Head-mounted display

Abstract

In a head-mounted display, a display device (10) has a device main body (11) having a rotational moment of a direction toward a user's face (51) acting with a hinge portion (20) as a center, and a buffer member (15) provided to a periphery of an opposing portion (11a) of the device main body (11) that opposes the user's face (51) and abuts against the user's face (51). The buffer member (15) includes an upper buffer portion (15a) at an upper portion of the periphery of the opposing portion (11a) and a lower buffer portion (15b) at a position lower than the upper buffer portion (15a). A thickness of the lower buffer portion (15b) is greater than a thickness of the upper buffer portion (15a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to head-mounted displays. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a head-mounted display comprising: a hook worn on a user's head; a display device for displaying images; and a connecting member connecting the hook and the display device. The connecting member has a two-stage hinge element that allows the connecting member to rotate freely relative to the hook and the display device to rotate freely relative to the connecting member. After the user wears the hook on their head, they grasp the display device with their hand to rotate the connecting member relative to the hook, thereby moving the display device in front of their eyes.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-280247. Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a gap exists between the display device and the face. External light enters through this gap, becoming noise and causing a reduction in display quality.

[0007] The first aspect of this embodiment was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a head-mounted display that can suppress the influence of external light and improve the display quality.

[0008] According to a first embodiment, a head-mounted display is provided, comprising: a headband worn on a user's head; a hinge portion disposed on the headband; and a display device rotatably connected to the headband via the hinge portion and abutting against the user's face in a manner that covers the user's eyes. The display device comprises: a device body having a rotational torque acting about the hinge portion in a direction toward the user's face; and a buffer member disposed at the periphery of a counter portion in the device body opposite the user's face, and abutting against the user's face. The buffer member includes: an upper buffer portion located at the upper part of the periphery of the counter portion; and a lower buffer portion located below the upper buffer portion. The thickness of the lower buffer portion is greater than the thickness of the upper buffer portion.

[0009] According to the first method of this embodiment, it can suppress the influence of external light and improve the display quality. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a right view showing the head-mounted display in its state when worn on a user's head.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the display device.

[0012] Figure 3 This is the right view of the display device.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a top view of the display device.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a right view illustrating the center of gravity of the display device and the rotational torque acting on the display device.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a top view illustrating the position of the center of gravity of the display device.

[0016] Figure 7 It is schematically shown along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the display device with AA lines shown.

[0017] Figure 8A This is a diagram illustrating the upper and lower buffer sections.

[0018] Figure 8B This is a diagram illustrating the upper and lower buffer sections.

[0019] Figure 8C This is a diagram illustrating the upper and lower buffer sections.

[0020] Figure 9A This diagram illustrates the state of the buffer when a head-mounted display is worn on a user's head.

[0021] Figure 9B This diagram illustrates the state of the buffer when a head-mounted display is worn on a user's head.

[0022] Figure 9C This diagram illustrates the state of the buffer when a head-mounted display is worn on a user's head. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 4 The structure of the head-mounted display 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The head-mounted display 1 is a device worn on the head 50 to cover the left and right eyes of a user and to display prescribed information to the user. For example, the head-mounted display 1 projects a stereoscopic image to the user by displaying the parallax image corresponding to the left and right eyes as a virtual image. In the following description, the vertical, horizontal, and back-and-forth directions of the head 50 are defined based on the vertical, front-and-back, and left-and-right directions of the head-mounted display 1 when it is being worn.

[0024] The head-mounted display 1 has a display device 10, a hinge 20, and a headband 30.

[0025] The display device 10 is a device that generates parallax images corresponding to the left and right eyes and guides display light corresponding to the parallax images to the user's eyes. The display device 10 includes a main body 11, left and right display units 12L and 12R, and a buffer 15.

[0026] The main body 11 of the device is, for example, a box-shaped structure that is laterally longer in the left-right direction of the head 50. The main body 11 of the device may also be a curved shape that matches the curve of the user's face 51. From the point of view of strength and lightweight, the main body 11 of the device is formed of a material such as synthetic resin.

