Information display device

• US 9,214,128 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunori, Ohtsubo, Shohji, Mukai, Tsutomu, Sakakibara, Mizuho, Oshima, Mitsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Phi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Yi
• Application Number:
  US13/549,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 345/649, 345/659, 345/689
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An information display device includes: an image display unit that displays an image according to an orientation of a display screen; a terminal posture detection unit that detects a posture of the device using an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and a display direction determination unit that determines whether or not the posture of the device changes, and determines the orientation of the display screen. In the case where the display screen is substantially horizontal and the posture of the device changes, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that, when the device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to the orientation (reference orientation) of the display screen before the determination of the posture change, a side of the device at the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to the top of the display screen.

Claims

1. An information display device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory having stored thereon executable instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to perform;

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of the information display device, the display screen having a plurality of sides constituting edges of the display screen, the orientation being an orientation where a first side of the display screen among the plurality of sides corresponds to a top of the display screen;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor;

detecting a centrifugal force direction based on information obtained by the acceleration sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state, (ii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, and (iii) the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device corresponds to the top of the display screen, the side of the information display device corresponding to a second side of the display screen different from the first side of the display screen in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, (ii) the centrifugal force direction is detected, and (iii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device farthest in the detected centrifugal force direction corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

wherein the image is displayed according to the determined orientation of the display screen such that a top of the image corresponds to the top of the display screen.

2. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is not in the substantially horizontal state and (ii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device uppermost in a vertical direction corresponds to the top of the display screen.

3. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform

detecting shaking of at least one side of the information display device based on information obtained by at least one of the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor, and

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, (ii) shaking of the at least one side of an amplitude equal to or more than a threshold is detected, and (iii) the posture of the information display device changes is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device having the largest amplitude of shaking corresponds to the top of the display screen.

4. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:

estimating a current position of the information display device by autonomous navigation using information obtained by the acceleration sensor and at least one of the angular velocity sensor and the geomagnetic sensor; and

estimating, from the posture of the information display device and the orientation of the display screen at the current position, that a position of a user using the information display device is opposite to the orientation of the display screen with respect to the information display device, and

wherein the orientation of the display screen is determined so that the estimated position of the user corresponds to a bottom of the display screen in the case where the display screen rotates in the current position while remaining in the substantially horizontal state.

5. The information display device according to claim 1,

wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform

when the information display device is moving, estimating from a movement direction of the information display device that a position of a user is opposite to the movement direction with respect to the information display device, and

wherein the orientation of the display screen is determined so that the estimated position of the user corresponds to a bottom of the display screen.

6. The information display device according to claim 1, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform

displaying an icon indicating a normal position of the information display device to a user, at a position that is in a part of the display screen and is set based on the orientation of the display screen.

7. An information display method comprising:

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of an information display device, the display screen having a plurality of sides constituting edges of the display screen, the orientation being an orientation where a first side of the display screen among the plurality of sides corresponds to a top of the display screen;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor;

detecting a centrifugal force direction based on information obtained by the acceleration sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state, (ii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, and (iii) the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device corresponds to the top of the display screen, the side of the information display device corresponding to a second side of the display screen different from the first side of the display screen in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, (ii) the centrifugal force direction is detected, and (iii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device farthest in the detected centrifugal force direction corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

wherein the image is displayed according to the determined orientation of the display screen such that a top of the image corresponds to the top of the display screen.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute:

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of an information display device, the display screen having a plurality of sides constituting edges of the display screen, the orientation being an orientation where a first side of the display screen among the plurality of sides corresponds to a top of the display screen;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor;

detecting a centrifugal force direction based on information obtained by the acceleration sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state, (ii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, and (iii) the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen before the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device corresponds to the top of the display screen, the side of the information display device corresponding to a second side of the display screen different from the first side of the display screen in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, (ii) the centrifugal force direction is detected, and (iii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device farthest in the detected centrifugal force direction corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

wherein the image is displayed according to the determined orientation of the display screen such that a top of the image corresponds to the top of the display screen.

9. An integrated circuit included in an information display device, the integrated circuit comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory having stored thereon executable instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to perform;

displaying an image according to an orientation of a display screen of the information display device, the display screen having a plurality of sides constituting edges of the display screen, the orientation being an orientation where a first side of the display screen among the plurality of sides corresponds to a top of the display screen;

detecting a posture of the information display device based on information obtained by an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor;

detecting a centrifugal force direction based on information obtained by the acceleration sensor; and

determining whether or not the posture of the information display device changes, and determining the orientation of the display screen,

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in a substantially horizontal state, (ii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, and (iii) the information display device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to a reference orientation which is the orientation of the display screen the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device corresponds to the top of the display screen, the side of the information display device corresponding to a second side of the display screen different from the first side of the display screen in a direction of the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation, and

wherein in the case where (i) the display screen is in the substantially horizontal state, (ii) the centrifugal force direction is detected, and (iii) the posture of the information display device is determined to have changed, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that a side of the information display device farthest in the detected centrifugal force direction corresponds to the top of the display screen, and

wherein the image is displayed according to the determined orientation of the display screen such that a top of the image corresponds to the top of the display screen.