Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-01
2001-09-18
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C345S008000, C345S009000, C345S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292158
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a display system suitable for simultaneously displaying a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of tasks, which are being processed by a computer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
When a multitasking computer is executing a plurality of programs, a plurality of working images corresponding to the programs are displayed on the screen like documents spread out on a desktop.
For example, when combining image made by a word processor and image made by a drawing program, it is desirable to display both images on the screen at the same time. In this case, a large screen display device is used because visibility is poor on a small screen display device.
However, a large screen display device requires a large amount of space. Also, displaying a plurality of images at the same time is difficult with a portable computer, such as a notebook computer with a small screen. For that reason, works requiring the concurrent display of a plurality of images is limited when the user is in a small space or outdoors.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display system which can resolve the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The display system of the present invention comprises; a movable display device able to orient its image display screen in an arbitrary direction; means for storing image data with an orientation of the image display screen so that the image data is related with the orientation; means for detecting the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device; means for outputting the image data, when the detected orientation of the image display screen corresponds to the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with the image data, to the movable display device so that an image corresponding to the image data is displayed; means for outputting a change signal; and means for changing the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with the image data according to the change in orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device, when the image data and the change signal are output.
In the constitution of the present invention, when the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device is changed in a state where an image is displayed on the image display screen with one orientation and the change signal is output, the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with the image data corresponding to the displayed image is changed in the same way. In this case, the display position of the image is changed in accordance with the change in orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device. When the output of the change signal is canceled, the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with the image data is changed to the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device at the time of the cancellation of the change signal. In a state where the change signal is not output, the image corresponding to the image data can be seen only where the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with that image data corresponds to the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device. A desired image can thereby be displayed on the image display screen at an arbitrary orientation. To be more precise, in the state where the change signal is output, the same image can be displayed when the image display screen is oriented in one direction and when it is oriented in a different direction. While, in the state where the output of the change signal is canceled, mutually different images can be displayed when the image display screen is oriented in one direction and when it is oriented in a different direction.
It is preferable that the display system of the present invention comprises; a standard display device; and means for determining whether the angle, which is formed by the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device relative to a predetermined standard direction, is within a given angle; wherein, when the angle formed by the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device relative to the standard direction is within a given angle, the image data stored and related with the orientation of the image display screen is output to the standard display device
3
while the output of the change signal is canceled, and is output to the movable display device while the change signal is output.
In this constitution, by setting the angle, which is formed by the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device relative to the standard direction, within a given angle and by outputting change signal when an image is displayed on the standard display device, the image displayed by the standard display device is displayed by the movable display device.
In the state where the change signal is output, by changing the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device so that its angle formed relative to the standard direction exceeds a given angle, the orientation of the image display screen stored and related with image data corresponding to the image displayed by the movable display device is changed in the same way. The orientation of the image display screen stored and related with the image data is thereby changed to the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display at the time of the :cancellation of the change signal. As a result, since the display on the standard display device of the image corresponding to that image data is canceled, a different image can be displayed on the standard display device.
It is preferable that a combiner is provided on the movable display device; and the combiner allows transmission of the image display beam from the standard display device so as to guide the beam to a viewer's eyes, and changes the optical path of the image display beam from the movable display device so as to guide the beam to the viewer's eyes.
The image display beam of the standard display device passing through the combiner is guided to a viewer's eyes, whereby the image display screen can be easily positioned so that the angle, which is formed by the orientation of the image display screen of the movable display device relative to the standard direction, becomes within a given angle.
The present invention is preferably provided means for mounting the movable display device on a viewer's head.
The viewer can thereby change the direction from which an image is displayed just by moving his/her head.
It is preferable that the display system of the present invention comprises; a voice input portion; and means for processing voice signals to recognize the voice input from the voice input portion; wherein the image data can be output according to the results of that voice recognition.
A viewer can thereby visualize a desired image just by vocalizing.
The present invention can provide a display system which can conserve space and contribute to the efficiency of a computer processing many tasks, because it can display a plurality of images at the same time without using a large screen display device.
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B. A. Reichlen: “Sparcchair: A One Hundred Million Pixel Display”, Sep. 18, 1993, Proceedings of the Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium, Seattle, Washington, Sep. 18-22, 1993, Nr. Symp. 1, pp. 300-307, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Amafuji Hisashi
Handa Yasuhiko
Kumai Keizou
Nakahara Yasuhiro
Nasu Ryutaro
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Hjerpe Richard
Nguyen Kevin M.
Shimadzu Corporation
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