WO1998032117A1

WO1998032117A1 - Upper body mounted display system

Info

Publication number: WO1998032117A1
Application number: PCT/US1997/000713
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Pandolfi
Original assignee: Iv Phoenix Group Inc.
Priority date: 1997-01-17
Filing date: 1997-01-17
Publication date: 1998-07-23

Abstract

An electronic-powered display (20) is retained in any of a large plurality of positions in the field of vision of a user by a mechanical linkage mounted on the user below the head.

Description

UPPER BODY MOUNTED DISPLAY SYSTEM

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to hands-free computer displays and, more particularly,

to an improved body mounted, hands-free electronic display.

Small computer displays are known in which the display is mounted on the head of

a user, such as with a headband, so that the display is positioned in the user's line of sight

while at the same time allowing the user to shift his or her line of sight away from the display.

Although such arrangements leave the user's hands free, head-mounted displays have a

drawback in that the display occupies a significant portion of the field of vision of one of the eyes of the user since the display moves when the user's head moves. The user cannot change

his or her field of vision with respect to the display by moving his or her head. Furthermore,

since the display is connected to a computer by a wire, the wire exerts an often annoying drag

when the head or neck of the user is moved for any reason, and the additional weight of the

display on the user's head can cause fatigue.

Summary of the Invention

One object of the invention is the provision of a hands-free display, such as a miniature

LCD display (or other miniature display implemented in a suitable technology) which permits the user to change his or her field of vision with respect to the display by moving his or her

head. Another object of the invention is the provision of a hands-free display that has six degrees of freedom of motion.

The system according to the present invention achieves the above objects by mounting

the display support on the user's trunk, with a mechanical link which extends from the support

to a housing that holds the display and which permits the positioning and retention of the

display within the field of view of the user. The display can be retained in positions in a

vertical plane extending directly forward from the eye, including positions below the level of

the eye, at the level of the eye, and above the level of the eye. The display can also be

retained in positions to the side of the eye and at various levels. Regardless of the position,

the user can change his or her field of view with respect to the display by moving his or her head, and without using his or her hands. In one embodiment, the display system includes a

curved, articulated, trunk-mounted support conforming to a shoulder of the user, a housing

for the display, and a mechanical linkage between the shoulder support and the display

member. In a specific embodiment, the linkage includes a plurality of frictional pivot joints

or ball-and-socket joints and the trunk-mounted support includes a manual user interface (e.g. function keys and/or track ball) positioned on the front of the trunk-mounted support to

permit control of the display and an associated computer. Signal and power conductors

extend from the display, through the mechanical link, to the shoulder support to connect the

display to a computer and power supply, which can be mounted in the shoulder support or

elsewhere on the user. Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper body mounted display system according to the present invention; and

Fig/2 is a side view of the upper body mounted display system of Fig. 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the trunk-mounted display system according to the present invention, which is designated generally by the reference numeral 10, includes a

support 12 for supporting the system on the trunk of the user, preferably on the user's

shoulder. The support articulates about a pivot connector 18, and includes a front member

14 and a rear member 16, each of which is curved to conform to the shoulder of a user. The

front member 14 is connected to the rear member 16 by the pivot connector 18. A torsion

spring 19 biases the front member 14 and the rear member 16 toward one another to firmly

clamp the support 12 onto the shoulder of the user.

The display system 10 further includes a display screen 20 mounted in a display

housing 22, with the front of the display screen 20 facing the user. The display screen 20 may

be implemented in any suitable technology such as, but not limited to, LED and LCD

technologies. In the illustrated embodiment, the display housing 22 is an angled member having a first leg 24 containing the display 20 and a second leg 26 which is connected to the

support 12 by a linkage 28. The linkage 28 includes a plurality of links connected to one

another by joints so that the links are movable relative to one another. The links include a

first link 30 movably connected to the front member 14 of the support portion 12 by a joint 32 adjacent a lower end of the link 30. An upper end of the link 30 is movably connected to

a lower end of a link 34 by a movable joint 36. An upper end of the link 34 is movably

connected to a lower end of a link 38 by a movable joint 40. An upper end of the link 38 is

connected by a movable joint 42 to the leg 26 of the display housing 22. Sufficient friction

is provided in each of the joints 32, 36, 40 and 42 to support the weight of all of the members

above the joint and prevent movement of the members above the joint relative to members

below the joint. It is only by the application of an outside force sufficient to overcome the

friction that the link 30 is made to move relative to the support 12, the link 38 is made to

move relative to the display housing 22, and the links 30, 34 and 38 are made to move relative

to one another. Thus, the user can move the display 20 by hand to his or her personal most

convenient and comfortable position, and the display 20 will remain in that position unless the

display member 20 or one or more of the links 30, 34 and 38 are moved by the application

of a force sufficient to overcome the friction in one or more of the joints 32, 36, 40 and 42.

