Patent ID: 8692845
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a switchable head-mounted display apparatus, comprising: providing a head-mounted display, the head-mounted display including one or more independently controllable switchable viewing areas that are each independently switched between a transparent viewing state, a partially transparent state, and an information viewing state, wherein the transparent viewing state is transparent so that a user of the head-mounted display views at least a portion of the scene outside the head-mounted display in the user's line of sight and wherein the information viewing state is opaque and the user views information displayed in the switchable viewing area, the head-mounted display including a controller for controlling the switchable viewing area; operating the head-mounted display in the information viewing state with the controller to display image-sequence information; using a processor to analyze the image-sequence information to produce a signal estimating the propensity of the image-sequence information to induce motion sickness or symptoms of motion sickness in the user; and modifying the state of each of the one or more independently switchable viewing areas by switching each of the one or more independently controllable switchable viewing areas from the information viewing state, to the partially transparent state, and then to the transparent viewing state with the controller in response to the signal to reduce the propensity of the image-sequence information to induce motion sickness or symptoms of motion sickness in the user.