WO2007069116A2

WO2007069116A2 - A device incorporating a display

Info

Publication number: WO2007069116A2
Application number: PCT/IB2006/054544
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ralph Kurt; Geert Langereis; David P. Walker; Evert J. Van Loenen; Steffen Reymann
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2005-12-12
Filing date: 2006-12-01
Publication date: 2007-06-21
Also published as: WO2007069116A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying an image (34) on an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of display regions operable to display the image, wherein each display region faces in a different angular direction with respect to the vertical. The method comprises the steps of measuring (10) the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; determining (11) a display region according to the measured orientation; and displaying (12) the image on the determined display region.

Description

A device incorporating a display

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying an image on an electronic device. More particularly, it relates to displaying the image at a location on the device where the image is convenient for a viewer to view.

When a user views a display of an electronic device, the device's display is often viewed from an angle, and is not easily viewable without the user manipulating the device into a different position. For example, in the case of a wrist watch, it is usual for the wearer to have to turn and move their wrist to orientate the watch display toward their eyes for easy viewability. US patent 6595683 describes a display assembly comprising a display, a display housing and a body. The display is automatically maintained in a substantially upright position independent of the orientation of the display housing, thereby allowing the display to be turned to face a viewer at any angle without repositioning the body or leveling the display. However, this device requires a connecting means in the form of a cassegrain assembly to allow the display housing to swivel with respect to the body, making the display assembly unwieldy.

Advances in display technology have enabled manufacture of electronic devices that have curved displays, for example, the Seiko Epson™ 'Future Now' watch that incorporates an electronic paper display from E-Ink™ cooperation. The viewability of an image displayed on a curved display depends on the direction from which the display is viewed. Some display regions of a curved display may face towards a viewer, enabling easy viewing of the images displayed on them. However, other display regions of the curved display are likely to face at an angle, or even away from the viewer, making the images displayed on these regions difficult or even impossible to view without physically changing the orientation of the display.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art. The inventors have realized that the region of a curved display, on which an image is displayed, may be dynamically changed according to the orientation of the display; in order to display the image on a region of the display that is likely to be facing toward the eyes of a viewer. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for displaying an image (34) on an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of display regions operable to display the image, each display region facing in a different angular direction with respect to the vertical, the method comprising the steps of: measuring (10) the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; - determining (11) a display region according to the measured orientation; and displaying (12) the image on the determined display region. Owing to the invention, there is provided a method for displaying an image on an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of display regions facing in different angular directions with respect to the vertical, wherein the orientation of the device is used to determine a display region that is likely to be facing toward the eyes of a viewer.

Furthermore, changing the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical may cause the image to be displayed on a further determined display region, the further determined display region likely to be facing toward the eyes of a viewer of the device when the device is in the changed orientation. The further determined display region may partially overlap with the previously determined display region, or the further determined display region may be at an entirely different position to the previously determined display region.

Additionally, the displayed image may be translated from the determined display region to the further determined display region in response to a change in the orientation of the device. The translation may comprise erasing the image from the determined display region and immediately displaying the image on the further determined display region. The image may be translated incrementally from the determined display region to the further determined display region via intermediate display regions, such that the displayed image appears to move gradually from the determined display region to the further determined display region. Furthermore, the movement of the displayed image may be damped to prevent small and rapid changes in the device orientation from giving corresponding small and rapid changes in the displayed image, which may otherwise impair the image's ability to be easily viewed. Such small and rapid changes in device orientation may, for example, be due to unintentional shaking of a body part on which the device is worn. The damping enables the image to translate smoothly from one display region to the next display region, while remaining easily viewable.

Advantageously, the display region for display of the image may be determined as the vertically highest display region of all the display regions. In applications where the device is typically viewed from above, for example a wristwatch, the vertically highest display region is likely to be facing substantially in a direction toward the eyes of a viewer.

Advantageously, the display region for display of the image may be determined as a display region that faces substantially at a preset angle from the vertical. The preset angle may be set depending on the type of the device or depending on the direction from which the device is likely to be viewed. Furthermore, the preset angle may be offset according to user preferences.

