Stereoscopic video display apparatus which fuses real space image at finite distance

A stereoscopic video display apparatus comprising:

• head-mounted video display means mounted to cover a field of view of an observer and having video display means for displaying corresponding images on right and left eyeballs of the observer;
• single image sensing means, mounted on the observer, for sensing a real space image seen by the observer;
• real space video signal processing means for generating right and left eye first video signals corresponding images at different horizontal positions by processing a real space video signal from said image sensing means;
• image signal generation means for generating a second image signal;
• right eye video signal synthesis means for generating a right eye display signal by synthesizing the right eye display signal by synthesizing the right eye first video signal generated by said real space video signal generated by said real space video signal processing means and the second image signal generated by said image signal generation means;
• left eye video signal synthesis means for generating a left eye display signal by synthesizing the left eye first video signal generated by said real spaced video signal processing means and the second image signal generated by said image signal generation means, and
• control means for controlling the right and left eye video signal synthesis means so that an image corresponding to the first video signal can be fused at a position closer to a viewer than an image corresponding to the second video signal.

A stereoscopic video display apparatus comprising:

• head-mounted video display means mounted to cover a field of view of an observer and having video display means for displaying corresponding images on right and left eyeballs of the observer;
• said video display means comprising a right eye display element which corresponds to the right eyeball of the observer and displays the right eye display signal, a right eye eyepiece optical system for guiding an image displayed on said right eye display element toward the right eyeball of the observer, a left eye display element which corresponds to the left eyeball of the observer and displays the left eye display signal, and a left eye eyepiece optical system for guiding an image displayed on said left eye display element toward the left eyeball of the observer,
• said right and left eye display elements being arranged to be decentered inwardly with respect to optical axes of the corresponding right and left eye eyepiece optical systems;
• single image sensing means, mounted on the observer, for sensing a real space image seen by the observer and for generating a real space video signal;
• image signal generation means for generating right and left eye image second signals including corresponding images at different horizontal positions, so that an image defined by the left eye image signal is located on the left side relative to an image defined by the right eye image signal;
• right eye video signal synthesis means for generating a right eye display signal by synthesizing the real space video signal obtained from said image sensing means and the right eye image signal generated by said image signal generation means;
• left eye video signal synthesis means for generating a left eye display signal by synthesizing the real space video signal obtained from said image sensing means and the left eye image signal generated by said image signal generation means, and
• control means for controlling the right and left eye video signal synthesis means so that an image corresponding to the real space video signal can be fused at a position closer to a viewer than an image corresponding to the signals generated by the image signal generation means.

A stereoscopic video display apparatus comprising:

• head-mounted video display means mounted to cover a field of view of an observer and having video display means for displaying corresponding images on right and left eyeballs of the observer;
• said video display means comprising a right eye display element which corresponds to the right eyeball of the observer and displays the right eye display signal, a right eye eyepiece optical system for guiding an image displayed on said right eye display element toward the right eyeball of the observer, a left eye display element which corresponds to the left eyeball of the observer and displays the left eye display signal, and a left eye eyepiece optical system for guiding an image displayed on said left eye display element toward the left eyeball of the observer;
• said right and left eye eyepiece optical systems arranged so that optical axes thereof extend toward each other to cross each other;
• single image sensing means, mounted on the observer, for sensing a real space image seen by the observer and for generating a real space video signal;
• image signal generation means for generating right and left eye image second signals including corresponding images at different horizontal positions, so that an image defined by the left eye image signal is located on the left side relative to an image defined by the right eye image signal;
• right eye video signal synthesis means for generating a right eye display signal by synthesizing the real space video signal obtained from said image sensing means and the right eye image signal generated by said image signal generation means;
• left eye video signal synthesis means for generating a left eye display signal by synthesizing the real space video signal obtained from said image sensing means and the left eye image signal generated by said image signal generation means;
• and
• control means for controlling the right and left eye video signal synthesis means so that an image corresponding to the real space video signal can be fused at a position closer to a viewer than an image corresponding to the signals generated by the image signal generation means.