Patent Publication Number: US-2007097324-A1

Title: Image information display unit

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention relates to an image information display unit to be put on by a body using a compact projector, in particular, an image information display unit suited to be used by a monitoring person in an industrial plant.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a portable monitor to be used when performing maintenance work of various facilities in a site as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In the maintenance work, there is a case where a display unit is used for referring to various data, but the work has to be frequently performed by use of both hands, and hence it is difficult to use the display unit on hand.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In  FIG. 4 , depicted by  11  is a personal computer (PC) in which data such as drawings are stored, and which outputs image information indicating the data. Depicted by  12  is a head mount display which is put on by a monitoring person  13  so as to cover an eye of the monitoring person. The head mount display  12  and the PC  11  are connected to each other by a video cable  14 , wherein image information outputted from the PC  11  can be displayed on the head mount display  12 .  
      The head mount display  12  has a compact liquid crystal display built therein for displaying image information supplied from the PC  11  via the video cable  14 , and projects image information of the compact liquid crystal display on a half mirror by way of an optical unit. It is possible to recognize video of ten several inches as virtual image information at a position of several ten centimeters before the monitoring person&#39;s eyes by reflecting light several times in the optical unit. Depicted by  15  is virtual image information.  
      Further, since the half mirror is used, it is possible to concurrently see the displayed image information of the compact PC and a real scene (background). The monitoring person  13  can confirm conditions of facilities while put on the head mount display  12 , and concurrently refers to data stored in the compact PC.  
      Patent Document 1 discloses a maintenance work support system wherein a monitoring person can efficiently conform working procedures and related books at a site by connecting between a monitoring person terminal, an expert/editor terminal, a designer terminal and a central controller by a network.  
      According to this maintenance work support system, the monitoring person terminal communicates with the central controller to receive work information, which is subsequently displayed on the monitoring person terminal. Further, a work record received from the monitoring person terminal is sent to the editor terminal to edit the work procedures, so that an expert and a designer can issue an instruction to the monitoring person.  
      Tools to be put on by a monitoring person are illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The monitoring person puts on a head mount display unit  21 , headphones  22 , a microphone  23 , a camera  24 , a radio communication device  25 , and an input device  26 . As a result, the monitoring person can transmit conditions of a site to a designer, and an expert, etc., and also can refer to necessary related books.  
      Patent Document: JP 2004-102727 A  
      However there were following problems in the head mount display to be used in the portable monitor and the maintenance work support system. As described above, by use of the head mount display, the monitoring person can concurrently see displayed image information of the compact PC and the real background by projecting image information on the half mirror. However, since image information is displayed as if it is positioned at a distance of several ten centimeters before the monitoring person&#39;s eyes, if the background is positioned behind the monitoring person by not less than 1 meter, the background is seen as a long-range view while displayed image information is seen as a short-range view, so that it is difficult to see them concurrently. Further, since the long distance view and the short distance view have to be frequently switched over, there created a problem in that the monitoring person accumulates fatigue if the head mount display was used for a long period of time.  
      Although it was tried that virtual image information is positioned far away by improving an optical system so as to solve these problem, it creates a problem in that an optical lens system becomes complex, resulting in a main cause of the increase of cost of the head mount display.  
      Since displayed image information and the background are seen only by the monitoring person who puts on the head mount display, there also created a problem in that individual monitoring persons have to put on the head mount display so as to provide information to a plurality of monitoring persons.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an image information display unit wherein a plurality of monitoring persons can see image information concurrently without resorting to the use of a special optical unit while the monitoring person does not accumulate fatigue.  
      The image information display unit of the invention is characterized in comprising a portable terminal for producing image information and a projector for projecting image information produced by the portable terminal on an arbitrary object. Accordingly, a person other than the person who puts on the image information display unit can see image information with less fatigue.  
      The terminal and the projector may be integrated with each other. Accordingly, the image information display unit can be downsized.  
      The image information display unit may further comprise a portable screen on which image information outputted from the projector is projected. Accordingly, the image information display unit can be used even if there is no object therearound on which image information is projected.  
      The portable screen may be made of a translucent material through which a part of incident light is transmitted. Accordingly, image information and the background can be seen concurrently.  
      The projector may have a marker detection section for detecting markers disposed on a screen on which image information is projected, and a projecting method is varied on the basis of information of markers thus detected. Accordingly, it is possible to display image information which is always easily seen even if the person who puts on the image information display unit does not adjust it.  
      The marker detection section may be used as an input device. Accordingly, the input device is dispensed with.  
      The terminal may have a GPS receiver built therein, and a position received by the GPS receiver is transmitted to an outside. Accordingly, it is possible to provide data corresponding to a present position of the person who puts on the image information display unit.  
      The terminal may have an IC tag reader built therein, and may transmit data stored in the IC tag attached to a structure to an outside. Since a present position of the person who puts on the image information display unit is recognized, it is possible to provide data corresponding to the present position of the person who puts on the image information display unit.  
      The image information display may be further provided with waterproof/explosion-proof function. Accordingly, the image information display unit can be used even in a dangerous area, and so forth.  
      As is evident from the foregoing description, there are following effects according to the invention. According to the first and ninth aspects of the invention, the terminal for producing image information and the projector for projecting image information on an existing structure and so forth have been put on by the monitoring person.  
      Since image information can be projected on the structure and so forth, there are effects that image information and the background can be seen concurrently, and the monitoring person does not accumulate fatigue. Further, there is an effect that even a person other than the person who puts on the image information display unit can see image information.  