Advantageously, the display region for display of the image may be determined as a display region that is a determined distance from a preset point on the device, wherein the distance is determined according to the measured orientation. Additionally, the determined distance may be offset according to user preferences. The preset point may be the point on the device where the orientation is measured. A user, wishing to influence the display region determined for display of the image, may find specifying an offset distance to the determined distance to be more intuitive then specifying an offset angle to the preset angle.

Furthermore, the image may be displayed on an additional display region, also determined according to the orientation of the device. This may enable the image to be viewed on two different display regions by two respective viewers. For example, if the device is worn on the body, one viewer may be the wearer of the device and another viewer may be a person facing towards the wearer.

Additionally, the image may be displayed at a rotation causing the viewed horizon of the image to be perpendicular to the vertical, improving the viewability of the image. For example, the horizon of a clock face image (i.e. a line from the 3 o' clock position to the 9 o' clock position), would appear horizontal (perpendicular to the vertical) on the display.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic device comprising a plurality of display regions operable to display an image, each display region facing in a different angular direction with respect to the vertical, the device further comprising: measuring means operable to measure the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; processing means operable to determine, according to the measured orientation, a display region for display of the image. Owing to the invention, there is provided an electronic device comprising a plurality of display regions facing in different angular directions with respect to the vertical, wherein the orientation of the device is used to determine a display region for display of an image, the determined display region likely to be facing substantially in the direction of the eyes of a viewer. Advantageously, the plurality of display regions may be formed by planar display elements and / or at least one display element that forms display regions that face in different angular directions with respect to one another (i.e. a curved display element). In order to form a large piecewise linear display element, smaller planar display elements may be arranged next to one another, and arranged to face in a different angular directions with respect to the vertical. The angular direction in which a display region faces may be considered to be the angular direction in which one position on the display region faces, for example the position at the centre of the display region. The angular direction in which a display region faces may be considered to be the angular direction in which the display region faces as a whole, for example, the mean of the angular directions in which all of the positions on the display region face.

Additionally, a display region may be formed by one display element, or formed by a plurality of display elements that are arranged next to one another or spaced apart. Forming a display region from a plurality of display elements allows an image to be displayed partly on one display element, and partly on another display element. This enables an image to be gradually translated from one display element to the next.

Furthermore, display regions may be formed by a display element that is in the shape of a ribbon that follows the curvature of the device. For example, a ribbon shaped display element could be laid along the length of a watch strap, the ribbon shaped display element following the curvature of the watch strap around a wearer's wrist. Advantageously, the electronic device may be a wearable electronic device.

Since the wearable electronic device, when worn on a particular part of the body, has a particular positional relationship with respect to the position of the wearer's eyes, the range of directions from which the device is likely to be viewed are reduced. This improves the likelihood of the determined display region facing toward the eyes of the wearer, since there is less uncertainty in where the determined display region should be determined relative to the orientation of the device.

Furthermore, the device may be a handheld device like a mobile telecommunications device, or an entertainment device. Embodiments of the invention provide an electronic device that can display a image on a display region that is predicted from the device's orientation to face toward the eyes of a viewer. The rotation of the image on the display may be set so that the viewed horizon of the image is perpendicular to the vertical. This enables the image to be displayed in an upright orientation with respect to the vertical, even as the orientation of the device is changed.

Further optional features of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments now described, by way of non- limiting example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a flow diagram of a method according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a diagram of an electronic device according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a diagram of an exemplary wristwatch embodiment; and

Fig. 4 shows the wristwatch of Fig. 3, together with an exemplary coordinate system for determining how a clock face image should be displayed.

Fig. 1 shows a flow diagram of a method according to the invention. In step 10, the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical is measured. In a preferred embodiment this information is represented with respect to a suitable coordinate system, for example a Polar or Cartesian coordinate system. The vertical reference is typically defined by the direction of gravitational acceleration, although this is not a requirement, since any means of determining a vertical reference from which a device's orientation may be measured is sufficient for practice of the invention.

