JP5186480B2 - Display system and method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a system and method for creating an ambient lighting effect. More particularly, the present invention relates to a unit having a canvas that can be switched with respect to an output, such as a reflection of ambient light.

  Philips Electronics and other companies disclose means to change the environment or ambient lighting to enhance video content for typical home or commercial applications. Ambient lighting applied to a video display or television receiver has been shown to reduce observer fatigue and improve the realism and depth of the experience. In recent years, Philips Electronics has introduced a series of flats with environmental lighting that have an environmental light source that projects environmental lighting on or near the rear wall supported by a frame around a flat panel television (flat TV). I have a TV. As long as the color of the wall is white (or a bright neutral shade that is not glossy white, the distance to the wall is relatively short, and there are no obstacles between the ambient light source and the wall, the rear Projecting ambient light onto the wall is very effective, and the rear wall has a flat TV so that it has the same ambient light impression on the left and right sides (and top and bottom) of the flat TV screen. If the flat TV is too far away from the rear wall, the visibility of the light spot on the rear wall is greatly reduced. If it is not parallel to the light spot, the light spot will be larger on the side further away from the wall and the intensity will be lower.

  Therefore, a proper effect from the ambient light source of a television receiver requires a solid environment, such as a suitable wall color, the distance between the rear wall and the TV, and an unobstructed environment. . Accordingly, there is a need for an ambient light system that provides the desired ambient light effect substantially independent of the environment while being unobtrusive.

  The present invention aims to overcome and / or improve the disadvantages of the prior art.

  This and other objects are achieved by an apparatus and method having a display system having a unit configured to provide information and a canvas or plate extending away from the unit in at least one direction. The plate is configured to receive input light and to reflect, for example, ambient light that may be associated with information. Depending on the voltage level, the plate is substantially transparent in the transmission mode and substantially light-scattering in the scattering mode, giving ambient light.

  For example, when the TV is switched off, the canvas set is substantially transparent and invisible, so the TV set is not very noticeable and does not feel great. Furthermore, such a device, such as a TV with a switchable canvas, provides a suitable ambient light effect (for example when switched on), which includes the positioning or environment of the TV relative to the rear wall, and / or The wall properties, such as color and reflectivity, and the distance from the TV to the rear wall and the orientation of the TV relative to the rear wall.

  Further scope of application of the system, apparatus and method of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given below. The detailed description and specific examples illustrating the embodiments of the display unit and method are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

  These and other features, sun, and advantages of the present systems, devices, and methods will be better understood with the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

  The following descriptions of specific embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention, the specification, or the application in any way. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the system, apparatus, and method of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific apparatus in which the described apparatus and method may be implemented. Examples are given. Such embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the systems and methods of the present application, other embodiments may be utilized, and structural and theoretical changes are intended to be within the spirit of the invention. It should be understood that this can be done without departing from the scope and scope.

  The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. The first number of a reference number in the figure usually corresponds to the drawing number, with the exception that identical components shown in more than one drawing are indicated by the same reference number. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention.

  Various embodiments described herein can be used for environmental space around a flat panel television receiver (or other content delivery device) using active light (active light) or passive light (passive light). Emits ambient light. However, any type of video display unit or other units such as other types of television receivers, display devices, monitors, etc. may be used. Other types and sources of information, including audio and multimedia content, devices, etc. can also be used in place of video content and video display units. Thus, the present invention is described in such an environment without restricting its use to flat panel television receivers. The particular arrangement and structure of elements shown are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Other embodiments and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this application perspective.

  Referring now to FIG. 1, a front view of a flat panel television receiver or display system 100 is shown. It should be understood that the drawings are not to scale and relative changes in dimensions are contemplated. Display system 100 includes a display unit 110 having a display range 120 configured to display video information. A switchable plate or canvas 130 surrounds the display unit 110 and scatters ambient light that is synchronized with the displayed content when turned on or in a scattering mode. When OFF, the switchable canvas 130 is transparent and therefore substantially invisible.

