Abstract: Componentry is added to a conventional universal remote device to enable it to cooperate with a set to beacon to position a cursor or arrow on a television or other display screen and to allow the remote control to perform the functions of a conventional personal computer “mouse” in connection with the cursor, such as, for example, “clicking” on icons on the screen. A wide angle sensor and a stepped beacon pulse are used to increase range of the device, and the beacon pulse sent to the infrared sensor is automatically disabled upon detection of activity on the universal remote section.

Abstract: In the method of quantitatively evaluating the front of screen quality of a screen to be checked, an image of the screen to be checked is captured. The image of the LCD panel is captured preferably in a state in which the screen to be checked of the LCD panel is on. The captured image is processed and evaluated preferably in accordance with a predetermined algorithm. In the present invention, a manual evaluation is not performed at all. Thus, the front of screen quality of the screen to be checked of the LCD panel or the like, for example, can be quantitatively evaluated.

Abstract: An integrated mouse or trackball system includes either a wired interface for the mouse or trackball device, or else a wireless receiver coupled to a wired or wireless relay keyboard. Positioning structures are included for optionally enabling the mouse or trackball device to be coupled to the interface device or receiver from either a right-hand or left-hand side of the keyboard, or from both sides of the keyboard. The positioning structures may including notches on left and right sides of the keyboard for accommodating leads or receivers, complementary pin/aperture sets for positioning receivers on either side of the keyboard or at a selected orientation at the center of the keyboard, or selectively positioned signal guiding means for guiding wireless signals from either the left or right side of the keyboard to a receiver positioned at a center of the keyboard.

Abstract: The invention provides an image display apparatus that efficiently adjusts a video display even when a change takes place in an input signal. The image display apparatus includes a video input device that receives a video signal, a video display that displays an optical image based on an input signal S1 from the video input device, and a video signal adjusting device that adjusts the display setting of the video display based on a signal mode of the input signal S1. The image display apparatus further includes a determining device that causes the video display adjusting device to adjust the display setting of the video display. The determining device includes an apparatus startup detector unit that detects whether a startup of the image display apparatus creates a change in the input signal, and a signal change detector unit that detects the change in the input signal. The determining device determines whether to cause the video display adjusting device to adjust the display setting only when it is needed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a display apparatus including a display unit having a display panel, and a display controller for outputting an image signal to the display unit to thereby display an image on the display unit. If an indication to perform an adjustment of image quality enters from a wireless controller and the indicated adjustment is adjustment of brightness, contrast or color temperature, it is judged that the adjustment is to be performed by the display unit, the indication of the image quality adjustment is converted to a command and the command is transmitted to the display unit. In response, the display unit analyzes the received command and executes the image quality adjustment indicated by the command. If the indicated adjustment of image quality is other than the above, e.g.

Abstract: A system used with a virtual device inputs or transfers information to a companion device, and includes two optical systems OS1, OS2. In a structured-light embodiment, OS1 emits a fan beam plane of optical energy parallel to and above the virtual device. When a user-object penetrates the beam plane of interest, OS2 registers the event. Triangulation methods can locate the virtual contact, and transfer user-intended information to the companion system. In a non-structured active light embodiment, OS1 is preferably a digital camera whose field of view defines the plane of interest, which is illuminated by an active source of optical energy. Preferably the active source, OS1, and OS2 operate synchronously to reduce effects of ambient light. A non-structured passive light embodiment is similar except the source of optical energy is ambient light. A subtraction technique preferably enhances the signal/noise ratio. The companion device may in fact house the present invention.

Abstract: First and second block groups are arrayed and displayed around respective circles of smaller and larger diameters. A measured physical quantity is expressed by the positional relationship of blocks to be colored among blocks of the block groups and the amounts of coloring on the blocks to be colored.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control knob on a device that allows a user to control functions of the device. In one embodiment, the knob is rotatable in a rotary degree of freedom and moveable in at least one transverse direction approximately perpendicular to the axis. An actuator is coupled to the knob to output a force in the rotary degree of freedom about the axis, thus providing force feedback. In a different embodiment, the knob is provided with force feedback in a rotary degree of freedom about an axis and is also moveable in a linear degree of freedom approximately parallel to the axis, allowing the knob to be pushed and/or pulled by the user. The device controlled by the knob can be a variety of types of devices, such as an audio device, video device, etc. The device can also include a display providing an image updated in response to manipulation of the knob.

Abstract: In an active-matrix LCD device, a coupling signal in accordance with a sum of outputs of data signal lines is detected by a detection-use bus line crossing each of the data signal lines. The coupling signal is superimposed via a coupling capacitor on an input signal that serves as a reference, and is inverted and amplified by a inverting-amplifying section, then it is outputted as a common electrode signal. With this, a waveform that corresponds to a sum of the outputs is coupled with the common electrode signal. As a result, the common electrode signal is caused to have an influence that corresponds to a fluctuation of a potential of the common electrode due to outputs of the data signal lines and that is reverse in phase, thereby enabling to prevent horizontal shadow due to the outputs of the data signal lines. Thus, it is possible to realize an active-matrix-type LCD device in which horizontal shadow can be prevented with low power consumption.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in an electrographic position sensing system comprises an antenna system and a signal strength detector. In one embodiment, the antenna system comprises two antennas. The detector measures the signal strength from each antenna. A microprocessor contains an algorithm to calculate the position of the detector near the antennas.