In step 11 , a display region according to the measured orientation is determined. The determined display region may for example be determined using mathematical algorithms, as described below in relation to Fig. 4, or it may simply be determined from a table containing a list of device orientations and respective display regions. The determined display region may be determined as the display region that faces in a particular angular direction from the vertical, or the region that is a particular distance from the highest vertical point on the device. In step 12, the image is displayed on the determined display region. The determined display region is formed from one or more display elements, and is of an area suitable for displaying the image. The image may, for example, be an image of a clock face, a compass, a map, a picture, or textual information. If a display region spans over two display elements, then the image is displayed partly on one display element and partly on the other display element. In one example, the two display elements are next to one another. In another example, the two display elements are spaced apart.

Fig. 2 shows a diagram of an electronic device according to the invention. The electronic device is for example a wristwatch, an entertainment device, or a mobile communications device, although may be any electronic device having display regions facing in different angular directions with respect to the vertical. The electronic device comprises orientation measuring means 20, processing means 21, and display means 22.

The orientation measuring means 20 is formed by, for example, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) accelerometers, spirit level devices, 3D-magnetic compass devices, piezo -resistive devices, or tilt switches, although any other device capable of measuring orientation may be used. In one embodiment, the device only has one orientation sensor, although in other embodiments, the device has multiple orientation sensors that are used together to give a more accurate orientation measurement. In another embodiment, the orientation measuring means is formed by one or more cameras mounted on the device whose output is coupled to software that can analyze the camera image to identify the vertical lines in the image and hence determine the vertical. A camera image may be analyzed by face or eye recognition software, enabling the image region for display of the image to be determined even more accurately.

The processing means 21 is operable to take the orientation measurements from the orientation measuring means and determine a display region of the display means 22 for display of the image. In an exemplary embodiment the processing means is a microprocessor, although any processing means operable to determine, according to the measured orientation, a display region for display of the image is sufficient for practice of the invention. In one embodiment the processing means is operable to damp the movement of the displayed image to maintain the image's viewability. Such damping is achieved, for example, by means of a low-pass filter that filters out fast changes in orientation measurements or in the display region that is determined for display of the image. The processing means 21 comprises or is connected to storage means that stores software, the software for execution on the processing means 21 to implement methods of the invention. The software is stored on a data carrier, wherein the data carrier is, for example, storage means within the device, or a storage means from which the software is loaded into the device.

The display means 22 is, for example, formed by any one or more display elements. The display elements may be electrically controlled, for example wherein elements comprise an electronic paper display, an electrophoretic display, a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode display, a polymer light emitting diode display, an electroluminescent display, SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display), or a FED (field emission display). The display elements may not be electrically controlled, for example wherein elements simply display an image that is projected onto them. Fig. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the electronic device is a wristwatch. The wristwatch comprises watch strap 30, display means 31, processing means 32, and measuring means 33. The wristwatch is shown with a clock face image 34 displayed on display means 31. In an exemplary embodiment, the measuring means 33 is a Piezo -Resistive 3-Axis acceleration sensor, such as the HAAM-301A from HDK Hokuriku; the processing means 32 is a microprocessor such as an ARM7™ processor from Arm™; and the display means is an E-Ink™ paper display in the shape of a ribbon that follows the curvature of the device.

