JP2008152184A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a natural user interface for reading text displayed with a digital book and the like. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus uses a rotary angle detector built in the apparatus in order to determine the range of a display surface which displays characters, graphics, etc., on the display surface approximately continuously mounted on casing side faces of a circular cylinder and a prism shape and makes the display normally visible from an observer. The rewriting of the display surface is performed on the side determined to be invisible from the observer (user) based on the measured value of the angle detector. Even more, the display contents are rewritten according to the angle change accompanying the rotationally operation performed on progression of reading of the displayed characters, graphics, etc., and the display continuous when viewed from the observer is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention mainly relates to the shape of a device having an electrically rewritable display surface, such as an electronic book, PDA, mobile phone, remote controller, etc., a display control signal detecting means for the display surface, a display control system, etc. It is about the user interface.

It is possible to read text and graphic information centered on a document at any location using an electronic book, a mobile phone, a PDA or the like using a display element such as liquid crystal or E-ink. On the other hand, conventional books using paper are widely used. Display quality such as resolution and contrast of the display elements used in the information device has reached a sufficiently satisfactory level, and the capacity and price of storage elements that can be incorporated in those devices are reduced, or the amount of data in communication means is increased. An enormous amount of text can be instantly retrieved anywhere.

The display surface shape of the display element is not limited to the reflective type and the self-light-emitting type, and the degree of freedom in shape is improved, for example, it can be a curved surface as well as a flat surface.

The size of the device is reduced in order to improve portability, but on the other hand, the area of the display surface of the device body is reduced and the amount of information that can be displayed on one screen is reduced. As a result, when reading successive sentences, it is common to rewrite the displayed screen, such as page turning or scrolling the content displayed on the screen.

In addition, as a technical document filed earlier than the present invention, it is devised to have one hand, and switches are arranged on the left and right sides of the display surface to improve operability. Although there is a device, it is an extension of the conventional method of switch operation and screen rewriting (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, there is a display device in which the display surface is on both sides of the display device and the side that cannot be seen by the observer is rewritten. reference).

In addition, there is an apparatus that cuts and displays a part of a virtual large screen even though the display area is small, and rewrites the display as if tracing the large screen according to the movement of the display device (see, for example, Patent Document 3). ).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-075925 JP-A-2005-338390 JP 2006-208560 PR

In order to improve portability in a device that displays document information by electronic means, it is preferable to make the device small, but as a result, the display area is also reduced, the number of characters that can be displayed on one screen is reduced, and sentences are continuously displayed. This is a contradiction in terms of readability when displayed visually.

Page turning performed in an electronic display device having a limited display area is different from the page turning operation in a book. As a result, it is printed on the surface of paper or an object although it is equivalent in terms of function. It is different from the natural operation feeling that handles things.

Even though a large amount of document information can be easily stored with an electronic device or can be easily carried by a communication function, a small display device with a limited screen size can be operated naturally without frequent page turning by switch operation. The challenge is to make it possible to read on the Internet.

The present invention has a structure in which a rewritable display element is arranged substantially continuously on the side of an approximately cylindrical or approximately polygonal column and is rotated by a finger or hand operation while holding the device, and the display surface is forwardly viewed. In order to rewrite the display content on the display surface, the display surface on the side that does not enter the observer's field of view is selectively rewritten so that text, graphics, photos, etc. are displayed continuously without interruption by rotating the device. To do.

The contents that can be displayed on this display device are not limited to character information, but there are many different character types in addition to Japanese, and there are many different character types. As described above, there are various description methods such as a character written from left to right in horizontal writing and a character type written from right to left even in horizontal writing.

The display device of the present invention uses the columnar direction of the columnar display device in a substantially vertical direction when the display surface visible to the observer is vertical writing, and displays the Japanese or English in horizontal writing. The column direction of In both cases, the display surface of the present display device has a means for determining the user's / observer's field of view and other than the field of view, and the display surface is rewritten selectively in the display area determined not to enter the field of view. Two-axis or three-axis acceleration sensors in the apparatus are arranged so as to be perpendicular to each other, and the direction of gravity can be determined based on the detection amount of each sensor.

