JP2007272137A - Stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device which has a wide viewing angle. <P>SOLUTION: The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 comprises a display unit 10 having an image display surface 11 where a two-dimensional image is displayed and a microlens array 20 arranged apart from the image display surface 11, and displays stereoscopic two-dimensional images by imaging light emitted from the image display surface 11 on an imaging surface 5 in space located on the opposite side to the display part 10 of the microlens array 20. The display part 10 displays two-dimensional images in two directions from the image display surface 11, and the microlens array 20 has one microlens array half body 21 shifted from a state wherein two microlens array half bodies 21 have their optical axes aligned with each other by a half-lens-pitch in right and left directions, so that the two-dimensional images are displayed on imaging surfaces 51 and 52 corresponding to the two directions of the two-dimensional images output from the display part 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device that displays a two-dimensional image in a pseudo-stereoscopic manner.

  By arranging the microlens array (image transmission panel) at a predetermined interval in front of the display surface of the two-dimensional image, a pseudo-stereoscopic image of the two-dimensional image is displayed in a space in front of the microlens array. A stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

JP 2001-255493 A JP 2003-98479 A

  In the conventional stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device described above, since the viewing angle is limited, the displayed pseudo-stereoscopic image cannot be correctly viewed outside the viewing angle, and the realistic and amusement properties of the pseudo-stereoscopic image are present. There is a problem that you can not experience.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an example of the problem is to provide a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device having a wide viewing angle.

  In order to achieve the above object, a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device according to claim 1 is provided with a display unit having an image display surface for displaying a two-dimensional image, and an image arranged separately on the image display surface. A three-dimensional two-dimensional image formed by imaging a light emitted from the image display surface on an image formation surface in a space opposite to the display unit of the image transmission panel. The display unit displays and outputs a two-dimensional image in a plurality of different directions from the image display surface, and the image transmission panel matches the optical axes on both sides. Two microlens array halves in which a pair of micro-convex lenses installed in a two-dimensional manner are adjacently arranged, and the optical axes of the two microlens array halves coincide with each other. Micro lens array half The micro-convex lens is arranged in the direction in which the micro-convex lenses are adjacent to each other by shifting by a half of the lens pitch that is the distance between the centers of the adjacent micro-convex lenses, and the stereoscopic two-dimensional image is a plurality of two-dimensional images displayed and output from the display unit. Displayed on the image plane corresponding to different directions, respectively.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 is a pseudo-stereoscopic image display device that displays a two-dimensional image that can be visually recognized by an observer as a stereoscopic display on a predetermined plane in space.

  The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 includes a display unit 10 and a microlens array 20 (image transmission panel), and drives the stereoscopic image display unit 2 and the display unit 10 that display a two-dimensional image on a plane in space. A display driving unit 3 for controlling and an image generating unit 4 for generating image data to be displayed are provided.

  The display unit 10 includes an image display surface 11 that faces the observer H and displays a two-dimensional image. Specifically, the display unit 10 includes a liquid crystal display, and displays an image corresponding to the drive signal of the display drive unit 3 on the image display surface 11. That is, light corresponding to the image is emitted from the image display surface 11.

  In addition, the display unit 10 of the present embodiment is a liquid crystal display that can emit light in two different directions. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, chief rays are emitted from the image display surface 11 in the first direction d1 and the second direction d2. The principal ray is emitted in the first direction d1 as the first light (the light having the spread in the first direction d1 ± angle α; the direction in which the spread in the first direction d1 ± angle α is the first direction. The image output and displayed by the first light is referred to as a first image. Similarly, the light emitted from the chief ray in the second direction d2 is changed to the second light (the light having the second direction d2 ± angle α spread; the second direction d2 ± the angle α extending direction). An image output and displayed by the second light is referred to as a second image. The first image and the second image may have different display contents or the same image.

