Information display terminal and head-mounted display

Abstract

This information display terminal is wearable by a user and reproduces a virtual reality content. The information display terminal comprises a distance measurement sensor, a camera, a display, a communication interface, and a processor. The distance measurement sensor detects a distance from an obstacle. When detecting from an image acquired by the camera that the obstacle is a person, the processor switches between transmission and non-transmission of first information, which is for avoiding interference between the user and the person, from the communication interface to an information terminal owned by the person on the basis of the distance detected by the distance measurement sensor.

Description

Information display terminal and head-mounted display

[0001] The present invention relates to an information display terminal and a head-mounted display, and in particular to an information display terminal equipped with means for preventing contact between an information display terminal user (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the user) who is wearing the information display terminal and viewing virtual reality (VR) content unfolding in a virtual space and persons other than the user (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an outside person).

[0002] Information display terminals are used to view VR content, such as games, that unfold in a virtual space. Users wear the information display terminal on their heads to limit their field of view of the real world and concentrate on the VR content. Typical wearable information terminals include head-mounted displays (also referred to as HMDs), wearable devices such as smartphone-mounted VR goggles, and implantable devices such as eye-mounted contact lens displays.

[0003] Generally, when a user wears an information display terminal and experiences VR content, the user may move slowly or vigorously in accordance with the VR content. If there is a real object (furniture, wall, etc.) in the real space, the user may collide with the object depending on the user's movements, forcing the user to interrupt the viewing of the VR content. Furthermore, there is a problem that the user may not notice an outside person approaching and may come into contact with the outside person, causing injury or the like. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose solutions to these problems.

[0004] Patent document 1 sets up a play area where a user can experience VR content, and when the user approaches the boundary of the play area or leaves the play area, the VR content is switched or interrupted, encouraging the user to avoid colliding with real objects.

[0005] The HMD in Patent Document 2 detects obstacles such as external people, measures the distance to the obstacle, and when the distance to the obstacle becomes close, superimposes a virtual object of the obstacle onto the VR content and displays it to warn the user.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-119031

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-257716

[0008] However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a user is viewing VR content, virtual objects unrelated to the VR content are displayed or the VR content is interrupted, which leaves a problem that the user's viewing of the VR content is hindered. Also, since the play area of ​​the VR content cannot be seen by people other than the user, there is a possibility that they may unintentionally enter the play area and come into contact with the user.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to prevent a user from losing their sense of immersion in VR content while preventing interference with people other than the user.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the configuration described in the claims. As an example, the present invention provides an information display terminal wearable by a user and configured to play virtual reality content, the information display terminal comprising a ranging sensor, a camera, a display, a communication interface, and a processor, wherein the ranging sensor detects a distance to an obstacle, and when the processor detects from an image acquired by the camera that the obstacle is a person, the processor switches whether or not to transmit first information for avoiding interference between the user and the person from the communication interface to an information terminal carried by the person, based on the distance detected by the ranging sensor.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a user from losing a sense of immersion in VR content while suppressing interference with people other than the user. Note that objects, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified in the following embodiments.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an overhead view of the relationship between an HMD user and an external person in a first embodiment. A functional block diagram of an HMD. An external view of a fully immersive HMD. An external view of a glasses-type HMD. A functional block diagram of a smartphone as an example of an information terminal. A schematic diagram of a smartphone holder. A flowchart showing an approach transmission program transmitting approach information such as approach alert information to an external person. A smartphone display screen corresponding to two-stage approach information. A smartphone display screen corresponding to two-stage approach information. A flowchart showing an approach transmission program transmitting multi-stage approach information. A smartphone display screen corresponding to multi-stage approach information. A smartphone display screen corresponding to multi-stage approach information. A smartphone display screen corresponding to multi-stage approach information. A flowchart showing an approach transmission program transmitting approach information taking into account the movement of a user, etc. A flowchart showing an approach transmission in response to a request from an external person. A smartphone display screen using a surrounding map as approach information. A smartphone display screen using a surrounding map as approach information. A diagram showing an overhead view of the relationship between a user corresponding to a play area and an external person in a second embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing an approach transmission program transmitting approach information to an external person corresponding to a play area. 18A is a diagram showing the relationship between a user and an external person corresponding to a divided play area. An overhead view showing an example of classifying play areas using a user's movement history. An overhead view showing an example of classifying play areas using a user's movement prediction. A flowchart for transmitting approach information corresponding to a divided play area. A flowchart showing an example of transmitting play area information in response to a request from an external person in FIG. 18A. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area. A smartphone display screen showing approach information based on a surrounding map corresponding to a divided play area.A smartphone display screen showing approach information on a map of the surrounding area divided into sections corresponding to play areas.A smartphone display screen showing approach information on a map of the surrounding area divided into sections corresponding to play areas.

[0013] The information display terminal and information display method according to the present embodiment aim to maintain the immersive feeling of the VR viewer during VR viewing and to prevent persons other than the VR viewer from interfering with the VR viewer. Therefore, since the present invention can increase the commercial value of an information processing device to which the present invention is applied, it is expected to contribute to 8.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations (increasing economic productivity through diversification, technological improvement, and innovation, particularly in industries that increase the value of goods and services and labor-intensive industries).

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, an example will be described in which an HMD is used as a head-mounted display terminal, but as mentioned above, this may also be replaced with smartphone-mounted VR goggles or an eye-mounted contact lens-type display.

[0015] [First embodiment] A first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 12. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an HMD 1 according to this embodiment, which is applicable to the second embodiment and subsequent embodiments in addition to the first embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a bird's-eye view showing the relationship between a user of an HMD and an external person in the first embodiment.

[0017] 1 shows a state in which a user 2 is wearing an HMD 1 and an outside person 3 is positioned near the user 2 and holding a portable information terminal 4. The "external person" here means a person other than the user.

[0018] The information terminal 4 may be any information terminal that can receive approach warning information from the HMD 1 and notify the outside person 3, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a smartwatch, or a wearable terminal such as an eyeglass-type terminal capable of displaying AR (Augmented Reality). The approach warning information makes the outside person 3 aware that the user 2 is viewing VR content and encourages them to move carefully.

[0019] The HMD 1 receives VR content delivered from a VR service server 7 via an access point 5 and a network 6, and displays the VR content. The network 6 may be the Internet, an intranet, or an external device such as a PC connected via direct communication (which may be an on-premise home server). As an alternative to displaying VR content on the HMD 1, VR content stored on the HMD 1 may be displayed.

[0020] A desk lamp 8 and a sofa 9 are installed in the room where the user 2 and the external person 3 are present. The desk lamp 8 and the sofa 9 are examples of fixed obstacles that are real objects, but other objects may also be used. These real objects are obstacles that the user 2 must avoid coming into contact with as he or she moves while viewing the VR content.

