Image display apparatus

• US 8,902,162 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kazumi, Nakajima, Isshu, Tokunaga, Tatsuya, Hoshino, Takeshi, Matsubara, Takashi, Bondan, Setiawan, Nozoe, Takahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/338,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 705/14.37, 705/411
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/005 Signs associated with a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00

Abstract

A screen is provided on a housing in such a manner that the screen protrudes toward its nearer side, and is inclined so that the nearer side becomes lower. This screen displays thereon a first hierarchy menu for indicating an arrangement of genre pictures, a second hierarchy menu for indicating an arrangement of commodity pictures, and a map image for indicating a map of the sales counters. A user brings his or her hand tip nearer to this screen. This operation allows a double-ring pointer to be displayed at a position which corresponds to the spatial position or direction of the user'"'"'s hand tip relative to the screen. On this screen, the user is permitted to change the position of this double-ring pointer by performing a gesture of changing the spatial position or direction of the user'"'"'s hand tip.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a housing on which a display unit is provided, the display unit having a display screen displaying an introduction picture for introducing commodities;

a sensor disposed at a position that is higher than the display screen, the sensor detecting a distance between a user and the display screen and detecting a direction and a position of a hand tip of the user directed toward the display screen; and

a display control unit disposed at a position that is lower than the display screen, the display controlling unit controlling a display of content on the display screen, and

wherein a portion of the display unit that includes the display screen protrudes from the housing and extends at a decline away from the housing toward a user-side of the display unit.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is a screen onto which said introduction picture is projected by a projector, and wherein the display control unit is a projector.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said introduction picture is so configured as to display thereon a first hierarchy menu, a second hierarchy menu, and a map image,

said first hierarchy menu being a menu where genre pictures on each commodity-genre basis are displayed in a manner of being arranged,

said second hierarchy menu being a menu where thumbnail-displayed commodity pictures are displayed in a manner of being arranged, said thumbnail-displayed commodity pictures indicating commodities on each commodity-genre basis in said first hierarchy menu,

said map image being used for guiding said user around sales counters at which said commodities are on sale, said commodities being indicated by said commodity pictures in said second hierarchy menu,

a pointer being displayed in any one of display areas of said first hierarchy and second hierarchy menus and display area of said map image in accordance with said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip relative to said screen, so that any one of said genre pictures in said first hierarchy menu, said commodity pictures in said second hierarchy menu, and said sales counters on said map image can be pointed at by using said pointer.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said pointer is positioned on said first hierarchy menu, when said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip falls within a first distance range set in advance,

said first hierarchy menu being deleted, and said second hierarchy menu being enlargement-displayed, and said pointer being positioned on said second hierarchy menu, when said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip falls within a second distance range set in advance,

said pointer being positioned on said map image, when said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip falls within a third distance range set in advance.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said commodity pictures in said second hierarchy menu are respectively displayed on said introduction picture in such a manner that said commodity pictures are respectively opposed to said genre picture of said genre to which said commodities belong, said introduction picture displaying thereon said first hierarchy menu, said second hierarchy menu, and said map image,

said position of said pointer being fixed when said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip displaces from said first distance range into said second distance range,

said second hierarchy menu being then displayed in such a manner that said position-fixed pointer is positioned on said commodity picture in said second hierarchy menu, said commodity picture corresponding to said genre picture in said first hierarchy menu which has been displayed when said detection position falls within said first distance range.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said commodity picture and said sales counter on said map image are displayed in a manner of being connected to each other by using a connection line, said commodity picture being pointed at by using said pointer in said second hierarchy menu, said commodity indicated by said commodity picture being on sale at said sales counter, said second hierarchy menu being displayed when said sensor-detected detection position of said user'"'"'s hand tip falls within said second distance range.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first hierarchy menu is scrolled by positioning said pointer at an end portion of said arrangement of said genre pictures in said first hierarchy menu.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second hierarchy menu is scrolled by positioning said pointer at an end portion of said arrangement of said commodity pictures in said second hierarchy menu.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes content to be displayed on the display screen when the distance between the user and the display screen that is detected by the sensor is within a first predetermined range of distances, and displays a pointer on the display screen when the distance between the user and the display screen that is detected by the sensor is within a second predetermined range of distances that is smaller than the distances of the first predetermined range.