Head-mounted display device and method of controlling head-mounted display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921646-B2
Application number	US-201615137072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2013
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A transmissive head-mounted display device includes an image display unit, a detection unit, a control unit, an imaging unit, and an imaging setting unit. The display unit generates image light representing an image, allows a user to visually recognize the image light, and transmits outside scenery when worn on a head of a user. The detection unit detects a shielding object that is located at a predetermined distance from an eye of the user. A control unit performs control of the image light based on the detection result of the detection unit. The imaging unit images the outside scenery. The imaging setting unit adjusts the imaging unit. The imaging setting unit shifts a display mode of the image display unit to an imaging adjustment mode based on the detection result of the detection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmissive head-mounted display device comprising:
an image display unit that generates image light representing an image, allows a user to visually recognize the image light, and transmits outside scenery when worn on a head of a user;
a detection unit that detects a shielding object that is located at a predetermined distance from an eye of the user, a first illuminance value which is an illuminance of the outside scenery transmitted to a right eye of the user, and a second illuminance value which is an illuminance of the outside scenery transmitted to a left eye of the user;
a control unit that performs control of the image light based on a detection result of the detection unit;
an imaging unit that images the outside scenery; and
an imaging setting unit that adjusts the imaging unit,
wherein
the imaging setting unit shifts a display mode of the image display unit to an imaging adjustment mode based on the detection result of the detection unit,
the detection unit determines a difference between the first illuminance value and the second illuminance value and compares the difference to a predetermined threshold value,
the detection unit detects an eyelid status of the user as the shielding object,
the detection unit detects an opened, closed, and half-closed status of a right eyelid of the user and an opened, closed, and half-closed status of a left eyelid of the user,
the control unit performs different control of the image light in response to each combination of the detected opened, closed, or half-closed status of the right eyelid combined with the opened, closed, or half-closed status of the left eyelid,
the control unit performs a first control of the image light when at least one eyelid of the right eyelid and the left eyelid is detected in the opened status, performs a second control of the image light when at least one eyelid of the right eyelid and the left eyelid is detected in the closed status, and performs a third control of the image light when at least one eyelid of the right eyelid and the left eyelid is detected in the half-closed status, and
when the detection unit determines that the difference between the first illuminance value and the second illuminance value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs a fourth control when the first illuminance value is greater than the second illuminance value and performs a fifth control when the second illuminance value is greater than the first illuminance value.

2. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the imaging adjustment mode is a mode for capturing an image of the outside scenery,
in the imaging adjustment mode, the control unit performs, as the control of the image light based on the detection result of the detection unit, operation of the imaging unit, and
the image display unit generates area image light as image light representing outside scenery within an imaging area.

3. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 2 , wherein the image setting unit shifts the display mode of the image display unit to the imaging adjustment mode based on the combination of the detected opened and closed status of the right eyelid combined with the opened and closed status of the left eyelid.

4. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the detection unit detects a wink where one of the right eyelid and the left eyelid is closed and the other of the right eyelid and the left eyelid is opened, and
the image setting unit shifts the display mode of the image display unit to the imaging adjustment mode when the wink is detected.

5. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the detection unit detects a line-of-sight direction of the user,
the image display unit generates line-of-sight position image light as image light representing a position corresponding to the line-of-sight direction with respect to the imaged outside scenery and allows the user to visually recognize the line-of-sight position image light,
the control unit sets a partial area of the imaged outside scenery based on the detected line-of-sight direction and the combination of the detected status of the right eyelid and the left eyelid, and
the area image light is image light representing the set partial area.

6. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 5 , wherein the imaging unit images the outside scenery within the set partial area based on the detected combination.

7. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit enlarges or reduces the set partial area based on the detected combination.

8. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 5 , wherein the image display unit allows the user to visually recognize a pointer indicating a position corresponding to the detected line-of-sight direction as the image light.

9. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the operation of the imaging unit includes adjustment of a focal length of a lens of the imaging unit, and
when the focal length is within a predetermined range, the area image light is generated in a peripheral part in the partial area, and, when the focal length is beyond the predetermined distance, outside scenery image light representing an outside scenery image in the partial area is generated as the area image light.

10. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the image display unit allows the user to visually recognize a plurality of selectable objects and a pointer indicating a position corresponding to the detected line-of-sight direction as the image light, and
the control unit performs the control on the head-mounted display device based on a positional relationship between the plurality of selectable objects and the pointer.

11. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit performs the control further based on the detected combination and the positional relationship.

12. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 10 , wherein:
the detection unit detects a right eye front index value and a left eye front index value indicating at least one of colors and illuminance in a range from the respective right eye and left eye of the user to the predetermined distance, and
the control unit performs the control in response to the positional relationship and the detected right eye front index value and left eye front index value.

13. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit performs the first control when the right eyelid is detected in the opened status and the left eyelid is detected in the closed status,
the control unit performs the second control when the right eyelid is detected in the closed status and the left eyelid is detected in the opened status,
the fourth control is a same control as the first control, and
the fifth control is a same control as the second control.

14. The transmissive head-mounted display device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit includes a right eye illuminance sensor which detects the first illuminance value and a left eye illuminance sensor which detects the second illuminance value.

15. A method of controlling a transmissive head-mounted display device, the head-mounted display device including an image display unit that generates image light representing an image, allows a user to visual

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Takano Masahide
• Kimura Fusashi

Classifications

• H04M1/724097

  Worn on the head · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/005

  Input arrangements through a video camera · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G06F3/012

  Head tracking input arrangements · CPC title