All of the joints can be ball-and-socket joints. As an alternative, some of the joints can be

pivot joints and other of the joints can be ball-and-socket joints. Joints of other types may

also be included. It will be appreciated that any suitable mechanical link can be used to

support the display screen relative to the shoulder support 12 so long as it permits movement of the display relative to the field of view of the user, preferably six degrees of movement with respect to the user's field of view; up-down, right-left, in-out, horizontal axis rotation, vertical axis rotation and z axis rotation. In addition, in the preferred embodiment, the display

housing and its mechanical linkage to the support 12 can be folded into the support. The entire mounting for the trunk-mounted display system according to the present

invention can be made of plastic or other suitable material. An electrical connection W

between the display 20 and an associated computer C extends from the display member 22

to a computer, which can be mounted on another part of the user's body or can be mounted

in a hollow portion 43 of the support 12. The various parts of the display system can be made

hollow or made with passages to accommodate the electrical connection W. As can be seen

from Fig. 1, the electrical connection passes from each of the display member 22, the links 38,

34 and 30 and the support 12 to the adjacent member at a point next to one of the movable joints 42, 40, 36 and 32. As an alternative, the electrical connection can extend externally

from the display 20 to the computer C. Controls 44 for the computer can be located in a forward area on the front member 14 of the support portion 12, in contact with the chest of

the user. The controls 44 can include a mouse, a mute control, a loudness control and/or a

microphone for voice control of the computer and display. Many other types of controls are

known and can be included among the controls 44. While the invention has been described in terms of a single preferred embodiment,

those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification

within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSHaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A hands-free, computer display system, comprising

an electric-powered display screen; and

means for supporting the display screen on the trunk of a user, said supporting

means comprising a trunk-engaging member and a display screen housing and positioning

means extending from said trunk-engaging member for supporting said display screen in any

of a large plurality of positions in the field of vision of the user.

2. The hands-free display system as in claim 1, wherein said trunk-engaging member

engages a portion of the body of the user.

3. The hands-free display system as in claim 2 wherein said trunk-engaging member

is an articulated curved member that fits over the shoulder of a user and is resiliently biased

to engage a portion of the user's back and chest.

4. The hands-free display system as in claim 1 wherein said positioning means allows

six degrees of movement of said display screen.

5. The hands-free display system as in claim 4 wherein said trunk-engaging member

is an articulated curved member that fits over the shoulder of a user and is resiliently biased to engage a portion of the user's back and chest.

6. The hands-free display system as in claim 1, wherein said supporting means

comprises a plurality of links connected to one another by movable joints.

7. The hands-free display system as in claim 3, wherein said movable joints each

comprises means for retaining said links in position by friction sufficient to support the weight

of the display and of the links between the movable joint and the display.

8. The hands-free display system as in claim 3, wherein said movable joints comprise

a plurality of ball-and-socket joints.

9. The hands-free display system as in claim 4, wherein said movable joints comprise

a plurality of ball-and-socket joints.

10. The hands-free display system as in claim 3, wherein said trunk-engaging member

includes a tactile computer interface. AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 11 July 1997 (11.07.97); original claims 1-10 replaced by amended claims 1-6 (2 pages)]

1. A hands-free, computer driven, information display system, including an information display surface adapted to be positioned at a distance from the eyes of a user when the user is viewing information on said display surface, comprising in combination: means for hands-free and head-free support of the information display surface so that as the user moves his or her head vertically and horizontally the field of view of said user moves vertically and horizontally relative to said information display surface when said information display surface is in the position to be viewed by a user at a distance from the eyes of the user; said means for hands-free and head-free support including a member which engages the trunk of the user and a support arm, which is attached to and extends from said member, and to which support arm said information display surface is attached; said means for hands-free and head-free support providing at least the following degrees of movement of said display surface relative to said head in a stationary position, namely in and out, up and down, and right and left.

2. The hands-free display system as in claim 1 wherein said trunk-engaging member is an articulated curved member that fits over the shoulder of a user and is resiliently biased to engage a portion of the user's back and chest.

3. The hands-free display system as in claim 2, wherein said trunk-engaging member includes a tactile computer interface.

4. The hands-free display system as in claim 3, wherein said supporting means comprises a plurality of links connected to one another by movable joints.

5. The hands-free display system as in claim 4, wherein said movable joints each comprises means for retaining said links in position by friction sufficient to support the weight of the display and of the links between the movable joint and the display.

6. The hands-free display system as in claim 5, wherein said movable joints comprise a plurality of ball-and-socket joints.