JPH08314423A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a device which has a blink inducing means to prevent dried eyes and eyestrain due to reduction of the number of blinking times during operation of a video apparatus. CONSTITUTION: The device is provided with a first timer 31 which counts definite or indefinite moderate blinking time intervals, a second timer 32 which counts the time of every one of the changes in the visual information which are induced by the signals issued from the first timer and repeated for plural times, a visual information changing means which imparts changes to the color or luminance of the visual information based on the signals generated by the first timer 31 and the second timer 32, and a counter 33 which counts the times of actuation of the visual information changing means to suspend the repetition of actuation of the second timer 32 at a specified number of times.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises means for providing visual information to an operator, such as an electronic tube type or liquid crystal type display used for office image equipment, or a television used for a game machine. Video equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, the above-mentioned visual equipment for providing visual information is often operated continuously for a long time,
It is a factor that causes various disorders in the eyes of the operator. Therefore, video equipment workers are instructed to avoid continuous work based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Labor, and on the other hand, the creators of video equipment also have a new JIS standard that places importance on operator consideration. Improvement efforts have been made mainly by the government, such as public announcement. However, the general public has not yet fully acknowledged and responded to this aspect. In particular, for dry eyes, which are said to account for 60% of the causes of this type of eye strain, there is a simple symptomatic treatment called eye drops, and the symptoms and discomfort are patience. Since it often fits within the limits and is comparatively light, eyeglasses with a cover that suppresses water emanation from the cornea of the eye and eyeglasses with a sponge for water supply inside the cover are commercially available. There is yet to be a fundamental technical solution to the problem.

[0003]

Although the effectiveness of these glasses for dry eyes is socially recognized, it is premised on wearing them that are special in appearance, and their versatility and preference in the sense that they are for everyone. The question remains in terms of sex. Furthermore, since most of the dry eyes are originally caused by a decrease in the number of blinks caused by staring at the video equipment or gazing unconsciously, it is natural that you do not have to do anything consciously. It can be said that the most desirable method can be a drastic measure by encouraging a proper frequency of blinks and preventing a decrease in the number of blinks.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problems are induced by a first timer for measuring a constant or indefinite appropriate blink time interval and a signal emitted from the first timer, and are repeated a plurality of times. A second timer for measuring the change time of each change of the visual information, and a visual information changing means for giving a change to the color or brightness of the visual information by a signal from the first timer or the second timer, and the visual information. This is solved by providing a counter that counts the number of times the changing means operates.

[0005]

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is inevitable to operate video equipment, but the more you concentrate on your work, the more you keep staring at the screen of the display etc., and the number of blinks of your eyes without your knowledge. Is reduced. Moreover, even if the user is tired from continuous work for a long time, the same tendency becomes apparent due to the unconscious desire to avoid oversight of visual information due to decreased attention and input errors. From another point of view, it can be said that a person in such a state is psychologically very susceptible to suggestion. By the way, the first timer emits a signal at a constant or indefinite time interval corresponding to an appropriate number of blinks such as how many times per minute, and the second timer responds to the signal from the first timer to blink. The signal at a short time interval that easily induces is repeatedly output the number of times until the counter reaches a predetermined value. The visual information changing means repeatedly changes the color and brightness of the screen of the display or the like with an appropriate stimulus change amount each time each output signal is received from the first timer and the second timer. The operator can easily catch the change in the visual information, and causes the blink to occur unconsciously without burdening the eyes. Further, when the counter reaches a predetermined value by the operation of the visual information changing means, the operation of the second timer is stopped and the first timer is newly started by the signal of the counter output at that time, and the above is restarted. Repeated. In this way, while the video equipment is operating, it continues to induce the blink that is indispensable for preventing dry eyes and the resulting eye fatigue.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is a central processing unit including a microprocessor. A part of the output of the central processing unit 10 is displayed on the screen of the cathode ray tube type display 20.
In the following description, the display 20 is not limited to the cathode ray tube type, and may include a liquid crystal display.

The central processing unit 10 is, as is well known,
In addition to displaying predetermined visual information on the display 20, it has a function of changing the color and brightness of the displayed visual information. Reference numeral 11 is a color adjusting means, which has a function of selectively changing the color of the entire image or specific information, or changing the color periodically. Reference numeral 12 is a brightness adjusting means, which changes the brightness of the whole or part of the display screen, or changes the brightness of the screen periodically. These color and brightness adjusting means form a part of the visual information changing means in the present invention.

