IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, 3D GLASSES, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20110012896A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: JI, Maengsob
• Application Number:
  US12/819,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0613 The adjustment depending on the type of the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/359 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An image display apparatus, three-dimensional (3D) glasses, and a method for operating the image display apparatus are disclosed. The method includes displaying a two-dimensional (2D) image on a display, sensing whether a user wears 3D glasses, and displaying a 3D image on the display, if it is sensed that the user wears the 3D glasses.

Claims

1. A method for operating an image display apparatus, comprising:

displaying a two-dimensional (2D) image on a display;

sensing whether a user wears three-dimensional (3D) glasses; and

displaying a 3D image on the display, if it is sensed that the user wears the 3D glasses.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if it is sensed that the user wears the 3D glasses, displaying an object asking whether to switch from 2D to 3D on the display, before displaying the 3D image.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if an input image is the 2D image, converting the 2D image to the 3D image.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the conversion of the 2D image to the 3D image comprises:

detecting an edge of an object included in the 2D image;

setting a depth for the object based on the detected edge; and

switching the 2D image to the 3D image with multi-viewpoint images based on the depth.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3D image is different from the 2D image in at least one of luminance, color, contrast, and power.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the display includes a plurality of backlight lamps on a rear surface of a display panel, less current per unit frame flows through the backlight lamps when the 3D image is displayed than when the 2D image is displayed.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the display includes a plurality of backlight lamps on a rear surface of a display panel, current flows through the backlight lamps at a higher level when the 3D image is displayed than when the 2D image is displayed.

8. A method for operating an image display apparatus, comprising:

displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image on a display;

sensing whether a user wears 3D glasses; and

displaying a two-dimensional (2D) image on the display, if it is sensed that the user does not wear the 3D glasses.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising, if it is sensed that the user does not wear the 3D glasses, changing the 2D image in at least one of luminance, color, contrast, and power, before displaying the 2D image.

10. Three-dimensional (3D) glasses comprising:

at least one sensor unit for sensing whether a user wears the 3D glasses and outputting a sensing signal according to the sensing;

a wireless communication module for performing wireless communication based on the sensing signal received from the at least one sensor unit; and

a controller for controlling the wireless communication module according to the sensing signal received from the at least one sensor unit.

11. The 3D glasses according to claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor unit includes:

a first sensor unit for sensing pressure when the user puts on or takes off the 3D glasses;

a second sensor unit for sensing unfolding or folding of the 3D glasses when the user puts on or takes off the 3D glasses; and

a third sensor unit for sensing a resistance value or a capacitance value on a contact surface when the user puts on or takes off the 3D glasses.

12. The 3D glasses according to claim 10, further comprising, if the 3D glasses are shutter glasses, a switch for switching on power to the shutter glasses or switching off power from the shutter glasses.

13. The 3D glasses according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls left and right lenses of the shutter glasses to be open or shut.

14. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display;

a wireless communication module for receiving a glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal indicating whether a user wears three-dimensional (3D) glasses; and

a controller for controlling a two-dimensional (2D) image displayed on the display to be converted to a 3D image or controlling a 3D image displayed on the display to be converted to a 2D image, according to the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the display includes:

an image quality setter for changing at least one of luminance, color, and contrast for 2D imaging and 3D imaging according to the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal; and

a power setter for setting different power levels for 2D imaging and 3D imaging according to the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display further includes a 3D/2D setter for performing video signal processing when the 2D image is displayed or when the 3D image is displayed.

17. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller controls at least one of luminance, color, contrast and power to be different for the 2D image and the 3D image.

18. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein if the display includes a plurality of backlight lamps on a rear surface of a display panel, less current per unit frame flows through the backlight lamps when the 3D image is displayed than when the 2D image is displayed.

19. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein if the display includes a plurality of backlight lamps on a rear surface of a display panel, current flows through the backlight lamps at a higher level when the 3D image is displayed than when the 2D image is displayed.

20. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising the 3D glasses including at least one sensor unit for sensing whether the user wears the 3D glasses and outputting the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal according to the sensing and a wireless communication module for performing wireless communication based on the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal received from the at least one sensor unit.

21. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising an external device interface for transmitting data to an external or receiving data from the external device,

wherein the controller controls a 2D image received from the external device to be converted to a 3D image or controls a 3D image received from the external device to be converted to a 2D image, according to the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal.

22. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller controls the 2D image displayed on the display to be converted to the 3D image or controls the 3D image displayed on the display to be converted to the 2D image, according to the glasses-wearing/no wearing sensing signal, by switching between received broadcast channels or switching between a received broadcast image and an external input image.