  Here, the principle of a liquid crystal display capable of emitting light in two different directions will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The display unit 10 of the present embodiment employs a parallax barrier method as shown in FIG. 2, but other methods may be used, for example, a time division method (field sequential method) or the like. Also good.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 10 includes a liquid crystal display unit 12 and a liquid crystal display unit 12 that alternately display the first image P1 and the second image P2 in the left-right direction (X direction) in units of pixels. The backlight 13 which irradiates illumination light from behind, and the parallax barrier part 14 which controls the direction in which the light radiate | emitted from the liquid crystal display part 13 advances are comprised.

  In the parallax barrier unit 14, since the light transmission region and the blocking region are formed in a stripe shape in the left-right direction (X direction), the light emission direction is controlled, and the first emission from the liquid crystal display unit 12 is performed. The image P1 is displayed and output in the first direction d1, and the second image P2 is displayed and output in the second direction d2. Here, in FIG. 2, only the direction of the chief ray is displayed, but as in FIG. 1, the first image P1 and the second image are emitted with a predetermined spread. Note that the angles of the first direction d1 and the second direction d2 can be changed depending on the width of the light blocking region.

  The microlens array 20 includes two lens array halves 21 arranged in parallel to each other. Each lens array half 21 is formed by arranging a plurality of minute micro-convex lenses 23 having the same radius of curvature adjacent to each other in a matrix on both surfaces of a transparent substrate 22 made of glass or resin having excellent translucency. . The optical axis of each micro-convex lens 23 formed on one surface is adjusted to be the same as the optical axis of the micro-convex lens 23 on the other surface formed at the opposite position. That is, each pair of the micro convex lenses 23 adjusted to have the same optical axis is two-dimensionally arranged so that the respective optical axes are parallel to each other.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, each lens array half 21 is arranged with a half lens pitch w / 2 shifted in the left-right direction (X direction) from the state in which the optical axes of the two lens array halves 21 coincide. Has been. Here, the lens pitch refers to the center-to-center distance w between the adjacent micro convex lenses 23. Therefore, the microlens array 20 can form an image with respect to light incident from oblique directions (specifically, the first spreading direction d10 and the second spreading direction d20). That is, by arranging the two lens array halves 21 so as to be shifted by a half lens pitch w / 2, the light emitted from the image display surface 11 is micro-convex lens 23 disposed on the two lens array halves 21. Can be transmitted through the effective range in which image formation is possible (unless the half lens pitch w / 2 is shifted, light from two oblique directions cannot be imaged properly). . Here, in FIG. 1, the approximate center of the convex lens 23 disposed on the left surface of the left lens array half 21 is connected to the approximate center of the convex lens 23 disposed on the right surface of the right lens array half 21. The straight line is referred to as a chief ray of the microlens array 20. In FIG. 1, the chief rays of the microlens array 20 are adjusted so that the chief rays emitted from the display unit 10 coincide with the directions (first direction d1 and second direction d2).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the angle of the chief ray emitted from the display unit 10 and the angle of the chief ray of the microlens array 20 are optimized, so that good image formation is possible. Specifically, the radius of curvature, lens pitch, thickness, and the like of the micro convex lens 23 are adjusted in accordance with the angle of the principal ray emitted from the display unit 10. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the lens pitch of the micro convex lens 23 and the thickness of the micro convex lens 23 are changed and optimized in accordance with the angle of the principal ray emitted from the display unit 10.

  FIG. 3A shows the optimization parameters of the microlens array 20 when the angles of the two principal rays emitted from the display unit 10 are each β (angle with respect to the Z-axis direction). The lens pitch of w1 is w1, and the thickness of the pair of micro convex lenses 23 is e1.

  FIG. 3B shows optimization parameters of the microlens array 20 when the angles of the two principal rays emitted from the display unit 10 are each β1 (angle with the Z-axis direction; β1> β). The lens pitch of the micro convex lens 23 is w1, and the thickness of the pair of micro convex lenses 23 is e2 (<e1). FIG. 3B shows the case where the angle of the chief ray is made deeper than in FIG. 3A. In this case, it can be seen that the thickness of the micro-convex lens 23 may be reduced. That is, if the thickness of the micro convex lens 23 is reduced, it becomes possible to cope with a chief ray having a deeper angle. On the contrary, if the thickness of the micro convex lens 23 is increased, it becomes possible to cope with a chief ray having a shallower angle.

