Display apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20070296646A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kakuya, Nakaoka, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

The present invention provides a display apparatus which enables high-accuracy, hands-free operation, while adopting a low-cost configuration. The display apparatus according to the present invention includes: an obtainment unit that obtains a display element which is information to be displayed to the user; a determining unit that determines a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user; a display unit that displays the display element at the determined display position; a detection unit that detects a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed; a selection unit that selects the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and an execution unit that executes a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

Claims

1. A display apparatus which displays information to a user, said display apparatus comprising:

an obtainment unit operable to obtain a display element which is information to be displayed to the user;

a determining unit operable to determine a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user;

a display unit operable to display the display element at the determined display position;

a detection unit operable to detect a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

a selection unit operable to select the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and

an execution unit operable to execute a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a changing unit operable to change the display position of the display element so that the display element moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein said display unit is operable to display the display element at the changed display position.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said selection unit is operable to select the display element when the entire display element is brought into view of the user.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said selection unit is operable to select the display element when a predetermined percentage or more of the display element is brought into view of the user.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said selection unit is operable to select the display element when a predetermined display condition continues for a predetermined time or longer.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determination unit is operable to determine the display position of the display element such that the display element crosses a boundary line of a visual field of the user.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determination unit is operable to determine the display position of the display element such that the display element crosses a boundary line of a display area of said display unit.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determination unit is operable to determine the display position of the display element such that:

part of a right end of the display element is displayed at a left end of a display area of the display unit;

that part of a left end of the display element is displayed at a right end of the display area of the display unit, that part of a lower end of the display element is displayed at an upper end of the display area of the display unit;

or that part of an upper end of the display element is displayed at a lower end of the display area of the display unit.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a changing unit operable to change the display position of the display element so that the display element moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein even when display positions of a plurality of display elements are changed, said determination unit is operable to determine the display positions of the plurality of display elements so that one of the display elements is selected.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said detection unit is operable to detect the direction of change based on output from an angular velocity sensor mounted on the head of the user.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the display element is a button, said execution unit is operable to execute a process assigned to the button.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the display element is a moving image, said execution unit is operable to start playing back the moving image.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said display unit is operable to display a selection frame at a predetermined display position, the selection frame being a frame used to select the display element, and

said selection unit is operable to select the display element when the display element fits in the selection frame.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said display unit is mounted on the head of the user.

15. A control method for a display apparatus which displays information to a user, comprising:

obtaining a display element which is information to be displayed to the user;

determining a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user;

displaying the display element at the determined display position;

detecting a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

selecting the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and

executing a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

16. A program for controlling a display apparatus which displays information to a user, said program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a display element which is information to be displayed to the user;

determining a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user;

displaying the display element at the determined display position;

detecting a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

selecting the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and

executing a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

17. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for controlling a display apparatus which displays information to a user is recorded, said program causing a computer to execute:

obtaining a display element which is information to be displayed to the user;

determining a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user;

displaying the display element at the determined display position;

detecting a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

selecting the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and

executing a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

18. An integrated circuit for controlling a display apparatus which displays information to a user, comprising:

an obtainment unit operable to obtain a display element which is information to be displayed to the user;

a determining unit operable to determine a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user;

a display unit operable to display the display element at the determined display position;

a detection unit operable to detect a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

a selection unit operable to select the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and

an execution unit operable to execute a predetermined process related to the selected display element.