KR20170132699A - Mirror display apparatus and the operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A mirror display device and a method of operating the same are provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device includes: a camera part for photographing a user in front of the mirror display device to generate a first user image; a control part for determining the operation mode of the mirror display part which is one of a screen mode and a mirror mode based on the first user image and generating a second user image by reversing the first user image in the left and right when the operation mode is the screen mode; and a mirror display part which displays the second user image if the operation mode is the screen mode, and displays the mirror image of the user if the operation mode is the mirror mode, in a step operating the mirror display part. The mirror display device can operate in the mirror mode or screen mode based on a distance from the user.

Description

[0001] MIRROR DISPLAY APPARATUS AND THE OPERATION METHOD THEREOF [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mirror display apparatus and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to a mirror display apparatus and a method of operating the same, which operate in a mirror mode or a screen mode.

Figure 1 shows a conventional mirror. As shown, a conventional mirror provided a reflected image of a user located in front of the image, which was a mirror image, inverted left and right with respect to the entity. For example, even if the user lifts the left hand, only the mirror image of raising the right hand can be confirmed in the mirror, and thus there is a problem that the image close to the real image can not be confirmed.

Meanwhile, in recent years, smart mirror products have been developed that incorporate IoT (internet of things) technology in a conventional mirror. However, even in such a smart mirror, various information is provided to a user on a mirror screen, and a problem that a user can confirm his or her own appearance only through a mirror image in which the left and right are reversed remains.

Therefore, a mirror display device and an operation method thereof are required to solve such a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a mirror display apparatus and a method of operating the same in a mirror mode or a screen mode according to a predetermined standard such as a distance from a user.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems which are not mentioned can be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating a mirror display device is provided. The method includes: capturing a user in front of the mirror display device to generate a first user image; Determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit in one of a screen mode and a mirror mode based on the first user image; And operating the mirror display unit according to the operation mode, wherein when the operation mode is the screen mode, the step of operating the mirror display unit includes: generating a second user image, which is generated by flipping the first user image horizontally And if the operation mode is the mirror mode, displaying the mirror image of the user.

Advantageously, the determining the operating mode comprises: calculating a separation distance between the user and the mirror display device; Determining the operation mode in the screen mode if the spacing distance is equal to or greater than a first distance; And determining the operating mode in the mirror mode if the spacing distance is within a first distance.

Preferably, the operation mode further includes a frame mode, and the step of determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit is performed by determining the operation mode as a frame mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, The operation of the mirror display unit may be performed by displaying predetermined contents if the operation mode is the frame mode, and the second distance may be larger than the first distance.

Further, preferably, the step of determining the operation mode includes: recognizing the user's gesture; And changing the operation mode of the mirror display unit between the mirror mode and the screen mode when the user gesture is matched with the predetermined gesture.

Preferably, the step of determining the operation mode includes: calculating a change amount of the user's movement from the first user image; Determining the operation mode in the screen mode if the amount of motion variation is within a predetermined variation amount; And determining the operation mode in the mirror mode if the amount of motion variation is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount of change.

Preferably, determining at least one of the magnification and the resolution of the second user image based on the spacing distance; And converting the second user image according to at least one of the determined magnification and resolution.

In addition, the step of determining at least one of the magnification and the resolution of the second user image may be performed based on the user's gesture in addition to the separation distance.

Preferably, the method further includes displaying the predetermined content received from the user terminal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mirror display device is provided. The apparatus comprises: a camera unit for photographing a user in front of the mirror display device to generate a first user image; A controller for determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit in one of a screen mode and a mirror mode on the basis of the first user image and generating a second user image by reversing the first user image in the left screen when the operation mode is the screen mode, ; And the mirror display unit may include a mirror display unit that displays the second user image when the operation mode is the screen mode and displays a mirror image of the user when the operation mode is the mirror mode have.

Preferably, the controller calculates a distance between the user and the mirror display device, determines the operation mode in the screen mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the first distance, , It is possible to determine the operation mode in the mirror mode.

Preferably, the operation mode further includes a frame mode, and the control unit determines the operation mode as a frame mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, and the mirror display unit displays, Mode, the second distance may be larger than the first distance.

The control unit may recognize the user's gesture and change the operation mode of the mirror display unit between the mirror mode and the screen mode when the user gesture matches the predetermined gesture.

Preferably, the control unit calculates the amount of the user's motion change from the first user image, and determines the operation mode in the screen mode if the amount of motion change is within a predetermined amount of change, If it is greater than or equal to the predetermined change amount, the operation mode can be determined in the mirror mode.

Preferably, the control unit determines at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image based on the separation distance, transforms the second user image according to at least one of the determined magnification and resolution, can do.

Preferably, the control unit may determine at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image based on the user's gesture in addition to the separation distance.