Handle characters and figures displayed on the surface of the display device as if they were fixedly written on the display surface of the device, and read continuously according to the movement of rotating the device to read the characters. I can do it. As a result, it is possible to realize a natural user interface in which rewriting normally performed in an electric display device is not apparently performed.

In addition, there is no quantitative limitation on the continuity of the display content, and even extremely long text can be displayed without interruption within the limits of the storage element or communication server incorporated in the apparatus. Moreover, although it is intuitive usage, the same character image does not appear repeatedly by rotation of the apparatus, but there is a surprise that continuous display contents without interruption appear.

Portability can be enhanced by a shape in which the display length of one line is sufficiently long and the diameter of the column cross section is reduced by being a cylinder or a polygonal column.

The rotation necessary for reading a sentence or the like with this apparatus is performed in accordance with the reading speed. Therefore, the situation that the text is being read can be seen from a person other than the user, and the speed of reading the text and the state of reading can be observed from the outside.

Since the rotation operation performed with a fingertip is necessary when reading a sentence or the like with this apparatus, an effect of preventing drowsiness that is often caused by reading a long document can be expected.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment. As the display panel, a curved display panel (11) having display pixels such as electrophoresis, electronic powder, EL, liquid crystal, etc. is mounted in a cylindrical shape so that it can be seen from the surface. Two acceleration sensors are mounted orthogonally in a plane perpendicular to the column direction inside the columnar device main body (10), and the gravitational direction in the plane is determined based on the voltage due to acceleration generated by gravity.

In the present embodiment, the vertical writing display and the horizontal writing display can be switched and displayed. FIG. 2 shows the apparatus main body as viewed from the observer's point of view in the vertical writing display that is actually held in hand. (10) and the observer's hand (40). The apparatus main body (10) is used so as to be substantially vertical in the left-right direction and inclined in the direction in which the upper part moves away in the front-back direction. The front direction in this case is opposite to the gravity direction on the plane perpendicular to the device column direction of the vector of the gravity direction measured by the means. As the user proceeds to read the document, the address in the row direction of the display surface facing the front increases due to the rotation operation, and in the case of the return operation, the address in the row direction decreases.

FIG. 5 specifically shows the relationship between the line unit address (Fn) of the document information stored in the memory and the line unit address of the display surface. As shown in FIG. 5, the display section of the display device and the row address shown in the row address (30) have values from 0 to 7, and the row of text information (31) in the memory built in the device. Written in correspondence with the unit address. In the front direction (DFn) (32) shown in the figure, the display section and the row address (30) 2 are facing. FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of display control. As shown in FIG. 7, the direction of rotation of the apparatus is determined for each change in the front direction (DFn) (32), and writing is performed on the side that is not visible to the observer and further read accordingly. The displayed contents appear with continuity.

FIG. 3 shows a case where horizontal writing is displayed in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body (10) of the embodiment shown in the first embodiment is horizontal. Since it is used in a substantially horizontal state, the biaxial acceleration sensor built in the apparatus main body (10) is in a state of being substantially coincident with the in-plane including the direction of gravity. FIG. 6 specifically shows the relationship between the line unit address (Fn) of the document information stored in the memory and the line unit address of the display surface. Unlike the case of vertical writing, the observer's front direction (DFn) (33) is not on the opposite side to the direction of gravity but is about 135 degrees. In the case of this example, the front direction (DFn) (31) is directed to the display section and the row address (30). Other operation control is the same as in the vertical writing example.

