Patent Description:
Prism glasses have been known to utilize the property of prism lenses to refract incident light conventionally. As the prism glasses, <CIT> discloses a configuration in which prism lenses are used to refract incident light such that both left and right gazes are drawn inward in the left-right direction to reduce eye strain caused by obliquity, weakness of eye muscles, or insufficient muscle strength, for example.

<CIT> relates to variable prism eyeglasses. And <CIT> relates to a progressive enhanced visual field prism. A further example of rotating prisms in eyeglasses is disclosed in <CIT>.

Conventional prism glasses only work on the ease of view (visibility) when the wearer views the object, and do not work on the effect of the visual information received through the view on the brain, body, and mental state of the wearer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a visual information changing device capable of adjusting the effect of visual information received through the view on the brain, body, and mental state of the wearer.

To solve the above problem, the visual information changing device according to the present invention is worn to cover the eyes of the wearer, changes the direction of light from the external world, and inputs it to the eyes of the wearer.

The visual information changing device may be configured by a prism structure.

A visual information changing device may include: an imaging unit that captures an image using light from the external world; a processor that performs coordinate transformation process on the image data captured by the imaging unit to generate coordinate transformation data, and a display that displays the coordinate transformation data generated by the processor.

A prism structure includes: a frame; and two prism lenses arranged side by side in a left-right direction on the frame and refracting incident light incident on each of them in the same direction.

The refractive angle of each prism lens may be from <NUM>° to <NUM>°.

The prism lenses may be transparent in color.

The refractive angles in the two prism lenses may be the same with each other.

The two prism lenses may be thicker from a lower portion to an upper portion.

The two prism lenses may be thicker from the upper portion to the lower portion.

The two prism lenses may be thicker from the right side to the left side as viewed by the wearer when used by the wearer.

The two prism lenses may be thicker from the left side to the right side as viewed by the wearer when used by the wearer.

A method for selecting lenses in prism glasses including a frame; and two lenses arranged side by side in a left-right direction on the frame, which lenses refract incident light incident on each of them in the same direction, where the method includes the steps of: identifying a direction of eyeball immobility, which corresponds to a direction in which it is difficult to move eyeballs in a case where a subject moves only the eyeballs up, down, left and right while maintaining a mid-stance posture during walking; and selecting prism lenses that facilitate movement of the eyeballs in the direction of eyeball immobility identified in the step of identifying the direction of eyeball immobility.

In the prism glasses according to the present invention, two prism lenses allow incident light incident into each of them to refract in the same direction. This changes the visual information input into the brain of the wearer through vision, and in turn changes the spatial perception of the wearer to allow the effect of visual information on the brain and body of the wearer to be adjusted.

Prism glasses <NUM> as a visual information changing device according to a first unclaimed embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG> is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present invention, and <FIG> is a diagram illustrating a refraction of incident light in the prism glasses <NUM> according to a first unclaimed embodiment of the present invention.

The visual information changing device is worn over the eyes of the wearer and includes a function of changing the direction of light from the external world and inputting the light into the eyes of the wearer. In this embodiment, the visual information changing device is configured by a prism structure, especially prism glasses. In this description, a prism structure refers to a structure that has a property of refracting light, such as a prism lens.

As shown in <FIG>, prism glasses <NUM> as a prism structure according to the present embodiment includes a frame <NUM> and two prism lenses <NUM> arranged side by side in the left and right direction on the frame <NUM> to refract incident light incident on each of them in the same direction.

The refractive angles in the two prism lenses <NUM> are the same with each other. As shown in <FIG>, a refractive angle of the lens is directed to a refractive angle of the light incident on the lens, and refers to an angle θ between the light incident on the lens and the light emitted from the lens. The refractive angle of each prism lens <NUM> is assumed to be from <NUM>° to <NUM>°, and preferably be especially from <NUM>° to <NUM>°. In the prism lens <NUM>, the surface on the wearer side is flat, and the surface on the front side of the wearer is inclined with respect to the flat surface. This monotonously increases or decreases the thickness of the prism lens.

The prism lenses <NUM> are distinguished into base-left prisms 11A, base-right prisms 11B, base-down prisms 11C, and base-up prisms 11D depending on the direction to be refracted. In this first unclaimed embodiment, the base-left prisms 11A will be described.

The prism lenses <NUM> may be colorless or transparent, or it may be colored. For example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made red transparent, it may be expected to stimulate the secretion of adrenaline by allowing the sympathetic nerves of the wearer P1 (see <FIG>) dominant over the parasympathetic nerves. In addition, this secretion of adrenaline increases the pulse and respiratory rate of the wearer P1. This is expected to increase the sensible temperature and improve blood flow. Accordingly, it is recommended when the body feels cold, needs more energy and confidence, and wishes to be more energetic.

In addition, for example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made yellow transparent, the left brain of the wearer P1 is stimulated to be improved. This leads to positive thinking and improves communication skills, and is recommended, for example, when standing in front of others. In addition, it may be expected to increase the movement of the digestive system, improving appetite, for example. This is because it effects on the endocrine system to stimulate the secretion of growth hormone.

In addition, for example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made green transparent, the color becomes intermediate between warm and cold colors, achieving a sense of calmness and security due to less stimulation. In addition, green has long been believed to have a restorative effect on the eyes, and viewing forward through the green transparent prism lenses is expected to reduce fatigue.

In addition, for example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made blue transparent, it is expected to allow the parasympathetic nervous system to be dominant and to calm the excitement of the nerves. This is expected to lower blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature and relax the body and mind. It is recommended if the wearer P1 suffers from insomnia, or if the wearer P1 wishes to improve her/his ability to make calm judgments and observations, and face things carefully.

