Sony Corporation

Ichiro Kosugi

Yoshio Okoshi

Toshiharu Yanagida

Keiichi Fujinuma

Akira Ogihara

Isao Sawachika

Atsushi Koide

Daiji Takahashi

A display portionand a camera portionare disposed in a main body. A housing of the main bodyis made of an non-electroconductive material. One side surface of the main bodyis an information input surfaceof an input apparatus. Disposed in the housing on the side surface of the information input surface is a light, thin-film shaped electrostatic sensor. By moving a finger tipon the information input surfaceupward and downward while contacting thereon, a cursor moves on the display portion. Tap positions U, C, and L into which the information input surfaceis divided in its height direction are defined. When each tap position is lightly tapped one time, releasing and touching states of the finger tipare detected by the sensor and a tap operation is recognized. The tap operation includes a confirmation of a menu at the cursor position, a shutter operation, and so forth. The difference of tap positions can be detected by the sensor.

Input apparatus, information terminal apparatus, and mode switching method

Biogenic information of the user is obtained through a camera unit and an authentication sensor and compared with biogenic information of a person with use authority has previously been stored, thereby discriminating whether or not the user has the use authority. When the user is authenticated, that is, if it is determined that the user is the person with the use authority, an electronic apparatus permits the user to use each function and operate. The authentication of the user is executed when the user wears the electronic apparatus. After he removes it, the authentication result is not held, thereby disabling a person without the use authority to use the electronic apparatus. The biogenic information (physical feature) of the user is detected and the personal authentication can be executed without requiring the user to execute the annoying inputting operation for the personal authentication.

Electronic apparatus and authenticating method

An eyeglasses type image display apparatus can be connected to a computer having a large amount of information so that it can display information from the computer on a large screen. The apparatus is adapted to be mounted on a head of a user to display an image in front of eyes of the user, and includes a connector capable of receiving information from a computer, a processor for processing the information, and a display unit for displaying an image based on the information processed. The connector includes a wire or a radio section for transmitting information. The display unit can display an image and has a see-through function for allowing the user to see the external world therethrough.

Eyeglasses type image display apparatus

An optical visualizing apparatus for use in a head mounted display unit contains a liquid crystal shutter designed to allow a viewer to see both an image display and scenery outside of the image display at the same time. The apparatus contains a screen placed in front of the viewer's eyes, an optical visualizing unit to display an image on the screen, a mounting unit for supporting the optical visualizing unit in front of the viewer's face, and a control unit that can either suspend transmission of the image and allow clear sighting through the screen without the image or, if desired, simultaneous display of the image and sighting of scenery outside of the image. The control unit preferably controls a liquid crystal shutter that can adjust the amount of external light entering the display apparatus over two ranges, one range corresponding to the image area and the other range corresponding to the area surrounding the image area, so that the user can view a displayed image and external scenery clearly and simultaneously.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Ichiro Kosugi