Display apparatus and method for hands free operation that selects a function when window is within field of view

• US 7,928,926 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kakuya, Nakaoka, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck; Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US11/812,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345156-184, 473/56, 341/121, 341/21, 382/114, 348/115
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

The present invention provides a display apparatus which enables high-accuracy, hands-free operation, while adopting a low-cost configuration. The display apparatus according to the present invention includes: an obtainment unit that obtains a display element which is information to be displayed to the user; a determining unit that determines a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user; a display unit that displays the display element at the determined display position; a detection unit that detects a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed; a selection unit that selects the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and an execution unit that executes a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

Claims

1. A display apparatus which displays information to a user, said display apparatus comprising:

an obtainment unit operable to obtain an icon, the icon being information to be displayed to the user;

a determining unit operable to determine a display position of the obtained icon at which a portion of the obtained icon cannot be seen by the user;

a display unit operable to display the icon at the determined display position;

a detection unit operable to detect a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

a selection unit operable to select the icon to be displayed in the detected direction of change;

an execution unit operable to execute a predetermined process related to the selected icon; and

a changing unit operable to change the display position of the icon so that the icon moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein said display unit is operable to display the icon at the changed display position,

wherein said selection unit selects the icon to be displayed when a predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in a display area that can be seen by the user,

wherein said selection unit does not select the icon to be displayed unless the predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user, and

wherein said execution unit is operable to immediately execute a function related to the icon when said selection unit selects the icon.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said selection unit is operable to select the icon when the entire icon is brought into view of the user.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said selection unit is operable to select the icon when a predetermined display condition continues for a predetermined time or longer.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determining unit is operable to determine the display position of the icon such that the icon crosses a boundary line of a visual field of the user.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determining unit is operable to determine the display position of the icon such that the icon crosses a boundary line of a display area of said display unit.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said determining unit is operable to determine the display position of the icon such that:

part of a right end of the icon is displayed at a left end of a display area of the display unit;

part of a left end of the icon is displayed at a right end of the display area of the display unit;

part of a lower end of the icon is displayed at an upper end of the display area of the display unit;

or part of an upper end of the icon is displayed at a lower end of the display area of the display unit.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when display positions of a plurality of icons are changed, said determining unit is operable to determine the display positions of the plurality of icons so that one of the icons is selected.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said detection unit is operable to detect the direction of change based on output from an angular velocity sensor mounted on the head of the user.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the icon is a button, said execution unit is operable to execute a process assigned to the button.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the icon is a moving image, said execution unit is operable to start playing back the moving image.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said display unit is operable to display a selection frame at a predetermined display position, the selection frame being a frame used to select the icon, and

said selection unit is operable to select the icon when the icon fits in the selection frame.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said display unit is mounted on the head of the user.

13. A control method for a display apparatus which displays information to a user, comprising:

obtaining a icon, the icon being information to be displayed to the user;

determining a display position of the obtained icon at which a portion of the obtained icon cannot be seen by the user;

displaying the icon at the determined display position;

detecting a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

selecting the icon to be displayed in the detected direction of change;

executing a predetermined process related to the selected icon; and

changing the display position of the icon so that the icon moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein said displaying includes displaying the icon at the changed display position,

wherein the icon to be displayed is selected by said selecting when a predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user,

wherein the icon to be displayed is not selected by said selecting unless the predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user, and

wherein said executing includes immediately executing a function related to the icon when the icon is selected in said selecting.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a program for controlling a display apparatus which displays information to a user is recorded, wherein when executed, said program causes a computer to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a icon, the icon being information to be displayed to the user;

determining a display position of the obtained icon at which a portion of the obtained icon cannot be seen by the user;

displaying the icon at the determined display position;

detecting a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

selecting the icon to be displayed in the detected direction of change;

executing a predetermined process related to the selected icon; and

changing the display position of the icon so that the icon moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein said displaying includes displaying the icon at the changed display position,

wherein the icon to be displayed is selected by said selecting when a predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user,

wherein the icon to be displayed is not selected by said selecting unless the predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user, and

wherein said executing includes immediately executing a function related to the icon when the icon is selected in said selecting.

15. An integrated circuit for controlling a display apparatus which displays information to a user, comprising:

an obtainment unit operable to obtain a icon, the display element being information to be displayed to the user;

a determining unit operable to determine a display position of the obtained display element at which a portion of the obtained icon cannot be seen by the user;

a display unit operable to display the icon at the determined display position;

a detection unit operable to detect a direction of change when an orientation of the user'"'"'s head is changed;

a selection unit operable to select the icon to be displayed in the detected direction of change;

an execution unit operable to execute a predetermined process related to the selected icon; and

a changing unit operable to change the display position of the icon so that the icon moves in a direction approximately opposite to the detected direction of change,

wherein said display unit is operable to display the icon at the changed display position,

wherein said selection unit selects the icon to be displayed when a predetermined percentage or more icon fits in a display area that can be seen by the user,

wherein said selection unit does not select the icon to be displayed unless the predetermined percentage or more of the icon fits in the display area that can be seen by the user, and

wherein said execution unit is operable to immediately execute a function related to the icon when said selection unit selects the icon.