In addition, for example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made pink transparent, it is expected to promote secretion of female hormones. Accordingly, it is recommended if the wearer P1 wishes to feel feminine, if the wearer P1 is in love, or if the wearer P1 is suffering from gynecological problems. In addition, for example, when the prism lenses <NUM> are made purple transparent, it is a color mixture of two colors, i.e., red and blue, that have significantly different tones, and it serves to improve healing power and intuition, and is recommended when the mind is in a conflicted state.

As shown in <FIG>, in the present embodiment, the two prism lenses <NUM> are thicker from the right side to the left side as viewed by the wearer P1 when the wearer P1 uses them. The prism lenses <NUM> are called base-left prisms 11A. In the case of the base-left prisms 11A, the visual information of the wearer P1 is input in a state in which the visual information is shifted to the right side more than the actual space. This promotes the rotational movement of the eyeballs in the right direction.

To describe this point in detail, since the gaze leads the walking motion, when the target object moves to the right side, the walking motion in the right direction is promoted and the eyeballs rotate to the right side. The function of acquiring visual information about where the user is going and the function of accurately controlling trunk rotation by using the information about how much the user has moved her/his eyes (rotational movement of the eyes) to look in that direction are important. That is, a person walks using various information acquired from the vision in the unconsciousness. In addition, a fact that these changes change the optic flow is directed to a fact that the gait changes. As the gait changes, it may be expected to reconstruct the internal and external loops.

In addition, in the body of the wearer P1, the right weighting is promoted when she/he walks. This causes the right half of the body to be in a state of flexed tension as if the wearer P1 is going up a hill, and the left half of the body to be in a state of stretched relaxation as if the wearer P1 is going down a hill. This is called reciprocal alternating motion by walking. This is due to activation of the left cerebral cortex contralateral to the right side (i.e., pontomedullary reticular formation, PMRF).

As described above, according to the prism glasses <NUM> of the present embodiment, the two prism lenses <NUM> refract incident light incident on each of them in the same direction. This changes the visual information input into the brain of the wearer P1 through vision, and in turn changes the spatial perception of the wearer P1 to allow the effect of the visual information on the brain and body of the wearer P1 to be adjusted. This point will be described in detail below.

In general, a person determines her/his own standing position by visual information, vestibular sensation, and somatic sensation. Accordingly, various types of information input from vision effect the cerebral cortex and generate changes in the postural functions of the body. Further, the visual information is changed to change the spatial perception, changing the biased posture sense towards the normal posture sense that should be originally. That is, the input information that the person recognizes as the visual information may be expected to change the posture of the body as output information at an unconscious level by displacing the external space that is input through the vision.

For example, in a case in which a patient with strabismus complains of back pain when walking, as a result of analyzing the walking movements of the patient divided into the walking cycles of the patient, it has been confirmed that compensatory movements are reduced when the prism lenses <NUM> are worn. In this case, compensatory movements refer to postural changes and other movements performed to compensate for the fact that the patient has strabismus. To date, exercise instructors and therapists have focused on improving muscle strength in response to functional abnormalities seen in the gait movement, with the primary focus on correcting abnormalities in the gait movement as output by muscles.

However, the visual information, vestibular sensation information, and somatic sensation information are involved in the gait control. In addition, it has been confirmed recently that the visual information is used to the maximum extent for the function to cope with the disturbance of the movement pattern from the body control system that is repeatedly performed prior to occurring of the disturbance as well as the body control system that allows the patient to perform an ideal movement. Accordingly, for strabismic eye patients, the approach of using prism lenses <NUM> to alter spatial cognitive function is expected to be significantly effective.

In addition, ensuring the gliding of the eye movements limits the tension in the suboccipital muscle group. Accordingly, it is important to allow the eye movement to be performed independent from the head movement. As in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present invention, by using the prism lenses <NUM> and minimizing the load on the eyeballs, it is expected to ensure proper eyeball alignment. Here, eyeball alignment refers to a position of the eyeball in the eye socket.

Tension in walking may also be regarded as a compensatory act by the body to obtain visual information other than grounding and ground perception. That is, separating the movement of the eyeballs from the movement of the head (eye sockets) reduces the sacrifice of the other sensory organs and muscle tension in the extensor muscle groups to acquire vision.

In the case of using the base-left prisms 11A as in the prism glasses <NUM> according to this embodiment, the act of reaching for the target is repeatedly learned by using the space moved to the right side together with the target. This allows the wearer P1 to improve various movements in daily life by using the prism lenses <NUM> to change the space that the wearer P1 is unable to recognize due to injury or disease.

Specifically, patients with hemispatial neglect due to brain damage lose the ability to perceive half of their field of view, which significantly impairs their quality of life. Half of the field of vision cannot be recognized, significantly effecting walking and movement. The use of prism lenses <NUM> for the hemispatial neglect due to brain damage may help to improve the quality of life QOL of the client.

In addition, the unconscious position of the tongue in the mouth is connected to the eyeball alignment. This is due to the simultaneous firing action by the brainstem. Accordingly, the prism lenses <NUM> allow the position of the tongue to be changed. In the case of the base-left prisms 11A, the tongue of the wearer will be closer to the right side.

Next, the prism glasses <NUM> according to the second unclaimed embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>. In the following description, the description of the same configuration and the same advantages as in the first unclaimed embodiment are omitted. <FIG> shows the refraction of incident light in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the second unclaimed embodiment.

As shown in <FIG>, the two prism lenses <NUM> in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present embodiment are thicker from the left side to the right side as viewed by the wearer P1 when the wearer P1 uses them. The prism lenses <NUM> are called base-right prisms 11B.

In the case of the base-right prisms 11B, the visual information of the wearer P1 is input in a state in which the visual information is shifted to the left side more than the actual space. This promotes the rotational movement of the eyeballs in the left direction. In addition, in the body of the wearer P1, the left weighting is promoted when she/he walks. This causes the left half of the body to be in a state of flexed tension as if the wearer P1 is going up a hill, and the right half of the body to be in a state of stretched relaxation as if the wearer P1 is going down a hill. This is due to the activation of the right cerebral cortex contralateral to the left side.

