JP2000098991A - Environment adaptive screen display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dynamically control the brightness and contrast of a display screen in accordance with the change of the distance between an operator and the display picture not only peripheral brightness. SOLUTION: In this display system, a display device 1 is provided with an illuminance sensor 12 for measuring environmental illuminance in the vicinity of the display screen 11 and a distance sensor 13 for measuring the distance between the operator placed forward and the display screen 11, and a computer 2 is provided with a brightness/contrast control means 21 for controlling the brightness and contrast of the display screen 11 with these outputs. When a power source is turned on, a set reference is read in a set reference temporary storage part 22 from a set reference storage part 31 of a storage 3, and the set reference of the set reference temporary storage part 22 is retrieved by the outputs from the illuminance sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13, and the brightness and contrast of the display screen 11 are controlled so as to become relevant set values. Thus, the display screen 11 can be controlled adaptatively to the environmental illuminance and distance at this time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an environment-adaptive screen display system, and more particularly to an environment-adaptive screen display system which automatically controls a display condition of a screen to a favorable state in accordance with ambient brightness and an operator's distance to the screen. It relates to a type screen display system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a general display device used for an information processing apparatus, among display conditions for displaying information such as characters and figures on a display screen, there are brightness, contrast, screen size (resolution), maximum number of colors, and the like. Is configured to be arbitrarily set and changed by the operator. That is, the display device is provided with knobs or buttons for adjusting the brightness and contrast, and it is assumed that the operator manually adjusts the brightness and contrast according to the surrounding brightness, and uses the display device in a state that is easy to see. Screen size (resolution)
The operator can select any one of a plurality of settable states by calling up a setting screen, such as the maximum number of colors (in the case of color display) and the like.

[0003] In a use environment where the influence of outdoor light is small and it depends only on indoor lighting, the brightness and contrast of the display screen need not be changed once set, so there is no problem. In a use environment that is easily exposed to light, the brightness around the display screen fluctuates greatly with the passage of weather conditions and time. Not only that, if not adjusted, it may cause an increase in eye fatigue.

On the other hand, a screen display system that automatically adjusts the brightness and contrast of a display screen according to the surrounding brightness has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-149337. The screen display system described in this publication includes a sensing means for detecting the brightness near the display, and a reference table storing the relationship between external brightness, brightness, and contrast, and a display near the display detected by the sensing means. Is searched for a reference table based on the brightness, and the optimal brightness and contrast values under the current environment are determined, and the brightness and contrast of the display screen are dynamically controlled so as to become these values.

The size of the characters displayed on the display screen is generally determined by the designation of the program that generates the display information, but can also be changed by changing the setting of the screen size (resolution) of the display device. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-2 is a screen display system which enables a display device to easily display enlarged characters for a low vision person.
No. 66338. This screen display system includes two types of character generators, a standard character size and an enlarged character size, and switches between the standard character size and the enlarged character size by an external contact manually operated, and displays the same display information from a program on a display device. Are displayed as characters of different sizes.

[0006] Changes in display conditions such as the screen size and the maximum number of colors in a conventional display device, including the screen display system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-266338, require the intervention of an operator each time. The changed state is saved even after the power is turned off and restored when the power is turned on again.
In an environment where multiple operators alternately use one device,
When the setting is different from the setting of the previous operator, each operator has to perform resetting each time.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-1 is disclosed.
The screen display system described in Japanese Patent No. 49337 dynamically controls the brightness and contrast of the display screen in accordance with the brightness in the vicinity, so that the visibility can be improved without bothering the operator, which is effective. However, the distance between the display screen and the operator is a variable factor affecting the visibility of the operator, but the above system does not consider this point.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an environment-adaptive screen display item that can dynamically control the brightness and contrast of a display screen according to not only the surrounding brightness but also the distance to the display screen of an operator. It is to be.