[0027] The rear end of the device body 11 forms a facing portion 11a that is opposite to the user's face 51. On the other hand, the front end of the device body 11 forms a protrusion 11b that extends forward from the facing portion 11a by a certain distance. A space is provided between the facing portion 11a and the protrusion 11b for accommodating the left and right display units 12L and 12R.

[0028] The left and right display units 12L and 12R are housed inside the main body 11 of the device. The left and right display units 12L and 12R are arranged in a left-right direction, corresponding to the user's left and right eyes. The left display unit 12L is located to the left of the center of the main body 11, and the right display unit 12R is located to the right of the center of the main body 11.

[0029] The left and right display units 12L and 12R display images (parallax images) corresponding to the left and right eyes. That is, the left display unit 12L displays the image corresponding to the left eye, and the right display unit 12R displays the image corresponding to the right eye.

[0030] Each display unit 12L, 12R includes a display element and an optical system. The display element generates a display image and outputs display light corresponding to the display image. As the display element, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel can be used.

[0031] The optical system guides the display light output from the display elements to the user's eyes as a display image. The optical system includes one or more optical elements selected from a group including mirrors and lenses. In the main body 11, lenses 12La and 12Ra are provided in the opposing portion 11a opposite the user's face 51, arranged facing forward towards the user's eyes. The display light passing through the lenses 12La and 12Ra is guided to the user's eyes. When the user wears the head-mounted display 1, the display device 10 abuts against the user's face 51 in a manner that covers the user's eyes. The user can visually confirm the virtual image of the display generated by the display units 12L and 12R from the front.

[0032] Furthermore, the structure of display units 12L and 12R is just one example and is not limited thereto. For example, display units 12L and 12R do not need to have separate display elements, and can also share a single display element. In this case, the single display element does not need to be built into the device body 11, and an external display device can be used.

[0033] The cushioning element 15 is disposed around the entire periphery of the opposing portion 11a. When the head-mounted display 1 is worn on the user's head 50, the cushioning element 15 becomes the contact point with the user's face 51. The cushioning element 15 is formed of an elastic material such as polyurethane foam.

[0034] The head-mounted display 1 needs to be worn in front of and close to the user's eyes. When the main body 11 of the device comes into direct contact with the face 51, the rigid main body 11 causes pressure on the face 51. Therefore, by providing a buffer 15 in the opposing part 11a, the pressure of the main body 11 on the face 51 can be reduced.

[0035] The shape of a human face 51 varies, but the shape of the device body 11 is fixed. Therefore, depending on the user, there may be cases where the shape of the device body 11 does not match the shape of the face 51, and external light enters through the gap between the opposing portion 11a of the device body 11 and the face 51. This external light becomes a noise component, leading to a reduction in display image quality. Therefore, by using a buffer 15 disposed at the periphery of the opposing portion 11a to fill the gap between the opposing portion 11a and the face 51, the influence of external light can be reduced.

[0036] A hinge portion 20 is provided on the headband 30. A display device 10 is connected to the hinge portion 20. The hinge portion 20 is configured to rotate freely about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction, and the display device 10 is rotatably connected to the headband 30 via the hinge portion 20. Therefore, the display device 10 rotates relative to the headband 30 about the rotation axis of the hinge portion 20.

[0037] A hinge 20 is mounted on the lower part of the front end side of the headband 30. Furthermore, the hinge 20 is connected to the upper surface 11c of the main body 11 of the display device 10. Therefore, the display device 10 is suspended from the front end of the headband 30 via the hinge 20. The user can detach the display device 10 from the face 51 by rotating it upwards around the hinge 20. Conversely, the user can bring the display device 10 closer to the face 51 and eventually abut it by rotating it downwards around the hinge 20. When the display device 10 is rotated downwards, a rotational torque, described later, is applied, allowing the user to rotate the display device 10 smoothly.