As described above, in the case of using the base-right prisms 11B as in the prism glasses <NUM> according to this embodiment, the act of reaching for the target is repeatedly learned by using the space moved to the left side together with the target. This allows the wearer P1 to improve various movements in daily life by using the prism lenses <NUM> to change the space that the wearer P1 is unable to recognize.

A person inherently has a predominance of right peripheral vision over left peripheral vision. This is related to the right center of gravity and the fact that the left cerebral cortex is more active than the right cerebral cortex. In the case of the base right prisms 11B, the tongue of the wearer P1 will be closer to the left side.

Next, the prism glasses <NUM> according to the third unclaimed embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>. In the following description, the description of the same configuration and the same advantages as in the first unclaimed embodiment are omitted. <FIG> shows the refraction of incident light in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the third unclaimed embodiment.

As shown in <FIG>, the two prism lenses <NUM> in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present embodiment are thicker from the upper portion to the lower portion. The prism lenses <NUM> are called base-down prisms 11C. In the case of the base-down prisms 11C, the visual information of the wearer P1 is input in a state in which the visual information is shifted more upward than the actual space. This promotes the upward rotation movement of the eyeballs. In addition, the position of the head of the body of the wearer P1 changes to the back. In addition, heel contacting the ground and flexion of the flexor muscle group are promoted during walking.

As described above, the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present embodiment are capable of limiting the forward head position of the head and neck at which the neck tilts such that the head moves forward to reduce the load on the neck.

For example, if the neck is tilted such that the head is positioned <NUM> forward from the neutral position, the load on the neck increases by about <NUM>. This fails to ensure cervical neutrality (proper posture), resulting in neck pain, stiff shoulders, and obstructed carotid flow, which reduces blood flow to the brain. This fails to maintain the function of continuous blood circulation so that the person tends to feel drowsy and tired. The forward head also has a significant effect on respiratory function, and thus limiting the effect is significantly important for maintaining eye function and neck function. The base-down prisms 11C may be used to maintain these functions.

It is also expected to be effective in using spatial cognitive therapy with base-down prisms 11C to prevent modern diseases. When the eyeballs are rotated downward, such as in downward gyration or forward head or face-down, it causes an increase in intraocular pressure leading to prolongation of the ocular axis. The base-down prisms 11C support the upward movement function of the eyeballs and fail to create an extension of the ocular axis, thereby creating an environment in which a person is less prone to myopia.

Nowadays, due to the effects of digital devices, a person tends to look at things at close quarters, and the eyeballs tend to move downward. It has been reported that downward rotation of the eyeballs may inhibit occlusal movements, especially the proper development of the maxilla, and thus the use of the base-down prisms 11C is expected to promote upward rotation of the eyeballs and the proper development of the maxilla.

In addition, in general, most of the postures in which people look at digital devices correspond to eyeball downward rotations. Eyeball downward rotation refers to the intraorbital downward rotation of the eyeballs. A small amount of space is created posterior to each eye socket when the eye rotates downward. If the intraocular pressure increases (stimulation by digital devices) in a state in which this space is created, the ocular axis may prolong and change the eyeballs to become myopic.

In general, when the human body looks at objects closer than <NUM>, the adjustment effect of the lens eye works, and the anterior-posterior axis of the lens becomes longer. The anterior-posterior axis of the lens refers to the thickness of the thickest central portion of the lens eye in the anterior-posterior direction. This impedes the flow of aqueous humor and increases the intraocular pressure. Further, downward rotation of the eyeballs is also a cause of forward head, and if this posture continues, blood flow to the eyeballs is obstructed due to the load on the internal carotid artery, and the worst combination of reduced blood flow plus increased intraocular pressure leads to glaucoma, which may lead to blindness if it progresses, resulting in significant problems. For these problems, the base-down prisms 11C are expected to be effective in limiting the forward head position of the head and neck by causing the eyeballs to move upward.

In addition, a concern is that the intraocular pressure may increase when a person works at a desk using a smartphone and/or computer. The prescription of the base-down prisms 11C raises the horizontal baseline of space. This may be expected to limit the increase in intraocular pressure caused by the downward rotation of the eyeballs and the downward direction of the eyeballs themselves, thereby protecting the function of the eyes from eye diseases such as glaucoma.

In the case of the base-down prisms 11C, the tongue of the wearer P1 will be closer to the upper side. The movement of the tongue is concerned with the movement of the eyes, and in this case, the upward rotation of the eyes allows the tongue to easily touch the palate in the oral cavity unconsciously. This leads to a proper position of the tongue in the mouth and an approach to change breathing from mouth breathing to nose breathing. This is expected to stabilize trunk and lower limb muscle strength, improve forward head, and eliminate apnea syndrome in the low tongue position.

The base-down prisms 11C may also be used to adjust the autonomic nervous system in unconsciousness. Modern people often use their eyes in such a way that results in a predominantly eyeball downward rotation. The action of the eyeball downward rotation is innervated by the trochlear and oculomotor nerves. Since the pulley nerve as the more dominant fourth cranial nerve is innervated by the sympathetic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system is always overactive during the eyeball downward rotation.

In contrast, the base-down prisms 11C support the upward rotation of the eyeballs. The eyeball upward rotation movement is innervated by the oculomotor nerve as the third cranial nerve, and the oculomotor nerve is parasympathetically innervated. This may expect an effect of increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system by performing the eyeball upward rotation movement.

In addition, the base-down prisms 11C may be used to unconsciously support the optimization of the tongue position. That is, the eyeball upward rotation displaces the tongue upward to contact the palate. When the tongue is in this position, the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant since a person subconsciously promotes nasal breathing.

