Optical: systems and elements – Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels – By partial reflection at beam splitting or combining surface
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-15
2004-08-03
Ben, Loha (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels
By partial reflection at beam splitting or combining surface
C359S630000, C345S007000, C345S008000, C345S053000, C348S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06771424
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a head-mounted display device for visually recognizing images output from personal computers, television images, and images displayed by display devices for performing various kinds of work, which is mounted on the head as a wearable personal computer display device, for example.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
In recent years, information devices typified by the wearable personal computer, which mounts computer functions on the human body, are being practically implemented. These devices function as auxiliary equipment when performing complex work or making decisions requiring sophisticated knowledge at the job site. By using the head-mounted display device as a monitor for such wearable personal computers, the images on that monitor can be visually recognized while working on the job.
Such a head-mounted display device is known that has a structure wherein a display unit comprising a display deployed at the side of the head or above or below the eyeballs and a non-spherical reflecting optical system for causing the images displayed on that display to be visually recognized is fixed to the head by a headphone type mounting unit.
There is a problem with the conventional head-mounted display device in that the display unit, being large, places a burden on the user. The conventional scheme proposed for resolving this problem is to provide an arm that sticks out to the side in a holder that extends from the sides of the head to the back of the head, and then secure the display unit to that arm. Based on this scheme it is possible to make the holder and the display smaller.
However, with this conventional scheme, the interval between the display device and the eyes becomes great to some extent because the display unit is secured to the arm that protrudes from the side of the holder. This entails a problem in that the display unit becomes large when the visual field angle is made large. When a small, lightweight display unit is used in this conventional scheme, it is very difficult to visually recognize the small details of sophisticated personal computer output images (such as color SVGA images having a resolution of 800×600 dots, for example).
Also, when the conventional scheme is applied to a monocular head-mounted display device having a single display, the position of the display unit must be changed from left to right or right to left according to the user's needs (i.e., according to which side the vision of the user is better on, whether the user is right-sighted or left-sighted, user preference, etc.). For that reason, it is necessary to temporarily remove the display unit from the holder, invert the holder, and reattach the display unit to the holder. Because the display unit is fastened to the holder by screws or the like, one must use a screwdriver or similar tool to detach and reattach the display unit. Thus it is not possible for a user to frequently change the display unit back and forth between the right and left sides according to his or her preference, etc., making the utility of the device very poor. In short, what is needed is a configuration wherewith the display unit can be stably held in place and the position of the display unit can easily be changed between left and right. Furthermore, because there are great personal differences between users in terms of facial shape (such as the shape of the eye sockets and the slope of the forehead), a configuration is also necessary wherewith the position of the display unit can be adjusted fore and aft in order to optimally adjust the interval between the eyeballs and the display unit.
An object of the present invention is to provide a head-mounted display device wherewith a visual field angle can be secured that will enable adequate recognition of display image information, wherewith the user can freely choose which eye to use to visually recognize the display image, wherewith the display unit can be easily positioned for optimum visual recognition of the display image, and wherewith the display unit can be easily attached and detached.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The head-mounted display device of the present invention comprises: a head holding holder that is proximate at least to both sides of the head and the front of the head; and a display unit deployed on the holder at a position above the eye either on the left or the right side, at the front of the head.
It is preferable that the holder is capable of being used inverted.
It is preferable that the holder has a shape capable of preventing head holding force thereof from becoming unbalanced to the left or the right.
By preventing the head holding force of this holder from becoming unbalanced to the left or right, the holding force acting on the head of the user from the left side and the holding force acting thereon from the right side become roughly the same. Thus, even when the holder is inverted, differences in the holding force acting from the left thereof and the holding force acting from the right thereof that are sensible to the user can be prevented from occurring. The holding force acting from the left side and the holding force acting from the right side need only be roughly the same, to such an extent that the user will not sense a difference in left and right holding force.
There is no particular limitation on the shape of the holder, and it need only contact at least the two sides of the head and the front of the head. That shape can be a U shape as in a head band or hair band, for example, or it can be ring shaped. The parts of the holder that are proximate to the head are not limited to those parts proximate to the two sides of the head and the front of the head; there can also be a part proximate to the crown of the head, in which case a cap shape, for example, can be adopted as the shape of the holder.
The shape of the holder is not limited to one that is laterally symmetrical. When the holder weight is laterally asymmetrical, for example, the shapes of the parts of the holder proximate to the front of the head and to two sides of the head can be mutually different so that the holding force acting on the head of the user from the left side is roughly the same as the holding force acting thereon from the right side.
By the holder being “proximate” to the head, in the present invention, is meant not only cases where the holder makes direct contact with the two sides of the head and the front of the head, but also cases where it makes indirect contact therewith through an intermediate material such as a head protecting member (described subsequently), for example.
The holder can be configured by a single member. Alternatively, the holder can be divided between a member that is proximate to one side of the head, a member that is proximate to the other side of the head, and a member that is proximate to the front of the head, with a hinge structure both between the member proximate to the front of the head and the member proximate to the one side of the head and between the member proximate to the front of the head and the member proximate to the other side of the head.
A head protecting member can be provided on the holder at an area near the front of the head and/or at a part of area extending from the sides of the head to the back of the head. Such a head protecting member can consist of a so-called pad or other shock absorbing material. The material of the head protecting member can be anything that exhibits elasticity, such as a urethane sponge, elastomer, or rubber. This head protecting member can be made either integrally with the holder or separately therefrom.
The display unit is configured by a display that creates at least a display image and a reflecting optical member having a reflecting surface that reflects display light output from the display. A liquid crystal display device, plasma display, or small CRT display or the like can be used for this display, but such does not constitute a limitation. The liquid crystal display device can be either a transmitting type or reflecting type. T
Amafuji Hisashi
Kakuta Yoshio
Kishida Tetsuya
Kumai Keizo
Ben Loha
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Shimadzu Corporation
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