[0038] The headband 30 is worn on the user's head 50 and supports the display device 10. The headband 30 is a ring-shaped component that surrounds the entire circumference of the user's head 50, specifically, it surrounds the forehead, right side of the head, back of the head, and left side of the head, which are part of the face 51. The headband 30 has an adjustment mechanism that can adjust its circumferential length. Through this adjustment mechanism, the user's head 50 can be secured with appropriate force regardless of its size, thereby ensuring that the display device 10 is stably worn on the head 50.

[0039] In the head-mounted display 1 according to this embodiment, two structures are adopted as shown below in order to suppress the influence of external light.

[0040] The first structure is one that generates a rotational torque for pressing the display device 10 against the user's face 51. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The first structure that generates rotational torque will be described.

[0041] The center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 is set forward of the hinge portion 20, that is, outward of the hinge portion 20 when viewed from the face 51. A force Fg corresponding to the weight of the display device 10 acts vertically downward on the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10. At this time, the force Fg can be considered as a first component Fg1 along a straight line La passing through the center of gravity Gr from the rotation center of the display device 10 (i.e., the rotation axis of the hinge portion 20) and a second component Fg2 along a straight line Lb orthogonal to the straight line La. The rotational torque acting in the direction that presses the display device 10 against the user's face 51 is generated by the second component Fg2 along the straight line Lb of the first component Fg1 and the second component Fg2.

[0042] Thus, based on the positional relationship between the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 and the hinge portion 20, the display device 10 can generate a rotational torque due to its own weight. This rotational torque can press the display device 10 against the user's face 51, thereby ensuring that the cushion 15 is in close contact with the face 51. As a result, gaps generated between the cushion 15 and the face 51 can be suppressed, thus suppressing the influence of external light.

[0043] The magnitude of the rotational torque depends on the weight of the display device 10. Therefore, by changing the specifications of the display device 10, the force required to press the display device 10 against the user's face 51 can be increased. However, the display device 10 needs to be worn on the user's head 50 and positioned in front of the eyes. That is, the display device 10 is positioned away from the neck, which supports the person's head 50, so even a slight increase in the weight of the display device 10 would become a burden for the user. Therefore, considering the burden on the user, it is preferable to set the magnitude of the rotational torque.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weight of the display device 10 is utilized as the structure for generating rotational torque. Moreover, the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 is set in front of the hinge portion 20. However, depending on the structure of the head-mounted display 1, sometimes the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 is located further back than the hinge portion 20. Therefore, when the mounting position of the hinge portion 20 relative to the display device 10 can be adjusted, the mounting position can also be adjusted so that the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 is in front of the hinge portion 20. Alternatively, a center of gravity adjustment component, such as a counterweight, can be added to the display device 10 to adjust the center of gravity of the composite consisting of the display device 10 and the center of gravity adjustment component to be further forward than the hinge portion 20.

[0045] Furthermore, the structure that generates rotational torque is not limited to the structure caused by the weight of the display device 10 itself. For example, a torsion coil spring may be provided in the hinge portion 20, and the force generated by the torsion coil spring may generate a rotational torque for pressing the display device 10 against the user's face 51.

[0046] The second structure is based on the first structure that generates rotational torque, and utilizes the buffer 15 to suppress external light incidence regardless of the shape of the user's face 51. (See below for reference.) Figure 7 , Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C The second structure that suppresses external light incidence through buffer 15 will be described.

[0047] Lenses 12La and 12Ra, which guide display light to the user's eyes, are disposed in the opposing portion 11a of the main body 11. Therefore, the buffer 15 is not present in the portion of lenses 12La and 12Ra. As described above, the buffer 15 is provided around lenses 12La and 12Ra, specifically at the periphery of the opposing portion 11a. Furthermore, the buffer 15 has the functions of reducing pressure on the face 51 and suppressing external light incidence.

[0048] In this embodiment, the buffer member 15 includes an upper buffer portion 15a located on the upper periphery of the opposing portion 11a and a lower buffer portion 15b located below the upper buffer portion 15a. Comparing the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b, their elastic modulus and thickness are different. The reason for the difference in elastic modulus and thickness between the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b is as follows.