Reference numeral 30 is a control device. A control signal generated from the control signal is connected to the color adjusting means 11 and the brightness adjusting means 12 of the central processing unit 10 described above. This control device 3
0 is a first timer 31 that measures a constant or indefinite appropriate blink time interval, and a change time of a visual information change that is repeated a plurality of times and is triggered by a signal from the first timer 31. A second timer 32, and a counter 33 that counts the number of changes in visual information in order to stop the repeated operation of the second timer 32 at a predetermined number of times, and a control circuit 34 that outputs a control signal to the visual information changing means. Each time a timer signal is applied from the first timer 31 and the second timer 32 to the control circuit 34, the control circuit 34
A control signal is output from the control signal, and the color and the brightness of the display screen of the display 20 are changed through the color adjusting means 11 and the brightness adjusting means 12.

In addition to the above, the control device 30 can be added with functions relating to the operations of the central processing unit 10 and the display 20. For example, this is a waiting request for operating the central processing unit 10 and the visual information changing means in synchronization with each other on a display screen that moves rapidly. On a display screen with a lot of movement, there is a possibility that important information may be overlooked due to a change in visual information by this device, even for a moment, and the central processing unit 10 is requested to wait for an appropriate time by using the signals of both timers described above. This is for avoiding such information oversight by outputting a signal and properly adjusting the change in visual information and the operation timing with the central processing unit 10.
It may not be so many cases when it is needed for other than game consoles, but it is not technically difficult.

When the central processing unit 10 and the display 20 are of a separate type, the equipment is equipped with a video signal output terminal, a video signal input terminal, visual information changing means for equipment adjustment, and the like. Up to this point, the control device 3
Although the case where 0 is a circumscribed type and a control signal is output to the central processing unit 10 has been described, in the case of such a separated type device, the control circuit 34 portion of the control unit 30 controls the central processing unit 1.
It is also possible to receive the video signal from 0, directly control the video signal, and then output the video signal to the display 20. Therefore, the control device 30 is attached to the connection cable connecting the central processing unit 10 and the display 20 to directly control the video signal, or alternatively, the video signal is built in the central processing unit 10 or the display 20. It is also possible to control the information changing means or directly control the video signal. Such a control device is also included in the category of the control device 30, and is not limited to the circumscribing type as shown in FIG.

The first timer 31 is a timer for issuing a signal at a pace such as how many times per minute, while observing an appropriate time interval that requires blinking at all times while the central processing unit 10 and the like are operating. Is. A time t1 in FIG. 3 to be described later may be measured, and for example, a timer having a fixed measurement time of about 3 to 10 seconds may be used, or an indefinite time within an allowable range calculated from the required number of blinks. It is also possible to be able to set. From the viewpoint of matching human instinctual sensitivity and natural blinking interval, an indefinite time using a random number generation circuit or multiple first timer groups with different set times rather than monotonous constant time Formula type is preferable.

The second timer 32 receives the signal from the first timer 31 and measures a predetermined short time for easily inducing blinking, that is, a time t2 in FIG. 3 described later, for example, about 0.5 seconds or less. It outputs a signal at fixed time intervals several times. One signal is issued to the control circuit 34 each time the visual information is changed once, and in cooperation with the counter 33 that counts the number of changes in visual information described below, the counter 33 is normally set to about several times. The signal is repeatedly output intermittently until the predetermined value is reached. In the case of the second timer 32 as well, the time interval t2 can be changed more complicatedly by using the same method as that of the first timer 31 described above. Further, the time setting circuit of the timer can be switched at both t1 and t2 of FIG.
And a single timer format that uses the second timer 32 together,
Alternatively, particularly when t2 is a constant time interval, a signal corresponding to the same cycle may be obtained by a method other than the timer.

The counter 33 counts the number of times the display state of the display 20 has changed since the first timer 31 issued a signal, in other words, the number of signal transmissions of the first timer 31 and the second timer 32, which is the predetermined number of times. Second timer 3 until reaching
This is to repeat the timing of 2 and the signal transmission thereof. When the counted value reaches a predetermined number, the operation of the second timer 32 is stopped, the first timer 31 is newly activated, and the counting operation at this time is ended.