[0021] The external person 3 is also an obstacle that the user 2 must avoid contacting. The movement of the external person 3 as well as the movement of the user 2 reduces the mutual distance. Furthermore, contact with the external person 3 may cause injury not only to the user but also to the other person, so avoidance is very important.

[0022] Therefore, in this embodiment, an approach warning area 30 with a radius R1 is set around the user 2 of the HMD 1, and a danger warning area 31 with a radius R2 (R2<R1) is set inside the approach warning area 30. For example, the approach warning area 30 extends to the vicinity of obstacles such as the desk lamp 8 and sofa 9, and the danger warning area 31 is set inside the approach warning area 30 and has a radius R2 centered on the user. The approach warning area 30 and the danger warning area 31 may move in conjunction with the movement of the user 2, or, once set, may remain unchanged regardless of the movement of the user 2 until the approach warning area 30 and the danger warning area 31 are released. When the user 2 approaches an obstacle, i.e., when an obstacle is detected within the danger warning area 31, the VR viewing program 112b superimposes an image of a virtual object displaying a contact warning on the image of the virtual reality content or pauses viewing of the VR content, thereby urging the user 2 to avoid contact.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by notifying the information terminal 4 used by the outsider 3 of the setting information for the approach warning area 30, the outsider 3 is notified of the existence of the approach warning area 30 and the danger warning area 31, which are not actually visible, and the outsider 3 is deterred from entering the approach warning area 30 and the danger warning area 31. This is expected to prevent the outsider 3 and user 2 from getting too close, which would interfere with user 2's VR viewing and reduce the sense of immersion, and also to prevent interference between the outsider 3 and user 2 in advance.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the HMD 1.

[0025] The HMD 1 includes a processor 101, a storage device 110, an input interface (abbreviated as "I / F" in the drawing) 120, a video input / output device 130, an audio input / output device 140, a sensor group 150, a communication interface 160, an expansion interface 171, and a timer 172, which are connected to one another by a bus 102. The bus 102 forms a path for sending and receiving commands and data.

[0026] The processor 101 includes a CPU and the like.

[0027] The storage device 110 includes a volatile memory 111 and a non-volatile memory 112 .

[0028] The volatile memory 111 is composed of a RAM or the like.

[0029] The non-volatile memory 112 is made up of a non-volatile storage medium such as a ROM, flash ROM, or SSD, and stores a basic operation program (abbreviated as "PRG" in the figure) 112a, a VR viewing program 112b, and an approach transmission program 112c. The processor 101 loads the basic operation program 112a, the VR viewing program 112b, and the approach transmission program 112c into the volatile memory 111 and executes them.

[0030] The basic operation program 112a is a program that controls the operation of the HMD 1. The VR viewing program 112b is a program that receives VR content distribution using Internet communication and allows the user to view the VR content. Furthermore, the proximity transmission program 112c is a program that transmits proximity information to an outside person using near-field communication.

[0031] When an outsider 3 enters the approach warning area 30, the approach warning program 112c transmits approach warning information to the information terminal 4 carried by the outsider 3, thereby alerting the outsider 3.

[0032] The input interface 120 includes button switches 121 such as a power button and a volume button.

[0033] The video input / output device 130 includes a display 131 , an image processing signal unit 132 , and an outer camera 133 .

[0034] The display 131 is a non-transmissive display.

[0035] The image processing signal unit 132 performs image analysis processing, including extraction of image features and object recognition processing, on the image data acquired from the outer camera 133. In this embodiment, object recognition processing is performed, particularly to determine whether the subject is a person. The image processing signal unit 132 is configured using, for example, a dedicated image processing circuit (LSI) or an image (video) signal processor.

[0036] The outer camera 133 is a camera for capturing images of the surroundings. The outer camera 133 may be equipped with an infrared camera or infrared light illumination to improve infrared light sensitivity, taking into account the need to capture images in dark areas.

[0037] The audio input / output device 140 includes a speaker 141 , an audio signal processing unit 142 , and a microphone 143 .

[0038] The audio signal processing unit 142 is configured using, for example, an audio signal processor.

[0039] The sensor group 150 senses the movement of the user, i.e., the movement of the HMD 1, i.e., the forward / backward and left / right movement of the head of the user wearing the HMD 1, the rotational movement accompanying a change in the direction of the line of sight, and the acceleration. The sensor group 150 includes, for example, a positioning sensor 151, a geomagnetic sensor 152, a distance measurement sensor 153, an acceleration sensor 154, and a gyro sensor 155.

[0040] The positioning sensor 151 may be, for example, a GPS sensor.

[0041] If the outer camera 133 is a stereo camera, the distance measurement sensor 153 may be configured as a sensor that measures distance using the parallax of the stereo camera. Furthermore, in order to improve detection accuracy, the distance measurement sensor 153 may perform three-dimensional measurement of the real space using Lidar or the like, and detect obstacles or external people in the real space by using the measured three-dimensional distance information in combination with images captured by the camera. Alternatively, the distance measurement sensor 153 may perform three-dimensional measurement of the real space, and perform image analysis of time-varying information of the measured three-dimensional distance information, thereby detecting external people in the real space.

[0042] The communication interface 160 has multiple communication protocols, such as Internet communication, infrared communication, near field communication, and telephone network communication, and uses them depending on the purpose. For example, the communication interface 160 includes a LAN communication interface 161, a near field communication interface 162, and a telephone network communication interface 163.

[0043] When a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) interface is used as the LAN communication interface 161, the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) wireless signal may be used not only for wireless communication processing but also for Wi-Fi sensing processing. For example, a Wi-Fi sensing processor may be further provided, and the Wi-Fi sensing processor may perform position detection processing, posture detection processing, and ranging processing of a user or an obstacle based on the strength and interference distribution of the Wi-Fi signal. In this way, the function of the ranging sensor 153 may be realized by the LAN communication interface 161 having Wi-Fi certified location or Wi-Fi sensing functions.

[0044] The short-range wireless communication interface 162 may be an interface conforming to the standards of, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), IrDA (Infrared Data Association, registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or HomeRF (Home Radio Frequency, registered trademark). The telephone network communication interface 163 may be an interface conforming to a long-range wireless communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution, registered trademark), LTE-Advanced, Mobile WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, registered trademark), or WiMAX2, or a fourth-generation mobile communication standard (4G), or a fifth-generation mobile communication standard (5G).

[0045] The expansion interface 171 is, for example, a USB device connection terminal, and is used for data transmission / reception, charging, and the like.

[0046] The timer 172 is a timer that holds the current time in the real world, and holds the current time such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The timer 172 may be configured as software, or may be configured using an RTC (Real Time Clock).

[0047] When a user wears the HMD 1 and watches VR content using the VR viewing program 112b, the outer camera 133 captures the external real space around the user of the HMD 1. The outer camera 133 may include multiple cameras, or may be a 360-degree camera that captures the 360-degree surroundings of the HMD 1.

