# US 2021/0243380 A1 · Display control apparatus and control method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243380 A1 - Document ID: US20210243380A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/154,888 - Filed: 2021-01-21 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hirofumi Ozawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243380A1 ## CPC - G06F 1/3231: Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users - H04N 23/633: {for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera} - G06F 1/1686: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera} - G06F 1/3215: Monitoring of peripheral devices - G06F 1/3265: {Power saving in display device} - G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)} - H04N 23/611: where the recognised objects include parts of the human body - H04N 23/63: by using electronic viewfinders - H04N 23/632: {for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters} - H04N 23/634: {Warning indications} - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A display control apparatus includes a first display internal to a viewfinder, a second display external to the viewfinder, an eye proximity detector, and an operation unit to switch a display on which a display target is displayed. The eye proximity detector detects, as a state, whether an eye is in proximity of the viewfinder. Where an obtained eye proximity detection state satisfies a first condition, a notification is displayed on a pre-switching display indicating that the display displaying the display target is to be switched. In response to a second condition being satisfied, the display of the display target is switched from the pre-switching display to a post-switching display. In a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state does not satisfy the first condition, the display target is switched to the post-switching display without displaying the notification on the pre-switching display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display control apparatus comprising: a first display unit internal to a viewfinder; a second display unit external to the viewfinder, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit each are a display destination; an eye proximity detection unit configured to detect whether an eye is in proximity of the viewfinder as an eye proximity detection state; and at least one memory and at least one processor which function as: an operation unit configured to switch a display unit on which a display target is displayed, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control when a display setting is switched between a first setting for displaying the display target on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder and a second setting for displaying the display target on the second display unit external to the viewfinder by an operation on the operation unit, wherein, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state satisfies a first condition, the control unit performs control to display, on a pre-switching display unit, a notification indicating that the display unit displaying the display target is to be switched, wherein, in response to a second condition being satisfied, the control unit switches the display of the display target from the pre-switching display unit to a post-switching display unit, and wherein, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state does not satisfy the first condition, the control unit performs control to switch the display target to the post-switching display unit without displaying the notification on the pre-switching display unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the display setting is switched from the first setting to the second setting by an operation on the operation unit, the control unit performs control to display the notification on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has detected that the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder, which is determined to be satisfying the first condition, and to switch the display target from the first display unit internal to the viewfinder to the second display unit external to the viewfinder in response to the second condition being satisfied, and wherein, in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has not detected that the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder, the display destination is switched from the first display unit internal to the viewfinder to the second display unit external to the viewfinder without displaying the notification. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the display setting is switched from the second setting to the first setting by an operation on the operation unit, the control unit performs control to display the notification on the second display unit external to the viewfinder in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has not detected that an eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder, which is determined to be satisfying the first condition, and to switch the display destination from the second display unit external to the viewfinder to the first display unit internal to the viewfinder in response to the second condition being satisfied, and performs control, in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has detected that the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder, to switch the display destination from the second display unit external to the viewfinder to the first display unit internal to the viewfinder without displaying the notification. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first setting is a display setting for displaying the display target on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder, even in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has not detected that the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second setting is a display setting for displaying the display target on the second display unit external to the viewfinder, even in a case where the eye proximity detection unit has detected that the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second condition is that a predetermined time has elapsed after the notification is displayed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second condition is that the eye proximity detection state obtained by the eye proximity detection unit has changed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second condition is that an operation is performed on a second operation unit that is different from the operation unit for switching the display unit on which the display target is displayed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the notification into a non-display state in response to the second condition being satisfied. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein during a period in which the notification is displayed, the control unit changes the display target that has been displayed before the notification is displayed into a non-display state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sequentially shifts the display setting, in a predetermined order, to any one of a fourth setting, the first setting, the second setting, and a third setting every time an operation is performed on the operation unit, where the fourth setting is a setting for automatically switching the display destination based on whether the eye is in the proximity of the viewfinder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display target for which the display destination is switched by a switching operation on the operation unit is at least one of the following: a live view image captured by an image capturing unit, a setting value for image capturing, a playback screen of an image recorded on a recording medium, or a setting menu screen. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns off a power supply of the eye proximity detection unit in response to the display target being displayed on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder after the display setting is switched to the first setting by an operation on the operation unit, or in response to the display target being displayed on the second display unit external to the viewfinder after the display setting is switched to the second setting by an operation on the operation unit, and wherein the control unit turns on the power supply of the eye proximity detection unit in response to the display setting is switched to one of a third setting and a fourth setting by an operation on the operation unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns on a power supply of the eye proximity detection unit in response to the display setting being switched from the second setting to a third setting by an operation on the operation unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the notification into a non-display state and switches the display destination in a case where an operation is performed on the operation unit in a state where the notification is displayed. ### Claim 16 A method for a display control apparatus having a first display unit internal to a viewfinder, a second display unit external to the viewfinder, and an operation unit configured to switch a display unit on which a display target is displayed, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit each are a display destination, the method comprising: detecting whether an eye is in proximity of the viewfinder as an eye proximity detection state; performing control to control when a display setting is switched between a first setting for displaying the display target on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder and a second setting for displaying the display target on the second display unit external to the viewfinder by an operation on the operation unit; performing control, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state satisfies a first condition, to display, on a pre-switching display unit, a notification indicating that the display unit displaying the display target is to be switched; switching, in response to a second condition being satisfied, the display of the display target from the pre-switching display unit to a post-switching display unit; and performing control, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state does not satisfy the first condition, to switch the display target to the post-switching display unit without displaying the notification on the pre-switching display unit. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a display control apparatus having a first display unit internal to a viewfinder, a second display unit external to the viewfinder, and an operation unit configured to switch a display unit on which a display target is displayed, wherein the first display unit and the second display unit each are a display destination, the method comprising: detecting whether an eye is in proximity of the viewfinder as an eye proximity detection state; performing control to control when a display setting is switched between a first setting for displaying the display target on the first display unit internal to the viewfinder and a second setting for displaying the display target on the second display unit external to the viewfinder by an operation on the operation unit; performing control, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state satisfies a first condition, to display, on a pre-switching display unit, a notification indicating that the display unit displaying the display target is to be switched; switching, in response to a second condition being satisfied, the display of the display target from the pre-switching display unit to a post-switching display unit; and performing control, in a case where the obtained eye proximity detection state does not satisfy the first condition, to switch the display target to the post-switching display unit without displaying the notification on the pre-switching display unit.