Head-mounted display and adjustment method

Abstract

A head-mounted display (HMD (100)) comprises: a pair of left and right video display units that each have a display element and an optical system for causing light from the display element to reach eyes of a user; an adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the video display units, which correspond to the eyes of the user; an adjustment indicator display unit (signal processing circuit (92)) that causes the display elements to display an adjustment indicator (10) which includes color bars (10C) having a plurality of colors symmetrically arranged such that the same color is displayed at locations situated to the left and right of a symmetric point and equally distant from the symmetric point, the symmetric point being a central point (10M) passed through by the optical axis of each of the optical systems; and an operation information output unit (signal processing circuit (92)) that outputs operation information for encouraging the user to operate the adjustment unit such that the same color of the color bars (10C) included in the adjustment indicator (10) can be visually recognized by operating the adjustment unit.

Description

Head-Mounted Display and Adjustment Method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head-mounted display and an adjustment method thereof.

[0002] In recent years, development of so-called head-mounted displays, which are head-mounted display devices, has been actively carried out. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a head-mounted display capable of presenting (i.e., displaying) both the video of content and the video of the outside world. In the head-mounted display disclosed in Patent Document 1, by adjusting the luminance of at least one of the video of content and the video of the outside world, the discomfort given to the user when switching between the video of content and the video of the outside world is reduced.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-090773

[0004] By the way, there is an application in which independent videos are displayed for the left and right eyes of the user in a head-mounted display. At this time, in order to display appropriate videos for the left and right eyes, adjustment of the head-mounted display is necessary, but this adjustment is complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a head-mounted display or the like that can be adjusted more easily.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the head-mounted display according to the present disclosure, a pair of left and right video display units each having a display element and an optical system that allows light from the display element to reach the user's eyes, an adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the video display unit corresponding to the user's eyes, and a color bar composed of a plurality of colors symmetrically arranged such that the same color is displayed at positions having the same distance from the symmetric point to the left and right with the center point through which the optical axis of each of the optical systems passes as the symmetric point. An adjustment index display unit that causes the display element to display an adjustment index, and an operation information output unit that outputs operation information for prompting the user to operate the adjustment unit so that the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment index become the same.

[0007] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the adjustment method relating to this disclosure, a head-mounted display comprising a pair of left and right video display units, each having a display element and an optical system for bringing light from the display element to the user's eyes, the method comprising: adjusting the position of the video display unit corresponding to the user's eyes; displaying adjustment indicators on the display element, which include color bars consisting of a plurality of colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right from the center of each of the video display units, with the center of the video display unit being the point of symmetry; and outputting operation information prompting the user to perform the adjustment step so that the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment indicator become the same as a result of the adjustment step.

[0008] According to this disclosure, a head-mounted display and the like that can be adjusted more easily will be provided.

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram for outlining the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the adjustment method of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 7 is an example of screen display in the adjustment method of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 8 is an example of screen display in the adjustment method of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 9 is an example of screen display in the adjustment method of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 10 is an example of screen display in the adjustment method of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the adjustment process of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the adjustment process of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram showing the operation of the controller in the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram showing the adjustment process of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 15 is a diagram showing the operation of the controller in the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figure 16 shows an example of screen display in the adjustment method for a head-mounted display according to an embodiment.

[0010] (Knowledge forming the basis of the disclosure) In recent years, display devices have been developed that, when worn on the user's head, position a display unit in front of the eyes, allowing the displayed image to be viewed on an apparent large screen. Such display devices are called head-mounted displays (HMDs), and they have the characteristic of allowing images to be viewed on an apparent large screen through perspective. In HMDs, since the display unit is positioned in front of the eyes, it is possible to display (allow viewing of) different images to the left and right eyes. Against this backdrop, it becomes easy to include virtually created parallax in images, and as a result, the amount of stereoscopic viewing content such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) is increasing.

[0011] On the other hand, when viewing this content, it is necessary to display images appropriately to both the left and right eyes, so adjusting the position of the user's eyes and the position of the display unit is important. Such adjustments include focus adjustment and interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment. Focus adjustment involves adjusting the distance between the display element, the optical system, and the user's eye in order to properly form an image on the retina according to the user's visual acuity. IPD adjustment involves adjusting the positions of the display element and the optical system within an intersection plane that intersects the optical axis, so that the optical axis of the display element and the optical system are aligned with the optical axis of the user's lens.