[0048] The processor 101 detects real objects such as obstacles and external people from images captured by the outer camera 133. By using a camera and infrared lighting that are compatible with not only the visible light range but also infrared light, it is possible to detect surrounding obstacles and external people even when the room is not sufficiently lit or in an environment where no lighting is on. The distance measurement sensor 153 obtains the distance to the detected real object. Alternatively, the real object may be detected by analyzing three-dimensional distance information from the distance measurement sensor, or the distance to the real object may be obtained from images captured by multiple cameras. Alternatively, these multiple methods may be combined.

[0049] The display 131 displays images of the VR content, the speaker 141 outputs the sound of the VR content, and the microphone 143 captures the user's voice as needed.

[0050] Note that the calculations of the processor 101 may be performed in part or in whole by a server on the Internet via the communication interface 160, or by a personal computer connected via, for example, Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark).

[0051] Fig. 3A is an external view of a fully immersive HMD 1. The HMD 1 in Fig. 3A is an HMD that implements the functions of the HMD 1 shown in Fig. 2.

[0052] The HMD 1 is equipped with an outer camera 133 and a distance measurement sensor 153 at its front. Furthermore, the HMD 1 is equipped with a right display 131R and a left display 131L, each consisting of a thin lens and a display, at its front, and displays an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye on each display, thereby providing a three-dimensional display. The right display 131R and the left display 131L are components of the display 131 in FIG. 2.

[0053] In addition, a microphone 143, a sensor group 150, and a line-of-sight detection sensor 156 are arranged between the right display 131R and the left display 131L.

[0054] The HMD 1 further includes a wearing housing 191 for wearing the HMD 1 on the user's head. A control device 192 is provided at the rear of the wearing housing 191. A left speaker 141L and a right speaker 141R are provided on the left and right sides of the wearing housing 191. The left speaker 141L and the right speaker 141R are components of the speaker 141 in FIG. 2 .

[0055] The wearable housing 191 supports the right display 131R and the left display 131L. As a result, when the wearable housing 191 is worn on the user's head, the right display 131R and the left display 131L are located in front of the user's eyes. In addition to the configuration described above, the display 131 may also include a display device made up of a flat display and a thin lens, and alternately display images for the left eye and the right eye, with a shutter allowing the images to be viewed by only the corresponding eye, thereby providing a three-dimensional display.

[0056] FIG. 3B is an external view of the eyeglass-type HMD 1a.

[0057] The eyeglass-type HMD 1a includes a front outer camera 133F, a right outer camera 133R, and a left outer camera 133L as outer cameras 133 at the front of an eyeglass-type frame 193, and a distance measurement sensor 153. Furthermore, the HMD 1a includes a right display 131R and a left display 131L as displays 131 at the front.

[0058] The frame 193 also includes a microphone 143 and a left speaker 141L on the left side thereof, and a right speaker 141R, a sensor group 150, a communication interface 160, and a control device 192 on the right side thereof. The control device 192 is a device that implements the processor 101, the storage device 110, the input interface 120, the expansion interface 171, and the timer 172. Although not shown in FIG. 3B , the frame 193 also includes a line-of-sight detection sensor 156 on the front inner surface thereof.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a smartphone 10 as an example of the information terminal 4.

[0060] The smartphone 10 includes a processor 201, a storage device 210, an input interface 220, a video input / output device 230, an audio input / output device 240, a sensor group 250, a communication interface 260, an expansion interface 271, and a timer 272, which are connected to one another by a bus 202. Duplicate descriptions of the same components as those in FIG. 2 will be omitted, and only different components will be described.

[0061] The storage device 210 includes a volatile memory 211 and a nonvolatile memory 212. The nonvolatile memory 212 stores a basic operation program 212a, a VR viewing program 212b, and a proximity transmission program 212c for controlling basic operations of the smartphone 10. The VR viewing program 212b and the proximity transmission program 212c realize functions similar to those of the VR viewing program 112b and the proximity transmission program 112c shown in Fig. 2, and therefore, the VR viewing program 112b and the proximity transmission program 112c will be described below.

[0062] The smartphone 10 includes, as the input interface 220, a button switch 221 and a touch sensor 222 stacked on a display 231. Alternatively, the touch sensor 222 may be provided on the rear side opposite the display, or a display incorporating the touch sensor 222 may also be provided on the rear side. In addition, the smartphone 10 includes an in-camera 234 instead of the gaze detection sensor 156, and executes gaze detection processing based on an image of the eyes of the user 2 captured by the in-camera 234.

[0063] The video input / output device 230 includes a display 231, an image processing signal unit 232, an outer camera 233, and an inner camera 234 that can also serve as the gaze detection sensor 256, and performs gaze detection processing based on the image of the user 2's eyes captured by the inner camera 234.

[0064] The audio input / output device 240 includes a speaker 241 , an audio signal processing unit 242 , and a microphone 243 .

[0065] The sensor group 250 includes a position measurement sensor 251 , a geomagnetic sensor 252 , a distance measurement sensor 253 , an acceleration sensor 254 , and a gyro sensor 255 .

[0066] The communication interface 260 includes a wireless communication interface 261, a short-range wireless communication interface 262, and a telephone network communication interface 263. The telephone network communication interface 263 may be an interface conforming to a long-range wireless communication standard such as the LTE (Long Term Evolution, registered trademark) system, the LTE-Advanced system, the mobile WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, registered trademark) system, or the WiMAX2 system, or a fourth-generation mobile communication standard (4G) or a fifth-generation mobile communication standard (5G).

[0067] The above examples of head-mounted display terminals include HMDs 1 and 1a, but the smartphone 10 may also be used as a head-mounted display terminal in the same way as an HMD by using a smartphone holder that holds the smartphone 10 in front of the eyes of the user 2.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a smartphone holder.

[0069] The smartphone holder 20 shown in FIG. 5 includes an eyeglass-shaped holder main body 21 and a smartphone storage section 22 provided at the front of the holder main body 21. The smartphone 10 is inserted with the display 231 facing the face of the user 2. By wearing the smartphone holder 20 storing the smartphone 10 on the head of the user 2, the smartphone 10 can be used in place of an HMD. Furthermore, when the smartphone holder 20 stores the smartphone 10, the smartphone holder 20 may replace some of the functions of the smartphone 10. Note that the holder main body 21 may include an external terminal 23 that connects to an expansion interface 271 of the stored smartphone 10. This allows the smartphone 10 to be charged or connected to an external device via a wired connection while stored in the smartphone holder 20.

[0070] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing how the approach transmission program 112c transmits approach information such as approach alert information to the outsider 3.

[0071] Processing by the approach notification program 112c begins in S10. The system may be set to automatically start S10, or the user may set whether or not to run the approach notification program 112c. By turning off the approach notification program 112c when it is clear that an outsider is not approaching, the processing load on the processor can be reduced, and power consumption can be reduced. Furthermore, even when the approach notification program 112c is turned off, the program may be set to automatically start when an outsider enters a pre-set area such as an approach alert area or a danger warning area.