  As shown, the display unit 110 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or PDP (Plasma Display) flat television receiver. However, the display unit or monitor 110 can be of any type and any technology or platform can be used, eg CRT (cathode ray tube), FED (field emission display), projection display, thin film printing optically active polymer display, or A display using other technologies or displays, including the display of portable devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), music players, and the like. For embodiments, it can be applied even to transmission media that transmit video or visual information, such as building windows. For clarity of explanation, a video display is used herein for purposes of illustration. Furthermore, instead of the display unit, another electronic unit with or without a display is a music player or the like, which can be surrounded by a switchable canvas 130 and is in sync with the music in which ambient light is being reproduced. Gives an ambient light effect.

  Optionally, a frame or bezel can also be provided to surround the display unit or TV, for example to support TV components. By way of example, the frame may be a metal rim that surrounds and is part of the LCD or TV unit 110. Typically for LCD panel 110 there is no pixel light behind this metal frame that keeps the separate parts of the LCD display together. In principle, all displays have a range around the active video display range 120 where no video content or pixel light is generated. For example, instead of the metal frame typically present for LCD displays, PDPs typically have a sealed area around a PDP glass with a connecting foil that is free of pixel light. However, if pixel light is available at the front edge of the display, the frame is a commonly available plurality that allows light communication of the pixel light to the switchable canvas 130 (light transmission). Can be made of any transparent or translucent material. Such transparent or translucent materials include Lexan (R), Lucite (R), and transparent plastics such as many other polymer resins such as PED and ABS resins, and are known manufacturing techniques Formed using. Any material that has the requisite mechanical and / or optical properties for the frame that can support the TV or monitor 110 may be used. If desired, the frame may also have a type that can allow optical communication, eg, allowing passage of pixel light (eg, as input light 140) to the switchable canvas 130.

  The display unit 110 is surrounded or surrounded by a canvas 130 that can be switched to broadcast ambient light 160 into the environment space (eg, around the periphery). The switchable canvas 130 can be transparent or transmissive in the OFF state, and thus can be substantially invisible. The switchable canvas 130 can also be translucent, opaque, etc. in the OFF state, as desired. However, as will be apparent, it is more desirable to use a switchable canvas 130 that is transparent in the OFF state. However, the plate 130 can achieve a variety of diffuser effects to provide light mixing and, depending on the desired visual effect, for example, matte or glossy by using metal or other internal blockers. Translucent or other phenomena, such as surfaces, or corrugated glass or plastic, or aperture structures can be realized.

  Switchable canvas 130 is configured to receive input light 140 provided by controlled light source 150 and scatter input light 140 as ambient light 160. In the figure, indicated by arrows and dots in a circle, it is shown that ambient light 160 is directed to the side of TV 110 and / or towards the viewer of TV 110. Alternatively or in addition to the light source 150, the input light 140 can also be provided directly from content or pixels displayed at the edges of the display area 120 and can be switched to output as ambient light 160. Can be combined.

  The ambient light 160 is controlled by the processor 110, which can be configured to perform content analysis to extract light attributes (color, hue, saturation, intensity, etc.) of the content displayed on the display range 120. For example, the color, hue, saturation, brightness, and / or intensity may be changed to follow the content of the video displayed on the TV 110, such as a video displayed near the periphery of the TV. Of course, the processor 170 analyzes the light attributes of the content displayed at the edges of the display range 120 and provides an input light 140 having a light attribute that matches and is tuned to the analyzed content. Can be configured to control one or more light sources 150 for the purpose.

  Further, the processor 170 may also be configured to execute a predetermined light script. The predetermined light script is provided with information or content to be displayed on the display range 120, is provided from another source such as a memory, or is downloaded from the Internet or the like. The predetermined light script can be associated with the displayed content and tuned, or it can be another predetermined script such as an action script, a romantic script, a relaxing script, or the like.

  Thus, ambient lighting content can be received in the form of a light script made inside or outside the system. This is the case, for example, in international patent application IB 2006/053524 (attorney docket number) filed on September 27, 2006, which claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60 / 722,903 and 60 / 826,117. No. 003663), all of which are assigned to the assignee, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

  In one embodiment, the light script is created outside of the system, for example, by a light script authoring service that provides an associated light script for specific video content. The optical script can be retrieved from an external source that is accessible, such as a wired or wireless connection to the Internet. In this example, the video content or memory medium that has the video content may have an identifier for the content. The identifier can be utilized to retrieve an optical script corresponding to the video content.

