Display headset
US5900849A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 24, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 4, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 24, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2027/0187
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A collision warning system is for a head mounted display (HMD) (10) worn by a user, for example as the interface to a virtual reality system, to warn of nearby objects in the physical environment. A motion detector (30,32) detects positional changes of the HMD, which changes are reflected in changes of a displayed image viewpoint, and a comparator stage (38,40) determines whether the movement takes the user into a "prohibited" area. If so, a visual and/or audible warning is provided to the user via the HMD (10). In an embodiment, the display screens (18) of the HMD include liquid crystal display shutters (20) which are switched to a transparent state in the event of an imminent collision such that the user is not only warned of the danger but also able to see it without having to remove or adjust the HMD.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.