[0072] In S11, the processor 101 executing the approach notification program 112c detects the presence of an obstacle in the camera image captured by the outer camera 133, or receives a notification of the presence of an obstacle. If there is no obstacle (S11: NO), the process proceeds to S22, which will be described later. If there is an obstacle (S11: YES), the distance R to the obstacle is acquired in S12.

[0073] In S13, the processor 101 checks whether the obstacle is an external person. Whether the sensed obstacle is a person may be determined by image recognition from a camera image, or may be combined with infrared information from a human presence sensor or the like. Furthermore, information determining whether the obstacle is a person may be received from outside the HMD 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0074] If the person is an external person (S13: YES), in S14, a Beacom signal is transmitted from the HMD 1. The Beacom signal may be transmitted using proximity communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0075] In S15, the processor 101 checks for a response to the Beacom signal from the information terminal 4, and if there is a response (S15: YES), in S16 it checks whether the distance R is smaller than a first criterion R1. The first criterion R1 corresponds to the distance from the user for setting the boundary of the approach warning area.

[0076] If the distance R is equal to or greater than the first criterion R1 (S16: NO), the outsider is outside the approach warning area, so the process proceeds to S22 without transmitting approach warning information.

[0077] If the distance R is smaller than the first criterion R1 (S16: YES), the processor 101 further compares the distance R with a second criterion R2 (R1>R2) in S17. The second criterion R2 corresponds to the distance from the user for setting the boundary of the danger warning area.

[0078] If the comparison result in S17 shows that the distance R is greater than the second criterion R2 (S17: YES), the outsider 3 is carrying an information terminal 4 and responding to the Beacom signal, and the outsider 3 is in an area within the approach warning area but outside the danger warning area, so in S19 the processor 101 transmits approach warning information to the outsider's information terminal 4. Then, the process proceeds to S22.

[0079] Furthermore, if the comparison result in S17 indicates that the distance R is equal to or less than the second criterion R2 (S17: NO), this means that the outsider is carrying an information terminal 4, has responded to the Beacom signal, and is in an area within the danger warning area. Therefore, in S21, the processor 101 transmits danger warning information to the outsider's information terminal 4 using stronger wording than the approach alert information. The danger warning information may be used to notify the outsider of danger by using emphasized expressions such as enlarging the font of the text, blinking the text, or displaying a video. Alternatively, a combination of sound and vibration may be used. Then, the process proceeds to S20.

[0080] On the other hand, if the processor 101 determines in S13 that the obstacle is not a person (S13: NO), or if the outside person is not carrying a smartphone (S15: NO), the processor 101 compares the distance R with the second criterion R2 in S18.

[0081] If the distance R is equal to or less than the second criterion R2 (S18: NO), the obstacle is within the danger warning area, and so in S20, the processor 101 transmits danger warning information to the VR viewing program 112b (S20), prompting the user of the HMD 1 to display a collision avoidance warning or to interrupt the VR content. To notify the user of the danger, the display content may be switched from the VR content to an external world image in part or all of the display area. Then, the process proceeds to S22.

[0082] In another example, if the outsider is not carrying a smartphone (S15: NO), the approach information displayed on the smartphone as shown in FIG. 7B below may be displayed full-screen on a television in the same space, or the display screen of the television being watched may be divided and the approach information displayed in a partial area of ​​the screen. Furthermore, the approach information may be displayed translucently on the television screen being watched, or as a PinP (Picture in Picture) on the television screen. If the television is turned off, the television may be turned on using infrared communication from the HMD 1 or a smart speaker. Alternatively, a warning may be given by voice from the television or smart speaker.

[0083] In S18, if the distance R is greater than the second criterion R2 (S18: YES), the obstacle is outside the danger warning area, and the process proceeds to S22 without issuing danger warning information.

[0084] In S22, the processor 101 checks the termination condition of the approach transmission program 112c, and if the termination condition is not met (S22: NO), the processor 101 returns to before S11 and waits for the detection of an obstacle.

[0085] In S22, if the conditions for terminating the approach transmission program 112c are met (S22: YES), the program is terminated in S23.

[0086] 7A and 7B show display screens of a smartphone that support two-stage approach information.

[0087] 7A is an example of a screen displayed on the information terminal 4 in an approach alert area (first criterion R1>R>second criterion R2) as a result of an outside person entering the approach alert area. The display screen 35 includes, as an example, a date display 36, a clock display 37, application icons 38, a search window 39, and an approach alert notification 40. The display screen 35 is a so-called home screen, and is in a state before any application is launched by selecting one of the application icons 38.

[0088] At this time, when the information terminal 4 receives the approach alert information, it uses the notification function of the basic operation program 212a to display the approach alert notification 40. The notification function of the basic operation program 212a may be accessed via a dedicated app that is installed in the information terminal 4, or the function of an existing app such as LINE Beacon® from LINE Corporation may be used. For example, Apple's iBeacon® or Google's Eddystone® can be used as the notification function of the basic operation program 212a. Furthermore, the approach alert information may be displayed by a message as shown in the figure, or by an audio alert, a vibration, or a combination of these.

[0089] The display screen 35 in FIG. 7B is an example of a screen displayed on the information terminal 4 in the danger warning area (R≦second criterion R2) as a result of an outsider approaching the user 2 of the HMD 1 beyond the approach warning area and entering the danger warning area. When the information terminal 4 receives the danger warning information, it displays a danger warning notice 41 using the strongest wording on the display screen 35. The text may be displayed with a different font size, bolded, or in a different color (e.g., red). In the method using the alert sound or vibration as described above, the size, frequency, and interval may be changed. A snooze function may also be provided.

[0090] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing how the approach transmission program 112c transmits multi-stage approach information. In the flowchart of Figure 8, steps having the same functions as those in the flowchart explained in Figure 6 are given the same numbers, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In the flowchart of Figure 8, a third criterion R3 is set, where R1 > R3 > R2.

[0091] After determining that the distance R from the HMD 1 to the external person satisfies R1>R>R2 (S17: YES), the processor 101 further compares the distance R with a third criterion R3 in S25. If the distance R satisfies R1>R≧R3 (S25: NO), approach alert information is transmitted in S19, and if the distance R satisfies R3>R>R2 (S25: YES), approach warning information is transmitted in S26. The approach warning information is information that provides a stronger warning than the approach alert information, and may, for example, notify the user that there is an increasing possibility of intrusion into a danger warning area.

[0092] By providing the third criterion R3, when an outside person who has entered the approach warning area checks the approach warning information and moves while paying attention to the user 2 of the HMD 1, if they get closer to the user 2 of the HMD 1 and fall further below the third criterion R3, they will receive approach warning information. This makes the outside person aware that they are moving in a direction that is bringing them closer to the user's VR trial area. The flowchart in Figure 8 shows a case where three levels of criteria are set, but more criteria may be set.