  In other examples, the video content may be processed to create ambient lighting data associated with the video content. The processing in the form of analyzing the video content or part thereof can be performed just before the video content is rendered, or it can be performed on the stored or accessible video content.

  PCT patent application WO 2004/006570, filed Jun. 23, 2003, published Jan. 15, 2004, “Method of and System for Controlling An Ambient”, assigned to the assignee and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. "Light and Lighting Unit" is based on the color characteristics of rendered content, such as hue, saturation, brightness, color, etc., the speed of scene change, the recognized characters, the detected mood, and the ambient lighting Systems and apparatus for controlling effects are disclosed. In operation, the system analyzes the received content and a portion of the video content located near one or more frame borders to create ambient lighting data associated with the video content. Or a distribution of the content, such as an average color, for one or more frames of video content. Temporal averaging can be utilized to lubricate temporal transitions in ambient lighting data caused by rapid changes in the analyzed video content. Further, the pixels of the video content can be analyzed to identify pixels that give a coherent color, while incoherent color pixels are discarded. The coherent color pixels are subsequently utilized to create video-based ambient lighting data. This is disclosed in International Patent Application No. IB2006 / 053524 (Attorney Docket No. 003663).

  A single switchable canvas that is positioned all around the display unit, such as an LCD panel or TV 110, which is integrated with, for example, the TV 110 and completely surrounds or surrounds the display unit 110 Instead of 130, the switchable canvas 130 may partially surround or surround the TV or display unit 110 in at least one direction (eg, above and / or below the TV 110 and / or right and / or left). . Alternatively, the switchable canvas 130 may be part of a separate single light scatterer and may be mechanically and optically coupled to the TV 110 or other unit or frame surrounding the unit, or It can be coupled to other information sources or devices including video, audio, multimedia, etc.

  A single switchable canvas 130 may have a controllable light source to provide input light 140 to be scattered from the switchable canvas 130 as ambient light 160. Such a single switchable canvas 130 can be retrofitted, eg, on an existing TV, or other unit, or unit frame, and contoured to the shape of an existing TV for easy installation. The at least one transparent plate extends away from the TV in at least one direction to provide ambient light 160 in the desired direction.

  Similar to the integrated system, a single switchable canvas 130 can be mounted substantially close to the TV 110 or can be located behind the TV 110. Of course, similar to the environment in which the switchable canvas 130 is integrated with the TV 110, a single switchable canvas 130 may also partially or completely surround or surround the TV 110.

  By way of example, the switchable canvas 130 is from a corner between four directions to form a rectangular, square, or other desired shape, such as a circle, ellipse, octagon, pentagon, free form, etc. And extends from the center of the TV 110 in all four directions to provide illumination / ambient light 160. Alternatively, the switchable canvas 130 extends away from the TV 110 in, for example, the right and left directions, or the up and down directions. Switchable canvas 130 is configured to receive input light 140 and provide ambient light 160.

  By way of example, the switchable canvas 130 is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC). As is well known, PDLC operates on the principle of electrically controlled light scattering. A PDLC has liquid crystal droplets surrounded by a polymer mixture sandwiched between two pieces of conductive glass. When no electricity is applied, for example, the PDLS is grounded, i.e. in a scattering state, the liquid crystal droplets are randomly oriented, in this case creating a translucent state in which light is scattered as ambient light 160. When a voltage is applied, i.e. in the transmissive state, the liquid crystal is aligned parallel to the electric field and becomes transparent to transmit light. Illustratively, the applied voltage is in the range of about 5-200 volts. PDLC panels can also be used for windows such as Polyvision® panels from Polytronix, Inc. of Texas, USA. The panel changes from a cloudy white translucent barrier to an optically clear or transparent state when a voltage is applied to the panel. The panel can be made by laminating a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film between two glass layers.

