Viewing-Angle Control Device, Display Apparatus, Method for Controlling Viewing-Angle Control Device, Viewing-Angle Control Program, and Storage Medium Storing the Program

• US 20070291024A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Hiroshi, Imai, Akira, Yabuta, Koji, Takatani, Tomoo
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/212
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0613 The adjustment depending on the type of the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A control section of a portable phone controls a viewing-angle changing section that changes a viewing angle of an image display section. The control section controls the viewing angle of the image display section on the basis of a status of use of various devices. Specifically, the control section includes: a device-in-use detecting section to detect use of the devices; a storage section to store a device/viewing-angle matching table containing a correspondence relationship between a device to be used and a viewing angle; a viewing-angle retrieving section to retrieve, from the table, a viewing angle for the device detected being in use by the device-in-use detecting section; and a viewing-angle control section to control the viewing-angle changing section on the basis of the viewing angle retrieved by the viewing-angle retrieving section. The foregoing allows the viewing angle to be controlled automatically on the basis of the status of use, with a few settings.

Claims

1. :

A viewing-angle control device, controlling a viewing angle of a display device on a basis of a status of use of one or plural devices.

2. :

The viewing-angle control device according to claim 1, controlling the display device to display information on the viewing angle.

3. :

The viewing-angle control device according to claim 1, comprising;

device-in-use detecting means for detecting use of the one or plural devices;

storing means for storing a correspondence relationship between a device to be used and the viewing angle;

viewing-angle retrieving means for retrieving, from the correspondence relationship, a viewing angle corresponding to the device that is being in use as detected by the device-in-use detecting means; and

viewing-angle controlling means for controlling the viewing angle of the display device on a basis of the viewing angle retrieved by the viewing-angle retrieving means.

4. :

A display apparatus, comprising;

a display device with a viewing angle that is variable; and

a viewing-angle control device, defined in claim 1, to control the viewing angle of the display device.

5. :

The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the viewing-angle control device controls the viewing angle of the display device in a manner such that the viewing angle becomes the narrow viewing angle when a power supply inside of the display apparatus is in use, and the viewing angle becomes the wide viewing angle when a power supply outside of the display apparatus is in use.

6. :

The display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising;

audio contact transmitting means for transmitting audio information to a user by being substantially in contact with the user; and

audio non-contact transmitting means for transmitting audio information to a user without being in contact with the user,

the viewing-angle control device controlling the viewing angle of the display device in a manner such that the viewing angle becomes the narrow viewing angle when the audio contact transmitting means is in use, and the viewing angle becomes the wide viewing angle when the audio non-contact transmitting means is in use.

7. :

The display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising;

input means for receiving information that is input by a user,

the viewing-angle control device controlling the viewing angle of the display device in a manner such that the viewing angle becomes the narrow viewing angle when the input means is in use.

8. :

The display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising;

operating means for accepting an operation performed by a user,

the viewing-angle control device controlling the viewing angle of the display device in a manner such that the viewing angle is changed when the operating means accepts a predetermined operation.

9. :

The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the viewing-angle control device notifies a user when a viewing angle to be controlled on a basis of a status of use of the one or plural devices is different from a viewing angle changed as a result that the operating means accepts the predetermined operation.

10. :

The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display apparatus is portable.

12. :

A viewing-angle control program for causing a viewing angle of a display apparatus defined in claim 4 to be controlled,

the viewing-angle control program causing a computer to function as the viewing-angle control device.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, storing the viewing-angle control program defined in claim 12.

11. :

A method for controlling a viewing-angle control device that controls a viewing angle of a display device,

the method comprising;

controlling the viewing angle of the display device on a basis of a status of use of one or plural devices.