Display apparatus, display control method, and display control program

• US 8,624,927 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohmori, Kenta, Kawakami, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US12/690,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 345/4, 345/8, 345/156, 345/158, 345/661, 345/659, 345/660, 345/665, 345/668, 345/173, 345/667, 345/31, 715/863, 715/800, 715/781, 348/61, 348/333.01, 382/107
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display unit displaying information on a display screen, a distance detector detecting a distance from the display screen to the face of an operator, and a controller causing the information to be enlarged and reduced on the display screen in response to a change of the detected distance.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying information on a display screen;

distance detecting means for detecting a distance from the display screen to the face of an operator; and

control means for causing the information to be enlarged or educed on the display screen in response to a change of the detected distance, wherein the distance detecting means includes imaging means for capturing an image of the face of the operator who is viewing the display screen, and the control means detects the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator by detecting a ratio of a face image of the operator to the captured image,

wherein the control means determines a magnification ratio of the image according to a ratio or difference in detection size of the face image with respect to a reference size,

wherein the control means causes the magnification ratio of the image to increase when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in one direction from a start distance and causes the magnification ratio to decrease when the detected distance changes in an opposite direction, and

wherein the control means is configured to detect a specific face change in the image of the face of the operator, wherein in response to the specific face change, the magnification ratio is maintained at its last changed ratio even when the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator is returned toward the start distance and further, when the specific face change no longer is detected, the magnification ratio is increased or decreased again when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in said one or opposite direction once again.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means continues to cause the information to be enlarged or reduced successively or stepwise according to a sign of the difference in detection size of the face image with respect to the reference size, and stops changing the magnification ratio when the difference becomes 0.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnification ratio is increased as the distance is shorter.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnification ratio is decreased as the distance is shorter.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first display mode and a second display mode that are selectable by the operator are provided, and the magnification ratio is increased as the distance is shorter in the first display mode and the magnification ratio is decreased as the distance is shorter in the second display mode.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means causes the information to be moved for display in a predetermined direction associated with a moving direction of the face in response to a change in position of the face of the operator in a direction parallel to the display screen.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means determines a movement amount for moving the information for display according to a difference in detected position of the face image with respect to a reference position.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means causes the information to be successively moved for display according to a sign of a difference in detected position of the face image with respect to the reference position, and stops movement when the difference becomes 0.

9. A display control method comprising the steps of:

displaying information on a display screen;

detecting a distance from the display screen to the face of an operator; and

causing the information to be enlarged or reduced on the display screen in response to a change of the detected distance, wherein the step of detecting the distance includes the steps of;

capturing an image of the face of the operator who is viewing the display screen; and

detecting a ratio of a face image of the operator to the captured image,

wherein a magnification ratio of the image is determined according to a ratio or difference in detection size of the face image with respect to a reference size,

the magnification ratio of the image increases when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in one direction from a start distance and the magnification ratio decreases when the detected distance changes in an opposite direction, and

wherein the magnification ratio is maintained at its last changed ratio even when the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator is returned toward the start distance when a specific face change is detected in the image of the face of the operator, and further, when the specific face change no longer is detected, the magnification ratio is increased or decreased again when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in said one or opposite direction once again.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium causing a computer to execute the steps of:

displaying information on a display screen;

detecting a distance from the display screen to the face of an operator; and

causing the information to be enlarged or reduced on the display screen in response to a change of the detected distance, wherein the step of detecting the distance includes the steps of;

capturing an image of the face of the operator who is viewing the display screen; and

detecting a ratio of a face image of the operator to the captured image,

wherein a magnification ratio of the image is determined according to a ratio or difference in detection size of the face image with respect to a reference size,

the magnification ratio of the image increases when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in one direction from a start distance and the magnification ratio decreases when the detected distance changes in an opposite direction, and

wherein the magnification ratio is maintained at its last changed ratio even when the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator is returned toward the start distance when a specific face change is detected in the image of the face of the operator, and further, when the specific face change no longer is detected, the magnification ratio is increased or decreased again when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in said one or opposite direction once again.

11. A display apparatus comprising:

a display unit displaying information on a display screen;

a distance detector detecting a distance from the display screen to the face of an operator; and

a controller causing the information to be enlarged and reduced on the display screen in response to a change of the detected distance, wherein the distance detector includes imaging means for capturing an image of the face of the operator who is viewing the display screen, and the controller detects the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator by detecting a ratio of a face image of the operator to the captured image,

wherein the controller determines a magnification ratio of the image according to a ratio or difference in detection size of the face image with respect to a reference size,

wherein the controller causes the magnification ratio of the image to increase when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in one direction from a start distance and causes the magnification ratio to decrease when the detected distance changes in an opposite direction, and

wherein the controller is configured to detect a specific face change in the image of the face of the operator, wherein in response to the specific face change, the magnification ratio is maintained at its last changed ratio even when the distance from the display screen to the face of the operator is returned toward the start distance and further, when the specific face change no longer is detected, the magnification ratio is increased or decreased again when the detected distance from the display screen to the face of the operator changes in said one or opposite direction once again.