WO2017036562A1

WO2017036562A1 - Image display device with user position adaptable curved display unit

Info

Publication number: WO2017036562A1
Application number: PCT/EP2015/070272
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mustafa Ilker Uzun; Cengiz Berkay; Osman Osman; Tamer Katip; Ibrahim Ipek
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2015-09-04
Filing date: 2015-09-04
Publication date: 2017-03-09

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image display device having a curved display unit adaptable to be viewed according to the viewing positions of the audience providing improved viewing experience. The present invention more particularly relates to an image display device comprising a display unit and a sensor-based system with at least one sensor device in connection with a control unit, the sensor-based system being capable of sensing location and distance of viewers in front of the image display device.

Description

IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE WITH USER POSITION ADAPTABLE CURVED DISPLAY UNIT

The present invention relates to an image display device having a curved display unit adaptable to be viewed according to the viewing positions of the audience providing improved viewing experience.

Digital and interactive TV systems provide a comprehensive amount of TV features enriching every day. Considering the fact that a large number of television and multimedia services are being made available to consumers today, image display devices are provided with distinct features to enable a more satisfactory viewing experience for the users.

Flat screens such as LCD and LED display units are conventionally used in image display devices such as TV panels and monitors. Advances in display technologies allowed the display unit to be configured in a curved manner offering an improved viewing experience to the users due to the fixed viewing angle with respect to different portions of the screen and a perception of an enlarged viewing area. However, these advantages are only maximized if the user is positioned at a centrally projected viewing zone in front of the curved screen. On the other hand, the advantages disappear and the viewing quality gets worse if the user is positioned outside the centrally projected viewing zone in front of the curved screen. The present invention therefore addresses such inconveniences and affords an improved viewing performance in the case of an image display device with a curved display unit.

Among others, one of the prior art disclosures in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as WO2013172538, which discloses a curved display apparatus. The display apparatus includes a display screen to display images, and the display screen includes different curvatures at different segments of the screen, each of the different curvatures having a different radius of curvature, each radius of curvature corresponding to a radius of a circular arc which approximates a curve intersecting the corresponding segment. The present invention therefore aims for improvement of the display quality independent from the position of the user.

The present invention provides a dynamically adaptable display unit viewing area such that the image display device with a curved display unit is capable of sensing presence and location of a number of viewers through a sensor-based system for overcoming display quality issues depending on the viewing position of the viewers.

The present invention detects the position of a person within a detection zone of a sensor-based system while the user views a broadcast program. The curved image display device comprising the sensor-based system detects the viewing position of a person or number of persons within a viewing zone of the sensor-based system so that the curved image display device automatically adapts its radius of curvature by means of a mechanical curvature adjustment mechanism so as to provide improved viewing quality for an individual or group of people at various distances and locations from the image display device.

The present invention therefore provides a curved image display device with a sensor-based system in the form of a user presence and locational information sensing system and a mechanical curvature adjustment mechanism dynamically adapting the radius of curvature of the image display device as provided by the characterizing features defined in Claim 1.

Primary object of the present invention is hence to provide an image display device with a dynamically adaptable display unit viewing area, the image display device adapting the radius of curvature of the curved display unit in response to the data obtained from a sensor-based system in the form of a user presence and locational information sensing system.

The present invention proposes an image display device comprising a display unit and a sensor-based system collecting locational information including distance and viewing angle of viewers in front of the image display device. A control unit drives a curvature adjustment mechanism of the image display device to change the amount of curvature of the display unit according to the distance and viewing angle of viewers. The control unit operates the curvature adjustment mechanism either to increase the radius of curvature and flatten the display unit or to increase the radius of curvature and create a more curved the display unit.

Preferably, the curvature adjustment mechanism is a reel to reel mechanism providing symmetrical displacement of the two outermost vertical edges of the display unit relative to each other so as to be moved closer to or away from each other in a guided manner while the surface of the display unit between said two edges are curved or flattened depending on a changeable radius of curvature of a circular arc formed by any of the upper or lower edges of the display unit.

If one user or a plurality of users sitting together are located proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the radius of curvature substantially equals the distance of one or a plurality of users proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit. If more than one person or groups of persons are separately positioned apart at both sides of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit is flattened.

Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a curved image display device equipped with a sensor-based system as well as a curvature adjustment mechanism whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.

The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.

Fig. 1 demonstrates a schematic view of an image display device with a curved display unit according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 demonstrates a general view of an image display device with a curved display unit and an exemplary sensor-based system according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 demonstrates a schematic view of different visual angles of users at different positions according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 demonstrates a schematic view of a centrally positioned viewer according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 demonstrates a schematic view of different screen viewing zones of the image display device according to the present invention.

Fig. 6 demonstrates a schematic view indicating the relation of the viewing angle and the preferable screen structure according to the present invention.

The present invention proposes a dynamically adaptable display unit viewing area such that the image display device with a curved display unit is capable of sensing presence and location of a number of viewers through a sensor-based system. The viewing area of the display unit is therefore structurally modified in the manner to reconfigure the radius of curvature of the viewing area. The sensor-based system of the image display device in connection with a control unit thereof receives locational information signals indicating position as well as distance of persons in front of the image display device. A memory unit coupled to said control unit stores locational information including distance information of the viewers within the detection range of the sensor-based system. The control unit of the image display device executes a position calculation algorithm to retrieve locational information within the viewing zone of the sensor-based system.

According to the present invention, location of at least one viewer within the viewing zone of the sensor-based system is determined and the optimum radius of curvature which is most advantageous in terms of the visibility efficiency of the viewing area of the display unit is accordingly determined. The visibility efficiency of the viewing area of the display unit merely depends on the locational information of the viewer.

When a viewer is positioned centrally as demonstrated in Fig. 1, the curved display unit advantageously provides a perception of an enlarged viewing area and a better viewing quality due the fixed viewing angles with respect to different portions of the display unit. However, these advantages disappear in case a number of persons are positioned at different locations in a distributed manner in front of the display unit. For instance, if one of the viewers is positioned outside a curved screen viewing zone as in Fig 5, which is in the form of a centrally projected viewing zone in front of the curved display screen, all advantages in terms of the enlarged viewing area and fixed viewing angles with respect to different portions of the display unit are lost. To this end, obtaining locational information with regard to different viewers is crucial to adjust the radius of curvature of the display unit. For instance, as demonstrated in Fig. 3, in the case of two viewers positioned at different distances with different viewing angles with respect to the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the control unit accordingly calculates the most advantageous radius of curvature in consideration of all viewers.

A curvature adjustment mechanism of the image display device is operated by the control unit so as to change the radius of curvature of the display unit according to the input of the sensor-based system. The curvature adjustment mechanism integrated to the image display device configures the radius of curvature as determined by the control unit and either increases the radius of curvature and flattens the display unit or increases the radius of curvature and creates a more curved screen. The curvature adjustment mechanism can be a reel to reel system, a gear system, a pneumatic system or any other suitable mechanism effectuating symmetrical displacement of the two outermost vertical edges of the display unit relative to each other, the surface of the display unit between said two edges curving or flattening in accordance with a changeable radius of curvature of a circular arc formed by any of the upper or lower edges of the display unit. Therefore, the curvature adjustment mechanism automatically changes the radius of the curvature of the display unit by moving the two lateral edges of the display unit closer to or away from each other in a guided manner during which the radius of curvature is reconfigured as determined by the control unit. Preferably, a reel to reel mechanism being typically driven by an electric motor effects relative repositioning of the two laterally outermost edges of the display unit to readjust the amount of curvature. In reference with Fig. 1, the curvature adjustment mechanism symmetrically displaces the two lateral edges selectively between points A and B at two ends while point C of the display unit remains stationary.

It is to be noted that an image display device preferably with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) or an LCD panel display unit can be used according to the present invention. OLED display units can be fabricated on flexible plastic substrates. OLED display units can be fabricated as roll-up units as well. Therefore, OLED display units operating without requiring a backlight are particularly suitable for application according to the present invention. On the other hand, LCD panel display units can also be used in accordance with the present invention provided that the curvature of the backlight unit also dynamically corresponds to that of the display unit so that occurrence of light leakage is prevented and luminance of the curved display unit is kept unchanged.