[0012] Traditionally, focus and IPD (interpupillary distance) adjustments were often performed based on whether the image viewed by the user was blurry or not. Moreover, when IPD adjustment was made, the distance between the display element, the optical system, and the user's eye changed, causing the focus to shift and requiring refocusing. Furthermore, if the focus was not adjusted correctly, it was difficult to determine whether the image was blurry or not when attempting IPD adjustment. As a result, it became necessary to repeatedly switch between focus adjustment and IPD adjustment, which was cumbersome.

[0013] This disclosure provides an HMD that allows for easy IPD adjustment, specifically one that enables the determination of IPD adjustment completion even with slight focus misalignment, and allows for the completion of IPD adjustment. Here, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the adjustment of a head-mounted display according to an embodiment. In Figure 1, one configuration of the HMD 100 is shown enlarged at the bottom and left of the paper, respectively, of the main region extending around the central point 10M through which the optical axes of the left and right display units pass within the intersecting plane, and the sub-region surrounding the main region within the intersecting plane. In this example, the sub-region surrounds the main region with a total of four locations: two on the left and right sides and two above and below the main region. The sub-region only needs to have at least two locations that surround (in other words surround) the main region on the left and right sides.

[0014] In this disclosure, as shown in Figure 1, the adjustment indicators 10 displayed by the HMD 100 for IPD adjustment and focus adjustment are displayed corresponding to the user's field of view. Specifically, the adjustment indicators 10 include a color bar 10C, a rectangular frame 10S, and horizontal lines 10H and vertical lines 10V extending through the center point 10M through which the optical axes of the left and right display sections pass. When performing IPD adjustment, the edges of the adjustment indicators 10 are cut off according to the user's field of view. Therefore, when the center point 10M coincides with the optical axis of the user's lens, the adjustment indicators 10 will be cut off by the same amount on both the left and right sides, and by the same amount on both the top and bottom. The adjustment indicators 10 include a color bar 10C with multiple colors arranged across the edges of the field of view at the edges of the upper, lower, left, and right sub-regions.

[0015] As will be explained in more detail later, if the same amount of color bar 10C is visible, it can be determined that the center point 10M is aligned with the optical axis of the user's lens, and thus the IPD adjustment can be determined to be complete. Since the color bar 10C is arranged so that multiple different colors are lined up, it is possible to determine which colors are visible even if the focus adjustment is not perfectly in focus, and thus the IPD adjustment can be completed even if the focus adjustment is not complete.

[0016] Furthermore, comprehensive or specific embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or as any combination of a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0017] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions of components, connection configurations, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, any components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0019] Note that the figures are not necessarily strictly accurate. In each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0020] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as parallel lines, terms indicating the shape of elements such as rectangles, and numerical values ​​and numerical ranges do not represent only strict meanings, but also include substantially equivalent ranges, such as differences of a few percent.

[0021] Furthermore, in the HMD of this embodiment, many of the components have a structure with symmetrical combinations. Therefore, in some configurations, the explanation of one of the left-right combinations may be omitted by referring to the explanation of the other.

[0022] (Embodiment) [Basic Configuration] First, the basic configuration of the HMD in the embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the functional configuration of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment.

[0023] The HMD 100 is connected to a power supply 91 and a signal processing circuit 92 via a connector 75 and a plug 75a. The power supply 91 and the signal processing circuit 92 are external devices connected to the HMD 100.

[0024] The power supply 91 is a device that supplies power to the HMD 100 for various operations. The power supply 91 is, for example, an AC-DC converter that converts household AC power and generates DC power of the voltage necessary for the operation of the HMD 100. Alternatively, the power supply 91 may be, for example, a battery that discharges stored power as DC, or a solar cell that supplies power generated using solar energy. The power supply 91 may also be built into the HMD 100 as a battery, or it may be attached to the outside of the HMD 100 as a solar cell. Furthermore, the HMD 100 may be powered by wireless transmission without using the plug 75a and connector 75.

