WO2017145324A1

WO2017145324A1 - Helmet-mounted display

Info

Publication number: WO2017145324A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/055627
Authority: WO
Inventors: 代工　康宏
Original assignee: 株式会社オルタステクノロジー
Priority date: 2016-02-25
Filing date: 2016-02-25
Publication date: 2017-08-31

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a helmet-mounted display capable of displaying a virtual image in a desired position without loss of function as a helmet. This helmet-mounted display (10) includes: a helmet (11) provided with a housing (11a) mounted to the head of a user, and a visor (11b) which is attached to the housing (11a), is configured from a transparent material, and has a curved shape; a display device (12) which is disposed inside the helmet (11) and which causes a virtual image to be displayed by radiating an image to the visor (11b); and a drive mechanism (20) for supporting the display device (12), the drive mechanism (20) being attached to the helmet (11). The drive mechanism (20) adjusts the position of the display device (12) in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that the virtual image is displayed in front of the user, and adjusts the inclination of the display device (12) in relation to the vertical direction.

Description

Helmet mount display

The present invention relates to a helmet mount display that displays an image to a helmet user.

Currently, in various helmets such as a space suit helmet, a diving helmet, a motorcycle helmet, and a pilot helmet, a helmet mount display in which a function for displaying information is added in addition to its original function is known (for example, a patent) Document 1 “Patent No. 2952858” and Patent Document 2 “Patent No. 4929725”).

For example, when a display device is embedded in a helmet, the structure of the helmet is complicated, and the helmet is easily broken. This may impair the safety of the helmet.

The present invention provides a helmet mount display capable of displaying a virtual image at a desired position without impairing the function of the helmet.

A helmet-mounted display according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing that is mounted on a user's head, a helmet that is attached to the housing, is configured of a transparent member, and has a curved shape. A display device that is disposed on the inside and displays a virtual image by irradiating the visor with an image, and a drive mechanism that is attached to the helmet and supports the display device. The drive mechanism adjusts the vertical and horizontal positions of the display device so that the virtual image is displayed in front of the user, and adjusts the tilt of the display device with respect to the vertical direction. And

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a helmet mount display capable of displaying a virtual image at a desired position without impairing the function of the helmet.

1 is a schematic view of a helmet mount display according to an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic explaining the virtual image which a helmet mount display displays. The block diagram of a helmet mount display. The top view which shows the structure of the drive mechanism for display apparatuses. The side view which shows the structure of the drive mechanism for display apparatuses. The schematic diagram explaining the optical principle of a concave mirror. The schematic diagram explaining the optical principle of a visor. The schematic diagram explaining the optical principle of the visor which concerns on another example. The figure explaining the positional relationship of a display apparatus and a virtual image.

Embodiment

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the dimensions and ratios of the drawings are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. Further, even when the same portion is represented between the drawings, the dimensional relationship and ratio may be represented differently. In particular, the following embodiments exemplify an apparatus and a method for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention depends on the shape, structure, arrangement, etc. of components. Is not specified. In the following description, elements having the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

In the following embodiments, a helmet mount display using a space suit helmet will be described as an example.
[1] Overall Configuration of Helmet Mount Display FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a helmet mount display 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The helmet mount display 10 includes a helmet 11 and a display device 12 attached to the helmet 11.

The helmet 11 includes a housing (helmet body) 11a and a visor 11b attached to the housing 11a. The housing 11a has a shape that covers the user's head, and is mounted on the user's head. In addition, when using helmets other than the helmet which requires sealing performance like a space suit helmet, the housing 11a is not limited to the structure which covers a user's head entirely like FIG. The structure which covers a part of a person's head may be sufficient.

The visor 11b is disposed in front of the user's face and has a role of securing the user's field of view and protecting the user's face. The visor 11b is formed of a transparent member (transmission / reflection member) having a curved surface shape convex toward the front and having a reflectance. That is, the visor 11b transmits external light incident from the outside to the inside of the helmet 11 and reflects an image (display light) incident from the display device 12 to the user side.

The display device 12 is disposed inside the helmet 11 and attached to a part of the helmet 11 (for example, the housing 11a) via a drive mechanism described later. The display device 12 emits an image toward the visor 11b. The display device 12 is composed of a liquid crystal display device, for example. The structure and liquid crystal mode of the liquid crystal display device are not particularly limited, and various types of liquid crystal display devices can be used.

The image emitted from the display device 12 is reflected to the user side by the visor 11b and is visually recognized as a virtual image 13 by the user as shown in FIG. The user can visually recognize the virtual image 13 by the display device 12 by superimposing it on the background that passes through the visor 11b.

Next, the block configuration of the helmet mount display 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the helmet mount display 10. The helmet mount display 10 includes a display device 12, a drive mechanism 20, a control circuit 30, a power supply circuit 31, and an input unit 32.

