices for the right and left eyes, and 9 is the display device 1
A frame for holding a and 1b on the head is a cable for connecting to a computer. In the binocular eyepiece display device, the same image is seen by the left and right eyes, so eye fatigue can be reduced. Further, it is possible to display a stereoscopic image by utilizing the binocular parallax by subtly changing the left and right display images.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a field of view as viewed through the eyepiece window 8 for display by the eyepiece display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3A is a view when the backlight 2, the liquid crystal display 3 and the liquid crystal shutter 7 are turned off.
When the display of the computer image becomes unnecessary temporarily, by turning these off, the appearance of the outside world can be widely recognized with the eyepiece display device 1 attached.
Further, FIG. 3B is a view when the backlight 2, the liquid crystal display 3 and the liquid crystal shutter 7 are turned on. In this figure, while confirming the actual work state centering on the lower right of the field of view, it is possible to perform the work by looking at the work instruction of the computer display image 20 appearing on the upper left. In this way, the work procedure and numerical instructions in the assembling work and the inspection work can be performed using the computer, so that the work efficiency can be improved.

In recent years, application of virtual reality has been studied for designing game machines, housing construction, passenger cars, etc., and the eyepiece display device of the present invention can be used in such fields.

[0018]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, both the outside world and a computer image can be recognized simultaneously with the same eyes. Therefore, it is possible to obtain sufficient effects that sufficient safety can be secured, visibility is high, and eye fatigue can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the configuration of an eyepiece display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an eyepiece display device according to an embodiment of the present invention when it is used for both eyepatches.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a field of view of an eyepiece display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of a conventional eyepiece display device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another appearance of a conventional eyepiece display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Eyepiece display device 2 Backlight 3 Liquid crystal display 4 Lens 5 Semi-transparent mirror 6 Outer window 7 Liquid crystal shutter 8 Eyepiece window

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A case having an eyepiece window and an outer window for taking in external light on a surface facing the eyepiece window, a light-shielding unit provided in the outer window for shielding a part or all of external light, and the inside of the case. An image display unit that is arranged to display an image, and is disposed between the eyepiece window and the outer window in the case, transmits a part of external light, and synthesizes a reflection component of the image displayed by the image display unit. An eyepiece display device comprising: a transmission mirror. 2. The eyepiece display device according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding unit is configured by using a liquid crystal shutter.