[0025] The signal processing circuit 92 is a device that supplies video information indicating the image to be displayed to the HMD 100 via communication. The signal processing circuit 92 supplies the video information as a digital signal, but it may also be supplied as an analog signal. Alternatively, the video information may be stored in the HMD 100, and the image may be displayed offline when the connection between plug 75a and connector 75 is disconnected. Alternatively, the image information may be generated in real time and supplied to the HMD 100 sequentially for display online while the connection between plug 75a and connector 75 is maintained. Furthermore, such video information may also be supplied using wireless communication.

[0026] The signal processing circuit 92 stores the video information of the adjustment indicator 10 in memory, etc., and also has the function of displaying the adjustment indicator 10 on the display unit 30. In other words, the signal processing circuit 92 is an example of an adjustment indicator display unit. Furthermore, when displaying the adjustment indicator 10, the signal processing circuit 92 outputs operation information prompting the user to perform adjustments using the adjustment indicator 10, that is, to adjust so that the visible colors among the color bars 10C of the adjustment indicator 10, in particular, the colors at the edges of the field of view, are the same for both the left and right color bars 10C. In other words, the signal processing circuit 92 is also an example of an operation information output unit. The operation information here may simply refer to a button to switch to the adjustment mode (the display screen of the adjustment indicator 10) (in which case the method of adjustment can be described in the instruction manual, electronic manual, etc.), or it may refer to information that shows the method of adjustment using text, images, etc. In this embodiment, a signal processing circuit 92 that serves both as an adjustment indicator display unit and an operation information output unit is provided as an example. However, a signal processing circuit for the adjustment indicator display unit and a signal processing circuit for the operation information output unit may be provided separately.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the video information is transmitted to the drive circuit 38 via the processing unit 38a. The processing unit 38a is a processing unit that processes the video information to be displayed on the display unit 30 of the HMD 100, converts it into an analog signal, and performs various video adjustment processing. The processing unit 38a is realized by a processor, memory, and a program for image processing stored in the memory.

[0028] In this way, the image on the display unit 30 is displayed based on the video information that has reached the drive circuit 38 as an analog signal. Specifically, the display panel 39 is driven by the drive circuit 38, and light representing the image is emitted from each display element. This light is focused by a convex lens 40, which is an example of an optical system, and reaches the user's eye 95 for viewing. In addition to the convex lens 40, the optical system includes multiple lenses, including concave lenses and planar lenses, as well as optical elements that change the optical path, such as mirrors and half-mirrors. The display unit 30 and the optical system together are sometimes referred to as the video display unit.

[0029] The drive circuit 38 is a circuit device for driving the display panel 39. The display panel 39 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, or a micro-LED panel. In addition to the display unit 30 using such a drive circuit 38 and display panel 39, a retinal projection type laser projector or the like may also be used as the display unit 30.

[0030] Here, two user eyes 95 are shown in the figure, one of which is the user's right eye and the other is the user's left eye. In the HMD 100, the configuration from the drive circuit 38 onwards is provided in two sets, corresponding to the user's left and right eyes. Also, as shown by the white arrows in the left-right direction of the paper in the figure, the convex lens 40 can be moved in the near-far direction relative to the display unit 30. This movement is performed manually or automatically and contributes to focus adjustment. Also, as shown by the white arrows in the up-down direction of the paper in the figure, one display unit 30 and optical system can be moved in the near-far direction, i.e., in the alignment direction, relative to the other display unit 30 and optical system. This movement is performed manually or automatically and contributes to IPD adjustment. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, in order to enable automatic remote adjustment of at least IPD by the controller 200, one display unit 30 and optical system can be automatically moved in the alignment direction relative to the other display unit 30 and optical system. Although not shown in the diagram, the HMD100 is equipped with a drive mechanism for automatically moving these components. When adjustment is performed manually, the gripping part and other components used for manual adjustment correspond to the adjustment part, and when adjustment is performed automatically, the drive mechanism described above corresponds to the adjustment part.

