Image display apparatus, display control method for the same, program, and storage medium

• US 20060103626A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0241 using relative motion of the body parts to change the operational status of the telephone set, e.g. switching on/off, answering incoming call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0243 using the relative angle between housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing. Images to be displayed on the display unit are switched responsive to a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a first casing having an operation unit;

a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources;

a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and further adapted to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing; and

a display control unit configured to, responsive to a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing, switch images to be displayed on the display unit.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, responsive to a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing, the image display apparatus switches between a television mode for displaying a picture obtained through reception of television broadcast and a telephone mode for television telephone communication.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection unit is configured to allow the second casing to rotate in an orientation such that the display unit is shielded by the first casing, and wherein the display control unit is configured to turn off the display unit responsive to the rotation of the second casing.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operation unit includes at least one function key, and wherein the at least one function key is configured for television settings when the image display apparatus is in the television mode, and is configured for telephone settings when the image display apparatus is in the telephone mode.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit is configured to set an aspect ratio of the image displayed by the display unit to an aspect ratio suited for the telephone mode when the image display apparatus is in the telephone mode, and to an aspect ratio suited for the television mode when the image display apparatus is in the television mode.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, the connection unit having a first and second axis of articulation, wherein the display unit displays an image for the telephone mode when the second casing is rotated about the first axis, and wherein the display unit displays an image for the television mode when the second casing is rotated about the second axis.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display unit has a longer height than width when configured in the telephone mode, and wherein the display unit has a longer width than height when configured in the television mode.

8. A display control method for an image display apparatus including a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing, the display control method comprising:

detecting a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

switching images to be displayed on the display unit responsive to the rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing.

9. A program for performing a display control method for an image display apparatus including a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing, the program comprising:

a detection step of detecting a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

a display control step of, responsive to the rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing detected in the detection step, switching images to be displayed on the display unit.

10. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions to perform a display control method for an image display apparatus including a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for detecting a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

computer-executable instructions for, responsive to the rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing detected in the detection code, switching images to be displayed on the display unit.

11. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a first casing having an operation unit;

a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources;

a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and further adapted to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing; and

a control unit configured to, responsive to a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing, switch a telephone mode to a television mode for displaying a picture obtained through reception of television broadcast on the image display unit.

12. A display control method for an image display apparatus including a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing, the display control method comprising:

detecting a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

switching a telephone mode to a television mode for displaying a picture obtained through reception of television broadcast on the image display unit, responsive to the rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing.

13. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions to perform a display control method for an image display apparatus including a first casing having an operation unit, a second casing having a display unit capable of displaying a plurality of images received from different input sources, and a connection unit configured to interconnect the first and second casings and to allow the second casing to rotate relative to the first casing, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for detecting a rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing; and

computer-executable instructions for switching a telephone mode to a television mode for displaying a picture obtained through reception of television broadcast on the image display unit, responsive to the rotated state of the second casing relative to the first casing.