In addition, the frontal lobe of the brain consumes more oxygen when a person breaths through the mouth than when she/he breaths through the nose, and the activity of it fails to rest. In contrast, nasal breathing reduces the breathing frequency, and the effect of parasympathetic nerve dominance may be further expected.

In addition, a posture in which flexion of the flexor muscle group is predominant using the base-down prisms 11C may be expected to limit tension in the posterior mediastinum. Since the posterior mediastinum is a collection of sympathetic ganglia, limiting the tension in the posterior mediastinum may be expected to promote inhalation during respiration. The above described three effects of the upward rotation of the eyeballs, change in tongue position, and limiting of tension in the posterior mediastinum may be expected to have a significantly large effect on adjusting the balance of the autonomic nervous system by creating a state of parasympathetic dominance in place of the constant state of sympathetic dominance that is characteristic of modern people.

Next, the prism glasses <NUM> according to the fourth unclaimed embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>. In the following description, the description of the same configuration and the same advantages as in the first unclaimed embodiment are omitted. <FIG> shows the refraction of incident light in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the fourth unclaimed embodiment.

As shown in <FIG>, the two prism lenses <NUM> in the prism glasses <NUM> according to the present embodiment are thicker from the lower portion to the upper portion. The prism lenses <NUM> are called base-up prisms 11D. In the case of the base-up prisms 11D, the visual information of the wearer P1 is input in a state in which the visual information is shifted more downward than the actual space. This promotes the downward rotation movement of the eyeballs. In addition, the position of the head of the body of the wearer P1 changes to the front. In addition, limitation of heel contacting the ground and stretching of the extensor muscle group are promoted during walking.

In the case of the base-up prisms 11D according to this embodiment, the tongue of the wearer P1 will be closer to the lower side. The movement of the tongue is concerned with the movement of the eyes, which may lead to over-tensioning of the lower limb muscle groups, which could, for example, disrupt a stable state on purpose. A situation in which such an effect is expected is assumed, for example, an application in which a person that fails to be good at stretching an extensor muscle group selectively uses it in a sports situation, for example.

Next, with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, a method for selecting prism lenses <NUM> to determine which of the prism lenses <NUM> of the first to fourth unclaimed embodiments should be used will be described. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the first posture in the method for selecting the prism lenses. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the second posture in the method for selecting the prism lenses.

In the method for selecting the lenses in the prism glasses <NUM>, a step of identifying a direction of eyeball immobility of the subject P2, and a step of selecting prism lenses <NUM> based on the direction of eyeball immobility are performed.

In the immobile direction identifying step, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, it is checked whether the subject P2 is capable of moving only the eyeballs up and down and left and right with respect to the head (eye sockets) while maintaining the mid-stance posture during walking (referred to as separation movement). This identifies the direction of eyeball immobility, which is the direction in which it is difficult for the subject to move the eyeballs. Next, in the step of selecting the lenses, prism lenses <NUM> that facilitate the movement of the eyeballs in the direction of eyeball immobility identified in the immobility direction identifying step are selected. These will be described in detail below.

First, as the immobility direction identifying step, the subject P2 is caused to maintain a posture that is the middle right stance (first posture) as shown in <FIG>. The middle right stance is directed to a state in which the right side of the body is flexed (tensed) and the left side is stretched (relaxed). To describe this posture in detail, the subject is caused to stand such that the right lower limb is positioned behind the left lower limb. In this case, the right knee is not fixed. The left upper limb is positioned posteriorly and the right one anteriorly (to reproduce the alternating gait motion). The right hip joint is also positioned more posteriorly than the left hip joint. If the subject is unable to take this posture, it is out of evaluation and the prism lenses <NUM> are not ready for use. Also, the subject is caused to maintain the posture without stopping breathing during the evaluation.

Next, in the state shown in <FIG>, A) only the eyeballs are moved downward to check if the posture may be maintained while the subject is looking downward. In addition, B) it is checked if the subject is able to maintain the posture while looking to the right with only the eyeballs. If the determinations in A) and B) are NG, it is recognized that the direction of eyeball immobility is the right side. In this case, a plan in which the base-left prisms 11A enhance right visuospatial perception is created.

Next, in the state shown in <FIG>, D) only the eyeballs are moved toward the left side to check if the posture may be maintained while the subject is looking at the left side. If the determination in D) is NG, it is recognized that the immobility direction is the left side. In this case, in the step of selecting the lenses, the base-right prisms 11B are selected as prism lenses <NUM> that facilitate eyeball movement toward the left side.

Next, in the state shown in <FIG>, B) only the eyeballs are moved upward to check if the posture may be maintained while the subject is looking upward. If the determination in B) is NG, it is recognized that the direction of eyeball immobility is upward. In this case, in the step of selecting the lenses, the base-down prisms 11C are selected as prism lenses <NUM> that facilitate upward eyeball movement.

Next, from the state shown in <FIG>, E) the head is turned to the left, and the right side is looked at with the eyeballs only. If the eyeball movement fails to be independent from the head and neck movement in this movement, the evaluations in A) to D) that have already been performed may fail to be appropriate. Accordingly, the evaluations in A) to D) are performed again.

In addition, the subject P2 is caused to maintain a posture (second posture) that is the middle-left stance as shown in <FIG>. The middle-left stance is directed to a state in which the left side of the body is flexed (tensed) and the right side is stretched (relaxed). Then, F) only the eyeballs are moved downward to check if the posture may be maintained while the subject is looking downward. In addition, G) it is checked if the subject is able to maintain the posture while looking to the right with only the eyeballs. Further, H) it is checked if the subject is able to maintain the posture while looking to the left with only the eyeballs. If the determinations in F), G), and H) are NG, it is recognized that the direction of eyeball immobility is the left side. In this case, a plan in which the base-right prisms 11B enhance left visuospatial perception is created.