[0031] Next, the focus adjustment and IPD adjustment in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 3 to 5. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams illustrating examples of adjustment of the head-mounted display according to this embodiment. In Figure 3, the left column shows an enlarged view (dotted line) of the user's field of view before and after IPD adjustment, and the right column shows an enlarged view of the user's field of view before and after focus adjustment. Also in Figure 3, the upper section shows an enlarged view of the user's field of view after focus adjustment and IPD adjustment, and the lower section shows an enlarged view of the user's field of view before focus adjustment and IPD adjustment. Here, the color bar 10C related to IPD adjustment is shown as an enlarged view of two sub-regions flanking the main region. Also, only the portion for one eye is shown here.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, before focusing, the rectangular frame 10S of the adjustment indicator 10 is blurred as shown by the dot hatching, and each of the rectangles made up of multiple thin lines that constitute the rectangular frame 10S cannot be seen independently. After focusing, each of the rectangles made up of the thin lines that constitute the rectangular frame 10S can be seen independently of each other, and it can be determined that focusing is complete (it is in focus). In addition, the left and right color bars 10C consist of multiple colors arranged symmetrically with the center point 10M as the point of symmetry, so that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right of the point of symmetry. In the figure, each of the color bars 10C is shown to be a different color according to the type of hatching, and the part of the color bar 10C that is outside the field of view and not visible (cut off) is shown with a dashed line.

[0033] For example, the color at the right end of color bar 10C in the left magnified view and the color at the left end of color bar 10C in the right magnified view are the same color, as they are both hatched. If IPD adjustment is not complete, the colors visible in one color bar 10C will differ from those visible in the other magnified view in terms of the number of colors and the colors at the edges of the field of view. In particular, if adjacent colors in color bar 10C are in a relationship close to complementary colors on the color wheel, it is possible to check which colors are visible even if the focus adjustment is not completely complete. Furthermore, since color bar 10C is arranged to span the edges of the field of view, when the center point 10M coincides with the center of the field of view and IPD adjustment is complete, the colors at the edges of the field of view in color bar 10C will be the same. Conversely, if the colors at the edges of the field of view are the same, it can be said that the center point 10M coincides with the center of the field of view and IPD adjustment is complete. This adjustment can be performed by combining color bars 10C in two sub-regions flanking the main region to the left and right, thereby aligning the horizontal center of the field of view to the center point 10M. Alternatively, by combining color bars 10C in two sub-regions flanking the main region vertically, the vertical center of the field of view can be aligned to the center point 10M. As described above, since colors can be seen even if the focus adjustment is not completely finished as long as there is a certain degree of focus, there is no need to repeatedly switch between focus adjustment and IPD adjustment, which is a cumbersome operation. Moreover, the completion of IPD adjustment can be determined by a simple criterion of making the colors at the edges of the field of view the same, rather than by difficult criteria such as whether or not the field of view is blurry.

[0034] Furthermore, by including a horizontal line 10H and a vertical line 10V in the adjustment indicator 10, even if the HMD 100 is mounted tilted in the roll direction as shown in Figure 4, as shown in Figure 5, when the user views the images for both eyes and the images overlap, the horizontal line 10H and the vertical line 10V will appear misaligned, thus making the user aware of the tilt of the HMD 100. However, from the perspective of focusing the user's gaze, instead of such straight lines, only a center point 10M that coincides with the center of the optical axis of the optical system may be provided.

[0035] [Adjustment Operation] Below, a specific example of the adjustment method for the HMD 100 configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 6 to 16. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the adjustment method for the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figures 7 to 10 and 16 are examples of screen displays in the adjustment method for the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figures 11, 12 and 14 show the adjustment process of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment. Figures 13 and 15 show the operation of the controller in the adjustment of the head-mounted display according to the embodiment.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, first, within the VR space 20 displayed on the HMD 100, the settings application for the HMD 100 (referred to as "VR settings application" in the figure) is launched, and the IPD adjustment function (referred to as "interpupillary distance / focus adjustment" in the figure) is accessed using the controller 200. Next, the "interpupillary distance / focus adjustment" button is selected using the controller 200.

