Display apparatus

• US 5,686,940 A
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuga, Kaeko
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US08/361,728
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/127
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

A distance sensor for detecting the distance between a display panel and an image viewer is provided on a display apparatus. An image signal supplied to the display panel is controlled based on the distance detected by the distance sensor to make a changeover between an enlarged image and a reduced image or between scrolling and stopping of a text or between moving and stationary display of a moving image. The speed of the scrolling and the speed of the moving display are stepwisely set according to the detected distance.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for a moving image comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image thereon on receipt of an image signal;

storing means for storing information about a moving image, to be displayed on the display panel, therein;

signal supplying means for outputting the information stored in the storing means to the display panel as the image signal;

distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the display panel and an image viewer; and

controlling means for controlling the output signal of the signal supplying means so that a moving image is displayed on the display panel when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance and that a stationary image is displayed on the display panel when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the predetermined distance.

2. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image thereon on receipt of an image signal;

storing means for storing information, to be displayed on the display panel, therein;

signal supplying means for outputting the information stored in the storing means to the display panel as the image signal;

distance detecting means for detecting a distance between the display panel and an image viewer; and

controlling means for controlling the output signal of the signal supplying means so that an image displayed on the display panel is scrolled when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance and that the image displayed on the display panel is stationary when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the predetermined distance.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined distance includes a first distance and a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, and wherein said controlling means controls the output signal of the signal supplying means so that an image displayed on the display panel is scrolled at a first speed when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is equal to or longer than the first distance, that the image displayed on the display panel is scrolled at a second speed which is lower than the first speed when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the first distance but equal to or longer than the second distance, and that the image displayed on the display panel is stationary when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the second distance.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said distance detecting means detects a distance between the display panel and an upper half of the image viewer'"'"'s body.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined distance includes a first distance and a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, and wherein said controlling means controls the output signal of the signal supplying means so that a moving image which varies at a first speed is displayed on the display panel when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is equal to or longer than the first distance, that a moving image which varies at a second speed which is lower than the first speed is displayed on the display panel when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the first distance but equal to or longer than the second distance, and that a stationary image is displayed on the display panel when the distance detected by the distance detecting means is shorter than the second distance.

8. A display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said distance detecting means detects a distance between the display panel and an upper half of the viewer'"'"'s body.

6. An image editing apparatus comprising:

supplying means for supplying original images;

editing means for editing the original images based on an operation by a user and outputting edited images;

storing means for storing the original images or the edited images;

displaying means for displaying the original images or the edited images;

detecting means for detecting a distance between the displaying means and the user; and

controlling means for controlling the supplying means, the editing means, the storing means and the displaying means based on the distance detected by the detecting means, said controlling means

a) for commanding the supplying means to supply original images continuously, the storing means to store the original images continuously, and the display means to display the original images continuously, when the detected distance is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance, and

b) for commanding the supplying means to supply a single original image, the editing means to edit the original imaged based on the operation of the user and to output an edited image, the storing means to store the edited image, and the display means to display the edited image, when the detected distance is shorter than the predetermined distance.

7. An image editing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said predetermined distance includes a first distance and a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, and

wherein said controlling means

commands the supplying means to supply original images continuously at a first speed, when the detected distance is equal to or longer than the first distance, and

commands the supplying means to supply original images continuously at a second speed which is lower than the first speed, when the detected distance is shorter than the first distance but equal to or longer than the second distance.

9. An image editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said detecting means detects a distance between the displaying means and an upper half of the user'"'"'s body.