JP5244926B2 - Display device and burn-in prevention program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a display such a LCD from continuing the same display for a long time to contribute to prevention of image persistence on the display. <P>SOLUTION: A display device having a display installed rotatably, includes a switching circuit for changing the screen display of the display according to a rotational position of the display and a message display circuit for displaying a message urging a rotational operation on part of a screen of the display if the display is not rotated for a predetermined time and holding the message until the display is rotated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a display device including a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and more particularly to a display device having a burn-in prevention function and a burn-in prevention program.

  In recent years, LCDs are mounted as display devices in many electronic devices for reasons such as power saving and light weight. What is displayed on the LCD is various, such as characters, still images, and moving images. Furthermore, there are some that display time changes frequently, and others that content does not change for a long time.

  An LCD may cause a burn-in phenomenon if the same display is continued for a long time. When burn-in occurs, the previous display remains slightly, making it difficult to see the screen. In order to prevent the occurrence of burn-in, the display may be changed in a certain time, but in the case of a device for a specific application, the display of a part of the screen may rarely change. For example, an operation frame portion on which various buttons of a POS (Point Of Sale) terminal are arranged always has the same display, and there is a concern about the occurrence of burn-in in this portion.

JP-A-5-265385

  As described above, in the conventional display device, the display of a part of the screen may rarely change, and when an LCD is used as the display, display burn-in is caused.

  An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a display device and a burn-in prevention program that can prevent a display such as an LCD from continuing the same display for a long time and contribute to prevention of burn-in of the display. To do.

  According to the embodiment, there is provided a display device including a display device that is rotatably installed, the means for changing the screen display of the display device in accordance with the rotational position of the display device, and the display device is determined in advance. A message display means for displaying a message prompting a rotation operation on a part of the screen of the display when the display is not rotated for a certain period of time and holding the message until the display is rotated.

The figure which shows the external appearance structure of the cash registering machine concerning 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the display part of the cash register machine of FIG. 1, and a message display circuit. The flowchart which shows the message display operation | movement in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the display screen in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart for demonstrating the cash register machine concerning 2nd Embodiment, and showing message display operation | movement.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a cash register according to the first embodiment.

  In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a cash register main body for calculating and recording the sales amount of goods, and 20 denotes a display unit attached to the cash register main body 10. Although not shown in the drawing, the cash register main body 10 is connected to a scanner for reading a product code, a keyboard for inputting product information, and a printer. The cash register main body 10 is provided with a message display circuit which is a feature of the present embodiment in addition to the original function.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the display unit 20 and a circuit configuration of the message display circuit 30.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 20 includes an LCD panel 21 and can be mechanically rotated 180 degrees together with the LCD panel 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 20 has a circuit 22 for designating the vertical position of the panel when the LCD panel 21 is rotated, and the screen display is changed in accordance with the rotation when the LCD panel 21 is rotated 180 degrees. An upside down switching circuit 23 is provided.

  The message display circuit 30 includes an image composition circuit 31, a message memory 32 storing a message such as “Please rotate the screen 180 degrees”, an inversion detection switch 33 for detecting inversion of the LCD panel 21, a timer 34, a timer And a counter 35 for measuring 34 count values.

  A video signal (image information A) of various information to be originally displayed as a cash register is supplied to the image composition circuit 31. Message information from the message memory 32 is input to the image composition circuit 31 together with the image information A, and the message information B is superimposed on the image information A as necessary. Specifically, according to the output of the counter 35, the image information A is output as it is or the image composition information A + B is output. The output signal of the image composition circuit 31 is supplied to the upside down switching circuit 23 of the display unit 20 as a video signal. As an image composition method, only the message characters may be displayed on the original screen, or the message may be displayed on the child screen in the form of a picture-in-picture.

  The inversion detection switch 33 is provided in the main body 10 or the display unit 20 and mechanically detects the 180 degree rotation of the display unit 20. The timer 34 is reset when the inversion of the LCD panel 21 is detected by the inversion detection switch 33. When the counter 35 detects that a predetermined time T0 (first time) has elapsed, an image composition instruction is issued to the image composition circuit 31, and the image composition circuit 31 performs image composition.