The drive mechanism 20 is attached to the helmet 11 and supports the display device 12. The drive mechanism 20 operates based on a signal from the control circuit 30. The drive mechanism 20 adjusts the position of the display device 12 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction so that the virtual image 13 is displayed in front of the user, and adjusts the inclination of the display device 12 with respect to the vertical direction. A configuration example of the drive mechanism 20 will be described later.

The power supply circuit 31 receives power from the outside. The power supply circuit 31 generates various voltages necessary for the operation of the helmet mount display 10 using an external power supply, and supplies corresponding voltages to the modules in the helmet mount display 10. The power supply circuit 31 may include a battery instead of receiving power from the outside.

The input unit 32 has a function of receiving information for adjusting the position and tilt of the display device 12 from the user. The input part 32 is arrange | positioned in the arbitrary positions which a user can operate.

The control circuit 30 controls the operation of the drive mechanism 20 based on a signal sent from the input unit 32. The control circuit 30 controls an operation for the display device 12 to display an image.

[2] Configuration of Drive Mechanism 20 for Display Device 12 Next, a configuration example of the drive mechanism 20 for the display device 12 will be described. The display device 12 is attached to the helmet 11 by the drive mechanism 20. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the configuration of the drive mechanism 20 for the display device 12. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the drive mechanism 20 for the display device 12. The helmet 11 is shown as a sphere for simplification, but actually has a shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The driving mechanism 20 includes

fixed bases

21a and 21b,

movable parts

22a and 22b, rotating

parts

23a and 23b, support

members

24a and 24b, and rotating

parts

25a and 25b. The

movable parts

22a and 22b, the rotating

parts

23a and 23b, and the rotating

parts

25a and 25b are driven in accordance with a signal from the control circuit 30.

The

fixing bases

21 a and 21 b are fixed to a part of the helmet 11. The movable portion 22a is placed on the fixed base 21a and moves on the fixed base 21a in the horizontal direction via, for example, a rail (not shown). The movable part 22b has the same configuration as the movable part 22a.

Rotating

parts

23a and 23b are attached to the

movable parts

22a and 22b, respectively. In addition, rotating

parts

25 a and 25 b are attached to both sides of the display device 12. The rod-like support member 24a is attached to the rotating part 23a and the rotating part 25a. Similarly, the rod-shaped support member 24b is attached to the rotating part 23b and the rotating part 25b. The

rotating portions

25a and 25b rotate the

support members

24a and 24b, respectively. The

rotating units

25a and 25b rotate the display device 12.

The drive mechanism 20 configured as described above controls the position and tilt of the display device 12 in a state desired by the user in accordance with a signal from the control circuit 30. The drive mechanism 20 is configured to automatically adjust the position and tilt of the display device 12 based on a signal from the control circuit 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the drive mechanism 20 may be configured such that the user manually adjusts the position and tilt of the display device 12 while maintaining the physical mechanism.

[3] Positional relationship between display device 12 and visor 11b Next, the positional relationship between the display device 12 and the visor 11b will be described.

First, the optical principle of the concave mirror for obtaining a virtual image will be described. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the optical principle of the concave mirror. The concave mirror in FIG. 6 has a radius of curvature R and a focal length R / 2. In FIG. 6, the center of curvature C (0, 0) of the concave mirror, the intersection O (R, 0) between the horizontal axis passing through the center C and the concave mirror, the focal point F (R / 2, 0), and the image A (x, y). , Represents a virtual image B (X, Y). “X” and “X” are horizontal distances (x coordinates) from the curvature center C, and “y” and “Y” are vertical distances (y coordinates) from the curvature center C.

When the image A is on the side farther from the center C than the focus F at the horizontal distance (the side farther from the center C than the normal passing through the focus F), the virtual image B passes through the image A (1) to the horizontal line (the line C−O). If the first straight line passing through the intersection D of the parallel mirror) and the concave mirror and the focal point F, and (2) the second straight line passing through the image A and the center C, the first and second straight lines intersect. .

The virtual image B (X, Y) is represented by the following formulas (1) and (2).

Referring to FIG. 6, the optical principle of the visor 11b according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the optical principle of the visor 11b. FIG. 7 is an example in which the virtual image 13 is displayed in front of the user. FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the curvature circle of the visor 11b and the display device 12 for displaying an image.

In FIG. 7, the user's eyes (eye points) E, the lower end A1 (x ₁ , y ₁ ) and the upper end A2 (x ₂ , y ₂ ) in the cross section (side surface) of the display device 12, A lower end B1 (X ₁ , Y ₁ ) and an upper end B2 (X ₂ , Y ₂ ) in the cross section. The display device 12 is disposed below a horizontal line passing through the eye point E.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the optical principle of a visor 11b according to another example. FIG. 8 is an example in which the virtual image 13 is displayed below the front of the user.