      Since the image information display unit is simple in a configuration, there is an effect that it can be downsized, so that an operator can naturally put on the image information display unit. Further, since the image information display unit is provided with the GPS receiver and the IC tag reader, there is another effect that it is possible to provide data corresponding to the present position of an operator. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a view showing a configuration of an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a view for explaining how to use the embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a view showing a configuration of another embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a view showing a configuration of a conventional portable monitor; and  
       FIG. 5  is a view for explaining a conventional maintenance operation support system. 
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention is now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  is a view showing a configuration of an embodiment of the invention. In  FIG. 1 , depicted by  31  is a portable terminal, which has the same function as a compact PC shown in  FIG. 4 , and produces image information. The terminal  31  has a communication section such as a radio communication equipment and obtains image information from a central controller, not shown, and so forth. Alternatively, the terminal  31  may store therein image information that is likely to be used in advance.  
      Depicted by  33  is a compact projector, which projects and displays image information produced by the terminal  31  on an object. Depicted by  32  is image transmission cable such as an optical fiber, and so forth, which connects the terminal  31  and the image transmission cable  32 . Depicted by  34  is a projection screen. The projector  33  projects image information on the projection screen  34 . Depicted by  35  is image information projected by the projector  33 . The projection screen  34  is not a specific one, and existing walls and flat structures are utilized as the projection screen  34 . As the image transmission cable  32  serving as an interface, there may be used radio not a wire cable, The terminal  31  and the projector  33  may be integrated with each other.  
       FIG. 2  shows a state where an operator puts on the image information display unit. The components which are the same as those of  FIG. 1  are indicated by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof is omitted. In  FIG. 2 , depicted by  40  is a monitoring person who puts the terminal  31  on his or her shoulder and puts the projector  33  on his or her head. As the projection screen  34 , a structure like an existing tank is used.  
      The monitoring person  40  adjusts the inclination of his or her head so that entire image information projected by the projector  33  can be projected on the projection screen  34 . Since image information is displayed on the structure per se serving as a background, image information  35  and the background can be seen naturally and concurrently. Not only the monitoring person  40  but also a person who does not put on the projector  33  can see the same image information concurrently.  
      Depicted by  50  is a portable screen  50  which is carried by the monitoring person  40 , and image information can be projected on the portable screen  50 . In this case, the monitoring person  40  projects image information on the portable screen  50  while inclining his or her head, as shown by an imaginary line (one dotted chain line)  41 . Depicted by  51  is image information thus projected. If the portable screen  50  is made of a translucent material, the monitoring person can see both image information and the background concurrently. Also in this case, a plurality of persons can see image information concurrently.  
      Depicted by  52  is markers disposed on the portable screen  50  at four corners. The projector  33  has a sensor capable of recognizing the markers  52  and can vary the projecting direction to all directions. The projector  33  is automatically adjusted so that the markers  52  are positioned at four corners of the portable screen  50 . As a result, image information can be always displayed on the portable screen  50  even if the monitoring person  40  does not adjust the positions of the projector  33  and the portable screen  50 .  
      Since the terminal  31  can grasp the positional relation between the projector  33  and the portable screen  50  when the sensor recognizes the markers  52 , the size, distortion, movement and so forth of image information thus projected can be automatically corrected.  
      The markers  52  may be provided not only on the portable screen  50  but also on the fixed projection screen  34 . By doing so, an optimum image information can be indicated on the projection screen  34  irrespective of the position of the monitoring person  40 .  
      Further, the sensor which recognizes the markers may be used as an input device. That is, different data may be displayed by varying the types and positions of the markers  52 , and the types and positions may be recognized by the sensor.  
      Although the projector  33  is put on by the head of the monitoring person  40  in  FIG. 2 , it may be put on by other portions such as a waist. If the projector  33  is put on by the head, it may be built in a helmet which render the projector  33  fixed by a hair band to be used like eye-glasses. If the projector  33  is put on by the waist, it  FIG. 3  shows another configuration of a terminal. In  FIG. 3 , depicted by  60  is a portable terminal and produces image information like the terminal  31 . Depicted by  61  is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver built in the portable terminal  60 . The GPS receiver  61  receives radio waves from a satellite, thereby specifying the position thereof. A position and a direction of the monitoring person  40  are specified by the GPS receiver  61 , and information thereof is sent in real time to the central controller, not shown. The central controller automatically transmits in real time information corresponding to the position of the monitoring person  40  to the terminal  60 .  
      For example, when the monitoring person  40  approaches a tank, the central controller transmits information such as a water level and a temperature of the tank to the portable terminal  60 . The portable terminal  60  converts this information into image information. The monitoring person  40  projects this image information on the tank. By doing so, the conditions of the tank can be more intuitively grasped.  
      Depicted by  62  is an IC tag reader built in the portable terminal  60 , which reads information stored in an IC tag attached to a structure. The portable terminal  60  transmits this IC tag information to the central controller. The central controller transmits information of the structure in which the IC tag is provided to the portable terminal  60 . By doing so, it is possible to automatically obtain information even in a place such as an indoor where the GPS receiver  61  can not be used. Both the GPS receiver  61  and the IC tag reader  62  are not always built in the portable terminal  60 . Either the GPS receiver  61  or the IC tag reader  62  alone may be built in the portable terminal  60 .  
      Meanwhile, if the terminal  31  and the projector  33  are stored in an airtight container, waterproof/explosion-proof function required by a site-type portable information terminal used in an industrial plant can be fulfilled. Still further, although it is premised that the monitoring person who monitors the industrial plant carries the image information display unit according to the embodiments described above, an operator who operates at a site other than the monitoring person  40  may use the image information display unit.