  Next, the operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the screen display examples of FIGS.

  Normally, for example, a screen as shown in FIG. 4A is displayed on the LCD panel 21 of the display unit 20. Here, reference numeral 41 denotes an area for displaying various information of products read by the scanner, a total amount, and the like, and 42 denotes an operation frame portion on which various buttons are arranged. Since the display of the operation frame portion 42 is always the same or rarely changed, there is a possibility that burn-in occurs in this portion.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the timer 34 is reset by turning on the power or rotating the LCD panel 21 (step S1). In this state, the normal image information A is supplied as it is from the image synthesis circuit 31 to the display unit 20, and an image as shown in FIG. 4A is displayed on the LCD panel 21.

  The elapsed time T after the timer 34 is reset is measured by the counter 35 (step S2). Then, it is determined whether or not a fixed time T0 has elapsed since the timer 34 was reset (step S3). When the elapsed time T is shorter than the fixed time To (T <To), the loop of S2 and S3 is repeated. When the elapsed time T becomes longer than To (T ≧ To), an instruction is issued from the counter 35 to the image composition circuit 31, and the message information B from the memory 12 is superimposed on the normal image information A by the image composition circuit 31. Is done. Then, a signal A + B obtained by image synthesis is supplied to the display unit 20. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4B, a message such as “Please rotate 180 degrees” is displayed on the LCD panel 21 of the display unit 20 (step S4).

  When the message is displayed, it is determined whether rotation of the display unit 20 is detected by the inversion detection switch 33 (step S5). If no inversion is detected, the message display will continue. When the inversion is detected, the image composition by the image composition circuit 31 is stopped and only the normal image information A is supplied to the display unit 20. Thereby, the display of the message on the display unit 20 is stopped (step S6). Then, returning to S1, the timer 34 is reset.

  Note that inversion of the image when the display unit 20 is rotated is performed by a known method by the panel vertical position designation circuit 22 and the vertical inversion switching circuit 23.

  In this way, the original screen as shown in FIG. 4A is always displayed as it is on the display unit 20, and a message prompting rotation is added to the screen as shown in FIG. Is done. Therefore, the operator can confirm from the screen display that the display on the LCD 21 has continued to be the same for a long time, which makes it easy to rotate the display unit 20. For this reason, screen burn-in can be prevented.

  Moreover, it can implement | achieve by the structure which only adds the message display circuit 30, without changing the circuit structure of the existing cash register main body 10 significantly, and can suppress the cost increase at the time of implement | achieving.

  In the present embodiment, the message display circuit 30 is configured by hardware. However, the image composition circuit 31 and the counter 35 of the circuit 30 are implemented by a computer and an application program (burn-in prevention program) that controls the function thereof. Can be configured. In this case, the program selects a video signal of various information to be displayed on the LCD panel 21 until the elapsed time T from the reset of the timer 34 is measured, and until the elapsed time T exceeds a certain time T0. When the procedure for displaying on the panel 21 and the elapsed time T exceeds the predetermined time T0, the video signal is selected by combining the various information to be displayed on the LCD panel 21 with the message information that prompts the user to rotate the LCD panel 21. When a message for prompting a rotation operation is displayed on a part of the display 21 and when the rotation of the display is detected by the inversion detection switch 33 while the message is displayed on the LCD panel 21, video signals of various information are displayed. The procedure of selecting and stopping the display of the message and resetting the timer 34 is executed by the computer.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the cash registering machine according to the second embodiment and showing an operation related to the burn-in prevention.

  Since the basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, a description thereof is omitted here. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a warning light is installed on the upper portion of the display unit 20 or the like.

  Steps S11 to S14 are the same as steps S1 to S4 in the first embodiment, and a message that prompts the user to rotate the screen is displayed after a predetermined time T0 has elapsed since the timer reset (step S14). After displaying the message in S14, the elapsed time T is measured by the counter 35 (step S15). Then, it is determined whether or not T1 (second time) longer than a predetermined time T0 (first time) has elapsed since the timer 34 was reset (step S16).