[0093] 9A to 9C show the display screen of a smartphone that corresponds to multi-level approach information. The same elements as those in the approach information display screen shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B are assigned the same numbers, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0094] FIG. 9A shows a case where the distance R is R1>R>R3, and the display screen 35 is the same as that in FIG. 7A, with an approach alert notice 40 displayed as approach information.

[0095] FIG. 9B shows a case where the distances R are R3>R>R2, and an approach warning notice 42 is displayed on the display screen 35.

[0096] Figure 9C shows the case where distance R is R2 > R, and the display screen 35 is the same as Figure 7B, with a danger warning notification 41 displayed. Compared to Figure 9A, Figures 9B and 9C may display text with a different font size, bold, or color (e.g., red) to indicate that the notification level has been increased. In the above-mentioned methods using alert sounds or vibrations, the size, frequency, and interval may be changed. A snooze function may also be provided.

[0097] Fig. 10 is a flowchart for transmitting approach information taking into consideration the movement of the user, etc. In the flowchart of Fig. 10, steps having the same functions as those in the flowchart described in Fig. 6 are assigned the same numbers, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0098] In the flowchart of FIG. 10, steps S30 and S31 are added to the flowchart of FIG.

[0099] In S30, the processor 101 acquires information D about the user's movements. The information D about the movements may be the degree of the user's movements while watching the VR content live, or the degree of movement obtained from the user's movement history when watching the same VR content in the past. It may also be possible to use movement history information from other users who have watched the same or similar content. The user's movement history may be stored in the HMD itself, but if data stored in an external device such as a VR content service server is used, it is possible to obtain a large amount of user movement history data. The degree of movement may be, for example, the standard deviation value of a frequency map of the amount of movement. Furthermore, the frequency, speed, and acceleration of the user's movements may be used in combination for weighting.

[0100] In S31, the processor 101 multiplies the user's movement information D by a coefficient k, subtracts the result from the distance R, and replaces the distance R, so that the more intense the movement, the more likely the approach alert information is to be transmitted. For example, if the content the user is watching is sports or fighting content, the degree of movement (frequency and amount) will be greater than when watching content such as a concert or movie. In this way, the coefficient k may be calculated from the content information. Alternatively, the coefficient k may be calculated based on the user's presence probability from the user's movement history information. A location with a high presence probability suggests that the user is moving intensively in that location.

[0101] Fig. 11 is a flowchart for transmitting approach information in response to a request from an outside person. In the flowchart of Fig. 11, steps having the same functions as those in the flowchart explained in Fig. 6 are assigned the same numbers, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0102] In the flowchart of FIG. 11, steps S35 and S36 are added to the flowchart of FIG.

[0103] After the HMD 1 receives a response to the Beacom signal and establishes a connection in S15, if the information terminal 4 carried by the outsider requests approach information in S35 (S35: YES), the HMD 1 transmits approach information about the current position of the outsider in S36. The approach information is location information that corresponds to the current distance R between the outsider and the user, such as "In a safe area" if R>R1, or "Approaching the HMD user" if R<R1. The transmitted information may be a text message or map information as described in FIG. 12. A setting screen or the like may be configured to transmit approach information only upon a request from an outsider, without transmitting approach alert information or danger warning information, or the transmission of each information may be independently turned on or off.

[0104] 12A and 12B are display screens of a smartphone that display a surrounding area map as approach information. This can be used as approach information for a request, as explained in the flowchart of FIG. 11, but is not limited to this. It may also be used to issue approach alert information (S19) or danger warning information (S21).

[0105] A map display 45 is displayed across the entire display screen 33 in Fig. 12A. The map display 45 shows the current locations of the user 2 of the HMD 1, real objects such as a sofa or a desk lamp, and an outsider 3, and also shows an approach warning area with a radius R1 and a danger warning area with a radius R2. The outsider 3 can grasp how far away he or she is from the user 2 and the positions of real objects, and can use this information as a reference for his or her own movement. The illustrated map information is drawn with the user 2 at the center, but it may also be map information centered on the outsider 3. Alternatively, it may be map information in a world coordinate system based on a room or the like.

[0106] 12B shows an example in which the approach warning information display and the map display are used together. In this way, the text notification and the map positional relationship may be displayed together. In addition to the message display shown in the figure, the approach warning information may be displayed by using an alert sound or vibration, or by a combination of these.

[0107] As described above, according to the head-mounted display of the first embodiment, when the user 2 is viewing VR content in a place with a lot of people, approach information such as a proximity alert is transmitted to the outside person 3, thereby alerting the outside person 3 and making it possible to reduce the interruption of the user 2's viewing of the VR content and prevent contact between the user 2 and the outside person 3. As a result, when the obstacle is the outside person 3 and the outside person 3 is carrying an information terminal 4 such as a smartphone, by transmitting approach information to the outside person 3, it is possible to provide a wearable information display terminal that reduces the interruption of the user 2's viewing of VR content in a place with a lot of people, such as a living room where family members come and go, and that can prevent contact between the user 2 and the obstacle.

[0108] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is an overhead view of the relationship between users and external persons corresponding to the play area. In Figure 14, elements having the same functions as those in the relationship between users and external persons shown in Figure 3 are assigned the same numbers, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0109] 13 is set as an area where VR content can be viewed, i.e., where viewing of the VR content will not be interrupted, by creating a three-dimensional map of real space from camera images and distance measurement sensor images, and avoiding real objects in the real space such as a desk lamp 8 and a sofa 9. The play area 50 is set after the user has confirmed the map created from the camera images and distance measurement sensor images, and the user may manually change some or all of the area.

[0110] 14 is a flowchart showing how the approach transmission program 112c transmits approach information to an outside person 3 in response to the play area 50. The same steps as those in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 are given the same numbers, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0111] After starting processing in S10, the processor 101 sets the play area 50 in S40 and calculates the position U of the user 2 in S41. In S42, it is determined whether the position U of the user 2 is within the play area 50. If it is within the play area 50 (S42: YES), an obstacle is detected in S11, and the position P and distance R of the obstacle are calculated in S43. The system may be set to automatically start S10, or the user may set whether or not to run the approach transmission program 112c. By turning off the approach transmission program 112c when there is clearly no approaching outsider, the processing load on the processor can be reduced, thereby reducing power consumption. Furthermore, even when the approach transmission program 112c is turned off, it may be set to automatically start when an outsider enters a pre-defined area, such as an approach alert area or a danger warning area.

[0112] In S42, if the position U of the user 2 is outside the play area 50 (S42: NO), in S20, danger warning information is transmitted to the VR viewing program 112b, prompting the user 2 to display a collision avoidance warning or to interrupt the VR content.

[0113] Furthermore, in S44, the positional relationship between the position P of the outsider 3 and the play area 50 is determined. If the position P of the outsider 3 is inside the play area 50 (S44: YES), the process proceeds to comparison with the danger warning area in S17. On the other hand, if the position P of the outsider 3 is outside the play area 50 (S44: NO), the process proceeds to S22.

