Display apparatus, display method, and computer program product

• US 20080048993A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yano, Takanori
• Application Number:
  US11/889,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a display unit that includes a first area that stretches along an outer periphery of the display unit and a second area in which an image can be displayed. In the first area, a plurality of sensors that senses a finger touch is arranged. A pattern determining unit determines a pattern of the finger touch based on a sequence and a position of the finger touch obtained as result of sensing by the sensors. An orientation determining unit determines orientation of an image to be displayed on the second area based on the pattern of the finger touch. A control unit displays an image on the second area in the determined orientation.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display unit that includes

a first area that stretches along an outer periphery of the display unit, a plurality of sensors that senses a finger touch being arranged in the first area; and

a second area in which an image can be displayed;

a pattern determining unit that determines a pattern of the finger touch based on a sequence and a position of the finger touch obtained as result of sensing by the sensors; and

an orientation determining unit that determines orientation of an image to be displayed on the second area based on the pattern of the finger touch; and

a control unit that displays an image on the second area in the orientation determined by the orientation determining unit.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern determining unit determines the pattern of the finger touch based on a position and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result of sensing by the sensors.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern determining unit determines the pattern of the finger touch based on a position, a sequence, and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result of sensing by the sensors.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts a size of an image to be displayed on the second area depending on the orientation determined by the orientation determining unit, and displays adjusted image on the second area.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged only in the first area.

6. A method of displaying an image on a display apparatus, the display apparatus including a display unit that includes a first area that stretches along an outer periphery of the display unit and a second area in which an image can be displayed, the method comprising:

sensing a finger touch by a plurality of sensors that is arranged in the first area;

first determining including determining a pattern of the finger touch based on a position and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result of the sensing;

second determining including determining orientation of an image to be displayed on the display apparatus based on the pattern of the finger touch; and

displaying an image on the second area in the orientation determined at the second determining.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first determining includes determining the pattern of the finger touch based on a position and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result at the sensing.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first determining includes determining the pattern of the finger touch based on a position, a sequence, and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result at the sensing.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the displaying includes adjusting a size of an image to be displayed on the second area depending on the orientation determined at the second determining, and displaying adjusted image on the second area.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sensing includes only sensing within the first area.

11. A computer program product that includes a computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program that causes a computer to implement a method of displaying an image on a display apparatus, the display apparatus including a display unit that includes a first area that stretches along an outer periphery of the display unit and a second area in which an image can be displayed, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

sensing a finger touch by a plurality of sensors that is arranged in the first area;

first determining including determining a pattern of the finger touch based on a position and a duration of the finger touch obtained as result of the sensing;

second determining including determining orientation of an image to be displayed on the display apparatus based on the pattern of the finger touch; and

displaying an image on the second area in the orientation determined at the second determining.