  If desired, light guides and / or interruptions / bubbles that are invisible to the naked eye may be provided to guide the input light 140 to better reflect and the ambient light 160 to be an observer, etc. Scatter toward the front of the TV 110. Of course, ambient light can also be guided towards the back of the LCD panel 110 to emerge as a back spill, for example to illuminate the rear wall. A switchable diffuser 180 may also be provided behind the switchable canvas 130 to better diffuse and scatter light to exit as ambient light 160. Depending on the application or lack of appropriate voltage, the switchable diffuser 180 can also switch between a transmissive state and a scattering or diffusing state that becomes translucent and / or reflective, for example.

  Illustratively, the diffuser 180 is transparent in one state when no voltage is applied, and is switched to a diffused state when a voltage is applied to the diffuser 180. The diffuser 180 can also be a PDLC configured to further diffuse ambient light. Additionally or alternatively, instead of the diffuser 180, a switchable reflective coating can also be provided behind the PDLC layer 130 to increase the reflectivity of the ambient light 160 towards the viewer. The switchable reflective coating can also switch between a transparent state and a reflective state based on the presence or absence of an applied voltage. A switchable diffuser that is suitable can be used, for example, using a cholesteric texture liquid crystal (CTLC) associated with a reflective switchable solution. Alternatively or additionally, the diffuser may not be switchable between a transparent state and a diffuse state, and has a substantially invisible interruption created by printing and / or a desired three-dimensional shape. Thus, it can be a transparent plate with bubbles made with a laser in a transparent glass or plastic plate or the like. The interruptions and / or bubbles can be configured to direct ambient light in a desired direction, including reflections towards the viewer. This is described in US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 713,184 (reference number US002308), “Ambient Lighting Through Transparent Materials”, filed Aug. 31, 2006, which is assigned by the assignee of the present application. Overall, incorporated herein by reference.

  The display system 100 further includes a controllable light source 150 that provides input light 140 to the canvas 130 that can be switched to emit as front, back, and / or side ambient light 160. Composed. The light source 150 can be positioned on either the TV or LCD panel 110, or is part of a switchable canvas 130, for example.

  The light source 100 can be an illumination system that provides a change in color, hue, saturation, and / or intensity. For example, the light source 150 has red, green, and blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are separately controllable to provide desired characteristics such as color mixing, hue, saturation, and / or intensity. obtain. Alternatively or additionally, the light source 150 may be an incandescent lamp, gas discharge, fluorescent lamp, phosphorescent fluorescent lamp, laser, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, cathodoluminescence, direct current luminescence, crystal luminescence, kineluminescence, Other types of light sources may be included, alone or in combination, such as thermoluminescence, triboluminescence, sonoluminescence, and / or radioluminescence. This is described in the international application WO 2005/062608 A2 (reference number NL031504), “Supplementary Visual Display System”, which was assigned to the assignee of the present application and issued on July 7, 2005, the contents of which are entirely described in the present application. Incorporated by reference.

  The light source 150 (and input light 140) can be transmitted via a video signal derived from the RF signal using, for example, a modulator or other circuitry required for such control operations or an RF signal received by the LCD panel 110. Depending on the content information displayed on the video display unit such as the upper panel 110 of the LCD panel 110, it can be controlled by the processor 170 indicated by the dotted line in FIG. This is the above-mentioned international application WO 2005/062608 A2 (reference number NL031504); filed June 27, 2005, issued January 12, 2006, international application WO 2006 / 003603A2, assigned to the assignee of the present application. (Reference number US040282), “Passive Diffuser Frame System for Ambient Lighting Using a Video Display Unit as a Light Source, date of application, 6th of month, 12th of year of application, 6th of month, 6th of year of application, 6th of month, 200th of year of application. Published, International Application WO 2006/003604 (reference number US040283), “Active Frame System for Ambient Lighting Usi ng a Video Display as a Signal Source ". The contents of all these documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Accordingly, ambient light 160 is associated with and / or derived from content displayed on LCD panel 110 under the control of processor 170.

