Display device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9348144-B2
Application number	US-201314109568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2013
Priority date	Jan 7, 2013
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A head-mounted display device includes: a display section that outputs an image light to overlap with an outside light and causes an image to be viewed; and an input detecting section that detects an input operation in a case where a predetermined light is determined in a range corresponding to the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
an outside light detecting section that detects an outside light from an outside area outside of the display device, in a visual field of a user of the display device, and detects a hand-held control device overlapping the visual field in the outside light;
a display section that outputs an image light to overlap with the outside light and causes a combined image to be viewed based on the outside light and the image light overlapping with the outside light; and
an operation detecting section that detects an input operation in a case where the hand-held control device is detected by the outside light detecting section to be overlapping with the visual field at a position corresponding to an input detection area that is virtually set,
wherein
the input detection area is divided into a plurality of operation target areas each corresponding to one of a plurality of input operations,
the operation detecting section detects which input operation to perform based on which one operation target area of the plurality of operation target areas the hand-held control device is positioned to overlap in the visual field, and
the hand-held control device is a light source device that includes a lighting section that emits a predetermined light.

2. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined light is a visible light.

3. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined light includes light with a plurality of wavelength bands.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a display control section that performs a display indicating the input operation detected by the operation detecting section in the image.

5. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display device is a head-mounted display device that causes a user to view the image,
the display section includes:
an image light generating section that generates and emits the image light for display of the image using display image data; and
an optical member that guides the emitted image light to eyes of the user, and

the outside light passes through the optical member and is incident onto the eyes of the user together with the image light.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the input detection area that is virtually set is a virtual keyboard.

7. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the outside light detecting section detects the outside light both inside and outside of the visual field, and
the input detection area that is virtually set is positioned outside of the visual field of the user of the display device.

8. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the outside light detecting section detects the hand-held control device by detecting the predetermined light emitted from the lighting section of the hand-held control device.

9. A head-mounted display device comprising:
an outside light detecting section that detects an outside light from an outside area outside of the head-mounted display device, in a visual field of a user of the display device, and detects a hand-held control device overlapping the visual field in the outside light;
a display section that outputs an image light to overlap with the outside light and causes a combined image to be viewed based on the outside light and the image light overlapping with the outside light; and
an operation detecting section that detects an input operation in a case where the hand-held control device is detected to be overlapping with the visual field at a position corresponding to an input detection area that is virtually set,
wherein
the input detection area is divided into a plurality of operation target areas each corresponding to one of a plurality of input operations,
the operation detecting section detects which input operation to perform based on which one operation target area of the plurality of operation target areas the hand-held control device is positioned to overlap in the visual field, and
the hand-held control device is a light source device that includes a lighting section that emits a predetermined light.

10. A control method of a display device, comprising:
detecting an outside light from an outside area outside of the display device, in a visual field of a user of the display device;
detecting a hand-held control device overlapping the visual field in the outside light;
outputting an image light to overlap with the outside light and causing a combined image to be viewed based on the outside light and the image light overlapping with the outside light; and
detecting an input operation in a case where the hand-held control device is detected by the outside light detecting section to be overlapping with the visual field at a position corresponding to an input detection area that is virtually set,
wherein
the input detection area is divided into a plurality of operation target areas each corresponding to one of a plurality of input operations,
the input operation to be performed is detected based on which one operation target area of the plurality of operation target areas the hand-held control device is positioned to overlap in the visual field, and
the hand-held control device is a light source device that includes a lighting section that emits a predetermined light.

11. A control method of a display device mounted on a head of a user and that includes an outside light detecting section that detects an outside light from an outside area outside of the display device, in a visual field of a user of the display device, and detects a hand-held control device overlapping the visual field in the outside light, and a display section that outputs an image light to overlap with an outside light and causes a combined image to be viewed based on the outside light and the image light overlapping with the outside light, the method comprising:
detecting an input operation in a case where the hand-held control device is detected by the outside light detecting section to be overlapping with the visual field at a position corresponding to an input detection area that is virtually set,
wherein
the input detection area is divided into a plurality of operation target areas each corresponding to one of a plurality of input operations,
the input operation to be performed is detected based on which one operation target area of the plurality of operation target areas the hand-held control device is positioned to overlap in the visual field, and
the hand-held control device is a light source device that includes a lighting section that emits a predetermined light.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Shinichi

Classifications

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title