Abstract: A light modulation element for performing electromechanical operation of generating a first electromechanical force for a needle 15 for displacing the needle, thereby changing a transmission factor of light. The light modulation element has drive means for generating or canceling a second electromechanical force 25 for the needle in a vertical direction different from the horizontal direction of the first electromechanical force 29 and holding or canceling the displacement state of the needle, so that active and stable matrix drive is provided by the first and second electromechanical forces that can be controlled in drive separately.

Abstract: A display screen split method for a computer system by which a user can vertically and exactly set two programs on a monitor to the same screen size in a graphic device supporting a wide monitor and a wide function. The display screen split method for a computer system comprises the steps of determining whether a command for setting a split screen exists, and setting the size of the screen to the left half size or the right half size of the entire screen if the command for setting the split screen exists.

Abstract: In a period from temporal storage of a video signal to reading and displaying of the video signal, an average value 121 of the brightness levels obtained from a video signal before the video signal is stored in a storage means 3 and a predetermined target value 122 are used to perform a calculation by using a proportionality term and an integration term so that a quantity of limited electric currents is obtained. Moreover, the quantity of limited electric currents is provided with a non-response region or a hysteresis characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention provides haptic sensations for a haptic feedback device and especially for a rotational device such as a knob. Force effects such as a hill force effect and barrier force effect allow easier selection of menu items, menus, values, or other options by the user. Force models are also described to allow greater selection functionality, such as a scrolling list with detents and rate control borders, a jog shuttle, a push-turn model, a double-push model, and a cast control model.

Abstract: A line parameter detection circuit (70) of this invention includes an active video detector (72) that generates an “active video” signal (102) indicative of a video signal (100) containing video data that exceeds a predetermined threshold level. The line parameter detection circuit further includes three counters (82, 84, 86) that are incremented by a reference clock (110). The counters are reset and start counting reference clock pulses upon receiving an HSYNC pulse (104). A left edge register (90) stores the count accumulated in the first counter upon receiving a rising edge of the active video signal, a right edge register (92) stores the count accumulated in the second counter upon receiving a falling edge of the active video signal, and a line length register (96) stores the count accumulated in the third counter upon receiving the next subsequent HSYNC pulse. Each video signal scan line includes blanking periods (106, 108) between the HSYNC pulses and the active video region.

Abstract: A gesture sensing split keyboard can couple the hand and keyboard rotations, can sense hand rotation and one or more keystrokes of each hand, can produce symbolic, control, command, and other types of information based upon all the sensed inputs, and can present the produced information to a computing, communications, or control device through electrical conductors, infrared transceivers, or other communications technologies. The various embodiments can be mounted on the operator's hands, arms, or belt, on a desktop or other stable surface, or may be embedded in the target device, such as a laptop computer. The ability of certain embodiments to fold into a compact size for storage while providing ease-of-use of a full-sized keyboard when unfolded for typing makes them well suited for laptop computers.

Abstract: A device supporting a user interface includes a feedback module for presenting information related to a data structure and a processor for controlling the feedback module and the data structure. The device also has a detector for determining handedness of a user, allowing modification of the displayed data structure based on handedness of a user.

Abstract: In a color liquid crystal display device, two capacitors are connected in parallel between a pixel signal line and an electrode of a liquid cell, or one of the capacitors is connected therebetween, or none of the capacitors are connected therebetween, in order to selectively set a potential of the electrode of the liquid crystal cell in any of four steps. Therefore, gradation display in four steps can be achieved without a digital-to-analog conversion circuit, so that the cost of the device can be reduced.

Abstract: A phase adjuster, a phase adjusting method and a display device for adjusting a phase of a picture image signal of a picture image displayed on a display screen based on the same number of clock pulses as that of picture elements on each horizontal line generated on each horizontal line of the display screen. The phase adjuster or the display device includes a counting circuit for counting the number of clock pulses between two predetermined picture elements of the picture image on an arbitrary horizontal line over a plurality of frames. A phase adjusting circuit is provided for adjusting a phase of a clock so as to correspond to the phase of the picture image signal based on a counted result of the counting circuit. Thus, manageability or handiness can be remarkably improved.

Abstract: A precharge circuit is composed of (a) a reference signal input section, to which at least one precharge reference potential is inputted, (b) a control signal input section, to which at least one control signal is inputted, (c) a plurality of signal delay sections for sequentially delaying an output of the control signal input section, and (d) a reference signal switching section for switching, in accordance with outputs of the signal delay sections, between a state of outputting the precharge reference potential of the reference signal input section to each of the data signal lines and a state of non-outputting the same thereto. With this arrangement, the precharge control signal is sequentially delayed within the precharge circuit by the delay circuits composed of inverter circuits or the like, so that timings at which the precharge reference potential is written in the data signal lines are dispersed.