Switchable head-mounted display
A head-mounted display apparatus includes a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display including a plurality of independently controllable switchable viewing areas that can each be independently switched between a transparent state and an information state. The transparent state enables a user of the head-mounted display to see the scene outside the head-mounted display through the independently controllable switchable viewing areas. The information state is opaque and displays information in the independently controllable switchable viewing areas visible to a user of the head-mounted display. Circuitry produces a control signal for controlling the states of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas and a controller responsive to the control signal independently switches each of the independently controllable viewing areas between the transparent state and the information state.
1. A head-mounted display apparatus, comprising:
a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display including a plurality of independently controllable switchable viewing areas arranged in a two-dimensional array that can each be independently switched between a transparent state, a partially transparent state, and an information state, wherein:
i) the transparent state enables a user of the head-mounted display to see the scene outside the head-mounted display through the independently controllable switchable viewing areas; and
ii) the information state is opaque and displays information in the independently controllable switchable viewing areas visible to a user of the head-mounted display;
circuitry for producing a control signal for independently controlling the states of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas; and
a controller responsive to the control signal for independently switching any two-dimensional subset of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas between the transparent state and the information state, wherein the two-dimensional subset is less than all of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas in either of the two dimensions of the subset;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to have any of three or more different levels of transparency;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the information state to the transparent state or to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent state to the information state, through the different levels of transparency in successive periods of time; and
wherein the controller sequentially switches spatially adjacent independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent state to the information state through the different levels of transparency.
2. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller independently controls the level of transparency of each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to have three or more different levels of transparency using time-division multiplexing between an opaque state and a transparent state.
3. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the independently controllable switchable viewing areas are reflective in the information state.
4. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller simultaneously controls one of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to be at least partially transparent while another of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas is opaque.
5. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas is rectangular.
6. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the independently controllable switchable viewing areas together form a rectangular area.
7. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry includes a sensor for sensing the environment external to the head-mounted display controlled by the controller.
8. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sensor senses a biological state of the user, an eye state of the user, a motion of the user, a position of the user, or an environment external to the head-mounted display and external to the user.
9. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller changes the state of one or more of the independently controllable viewing areas in response to a change in the environment external to the head-mounted display.
10. A method of making a head-mounted display apparatus, including the steps of:
providing a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display including a plurality of independently controllable switchable viewing areas arranged in a two-dimensional array that can each be switched between a transparent state, a partially transparent state, and an information state, wherein:
i) the transparent state enables a user of the head-mounted display to see the real world outside the head-mounted display through the independently controllable switchable viewing areas; and
ii) the information state is opaque and displays information in the independently controllable switchable viewing areas visible to a user of the head-mounted display;
producing a control signal for independently controlling the states of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas; and
using a controller for independently switching any two-dimensional subset of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas in response to the control signal, wherein the two-dimensional subset is less than all of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas in either of the two dimensions of the subset;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to have any of three or more different levels of transparency;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the information state to the transparent state or to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent state to the information state, through the different levels of transparency in successive periods of time; and
wherein the controller sequentially switches spatially adjacent independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent stat to the information state through the different levels of transparency.
11. A method of operating a head-mounted display apparatus, including the steps of:
proving a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display including a plurality of independently controllable switchable viewing areas arranged in a two-dimensional array that can each be switched between a transparent state, a partially transparent state, and an information state, wherein:
i) the transparent state enables a user of the head-mounted display to see the real world outside the head-mounted display through the independently controllable switchable viewing areas; and
ii) the information state is opaque and displays information in the independently controllable switchable viewing areas visible to a user of the head-mounted display; and
producing a control signal for independently controlling the states of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas;
using a controller for independently switching each of the independently controllable viewing areas in response to the control signal; and
switching any two-dimensional subset of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas of the head-mounted display from its present state to a different state, wherein if the present state is the transparent state the different state is the information state and wherein if the present state is the information state the different state is the transparent state, wherein the two-dimensional subset is less than all of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas in either of the two dimensions of the subset;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to have any of three or more different levels of transparency;
wherein the controller controls each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the information state to the transparent state or to gradually transition each of the independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent state to the information state, through the different levels of transparency in successive periods of time; and
wherein the controller sequentially switches spatially adjacent independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the transparent state to the information state through the different levels of transparency.