Abstract:
An electric-powered display is retained in any of a large plurality of positions in the field of vision of a user by a mechanical linkage mounted on the user below the head.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/585,775, filed Jan. 16, 1996. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to hands-free computer displays and, more particularly, to an improved body mounted, hands-free electronic display. 
     Small computer displays are known in which the display is mounted on the head of a user, such as with a headband, so that the display is positioned in the user&#39;s line of sight while at the same time allowing the user to shift his or her line of sight away from the display. Although such arrangements leave the user&#39;s hands free, head-mounted displays have a drawback in that the display occupies a significant portion of the field of vision of one of the eyes of the user since the display moves when the user&#39;s head moves. The user cannot change his or her field of vision with respect to the display by moving his or her head. Furthermore, since the display is connected to a computer by a wire, the wire exerts an often annoying drag when the head or neck of the user is moved for any reason, and the additional weight of the display on the user&#39;s head can cause fatigue. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the invention is the provision of a hands-free display, such as a miniature LCD display (or other miniature display implemented in a suitable technology) which permits the user to change his or her field of vision with respect to the display by moving his or her head. 
     Another object of the invention is the provision of a hands-free display that has six degrees of freedom of motion. 
     The system according to the present invention achieves the above objects by mounting the display support on the user&#39;s trunk, with a mechanical link which extends from the support to a housing that holds the display and which permits the positioning and retention of the display within the field of view of the user. The display can be retained in positions in a vertical plane extending directly forward from the eye, including positions below the level of the eye, at the level of the eye, and above the level of the eye. The display can also be retained in positions to the side of the eye and at various levels. Regardless of the position, the user can change his or her field of view with respect to the display by moving his or her head, and without using his or her hands. In one embodiment, the display system includes a curved, articulated, trunk-mounted support conforming to a shoulder of the user, a housing for the display, and a mechanical linkage between the shoulder support and the display member. In a specific embodiment, the linkage includes a plurality of frictional pivot joints or ball-and-socket joints and the trunk-mounted support includes a manual user interface (e.g. function keys and/or track ball) positioned on the front of the trunk-mounted support to permit control of the display and an associated computer. Signal and power conductors extend from the display, through the mechanical link, to the shoulder support to connect the display to a computer and power supply, which can be mounted in the shoulder support or elsewhere on the user. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper body mounted display system according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the upper body mounted display system of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the trunk-mounted display system according to the present invention, which is designated generally by the reference numeral  10 , includes a support  12  for supporting the system on the trunk of the user, preferably on the user&#39;s shoulder. The support articulates about a pivot connector  18 , and includes a front member  14  and a rear member  16 , each of which is curved to conform to the shoulder of a user. The front member  14  is connected to the rear member  16  by the pivot connector  18 . A torsion spring  19  biases the front member  14  and the rear member  16  toward one another to firmly clamp the support  12  onto the shoulder of the user. 
     The display system  10  further includes a display screen  20  mounted in a display housing  22 , with the front of the display screen  20  facing the user. The display screen  20  may be implemented in any suitable technology such as, but not limited to, LED and LCD technologies. In the illustrated embodiment, the display housing  22  is an angled member having a first leg  24  containing the display  20  and a second leg  26  which is connected to the support  12  by a linkage  28 . The linkage  28  includes a plurality of links connected to one another by joints so that the links are movable relative to one another. The links include a first link  30  movably connected to the front member  14  of the support portion  12  by a joint  32  adjacent a lower end of the link  30 . An upper end of the link  30  is movably connected to a lower end of a link  34  by a movable joint  36 . An upper end of the link  34  is movably connected to a lower end of a link  38  by a movable joint  40 . An upper end of the link  38  is connected by a movable joint  42  to the leg  26  of the display housing  22 . Sufficient friction is provided in each of the joints  32 ,  36 ,  40  and  42  to support the weight of all of the members above the joint and prevent movement of the members above the joint relative to members below the joint. It is only by the application of an outside force sufficient to overcome the friction that the link  30  is made to move relative to the support  12 , the link  38  is made to move relative to the display housing  22 , and the links  30 ,  34  and  38  are made to move relative to one another. Thus, the user can move the display  20  by hand to his or her personal most convenient and comfortable position, and the display  20  will remain in that position unless the display member  20  or one or more of the links  30 ,  34  and  38  are moved by the application of a force sufficient to overcome the friction in one or more of the joints  32 ,  36 ,  40  and  42 . All of the joints can be ball-and-socket joints. As an alternative, some of the joints can be pivot joints and other of the joints can be ball-and-socket joints. Joints of other types may also be included. It will be appreciated that any suitable mechanical link can be used to support the display screen relative to the shoulder support  12  so long as it permits movement of the display relative to the field of view of the user, preferably six degrees of movement with respect to the user&#39;s field of view; up-down, right-left, in-out, horizontal axis rotation, vertical axis rotation and z axis rotation. In addition, in the preferred embodiment, the display housing and its mechanical linkage to the support  12  can be folded into the support. 
     The entire mounting for the trunk-mounted display system according to the present invention can be made of plastic or other suitable material. An electrical connection W between the display  20  and an associated computer C extends from the display member  22  to a computer, which can be mounted on another part of the user&#39;s body or can be mounted in a hollow portion  43  of the support  12 . The various parts of the display system can be made hollow or made with passages to accommodate the electrical connection W. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the electrical connection passes from each of the display member  22 , the links  38 ,  34  and  30  and the support  12  to the adjacent member at a point next to one of the movable joints  42 ,  40 ,  36  and  32 . As an alternative, the electrical connection can extend externally from the display  20  to the computer C. Controls  44  for the computer can be located in a forward area on the front member  14  of the support portion  12 , in contact with the chest of the user. The controls  44  can include a mouse, a mute control, a loudness control and/or a microphone for voice control of the computer and display. Thus, the controls  44  can comprise a touch responsive or hand responsive user interface to the computer driven, information display system. Many other types of controls are known and can be included among the controls  44 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of a single preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.