[0037] The signal processing circuit 92 receives this operation and starts IPD adjustment and focus adjustment, and outputs operation information prompting the user to operate the adjustment unit (S101). For example, the output of operation information transitions to a screen as shown in Figure 8. Here, regarding the IPD adjustment and focus adjustment, precautions and adjustment methods are displayed as text, and the user can understand how to adjust by reading this text. The controller 200 combines the functions of selection by laser pointer and confirmation by clicking in the VR space 20, and is a tool for performing UI operations in the VR space 20.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 9, when the user selects the "Next" button using the controller 200, the system transitions to the screen shown in Figure 10 due to the output of operation information. Here, notes and adjustment methods for IPD adjustment and focus adjustment are displayed as text, allowing the user to understand how to adjust by reading this text. Next, as before, when the user selects the "Start" button using the controller 200, the signal processing circuit 92 accepts this operation and displays the adjustment indicator 10 (S102). When the adjustment indicator 10 is displayed on the HMD 100, for example, as shown in Figure 11 or Figure 12, the adjustment indicator 10 is displayed across the entire screen. In Figure 11, the IPD is too close, so it needs to be adjusted to widen the IPD. In Figure 12, the IPD is too wide, so it needs to be adjusted to bring the IPD closer. The HMD 100 starts accepting IPD adjustment requests from the controller 200 (S103), and the user performs the operation to adjust the IPD (S104).

[0039] For example, as shown by the dashed circle in Figure 13, when a user presses a button on the controller 200 that is assigned to expand or contract the IPD distance, the HMD 100 activates a drive mechanism to automatically expand or contract the IPD distance. By repeating this process, for example, as shown in Figure 14, the IPD can be adjusted so that the visible colors, especially the colors at the edges of the field of view, appear the same among the color bars 10C of the adjustment indicator 10.

[0040] The user inputs that the IPD adjustment operation is complete when the visible colors of the color bar 10C, as shown in Figure 14, match the appearance of the adjustment indicator 10 (S105). For example, the HMD 100 receives the input that the IPD adjustment is complete when the user presses the button assigned to the completion of IPD adjustment on the controller 200, as shown by the dashed circle in Figure 15. This input may be transmitted and received directly from the controller 200 to the HMD 100, or it may be transmitted and received from the controller 200 to the HMD 100 via the signal processing circuit 92. In either case, the HMD 100 is provided with an input unit to receive these transmissions.

[0041] The signal processing circuit 92 receives this operation, outputs operation information, and transitions to a screen similar to that in Figure 8. Then, as shown in Figure 16, when the user selects the "End" button using the controller 200, the signal processing circuit 92 receives this operation and terminates the IPD adjustment function.

[0042] [Effects, etc.] As described above, this disclosure includes head-mounted displays in the following embodiments.

[0043] The head-mounted display (HMD 100) of the first embodiment includes a pair of left and right image display units, each having a display element (a light source element in a display panel 39) and an optical system (such as a convex lens 40) that directs light from the display element to the user's eyes; an adjustment unit (driving device or gripping unit) that adjusts the position of the image display unit corresponding to the user's eyes; an adjustment indicator display unit (signal processing circuit 92) that displays an adjustment indicator 10 on the display element, which includes a color bar 10C consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right from the center point 10M through which the optical axes of each optical system pass; and an operation information output unit (signal processing circuit 92) that outputs operation information prompting the user to operate the adjustment unit so that the visible colors among the color bars 10C included in the adjustment indicator 10 become the same.

[0044] According to this, by the user determining whether the visible colors among the color bars 10C included in the adjustment index 10 are the same, it is possible to determine whether the IPD adjustment is completed. Since the color visual recognition can be performed even if the focus adjustment is not completed as long as there is a certain degree of focus, there is no need to repeatedly go back and forth between the focus adjustment and the IPD adjustment. Also, instead of the determination criterion of determining whether the IPD adjustment is completed based on the blurring method of the video as in the conventional case, the completion of the IPD adjustment can be determined based on the easy and clear determination criterion that the visible colors are the same. Therefore, the adjustment can be made more simply.

[0045] Further, the head-mounted display (HMD100) of the second aspect is the head-mounted display described in the first aspect, and for the adjustment of the position of the video display unit, the adjustment index display unit displays the adjustment index 10 in a time-sharing manner on the display elements corresponding to one eye and the other eye of the user.