In addition, in the state shown in <FIG>, I) only the eyeballs are moved upward to check if the posture may be maintained while the subject is looking upward. If the determination in I) is NG, it is recognized that the direction of eyeball immobility is upward. In this case, a plan in which the base-down prisms 11C enhance upper visuospatial perception is created.

In the state shown in <FIG>, the head is turned to the right, and the left side is viewed with the eyeballs only. If the eyeballs cannot be moved independent from the head and neck in this movement, the evaluations in F) to I) that have already been performed may fail to be appropriate. Accordingly, the evaluations in F) to I) are performed again.

Next, variations of the prism structure will be described using <FIG> and <FIG>. <FIG> shows a first variation of the prism structure according to the present invention, and <FIG> shows a second variation of the prism structure according to the present invention. The prism structure <NUM> according to the first variation shown in <FIG> is directed to prism lenses with an attachment structure that may be attached to and detached from the existing glasses <NUM>, or, in place of such an attachment structure, a prism sheet in the form of a seal, for example, may be configured to be attached to the existing glasses <NUM>.

The prism structure <NUM> according to the second variation shown in <FIG> is directed to a goggle structure in which the prism lenses may be fixed to the head of the wearer P1 by wrapping the structure around the head. The prism lenses may be two left and right lenses, or a single lens for the left and right sides.

Next, the visual information changing device <NUM> according to the fifth unclaimed embodiment will be described with reference to <FIG>. In this embodiment, in place of the prism structure, the visual information changing device <NUM> is embodied by a virtual reality VR goggle. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the visual information changing device <NUM> according to the fifth unclaimed embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a diagram illustrating a display <NUM> of the visual information changing device <NUM>. <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the visual information changing device <NUM>, and <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the state of use of the visual information changing device <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the visual information changing device <NUM> includes two left and right frames <NUM> and a main body of the device supported by the frames <NUM>. The two left and right of frames <NUM> are placed over the ears to allow the device to be worn such that the main body <NUM> covers the eyes of the wearer P1. Imaging unit(s) <NUM> facing forward is disposed in front of the device body <NUM>. The imaging units <NUM> have a function of capturing images using light from the external world, and are arranged in a pair spaced on the left and right sides. The imaging unit(s) <NUM> may be one, or three or more.

As shown in <FIG>, a display <NUM> (monitor) is provided on the rear surface of the main body <NUM> of the device (in front of the wearer P1). The display <NUM> is configured by a first display 44A on the left side and a second display 44B on the right side. Images corresponding to binocular parallax are displayed on the first display 44A and the second display 44B, respectively. The display <NUM> may be configured by a single monitor common to the left and right sides.

As shown in <FIG>, the visual information changing device <NUM> includes a processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> performs coordinate transformation processing on the imaging data imaged by an imaging unit <NUM> to generate the coordinate transformation data. The processor <NUM> controls portions of the visual information changing device <NUM>, and may be, for example, a central processing unit CPU. The processor <NUM> may be a microprocessor, an ASIC, and an FPGA, for example, and may have any configuration, not limited to these examples, as long as it is capable of controlling the portions of the visual information changing device <NUM>. Further, the processor <NUM> may be implemented by cloud computing configured by one or more computers, and may be implemented in a device different from the device body <NUM>.

The display <NUM> then displays the coordinate transformation data generated by the processor <NUM>. This point will be described in detail below. As shown in <FIG>, the two left and right imaging units <NUM> each take images using light from the external world in front of them to acquire two types of imaging data. The two types of imaging data have different data contents based on the parallax caused by the positions of the two image sensors.

Next, the processor <NUM> assumes a reference point X as a focal point of vision of the wearer P1 based on these data. For this reference point X, coordinate transformation processing is performed for each of the two types of imaging data so that the reference point X becomes the displacement point X' based on the preset displacement difference Δt. This process causes the spatial information held by each of the two coordinate transformation data to be shifted to the right by the displacement difference Δt relative to the imaging data. Although the example of managing the displacement difference Δt as a dimension is described, it may also be managed by the amount of change in angle.

Each of the first display 44A and the second display 44B then displays the corresponding one of the two types of coordinate transformation data to the corresponding eye so that the spatial information is input to the wearer P1 in a changed state. This allows the direction of the light from the external world to be changed and input to the eyes of the wearer P1, thereby achieving the same effect as that of the base-left prisms 11A according to the first unclaimed embodiment described above.

The direction in which the spatial information is changed may be either up, down, left or right, and any direction and magnitude of the displacement difference Δt may be set optionally. In such a case, for example, a setting portion that provides input to the processor <NUM> may be provided in the main body <NUM> of the device, and the displacement difference Δt may be adjusted to correspond to the above described refractive angle of the prisms by operating this setting portion.

The above described unclaimed embodiments are merely examples of representative embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, various variations may be made to the above described unclaimed embodiments to the extent that they are within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in each of the above unclaimed embodiments, a configuration in which the refractive angle of each prism lens <NUM> is <NUM>° to <NUM>° is shown. Any refractive angle of the prism lens <NUM> may be set optionally. The prism lens <NUM> may have or may fail to have a predetermined power for vision correction to eliminate nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

In addition to the variations described above, these variations may be selected and combined as appropriate, or the other variations may be applied.

In the above-mentioned unclaimed embodiment, an example is illustrated in which prismatic lenses that are thicker at one end than at the other end are used so that the prism lens glasses allow the areas that the wearer is unable to see (or recognize) when not wearing the prism lens glasses to be visible, thereby stimulating the brain and activating areas of the brain that are not being used. The phrase "areas that the wearer is unable to see (recognize)" here includes the spatial information that is not widely used in the visuospatial map, which is biased by a decline in visuospatial cognitive ability caused by actual brain damage, for example, or by habits causing shifts in visual space depending on the environment even in healthy people.

In this sixth unclaimed embodiment, a form of improving the convenience of prism lens glasses will be described. That is, the following describes a form in which a single set of prism lens glasses is capable of changing the input direction to the field of view of the wearer.