[0049] The display device 10 is connected to the headband 30 via a hinge portion 20. The rotation center of the display device 10 is the hinge portion 20, specifically the rotation axis of the hinge portion 20. When the display device 10 generates a rotational torque, the amount of movement of the upper part of the display device 10 closer to the hinge portion 20 decreases, while the amount of movement of the lower part of the display device 10 farther from the hinge portion 20 increases.

[0050] For example, in the display device 10, the elastic modulus and thickness of the upper buffer are the same as those of the lower buffer. When the display device 10 is pressed against the user's face 51, if the upper buffer contacts the user's forehead first, the force exerted on the upper buffer from the forehead will hinder the rotation of the display device 10. Therefore, the lower buffer does not contact the user's cheek, or even if it does, the contact is weak. Therefore, there is a possibility that external light may penetrate through the gap between the lower buffer and the face 51.

[0051] Therefore, in the head-mounted display 1 according to this embodiment, the elastic modulus and thickness of the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b are different. Specifically, the thickness of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be greater than the thickness of the upper buffer portion 15a. Furthermore, the elastic modulus of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be the same as or smaller than the elastic modulus of the upper buffer portion 15a.

[0052] Here, the upper buffer portion 15a is located at the upper periphery of the opposing portion 11a, and becomes the part that mainly contacts the forehead of the user's face 51. On the other hand, the lower buffer portion 15b is located at the lower periphery of the opposing portion 11a, and becomes the part that mainly contacts the cheek of the user's face 51. Specifically, the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b can be defined based on the lenses 12La and 12Ra that guide the display light to the user's eyes.

[0053] like Figure 8A As shown, a boundary line L1 is defined with reference to the optical center of the lenses 12La and 12Ra that guide the display light to the user's eye. A buffer 15 located above the boundary line L1 is designated as an upper buffer 15a, and a buffer 15 located below the boundary line L1 is designated as a lower buffer 15b.

[0054] In addition, such as Figure 8B As shown, a boundary line L2 is defined above lenses 12La and 12Ra, and a boundary line L3 is defined below lenses 12La and 12Ra. Alternatively, the buffer 15 located above the boundary line L2 can be designated as an upper buffer 15a, and the buffer 15 located below the boundary line L3 can be designated as a lower buffer 15b.

[0055] In addition, such as Figure 8C As shown, a boundary line L2 is defined above lenses 12La and 12Ra. Furthermore, the buffer 15 located above the boundary line L2 can be designated as an upper buffer 15a, and the buffer 15 located below the boundary line L2 can be designated as a lower buffer 15b.

[0056] Thus, the division between the upper buffer section 15a and the lower buffer section 15b is determined by taking into account the shape of the main body 11 of the device and the average face shape derived statistically.

[0057] The elastic moduli of the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b can be the same, but as described above, when the elastic moduli of the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b are different, the amount of flattening of the buffer member 15 can be made more actively different on the upper and lower sides of the display device 10. That is, when the same force is applied, the amount of flattening of the lower buffer portion 15b is greater than that of the upper buffer portion 15a.

[0058] exist Figure 9A In the diagram, "PF" is a line schematically indicating the position of the user's face 51. When the display device 10 is pressed against the user's face 51, the user rotates the display device 10 downwards, i.e., counterclockwise, around the hinge 20.

[0059] For example, such as Figure 9B As shown, assume a face shape where the forehead position PF1 is further forward than the cheek position PF2. The distance Δb1 between the opposing portion 11a and the cheek position PF2 is longer than the distance Δa1 between the opposing portion 11a and the forehead position PF1. As described above, the thickness of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be greater than the thickness of the upper buffer portion 15a. Therefore, even when the upper buffer portion 15a is in contact with the user's forehead, the thickness of the lower buffer portion 15b can satisfy the distance Δb1 between the opposing portion 11a and the cheek position PF2. This suppresses the gap between the lower buffer portion 15b and the cheek, thus preventing external light intrusion.

