Display apparatus

• US 5,701,131 A
• Filed: 03/29/1995
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuga, Kaeko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/413,862
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/31, 345/32, 345/156-162, 324/162
• US Class Current: 345/8
• 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 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

A display apparatus is provided which displays a natural image in accordance with the upward and downward direction of the display apparatus. The display apparatus is provided with an inclination detecting unit, a memory which stores data of an image which is wide in the upward and downward direction, and a controller which displays only a partial area of the image. The inclination detecting unit includes a light emitting device which emits light in a direction varying according to the direction of the display apparatus and light receiving devices whose directions are maintained constant due to the gravity irrespective of the direction of the display apparatus. The inclination detecting unit detects an inclination based on the light incident position on the light receiving device. The controller determines the position in the upward and downward direction of the image area to be displayed in accordance with the detected inclination.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel which displays an image;

inclination detecting means for detecting an inclination of a panel surface of the display panel relative to a direction of gravity; and

image extracting means for extracting a data of a part of an image area from image data to display an image of the extracted data on the display panel, said image extracting means deciding a position in an upward and downward direction of the image area to be extracted, based on the inclination detected by the inclination detecting means,

wherein said inclination detecting means comprises;

a light emitting device;

a plurality of light receiving devices arranged in an array for receiving light from the light emitting device;

an optical device which reflects the light from the light emitting device toward the light receiving devices;

a fixed supporting member which integrally holds the display panel and the optical device;

a swingable supporting member which holds the light receiving devices, said swingable supporting member being swingable about the optical device along a direction of arrangement of the light receiving devices;

a weight fixed to the swingable supporting member for maintaining a direction of the swingable supporting member to be constant relative to the direction of gravity; and

an inclination sensor which detects an inclination of the fixed supporting member relative to the direction of gravity based on a position of the light receiving device receiving the light from the light emitting device.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device is held by the fixed supporting member.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device is held by the swingable supporting member.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device is arranged to arc about the optical device.

5. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical device is a prism.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a memory is provided which stores the image data and supplies the image data to the image extracting means.

7. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display apparatus is a head mounted display which is put on a head for use.

8. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel which displays an image;

inclination detecting means for detecting an inclination of a panel surface of the display panel relative to a direction of gravity; and

image extracting means for extracting a data of a part of an image area from image data to display an image of the extracted data on the display panel, said image extracting means deciding a position in an upward and downward direction of the image area to be extracted, based on the inclination detected by the inclination detecting means,

wherein said inclination detecting means comprises;

a light emitting device;

a fixed supporting member which integrally holds the display panel and the light emitting device;

a swingable supporting member which is swingable about the light emitting device within a surface vertical to a panel surface of the display panel, a direction of said swingable supporting member being maintained constant relative to the direction of gravity due to gravity;

a plurality of light receiving devices arranged on the swingable supporting member along a direction of swing of the swingable supporting member, said light receiving devices receiving light from the light emitting device; and

an inclination sensor which detects an inclination of the fixed supporting member relative to the direction of gravity based on a position of the light receiving device receiving the light from the light emitting device.