  As described in the aforementioned international application WO2005 / 062608 A2 (reference number NL031504), the processor 170 emits ambient light 160 that follows the color and intensity of the content displayed on the TV 110, particularly at the edge of the display area. It may be configured to control the light source 150 to provide. For example, depending on the seaside landscape with blue sky and yellowish sand (below the display area), the ambient light from the upper part of the switchable canvas 130 will turn blue and from the lower part of the switchable canvas 130 The ambient light is yellowish. The color and intensity of the ambient light can be gradually changed spatially, such as less blue and lower intensity as it moves away from the upper part of the display range of the TV 110 showing the blue sky, The color of furniture / equipment / lighting can gradually become closer, thus giving a mixing effect. Thus, for example, ambient light from the outermost edge of the switchable canvas 130 furthest away from the center of the TV 110 is detected by, for example, a sensor and is visible as background to the viewer for room lighting and the wall just behind the TV 110 Can be followed or tracked.

  Alternatively, the processor 170 may be configured to control the light source 150 and provides ambient light 160 depending on the ambient conditions measured via sensors such as the color of the surrounding wall, the color and intensity of room lighting, etc. Like that. For example, the user interface 220 (FIG. 2) via the remote control of the TV 110 may be a panel of the canvas 130 that can be switched to provide ambient light if the switchable canvas 130 has a separately controllable panel, or ON / OFF. A variety of modes can be provided for the user to select, including part selection or switching. For example, the user may choose to switch or disable the lower panel to transmissive mode so that ambient light is not provided from the lower portion of the switchable canvas 130. The user interface 220 can, for example, switch the canvas 130 that can be switched to provide ambient light 160 when the TV is turned on to the scattering mode, and can switch the canvas 130 to the transmissive mode when the TV is turned off. Can be used to change the default mode.

  The user may also control the mode of ambient light that follows ambient light, for example, depending on the displayed content or room lighting conditions, or may have a manual mode to provide the desired color or combination of colors. . Of course, certain environmental modes, such as action mode, romantic mode, etc., can be present, and the ambient light can be a certain color combination, intensity, hue, and / or saturation, desired Sequence, predetermined sequence, and / or user-controllable or user-programmable sequence. As described in the above-mentioned international publication number WO2005 / 062608 A2 (reference number NL031504), one mode may be a disco mode or an action mode, and the light source 150 is a discharge that is a xenon type or strobe type light source or the like. Can have a tube, giving a bright flash of light for special effects such as explosions and lightning. In such a case, the processor 170 is configured to control the light source 150 in response to the audio signal of the content, and the audio sensor can be used to monitor, detect, and / or analyze the audio content. Audio content or signals can be monitored directly by the processor or by other suitable sensors.

  The switchable canvas 130 may be part of a single unit having a processor 170 or further processors. The light source 150 or further light source may also be part of the switchable canvas 130. Of course, the light source 150 may not be configured to follow the content of the displayed video, eg, for a passive diffuser system, in which case the light source 150 may be a single color, a combination of colors and / or A sequence is provided under the control of the processor 170. This is as described in the aforementioned international publications WO2006 / 003603 A2 and WO2006 / 003604A2. Such documents also describe a variety of active and passive diffuser systems. In the system, the displayed content or the light output from the light source follows or is related to the displayed content, for example by using various combinations of sensors, electromagnetic couplers, modulators, and light sources. Modified or controlled in a variety of ways to provide ambient light. For example, as described above, the processor 170 may be pre-programmed with defined settings selectable by the user, such as settings for the atmosphere (such as romantic) or the type of content (action, comedy, etc.) Alternatively, the user may provide desired ambient light (color, hue, saturation, intensity, etc.) from the light source 150 via an interface device such as a remote control, keyboard, mouse, or button provided to the TV or LCD panel 110. Can be programmed by.

  The processor 170 may be dedicated to the switchable canvas 130 or may be part of a television receiver, monitor or LCD panel 110. The processor 170 may comprise a processor or controller, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, or a digital optical device or an analog electronic circuit that performs the same function. Use technology and structure. The processor 170 may typically be under software control, etc., and has or communicates with memory that stores other data, such as software and user preferences. The processor 170 may be configured to associate the ambient light 160 with video information displayed on the LCD 110.