[0060] On the other hand, such as Figure 9C As shown, assume a face shape where the cheek position PF2 is further forward than the forehead position PF1. The distance Δb2 between the opposing portion 11a and the cheek position PF2 is shorter than the distance Δa1 between the opposing portion 11a and the forehead position PF1. As described above, the elastic modulus of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be the same as or smaller than the elastic modulus of the upper buffer portion 15a. Therefore, when the lower buffer portion 15b is subjected to force from the cheek, it can be flattened according to the distance Δb2 between the opposing portion 11a and the cheek position PF2. When the elastic modulus of the lower buffer portion 15b is greater than that of the upper buffer portion 15a, the lower buffer portion 15b is not easily flattened, thus hindering the rotation of the display device 10. Therefore, a gap may be generated between the upper buffer portion 15a and the forehead. On the other hand, by appropriately flattening the lower buffer portion 15b, even when the lower buffer portion 15b is in contact with the cheek, the display device 10 can rotate until the upper buffer portion 15a reaches the forehead. This suppresses the gap between the upper buffer portion 15a and the forehead, preventing external light from entering.

[0061] Furthermore, in the structure where the display device 10 rotates around the hinge portion 20, even if the movement of the upper part of the device body 11 is small, the movement of the lower part of the device body 11 becomes large. Regarding this, in the buffer member 15 of this embodiment, the upper buffer portion 15a has a large elastic modulus, and the amount of flattening of the upper buffer portion 15a is suppressed. Therefore, even if the upper buffer portion 15a is flattened, the amount of flattening is small. Thus, the movement of the lower part of the device body 11 can be suppressed. Therefore, within the thickness range set for the lower buffer portion 15b, the gap between the opposing portion 11a and the cheek can be appropriately filled.

[0062] Thus, according to the head-mounted display 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be greater than the thickness of the upper buffer portion 15a. Furthermore, the elastic modulus of the lower buffer portion 15b is set to be the same as, or smaller than, the elastic modulus of the upper buffer portion 15a. This suppresses the influence of external light, thereby improving display image quality.

[0063] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper buffer portion 15a is located above the left and right lenses 12La and 12Ra provided on the main body 11 of the device. This appropriately reduces pressure on the user's forehead and cheeks and suppresses the influence of external light.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the center of gravity Gr of the display device 10 is located forward and downward of the hinge portion 20. This allows for the appropriate generation of a rotational torque to press the display device 10 against the user's face 51.

[0065] In the head-mounted display 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable to have different elastic moduli and thicknesses in the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b. This suppresses the influence of external light, thereby improving display quality. However, it is also possible to have the same elastic modulus in the upper buffer portion 15a and the lower buffer portion 15b, differing only in their thicknesses.

[0066] The embodiments described above are not limited to the structures described above, and may be variations made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0067] The disclosure of this application is related to the subject matter described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-145866, filed on August 31, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display, comprising: Headband, worn on the user's head; A hinge portion is provided on the headband; as well as The display device is rotatably connected to the headband via the hinge and rests against the user's face in a manner that covers the user's eyes. The display device has: The main body of the device has a rotational torque acting on the hinge portion in the direction toward the user's face; A buffer is disposed at the periphery of the opposing portion in the main body of the device, which faces the user's face, and abuts against the user's face; as well as Center of gravity adjustment component, adjust the center of gravity. The buffer includes: The upper buffer section is located on the upper part of the periphery of the opposing section; as well as The lower buffer section is located below the upper buffer section. The thickness of the lower buffer section is greater than the thickness of the upper buffer section. The center of gravity adjustment component adjusts the center of gravity of the composite consisting of the display device and the center of gravity adjustment component to be forward of the hinge portion.

2. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic modulus of the lower buffer portion is the same as or less than that of the upper buffer portion.

3. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein, The upper buffer section is located above the left and right lenses facing the user's eyes.

4. The head-mounted display according to claim 2, wherein, The upper buffer section is located above the left and right lenses facing the user's eyes.

5. The head-mounted display according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The center of gravity of the display device is located in front of and below the hinge portion.

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