Patent Application
20110216022
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-045731, filed on Mar. 2, 2010, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a display input apparatus and a display input method in which a display process and an input process are performed based on correction amounts associated with identification information of an operator.
Recently, as a display screen used in a touch POS (point of sales) terminal or the like, a touch panel type capable of not only displaying an image but also inputting operation information by directly touching the screen is widely used. However, in a display device with such a touch panel, an operator performs an operation by touching a small area on the touch panel with his/her finger, and therefore when a position of the line of sight of the operator changes, there may be some inconsistency between displayed coordinates and pressed coordinates on the display, which may affect an operation reading rate. Various techniques for solving this problem are known.
The related art provides a technique in which a camera is prepared to detect the height of an operator and pressed coordinates on a touch panel are corrected in accordance with the detected height, so that the mismatch caused by a difference in the angle of the line of sight due to the height is corrected to improve a reading rate of the touch panel.
However, in such configuration where a camera is used to detect the height of the operator, the use of the camera may cause a cost increase. Additionally, a position on the touch panel pressed by each operator is not only determined by the height, but also influenced by habits of each operator. Therefore, optimal correction is not necessarily ensured.
In light of the above issues in the related art, the present disclosure is directed to providing a display input apparatus and a display input method which can improve a reading rate without being influenced by individual differences among operators.
According to first embodiment, a display input apparatus includes a recognition unit, a display unit, an input unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The recognition unit recognizes identification information of an operator. The display unit displays an image. The input unit inputs operation information upon reception of a touch on a surface of the display unit. The storage unit stores therein a correction amount of the input unit or the display unit in association with the identification information of the operator. The control unit reads out from the storage unit the correction amount associated with identification information of the operator recognized by the recognition unit, and corrects at least one of the parameters of at least either the input unit or the display unit, based on the read-out correction amount.
Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a display input apparatus 1 is used in a touch POS terminal or the like. The display input apparatus 1 includes a display device 2 having an image generation unit 14 mounted therein, and a main body device 3 which holds the display device 2 in such a manner that an inclination angle thereof is adjustable, as shown in
The display input apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is included in a touch POS terminal or the like. As shown in
The display input apparatus 1 determines correction amounts and performs an adjustment process based on the determined correction amounts, as shown in the table including explanatory values in
Then, if the control unit 11 detects that the operator has moved the display device 2 to an uppermost position as shown in
Finally, if the control unit 11 detects that the operator has moved the display device 2 to a lowermost position as shown in
The respective correction amounts may not necessarily be determined in the above-described manner in which the operator performs the determination processes in the set mode in accordance with indications displayed on the operation screen. Alternatively, actual conditions in which an operator normally uses the display input apparatus 1 may be detected. In this case, the parameters in the detected conditions are determined to be optimal values for the operator. Thereafter, the control unit 11 automatically performs correction based on the optimal values. For example, as shown in the flowchart of
In this manner, instead of storing correction amounts for each operator in the set mode, actual parameters are obtained and stored as optimal values while the operator normally uses the display input apparatus 1. Accordingly, appropriate correction amounts may be determined without laying an additional burden on the operator. In some embodiments, respective parameters may be adjusted by using both the correction amounts determined in the set mode as described above and the correction amounts determined in the normal use mode as described above.
After, with reference to the flowchart of
The control unit 11 re-adjusts the brightness of the backlight unit 17 via the inverter unit 16 based on the read-out correction amount of the backlight brightness which is associated with the identification information of the operator and the inclination angle of the display device 2 (Act A43). Then, the control unit 11 re-adjusts coordinates detected by the touch detection unit 13 based on the read-out correction amount of the touch panel parallax correction value which is associated with the identification information of the operator and the inclination angle of the display device 2 (Act A44). Further, the control unit 11 re-adjusts the sound volume of the amplifier unit 18 based on the read-out correction amount of the sound volume of the speaker which is associated with the identification information of the operator and the inclination angle of the display device 2 (Act A45). As such, in the display input apparatus 1 such as a touch POS terminal, the backlight brightness, the touch panel parallax correction value, and the sound volume of the speaker 19 can be automatically adjusted to optimal values in association with the operator of the apparatus and the inclination angle of the display device 2. Therefore, a comfortable operating environment can be automatically realized for the operator despite individual differences. Additionally, when multiple operators use a single touch POS terminal, each operator may use the terminal with convenience and improved operability.
As used in this application, entities for executing the actions can refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, an entity for executing an action can be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on an apparatus and the apparatus can be an entity. One or more entities can reside within a process and/or thread of execution and an entity can be localized on one apparatus and/or distributed between two or more apparatuses.
The program for realizing the functions can be recorded in the apparatus, can be downloaded through a network to the apparatus and can be installed in the apparatus from a computer readable storage medium storing the program therein. A form of the computer readable storage medium can be any form as long as the computer readable storage medium can store programs and is readable by the apparatus such as a disk type ROM and a solid-state computer storage media. The functions obtained by installation or download in advance in this way can be realized in cooperation with an OS (Operating System) in the apparatus.
In the above-described embodiments, the inclination angle of the display device 2 is used as a parameter in the process for determining respective correction amounts and in the process for adjusting the backlight brightness, the touch panel parallax correction value, and the sound volume of the speaker. However, it may not be necessary to use the parameter of the inclination angle of the display device 2 in the above processes. In some embodiments, the correction amounts of the backlight brightness, the touch panel parallax correction value, and the sound volume of the speaker are managed in association only with the identification information of the operator. In this case, each of the correction amounts is managed in association only with the identification information of the operator, irrespective of the inclination angle of the display device 2.
Although in the above-described embodiments, the correction amounts of the backlight brightness, the touch panel parallax correction value, and the sound volume of the speaker are determined and managed in the display input apparatus, the correction amounts may not be determined for all of the above three parameters. Any one of the correction amounts for these three parameters may be selectively determined and managed. A comfortable operating environment can be similarly provided to the operator even when a correction amount for any one of the above parameters can be managed in the display input apparatus 1.
All or some of the various embodiments described above can be implemented concurrently. The various embodiments described above allow those skilled in the art to realize the present disclosure. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may easily conceive various modified examples of these embodiments, and the present disclosure can be applied to various embodiments without inventive ability. Accordingly, the present disclosure extends over a broad range which does not contradict the disclosed principles and the novel features, and is not limited to the embodiments described above.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-45731 | Mar 2010 | JP | national |
