Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means – Operator body-mounted heads-up display
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-12-18
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
Operator body-mounted heads-up display
C345S001100, C359S630000, C439S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331841
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention related to an image display system capable of viewing an electronic image and an external sight simultaneously, or selectively.
2. Related Art Statement
Hitherto, there has been provided a head mounted display (hereinafter, referred to as an HMD) having for example a see-through function capable of viewing not only an electronic image, but also an external sight (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Opened Nos. 281,891/90 and 26,289/92).
For example, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 52,288/94 discloses an image display system in which a plurality of see-through HMDs can be connected to a controller for outputting image signals, a third party other than a viewer can control through the controller one operation mode which renders a given electronic image viewable to all viewers or an other operation mode which renders an external sight viewable to all viewers.
According to such an image display system, there is an advantageous effect that for example, when applying the system as a service for passengers on a passenger airplane, in the case of the taking-off and landing of the airplane, a given electronic image such as “fasten seat belt” can be forcibly viewed, or when applying education, it can be rendered that all persons present at a lecture pay attention to a blackboard forcibly, or it can be rendered that all of them view an electronic image of a given problem forcibly.
The present inventors found that there are points to be improved in the above image display system. That is, in the above image display system, a plurality of HMDs are connected to only one controller, so that the number of HMDs are limited. The controller itself for controlling the image signals also has a function for controlling the operation mode of the HMD forcibly from the outside, so that it is necessary to provide a circuit for generating such a forcible control signal in the controller. However, such forcible control circuits or the like are efficient in the case of using a plurality of HMDs, but these circuits are not necessary in the case of using only one HMD, so that in such only one HMD utilization, the system construction becomes uneconomical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above described disadvantages of the conventional image display system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image display system capable of adapting the number of the HMDs easily, and capable of constructing the image display system economically in the case of individual use.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image display system comprising a plurality of image display units including a controller for outputting image signals and at least one display means capable of enabling switching operation with a predetermined operation mode of a plurality of operation modes including a mode for indicating the image signals from the controller; an external control device for outputting mode control signals which address the operation mode of the display means; the controller of the respective image display units being provided with an external control terminal for receiving the mode control signals and an output terminal for outputting the mode control signals supplied to the external control terminal; the outputs of different controllers are connected to the external control terminals thereof in turn so as to couple the plurality of controllers to the external control device in series, the remained control terminals are connected to the external control device, and the operation modes of whole display means are collectively and forcibly and/or individually controlled through the respective controllers on the basis of the mode control signals from the external control means.
According to the present invention, it is preferable to automatically switch the control of the operation mode due to respective external control units themselves and collective control of the operation mode due to respective external control unit, in the point that the system further comprises a detecting means for detecting whether the external control terminals of respective controllers are coupled to the external control device or not, and a priority order of a collective and forcible control of the operation mode of display means corresponding to the controller due to the mode control signals from the external control device and an individual control of the operation mode of the corresponding display device due to respective image display units themselves is determined on the basis of the output of the detecting means.
In an embodiment of the image display system according to the present invention, it is preferable to optionally switch the collective control of operation mode of whole display means due to respective image display unit and the control of operation mode of the display means corresponding to the respective image display units themselves, in the point that the mode control signal from the external control device includes a signal for addressing a priority order of a collective control of operation modes of display means by the external control device and an individual control of the operation mode of the corresponding display device due to respective image display units themselves.
According to the present invention, the plural operation modes include the see-through operation mode. The external control device is formed by the computer or the remote controller. The image display means comprises image display elements for displaying electronic image, an optical system including a beam splitter for leading the electronic images displayed on the image display elements on eyes of the viewer, and a shutter means disposed at the opposite side to the eyes of the viewer for the beam splitter, as well as the plural operation modes include the normal mode for rendering the shutter means to shielding condition and for displaying the electronic image on the image display elements; the superimposition mode for rendering the shutter means to transmitting condition and for displaying the electronic image on the image display elements; and the see-through mode for rendering the shutter means to transmitting condition and for not displaying the electronic image on the image display elements.
In respective image display units of the present invention, the controller for outputting image signals and at least one display means capable of enabling switching operation with predetermined operation mode of operation modes including the mode for displaying image signals from the controller are made a pair of elements, so that it is possible to operate the display means with the predetermined operation mode in the case of using a unit level. Moreover, respective controllers are provided with an external control terminal for receiving the mode control signals and an output terminal for outputting the mode control signals supplied to the external control terminal, so that if the outputs of different controllers are connected to the external control terminal in turn so as to couple the plurality of controllers to the external control device in series, and the remained control terminals are connected to the external control device, the external control terminals of respective controllers may be coupled to the external control device in parallel. Therefore, the operation modes of whole display means can be collectively controlled through the respective controllers on the basis of the mode control signals from the external control means.
According to the present invention, the controller of the plural image display units each having the controller and at least one display means is connected in series to one external control device through the external control terminal and the output terminal of respective controllers, so that the external control device may control collectively and forcibly the operation modes of whole display means through respective controllers, and thus may correspond
Shimada Naoto
Tokuhashi Yuki
Hjerpe Richard
Nguyen Francis
Olympus Optical Company Ltd.
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher LLP
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