Display apparatus, rotating position detector thereof and portable computer system having the same

• US 20030122781A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Koo, Ja-Goun
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A display apparatus correctly detecting a rotated position of a display part and automatically displaying a rotated picture according to rotation of the display part. The display apparatus has a display part displaying a picture based on a video signal thereon; a video signal processing part transmitting the video signal to the display part; a rotating position detector including a mass body, a housing having a plurality of pockets in which the mass body is selectively retained according to a rotated position of the display part, and a plurality of contact sensors respectively placed in the pockets and generating a contact signal upon contact with the mass body; and a controller controlling the video signal processing part so as to display a rotated picture according to the rotated position of the display part based upon the contact signal from the rotating position detector.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display part displaying a picture based on a video signal thereon;

a video signal processing part transmitting the video signal to the display part;

a rotating position detector comprising a mass body, a housing having a plurality of pockets in which the mass body is selectively retained according to a rotated position of the display part, and contact sensors respectively placed in the pockets and generating a contact signal upon contact with the mass body; and

a controller controlling the video signal processing part so as to display a rotated picture according to the rotated position of the display part based upon the contact signal from the rotating position detector.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding projection part inwardly protruding from an inside wall of the housing between two adjacent pockets, and guiding the mass body to one of the pockets.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mass body is in a ball shape.

4. A rotating position detector of a display apparatus having a display part displaying a picture, comprising:

a mass body;

a housing having pockets in which the mass body is selectively retained according to a rotated position of the display part; and

a plurality of contact sensors each placed in the pockets and generating a contact signal upon contact with the mass body.

5. The rotating position detector according to claim 4, further comprising a guiding projection part inwardly protruded from an inside wall of the housing between two adjacent pockets, and guiding the mass body to one of the pockets.

6. The rotating position detector according to claim 4, wherein the mass body is in a ball shape.

7. A portable computer system having a main body and a display apparatus, comprising:

a video signal processing part transmitting a video signal to the display part;

a rotating position detector provided in one of the main body and the display apparatus, and including a mass body, a housing having a plurality of pockets in which the mass body is selectively retained according to a rotated position of the display part, and contact sensors respectively placed in the pockets and generating a contact signal upon contact with the mass body; and

a controller controlling the video signal processing part so as to display a rotated picture according to the rotated position of the display part based upon the contact signal from the rotating position detector.

8. The portable computer system according to claim 7, further comprising a guiding projection part inwardly protruded from an inside wall of the housing between two adjacent pockets, and guiding the mass body to one of the pockets.

9. The portable computer system according to claim 7, wherein the mass body is in a ball shape.

10. A display apparatus having a display part displaying images, comprising:

a rotating position detector comprising a housing having position sensing pockets selectively receiving and retaining a mass body upon rotation of the display part to generate a rotation-position signal; and

a controller automatically converting a display mode of the images on the display part in response to the rotation-position signal.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the display mode comprises one or more of a display direction of the images, a size of the images, and image characteristics.

12. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein pairs of mountain shaped guiding projection parts form the position sensing pockets in inside walls of the housing.

13. A method of detecting rotation position of an apparatus, comprising:

selectively receiving a mass body in position sensing pockets of a housing upon rotation of the apparatus;

selectively retaining the mass body in contact with each sensing pocket; and

generating a rotation-position signal upon the mass body contacting one of the sensing pocket.