Transparent display apparatus and method thereof

• US 9,958,957 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yun, Il-kook, Lee, Geun-ho, Lee, Chang-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEGARTY, KELLY B
• Application Number:
  US13/858,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345633
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

A transparent display apparatus and method for displaying information thereon includes sensing a position of an object, sensing a position of a user, determining an area of the transparent display through which the object is viewable by the user, and displaying the information on the transparent display based on the area.

Claims

1. A transparent display apparatus comprising:

a transparent display;

at least one sensor configured to sense a position of an object and a position of a user; and

a controller configured to determine a first area of the transparent display through which the object is viewable by the user, based on the position of the object and the position of the user, and control the transparent display apparatus to display information on a second area of the transparent display that does not overlap with the first area of the transparent display based on the determined first area.

2. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position of the object is a position relative to a position of the transparent display apparatus, and the position of the user is a position relative to the position of the transparent display apparatus.

3. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one camera configured to photograph the object and the user, sense the position of the object based on a photograph of the object, and sense the position of the user based on a photograph of the user.

4. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a line of sight between the user and the object based on the position of the user and the position of the object.

5. The transparent display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the first area based on the line of sight.

6. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transparent display to display the information in a first color that is different from a second color of the object.

7. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent display apparatus is interposed between the object and the user.

8. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust an attribute of the information in response to determining the second area.

9. The transparent display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attribute is color, and the controller controls the transparent display to display the information in a first color that is different from a second color of the object.

10. The transparent display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attribute is at least one of size, color, font, opacity, thickness, and a background color.

11. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises:

a first photographing unit configured to capture a photograph of the object;

a first detector configured to sense an edge using image pixel information of the photograph; and

a second detector configured to identify the object in the photograph using the sensed edge and sense the position of the identified object and an identifying area at which the object is identified.

12. The transparent display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to estimate the first area using a size and a position of the sensed identifying area.

13. The transparent display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to estimate a virtual area of virtual segment areas into which the transparent display is divided occupied by the identifying area to be the first area.

14. The transparent display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the virtual segment areas are mapped into a matrix table, and

the controller is further configured to adjust the position of the information according to a correlation of cells of the matrix table, between cells mapped to the first area and cells mapped to the information.

15. The transparent display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to change attributes of the information, while adjusting a position of the information, and

the attributes comprise at least one of size, opacity, color, thickness, font, and background color.

16. The transparent display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a memory configured to store the matrix table, and the controller is further configured to adjust the position of the information, to omit overlapping of cells matching the position of the object sensed by the first sensor.

17. The transparent display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first photographing unit comprises a plurality of first photographing units, and

the controller is further configured to selectively drive a photographing unit among the plurality of first photographing units which corresponds to the position of the user sensed by the second sensor to perform photographing.

18. The transparent display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first photographing unit is configured to be rotatable according to the position of the user.

19. The transparent display apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor further comprises:

a second photographing unit configured to capture a photograph of the user; and

a user position detector configured to sense a position of the user using the photograph,

wherein the controller is further configured to estimate a field of vision of the user using the position of the user, and control the transparent display to display the information within the field of vision.

20. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a distance of the user to the transparent display apparatus based on the position of the user, and control the transparent display to display the information based on the first area and the distance.

21. The transparent display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transparent display to display a user interface at an area corresponding to the position of the user.

22. A method of displaying information on a transparent display, the method comprising:

sensing a position of an object;

sensing a position of a user;

determining, by a processor of the transparent display, a first area of the transparent display through which the object is viewable by the user, in response to the sensing the position of the object and the sensing the position of the user; and

displaying the information on the transparent display on a second area of the transparent display that does not overlap with the first area of the transparent display based on the determined first area,

wherein the determining the first area and the displaying the information are automatically performed in response to sensing the position of the object and sensing the position of the user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the position of the object is a position relative to a position of the transparent display, and the position of the user is a position relative to the position of the transparent display.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the sensing the position of the object and the position of the user comprises photographing the object and the user, sensing the position of the object based on a photograph of the object, and sensing the position of the user based on a photograph of the user.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a line of sight between the user and the object based on the position of the user and the position of the object.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the determining the first area comprises determining the area based on the line of sight.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the information in a first color that is different from a second color of the object.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the transparent display is interposed between the object and the user.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

adjusting an attribute of the information.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the attribute is color, and the method further comprises:

displaying the information in a first color that is different from a second color of the object.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the attribute is at least one of size, color, font, opacity, thickness, and a background color.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein the sensing the position of the object comprises:

capturing a photograph of the object;

sensing an edge using image pixel information of the photograph;

identifying the object in the photograph using the sensed edge; and

sensing the position of the identified object and an identifying area at which the object is identified.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the determining the first area comprises estimating the first area using a size and a position of the sensed identifying area.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the estimating comprises estimating a virtual area of virtual segment areas into which the transparent display is divided occupied by the identifying area to be the first area.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the virtual segment areas are mapped into a matrix table, and

the method further comprises adjusting the position of the information according to a correlation of cells of the matrix table, between cells mapped to the first area and cells mapped to the information.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

changing attributes of the information, while adjusting a position of the information, and

wherein the attributes comprise at least one of size, opacity, color, thickness, font, and background color.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

storing the matrix table, and

wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the position of the information, to omit overlapping of cells matching the position of the object.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the capturing comprises selectively driving a photographing unit among a plurality of photographing units which corresponds to the position of the user.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the sensing the position of the user comprises:

capturing a photograph of the user;

sensing the position of the user using the photograph; and

estimating a field of vision of the user using the position of the user,

wherein the displaying comprises displaying the information within the field of vision.

40. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a distance of the user to the transparent display based on the position of the user, and

wherein the displaying comprises displaying the information based on the first area and the distance.

41. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying a user interface at an area corresponding to the position of the user.

42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute a method of displaying information on a transparent display, the method comprising:

sensing a position of an object;

sensing a position of a user;

determining, by a processor of the transparent display, a first area of the transparent display through which the object is viewable by the user, in response to the sensing the position of the object and the sensing the position of the user;

and

displaying the information on the transparent display on a second area of the transparent display that does not overlap with the first area of the transparent display based on the determined first area,

wherein the determining the first area and the displaying the information are automatically performed in response to sensing the position of the object and sensing the position of the user.