Image display device for rotating an image displayed on a display screen

• US 7,746,365 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishida, Michiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US11/110,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 345/697, 345/690, 345/211, 345/168, 345/156, 345/161, 345/571, 345/656, 345/545, 345/87, 345/FOR.146, 345/173, 345/419, 345/649, 345/31, 345 4- 9, 361/683, 361/681, 348/837, 348/727, 348/333.03, 382/194, 273/348, 318/640, 374/124, 250/221, 715/728, 378/4, 359/479, 359/676
• US Class Current: 345/697
• 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 image display device comprises a frame arranged along the periphery of display screen and a plurality of detectors mounted on the frame, each for generating a detection signal in response to an object positioned outside of the frame. Each of detectors generates a detection signal indicative of the distance to an object that is present in a direction associated therewith. A control circuit selects a detection signal indicative of the shortest distance of the detection signals. The control circuit controls the direction of an image that is displayed on a display screen such that the bottom of the image is moved to a side corresponding to the detector that generates the selected detection signal.

Claims

1. An image display device, comprising:

a display unit having a display screen in a rectangular shape which displays an image;

a frame arranged along a periphery of said display screen;

a plurality of detectors mounted on said frame, each of which generates a detection signal in response to a distance to an object positioned outside of said frame; and

a controller which controls said image displayed on said display screen based on detection signals generated from respective detectors from among said plurality of detectors,

wherein said plurality of detectors comprises three detectors mounted at a location on said frame close to each of three sides among four sides of said display screen, and

wherein said controller monitors said detection signals generated from respective detectors from among said plurality of detectors, detects a side, to which any one of said three detectors does not correspond, from among said four sides as a side to which a user is close when all of said detection signals indicate distances equal to or longer than a predetermined distance, under a situation in which said side, to which the user is close, is detected from among said four sides based on a detection signal that indicates a shortest distance among said detection signals, and controls a direction of said image such that a bottom of said image is moved to the detected side.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein each of said detectors comprises a radiant heat sensor which detects an amount of heat radiated from an object in order to generate a signal indicative of the detected amount of radiant heat as the detection signal.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein each of said detectors comprises a distance sensor.

4. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising an image signal input unit which receives an image signal supplied from an external device through a wire,

wherein said controller converts the image signal based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal on said display screen, and displays an image represented by the converted image signal on said display screen.

5. The image display device according to claim 4, further comprising a storing unit which preserves the image signal received by said image signal input unit.

6. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein said storing unit is removable.

7. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein the controller converts the image signal based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal on said display screen.

8. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising a generator which generates an image signal representative of the image,

wherein said controller converts the image signal generated by said generator based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal generated by said generator on said display screen, and displays an image represented by the converted image signal on said display screen.

9. The image display device according to claim 1, further comprising an image signal input unit which receives an image signal supplied from an external device through an antenna,

wherein said controller converts the image signal based on the detection signals generated from said respective detectors from among said detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal on said display screen, and displays an image represented by the converted image signal on said display screen.

10. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is connected to an operation board operated by a user, and

wherein the operation board receives a variety of inputs indicated by a user'"'"'s operations.

11. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a control circuit,

wherein the control circuit generates an image signal based on entries from a user received by an operation board.

12. The image display device according to claim 11, wherein the control circuit stores the image signal in a storage unit when the user operates said operation board.

13. The image display device according to claim 11, wherein the control circuit converts the image signal based on the detection signals generated from said plurality of detectors in order to control a direction of an image represented by the image signal on said display screen.

14. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects a detection signal that indicates a highest output voltage.