Electronic device, wearable device, and display control method

• US 10,628,104 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Rinzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US15/977,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20190196769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/026 Arrangements or methods related to booting a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic device is connectable to a wearable device including a display device, an attachment sensor, and a posture sensor. The electronic device includes a screen direction controller configured to control a direction of a screen of the display device according to a posture of the wearable device detected by the posture sensor for a period of time beginning at a time when the attachment sensor has detected that a user has put on the wearable device.

Claims

1. An electronic device connectable to a wearable device comprising a display device, an attachment sensor, and a posture sensor,

the electronic device comprising:

a screen direction controller configured to control a direction of a screen of the display device according to a posture of the wearable device detected by the posture sensor for a period of time beginning at a time when the attachment sensor has detected that a user has put on the wearable device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the screen direction controller is configured to fix the direction of the screen of the display device after the period of time has elapsed.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to make the display device to display a text information concerning the direction of the screen after fixing the direction of the screen of the display device.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to reverse the direction of the screen responsive to an instruction received from the user after the display device has displayed the text information concerning the direction of the screen.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the wearable device comprises

an eyeglass frame, and

a device main body comprising the display device, the attachment sensor, and the posture sensor,

wherein the device main body is configured to be attachable to the eyeglass frame such that the device main body is switchable between a first position at which the display device is positioned inside a field of view of the user and a second position at which the display device is positioned outside the field of view of the user.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to maintain the direction of the screen of the display device when the attachment sensor has detected that the user has put on the wearable device after the posture sensor has detected that a position of the device main body has changed from the second position to the first position.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the posture sensor comprises at least one of a gravitation sensor, a geomagnetism sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a gyroscopic sensor.

8. A wearable device comprising:

a display device;

an attachment sensor;

a posture sensor; and

a screen direction controller configured to control a direction of a screen of the display device according to a posture of the wearable device detected by the posture sensor for a period of time beginning at a time when the attachment sensor has detected that a user has put on the wearable device.

9. The wearable device according to claim 8, wherein

the screen direction controller is configured to fix the direction of the screen of the display device after the period of time has elapsed.

10. The wearable device according to claim 9, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to make the display device to display a text information concerning the direction of the screen after fixing the direction of the screen of the display device.

11. The wearable device according to claim 10, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to reverse the direction of the screen responsive to an instruction received from the user after the display device has displayed the text information concerning the direction of the screen.

12. The wearable device according to claim 8, further comprising:

an eyeglass frame; and

a device main body comprising the display device, the attachment sensor, and the posture sensor,

wherein the device main body is configured to be attachable to the eyeglass frame such that the device main body is switchable between a first position at which the display device is positioned inside a field of view of the user and a second position at which the display device is positioned outside the field of view of the user.

13. The wearable device according to claim 12, wherein

the screen direction controller is further configured to maintain the direction of the screen of the display device when the attachment sensor has detected that the user has put on the wearable device after the posture sensor has detected that a position of the device main body has changed from the second position to the first position.

14. The wearable device according to claim 8, wherein

the posture sensor comprises at least one of a gravitation sensor, a geomagnetism sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a gyroscopic sensor.

15. A display control method of an electronic device connectable to a wearable device comprising a display device, an attachment sensor, and a posture sensor,

the display control method comprising:

detecting, using the attachment sensor, that a user has put on the wearable device; and

controlling a direction of a screen of the display device according to a posture of the wearable device detected by the posture sensor for a period of time beginning at a time when the attachment sensor has detected that the user has put on the wearable device.

16. The display control method according to claim 15, further comprising:

fixing the direction of the screen of the display device after the period of time has elapsed.

17. The display control method according to claim 16, further comprising:

making the display device to display a text information concerning the direction of the screen after fixing the direction of the screen of the display device.

18. The display control method according to claim 17, further comprising:

reversing the direction of the screen responsive to an instruction received from the user after the display device has displayed the text information concerning the direction of the screen.

19. The display control method according to claim 15, wherein

the wearable device comprises

an eyeglass frame, and

a device main body comprising the display device, the attachment sensor, and the posture sensor,

wherein the device main body is configured to be attachable to the eyeglass frame such that the device main body is switchable between a first position at which the display device is positioned inside a field of view of the user and a second position at which the display device is positioned outside the field of view of the user.

20. The display control method according to claim 19, further comprising:

maintaining the direction of the screen of the display device when the attachment sensor has detected that the user has put on the wearable device after the posture sensor has detected that a position of the device main body has changed from the second position to the first position.