[0114] 11, if a request is made by an outsider 3 after the processing of S15, information indicating whether the outsider 3 is inside or outside the play area 50 may be transmitted, thereby preventing the outsider 3 from entering the play area 50. That is, in the flowchart of FIG. 14, S35 and S36 of FIG. 11 may be executed between S15 and S44. The subsequent steps from S17 onwards are the same as those of FIG. 6. In this case, a setting screen or the like may be configured to transmit approach information only upon a request from an outsider, without transmitting approach alert information or danger warning information, or the transmission of each may be independently set to ON / OFF.

[0115] In this example, only the danger warning area 31 is provided within the play area 50, but multiple criteria may be set around the user 2 as in the example of FIG.

[0116] As described above, the second embodiment has the same features as the first embodiment, and also has the feature that a play area in which the user is likely to move, which has a size according to the content, can be used to determine the approach of an outside person 3. This allows the outside person 3 to know not only where the user 2 is currently located, but also where the user 2 may move in the future, making it possible to avoid persistent contact.

[0117] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 20. Figure 15 is an overhead view of the relationship between a user 2 and an outside person 3 corresponding to a divided play area 50. In Figure 15, the same elements as in Figure 13 are assigned the same numbers, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0118] The play area 50 shown in FIG. 15 is divided into a mesh pattern by the processor 101. The division method is not limited to a mesh pattern, and may be concentric, radial, or a combination thereof. The processor 101 evaluates the user's movement possibility for each of the divided small areas and classifies them into a level 2 area P2, a level 3 area P3, and a level 4 area P4 in order of decreasing movement possibility. The processor 101 then classifies the play area 50, excluding the level 2 to level 4 areas, into a level 1 area P1, which is a highly secure area.

[0119] 16 is a bird's-eye view showing an example of classification of play areas using user movement history. A space is divided into a mesh-like structure, and the user's movement possibility in each section is evaluated and classified into levels.

[0120] (a) shows the current location of the user, and (b) shows an example in which the movement history of user 2 is added linearly. As the movement history of user 2, either the movement history when watching VR content live or the movement history when watching the same VR content in the past, or both, may be used. Furthermore, the movement history of other users who watched the same VR content may be referenced.

[0121] 10C shows an example of evaluating the possibility of movement of user 2 at the current location based on 10A. The area separated forward and to the left and right of user 2 at the current location is evaluated as having a high possibility of movement, and the surrounding area is evaluated as having a medium possibility of movement.

[0122] (d) shows an example of risk assessment based on (b) using movement history. The movement frequency for each area is assessed based on past movement history, and areas with high movement frequency are assessed as having a medium movement possibility, while areas with low movement frequency are assessed as having a low movement possibility.

[0123] (e) shows an example in which the evaluation results of (c) and (d) are displayed together. The partial areas of the play area 50 are classified into level 1 area P1, level 2 area P2, level 3 area P3, and level 4 area P4 in order of decreasing likelihood of approach and movement.

[0124] 17 is a bird's-eye view showing an example of classifying play areas using user movement prediction. A space is divided into a mesh-like structure, and the possibility of user movement in each section is evaluated and classified into levels.

[0125] (a) shows the current location of user 2, and (b) shows an example of user 2's predicted movement at the next time. In example (b), user 2's next action is to take a step forward to the right and rotate 90 degrees to the right. The movement prediction may be performed by evaluating the content of the VR content, and the user may follow the next movement of a virtual object that the user is focusing on. For example, in a role-playing game (RPG), in a scene where a monster appears from user 2's right side, it is predicted that user 2 will turn to the right to face the monster head-on and fight it. In this way, the user's actions are restricted by the content scenario, making it possible to predict the user's next action. Furthermore, the movement prediction may be performed based on information such as the content progress status within the VR content and the type of content (such as exercise-based content or movie viewing content). As described above, the movement history of user 2 or other users while viewing the same content may also be used. Furthermore, sensor information from the HMD may be used for the movement prediction.

[0126] 1C shows an example of evaluating the possibility of movement of user 2 at the current location based on 1A. The possibility of movement is evaluated as high in the areas separated forward and to the left and right of user 2 at the current location, and as low in the surrounding areas.

[0127] (d) shows an example of risk assessment based on (b) from post-movement predictions. The possibility of movement for each area is assessed based on future movement predictions, and areas with high or medium movement possibility are assessed according to the position and orientation of user 2 after movement.

[0128] (e) shows an example in which the evaluation results of (c) and (d) are displayed together. The partial areas of the play area 50 are classified into level 1 area P1, level 2 area P2, level 3 area P3, and level 4 area P4 in order of decreasing likelihood of approach and movement.

[0129] The methods of evaluating the possibility of movement shown in Figures 16 and 17 are shown as examples, and either of Figures 16 and 17 or a combination of these methods may be used. Methods other than those shown in Figures 16 and 17 may also be used, and the possibility of movement may be evaluated based on distance information from the user or the user's direction. Furthermore, the method of dividing the play area 50 may be a method other than that shown in Figure 15 that sets a finer division level, or a division method other than a mesh. The evaluation of the play area 50 is performed sequentially or at regular intervals, and the classification based on the evaluation results of the play area also changes.

[0130] 18A is a flowchart for transmitting approach information corresponding to a divided play area. More specifically, it is a flowchart for the approach transmission program 112c to transmit approach risk information based on the user's movement possibility as information to an outside person 3, corresponding to a divided play area. The same steps as those in the flowchart shown in FIG. 16 are assigned the same numbers, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Approach risk information based on the user's movement possibility is information based on the possibility of approach, even if the user is not necessarily approaching.

[0131] In S42, when the processor 101 confirms that the user 2 is within the play area 50 (S42: YES), the possibility of the user's movement is evaluated for the small areas within the entire play area 50 divided in S45, and in S46, level 2 areas P2 to level 4 areas P4 are set. Areas within the play area 50 that do not fall into any of the level 2 areas P2 to level 4 areas P4 are set as level 1 areas P1.

[0132] In S44, the processor 101 determines that the position P of the outsider 3 is within the play area 50 (S44: YES), and further determines in S48 that the position P of the outsider 3 is outside the level 4 area P4 (S48: YES), and then in S49 the processor 101 determines that the position P of the outsider 3 is within the level 3 area P3 (S49: YES), in S52 a strong approach warning of warning level 2 is transmitted. Then the process proceeds to S22.

[0133] In S49, if the processor 101 determines that the position P of the outside person 3 is outside the level 3 area P3 (S49: NO), and further determines in S50 that the position P of the outside person 3 is within the level 2 area P2 (S50: YES), then in S51, it issues information of warning level 1, which is a weak approach warning. Then, the process proceeds to S22.

[0134] If the processor 101 determines in S50 that the position P of the outside person 3 is not within the level 2 area P2 (S50: NO), it can be determined that the position P of the outside person 3 is within the level 1 area P1, and therefore transmits approach alert information in S19. Then, the process proceeds to S22.