The image display device comprises at least one sensing device in the sensor-based system of the image display device. The sensor-based system can typically be integrated to the image display device or can be positioned separately so as to scan and monitor the viewing zone directly in front of the image display device. The sensor-based system may incorporate an infrared sensor creating a pattern of projected infrared points to generate a dense 3D image, a thermal sensor or an ultrasonic sensor for identifying locational information (i.e. distance and viewing angle of the viewers with respect to the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit). Using projected light patterns to determine shapes of objects is known to the skilled workman. The sensor-based system may for example comprise sensing devices in the form of an RGB camera and a depth sensor in the form of a structured-light 3D scanner.

The curvature adjustment mechanism according to the present invention adapts the radius of curvature of the image display device in accordance with the users’ position and distance to the screen. Various algorithms can be used to calculate the optimum radius of curvature corresponding to different user number and position layouts. In the event that one or a certain number of users are located proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the radius of curvature is adjusted depending on the distance of the user group. It is to be noted that the radius of curvature has a lower limit; the amount of curvature cannot exceed a predetermined level. In practice, the minimum distance users can sit together in central manner proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit is 3 to 5 m.

On the other hand, as demonstrated in Fig. 3, in the event that two separate persons or groups of persons are positioned apart at both sides of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit is adapted to be flattened because the viewing angle of each user relative to the centrally projected surface normal (P) cannot be corrected by increasing the amount of curvature (decreasing the radius of curvature) of the display unit. This situation is better demonstrated in Fig. 5, which presents a curved screen viewing zone within which a user or a number of centrally grouped people may benefit from the previously mentioned advantages of a curved display unit, i.e. a perception of an enlarged viewing area and a better viewing quality due the fixed viewing angles with respect to different portions of the display unit. In contrast, in case of separately positioned people or groups of people at two sides of the centrally projected surface normal (P), flat screen viewing zones are created, i.e. the best screen structure to provide equally effective viewing angle for all viewers is to flatten the display unit.

Active state of the dynamically adaptable viewing area display unit can be cancelled by the user anytime through the operating system interface in the settings menu of the image display device.

The control unit may typically initiate certain calibration methods to be implemented by the user to ameliorate the operating angles swept by the sensing devices of the sensor-based system. Therefore, boundaries of the individual viewing zones of different sensing devices can be accurately determined to be recalibrated later at any time.

In summary, the present invention proposes an image display device comprising a display unit and a sensor-based system with at least one sensor device in connection with a control unit, the sensor-based system being capable of sensing location and distance of viewers in front of the image display device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit of the image display device receives from the sensor-based system locational information including distance and viewing angle of viewers in front of the image display device with respect to a centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit operates a curvature adjustment mechanism of the image display device to adapt the viewing area of the display unit by structurally modifying the same in the manner to reconfigure the radius of curvature of the viewing area according to the locational information obtained from the sensor-based system.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, an adaptable display unit viewing area is dynamically reconfigured by the control unit based on the locational information obtained from the sensor-based system and through operating the curvature adjustment mechanism.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit of the image display device executes a position calculation algorithm to retrieve locational information within the viewing zone of the sensor-based system.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit of the image display device operates the curvature adjustment mechanism either to increase the radius of curvature by flattening the display unit, or to decrease the radius of curvature by creating a more curved display unit.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the curvature adjustment mechanism effectuates symmetrical displacement of the two laterally outermost edges of the display unit relative to each other, the surface of the display unit between said two edges curving or flattening in accordance with a changeable radius of curvature of a circular arc formed by any of the upper or lower edges of the display unit extending between said laterally outermost edges.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the curvature adjustment mechanism automatically changes the radius of curvature of the display unit by moving the two lateral edges of the display unit closer to or away from each other in a guided manner during which the radius of curvature is reconfigured as determined by the control unit.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the curvature adjustment mechanism is a reel to reel mechanism, a gear system or a pneumatic system.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the curvature adjustment mechanism is a reel to reel mechanism driven by an electric motor effecting relative repositioning of the two laterally outermost edges of the display unit to readjust the radius of curvature.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the display unit of the image display device is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the sensor-based system incorporates an infrared sensor creating a pattern of projected infrared points to generate a dense 3D image, a thermal sensor or an ultrasonic sensor for identifying locational information including distance and viewing angle of viewers with respect to the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, if one or a plurality of users are located proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit’s curvature is adjusted such that the radius of curvature substantially equals the distance of one or a plurality of users proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, if more than one person or groups of persons are separately positioned apart at both sides of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit is adapted to be flattened.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the display unit of the image display device is centrally rotatable by the curvature adjustment mechanism in the manner that the direction of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit is changeable. This is advantageous in that the display unit of the image display device is rotated a certain degree of rotation in accordance with the locational information retrieved by the sensor-based system, i.e. to provide the audience with a corrected viewing angle. This is especially advantageous in the case of a single group of people positioned at one side of the centrally projected surface normal (P). The display unit rotatably connected with a base shaft of the image display device can be conventionally rotated by the same electric motor effecting curving and flattening of the panel.