<FIG> show a form of prism lens glasses according to this sixth unclaimed embodiment. <FIG> is a perspective view of prism lens glasses <NUM>, and <FIG> are top views of the prism lens glasses <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the prism lens glasses <NUM> have a frame and prism lenses <NUM> as shown in the above unclaimed embodiment. The frame includes a bridge <NUM>, front portions <NUM> that are connected by the bridge <NUM> and sandwich the corresponding prism lenses <NUM>, temples <NUM> extending from the corresponding front portions <NUM>, tips <NUM> provided at the corresponding ends of the temples, and nose pads <NUM> that are provided on the corresponding front portions <NUM> and contact the nose of the wearer to support the prism lens glasses.

In the sixth unclaimed embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the left and right prism lenses <NUM> are respectively rotatably connected to the corresponding front portions. <FIG> shows the state before rotation, <FIG> shows the state during rotation, and <FIG> shows the state after rotation. <FIG> may be before rotation and <FIG> may be after rotation, and the direction of rotation in <FIG> may be reversed. The nose pads <NUM> are configured to fail to interfere with the rotation of the prism lenses <NUM>.

Specifically, as shown in <FIG>, each prism lens <NUM> is rotatably connected to the corresponding front portion <NUM> by screws <NUM> and <NUM> at the top and bottom, respectively. <FIG> is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the front portion <NUM> where the screws <NUM> and <NUM> are provided.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the front portion <NUM> includes female threads that are configured to mate with the corresponding threads of the screws <NUM> and <NUM>. The prism lens <NUM> includes holes <NUM> and <NUM> into which the corresponding tips of the screws <NUM> and <NUM> are inserted. Both the screws <NUM> and <NUM> are semi-threaded with no threads at their tips where they mate with the corresponding holes <NUM> and <NUM>. Accordingly, the prism lens <NUM> is rotatably connected to the front portion <NUM>. Even in a configuration in which a hemispherical concave portion is provided on the front portion <NUM> and a hemispherical convex portion that fits into the concave portion is provided on an edge of the prism lens <NUM>, the prism lens <NUM> may be rotatably connected to the front portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the prism lens <NUM> includes a groove <NUM> along an edge of the lens. <FIG> is a perspective view of the prism lens <NUM>, and <FIG> is a side view of the prism lens <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the front portion <NUM> of the prism lens glasses <NUM> includes a protrusion <NUM> on its inner side for fitting into the groove <NUM> of the prism lens <NUM>. <FIG> shows the front portion <NUM> in a state in which the front portion <NUM> is not fitted with the prism lens <NUM>. The frame of the prism lens glasses <NUM> is configured to have a certain level of rigidity and to have enough elasticity to allow rotation of the prism lens <NUM> and to fit the protrusion <NUM> into the groove <NUM> by human force so that the prism lens <NUM> fails to rotate unless a force exceeding a predetermined level is applied. This prevents the prism lens <NUM> from rotating by itself when the wearer wears the prism lens glasses <NUM>. A configuration in which the groove <NUM> is provided in the front portion <NUM> and the protrusion <NUM> is provided on the prism lens <NUM> may also be employed.

The prism lens glasses <NUM> function as base-left prisms in the form shown in <FIG> and as base-right prisms in the form shown in <FIG>. The prism lens glasses <NUM> may shift the image in two directions, left and right, and input it to the eyes of the wearer as described above. Leading a life while wearing the prism glasses <NUM> for a certain amount of time or longer (for example, but not limited to half a day) and shifting the image and inputting it to the eyes allow the wearer to stimulate areas of the brain that are different from normal. As shown in the above unclaimed embodiment, this also allows the wearer to use the glasses to correct the posture of the wearer, for example.

As described above, the prism lens glasses <NUM> according to the sixth unclaimed embodiment allows the wearer to accept a view input in which the image is shifted from the right to left or from the left to right, allowing the user to use the glasses such that the brain of the wearer is stimulated in two directions.

In the examples shown in <FIG> and <FIG>above, an example of rotating the prism lens <NUM> about the vertical direction as the rotation axis is shown. However, the example is not limited to the vertical direction as the rotation axis. It may be rotated about the horizontal direction as the rotation axis.

<FIG> show side views of prism lens glasses <NUM>. In contrast to the prism lens glasses <NUM> shown in <FIG> where the screws <NUM> and <NUM> are provided vertically to the front portion <NUM>, this variation differs in that a screw <NUM> is horizontally connected to the front portion <NUM> and prism lens <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in the prism lens glasses <NUM>, the prism lens <NUM> is sandwiched by the front portion <NUM>. The prism lens <NUM> is rotatably connected to the front portion <NUM> by the screw <NUM> at an end of the front portion <NUM> on the temple <NUM> side.

As shown in <FIG>, the left and right prism lenses <NUM> are respectively rotatably connected to the corresponding front portions <NUM>. <FIG> shows the state before rotation, <FIG> shows the state during rotation, and <FIG> shows the state after rotation. <FIG> may be before rotation and <FIG> may be after rotation, and the direction of rotation in <FIG> may be reversed. The nose pads <NUM> are configured to vertically rotate without interfering with the rotation of the prism lenses <NUM>. Accordingly, the prism lens glasses <NUM> according to the variation <NUM> may be used in both a base-up form as shown in <FIG> and a base-down form as shown in <FIG>.

The rotation axis of the prism lens <NUM> may be inclined with respect to the front portion as long as it is rotatable.

In the above sixth unclaimed embodiment and sixth unclaimed embodiment variation <NUM>, a circular shape is shown as an example as a shape of a prism lens of prism lens glasses. However, the shape of the prism lens <NUM> is not limited to the circular shape as long as the prism lens <NUM> is rotatable with respect to the front portion of the prism lens glasses.

