Head-mounted display, head-mounted display linking system, and method for same

A head-mounted display, comprising:

• a wearing body to be worn on a head of a user;
• a display provided on the wearing body in front of the user's eyes;
• a communication module configured to perform communication connection with a mobile information terminal;
• a field of view detection sensor configured to output status data used for determining whether the mobile information terminal is included in a field of view of the user through the wearing body;
• and
• a controller connected to each of the display, the communication module, and the field of view detection sensor, wherein
• the controller is configured to:
• determine whether the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view of the user based on the status data;
• and
• perform display control with respect to the display so as to display an application screen, which displays an execution state of application program for realizing a specific function executed by the mobile information terminal, on the display when determining that the mobile information terminal is not included in the field of view, and not to display the application screen on the display when determining that the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view, wherein
• the field of view detection sensor is an outside camera provided on a front surface of the wearing body, which is configured to include the field of view of the user within an angle of view thereof, and
• the controller is further configured to perform image recognition processing with respect to a subject in an image taken the outside camera so as to:
• display the application screen on the display when the subject is not the mobile information terminal;
• and
• not display the application screen on the display when the subject is the mobile information terminal, and
• wherein
• the display is divided into a plurality of small regions,
• each of the small regions includes a part of an outer edge of the display,
• the outside camera outputs a plurality of frames along a time series,
• the controller includes small region management data in which the small regions, the parts of the outer edge included in the small areas, and positions of the parts of the outer edge of an image taken by the outside camera, and
• the controller is further configured to:
• perform the image recognition processing with respect to a first frame taken by the outside camera and a second frame taken by the outside camera thereafter, respectively;
• determine a position where the mobile information terminal has crossed when determining that the mobile information terminal that has been imaged in the first frame crosses an outer edge of the second frame and moves outside the second frame;
• refer to the small region management data;
• specify one of the small regions corresponding to the position where the mobile information terminal has crossed;
• and
• display the application screen within the specified small region.

A head-mounted display linking system comprising:

• a head-mounted display;
• and
• a mobile information terminal,
• the head-mounted display and the mobile information terminal being connected to communicate with each other,
• wherein
• the head-mounted display comprises:
• a wearing body to be worn on a head of a user;
• a display provided on the wearing body in front of the user's eyes;
• a communication module configured to perform communication connection with the mobile information terminal;
• a field of view detection sensor configured to output status data used for determining whether the mobile information terminal is included in a field of view of the user through the wearing body;
• and
• a head-mounted display controller connected to each of the display, the communication module, and the field of view detection sensor,
• the mobile information terminal comprises:
• a terminal display configured to display an application screen which displays an execution state of application program for realizing a specific function;
• a terminal communication module configured to perform communication connection with the head-mounted display;
• and
• a terminal controller connected to each of the terminal display and the terminal communication module, which is configured to execute the application program, and
• the head-mounted display controller is configured to:
• determine whether the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view of the user based on the status data;
• and
• perform display control with respect to the display so as to display the application screen, which is displayed on the mobile information terminal, on the display when determining that the mobile information terminal is not included in the field of view, and not to display the application screen on the display when determining that the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view, wherein
• the head-mounted display controller is further configured to, when activating the head-mounted display after the mobile information terminal is activated, display the application screen on the display without displaying a top screen which is displayed in normal activation processing of the head-mounted display.

A head-mounted display linking method to be performed between a head-mounted display and a mobile information terminal which are connected to communicate with each other, the method comprising the steps of:

• a step of acquiring status data from a field of view detection sensor, the status data being used by the head-mounted display to determine whether the mobile information terminal is included in a field of view of the user wearing the head-mounted display;
• a step of determining whether the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view of the user based on the status data;
• a step of performing display control with respect to a display provided on the head-mounted display so as to display an application screen, which displays an execution state of application program for realizing a specific function executed by the mobile information terminal, on the display when the head-mounted display determines that the mobile information terminal is not included in the field of view, and not to display the application screen on the display when the head-mounted display determines that the mobile information terminal is included in the field of view, wherein
• when activating the head-mounted display after the mobile information terminal is activated, displaying the application screen on the display without displaying a top screen which is displayed in normal activation processing of the head-mounted display.