Wearable display device having a detection function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568735-B2
Application number	US-201313873617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A wearable display device equipped with a detection function is disclosed. The disclosed device includes an image viewer unit configured to show an image; a sensor unit configured to acquire a user's surrounding condition information; a determiner part configured to determine whether or not the user faces a dangerous condition based on information from the sensor unit; and an alarm information output part configured to output alarm information based on a determination result of the determiner part. The disclosed wearable display device makes it possible to increase the user's safety by effectively detecting dangerous objects, such as automobiles, and by suitably controlling the images on the device which may reduce the user's field of vision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable display device comprising:
an image viewer unit configured to show an image;
a sensor unit configured to acquire a user's surrounding condition information;
a determiner part configured to determine whether or not the user faces a dangerous condition based on information from the sensor unit;
an alarm information output part configured to output alarm information based on a determination result of the determiner part;
a function limiter part configured to deactivate a particular function based on the determination result of the determiner part; and
an audio part,
wherein the function limiter part stops showing the image shown on the image viewer unit or reduces a size of the image to a preset size or smaller, and wherein the audio part provides information related to a blocked image in audio if a function for showing images is limited.

2. The wearable display device of claim 1 , wherein the determiner part comprises a dangerous object detector part configured to determine whether or not a dangerous object exists in the user's surroundings.

3. The wearable display device of claim 2 , wherein the dangerous object detector part comprises:
an object feature analyzer part configured to determine whether or not a detected object is a dangerous object; an object velocity analyzer part configured to analyze a velocity of the detected object; and an object direction analyzer part configured to analyze a movement direction of the detected object.

4. The wearable display device of claim 2 , wherein the dangerous object detector part further comprises an environment determiner part configured to determine whether or not the user is located indoors.

5. The wearable display device of claim 4 , wherein the environment determiner part determines whether or not the user is located indoors by using at least one of illuminance, light wavelength, temperature, GPS reception rate, and presence of a particular radio signal or a combination thereof.

6. The wearable display device of claim 2 , wherein the dangerous object detector part is deactivated if the user is located indoors or a movement speed of the user is lower than or equal to a preset threshold speed.

7. The wearable display device of claim 1 , wherein the function limiter part deactivates the particular function after the alarm information is outputted if the danger condition is not resolved after a preset amount of time has passed.

8. A wearable display device comprising:
an image viewer unit configured to show an image;
a sensor unit configured to acquire condition information regarding the wearable display device;
a motion detector part configured to detect a movement speed of a user based on information from the sensor unit;
a function limiter part configured to stop showing the image shown on the image viewer unit or reduce a size of the image to a preset size or smaller if the movement speed of the user is greater than or equal to a threshold speed; and
an audio part configured to provide information related to a blocked image in audio if the movement speed of the user is greater than or equal to the threshold speed and a function for showing images is limited.

9. A method of controlling a wearable display device for providing a user with an image, the method comprising:
(a) acquiring the user's surrounding condition information;
(b) determining whether or not the user faces a dangerous condition based on information acquired in said step (a);
(c) outputting alarm information based on a determination result of said step (b); and
(d) deactivating a particular function based on the determination result of said step (b),
wherein said step (d) comprises stopping showing the image or reducing a size of the image to a preset size or smaller; and
wherein information related to a blocked image is provided to the user in audio if a function for showing the image is limited.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said step (b) comprises determining whether or not a dangerous object exists in the user's surroundings.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step (b) comprises determining whether or not the dangerous object exists based on at least one of an object feature, an object velocity, and an object direction.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step (b) comprises additionally determining at least one of whether or not the user is located indoors and whether or not the user is moving.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the function of determining whether or not the dangerous object exists in the user's surroundings is deactivated if it is determined that the user is indoors or a movement speed of the user is lower than or equal to a preset threshold speed.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein said step (d) comprises deactivating the particular function after the alarm information is outputted if the danger condition is not resolved after a preset amount of time has passed.

15. A method of controlling a wearable display device for providing a user with an image, the method comprising:
(a) acquiring the user's surrounding condition information;
(b) determining whether or not the user faces a dangerous condition based on information acquired in said step (a); and
(c) deactivating showing the user the image or reducing a size of the image to a preset size or smaller based on a determination result of said step (b),
wherein information related to a blocked image is provided to the user in audio if a function for showing the image is limited.

Assignees

• Industry-Univ Coop Found Hanyang Univ

Inventors

• Park Jong-Ll
• Seo Byung-Kuk

Classifications

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• G02B27/0176 Primary

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/017 Primary

  Head mounted · CPC title