Note that there are slight differences in judgment of visibility depending on personal conditions such as the visual acuity and preference of the operator. Therefore, the control characteristics when dynamically controlling the brightness and contrast include the screen size and the maximum color development. It is desirable to be able to select a plurality of conditions as well as the number. In such a case, it is desirable to eliminate the troublesomeness that a plurality of operators alternately use the same display device and have to reselect each time even when the selected state of each operator is different. It is.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an environment-adaptive screen display system in which display conditions selected by an operator's personal factor are automatically set.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment-adaptive screen display system, comprising: an illuminance sensor for measuring brightness around a display screen; and a distance between an operator located in front and the display screen. A distance sensor, a setting reference storage unit in which setting reference information for obtaining a brightness setting value with variables of brightness around the display screen and a distance between the operator and the display screen are stored, and the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor And a brightness contrast control unit for controlling the brightness of the display screen with reference to the setting reference information based on the output of the control unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment-adaptive screen display system, comprising: an illuminance sensor for measuring brightness around a display screen; a distance sensor for measuring a distance between an operator located in front of the display screen and the display screen; A setting reference storage unit in which setting reference information for obtaining setting values of brightness and contrast using the surrounding brightness and the distance between the operator and the display screen as variables are stored, and based on outputs of the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor. And a brightness contrast control means for controlling brightness and contrast of the display screen with reference to the setting reference information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the environment adaptive screen display system according to the first or second aspect, a plurality of sets of the set reference information are stored in the set reference storage unit. An operator personal information storage unit storing identification information for specifying a set of the setting reference information to be used in correspondence with an operator identifier input by the operator when the computer is started, and the operator personal information storage unit An operator personal information registration unit for registering information, and an operator-specific display condition setting for searching the operator personal information storage unit based on the input operator identifier and notifying the luminance contrast control unit of the identification information. Means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the environment adaptive screen display system according to the third aspect, wherein the operator personal information storage unit stores screen size setting information of a display screen, The display condition setting means for each user has a function of changing the setting of the screen size.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the environment adaptive screen display system according to the fourth aspect, the setting information of the maximum number of colors to be displayed on the display screen is stored in the operator personal information storage unit. The display condition setting means for each operator has a function of changing the setting of the maximum number of colors.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the environment adaptive screen display system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a plurality of the illuminance sensors are dispersed on a peripheral frame of a display screen. Wherein the brightness contrast control means controls the display screen using an average value of the outputs of the plurality of illuminance sensors.

[0017]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the present invention includes a display device 1, a computer 2 operated by program control, a nonvolatile storage device 3 for storing information, and an input device 4 such as a keyboard.
It is composed of

The display device 1 has an illuminance sensor 12 for measuring the brightness (hereinafter referred to as environmental illuminance) in the vicinity of the display screen 11, and a sensor between an operator located in front of the display device 1 and the display screen 11. A distance sensor 13 for measuring a distance and a display control unit 15 for displaying information of the image memory 14 on the display screen 11 are included. As the illuminance sensor 12, one or a plurality of photosensors are provided in a peripheral frame of a display screen and a plurality of photosensors are provided.
The distance sensor 13 only needs to be installed at the center upper portion of the peripheral frame, and a sensor capable of measuring a distance of about 20 cm to 100 cm is required, but the measurement accuracy does not need to be particularly high.

The computer 2 has not only a normal function (not shown) for developing display data into a bit map and writing it into the image memory 14 of the display device 1, but also displays the display screen with outputs of the illuminance sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13. And a setting reference stored in a setting reference storage unit 31 of the storage device 3 (how to control brightness and contrast with respect to environmental illuminance and distance). Setting reference temporary storage unit 2 in the main memory for expanding the
2 is provided.

The setting criterion storage unit 31 of the storage device 3 stores one setting criterion determined by the designer as being considered to be accepted by the most people. Generally, when the ambient illuminance is bright, it is easier to see when the brightness is high and the contrast is strong, and when the surroundings are dark, the brightness is low and the contrast is weak. Further, when the distance to the screen is short, the luminance may be low and the contrast may be weak. However, when the distance to the screen is long, the luminance is high and the contrast is not strong. As described above, the change in the brightness and contrast corresponding to the brightness of the environmental illuminance and the distance in the distance is a monotonous change having the same tendency. Although various combinations and determination methods are possible as to how to determine the relationship, an average one setting criterion that is considered to be accepted by the most people may be created and stored. This setting criterion is recorded in, for example, a table format for reading out setting values of luminance and contrast by illuminance using distance as a parameter.

When the power is turned on, first, the setting reference is read from the setting reference storage unit 31 of the storage device 3 to the setting reference temporary storage unit 22 of the computer 2. Subsequently, the brightness contrast control unit 21 inputs information on the environmental illuminance and the distance from the illuminance sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13 of the display device 1, searches for a setting reference developed in the setting reference temporary storage unit 22, and displays the display screen. The brightness and contrast of No. 11 are controlled so as to be the corresponding set values.
Thereafter, at predetermined time intervals, the illuminance sensor 12
The brightness and the contrast are sequentially updated based on the output from the distance sensor 13. As a result, the information of the image memory 14 is displayed on the display screen 11 with the brightness and contrast corresponding to the environmental illuminance and the distance at that time. The illuminance sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13
Although the time interval for updating the brightness and the contrast with the output from is preferably within a few seconds, it is not necessary that the illuminance sensor 12 and the distance sensor 13 be the same.