<FIG> show prism lens glasses <NUM> in which the prism lenses <NUM> are configured as substantially rectangle with curved sides in place of the circular shape.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the prism lens glasses <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the prism lens glasses <NUM> are configured such that the shape of the front portion <NUM> and the prism lens <NUM> is substantially rectangular. Each prism lens <NUM> is rotatably connected at the top and bottom of the corresponding front portion <NUM> of the frame by screws <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. Accordingly, the prism lens <NUM> of the prism lens glasses <NUM> is configured to be laterally rotatable with respect to the front portion <NUM> of the frame as shown in <FIG>. Accordingly, in the same manner as shown in <FIG>, prism lens glasses <NUM> that function as base-left prism lens glasses and base-right prism lens glasses may be provided.

In contrast, <FIG> shows an example in which each prism lens <NUM> is connected to the front portion <NUM> of the frame in the left-right direction in a rotatable manner. As shown in <FIG>, the prism lens <NUM> is connected horizontally to the front portion <NUM> by a screw <NUM> from the outside of the front portion (right outer end and left outer end). In the same manner, the prism lens <NUM> is connected horizontally to the front portion <NUM> by a screw <NUM> from the inside of the front portion (bridge side). The axes of the screw <NUM> and screw <NUM> are the same with each other. Accordingly, the prism lens <NUM> rotates with respect to the front portion <NUM> about the same rotation axis. The shapes of the screws <NUM> and <NUM> and the manner in which they are connected to the front portion <NUM> are in the same manner as shown in <FIG>.

Although <FIG> shows an example in which the prism lens <NUM> is laterally rotated and <FIG> shows an example in which the prism lens <NUM> is vertically rotated, the direction of rotation may be opposite to the direction of the arrows shown in <FIG>.

As described above, the prism lens <NUM> is rotatable with respect to the frame and may be of any shape as long as the prism lens <NUM> mates with the frame, left and right, up and down. That is, the appearance of the prism lens <NUM> may be of any shape as long as the left and right shapes are symmetrical about the rotation axis when the lens is horizontally rotated and the top and bottom shapes are symmetrical about the rotation axis when the lens is vertically rotated. With respect to the thickness of the prism lens <NUM>, it is sufficient if the thickness of the prism lens <NUM> becomes thicker (thinner) from one end to the other end. Accordingly, prism lens glasses having prism lenses <NUM> of a shape other than circular may also be provided, and the satisfaction of the wearer in viewing the glasses as a fashion item may also be achieved.

In the above sixth unclaimed embodiment, variation <NUM> and variation <NUM>, examples are shown in which the direction of refraction of light may be changed by rotating the prism lens <NUM> with respect to the front portion of the frame, thereby changing the areas of the brain of the wearer to be stimulated. This variation <NUM> describes an example in which the base-left prism lens glasses may be modified into base-right prism lens glasses by changing the way the wearer uses the prism lens glasses.

<FIG> is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the prism lens glasses <NUM> according to the present variation <NUM>. The prism lens glasses <NUM> are directed to glasses that may be used in the form shown in <FIG> and also in the form in which the top and bottom are reversed. To this end, as shown in <FIG>, each tip <NUM> at the corresponding end of the temple <NUM> that connects to the front portion of the prism lens glasses <NUM> is linearly configured. <FIG> is a rear view of the side of the prism lens glasses <NUM> on which the wearer looks when using the prism lens glasses <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG>, the front portions <NUM> include nose pads <NUM> in the vertical direction thereof. In the prism lens glasses <NUM>, as shown in the previous embodiments and variations, and as shown in <FIG>, a prism lens <NUM> having a thickness increasing (decreasing) from one end to the other is used. In the prism lens glasses <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the direction of increasing the thickness of the prism lens <NUM> may be left-right direction, up-down direction, or even diagonal direction depending on the areas of the brain to be stimulated.

<FIG> show another example of nose pads. <FIG> shows an example of general nose pads in the vertical direction. Even in this form, the prism lens glasses <NUM> may be fixed to the face of the wearer in any of the vertical directions.

<FIG> show an example in which the nose pads <NUM> are rotatably provided about the axis <NUM> with respect to the bridge <NUM> connecting the front portions <NUM> of the prism lens glasses <NUM>. As illustrated, the nose pads <NUM> are configured by a series of members for left and right, and include pads in contact with the nose of the wearer at ends thereof. At the central portion thereof, the nose pads are rotatably connected to the bridge <NUM> by the shaft <NUM>.

As shown in the changes of <FIG>, by rotating the nose pads <NUM>, the prism lens glasses <NUM> may be used with the lower side of the paper as the lower side in the case of <FIG> and with the upper side of the paper as the lower side in the case of <FIG>. Accordingly, with only the two nose pads, the prism lens glasses <NUM> that may withstand use in both directions, up and down, may be provided.

The conception to allow the prism lens glasses <NUM> and prism lens glasses <NUM> to be usable either up or down is not limited to these. For example, when each tip of the prism lens glasses <NUM> shown in <FIG> is configured to be bent with respect to the corresponding temple to facilitate hanging on the ears of the wearer, the tip may be configured to be rotatable with respect to the temple so that it can be hung on the corresponding ear of the wearer even when used upside down. Alternatively, when the tip of the prism lens glasses <NUM> is configured to be bent with respect to the corresponding temple for easy hanging on the corresponding ear, the tip may be made in a two-way structure with the tip separated from the temples on the upper and lower sides thereof so that it can be hung on the corresponding ear of the wearer from either side.

In the above sixth unclaimed embodiment, variation <NUM> and variation <NUM>, examples of changing the direction of shifting the field of view by rotating the prism lens <NUM> vertically or horizontally with respect to the front portion of the frame are shown. In this embodiment, an example of rotating the prism lens <NUM> along the front portion of the frame according to the claimed invention is described.