The system of the present invention is applicable based on a multi-user sensing context. The control unit, executing the position calculation algorithm, is configured to process signals from the sensing devices and thereby determines the location as well as the distance of the persons relative to the screen. The sensor-based system detects the number of persons within the detection area and dynamically analyses the viewing angle of the users for an ideal watching experience. It activates the curvature adjustment mechanism to accordingly adapt the curvature of the image display device display unit to the locational distribution of the users.

Claims

An image display device comprising a display unit and a sensor-based system with at least one sensor device in connection with a control unit, the sensor-based system being capable of sensing location and distance of viewers in front of the image display device, characterized in that

the control unit of the image display device receives from the sensor-based system locational information including distance and viewing angle of viewers in front of the image display device with respect to a centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit and,

the control unit operates a curvature adjustment mechanism of the image display device to adapt the viewing area of the display unit by structurally modifying the same in the manner to reconfigure the radius of curvature of the viewing area according to the locational information obtained from the sensor-based system.
An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that an adaptable display unit viewing area is dynamically reconfigured by the control unit based on the locational information obtained from the sensor-based system and through operating the curvature adjustment mechanism.
An image display device as in Claim 2, characterized in that the control unit of the image display device executes a position calculation algorithm to retrieve locational information within the viewing zone of the sensor-based system.
An image display device as in Claim 3, characterized in that the control unit of the image display device operates the curvature adjustment mechanism either to increase the radius of curvature by flattening the display unit, or to decrease the radius of curvature by creating a more curved display unit.
An image display device as in Claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the curvature adjustment mechanism effectuates symmetrical displacement of the two laterally outermost edges of the display unit relative to each other, the surface of the display unit between said two edges curving or flattening in accordance with a changeable radius of curvature of a circular arc formed by any of the upper or lower edges of the display unit extending between said laterally outermost edges.
An image display device as in Claim 5, characterized in that the curvature adjustment mechanism automatically changes the radius of curvature of the display unit by moving the two lateral edges of the display unit closer to or away from each other in a guided manner during which the radius of curvature is reconfigured as determined by the control unit.
An image display device as in Claim 6, characterized in that the curvature adjustment mechanism is a reel to reel mechanism, a gear system or a pneumatic system.
An image display device as in Claim 7, characterized in that the curvature adjustment mechanism is a reel to reel mechanism driven by an electric motor effecting relative repositioning of the two laterally outermost edges of the display unit to readjust the radius of curvature.
An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that the display unit of the image display device is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel.
An image display device as in Claim 1, characterized in that the sensor-based system incorporates an infrared sensor creating a pattern of projected infrared points to generate a dense 3D image, a thermal sensor or an ultrasonic sensor for identifying locational information including distance and viewing angle of viewers with respect to the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit.
An image display device as in Claim 6, characterized in that if one or a plurality of users are located proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit’s curvature is adjusted such that the radius of curvature substantially equals the distance of one or a plurality of users proximate the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit.
An image display device as in Claim 6, characterized in that if more than one person or groups of persons are separately positioned apart at both sides of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit, the display unit is adapted to be flattened.
An image display device as in Claim 6, characterized in that the display unit of the image display device is centrally rotatable by the curvature adjustment mechanism in the manner that the direction of the centrally projected surface normal (P) of the display unit is changeable.