Below, the conditions of the position of the display device 12 for obtaining the virtual image 13 at a desired position will be described. B1 (X ₁ , Y ₁ ) and B2 (X ₂ , Y ₂ ) of the virtual image 13 are expressed by the following equations (3) to (6).

From the inverse transformations of the equations (3) to (6), the position “A1 (x ₁ , y ₁ ) −A2 (x ₂ , y ₂ )” of the display device 12 can be determined. 7 and 8, the display surface of the display device 12 is inclined toward the center C side (user side) with respect to the vertical direction.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the display device 12 and the virtual image 13. FIG. 9 shows a curvature circle of the visor 11b as viewed from the side, and the curvature radius R = 1 for simplification. The square in FIG. 9 is the position of the display device 12, and the circle in FIG. 9 is the position of the virtual image 13. The arrows in FIG. 9 indicate the correspondence between the position of the display device 12 and the position of the virtual image 13.

From FIG. 9, the position “A1 (x ₁ , y ₁ ) −A2 (x ₂ , y ₂ )” of the display device 12 for obtaining the virtual image 13 at a desired position is expressed by the following equations (7) and (8). It is set to satisfy.

x ² + y ² <R ² (7)

R / 2 <x <R (8)

The position and inclination of the display device 12 are adjusted by the drive mechanism 20 shown in FIGS.

[4] Effects As described in detail above, in the present embodiment, the helmet mount display 10 is disposed on the inside of the helmet 11 including the helmet 11 including the visor 11b made of a transparent member and having a curved surface shape. A display device 12 that displays a virtual image by irradiating an image and a drive mechanism 20 that is attached to the helmet 11 and supports the display device 12 are provided. The drive mechanism 20 is configured to automatically adjust the position in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the display device 12 and automatically adjust the tilt of the display device 12 with respect to the vertical direction so that a virtual image is displayed in front of the user. Is done.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the virtual image 13 can be displayed at the position desired by the user via the visor 11b. Further, the virtual image 13 can be displayed superimposed on the background while the user looks forward. Thereby, the user can visually recognize the virtual image 13 without difficulty.

Also, the virtual image 13 can be displayed to the user without changing the structure of the helmet 11 itself (particularly the safety structure). Thereby, a helmet mount display with high safety (strength etc.) is realizable.

In the above embodiment, the visor 11b is illustrated by a curvature circle. However, the entire visor 11b does not need to be a circle of curvature, and at least the area in front of the user's eyes (area where the image of the display device 12 is incident) of the visor 11b may be a circle of curvature.

Further, although the liquid crystal display device has been described as an example of the display device 12, the display device 12 is not limited to this, and an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device or the like can also be used.

In the above embodiment, a helmet-mounted display for space suit is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is applied to a helmet-mounted display using various helmets having a transparent member (visor) that allows the user to visually recognize the front background, such as a diving helmet, a motorcycle helmet, and a pilot helmet. Is possible.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and are obtained by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in one embodiment or by appropriately combining constituent elements disclosed in different embodiments. Various inventions can be configured. For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements disclosed in the embodiments, the problems to be solved by the invention can be solved and the effects of the invention can be obtained. Embodiments made can be extracted as inventions.

Claims

A helmet provided with a housing to be mounted on a user's head, a visor attached to the housing, made of a transparent member, and having a curved shape;
A display device disposed inside the helmet and displaying a virtual image by irradiating the visor with an image;
A drive mechanism attached to the helmet and supporting the display device;
Comprising
The drive mechanism adjusts the vertical and horizontal positions of the display device so that the virtual image is displayed in front of the user, and adjusts the tilt of the display device with respect to the vertical direction. Helmet mount display.
The radius of curvature R of the visor, the display device is disposed between a vertical line passing through a position R / 2 on a horizontal axis passing through the center of the visor and the visor. The helmet mount display described in 1.
The helmet mount display according to claim 1, wherein the position and the inclination of the display device are determined so that the virtual image is displayed in front of the user.
The helmet display according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device.
The helmet mount display according to claim 1, wherein the display device is disposed below a horizontal line passing through the eyes of the user.
The helmet mount display according to claim 1, wherein the display device is inclined toward the user with respect to a vertical direction.
The helmet covers the user's head,
The helmet display according to claim 1, wherein the display device is disposed inside the helmet.
The drive mechanism is
First and second support members that support both side portions of the display device;
The helmet mount display according to claim 1, further comprising first and second rotating parts that rotate the first and second support members, respectively.
The helmet mount display according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes a movable unit that moves the first and second rotating units in a horizontal direction.