[0046] According to this, the position of the video display unit can be adjusted individually for one eye and the other eye of the user.

[0047] Further, the head-mounted display (HMD100) of the third aspect is the head-mounted display described in the first or second aspect, and further includes an input unit that receives an input indicating that the operation of the adjustment unit by the user is completed.

[0048] According to this, by receiving the input, it is possible to grasp that the operation of the adjustment unit is completed.

[0049] Further, the head-mounted display (HMD100) of the fourth aspect is the head-mounted display described in the second aspect. After receiving an input indicating that the adjustment of the position of one eye is completed, the adjustment index display unit displays the adjustment index 10 on the display element corresponding to the other eye.

[0050] According to this, based on receiving an input indicating that the adjustment of the position of one eye is completed, the adjustment of the position of the video display unit for the other eye can be started.

[0051] Furthermore, the fifth embodiment of the head-mounted display (HMD 100) is the head-mounted display according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the adjustment indicator 10 further includes at least one of a horizontal line 10H and a vertical line 10V that extend through a central point 10M through which the optical axis of the optical system passes in the user's field of view.

[0052] According to this, horizontal lines 10H and vertical lines 10V extending through the central point 10M through which the optical axis of the optical system passes in the user's field of view can be used during adjustment. The point where the horizontal line 10H and vertical line 10V intersect, i.e., the central point 10M, is the center of the optical axis of the optical system, and in addition to the effect of making it easier to focus the user's gaze to such an intersecting point, the degree of misalignment of the horizontal lines 10H of the left and right eyes can also be used by the user to determine whether or not the wearing posture of the head-mounted display is normal.

[0053] Furthermore, the head-mounted display (HMD 100) of the sixth embodiment is a head-mounted display according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, wherein the adjustment indicator 10 further includes a color bar 10C consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance above and below the center point 10M through which the optical axis of each optical system passes.

[0054] According to this, the central point 10M through which the optical axis of the optical system passes can be aligned with the center of the user's field of view, not only in the left-right direction but also in the up-down direction.

[0055] Furthermore, the seventh embodiment of the head-mounted display (HMD 100) is a head-mounted display according to any one of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the adjustment indicator 10 has a main region that extends outward from a central point 10M through which the optical axis of each optical system passes, the color bar 10C is arranged in a sub-region surrounding the main region, and the adjustment indicator 10 has a plurality of thin lines (thin lines constituting a rectangular frame 10S) that appear independently of each other when the main region is in focus.

[0056] According to this, an adjustment indicator 10 having a main area and a sub-area can be displayed. The color bar 10C is placed in the sub-area corresponding to the edge of the field of view, and a thin line that can be used for focus adjustment can be displayed in the main area including the center point 10M, for example, in the form of a rectangular frame 10S. This makes it possible to adjust focus along with IPD adjustment using a single adjustment indicator 10. Although a rectangular frame 10S has been used as an example, the thin line may be any shape, such as a simple straight line, a circle, a triangle, or a polygon with pentagons or more.

[0057] Furthermore, the adjustment method of the eighth embodiment is an adjustment method for a head-mounted display comprising a pair of left and right video display units, each having a display element and an optical system that brings light from the display element to the user's eyes, and includes the steps of: adjusting the position of the video display unit corresponding to the user's eyes; displaying an adjustment indicator 10 on the display element, which includes a color bar 10C consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically so that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right from the center point 10M, with the center of each video display unit being the point of symmetry; and outputting operation information prompting the user to perform an adjustment step so that the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment indicator become the same as a result of the adjustment step.

[0058] According to this, the head-mounted display can be adjusted by utilizing the effects of the head-mounted display described above.

[0059] Furthermore, the adjustment method of the ninth embodiment is the adjustment method described in the eighth embodiment, wherein after the display step, the user operates the adjustment unit to perform the adjustment step, and after the adjustment step, the user inputs that the adjustment step is complete when the visible colors among the color bars 10C included in the adjustment indicator become the same.

[0060] According to this, after the display step, the user performs an adjustment step by operating the adjustment unit, and after the adjustment step, when the visible colors among the color bars 10C included in the adjustment indicator become the same, the user inputs that the adjustment step is complete, thereby allowing the user to adjust the head-mounted display.