In the above description, the display device has the function of adjusting the luminance and the contrast, and the luminance contrast control means adaptively controls both the luminance and the contrast. However, the display device does not have the function of adjusting the contrast. In such a case, only the luminance may be controlled. Note that even when the display device has a contrast adjustment function, the contrast may be fixed (manual adjustment) and only the luminance may be adaptively controlled. Further, it is preferable that the operator can select whether to perform adaptive control by operating the brightness / contrast control means or to perform manual control without operating the brightness / contrast control means at will of the operator.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the present invention includes a display device 1a, a computer 2a, and a storage device 3 as in the first embodiment.
a and the input device 4. The main difference from the first embodiment is that the setting reference storage unit 3 of the storage device 3a
A plurality of sets of setting standards are stored in 1a, and the operator can select a setting standard suitable for the user from among them, and the selection information is used for other display conditions (screen size, maximum number of colors,
Refresh rate) and are automatically set at the start of use. Hereinafter, each part different from the first embodiment of FIG. 1 will be described in more detail.

A plurality of sets of different setting criteria are stored with identification information in a setting criteria storage section 31a of the storage device 3a, and an operator inputs information to the operator personal information storage section 32 at the start of use. Using the operator identifier to be used as a search key, identification information of setting criteria used for each operator is stored together with setting information for other display conditions.

The computer 2a searches the operator personal information storage section 32 with the operator identifier input from the input device 4 at the start of use, and notifies the luminance contrast control means 21a of the identification information of the setting reference to be used. An operator-specific display condition setting unit 23 for notifying the display control unit 15a of the display device 1a of setting information such as a screen size, a maximum number of colors, and a refresh rate to change the setting;
An operator personal information registration unit 24 for registering display condition setting information for each individual including a setting criterion in the operator personal information storage unit 32, and the brightness / contrast control unit 21a includes a display condition setting unit for each operator. It has a function of selecting a setting reference to be used from the setting reference storage unit 31a based on the identification information notified from the setting reference unit 23 and reading the setting reference into the setting reference temporary storage unit 22.

The display controller 1 of the display device 1a
5a displays the display data of the image memory 14 on the display screen 1 according to an instruction from the display condition setting means 23 for each operator.
A function of changing the setting of the display condition for displaying the image on the display 1 is added.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a series of operations according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the overall operation of the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and the flowchart of FIG.

At the start of use of the apparatus or replacement of the operator, an operator identifier for specifying the operator is input from the input device 4 and supplied to the display condition setting means 23 for each operator (step S1). Operator-specific display condition setting means 23
Searches the operator personal information storage unit 32 of the storage device 3a using the operator identifier as a key, and displays the display condition setting information of the operator (hereinafter, identification information of setting criteria and setting information for other display conditions). It is checked whether the combined display condition setting information is stored (step S2).

If the display condition setting information of the operator corresponding to the operator identifier is stored, the display condition setting information is obtained (step S3), and the screen size and the maximum number of colors are transmitted to the display control unit 15a. Then, the setting value of the refresh rate is notified and the setting is performed (step S4). Subsequently, the identification information of the setting reference to be used is notified to the brightness contrast control means 21a (step S5). In response to this, the brightness contrast control unit 21a reads the designated setting reference from the setting reference storage unit 31a of the storage device 3a into the setting reference temporary storage unit 22 on the main memory (step S6), and repeats steps S7 to S10. Then, adaptive control of the brightness and contrast of the display screen 11 is started. That is, each time a predetermined time interval elapses (step S7), the illuminance sensor 1
2 and the measured values of the current environmental illuminance and distance from the distance sensor 13 (step S8), and the setting reference temporary storage unit 22
, The setting value is determined, and the brightness and contrast of the display screen 11 are updated (step S9). The above processing is repeatedly executed until the end instruction is given (step S10).

In step S2, if there is no operator identifier corresponding to the operator personal information storage unit 32, the operator is inquired as to whether or not to perform registration (step S11), and a registration request is issued. If there is, the operator personal information registration means 24 is called to perform registration (step S1).
2). When the registration is completed, the process proceeds to step S3, where the registered display condition setting information is called, and the setting of the display condition and the adaptive control of luminance and contrast are performed. Step S1
If there is no registration request for process 1 and there is a request for re-input due to a mistake input (step S13), the process is interrupted and returns to step S1, and if there is no re-input request, adaptive control is not performed. (Step S14).

