Multi-layered displays providing different focal lengths with optically shiftable viewing formats and terminals incorporating the same

• US 20050052341A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Henriksson, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,205,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/4
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 using special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/35 being liquid crystals G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/46 in which the desired character is selected from a number of characters arranged one behind the other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit

Abstract

Wireless terminals with layered displays that provide different focal lengths and allow a user to view data presented on different layered displays by optically shifting his/her focus.

Claims

1. A method for providing text and/or visual data to a display system, comprising:

presenting text and/or visual data on a first display; and

presenting text and/or visual data substantially concurrently on a second display underlying the first display, such that the second display is a further distance away from an eye of a user than the first display, and wherein, in operation, a user is able to view data on the first and/or second display.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second displays are aligned so that the user can view data on both of the displays at the same time, and wherein the user can focus on one of the displays by optically altering his/her focus to a focal length corresponding to the desired display.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data on the first display comprises textual data, and wherein the data on the second display comprises visual data.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the visual data comprises an image.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising generating a MMS message with the presented text and image from the MMS message.

6. A method according to claim 1, receiving an MMS message having text and visual data and parsing the text data to present on the first display and the visual data to present on the second display.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring the first and second displays to interactively communicate in response to actions by the user.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising illuminating pixels on the first display in a manner that allows the user to view through the illuminated pixels to the second display.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first display is configured to operate in a screensaver mode during periods of non-active use.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of presenting visual and/or text data on the first and second displays comprises presenting text on the first display while presenting an image related to the text on the second display.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the text comprises map directions of a geographic location of interest and the image comprises a map corresponding to the location of interest.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising electrically locking access to the device by providing a password restricted access entry region on the first display and optically blocking the remainder of the first display while the second display carries text and visual data thereon to inhibit unauthorized use of the device.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second display provides visual and textual data and the first display is adapted to selectively present a subset of the data provided by the second display.

14. A method according to claim 3, wherein the textual data provided by the first display comprises data from a digital book or article, and wherein the visual data provided by the second display is video clips, images and/or pictures from the digital book or article.

15. A dual layered display assembly, comprising:

a first display; and

a second display positioned adjacent to and under the first display.

16. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein, in operation, the first display is configured to provide text and/or visual data using pixels with sufficient optical transmissivity and/or transparency to allow a user to optically view through the first display to text and/or visual data on the underlying second display.

17. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first display is configured as a substantially transparent display and the second display is configured as a color graphic display.

18. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first and second displays are aligned and positioned so that the first and second displays are substantially coextensive with each other.

19. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein, when in use and positioned relative to the eye(s) of a user, the second display has a focal length that is longer than the focal length of the first display, and wherein, in operation, a user is able to selectively view data on the first and/or second display by optically shifting his/her focus.

20. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first and second displays are aligned so that the user can view data on both of the displays at the same time.

21. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first and second displays are configured to interactively communicate in response to actions input by the user.

22. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein, in operation, the first display is configured to illuminate pixels in a manner that allows the user to view through the illuminated pixels to access data on the second display.

23. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first display is configured to operate in a screensaver mode during periods of non-active use.

24. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first display is configured to automatically optically block viewability therethrough to inhibit external viewing of the second display during periods of non-use.

25. An assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first display is configured to electrically lock access to the second display by providing a password restricted access entry region on the first display and optically blocking the remainder of the first display while the second display carries text and visual data thereon to inhibit unauthorized use of the device.

26. An assembly according to claim 15, further comprising:

a terminal housing holding the first and second displays; and

terminal circuit components in the housing to provide a computer terminal.

27. An assembly according to claim 15, further comprising:

a portable terminal housing holding the first and second displays; and

portable terminal circuit components in the housing to provide a portable computer terminal.

28. An assembly according to claim 15, further comprising:

a wireless terminal housing holding the first and second displays; and

wireless terminal circuit components in the housing to provide a wireless computer terminal.

29. A wireless terminal, comprising:

(a) a housing configured to enclose a transceiver that transmits and receives wireless communications signals;

(b) a first display in communication with the transceiver and held in the housing so that a corresponding first viewing surface is externally viewable; and

(c) a second display in communication with the transceiver and held in the housing beneath the first display so that a corresponding second viewing surface is externally viewable,

wherein the wireless terminal is configured to concurrently present data on the first and second displays.

30. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein measured from an eye of a user, the second display has a focal length that is longer than the first display, and wherein, in operation, a user is able to selectively view data on the first and/or second display by optically shifting his/her focus.

31. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first and second displays are configured to interactively engage each other during operation.

32. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to review an incoming communication signal and parse the signal into visual and text data segments and then present selected text data on the first display and visual data on the second display.

33. A wireless terminal according to claim 32, wherein the incoming communication signal comprises a MMS message with at least one image and text, and wherein the wireless terminal is configured to review the message and direct the signal so that at least some of the text is presented on the first display while the at least one image is presented on the second display.

34. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein, in operation, the first display is configured to provide text and/or visual data using pixels with sufficient optical transmissivity and/or transparency to allow a user to optically view through the first display to text and/or visual data on the underlying second display.

35. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first display is configured as a substantially transparent display and the second display is configured as a color graphic display.

36. A wireless terminal according to claim 35, wherein the first and second displays are aligned and positioned so that the first and second displays are substantially coextensive with each other.

37. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first display is configured to operate in a screensaver mode during periods of non-active use.

38. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first display is configured to automatically optically block viewability therethrough to inhibit external viewing of the second display during periods of non-use.

39. A wireless terminal according to claim 29, wherein the first display is configured to electrically lock access to the second display by providing a password restricted access entry region on the first display and optically blocking the remainder of the first display while the second display carries text and visual data thereon to inhibit unauthorized use of the device.

40. A computer program product for selectively displaying text or visual data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to receive a wireless communication signal in a wireless terminal;

computer readable program code that is configured to direct a first display to display text and/or visual data associated with the received wireless communication signal; and

computer readable program code that is configured to concurrently direct a second display disposed under the first display to display text and/or visual data associated with the received wireless communication signal.

41. A computer program product according to claim 40, wherein the first display is a transparent and/or translucent display and the second display is a color graphic display.

42. A computer program product according to claim 40, further comprising computer program code that is configured to provide interactive communication between the first and second displays.