Hand-held electronic device and display method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230515-B2
Application number	US-201313795401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A hand-held electronic device and a display method are described. The hand-held electronic device of the invention includes an image processing unit configured to provide a first image; a first display unit configured to display the first image; a first optical system configured to receive light emitted from the first display unit and conduct a light path conversion on it to form a first magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the first optical system and the first display unit is less than a focal distance of first optical system; and a first window disposed on a first external surface of the hand-held electronic device to allow a viewer to watch the first magnified virtual image through the first optical system when the viewer is close to the first external surface.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A hand-held electronic device comprising:
an image processing unit configured to provide a first image;
a first display unit configured to display the first image;
a first optical system configured to receive light emitted from the first display unit and conduct a light path on the light emitted from the first display unit to form a first magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the first optical system and the first display unit is less than a focal distance of the first optical system and the first optical system comprises a lens assembly having positive refractive power;
a first window disposed on a first external surface of the hand-held electronic device to allow a viewer to watch the first magnified virtual image through the first optical system when close to the first external surface;
a second display unit configured to display a second image, wherein the second display unit has a display zone larger than a display zone of the first display unit, and the second display unit allows the viewer to directly watch the second image,
a second light guiding component configured to deliver light passing through the lens assembly to a third light guiding component; and
a protective component disposed on a side facing the viewer and in the first optical system to protect the lens assembly,
wherein the third light guiding component receives light delivered by the second light guiding component and reflects it to the first window,
the third light guiding component is disposed in the protective component,
the second display unit is disposed on the first external surface of the hand-held electronic device, and
the protective component covers the second display unit and overlaps the second display unit.

2. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical system further comprises a first adjusting component configured to change the length of the light path between the lens assembly and the first display unit to adjust size of the first magnified virtual image.

3. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the third light guiding component comprises a plurality of light reflection assemblies disposed in parallel;
when the viewer faces the first external surface, the viewer can watch the first magnified virtual image of the first image displayed by the first display unit through the light reflection assemblies and watch the second image through the second display unit viewer directly.

4. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a hinge capable of rotating about a center of the hinge;
a first housing connected to the hinge, such that the first housing can rotate relative to the center of the hinge, wherein at least the third light guiding component and the first window are disposed in the first housing of the hand-held electronic device, and the first housing is a housing which is at least partially transparent; and
a second housing connected to the hinge, such that the second housing can rotate relative to the center of the hinge.

5. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a first housing connected to the second housing of hand-held electronic device through a sliding rail device and moved relative to the second housing along sliding rails, wherein at least the third light guiding component and the first window are disposed in the first housing of hand-held electronic device and the first housing is a housing which is at least partially transparent; and
a second housing connected to the first housing of hand-held electronic device through the sliding rail device and moved relative the first housing along the sliding rails.

6. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a third display unit configured to display the first image;
a second optical system configured to receive light emitted from the third display unit and conduct light path conversion on the light emitted from the third display unit to form a second magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the second optical system and the third display unit is less than a focal distance of second optical system;
a second window disposed on the first external surface of the hand-held electronic device to allow the viewer to watch the second magnified virtual image through the second optical system when close to the first external surface; and
a second adjusting component configured to adjust the first optical system and/or the second optical system according to a distance between two eyes of the viewer.

7. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a short range sensing unit configured to detect a distance between the viewer and the first window, generate a distance detecting result, and transmit the distance detecting result to the image processing unit; and
wherein the image processing unit controls working modes of the hand-held electronic device according to the distance detecting result.

8. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the image processing unit controls the opening and closing of the first display unit according to the distance detecting result.

9. The hand-held electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprises:
a condition determination unit configured to determine whether a mode switching condition is met;
a mode controlling unit configured to switch between the first working mode and the second working mode when the condition determination unit determines that a mode switching condition is met,
wherein the hand-held electronic device has a first working mode and a second working mode; when the hand-held electronic device is operated in the first working mode, the first display unit is open to display the first image by the first display unit, and when the hand-held electronic device is operated in the second working mode, the first display unit is closed.

10. A display method applied to a hand-held electronic device, the method comprising:
providing a first image by an image processing unit;
displaying the first image by a first display unit;
receiving light emitted from the first display unit and conducting a light path conversion on the light emitted from the first display unit by a first optical system to form a first magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the first optical system and the first display unit is less than a focal distance of first optical system;
providing the first image to a third display unit;
displaying the first image by the third display unit;
receiving light emitted from the third display unit and conducting a light path conversion on the light emitted from the third display unit by a second optical system to form a second magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the second optical system and the third display unit is less than a focal distance of the second optical system
determining whether a mode switching condition is met; and
switching between the first working mode and the second working mode when it is determined that a mode switching condition is met,
wherein the hand-held electronic device has a first working mode and a second working mode; when the hand-held electronic device is operated in the first working mode, the first display unit is open to display the first image by the first display unit, and when the hand-held electronic device is operated in the second working mode, the first display unit is closed.

11. The display method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
providing the first image to the first display unit when th

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Junfeng

Classifications

• G02B17/006

  Systems in which light light is reflected on a plurality of parallel surfaces, e.g. louvre mirrors, total internal reflection [TIR] lenses (Fresnel mirrors G02B5/09, Fresnel lenses G02B3/08) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0127

  comprising devices increasing the depth of field · CPC title

• G02B27/025

  and magnifying means · CPC title

• H04N9/3173

  wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability · CPC title

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title