  If the elapsed time T has not reached T1, it is determined whether or not the rotation of the display unit 20 has been detected by the reversal detection switch 33 as in the first embodiment (step S18). If no reversal is detected, the process returns to S15 and the message display continues. If it is determined in S16 that the elapsed time T has passed T1 or more, the warning lamp is turned on (step S17). After turning on the warning lamp, it is determined whether or not rotation is detected in S18.

  If it is determined in S18 that rotation has been detected, the image composition by the image composition circuit 31 is stopped and only normal image information A is supplied to the display unit 20. Thereby, the display of the message on the display 30 is stopped (step S19). Then, the process returns to S11 and the timer 34 is reset.

  In the case of a message on the screen of the display unit 20, there is no problem when the operator is looking at the screen, but when the operator is at a position away from the display unit 20, the message may not be noticed. Even in such a case, it is possible to inform the operator that the display unit 20 needs to be rotated by turning on the warning lamp.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and an operation at a remote position can be performed by turning on a warning lamp together with a message to the screen. A warning can be issued to the person, and burn-in can be prevented more reliably.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In the embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a cash register has been described. However, the present invention can be applied as long as it has a display unit that does not change the contents of the screen for a long time. For example, an electronic device that displays product price information on an LCD It can also be applied to price tags.

  In the embodiment, the rotation of the display is 180 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the display can be applied to a display that rotates 90 degrees. Further, the position where the message should be displayed and the message content can be changed as appropriate. Further, the values of T0 and T1 for determining the time until the message is displayed can be appropriately changed according to the specification.

  Further, the inversion detection switch for detecting the rotation of the display unit is not necessarily required, and an output signal of a panel vertical position specifying circuit provided on the display unit side may be used. Furthermore, if the display unit itself does not have a function of switching the upside down when rotated, the panel up / down position designation circuit and the upper limit inversion circuit may be provided on the main body side instead of the display side.

  In the above embodiment, a control program for realizing the functions of the invention is recorded in advance in a storage unit inside the apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a similar program may be downloaded from the network to the apparatus. Alternatively, a similar program recorded on the recording medium may be installed in the apparatus. The recording medium may be in any form as long as it can store a program such as a CD-ROM or a memory card and can be read by the apparatus. Further, the function obtained by installing or downloading the program may be realized in cooperation with an OS (operating system) in the apparatus.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Cash register machine body 20 ... Display part 21 ... LCD panel 22 ... Panel up-down position designation circuit 23 ... Up-down inversion switching circuit 30 ... Message display circuit 31 ... Image composition circuit 32 ... Message memory 33 ... Inversion detection switch 34 ... Timer 35 ... Counter 41 ... Area to display various information and total amount 42 ... Operation frame 43 ... Message area

Claims (6)

A display that can be rotated;
Means for changing the screen display of the display unit according to the rotational position of the display unit;
When the display is not rotated for a predetermined first time, a message prompting a rotation operation is displayed on a part of the screen of the display, and the message is held until the display is rotated Display means;
A display device comprising: The message display means includes a memory storing message information for prompting a rotation operation, an image composition circuit for combining and outputting message information in the memory with various information to be displayed on the display, and a rotation of the display. A switch to detect, and a timer that is reset when rotation of the indicator is detected by the switch,
2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein when the count time of the timer exceeds the first time, an output video signal of the image synthesis circuit is supplied to the display.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit constitutes a display unit of a cash register that calculates and records a sales amount of a product.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is an electronic price tag that displays price information of a product. The indicator is provided with an alarm lamp,
2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the alarm lamp is turned on when a count time of the timer exceeds a second time longer than the first time. A computer-readable program for use in the display device according to claim 1 for preventing display burn-in of the display,
A procedure for measuring an elapsed time from resetting a timer that is reset when rotation of the display is detected by a switch that detects rotation of the display;
Until the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time, select a video signal of various information to be displayed on the display, and display on the display;
When the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time, a video signal obtained by combining message information for prompting a rotation operation of the display unit with various information to be displayed on the display unit is selected and a rotation operation is performed on a part of the display unit To display a message prompting
When rotation of the display is detected by the switch in a state where the message is displayed on the display, a procedure for selecting the video signal of the various information to stop displaying the message and reset the timer When,
A display burn-in prevention program for causing a computer to execute the program.

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