  FIG. 3C shows optimization parameters of the microlens array 20 when the angles of the two principal rays emitted from the display unit 10 are β2 (angle with the Z-axis direction; β2 <β), respectively. The lens pitch of the micro convex lens 23 is w2 (<w1), and the thickness of the pair of micro convex lenses 23 is e1. FIG. 3C shows a case where the angle of the principal ray is made shallower than in FIG. 3A. In this case, it can be seen that the lens pitch of the micro-convex lens 23 may be shortened. That is, if the lens pitch of the micro convex lens 23 is shortened, it becomes possible to cope with a chief ray having a shallower angle. On the contrary, if the lens pitch of the micro convex lens 23 is increased, it becomes possible to deal with a chief ray having a deeper angle.

  In the present embodiment, a method of optimizing the direction of the chief ray of the microlens array 20 in accordance with the direction of the chief ray of the display unit 10 has been described. The direction of the principal ray of the display unit 10 may be optimized according to the direction of the ray.

  The microlens array 20 is disposed at a position that is parallel to the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10 by a predetermined distance (the working distance of the microlens array 20). The microlens array 20 is a three-dimensional image display surface 5 in which the light corresponding to the image emitted from the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10 is separated by a predetermined distance (the working distance of the microlens array 20) opposite to the image display surface 11. By forming an image on the top, the image displayed on the image display surface 11 is displayed on the stereoscopic image display surface 5 which is a two-dimensional plane in space. This formed image is a two-dimensional image. If the image has a sense of depth, or if the background image on the display is black and the contrast is emphasized, it will float in space. Since it is displayed, it seems to the observer H that a stereoscopic image is projected. Hereinafter, the two-dimensional image displayed on the stereoscopic image display surface 5 is referred to as a stereoscopic two-dimensional image.

  Here, the stereoscopic image display surface 5 is a plane virtually set in the space and is not an entity but a plane in the space defined according to the working distance of the microlens array 20. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first image P1 and the second image P2 are displayed on the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10, and light corresponding to the images is first spread. Since the light is emitted in the direction d10 and the second spreading direction d20, the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 is the first stereoscopic image display surface 51, and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 is the second stereoscopic image. It is displayed on the image display surface 52. That is, the observer H can visually recognize the stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 in the first observation direction S10 (the direction opposite to the first spreading direction d10), and the second observation direction S20 (the first observation direction S20). 2 in the direction opposite to the spreading direction d20), the stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 is visible.

  The display driving unit 3 is configured to drive and control the display unit 10. Specifically, an image corresponding to the image data is displayed on the image display surface of the display unit 10 according to the image data supplied from the image generation unit 4. 11 is displayed.

  The image generation unit 4 generates and provides image data to be displayed on the display unit 10, and is configured to generate an image according to a predetermined program, for example. The image generation unit 4 may include an image storage unit in which a predetermined image is stored in advance, and may be configured to output the stored image to the display driving unit 3.

  The display drive unit 3 and the image generation unit 4 can generate and control drive of image data in two directions simultaneously and independently corresponding to the display unit 10 that can emit light in two different directions.

  As described above, the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the display unit 10 that can emit light in two different directions, and the two lens array halves 21 are micro convex lenses in the left-right direction. Since they are arranged with a half-lens pitch shift, a wide viewing angle can be realized, and the observer H can visually recognize an effective stereoscopic display with a wide viewing angle with a wide viewing angle.

  In other words, the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 according to the present embodiment includes one display unit 10 and one microlens array 20, and the two lens array halves 21 are arranged with a half lens pitch shift. With such a compact and simple configuration, a wide viewing angle can be realized.