[0135] On the other hand, if the processor 101 determines in S48 that the position P of the outsider 3 is within the level 4 area P4 (S48: NO), then in S21, because the outsider 3 is carrying an information terminal 4 and has responded to the beacon signal, and because the outsider 3 is within the level 4 area P4, danger warning information is transmitted to the information terminal 4 in stronger wording than the approach alert information. The text may be displayed by changing the font size, making it bold, or changing the color (e.g., red). Furthermore, in S20, the danger warning information is transmitted to the VR viewing program 112b, prompting the user to display a collision avoidance warning or to pause the VR content. When the processor 101 confirms in S42 that the user 2 is outside the play area 50 (S42: NO), the danger warning information is also transmitted in S20, as described above.

[0136] If the processor 101 determines in S13 that the obstacle is not a person (S13: NO), or if the processor 101 determines in S15 that no response has been received (S15: NO), the process proceeds to S47.

[0137] If it is determined in S47 that the position P of the obstacle or outside person 3 is within the play area 50 (S47: NO), a warning is sent to the VR viewing program 212b in S20, and the process proceeds to S22. If it is determined in S47 that the position P of the obstacle or outside person 3 is not within the play area 50 (S47: YES), the process proceeds to S22.

[0138] If the processor 101 determines in S11 that there is no obstacle (S11: NO), or if it determines in S44 that the position P of the outside person 3 is not within the play area 50 (S44: NO), proceed to S22.

[0139] FIG. 18B is a flowchart showing an example of transmitting information about the play area 50 in response to a request from an outsider 3 in FIG. 18A.

[0140] Because the play area 50 cannot be seen by the outside person 3, there is a possibility that the outside person 3 may invade the play area 50 unintentionally. Therefore, when the outside person 3 visually recognizes the user 2 of the HMD 1, in S35 the outside person 3 requests information about approach to the play area 50 from the HMD 1, and if the HMD 1 receives the request (S35: YES), in S53 the outside person 3 transmits information about approach to the play area 50 to the information terminal 4 of the outside person 3. On the other hand, if the HMD 1 does not receive the request in S35 (S35: NO), the process proceeds to S22.

[0141] This allows the outsider 3 to confirm whether his or her current position is within the play area 50 before entering the play area 50. In this example, the HMD 1 determines the position of the outsider 3 and then receives a request from the outsider 3, but the position P of the outsider 3 may be determined after receiving a request from the outsider 3. Also, on a setting screen or the like, it may be set so that play area approach information is transmitted only when there is a request from an outsider, and danger warning information, approach alert information, warning level 1 information, and warning level 2 information are not transmitted, or each of these may be set to ON / OFF independently.

[0142] 19A to 19D show smartphone display screens corresponding to approach information corresponding to the divided play areas. Elements that are the same as those in the approach information display screens shown in Figures 9A to 9C are assigned the same numbers, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0143] Figure 19A shows a case where the position P of an outside person 3 is in level 1 area P1, a partial area of ​​the play area 50, and an approach warning notification 55 is displayed, which is a weak expression of approach information, such as ``You are currently in a safe area.''

[0144] FIG. 19B shows a case where the position P of the outside person 3 is in the level 2 area P2, and the approach warning notice 56 with a warning level of 1, such as "Warning level 1," is displayed as the approach information.

[0145] FIG. 19C shows a case where the position P of the outside person 3 is in a level 3 area P3, and an approach warning notice 57 with a warning level of 2, such as "Warning level 2," is displayed as the approach information.

[0146] FIG. 19D shows a case where the position P of the outsider 3 is in a level 4 area P4, and a danger warning notice 41 is displayed.

[0147] Figure 19E shows a case where the position P of the outside person 3 is outside the play area 50, and a play area approach information notification 58 is displayed indicating that the outside person 3 has not entered the play area 50 and there is no danger.

[0148] As described above, the text may be displayed with a different font size, bolded, or in a different color (for example, red), or an alert sound or vibration may be used.

[0149] 20A to 20D are diagrams showing the display screen of a smartphone that displays a map of the surrounding area divided into sections corresponding to the play area as approach information. Although not shown in FIG. 18, it can be used in response to a request from an outsider 3 to confirm whether the outsider 3 is entering the play area 50 or to provide approach information regarding the user 2 of the HMD 1, but is not limited to this. It may also be used to issue danger warning information, approach alert information, warning level 1 information, or warning level 2 information.

[0150] A map display 45 of the room in which the play area 50 is set is displayed across the entire display screen 33 in Fig. 20A. The map display 45 displays the play area 50 described in Fig. 15, the level 1 area P1, the level 2 area P2, the level 3 area P3, the level 4 area P4, the desk lamp 8, the sofa 9, the position U of the user 2, and the position P which is the current location of the outside person 3. The outside person 3 can check his / her own position P and understand which areas are most likely to be approached and moved, and can use this as a reference for his / her movement. As mentioned above, the map information may be centered on the outside person 3.

[0151] 20B shows an example in which the approach alert notification 40 and the map display 45 are used together. In this way, the text notification and the map location relationship may be displayed together. In addition to the message display shown in the figure, the approach alert information may be displayed by using an alert sound or vibration, or by a combination of these.

[0152] 20C shows an example in which the approach alert notification 40 and the map display 45 are used together. In this example, the outsider 3 is outside the play area 50, and it is possible to confirm whether the outsider 3 is entering the play area 50, thereby preventing the outsider 3 from entering the play area 50. Furthermore, by knowing the relative position of the play area 50 in advance, the outsider 3 can take action to prevent contact.

[0153] 20D shows an example in which the division of the area based on the possibility of movement within the play area 50 is not displayed before entering the play area 50. Before entering the play area 50, there is no risk of contact, so it is considered that there is little need to display the possibility of movement within the play area 50. If the play area 50 has not been entered, it is sufficient to simply display the positional relationship of the play area 50.

[0154] As described above, the head-mounted display of the third embodiment has the same features as the first and second embodiments, and is capable of transmitting approach warning information in a step-by-step manner using classified approach movement possibilities within the play area.

[0155] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to these, and it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with another embodiment. It is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. These all belong to the scope of the present invention, and furthermore, the numerical values, messages, etc. appearing in the text and figures are merely examples, and the use of different ones does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0156] For example, any combination of the processes in the flowcharts of Figures 6, 8, and 10 may be executed in parallel, or some of the flowcharts may be omitted.

[0157] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the invention may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing an integrated circuit. They may also be implemented in software by a microprocessor unit, CPU, etc., interpreting and executing an operating program. Furthermore, the scope of software implementation is not limited, and both hardware and software may be used.

[0158] The above embodiments include the following inventions: (Supplementary Note 1) An information display terminal wearable by a user and for reproducing virtual reality content, comprising: a distance measurement sensor; a camera; a display; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the distance measurement sensor detects a distance to an obstacle, and the processor, when detecting that the obstacle is a person from an image acquired by the camera, switches whether or not to transmit first information for avoiding interference between the user and the person from the communication interface to an information terminal carried by the person, based on the distance detected by the distance measurement sensor.