When the control circuit 34 receives a signal from the first timer 31 or the second timer 32, the control circuit 34 sequentially changes the color or brightness of the screen of the display 20 or the like with the minimum necessary amount of state change effective for inducing blinking. Let As already mentioned,
The control circuit 34 can be roughly classified into one that outputs a control signal and one that directly controls visual information, depending on the connection method with the central processing unit 10 or the like. In particular, the latter constitutes visual information changing means. It becomes the main part. Changes in color and brightness can be made on the entire screen or partially, but the entire screen is more likely to induce blinking. It is said that the number of blinks is about 30-40 times per minute in daily life, and it is reduced to about a little less than half due to the above-mentioned factors, so the number of timer transmissions by both timers is at least more than compensate for the decrease. Need to be set.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. When a work or a game is started, first, the first timer 31 is set to a predetermined fixed value or an indefinite set value determined by a random number generation circuit or the like. When the first timer 31 starts counting time and the set time has elapsed, the counter 33 is activated by the signal issued at that time.
Is cleared and the visual information changing means changes the visual information from the normal state to the changed state. As a result, the counter 33 is also incremented. At this time, the count value of the counter 33 has not yet reached the predetermined value that is normally set several times, so that the second timer 32 is set and clocked, and the set time of the second timer 32 elapses. The visual information changing means changes the visual information from the changed state to the normal state, and the counter 33 counts up. As described above, the state change of the visual information between the normal state and the changed state by the second timer 32 is alternately repeated until the predetermined value of the counter 33 is reached, and when the predetermined value is reached, the first time setting of the first timer 31 is set. Then, these processes are repeated until the power is turned off.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a time chart-like relationship between the change of the visual information when the display luminance is the display luminance and the signals of the first timer 31 and the second timer 32. This is the case where one timer 31 counts time, t2 represents the second timer 32 count time, and 6 which is the number of changes of the t2 portion is set to a predetermined value of the counter 33.
In this example, the change of the visual information by the visual information changing means, that is, the change of the display luminance is the first timer 3.
The first signal decreases its brightness, which is the first change, the brightness returns to the original value with the first signal of the second timer 32, and the brightness decreases and returns with the second and subsequent second timer signals. After that, as a matter of course, when the visual information returns to the normal state, the repeating process ends. Counter 33
The predetermined value of is set to such a number of times. There are various possible variations in how to add changes in visual information, such as by preparing the second and third change states.However, even in such a case, it is necessary to return to the normal state and repeat the processing. The point that it does not become the same. Further, it is preferable that the degree of change in luminance be as small as possible within a range effective for inducing blinking so that a change in visual information does not cause new eyestrain.

As described above, the decrease in the number of blinks is likely to occur when the operator is absorbed in the operation or is tired. Therefore, in that sense, it is also a method to induce the blink described so far after some time has passed from the start of the operation. FIG. 4 is a flowchart mainly showing a part of such another embodiment. That is, it is a flowchart mainly showing the processing of the non-operation time portion which is a difference from the previous embodiment. This non-operation time process is executed simultaneously with the start of the operation, and after the process is completed, the same blink inducing process shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is executed. In the case of FIG. 4, the first timer 31 and the counter 3
3 is an example of measuring the non-operation time, the counter 3
An appropriate second predetermined value different from the predetermined value of the number of changes in visual information is prepared in 3, and the second predetermined value is used at the start of the operation. Then, the first timer is operated up to the number of times when the second predetermined value is reached, and the required non-operation time is obtained. After the completion of this process, when the blink induction process is started, the counter 33 switches the predetermined value to be used and the counting object to the one having the visual information change. Of course, it is also possible to separately prepare a counter and a timer to measure the non-operation time.

[0018]

As described above, the present invention is provided with the first timer for measuring an appropriate blinking time interval, the second timer for measuring the change time of the visual information change repeated a plurality of times, etc. In addition, while the video equipment is in operation, it automatically functions to induce the operator's blink. In particular, if the operator is enthusiastic about the work or falls into a state where he / she tends to forget the blink to prevent mistakes due to fatigue, the effect of inducing the blink becomes psychologically large, so the operator's dry It can prevent eyestrain and accompanying eye strain. Also,
Under the condition that the amount of change in visual information is set appropriately, it does not cause a new factor of eye strain, and it is not necessary to wear a special item such as dry eye glasses on the body. Therefore, it can be said that it is a dry eye countermeasure suitable for everyone with almost no psychological resistance to use. Moreover, even in the case of a screen with a lot of movement, it is easy to properly synchronize the operation of the central processing unit and the change of visual information by using a timer signal, etc. To prevent this, it has versatility that can be used only for screens with little movement, and it can be said that it is an effective method for almost all video equipment operators.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an example of an apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Central Processing Unit 11 Color Adjusting Means 12 Luminance Adjusting Means 20 Display 30 Control Device 31 First Timer 32 Second Timer 33 Counter 34 Control Circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first timer for measuring a constant or indefinite moderate blink time interval, and a change time for each change of visual information change which is induced by a signal emitted from the first timer and is repeated a plurality of times. A second timer for counting, a visual information changing means for changing the color or the brightness of the visual information by a signal from the first timer or the second timer, and a counter for counting the number of times of operation of the visual information changing means. Display device.