IP Library Granted Patent US 9,829,997
Granted Patent B2
US 9,829,997 · App. 14/401,040 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Head-mounted display system, head-mounted display, and head-mounted display control program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,829,997
App. No.
14/401,040
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An HMD system according to the present technology includes a coordinate system setting unit, a segment selection unit, and an image generation unit. The coordinate system setting unit sets, in a real space, a cylindrical coordinate system partitioned into a plurality of segments. The segment selection unit brings, based on a direction of the display, any of the plurality of segments into a selection stand-by state in the cylindrical coordinate system. When the selection of the segment held in the selection stand-by state is determined, the image generation unit generates a display image to be displayed on the display corresponding to the determined segment.

Claims (30)

1. A head-mounted display system, comprising:

a coordinate system setting unit configured to set a cylindrical coordinate system partitioned into a plurality of segments in a real space relative to a direction of a display of the head-mounted display system, each of the plurality of segments having a predetermined height and width;

an object arrangement unit configured to display on the display an object in at least some of the plurality of segments such that different segments include objects;

a segment selection unit configured to select a segment of the plurality of segments, that has been placed in a selection stand-by state, based on a reception of a first trigger input, the placement of the segment into the selection stand-by state based on a location in the cylindrical coordinate system of an angle-of-view range having a predetermined height and width, the angle-of-view range being moveable in the cylindrical coordinate system to correspond to at least some of the plurality of segments with objects, the location of the angle-of-view range in the cylindrical coordinate system corresponding to a direction of the display in the real space and a radius of the cylindrical coordinate system after the cylindrical coordinate system is set, and the segment of the plurality of segments that has been placed in the selection stand-by state is determined by the segment of the plurality of segments having a largest area within the angle-of-view range in comparison with one or more other segments with objects; and

an image generation unit configured to generate, when the selection of the segment in the selection stand-by state is determined, a display image to be displayed on the display corresponding to the determined segment.

2. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the segment selection unit is configured to acquire, based on the direction of the display, a coordinate located in the direction of the display in the cylindrical coordinate system and select a segment of the plurality of segments, which includes the coordinate, while held in the selection stand-by state.

3. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical coordinate system has a vertical direction as a height direction and a horizontal direction as a circumferential direction.

4. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the coordinate system setting unit is configured to receive a second trigger input and move the cylindrical coordinate system in a height direction of the cylindrical coordinate system.

5. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the coordinate system setting unit is configured to divide the cylindrical coordinate system in a height direction and a circumferential direction of the cylindrical coordinate system, to thereby partition the cylindrical coordinate system into the plurality of segments.

6. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the coordinate system setting unit is configured to divide the cylindrical coordinate system in directions that are oblique to a height direction and a circumferential direction of the cylindrical coordinate system, to thereby partition the cylindrical coordinate system into the plurality of segments.

7. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate an image of the object as the display image.

8. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the segment selection unit is configured to not select a segment in which the object is not provided in the segment.

9. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the object arrangement unit is configured to not provide the object in a segment of the plurality of segments, which is present in a front direction of the display in the real space.

10. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the object is an icon of an application, and wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate the display image based on an output of an application corresponding to the icon.

11. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the object is a widget generated by a predetermined application, and wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate the display image based on an output of an application corresponding to the widget.

12. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the object is an application launcher, and wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate an image including an application selection menu as the display image.

13. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the object is a notification generated by a predetermined application, and the image generation unit is configured to generate the display image based on an output of the predetermined application.

14. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the display is a see-through-type display.

15. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the segment selection unit is configured to highlight the segment having the largest area corresponding to the angle-of-view range when the segment is in the selection stand-by state.

16. The head-mounted display system according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit is configured to replace the plurality of segments with the display image when the display image is displayed.

17. A head-mounted display, comprising:

a coordinate system setting unit configured to set a cylindrical coordinate system partitioned into a plurality of segments in a real space relative to a direction of a display of the head-mounted display system, each of the plurality of segments having a predetermined height and width;

an object arrangement unit configured to display on the display an object in at least some of the plurality of segments such that different segments include objects;

a segment selection unit configured to select a segment of the plurality of segments, that has been placed in a selection stand-by state, based on a reception of a first trigger input, the placement of the segment into the selection stand-by state based on a location in the cylindrical coordinate system of an angle-of-view range having a predetermined height and width, the angle-of-view range being moveable in the cylindrical coordinate system to correspond to at least some of the plurality of segments with objects, the location of the angle-of-view range in the cylindrical coordinate system corresponding to a direction of the display in the real space and a radius of the cylindrical coordinate system after the cylindrical coordinate system is set, and the segment of the plurality of segments that has been placed in the selection stand-by state is determined by the segment of the plurality of segments having a largest area within the angle-of-view range in comparison with one or more other segments with objects; and

an image generation unit configured to generate, when the selection of the segment in the selection stand-by state is determined, a display image to be displayed on the display corresponding to the determined segment.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a head-mounted display control program that causes a computer to function as:

a coordinate system setting unit configured to set a cylindrical coordinate system partitioned into a plurality of segments in a real space relative to a direction of a display of the head-mounted display system, each of the plurality of segments having a predetermined height and width;

an object arrangement unit configured to display on the display an object in at least some of the plurality of segments such that different segments include objects;

a segment selection unit configured to select a segment of the plurality of segments, that has been placed in a selection stand-by state, based on a reception of a first trigger input, the placement of the segment into the selection stand-by state based on a location in the cylindrical coordinate system of an angle-of-view range having a predetermined height and width, the angle-of-view range being moveable in the cylindrical coordinate system to correspond to at least some of the plurality of segments with objects, the location of the angle-of-view range in the cylindrical coordinate system corresponding to a direction of the display in the real space and a radius of the cylindrical coordinate system after the cylindrical coordinate system is set, and the segment of the plurality of segments that has been placed in the selection stand-by state is determined by the segment of the plurality of segments having a largest area within the angle-of-view range in comparison with one or more other segments with objects; and

an image generation unit configured to generate, when the selection of the segment in the selection stand-by state is determined, a display image to be displayed on the display corresponding to the determined segment.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2026
From: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
To: META PLATFORMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 075375/0902 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 17, 2025
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 073986/0571 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2014
From: IWATSU, TAKESHI; ISHIKAWA, HIROTAKA; SUZUKI, KENJI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034245/0895 →