Display control apparatus and method

• US 6,205,554 B1
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondo, Yoko, Sasaki, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US09/032,022
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 713/202, 713/200, 713/201, 380/4, 380/5, 380/6-8, 380/10, 380/23, 380/25, 380/49, 348/94, 348/33, 348/92, 348/89, 348/122, 340/825.34, 340/825.31, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A display control apparatus of this invention includes a touch panel for inputting a predetermined input, a liquid crystal monitor for displaying and switching a plurality of operation screen to display a desired operation screen in accordance with the predetermined input inputted by the touch panel, and a control unit for, when the operation screen to be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor in accordance with the predetermined input inputted by the touch panel corresponds to a password input screen for receiving input of a password, controlling the field angle of the liquid crystal monitor to a predetermined field angle.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus comprising:

liquid crystal display means for selecting one of a plurality of operation screens and displaying the selected operation screen in accordance with a predetermined input;

input means, associated with said display means, for inputting a predetermined input;

first control means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to a particular operation screen, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be a first field angle; and

second control means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the particular operation screen, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be a second field angle smaller than the first field angle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be the first field angle; and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the password input screen, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be the second field angle.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to an amount input screen for receiving input of an amount, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be the first field angle;

and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the amount input screen, controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display means to be the second field angle.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to the particular operation screen, controlling a contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a first contrast;

and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the particular operation screen, controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a second contrast lower than the first contrast.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password, controlling a contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a first contrast;

and

said second control means comprises for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the password input screen, controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a second contrast lower than the first contrast.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to an amount input screen for inputting an amount, controlling a contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a first contrast;

and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the amount input screen, controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means to be a second contrast lower than the first contrast.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to the particular operation screen, controlling a signal level of a video signal for displaying a background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a first signal level, and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the particular operation screen, controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a second signal level higher than the first signal level.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password, controlling a signal level of a video signal for displaying a background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a first signal level, and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input corresponds to the password input screen, controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a second signal level higher than the first signal level.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said first control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input does not correspond to an amount input screen for receiving input of an amount, controlling a signal level of a video signal for displaying a background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a first signal level;

and

said second control means comprises means for, when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display means in accordance with the predetermined input inputted by said input means corresponds to the amount input screen, controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display means, to be a second signal level higher than the first signal level.

10. A method for controlling a liquid crystal display capable of displaying a plurality of operation screens comprising:

receiving a user input;

selecting one of the plurality of operation screens for display in accordance with the user input;

displaying the selected operation screen;

controlling a field angle of said liquid crystal display to be a first field angle when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to a particular operation screen; and

controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display to be a second field angle smaller than the first field angle when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the particular operation screen.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein

controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display to be the first field angle when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password and an amount input screen for receiving input of an amount; and

controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display to be the second field angle when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the password input screen; and

controlling the field angle of said liquid crystal display to be the second field angle when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the amount input screen.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein

controlling a contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display to be a first contrast when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to the particular operation screen;

and

controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display to be a second contrast lower than the first contrast when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the particular operation screen.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein

controlling a contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display to be a first contrast when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password and an amount input screen for receiving input of an amount;

and

controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display to a second contrast lower than the first contrast when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the password input screen; and

controlling the contrast of the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display to the second contrast when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the amount input screen.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein

controlling a signal level of a video signal for displaying a background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display, to be a first signal level when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to the specific operation screen;

and

controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display, to be a second signal level higher than the first signal level when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the specific operation screen.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein

controlling a signal level of a video signal for displaying a background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display, to be a first signal level when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input does not correspond to a password input screen for receiving input of a password and an amount input screen for receiving input of an amount;

and

controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display, to be a second signal level higher than the first signal level when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the password input screen; and

controlling the signal level of the video signal for displaying the background of the operation screen, which is to be supplied to said liquid crystal display, to be the second signal level when the operation screen to be displayed on said liquid crystal display in accordance with the user input corresponds to the amount input screen.