In Fig. 3 the displayed image is a clock face, although in other embodiments the displayed image is for example a digital clock, textual information, a picture, or a combination of these things. Fig. 3 shows the wristwatch angled at substantially 45 degrees from the horizontal, and the clock face 34 displayed at a rotation making the horizon (imaginary line between the 3 and the 9 positions) of the clock face appear horizontally (perpendicular to the vertical). The method for displaying the clock face 34 on the display means 31 is now described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows the wristwatch embodiment of Fig. 3, together with a coordinate system used for determining where and at what rotation the clock face 40 should be displayed. The measuring means is located at point D on the wristwatch, halfway across the width of the watchstrap, and defining the centre of a Cartesian coordinate system having axes n, b, t. The n axis points in the angular direction that is normal to the watchstrap at point D, the b axis points width-ways across the watchstrap, and the t axis points at a tangent to the length- ways curve of the watchstrap at point D. The measuring means outputs the orientation of the watchstrap in terms of components of gravitational acceleration in the n, b, t directions. These measured components are referred to as n_g, b_g, t_g, and their relative sizes enable the angular direction of gravity g to be calculated, as will be apparent to the skilled person. In this embodiment, firstly the vertically highest point H (shown on Fig. 4) that is halfway across the width of the watchstrap is calculated. Then any offsets (e.g. angle θ) due to preset angles, preset distances, or user preferences, are added to give the point C (shown on Fig. 4), defining the centre of the display region where the clock face 40 is displayed. Finally, the clock face 40 is rotated so that the horizon 41 of the clock face appears horizontally (i.e. perpendicular to the vertical). In other embodiments, the clock face is immediately displayed at the vertically highest display region, i.e. with the clock face centered on the vertically highest point H.

To do the above, point O (shown on Fig. 4) is calculated as being a distance R (radius of watchstrap) away from the location D of the measuring means in the -n axis direction. Hence O is fixed at the centre of the cylindrical shape formed by the watchstrap. Next, three vectors x', z', and g' are defined. The vectors are all anchored at point O. The x' vector is defined as pointing in the same angular direction as the b axis, i.e. in the same direction as the central axis of the cylinder formed by the watchstrap. The g' vector is defined as pointing in the same angular direction as g, calculated earlier from the measured n_g, b_g, t_g components. Therefore the x' and g' vectors are fully defined.

The z' vector is defined to be always perpendicular to the x' vector. Therefore, z' could point towards any point on a line halfway across the width of the watchstrap and lying around the circumference of the watch strap, for example, any point along the curved dotted line between points H and D shown on Fig. 4. The x', z', g' vectors are further defined to all lie in the same plane, and for z' to point in a direction more than 90 degrees away from g'. Therefore, z' must point upwards through point H. Changes in the orientation of the device give corresponding changes in the direction of the g' vector, and the requirement that x', z', and g' must lie in the same plane forces the z' vector to always point upwards through the highest vertical point on the watchstrap that is halfway across the width of the watchstrap (point H).

The vector z' ' shown in Fig. 4 determines the point C on the watchstrap where the centre of the clock face should be displayed. The vector z" is anchored at point O, and set as the direction that is perpendicular to vector x' and at an angle θ from the z' vector. The vector x' ' shown on Fig. 4 is used to set the rotation of the clock face 40 so that the horizon 41 of the clock face appears horizontally. First, the vector x" is calculated as being anchored at point O, and as having the direction that is both perpendicular to g' and perpendicular to z" (i.e. the component of g' in the direction of x" is zero). Then the rotation of the clock face is set so that the horizon of the clock face lies in the same angular direction as the vector x". Where the display region is curved in the same direction in which the horizon 41 of the clock face 40 lies, the horizon of the clock face will be curved, and so only a very small portion of the horizon of the clock face will be truly horizontal (perpendicular to the vertical). However, the viewed horizon as seen by the viewer will still be horizontal. The position of point O as described above is assumed to be at the centre of the device. Point O is calculated according to the radius of the device, which is assumed to be constant. Flexible devices operable to encircle differently shaped body portions (e.g. different people's wrists) obviously change their radius dependent on the size of the body portion. To help prevent significant errors occurring in the calculated position of point O, a device could have orientation sensors at multiple locations on the device, such that the multiple orientation measurements could be used to calculate the true centre of the device.

In a further example, the point C for display of the clock face is determined at a determined distance from the point D where the orientation of the device is measured. In an example, the determined distance is the distance along the watchstrap from point D to the calculated point H, subtracted by a user defined offset distance.

