Display of visual data as a function of position of display device

• US 20050168399A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Speechgear Incorporated
• Inventors: Palmquist, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed to techniques by which visual data is mapped to one or more display devices as a function of the positions of the display devices. The invention may support mapping of visual data to any number of display devices, which may cooperate to display the visual data as if the display devices were a single, large display device. In addition, the invention supports dynamic monitoring of the positions of display devices, with the visual data being mapped to a display device changing as the position of each display device changes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

mapping a first portion of visual data to a first display device as a function of a position of the first display device relative to a position reference; and

mapping a second portion of the visual data to a second display device as a function of a position of the second display device relative to the position reference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the position of the first display device relative to the position reference; and

determining the position of the second display device relative to the position reference.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the position of the first display device relative to the position reference comprises determining the position of the first display device relative to the position reference by at least one of an electronic sensor, an optical sensor, an electromechanical sensor, an acoustic sensor and a tactile sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the first display device is a first position of the first display device, the method further comprising mapping a third portion of visual data to the first display device as a function of a second position of the first display device relative to the position reference.

5. A method comprising:

mapping a first portion of visual data to a display device as a function of a first position of the display device relative to a position reference; and

mapping a second portion of the visual data to the display device as a function of a second position of the display device relative to the position reference.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining the first position of the display device relative to the position reference; and

determining the second position of the display device relative to the position reference.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first portion of visual data presents a view of an object from a first perspective and the second portion of visual data presents a view of the object from a second perspective.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

map a first portion of visual data to a first display device as a function of a position of the first display device relative to a position reference; and

map a second portion of the visual data to a second display device as a function of a position of the second display device relative to the position reference.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

map a first portion of visual data to a display device as a function of a first position of the display device relative to a position reference; and

map a second portion of the visual data to the display device as a function of a second position of the display device relative to the position reference.

10. A system comprising:

a display device;

a position processor configured to determine a position of the display device with respect to a position reference;

a display processor configured to map a portion of visual data to the display device as a function of the position.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a position reference.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the position reference comprises at least one of an electronic sensor, an optical sensor, an electromechanical sensor, an acoustic sensor and a tactile sensor.