When changing the display condition setting information registered in the operator personal information storage unit 32, the input device 4
Directly calls the operator's personal information registration means 24, and sets a configurable brightness contrast reference displayed on the screen;
One is selected from the screen size, the maximum number of colors, and the refresh rate. Specifically, the screen size that can be displayed is 640 × 480, 800 × 600, 102
3 types of 4 × 768 pixels, maximum displayable color number is 6
2 of 5536 colors (16 bits) and 256 colors (8 bits)
Kinds and settable refresh rates are 60, 70, 8
It is possible to select from four types of 0 and 85 Hz, and as a reference for setting the luminance contrast, it is selected from the given identification information (for example, three types of A, B and C).

In the above description of the second embodiment, the display device has the function of adjusting the brightness and the contrast, and the display control section has the function of changing the settings of the screen size, the maximum number of colors and the refresh rate. However, as described for the first embodiment,
It can also be applied when there is only a brightness adjustment function.If the display device is a monochrome monochrome display and the display control unit has only a screen size setting change function and the refresh rate is fixed, only those that can be changed A similar process can be performed for Also, a condition for not performing the adaptive control of the brightness contrast may be registered in the operator personal information storage unit.

[0034]

As described above in detail, the environment-adaptive screen display system of the present invention includes an illuminance sensor and a distance sensor on a display device, and controls the brightness around the display screen and the distance between the operator and the display screen. The brightness of the display screen or the brightness and contrast are automatically adjusted to be easily viewable according to the change in the distance between them.
There is an effect that the operator can always work in a good display state regardless of the environmental illuminance and the working posture.

Further, a plurality of setting standards for the environmental illuminance and the distance are prepared so that the setting standards can be selected from the prepared standards, and the identification information of the selected setting standard is registered in the operator personal information storage unit together with other display conditions such as the screen size. In this case, all the display conditions selected by each operator are automatically set based on the operator identifier entered at the start of use, so that the convenience when multiple operators use the same device alternately is improved. Further improve.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a Display device 2, 2a Computer 3, 3a Storage device 4 Input device 11 Display screen 12 Illuminance sensor 13 Distance sensor 14 Image memory 15, 15a Display control unit 21, 21a Brightness contrast control unit 22 Setting reference temporary storage unit 23 Operation Individual display condition setting means 24 Operator personal information registration means 31, 31a Setting reference storage section 32 Operator personal information storage section

Claims (6)

[Claims] An illuminance sensor for measuring brightness around a display screen; a distance sensor for measuring a distance between an operator located in front of the display screen and the display screen; A setting reference storage unit in which setting reference information for obtaining a setting value of luminance using a distance as a variable is stored, and the display screen by referring to the setting reference information based on outputs of the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor. And a brightness contrast control means for controlling the brightness of the screen. 2. An illuminance sensor for measuring brightness around a display screen, a distance sensor for measuring a distance between an operator located in front of the display screen and the display screen, a brightness around the display screen, an operator, and the display screen. A setting reference storage unit in which setting reference information for obtaining a setting value of luminance and contrast is stored with a distance as a variable, and referring to the setting reference information based on outputs of the illuminance sensor and the distance sensor. An environment-adaptive screen display system, comprising: a brightness contrast control unit that controls brightness and contrast of a display screen. 3. The setting reference storage unit stores a plurality of sets of the setting reference information, and specifies a set of the setting reference information to be used in accordance with an operator identifier input by an operator when starting up a computer. An operator personal information storage unit in which identification information is stored; an operator personal information registration unit for registering the identification information in the operator personal information storage unit; and the operator personal information storage by an input operator identifier 3. The environment-adaptive screen display system according to claim 1, further comprising: an operator-specific display condition setting unit that searches for a unit and notifies the luminance contrast control unit of the identification information. 4. The operator personal information storage unit stores screen size setting information of a display screen, and the operator-specific display condition setting means has a function of changing the screen size setting. Item 6. The environment adaptive screen display system according to Item 3. 5. The operator personal information storage unit stores maximum color number setting information to be displayed on a display screen, and the operator-specific display condition setting means has a function of changing the maximum color number setting. The environment adaptive screen display system according to claim 4, wherein: 6. A plurality of said illuminance sensors are dispersedly provided on a peripheral frame of a display screen, and said brightness contrast control means uses an average value of outputs of said plurality of illuminance sensors to display said display screen. The environment-adaptive screen display system according to claim 1, wherein control is performed.