Rotatable Projector Attachment for Portable Information Terminal Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable information terminals, such as smartwatches, face challenges in improving visibility of displayed information, especially when sharing with others or displaying large amounts of data, due to limited display surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A portable information terminal with a detachable and rotatable attachment featuring a projector that adjusts its projection direction based on the terminal's position, allowing for enhanced visibility by projecting images onto external surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a small display is mounted on a side surface of the housing to improve visibility for the user, then the user can easily see the information, but visibility for other people is not considered and information sharing is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional display on the housing surface to a three-dimensional projection space. The projector emits light to form images in air or on surfaces, adding a spatial dimension beyond the fixed housing display. This allows information to be viewed from multiple angles and distances, solving the visibility and sharing limitation while maintaining the compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light as an intermediary medium between the terminal body and the viewer. Instead of directly displaying information on a fixed surface, the display information is converted into projected light that can traverse space and be viewed on various surfaces. This intermediary approach enables flexible viewing angles and multiple observers simultaneously.
2Loss of information
If a second display screen is added to the narrow side surface to display large amounts of information, then more information can be viewed, but the narrow surface area limits the display capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overcomes the area limitation by projecting display information into three-dimensional space rather than confining it to the two-dimensional narrow side surface. The projection can expand the effective display area to cover larger surfaces or volumes in the surrounding space, allowing comprehensive information display without increasing the physical housing area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a light-based copy of the display information that exists independently from the physical housing surface. The projected image is a replica of the original display data, formed through light projection, allowing the information to be viewed on surfaces much larger than the terminal body itself without requiring additional physical display hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the attachment is made detachable and rotatable to improve adaptability, then the projection direction can be adjusted, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic attachment mechanism that allows the projector unit to rotate and adjust its projection direction. This dynamic capability enables the device to adapt to different viewing angles and surfaces while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure through the use of rotational joints and positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable attachment design allows the projector unit to serve multiple functions: it can be attached at different positions, rotated to different angles, and detached for storage or alternative uses. This multi-functionality increases adaptability without requiring entirely separate systems for each function, as a single attachment mechanism handles multiple operational modes.
Data Source
AI summary
In a portable information terminal to which an image projection function can be added, there is provided a technique for improving visibility of a projected image. The portable information terminal has a terminal body and an attachment attached to the terminal body and communicatively connected to the terminal body. The attachment has a projector for projecting an image based on image information obtained from the terminal body, and is configured such that a projection opening direction of the projector is variable with respect to the terminal body. The terminal body or the attachment identifies a state of the portable information terminal including a position of the attachment with respect to the terminal body. The terminal body or the attachment performs a projection control of the image based on the identified state. The projection control includes, for example, an image rotation control, an image shape control, or a projection angle control.