  The processor 170 can also have an intelligence device that can control the light source 150 directly or indirectly, and the characteristics of the output light produced therefrom can be, for example, color, hue, saturation, intensity, or specular reflection. It changes by changing other photometric quality, such as characteristics, retroreflective characteristics, etc. This includes controlling the on / off duty cycle for a plurality of light generating devices, controlling the modulator, changing the light output of the electroluminescent device, the rear and / or front surface of the switchable canvas 130 Adjusting the effectiveness of a goniophotometric element that can be positioned on, or directly depending on the content information signal (RF, video, audio, etc.) or the image displayed on the TV, monitor, or LCD panel 110 Other modifications that change the ambient light either manually or indirectly may be included.

  FIG. 2 shows an apparatus 200, such as a television receiver, according to one embodiment of the present invention. The device has a processor 170 optically coupled to the memory 210, one or more light engines or light sources 150, and a user input device 220 for operation of the display device 200. The memory 210 can be any type of device that stores application data and other data such as ambient light data such as ambient light scripts and audio / visual data. Application data and other data are received by processor 170 to configure processor 170 to perform operational operations in accordance with the systems and methods of the present invention. The actuating action controls the device 200 to display the content, displays ambient image portions according to the system of the present invention that may and may not be associated with the image content. Controlling the light engine 150. User input device 220 may include other devices including a keyboard, mouse, remote control, and / or touch display. The user input device 220 can be alone or can be part of a system such as a personal computer, a personal portable terminal, a television receiver, a display device such as a whiteboard, etc., via a wired or wireless link, etc. It may be operative to communicate with the processor 170 via some type of link.

  The method of the invention is particularly suitable to be executed by a computer software program. Such computer software programs desirably have modules corresponding to individual and / or combined stages or operations. Such software may, of course, be implemented in computer readable media such as, for example, an integrated chip, a peripheral device, or a memory such as memory 210 or other memory coupled to processor 170.

  The memory 210 may also store environmental effect scripts to create environmental image portions that are synchronized with rendered content, such as audio / visual content, or rendered independent content. Memory 210 configures processor 170 to perform the methods, operational operations, and functions disclosed herein. The memory can be distributed or local, and the processor 170, which can be provided with additional processors, can also be distributed, for example within the light engine 150, or can be single.

  Furthermore, the control of the light source 150 is particularly suitable to be performed by a computer software program. Such software may, of course, be implemented in computer readable media such as, for example, an integrated chip, peripheral device, or memory 210 coupled to processor 170, for example. The processor 170 can provide control signals and / or perform operations in response to input signals from the I / O device 220 and can execute instructions stored in the memory 210. The processor 170 may be application specific or may be a general purpose integrated circuit. Further, the processor 170 may be a dedicated processor for performing according to the system, or may be a general purpose processor that operates to perform only one of many functions according to the system. The processor 170 may operate using program portions, multiple program segments, or may be a hardware device that utilizes a dedicated or multipurpose integrated circuit.

  Each of the systems described above that provide ambient light may be utilized in conjunction with additional systems. Thus, it should be understood that any one of the above-described embodiments or steps may be combined with one or more other embodiments or steps to provide further improvements in accordance with the present invention. is there.

  By way of illustration, one advantage of a switchable canvas 130 that is transparent (or translucent) is that when the TV is turned off, the plate is transparent (or translucent) and therefore does not interfere with its rear view. That is. Furthermore, the TV looks smaller or less large and is less noticeable than if the canvas 130 is not transparent. Of course, if desired, the plate may be opaque and may have a canvas role for ambient light instead of the back wall acting as a canvas. Regardless of whether or not the switchable canvas 130 is transparent, the switchable canvas 130 may have interruptions and / or bubbles that reflect the ambient light 160 towards the viewer. Thus, it can serve as a canvas that eliminates the need for the back wall and associated disadvantages, such as the need for proper wall color, TV distance to the back wall, and orientation. This is described in the above-mentioned US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 713,184 (Docket No. US002308).

