Sony Patent | Head mounted display and information processing method

Patent: Head mounted display and information processing method

Publication Number: 10185146

Publication Date: 2019-01-22

Applicants: Sony

Abstract

In a head-mounted display for blocking out an outside world from a user’s vision when worn by the user to present a video, an outside world measurement section measures outside world information. A notification information detection section detects whether or not the information measured by the outside world measurement section contains any notification information to be notified to the user. A notification section notifies the user when the notification information detection section detects notification information.

Background

The present invention relates to a head-mounted display and an information processing method carried out by the head-mounted display.

Recent years have seen advancement in technological developments for presenting stereoscopic videos, contributing to widespread use of head-mounted displays that permit presentation of stereoscopic videos with depth. Capable of presenting videos having depth to users, head-mounted displays are now used as presentation devices of three-dimensional (3D) content such as 3D movies and 3D games.

Summary

Technical Problem

A head-mounted display is worn in such a manner as to cover both eyeballs of the user, an observer. Some head-mounted displays are non-see-through ones. Each of these head-mounted displays blocks out an outside world from a user’s vision and presents a video when worn by the user. In general, when wearing such a non-see-through head-mounted display, the user has difficulty in viewing a real-world scene in the outside world.

For example, if a non-see-through head-mounted display is used where the user is allowed to move or play to a limited extent such as at home, it is convenient to present, to the user, the extent to which the user wearing the head-mounted display is allowed to move.

The present invention has been devised in light of the foregoing, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology for notifying an outside world condition to a user wearing a non-see-through head-mounted display.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above problem, a head-mounted display according to a mode of the present invention blocks out an outside world from a user’s vision and presents a video when worn by the user. The head-mounted display includes an outside world measurement section, a notification information detection section, and a notification section. The outside world measurement section measures outside world information. The notification information detection section detects whether or not the information measured by the outside world measurement section contains any notification information to be notified to the user. The notification section notifies the user when the notification information detection section detects notification information.

Another mode of the present invention is an information processing method carried out by a processor of a head-mounted display for blocking out an outside world from a user’s vision when worn by the user to present a video. This method includes a step of measuring outside world information. This method includes another step of detecting whether or not the measured information contains any notification information to be notified to the user. This method includes still another step of notifying the user when notification information is detected.

Still another mode of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to perform the steps of the above method.

This program may be supplied as part of firmware built into an apparatus to basically control hardware resources such as video, audio, game apparatus, and head-mounted display. This firmware is stored in a semiconductor memory such as read only memory (ROM) or flash memory in the apparatus. In order to supply this firmware or to update part of the firmware, a computer-readable recording medium recording this program may be supplied or transmitted via a communication line.

It should be noted that arbitrary combinations of the above components and conversions of expressions of the present invention between method, device, system, computer program, data structure, recording medium and so on are also effective as modes of the present invention.

Advantageous Effect of Invention

The present invention provides a technology for notifying an outside world condition to a user wearing a non-see-through head-mounted display.