[0061] (Other Embodiments) Although embodiments have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0062] For example, the above explanation described performing IPD adjustment simultaneously for both eyes, but it could also be done using time-division multiplexing. For instance, IPD adjustment could be performed for one eye first, and only after that is complete could it be performed for the other eye. In this case, on the operation information screen in Figure 8, the user should be prompted to select the eye to be adjusted first, and only the IPD adjustment corresponding to that eye should be accepted. Then, in step S105, after receiving the input that the IPD adjustment operation is complete, the system should automatically proceed to step S102, where only the IPD adjustment corresponding to the other eye to be adjusted later should be accepted. In other words, steps S101 to S105 should be performed for one eye, and then steps S102 to S105 should be performed for the other eye.

[0063] Furthermore, although the above embodiments illustrate the components that make up the HMD, the functions of each component of the HMD may be distributed in any way among the multiple parts that make up the HMD.

[0064] Furthermore, the method of communication between devices in the above embodiment is not particularly limited. In addition, relay devices (such as broadband routers), which are not shown, may be involved in the communication between devices.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a process executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0067] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0068] Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Alternatively, they may be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0069] For example, the present invention may be implemented as a spatial proposal method executed by a computer, such as the spatial proposal system of the above embodiment, or as a program (computer program product) that causes a computer to execute a spatial proposal method. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0070] Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0071] This disclosure is useful as a wearable display device such as a head-mounted display.

[0072] 10 Adjustment indicator 10C Color bar 10H Horizontal line 10M Center point 10S Rectangular frame line 10V Vertical line 20 VR space 30 Display unit 38 Drive circuit 38a Processing unit 39 Display panel 40 Convex lens 75 Connector 75a Plug 91 Power supply 92 Signal processing circuit 95 Eye 100 HMD 200 Controller

Claims

1. A head-mounted display comprising: a pair of left and right video display units, each having a display element and an optical system that directs light from the display element to the user's eyes; an adjustment unit for adjusting the position of the video display unit corresponding to the user's eyes; an adjustment indicator display unit for displaying adjustment indicators on the display element, including a color bar consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right from the center point through which the optical axes of each optical system pass; and an operation information output unit for outputting operation information prompting the user to operate the adjustment unit so that the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment indicator become the same.

2. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, wherein the position of the image display unit is adjusted by displaying the adjustment indicator on the display elements corresponding to one eye and the other eye of the user in a time-division manner using the adjustment indicator display unit.

3. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit for receiving input from the user indicating that the operation of the adjustment unit has been completed.

4. The head-mounted display according to claim 2, wherein, after receiving input that the adjustment of the position of one eye has been completed, the adjustment indicator display unit causes the display element corresponding to the other eye to display the adjustment indicator.

5. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a horizontal line and a vertical line extending through the center point through which the optical axis of the optical system passes in the user's field of view.

6. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising a color bar consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance above and below the center point through which the optical axis of each optical system passes, with the center point being the point of symmetry.

7. The head-mounted display according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the adjustment indicator has a main region extending outward from a central point through which the optical axis of each optical system passes, the color bar is arranged in a sub-region surrounding the main region, and the adjustment indicator has a plurality of thin lines that appear independently of each other when the main region is in focus.

8. A method for adjusting a head-mounted display comprising a pair of left and right video display units, each having a display element and an optical system for bringing light from the display element to the user's eyes, the method comprising: adjusting the position of the video display unit corresponding to the user's eyes; displaying adjustment indicators on the display element, which include a color bar consisting of multiple colors arranged symmetrically such that the same color is displayed at the same distance to the left and right from the center of each of the video display units, with the center of the respective video display unit being the point of symmetry; and outputting operation information prompting the user to perform the adjustment step so that the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment indicator become the same as a result of the adjustment step.

9. The adjustment method according to claim 8, wherein, after the display step, the user operates an adjustment unit for adjusting the position of the video display unit to perform the adjustment step, and after the adjustment step, the user inputs that the adjustment step is complete when the visible colors among the color bars included in the adjustment indicator become the same.

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