  Of course, the switchable canvas 130 may have any shape and / or dimensions, including shapes that provide better ambient light dispersion towards the viewer. For example, the switchable canvas 130 may be limited to cover a TV frame, allowing the TV frame to be switched. That is, in the transmission state, for example, when the TV is in the OFF state, the TV frame is visible, and in the scattering state, for example, when the TV is in the ON state, the frame scatters the ambient light 160. It is covered with the canvas 130 to be given or hidden behind it. The user interface 220 may be configured to switch the light source 150 and / or the switchable canvas 130 on and off regardless of the state of the TV. Thus, even when the TV is turned on, the user may choose to maintain the transparency of the switchable canvas 130, for example, by maintaining or applying an appropriate voltage to the switchable canvas 130. . Conversely, if the TV is off, the user can turn on the light source 150 and choose to switch the canvas 130 to a scattering state (no voltage applied to the canvas 130), thus providing background ambient light. obtain. This may be controllable by the user or may be controlled by a predetermined setting, such as a script or romantic setting.

  From the present application, other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, a switchable canvas with at least one light source and controller can also be used as a frame around posters, artwork, and / or public / advertising information boards, frames with desired colors, color changes. It can be used to give, or it can be switched to a transparent state so that it is substantially invisible.

  Finally, the above description is merely for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the appended claims to a particular embodiment or group of embodiments. Absent. Thus, while the invention has been particularly described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, numerous modifications and alternative embodiments are intended to define the invention as set forth in the appended claims. It should be understood that this can be done without departing from the scope and scope. The specification and drawings are to be understood as illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

In interpreting the appended claims, the following points:
a) the word “comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements and acts other than those listed in a given claim;
b) an element in the singular does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements;
c) any reference signs in the claims do not limit their scope;
d) Multiple “means” may be indicated by structures or functions performed by the same item or hardware or software;
e) The disclosed elements may have hardware portions (eg, having separate and integral electronic circuitry), software portions (eg, computer programs), and combinations thereof;
f) The hardware part may have one or both of an analog part and a digital part;
g) the disclosed device or part thereof may be combined with or separated from other parts unless otherwise specified; and
h) a specific sequence of actions or steps is not intended to be required unless otherwise specified;
It should be understood.

1 is a front view of a display system according to one embodiment of the system of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus, such as a television, according to one embodiment of the system of the present invention.

Claims (16)

A display system:
A unit configured to give information;
A plate extending away from the unit in at least one direction and configured to receive input light and to provide ambient light;
Have
The plate is substantially light scattering in the scattering mode to provide the ambient light, Ri substantially transparent der in the transmissive mode, the scattering mode and the transmissive mode is switched as a whole,
The plate surrounds at least a peripheral portion of the unit and does not cover a surface on which information of the unit is displayed;
Display system. The plate is switchable between the transmission mode and the scattering mode in response to voltage.
The display system according to claim 1. The plate is in the transmission mode when a first voltage is applied and is in the scattering mode when a second voltage is applied;
The display system according to claim 1 or 2 . The first voltage is higher than the second voltage;
The display system according to claim 3. The second voltage is substantially zero volts;
The display system according to claim 3. The plate is in the transmission mode in response to application of a voltage,
The display system according to claim 1. A controller configured to associate the ambient light with the information provided by the unit;
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . The input light is given from at least one of a light source and the information displayed on the display range of the unit;
Further comprising at least one light source,
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The plate covers a frame of the display system;
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . A controller and at least one light source;
The controller is configured to control the at least one light source and the plate to provide the ambient light in at least one of the presence and absence of the information.
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 . The information is at least one of audio information and video information.
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . Further comprising a diffuser positioned behind the plate;
The display system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . A way to distribute ambient light around the unit:
Providing input light to a plate coupled to the unit;
Switching the plate as a whole from a transmission mode in which the plate is substantially transparent to a scattering mode that is substantially light scattering to provide the ambient light;
I have a,
The method wherein the plate surrounds at least a peripheral portion of the unit and does not cover a surface on which information of the unit is displayed . The switching action comprises grounding the plate to provide substantially zero volts;
The method of claim 13 . Further comprising applying a voltage to the plate to switch to the transmission mode;
15. A method according to claim 13 or 14 . Outputting content from the unit;
Controlling at least one light source to provide input light to the plate to emerge from the plate as the ambient light;
Further comprising
The ambient light is associated with content;
The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15 .

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