Angle-adjustable method and automatic angle-adjustable display device

• US 7,898,429 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Chih-Hsin, Lee, Yung-Liang, Hwang, Chwen-Tay
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US12/178,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1, 340/539.23, 340/435, 345/158, 345/649, 348/148, 348/135, 348/61, 348/806, 348/42, 348/51, 348/55, 702/150, 702/94
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/027 Ceiling supports

Abstract

An automatic angle-adjustable display device and an angle-adjustable method are provided. The automatic angle-adjustable display device includes a screen, three wireless transmitting and receiving sensors, an angle adjustment mechanism and a control unit. The wireless transmitting and receiving sensors are respectively disposed at first, second and third positions of the screen. In response to a control signal issued from the control unit, the angle adjustment mechanism is driven to adjust the viewing angle of the screen with respect to the viewer. The angle-adjustable method includes steps of triggering the wireless transmitting and receiving sensors to emit these wireless signals, measuring first, second and third distances between the first, second and third positions of the screen and the viewer according to the reflected wireless signals, and adjusting the viewing angle of the screen with respect to the viewer according to these distance differences.

Claims

1. An automatic angle-adjustable display device for showing images to be viewed by a viewer, the automatic angle-adjustable display device comprising:

a screen showing the images;

a first wireless transmitting and receiving sensor located at a first position of the screen for emitting a first wireless signal and receiving the first wireless signal reflected from the viewer;

a second wireless transmitting and receiving sensor located at a second position of the screen for emitting a second wireless signal and receiving the second wireless signal reflected from the viewer;

a third wireless transmitting and receiving sensor located at a third position of the screen for emitting a third wireless signal and receiving the third wireless signal reflected from the viewer;

an angle adjustment mechanism connected to the screen for adjusting a viewing angle of the screen with respect to the viewer in response to a control signal; and

a control unit communicated with the first wireless transmitting and receiving sensor, the second wireless transmitting and receiving sensor, the third wireless transmitting and receiving sensor and the angle adjustment mechanism for triggering the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors to respectively emit the first, second and third wireless signals, calculating a first distance between the first position of the screen and the viewer, a second distance between the second position of the screen and the viewer and a third distance between the third position of the screen and the viewer according to the reflected first, second and third wireless signals, and calculating a first distance difference between the first distance and the second distance, a second distance difference between the third distance and the first distance and a third distance difference between the third distance and the second distance, thereby generating the control signal according to the first, second and third distance differences, wherein in response to the control signal, the angle adjustment mechanism is driven to adjust the viewing angle of the screen with respect to the viewer such that the first distance difference lies within a first predetermined range and the second and third distance differences lie within a second predetermined range.

2. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit comprises a microprocessor or a micro-controller, and the screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen or a plasma display screen.

3. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit periodically triggers the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors to respectively emit the first, second and third wireless signals, so that the control unit discriminates whether the viewer is located within the sensing ranges of the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors according to the first, second and third wireless signals, wherein the first, second and third distances of the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors with respect to the viewer are respectively calculated according to the time spots when the first, second and third wireless signals are emitted by the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors and the time spots when the first, second and third wireless signals reflected by the viewer are received by the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors.

4. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit triggers the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors to respectively emit the first, second and third wireless signals at first, second and third time spots, and detects the reflected first, second and third wireless signals at fourth, fifth and sixth time spots, wherein the control unit calculates the first distance according to the first time spot and the fourth time spot, the second distance according to the second time spot and the fifth time spot, and the third distance according to the third time spot and the sixth time spot.

5. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the angle adjustment mechanism comprises:

a horizontal rotation servo motor activated to rotate in response to the control signal;

a suspended member connected to the horizontal rotation servo motor and driven by the horizontal rotation servo motor to be rotated in a horizontal direction; and

a vertical rotation servo motor connected to the suspended member and the screen to drive the screen to rotate in a vertical direction in response to the control signal.

6. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors comprise ultrasonic transmitting and receiving sensors, microwave sensors, radio detectors or laser scanners.

7. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the first, second and third distance differences are expressed as absolute values or proportions, and the first and second predetermined ranges are equal to or greater than zero.

8. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the angle adjustment mechanism sends a positioning signal back to the control unit after a desired viewing angle of the screen is adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism, wherein the positioning signal indicates the current position of the screen, and the screen is adjusted to a predetermined position according to the positioning signal if no viewer is located within the sensing ranges of the first, second and third wireless transmitting and receiving sensors.

9. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit further checks whether the first, second and third distances match a specified mathematical relation so as to discriminate whether the viewer is located within a viewable scope, wherein the control units detects the position of the viewer again if the viewer is not located within the viewable scope.

10. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit issues a horizontal control signal to the angle adjustment mechanism if the first distance difference is beyond the first predetermined range, and in response to the horizontal control signal, the angle adjustment mechanism is driven to horizontally rotate the screen until the first distance difference is within the first predetermined range.

11. The automatic angle-adjustable display device according to claim 1 wherein the control unit issues a vertical control signal to the angle adjustment mechanism if the second and third distance differences are beyond the second predetermined range, and in response to the vertical control signal, the angle adjustment mechanism is driven to vertically rotate the screen until the second and third distance differences are within the second predetermined range.

12. An angle-adjustable method for use with a screen of a display device, the method comprising steps of:

measuring a first distance between a first position of the screen and a viewer;

measuring a second distance between a second position of the screen and the viewer;

measuring a third distance between a third position of the screen and the viewer; and

calculating a first distance difference between the first distance and the second distance, a second distance difference between the third distance and the first distance and a third distance difference between the third distance and the second distance, and adjusting the viewing angle of the screen with respect to the viewer according to the first, second and third distance differences, so that the first distance difference lies within a first predetermined range and the second and third distance differences lie within a second predetermined range.

13. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 the steps of measuring the first, second and third distances comprising:

emitting the first wireless signal at a first time spot and receiving the reflected first wireless signal at a fourth time spot;

emitting the second wireless signal at a second time spot and receiving the reflected second wireless signal at a fifth time spot;

emitting the third wireless signal at a third time spot and receiving the reflected third wireless signal at a sixth time spot; and

calculating the first distance according to the first time spot and the fourth time spot, calculating the second distance according to the second time spot and the fifth time spot, and calculating the third distance according to the third time spot and the sixth time spot.

14. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 wherein the first, second and third distance differences are expressed as absolute values or proportions, and the first and second predetermined ranges are equal to or greater than zero.

15. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 wherein if the first distance difference is beyond the first predetermined range, the angle-adjustable method further comprises a step of horizontally rotating the screen until the first distance difference is within the first predetermined range.

16. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 wherein if the second and third distance differences are beyond the second predetermined range, the angle-adjustable method further comprises a step of vertically rotating the screen until the second and third distance differences are within the second predetermined range.

17. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 further comprising a step of periodically emitting the first, second and third wireless signals and discriminating that the viewer is locating within the sensing range of the display device if the first, second and third wireless signals are reflected back by the viewer, wherein the first, second and third distances are calculated according to the time spots when the first, second and third wireless signals are emitted and the time spots when the first, second and third wireless signals reflected by the viewer are received.

18. The angle-adjustable method according to claim 12 further comprising a step of checking whether the first, second and third distances match a specified mathematical relation so as to discriminate whether the viewer is located within a viewable scope, wherein the display device detects the position of the viewer again if the viewer is not located within the viewable scope.