Image displaying apparatus

• US 20050046800A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kotani, Satoru, Itabashi, Toshiyuki, Iwasaki, Morio, Kuwabara, Takashi, Hamada, Hiroyuki, Ibaraki, Susumu, Nagashima, Kazumasa
• Application Number:
  US10/931,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20050046800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/15
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/30 adapted to collapse or fold, e.g. for portability
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03

Abstract

An image displaying apparatus includes a projector unit mounted on an automotive vehicle to project an image; a display screen mounted on the automotive vehicle to display the image projected from the projector unit; an operation icon projected on one assigned area of the display screen by the projector unit; and a controller for controlling the projector unit by producing an operation signal in correlation with the operation icon to the projector unit when the operation icon is selected. The image displaying apparatus thus constructed can facilitate the operation of the projector with no need for a special remote controlling unit and an operation panel.

Claims

1. An image displaying apparatus, comprising:

a projector unit mounted on an automotive vehicle to project an image;

a display screen mounted on said automotive vehicle to display said image projected from said projector unit;

an operation icon projected on one assigned area of said display screen by said projector unit;

controlling means for controlling said projector unit by producing an operation signal in correlation with said operation icon to said projector unit when said operation icon is selected.

2. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said controlling means includes sensing unit for sensing on said display screen a light produced when said operation icon is selected to have said controlling means produce said operation signal in correlation with said operation icon.

3. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said display screen is made of a flexible and transparent resin material.

4. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said sensing unit includes an optical sensor.

5. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, in which said sensing unit is constituted by a touch panel.

6. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises an additional controlling means disposed in overlapping relationship with said controlling means to control said projector unit by producing an additional operation signal when said operation icon is pushed deeply after being pushed shallowly.

7. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises display screen transferring means for transferring said display screen forwardly and backwardly of said automotive vehicle.

8. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said display screen comprises a rim portion with at least one left, right, upper and lower end faces, and which further comprises a sensor unit formed on at least one of said left, right, upper and lower end faces of the rim portion for detecting the position on one of the left, right, upper and lower end faces to be in contact with the finger of an operator to produce an operation signal to said projector unit.

9. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 8, in which said rim portion of said display screen has a pair of left and right side end portions each in the form of a curved shape.

10. An image displaying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a finger position sensing unit for detecting a specific finger position occupied by a finger, and an eye sensing unit for detecting a specific eye position on the line linking said specific finger position and said operation icon to ensure that said operation icon is regarded as being selected to have said controlling means control said projector unit.