Image display device for rotating an image displayed on a display screen

• US 20050237346A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishida, Michiya
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/697
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An image display device comprises a frame arranged along the periphery of display screen anda plurality of detectors mounted on the frame, each for generating a detection signal in response to an object positioned outside of the frame. Each of detectors generates a detection signal indicative of the distance to an object that is present in a direction associated therewith. A control circuit selects a detection signal indicative of the shortest distance of the detection signals. The control circuit controls the direction of an image that is displayed on a display screen such that the bottom of the image is moved to a side corresponding to the detector that generates the selected detection signal.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a display unit having a display screen for displaying an image;

a frame arranged along a periphery of said display screen;

a plurality of detectors mounted on said frame, each for generating a detection signal in response to an object positioned outside of said frame; and

a controller for controlling an image displayed on said display screen based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

said display screen is in a rectangular shape, and

said plurality of detectors comprise four detectors each mounted at a location on said frame close to each of four sides of said display screen.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

said display screen is in a rectangular shape, and

said plurality of detectors comprise three detectors each mounted at a location on said frame close to each of three sides of said display screen.

4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

said display screen is in a rectangular shape, and

said plurality of detectors comprise two detectors each mounted at a location on said frame close to each of two sides of said display screen.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein said controller detects a side to which the user is close from sides which define said display screen based on the detection signals generated from said plurality of detectors, and controls the direction of the image such that a bottom of the image is moved to the detected side.

6. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein each of said detectors is a radiant heat sensor for detecting an amount of heat radiated from an object in order to generate a signal indicative of the detected amount of radiant heat as the detection signal.

7. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein each of said detectors is a distance sensor.

8. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising an image signal input unit for receiving an image signal supplied from an external device through a wire,

wherein said controller converts the image signal based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal on said display screen, and displays an image represented by the converted image signal on said display screen.

9. The image display device according to claim 8, further comprising storing means for preserving the image signal received by said image signal input unit.

10. The image display device according to claim 9, wherein said storing means is removable.

11. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising a generator for generating an image signal representative of the image,

wherein said controller converts the image signal generated by said generator based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal generated by said generator on said display screen, and displays an image represented by the converted image signal on said display screen.