Preferably, the information processing apparatus further includes a communication unit that receives predetermined content from the user terminal, and the mirror display unit can display the content.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for performing a method of operating a mirror display device is recorded.

According to the present invention, when the mirror display unit operates in the screen mode, the user image is displayed by reversing left and right, thereby providing a user image corresponding to the entity rather than a mirror image.

Further, according to the present invention, when the mirror display portion operates in the mirror mode, it is possible to provide a mirror image, thereby enhancing the convenience of the user.

In addition, according to the present invention, when the mirror display unit operates in the frame mode, it is possible to display the predetermined content, not the user image or the mirror image, so that the mirror display apparatus can operate as the electronic frame.

In addition, according to the present invention, a magnification of a user image is adjusted and displayed according to a user's gesture, a separation distance, etc., so that a user can check an enlarged image even when the user is at a relatively long distance or a sight, It is possible to solve the inconvenience of approaching to the mirror display device.

In addition, according to the present invention, a predetermined content is received and displayed from a user terminal through wired / wireless communication, so that the mirror display device can use various contents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A brief description of each drawing is provided to more fully understand the drawings recited in the description of the invention.
Figure 1 shows a conventional mirror.
2 shows a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a method of operating a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 illustrate an operation example of a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 illustrates an operation method of a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a method of operating a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows an operation example of a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in adding reference numerals to the constituent elements of the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the difference that the embodiments of the present invention are not conclusive. In addition, embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto and can be variously modified by those skilled in the art.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only "directly connected" but also "indirectly connected" . Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without excluding other elements unless specifically stated otherwise. In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements.

2 shows a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the apparatus 200 may include a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, a camera unit 230, a mirror display unit 240, a sensing unit 250, and a control unit 260 .

The communication unit 210 may be a wired and / or wireless communication unit 210, which is provided for direct connection with the outside or via a network. Specifically, the communication unit 210 transmits the data from the control unit 260, the storage unit 220, or the like by wire or wirelessly, or receives the data from the outside by wire or wirelessly and transmits the data to the control unit 260 or the storage unit 220 ). ≪ / RTI > The data may include contents such as text, images, moving images, and user images. The communication unit 210 may be a communication unit such as a LAN, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), a Long Term Evolution (LTE), a Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro) Fidelity, Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, and infrared communication. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various kinds of wired and wireless communication technologies applicable to the related art may be used according to the embodiments to which the present invention is applied.

In the storage unit 220, various data may be stored in the operation of the mirror display device 200. The data may include predetermined contents, user images, and the like. The storage unit 220 may be a hard disk drive (HDD), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) flash memory, CF (Compact Flash) card, SD (Secure Digital) card, SM (Smart Media) card, MMC (Multimedia) card or Memory Stick And may be provided inside the mirror display device 200 or may be provided in a separate device.

The camera unit 230 may generate a first user image by photographing a user. At this time, the user is usually located in front of the mirror display device 200, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The user may be located anywhere in the vicinity of the mirror display device 200. For this, the camera unit 230 may be arranged to be oriented in a specific direction, rotated and / or movable according to the embodiment, and may be configured with at least one camera unit 230.

The mirror display unit 240 can operate in various operation modes by adjusting transmittance and reflectance. Specifically, in the screen mode, the mirror display unit 240 displays the second user image generated by the controller 260, displays predetermined content in the frame mode, and displays the predetermined content in the mirror mode. (Such as a user) on the front surface of the mirror display unit 240 (in particular, the front surface of the mirror display unit 240) to display a mirror image.

The sensing unit 250 may sense a user in the vicinity of the mirror display device 200. The sensing unit 250 may be, for example, a touch sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

The controller 260 may control the signal flow between the mirror display device 200 and the internal structures of the mirror display device 200, and may perform a data processing function for processing the data.

In detail, the control unit 260 may determine the operation mode of the mirror display unit 240 and operate the mirror display unit 240 accordingly. Here, the operation mode may include a screen mode and a mirror mode, and may further include a frame mode according to an embodiment. In the screen mode, the controller 260 may generate a second user image, which is generated by inverting the first user image horizontally, so that the mirror display unit 240 displays the second user image. In the frame mode, The control unit 260 may display the predetermined content stored in the storage unit 220 or received through the communication unit 210 by the mirror display unit 240. In the frame mode, The transmissivity and reflectance of the display unit 240 can be adjusted to display a mirror image.

More specific operations of the control unit 260 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8. FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates an operation method of a mirror display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an operation example of a mirror display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the camera unit 230 may generate a first user image (step S310). Here, the first user image may be generated by the camera unit 230 photographing a user in front of the mirror display apparatus 200, but the user is usually located in front of the mirror display apparatus 200, but is not limited thereto.

In step S320, the control unit 260 may determine an operation mode of the mirror display unit 240. [ The operation mode may include a screen mode and a mirror mode.