In the present embodiment, the display character has been described in the case of Japanese. For example, Chinese can be similarly expressed in vertical writing display. It can be applied to English and many other foreign languages using horizontal writing. Furthermore, it is possible to handle a language that reads from right to left as well. In the present embodiment, the case where the acceleration sensor has two axes has been described. However, by using three axes, it becomes easier to improve the accuracy of detecting the posture of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body (12) is constituted by using a plurality of flat display panels (13). Although the display surface is divided, the display address between adjacent panels is continuously handled to realize the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment. In the present embodiment, a shaft and a bearing (19) are provided inside the main body of the apparatus main body (14), and a rotating body (20) having a mass bias that can freely rotate with respect to the main body and a sensor for detecting a rotation angle. A rotary encoder (18) is used. By using the value of the angle with respect to the main body of the rotating body that always faces in the direction of gravity due to the mass deviation, the same control as in the first embodiment can be performed to realize a desired operation.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body rotating part (15) and the apparatus holding part (16) are connected by a shaft and a bearing (19). A rotary encoder (18) is attached to the rotating shaft and the apparatus main body (15 ) And the device holding part (16). This device is used by fixing the holding portion using fingers except the palm portion, thumb, and index finger, and rotating the device main body with the thumb and index finger. The front direction is determined in the apparatus holding part (16), the front direction can be determined from the angle with the apparatus main body rotating part (15), and the desired operation can be realized by performing the same control as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows a fifth embodiment. The present embodiment shows an example for inputting a control signal corresponding to the display contents displayed on the front surface to the apparatus main body. As shown in FIG. 10, this example displays an operation for selecting a target book from a plurality of book names as an example. Among the display characters displayed on the apparatus main body (17), a frame surrounding the display characters is additionally displayed on the selected display content (21) facing the front side. When the observer confirms that the display content is selected, the observer can press the switch (50) provided in the apparatus body to cause the apparatus to perform an operation according to the selected display content. . Changing the selection can be realized by rotating the device and displaying the displayed contents one after another.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram which is performing the vertical writing character display in 1st Example of this invention. It is the schematic diagram which is performing the horizontal writing character display in 1st Example of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the display information at the time of the vertical writing display in 1st Example of this invention, and memory information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the display information at the time of horizontal writing display in 1st Example of this invention, and memory information. It is a flowchart for description of display information control in the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the example of an embodiment at the time of display selection in the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 apparatus main body 11 curved surface display panel 12 apparatus main body 13 flat display panel 14 apparatus main body 15 apparatus main body rotation part 16 apparatus holding | maintenance part 17 apparatus main body 18 rotary encoder 19 shaft and bearing 20 Rotating body 21 with mass deviation is selected Display contents 30 Display section and row address 31 Text information in memory 32 Front direction (DFn) 33 Front direction (DFn)
40 Observer Hand 41 Observer Hand 42 Observer Hand 50 Switch

Claims (7)

One or a plurality of electrically rewritable display surfaces that are continuous around the entire circumference of the approximate side surface of a generally cylindrical or polygonal column-shaped housing that can be held with one hand. A display device that can be seen by rotating a part of the display surface in a side direction, based on an angle measured by a rotation angle measurement function built in the display device. A display device characterized by rewriting display contents in a display area that is determined to be invisible to an observer. A biaxial or triaxial acceleration sensor is used as means for measuring the rotation angle in the display device according to claim 1, and the direction of gravity is estimated from the output value of the acceleration sensor, and the display range is viewed by an observer. A display device characterized by determining a display range that cannot be performed. A rotating body having a mass deviation with respect to the center of rotation, which is freely rotatable inside the columnar body, is provided as means for measuring the rotation angle of the display device in the display device according to claim 1, and the rotating body and the display device A display having a means for detecting an angle with the main body, and detecting a direction of gravity based on a value of the angle sensor to determine a display range that can be seen by an observer and a display range that cannot be seen apparatus. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the device main body is divided into two in the column direction, the two are coupled by a shaft and a bearing parallel to the column direction, and one of the device main body rotation part having the display surface is held by the device. A display device provided with a rotation angle measuring means between the apparatus main body rotation part and the apparatus holding part for determining a display area that can be directly viewed by an observer. 5. An electronic book according to claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing document information inside the apparatus main body and displaying the contents of the memory. 6. The display content of a display part invisible to an observer is displayed before and after the document with respect to a part of a continuous document displayed on the side visible to an observer when displaying document information in the display device according to claim 1 The display content is controlled to be rewritten based on the detected value of the rotation angle and the rotation direction so as to match the flow of the display. In the display device according to claim 1, the display content is changed so as to selectively emphasize the display content displayed at a position determined to be facing the front side of the observer, and the main body including the display surface is changed. An apparatus for performing control related to the display contents by input of an added electrical switch.

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