In another embodiment, the image is projected onto the determined display region, for example by a projector placed within the device, for example at the centre of the device. In one instance, the display region is determined as the intersection of a cone (e.g. originating at O with the direction z") with the non-planar surface of the display region. Several known projection methods can be applied, such as parallel projection (which is more effective for planar rather than curved display surfaces), or conformal projection (which preserves image angles locally), or gnomonic projection (which allows the perception of straight lines in the image), or any other known method for projecting the image onto the display region. In a further embodiment, two or more images are displayed for viewers viewing the device from different directions. For example, an egg-shaped portable entertainment device could display images on different sides of the egg-shape for different people to view. Multiple images could be displayed around the circumference of the egg shape, with each of the images being displayed on display regions facing at a common angle with respect to the vertical.

There are many different calculation methods that could be used to calculate the display region where the image should be displayed, depending on the shape of the device, the display regions that are available on the device and the position of the measuring means on the device. Calculations may be avoided by using tables to determine image regions from orientation measurements instead. Hence the calculation process described above is not to be construed as limiting the subject matter of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for displaying an image (34) on an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of display regions operable to display the image, each display region facing in a different angular direction with respect to the vertical, the method comprising the steps of: - measuring (10) the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; determining (11) a display region according to the measured orientation; and displaying (12) the image on the determined display region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: - changing the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; and repeating the steps a), b), c), to display the image (34) on a further determined display region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed image (34) is translated from the determined display region to the further determined display region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displayed image (34) is translated incrementally from the determined display region to the further determined display region via intermediate display regions, such that the displayed image appears to move gradually from the determined display region to the further determined display region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the movement of the image from the determined display region to the further determined display region is damped.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determining (11) comprises determining the vertically highest display region of all the plurality of display regions.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determining (11) comprises determining a display region facing substantially at a preset angle to the vertical.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the preset angle is offset according to user preferences.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determining (11) comprises determining a display region that is located at a determined distance from a preset point on the device, wherein the determined distance is determined according to the measured orientation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the preset point on the device is a point (D) where the orientation of the device is measured.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determined distance is offset according to user preferences.

12. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising determining an additional display region according to the measured orientation; and displaying the image on the additional display region.

13. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the image is displayed at a rotation causing the viewed horizon (41) of the image to be perpendicular to the vertical.

14. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the image (34) is an image of a clock face.

15. An electronic device comprising a plurality of display regions operable to display an image, each display region facing in a different angular direction with respect to the vertical, the device further comprising: measuring means (20) operable to measure the orientation of the device with respect to the vertical; processing means (21) operable to determine, according to the measured orientation, a display region for display of the image.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of display regions are formed by any one or more display elements (31), each element comprising an electronic paper display, an electrophoretic display, a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode display, a polymer light emitting diode display, an electro-luminescent display, a surface-conduction electron-emitter display, or a field emission display.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of display regions are formed by any one or more display elements (31), the display elements suitable for displaying a projected image.

18. The device of claims 15, 16, or 17, wherein the plurality of display regions are formed by a plurality of substantially planar display elements.

19. The device of claims 15, 16, or 17, wherein the plurality of display regions are formed by one or more display elements, at least one display element forming display regions that face in different angular directions with respect to one another.

20. The device of claims 15, 16, or 17, wherein a display region is formed by one display element, or formed by a plurality of display elements that are arranged next to one another or spaced apart.

21. The device of claims 15, 16, or 17, wherein display regions are formed by a ribbon shaped display element (31) that follows the curvature of the device.

22. The device of any of claims 15 to 21, wherein the measuring means (20) are any one or more of MEMS accelerometers, 3D-magnetic compass devices, spirit level devices, piezo -resistive devices, or tilt switches.

23. The device of any of claims 15 to 21, wherein the measuring means (20) comprise a camera for capturing an image; and processing means operable to determine the vertical via analysis of the image.

24. The device of any of claims 15 to 23, wherein the device is operable to be worn on the body.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the device is operable to encircle a body portion.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the device is a wristwatch.

27. A data carrier storing software for implementing the method of any of claims 1 to 14.