<FIG> is a perspective view of prism lens glasses <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the prism lens glasses <NUM> include a frame and prism lenses <NUM> as shown in the above embodiment. The frame includes a bridge <NUM>, front portions <NUM> (each including 2002a, 2002b) that are connected by the bridge <NUM> and sandwich the corresponding prism lenses <NUM>, temples <NUM> extending from the corresponding front portions 2002b, tips <NUM> provided at the corresponding ends of the temples, and nose pads <NUM> that are provided on the corresponding front portions <NUM> and contact the nose of the wearer to support the prism lens glasses.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the front portion <NUM> of the prism lens <NUM> in a side view. As shown in the above embodiment, the prism lens <NUM> is directed to a prism lens capable of changing the visual information input to the corresponding eye of the wearer by refracting the incoming incident light in the same direction in comparison to the case where the glasses are not worn by the wearer. As illustrated in <FIG>, the prism lens has a configuration in which the thickness thereof increases (decreases) from one end to the other end. For the sake of clarity, <FIG> shows an example of the prism lens <NUM> where the upper portion in the drawing is the thickest portion and the lower portion is the thinnest portion. Since the prism lens <NUM> is configured to be rotatable with respect to the front portion as described above, the location (direction) where the thickness becomes the thickest may be changed as appropriate by the rotation angle, and the refractive direction may be changed as well.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view of the front portion <NUM> of the prism lens <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the front portion <NUM> includes a front side front portion 2002a and a rear side front portion 2002b. The front side front portion 2002a is configured to be rotatable with respect to the rear side front portion 2002b. The front side front portion 2002a includes a folded portion <NUM>, and the folded portion <NUM> is rotatable with respect to the rear side front portion 2002b by fitting the folded portion <NUM> into a groove provided in the rear side front portion 2002b.

As shown in <FIG>, the front portion <NUM> is configured such that the front side front portion 2002a is rotatable with respect to the rear side front portion 2002b by a bezel mechanism and may be fixed at a predetermined angle. That is, the front side front portion 2002a includes a wire <NUM> curved along the rim of the front portion <NUM>, and the wire <NUM> includes a protrusion <NUM> that is partly configured to have a cheveron shape. As shown in <FIG>, the rear side front portion 2002b includes curved racks <NUM> with inwardly protruding cheverons along its outer rim. The protrusion <NUM> mates with the valley portion of the rack <NUM> to allow the front side front portion 2002a to be secured against the rear side front portion 2002b such that it fails to rotate. In contrast, the wire <NUM> is flexible enough to be deflected when the front side front portion 2002a is rotated by human power. Accordingly, the application of the human power rotates the front side front portion 2002a. In <FIG>, the folded portion <NUM> is omitted so that it can be easily understood that the wire <NUM> mates with each cheveron of the rack <NUM> of the rear side front portion 2002b.

In <FIG>, although the structure to fix the rotation by the wire <NUM> is embodied, it may be embodied by the other means than the wire <NUM>. For example, a rack may also be provided on the front side front portion 2002a, and the projection (cheveron) of the rack on the front side front portion 2002a may be mated with the recessed portion (valley) of the rack <NUM> on the rear side front portion 2002b to prevent the front portion <NUM> from rotating by itself. The chevelon of one rack may be made shallower (lower) than that of the other rack, allowing the human power to easily rotate the rack, that is, less force is required to rotate it. In addition, the position of the apex of the chevelon of one of the racks may be biased to employ a structure that limits the direction of rotation of the front side front portion 2002a to only one direction, clockwise or counterclockwise. The gap between the chevelons of the rack may be adjusted to set the position where the prism lens <NUM> stops, i.e., the rotation angle to any angle.

<FIG> shows an example in which the prism lens <NUM> is rotated with respect to the front portion <NUM> of the frame along the front portion, and in which the frame is other than circular, although the prism lens <NUM> itself is circular as in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, an example is shown in which the front portion <NUM> of the frame is substantially rectangular. Even in such a shape, the prism lens <NUM> itself is circular and the frame itself may be configured in a shape other than circular, and the prism lens glasses <NUM> in a form satisfactory to the wearer may be used.

The prism lens glasses according to the forms of the sixth embodiment may be used as over-lens glasses. That is, a form may be employed in which a wearer that wears glasses for orthoptics may also wear prism lens glasses over the top of the glasses. For this purpose, a spring structure may be employed for the temple portion of the glasses so that the temple portion is biased toward the wearer's side, that is, a spring hinge frame may be used.

When used as the over-lens glasses, the prism lens glasses may fail to have temples, but may be configured to have a mounting portion that is mounted to the glasses of the wearer for orthoptics, for example, as shown in <FIG>. For example, the prism lens glasses may be configured as clip-on type glasses.

Claim 1:
Glasses (<NUM>; <NUM>) for adjusting an effect on a brain and a body of a wearer, comprising:
a frame (<NUM>) for holding prism lenses; and
two left and right prism lenses (<NUM>, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D) arranged side by side in a left-right direction on the frame (<NUM>), which lenses refract incident light incident on each of them in the same direction, thereby changing visual information input to eyes of the wearer in comparison to a case where the wearer is not wearing the glasses, wherein
both the two left and right prism lenses are evenly inclined from one end to another end of each of them;
wherein the frame includes a rotating mechanism that holds each prism lens rotatably with respect to the frame, and
the rotating mechanism is configured to rotate each prism lens such that an entire peripheral portion of the prism lens is along a rim of a front portion (<NUM>) of the frame;
the front portion (<NUM>) includes a front side front portion (2002a) and a rear side front portion (2002b),
the prism lens is located and held in the front portion (2002a), and
the front side front portion (2002a) is configured to be rotatable with respect to the rear side front portion (2002b),
characterized in that
the front side front portion 2002a includes a folded portion (<NUM>), and the folded portion (<NUM>) is rotatable with respect to the rear side front portion (2002b) by fitting the folded portion (<NUM>) into a groove provided in the rear side front portion (2002b).