In step S330, the mirror display unit 240 may be operated according to the operation mode determined in step S320. Specifically, if the operation mode is the mirror mode, the mirror display unit 240 can display the mirror image of the user like a normal mirror (see FIG. 4A), and if the operation mode is the screen mode, (240) can display the second user image (see (b) of FIG. 4). Here, the second user image is generated by inverting the first user image in the left and right direction, and may be the opposite to the mirror image, that is, regarding the real image. Therefore, the user can view the mirror and allow the user to recognize the actual image rather than the mirror image.

In step S320, the operation mode of the mirror display unit 240 may be determined according to various criteria according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

In one embodiment, step S320 may be performed based on the separation distance between the user and the mirror display device 200. [ To this end, step S320 includes calculating a separation distance between the user and the mirror display device 200; Determining an operation mode in a screen mode if the spacing distance is equal to or greater than a first distance; And determining the operation mode in the mirror mode if the spacing distance is within the first distance. In other words, it is possible to operate in the mirror mode at a relatively short distance (see Fig. 5A) and operate in the screen mode at a relatively long distance (see Fig. 5B). The step of calculating the separation distance may be performed by analyzing the first user image, and may be performed by analyzing the result of user detection by the sensing unit 250 as well.

In one embodiment, step S320 may be performed based on the user gesture. Specifically, step S320 includes: recognizing the user gesture; And changing the operation mode of the mirror display unit 240 between the mirror mode and the screen mode when the user gesture is matched with the predetermined gesture. Here, the user gesture can be recognized by the control unit 260 analyzing the first user image or additionally / alternatively analyzing the user detection result by the sensing unit 250. For example, A touch operation with respect to the mirror display unit 240 and / or the surface or the switch of the mirror display device 200, and the like. If the user gesture is recognized, the control unit 260 can change the operation mode of the mirror display unit 240. For example, the control unit 260 may change the operation mode sequentially between the mirror mode and the screen mode according to the user gesture, The user can change to a specific operation mode indicated by the user gesture.

In an embodiment, step S320 may be performed based on the degree of movement of the user. To this end, in operation S320, a motion variation of the user is calculated from the first user image. Determining an operation mode in a picture mode if the amount of motion variation is within a predetermined amount of change; And determining the operation mode in the mirror mode if the amount of change in motion is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change. In other words, it means an operation such as wearing clothes or concentrating on a specific part if there is a lot of movement. Therefore, a mirror image is displayed for this purpose, and a second user image which is a left and right reversed image can be displayed if there is less movement.

In one embodiment, the operation mode determined in step S320 may further include a frame mode in addition to the screen mode and the mirror mode. When the operation mode is determined as the frame mode in step S320, the mirror display unit 240 displays the second user image or the mirror image on the mirror image display unit 200 in step S330, It is possible to display a predetermined content.

The operation mode may be determined to be a frame mode according to various criteria. In one example, the framing mode may be determined when the spacing distance is greater than or equal to a second distance greater than the first distance. That is, when the user is away from the mirror display device 200, it means that the user does not want to check the user through the mirror, so that the predetermined content can be displayed at this time. In another example, the frame mode may be determined based on the user gesture. Here, the user gesture may be recognized by analyzing the first user image or by analyzing the result of the user detection by the sensing unit 250 in addition thereto. For example, the user gesture may include a specific pattern operation, A touch operation with respect to the surface 240 of the mirror display device 200 and / or the mirror display device 200, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

6 illustrates an operation method of a mirror display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method 600 of FIG. 6 may be performed in step S330 if the operation mode of the mirror display unit 240 is determined to be the screen mode in step S320 of the method 300 of FIG.

In step S610, the controller 260 may determine at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image. Step S610 may be performed based on the distance between the user and the mirror display device 200. [ Specifically, at least one of the magnification and resolution of the second user image may be increased if the separation distance is large, and at least one of the magnification and resolution of the second user image may be decreased if the separation distance is small.

Then, the control unit 260 can convert the second user image (step S620). The converted second user image can be displayed to the user in the screen mode. That is, even when the separation distance is long, the magnification and resolution of the second user image are increased, so that the user can easily recognize the second user image without accessing the mirror display device 200.

In one embodiment, step S610 may be performed based on the user gesture in addition / alternatively to the separation distance. More specifically, the controller 260 analyzes the first user image and may increase at least one of the magnification and the resolution of the second user image when the user's eye distortion is recognized. However, this is exemplary and step S620 may be performed based on another user gesture other than eye distortion.

FIG. 7 illustrates an operation method of a mirror display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 illustrates an operation example of a mirror display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method 700 may be used with various embodiments of the present invention, such as the method 300 of FIG. 3, the method 600 of FIG. 6, and the like.

