INFORMATION DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20130038634A1
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kazunori Yamada
• Inventors: Ohtsubo, Shohji, Mukai, Tsutomu, Sakakibara, Mizuho, Oshima, Mitsuaki, YAMADA, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An information display device includes: an image display unit that displays an image according to an orientation of a display screen; a terminal posture detection unit that detects a posture of the device using an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and a display direction determination unit that determines whether or not the posture of the device changes, and determines the orientation of the display screen. In the case where the display screen is substantially horizontal and the posture of the device changes, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that, when the device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to the orientation (reference orientation) of the display screen before the determination of the posture change, a side of the device at the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to the top of the display screen.

Claims

1. An information display device comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image according to an orientation of a display screen of the information display device;

a posture detection unit configured to detect a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determine the orientation of the display screen,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, in the case where the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state and the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determine the orientation of the display screen so that, when the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, a side of the information display device in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to a top of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

2. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, in the case where the display screen is not in the substantially horizontal state and the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determine the orientation of the display screen so that a side of the information display device uppermost in a vertical direction corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

3. The information display device according to claim 1, further comprising

a centrifugal force direction detection unit configured to detect a centrifugal force direction based on information obtained by the acceleration sensor,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, in the case where the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, the centrifugal force direction detection unit detects the centrifugal force direction, and the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determine the orientation of the display screen so that a side of the information display device farthest in the centrifugal force direction detected by the centrifugal force direction detection unit corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

4. The information display device according to claim 1, further comprising

a shaking detection unit configured to detect shaking of at least one side of the information display device based on information obtained by at least one of the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, in the case where the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, the shaking detection unit detects the shaking of the at least one side of an amplitude equal to or more than a threshold, and the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determine the orientation of the display screen so that a side of the information display device having a largest amplitude of shaking detected by the shaking detection unit corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

5. The information display device according to claim 1, further comprising

a coordinate estimation unit configured to estimate a current position of the information display device by autonomous navigation using information obtained by the acceleration sensor and at least one of the angular velocity sensor and the geomagnetic sensor,

wherein the determination unit is further configured to, from the posture of the information display device and the orientation of the display screen at the current position, estimate that a position of a user using the information display device is opposite to the orientation of the display screen with respect to the information display device, and determine the orientation of the display screen so that the estimated position of the user corresponds to a bottom of the display screen in the case where the display screen rotates in the current position while remaining in the substantially horizontal state, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

6. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, when the information display device is moving, estimate from a movement direction of the information display device that a position of a user is opposite to the movement direction with respect to the information display device, and determine the orientation of the display screen so that the estimated position of the user corresponds to a bottom of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.

7. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is further configured to display an icon indicating a normal position of the information display device to a user, at a position that is in a part of the display screen and is set based on the orientation of the display screen.

8. An information display method comprising:

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of an information display device;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein the determining includes, in the case where the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state and the determining determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determining the orientation of the display screen so that, when the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the determining determines that the posture of the information display device changes, a side of the information display device in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to a top of the display screen, and

the displaying includes displaying the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined in the determining.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute:

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of an information display device;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein the determining includes, in the case where the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state and the determining determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determining the orientation of the display screen so that, when the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the determining determines that the posture of the information display device changes, a side of the information display device in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to a top of the display screen, and

the displaying includes displaying the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined in the determining.

10. An integrated circuit included in an information display device, the integrated circuit comprising:

a display unit configured to display an image according to an orientation of a display screen of the information display device;

a posture detection unit configured to detect a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determine the orientation of the display screen,

wherein the determination unit is configured to, in the case where the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state and the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, determine the orientation of the display screen so that, when the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the determination unit determines that the posture of the information display device changes, a side of the information display device in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to a top of the display screen, and

the display unit is configured to display the image according to the orientation of the display screen determined by the determination unit.