Information display apparatus, and display state detection method, display state adjustment method and maintenance management method therefor

• US 6,570,559 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1998
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oshima, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/078,615
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345/207, 345/60, 345/102, 345/74, 345/75, 345/84, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/048 using evaluation of the usage time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/28 using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels

Abstract

The invention provides a display state detection method which allows the display state of an information display apparatus to be supervised accurately without giving any obstacle to a user, a display state adjustment method and a maintenance management method by which the display state can be kept good as well as an information display apparatus. Optical sensors are disposed on the rear face side of a plasma display panel and catch rear face side outgoing light, which increases in proportion to the outgoing light amount to the display face side of the plasma display panel, to detect a panel display state, and the display state of the plasma display panel is automatically adjusted based on a result of the detection. When adjustment is impossible, the apparatus itself outputs an alarm and accumulates an adjustment history and/or a failure history. The presence of the optical sensors does not make an obstacle when the display screen is observed, and there is no need to effect operation to arrange an optical sensor and connect it to an adjustment equipment for exclusive use each time adjustment is to be performed. Since the display state of the plasma display panel is detected directly by the optical sensors, the accuracy in detection is high.

Claims

1. An information display apparatus, comprising:

a light emitting display plate having a shape of a flat plate and being filled with gas for generating light in an inside thereof in response to information given thereto and radiating the internally generated light to both of front and rear face sides of said light emitting display plate;

display state detecting light detection means provided on the rear face side different from a display face side of said light emitting display plate for detecting the light generated to the rear face side and providing display state detection information corresponding to the detected light, wherein said display state detection information is indicative of a display state including one of brightness, contrast, and color temperature of an image displayed on the display face of said light emitting display plate and

automatic adjustment means for automatically adjusting a display state of said light emitting display plate based on the display state detection information provided by said display state detecting light detection means.

2. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said automatic adjustment means outputs an alarm when the adjustment thereby has failed.

3. The information display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising maintenance management information holding means for holding apparatus maintenance management information including a history of adjustment performed by said automatic adjustment means.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising outputting means for outputting the apparatus maintenance management information held by said maintenance management information holding means or the display state detection information outputted from said light detection means to the outside.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said outputting means is connected to a central control unit provided for controlling and managing a plurality of information display apparatus of a similar type.

6. A display state adjustment method for an information display apparatus for detecting a display state of said information display apparatus, said information display apparatus including a light emitting display plate having a shape of a flat plate and being filled with gas for generating light in an inside thereof in response to information given thereto and radiating the internally generated light to both of front and rear face sides of said light emitting display plate, the display state adjustment method comprising the steps of:

detecting light on the rear face side different from a display face side of said light emitting display plate and providing information corresponding to the detected light;

detecting a display state including one of brightness, contrast, and color temperature of said light emitting display plate based on said information provided by said step of detecting light, with said display state of said light emitting display plate being indicative of a state of an image displayed on the display face side of said light emitting display plate; and

automatically adjusting said one of brightness, contrast, and color temperature of said light emitting display plate based on the detected display state detected by said step of detecting a display state.

7. A maintenance management method for an information display apparatus for detecting a display state of said information display apparatus, said information display apparatus including a light emitting display plate having a shape of a flat plate and being filled with gas for generating light in an inside thereof in response to information given thereto and radiating the internally generated light to both of front and rear face sides of said information display apparatus, the display state adjustment method comprising the steps of:

detecting light on the rear face side different from a display face side of said light emitting display plate and providing information corresponding to the detected light;

detecting a display state of said light emitting display plate based on said information provided by said step of detecting light and providing display state detection information, with said display state of said light emitting display plate being indicative of a state of an image displayed on the display face side of said light emitting display panel;

automatically adjusting the display state including one of brightness, contrast, and color temperature of said light emitting display plate based on the display state detection information and storing apparatus maintenance management information including a history of automatic adjustment; and

performing maintenance management of said information display apparatus suitably referring to said apparatus maintenance management information.

8. A maintenance management method for an information display apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the step of sending out the apparatus maintenance management information held by said maintenance management information holding means or the display state detection information outputted from said light detection means to a central control unit provided for controlling and managing a plurality of information display apparatus of a similar type so that the maintenance management of said information display apparatus may be performed by said central control unit.