[0159] (Appendix 2) A head-mounted display comprising: a process for setting a play area in which virtual reality content can be viewed; a process for allowing a user to view the virtual reality content; and a process for detecting the approach of the user and a person other than the user and transmitting approach information, wherein the process for transmitting the approach of the user and a person other than the user switches between transmitting to both the user and the person other than the user and transmitting to one of them depending on the distance between the user and the person other than the user within the play area.

[0160] (Supplementary Note 3) A head-mounted display comprising: a process for setting a play area in which virtual reality content can be viewed; a process for allowing a user to view the virtual reality content; a process for detecting the approach of the user and a person other than the user and transmitting approach information, wherein the process for transmitting the approach of the user and a person other than the user comprises a process for dividing the play area into a plurality of regions, evaluating the user's mobility for each region, and classifying sets of small regions with the same degree of mobility; and a process for switching between transmitting information to both the user and the person other than the user and transmitting information to one of them, depending on the classification of the region in the play area in which a person other than the user is present.

[0161] (Appendix 4) An information display terminal that can be worn by a user and plays virtual reality content, comprising: a distance measurement sensor; a display; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the distance measurement sensor detects the distance to an obstacle, and the processor, upon a request from a person other than the user, transmits information for avoiding interference between the user and the person from the communication interface to an information terminal held by the person.

[0162] 1: HMD, 1a: HMD, 2: User, 4: Information terminal, 5: Access point, 6: Network, 7: VR service server, 8: Desk lamp, 9: Sofa, 10: Smartphone, 20: Smartphone holder, 21: Holder body, 22: Smartphone storage section, 23: External terminal, 30: Approach warning area, 31: Danger warning area, 33: Display screen, 35: Display screen, 36: Date display, 37: Clock display, 38: App icon, 39: Window, 40: Approach warning notification, 41: Danger warning notification, 42: Approach warning notification, 45: Map display, 50: Play area , 55: Approach alert notification, 56: Approach warning notification, 57: Approach warning notification, 58: Play area approach information notification, 101: Processor, 102: Bus, 110: Storage device, 111: Volatile memory, 112: Non-volatile memory, 112a: Basic operation program, 112b: VR viewing program, 112c: Approach transmission program, 120: Input interface, 121: Button switch, 130: Video input / output device, 131: Display, 131L: Left display, 131R: Right display, 132: Image processing signal unit, 133: Out camera, 133F: Front out camera, 133L: left outer camera, 133R: right outer camera, 140: audio input / output device, 141: speaker, 141L: left speaker, 141R: right speaker, 142: audio signal processing unit, 143: microphone, 150: sensor group, 151: position measurement sensor, 152: geomagnetic sensor, 153: distance measurement sensor, 154: acceleration sensor, 155: gyro sensor, 156: line of sight detection sensor, 160: communication interface, 161: LAN communication interface, 162: short-range wireless communication interface, 163: telephone network communication interface, 171: expansion interface interface, 172: timer, 191: wearing housing, 192: control device, 193: frame, 201: processor, 202: bus, 210: storage device, 211: volatile memory, 212: non-volatile memory, 212a: basic operation program, 212b: VR viewing program, 212c: proximity transmission program, 220: input interface, 221: button switch, 222: touch sensor, 230: video input / output device, 231: display, 232: image processing signal unit, 233: outer camera, 234: inner camera, 240: audio input / output device, 241: speaker,242: Audio signal processing unit, 243: Microphone, 250: Sensor group, 251: Positioning sensor, 252: Geomagnetic sensor, 253: Distance measurement sensor, 254: Acceleration sensor, 255: Gyro sensor, 256: Line of sight detection sensor, 260: Communication interface, 261: Wireless communication interface, 262: Short-range wireless communication interface, 263: Telephone network communication interface, 271: Expansion interface, 272: Timer,

Claims

1. An information display terminal that can be worn by a user and plays virtual reality content, comprising: a ranging sensor; a camera; a display; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the ranging sensor detects the distance to an obstacle, and when the processor detects from an image acquired by the camera that the obstacle is a person, it switches whether or not to send first information to an information terminal carried by the person from the communication interface to avoid interference between the user and the person, based on the distance detected by the ranging sensor.

2. An information display terminal as described in claim 1, characterized in that the processor switches whether or not to display second information on the display to avoid interference between the user and the person, based on the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor.

3. An information display terminal as described in claim 2, wherein the processor: when the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor is equal to or greater than a first threshold, does not transmit the first information from the communication interface to the information terminal carried by the person, and does not display the second information on the display; when the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold, transmits the first information from the communication interface to the information terminal carried by the person, and does not display the second information on the display; and when the distance detected by the distance measuring sensor is equal to or less than the second threshold, transmits the first information from the communication interface to the information terminal carried by the person, and displays the second information on the display.

4. An information display terminal as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the process of transmitting approach information between the user and persons other than the user is to display the information on the information display terminal when reception by persons other than the user cannot be confirmed when transmitting the information only to persons other than the user.

5. An information display terminal according to claim 1, wherein the process of transmitting information about the approach of the user and a person other than the user is performed when a request is received from a person other than the user.

6. An information display terminal as claimed in claim 5, wherein the process of transmitting the approach of the user and a person other than the user includes a process of evaluating the degree of movement of the user, and adjustments are made so that the greater the degree of movement of the user, the easier it is to detect.

7. A head-mounted display comprising: a process for setting a play area in which virtual reality content can be viewed; a process for allowing a user to view the virtual reality content; and a process for detecting the approach of the user and a person other than the user and transmitting approach information, wherein the process for transmitting the approach of the user and a person other than the user switches between transmitting to both the user and the person other than the user and transmitting to one of them depending on the distance between the user and the person other than the user within the play area.

8. A head-mounted display comprising the steps of: setting a play area in which virtual reality content can be viewed; allowing a user to view the virtual reality content; detecting the approach of the user and a person other than the user and transmitting approach information; wherein the process of transmitting the approach of the user and a person other than the user comprises dividing the play area into a plurality of areas, evaluating the user's mobility for each area, and classifying groups of small areas with the same degree of mobility; and switching between transmitting information to both the user and the person other than the user and transmitting information to one of them depending on the classification of the area in the play area where a person other than the user is present.

9. A head-mounted display according to claim 8, wherein the user's mobility is evaluated based on the user's movement history.

10. A head-mounted display according to claim 8, wherein the user's mobility is evaluated based on virtual reality content that the user is viewing.

11. An information display terminal that can be worn by a user and plays virtual reality content, comprising: a distance measurement sensor; a display; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the distance measurement sensor detects the distance to an obstacle, and the processor, upon a request from a person other than the user, transmits information to avoid interference between the user and the person from the communication interface to an information terminal held by the person.

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