Image display apparatus, multi display system, coordinate information output method, and program for implementing the method

• US 20050270278A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouchi, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An image display apparatus which is capable of operating smoothly over a plurality of image display devices. When a pen has come into continuous contact with a first display screen, a system controller determines whether or not the pen has got out of contact with an edge of the first display screen. When the system controller determines that the pen has got out of contact with the first display screen at the edge thereof, a time period elapsed is measured while the pen is held out of contact with the first display screen at the edge thereof. When the measured time period is less than a predetermined time period, the system controller outputs pointing information indicative of a position of the edge of the first display screen with which the pen got out of contact, to indicate that the pen has been held in the continuous contact with the first display screen.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display device including a display screen having an edge; and

a coordinate information output device that outputs pointing information indicative of the position pointed by a pointer,

wherein said coordinate information output device comprises;

a first determining device operable when the pointer has come into continuous contact with said display screen, to determine whether or not the pointer has got out of contact with the edge of said display screen;

a time measuring apparatus operable when said first determining device determines that the pointer has got out of contact with said display screen at the edge thereof, to measure a time period elapsed while the pointer is held out of contact with said display screen at the edge thereof;

a second determining device that determines whether or not the measured elapsed time period is less than a predetermined time period; and

an output device operable when the measured time period is less than the predetermined time period, to output the pointing information indicative of a position of the edge of said display screen with which the pointer got out of contact, to indicate that the pointer has been held in the continuous contact with said display screen.

2. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which is connected to another image display apparatus substantially identical in configuration as the image display apparatus, the image display apparatus comprising a coordinate information input device that inputs pointing information delivered by the other image display apparatus, and

wherein said output device of said coordinate information output device synthesizes the delivered pointing information with the pointing information outputted by said coordinate information output device and outputs the synthesized information.

3. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said coordinate information output device comprises:

a third determining device operable when the measured time period is less than the predetermined time period, to determine whether or not the pointing information has been input by the other image display apparatus; and

a fourth determining device operable when the pointing information has been input from the other image display apparatus, to determine that the pointer has shifted from a state where the pointer is in contact with said display screen to a state where the pointer is in contact with a display screen of the other image display apparatus.

4. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first determining device is provided outside of said display screen.

5. A multi display system comprising a plurality of image display apparatuses as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image display apparatuses are arranged side by side.

6. A coordinate information output method applied to an image display apparatus comprising a display device including a display screen having an edge and a coordinate information output device that outputs pointing information indicative of the position pointed by a pointer, comprising:

a first determining step of determining whether or not the pointer has got out of contact with the edge of the display screen when the pointer has come into continuous contact with the display device;

a time measuring step of measuring a time period elapsed while the pointer is held out of contact with the display screen at the edge thereof, when in said first determining step it is determined that the pointer has got out of contact with the display screen at the edge thereof;

a second determining step of determining whether or not the measured elapsed time period is less than a predetermined time period; and

an output step of outputting the pointing information indicative of a position of the edge of the display screen with which the pointer got out of contact, to indicate that the pointer has been held in the continuous contact with the display screen, when the measured time period is less than the predetermined time period.

7. A coordinate information output method as claimed in claim 6, comprising a coordinate information input step of inputting pointing information delivered by another image display apparatus substantially identical in configuration as the image display apparatus, and wherein in said output step, the delivered pointing information is synthesized with the pointing information outputted by said coordinate information output device and the synthesized information is outputted.

8. A coordinate information output method as claimed in claim 7, comprising:

a third determining step of determining whether or not the pointing information has been input by the other image display apparatus when the measured time period is less than the predetermined time period; and

a fourth determining step of determining that the pointer has shifted from a state where the pointer is in contact with the display screen to a state where the pointer is in contact with a display screen of the other image display apparatus when the pointing information has been input from the other image display apparatus.

9. A program for causing a computer to execute a coordinate information output method applied to an image display apparatus comprising a display device including a display screen having an edge and a coordinate information output device that outputs pointing information indicative of the position pointed by a pointer, the program comprising:

a first determining module for determining whether or not the pointer has got out of contact with the edge of the display screen when the pointer has come into continuous contact with the display device;

a time measuring module for measuring a time period elapsed while the pointer is held out of contact with the display screen at the edge thereof, when said first determining module determines that the pointer has got out of contact with the display screen at the edge thereof;

a second determining module for determining whether or not the measured elapsed time period is less than a predetermined time period; and

an output module for outputting the pointing information indicative of a position of the edge of the display screen with which the pointer got out of contact, to indicate that the pointer has been held in the continuous contact with the display screen, when the measured time period is less than the predetermined time period.