Video display with pan function controlled by viewing direction

• US 10,354,359 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keller, Anton Werner, Bernold, Roland Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, James A
• Application Number:
  US14/913,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20160203581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning

Abstract

A video processor is responsive to an output of a pair of cameras that are used for determining a viewer viewing direction of a display screen. As long as the viewer'"'"'s viewing angular direction is directed toward a center region of a display screen, the pan function is disabled. When the viewer'"'"'s viewing angle crosses a first threshold angular direction away from the screen center, dynamically tracking pan function is enabled so as to shift the displayed picture. When the viewer'"'"'s viewing angle crosses an even larger, second threshold angular direction, the picture will shift in the same direction but at a faster rate. When the viewer'"'"'s viewing angular direction decreases in a manner to cross a threshold angular direction that is smaller than the first threshold angular direction further picture shift is suspended. Thereby, a hysteresis feature is incorporated. When the viewer'"'"'s viewing angular direction continues changing in the same direction that causes the suspension in the picture shift in a manner to cross a third threshold angular direction, that is adaptable to the accumulated picture shift, the picture shifts in the opposite direction.

Claims

1. A video display apparatus, comprising:

a source of a video signal containing picture information of a picture to be displayed on a display screen, said video signal comprising a succession of scenes;

an interface for receiving a signal indicative of a viewing angular direction of a viewer with respect to said display screen;

a video processor configured to detect when a scene change occurs in said video signal; and

a processor responsive to an output signal of said signal indicative of a viewing direction and coupled to said display screen and configured to display a zoomed part of the picture, said zoomed part of the picture being shifted according to a pan/tilt function applied with respect to said viewing angular direction according to said display screen, said pan/tilt function being applied when said viewing angular direction crosses, in a first direction, a first threshold angular direction and for continuing said picture shifting until said viewing angular direction crosses, in a direction opposite to said first direction, a second threshold angular direction that is at an angle smaller than an angle of the first threshold angular direction in a manner to provide hysteresis, wherein the pan-tilt function is reset to center the zoomed part of the picture when a scene change is detected by the video processor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, prior to said viewing angular direction crossing said first threshold angular direction, said picture shifting is disabled.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after crossing said second threshold angular direction and as long as said viewing angular direction is within a range of values, additional accumulation of picture shifting is disabled.

4. The video display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for generating said signal indicative of said viewing angular direction.

5. A video display apparatus, comprising:

a source of a video signal containing picture information of a picture to be displayed on a display screen, said video signal comprising a succession of scenes;

an interface for receiving a signal indicative of a viewing angular direction of a viewer with respect to said display screen;

a video processor configured to detect when a scene change occurs in said video signal; and

a processor responsive to an output signal of said signal indicative of a viewing direction and coupled to said display screen for configured to display a zoomed part of the picture, said zoomed part of the picture being shifted according to a pan/tilt function applied with respect to said display screen in a first direction and said viewing angular direction, said pan/tilt function being applied when said viewing angular direction is within a first range of values, for ceasing additional picture shifting when said viewing angular direction is within a second range of values and for shifting said picture in the opposite direction when said viewing angular direction crosses a first threshold angular direction, said first threshold angular direction being adaptively adjusted in accordance with a magnitude of the picture shift accumulated prior to a time when the additional picture shifting has ceased, wherein the pan-tilt function is reset to center the zoomed part of the picture when a scene change is detected by the video processor.

6. The video display apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a sensor for generating said signal indicative of said viewing angular direction.

7. A video display apparatus, comprising:

a source of a video signal containing picture information of a picture to be displayed on a display screen, said video signal conventionally comprising a succession of scenes;

an interface for receiving a signal indicative of a viewing angular direction of a viewer with respect to said display screen;

a video processor configured to detect when a scene change occurs in said video signal; and

a processor responsive to an output signal of said signal indicative of a viewing direction and coupled to said display screen and configured to display a zoomed part of the picture, said zoomed part of the picture being shifted according to a pan/tilt function applied with respect to said viewing angular direction, said pan/tilt function being applied at a first rate in a first direction after said viewing angular direction crosses a first threshold direction and at a different, second rate, after said viewing direction crosses in said first direction a second threshold angular direction, wherein said pan/tilt function is reset to center the zoomed part of the picture when a scene change is detected.

8. The video display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second threshold angular direction corresponds to a viewing angular direction that is closer to an edge of said display screen than said viewing angular direction that corresponds to said first threshold angular direction, and wherein said second rate is faster than said first rate.

9. The video display apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor for generating said signal indicative of said viewing angular direction.