First, in step S710, the communication unit 210 can receive predetermined content from the user terminal. Here, the predetermined content may include text, image, moving picture, and the like, but is not limited thereto. Also, the reception may be performed through various wired / wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step S720, the mirror display unit 240 may display the content received in step S710 (see FIG. 8). Accordingly, the user can continuously view the content that is being operated on the user terminal through the mirror display device 200 without interruption. In particular, by using the mirror display unit 240 which is a relatively large screen, it is possible to provide a more improved user experience have.

Meanwhile, the various embodiments described herein may be implemented by hardware, middleware, microcode, software, and / or a combination thereof. For example, various embodiments may include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays ), Processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof.

Also, for example, various embodiments may be stored or encoded in a computer-readable medium including instructions. The instructions stored or encoded in the computer-readable medium may cause a programmable processor or other processor to perform the method, for example, when the instructions are executed. The computer-readable medium includes computer storage media. The storage medium may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage media, magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, Or any other medium that can be used to store data in the form of data structures.

Such hardware, software, firmware, etc. may be implemented within the same device or within separate devices to support the various operations and functions described herein. Additionally, components, units, modules, components, etc. described in the present invention as "parts" may be implemented separately or together as separate but interoperable logic devices. The description of different features for modules, units, etc. is intended to emphasize different functional embodiments and does not necessarily imply that they must be implemented by individual hardware or software components. Rather, the functionality associated with one or more modules or units may be performed by separate hardware or software components, or may be incorporated within common or separate hardware or software components.

Although acts in a particular order are shown in the figures, it should be understood that these acts are performed in the specific order shown, or in a sequential order, or that all illustrated acts need to be performed to achieve the desired result . In any environment, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the division of various components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such a distinction in all embodiments, and the components described may generally be integrated together into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products It should be understood.

As described above, an optimal embodiment has been disclosed in the drawings and specification. Although specific terms have been employed herein, they are used for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims or the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

200 device 210 communication unit
220 storage unit 230 camera unit
240 mirror display unit 250 sensing unit
260 control unit

Claims (15)

A method of operating a mirror display device,
Capturing a user in front of the mirror display device to generate a first user image;
Determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit in one of a screen mode and a mirror mode based on the first user image;
And operating the mirror display unit according to the operation mode,
Wherein the operation of the mirror display unit displays a second user image generated by inverting the first user image in the left and right directions when the operation mode is the screen mode and if the operation mode is the mirror mode, . ≪ / RTI > 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operational mode comprises:
Calculating a separation distance between the user and the mirror display device;
Determining the operation mode in the screen mode if the spacing distance is equal to or greater than a first distance; And
And determining the operating mode in the mirror mode if the spacing distance is within a first distance. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the operation mode further includes a frame mode and the step of determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit is performed by determining the operation mode as a frame mode when the distance is equal to or greater than a second distance,
Wherein operating the mirror display portion is performed by displaying predetermined content if the operation mode is the frame mode, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operational mode comprises:
Recognizing the user gesture of the user; And
And changing the operating mode of the mirror display section between the mirror mode and the screen mode when the user gesture matches the predetermined gesture. 3. The method of claim 2,
Determining at least one of magnification and resolution of the second user image based on the spacing distance; And
Further comprising transforming the second user image according to at least one of the determined magnification and resolution. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein determining at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image is performed based on the user's gesture in addition to the separation distance. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising displaying the predetermined content received from the user terminal. As a mirror display device,
A camera unit for photographing a user in front of the mirror display device to generate a first user image;
A control unit for determining an operation mode of the mirror display unit in one of a screen mode and a mirror mode based on the first user image and generating a second user image by inverting the first user image left and right when the operation mode is the screen mode; And
Wherein the operation of the mirror display unit includes a mirror display unit that displays the second user image when the operation mode is the screen mode and displays a mirror image of the user when the operation mode is the mirror mode . 9. The apparatus according to claim 8,
Calculating a separation distance between the user and the mirror display device,
Determines the operation mode in the picture mode if the spacing distance is equal to or greater than the first distance,
And determines the operating mode in the mirror mode if the spacing distance is within a first distance. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the operation mode further includes a frame mode, and the control unit determines the operation mode as a frame mode when the distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, and the mirror display unit displays the predetermined content when the operation mode is the frame mode And the second distance is greater than the first distance. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the control unit recognizes the user's gesture and changes the operation mode of the mirror display unit between the mirror mode and the screen mode when the user gesture matches the predetermined gesture. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the control unit determines at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image based on the separation distance and transforms the second user image according to at least one of the determined magnification and resolution. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the control unit determines at least one of a magnification and a resolution of the second user image based on the user's gesture in addition to the separation distance. 9. The method of claim 8,
Further comprising a communication unit for receiving predetermined content from a user terminal,
And the mirror display unit displays the content. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is recorded.

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