  In the present embodiment, the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image are displayed while being shifted in the left-right direction (X direction). The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 may be displayed that is shifted in the direction). That is, the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 using the microlens array 20 in which the display unit 10 that emits light in different vertical directions and the two lens array halves 21 are shifted in the vertical direction by a half lens pitch. May be configured.

  Hereinafter, a usage example of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 will be specifically described. In the following embodiments, the two principal light beams emitted from the display unit 10, the display positions of the two images displayed on the display unit 10, and the like are adjusted optimally, so A three-dimensional image display device 1 is realized.

Example 1
FIG. 4 shows a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1A in the case where a part of the first stereoscopic image display surface 51 and the second stereoscopic image display surface 52 overlap in the left-right direction (X direction). In this case, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are the same image, the viewing angle can be enlarged. For example, when displaying the image of a beer can as shown to Fig.8 (a), the image of a beer can can be visually recognized in a wider visual field range. Further, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are different images, stereoscopic display using motion parallax can be performed. For example, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are images obtained by viewing a cube as shown in FIG. 8B from another angle, motion parallax is used. Thus, when viewed from the left side, it is possible to recognize an image obtained by viewing the cube from an oblique left side. When viewed from the right side, an image obtained by viewing the cube from an oblique right side can be recognized.

(Example 2)
In FIG. 5, the first stereoscopic image display surface 51 and the second stereoscopic image display surface 52 are entirely overlapped, and the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are displayed at the same position. The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus 1B in the case of being displayed is shown. Also in this case, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are different images, the stereoscopic display using motion parallax and the effect that the image is switched depending on the viewing direction. Display and stereoscopic display using binocular parallax can be performed. For example, a cubic image as shown in FIG. 8B can be recognized as a three-dimensional object using motion parallax or binocular parallax. As a difference from the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are displayed at the same position (for example, FIG. 8 ( The cube shown in b) is displayed at the same position), and when using motion parallax, the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are switched seamlessly without any sense of incongruity. (Preferably, further, the first observation direction S10 and the second observation direction S20 of the observer H, the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1, and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2). If the image data is generated so that the viewing directions of the images displayed on the screen coincide with each other, it is recognized as a more natural image). Therefore, when displaying the related contents of the same thing as shown in FIG.8 (c) (beer can image as 1st two-dimensional image P1, beer can as 2nd two-dimensional image P2) In the case of an image in which the contents can be seen), a more effective presentation can be performed. When binocular parallax is used, an image of the cube viewed from the left diagonal is displayed on the left eye, and an image of the cube viewed from the right diagonal is displayed on the right eye, so that the cube can be recognized as a solid. In this case, the angles of light emitted in two different directions must be set so that each light is appropriately incident on the left eye and the right eye.

  In order to display the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 at the same position, the first image and the second image are displayed on the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10. It is necessary to consider the position in the left-right direction (X direction). As shown in FIG. 5, the first image is shifted to the right side of the screen display surface 11 and the second image is shifted to the left side of the screen display surface 11, thereby forming the first image formed by the microlens array 20. The stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are displayed so as to overlap at the same position. In this case, the size of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image that can be displayed at the same position is limited with respect to the size of the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10. That is, a stereoscopic two-dimensional image is displayed using only a portion where the first stereoscopic image display surface 51 and the second stereoscopic image display surface 52 in FIG. 4 overlap.

(Example 3)
FIG. 6 shows a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 </ b> C in the case where the first stereoscopic image display surface 51 and the second stereoscopic image display surface 52 are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction (X direction). In this case, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are the same image, the viewing angle can be enlarged. For example, when displaying a beer can as shown to Fig.8 (a), the image of a beer can can be visually recognized in a wider visual field range. Further, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are different images, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the first image P1 is a left half image. (Angel's left half image), with the second image P2 as the right half's image (angel's right half image), and viewing the stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 + P2 (angel's image) with an enlarged horizontal screen size Can do.

Example 4
FIG. 7 shows a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1D in the case where the first stereoscopic image display surface 51 and the second stereoscopic image display surface 52 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction (X direction). Also in this case, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are the same image, the viewing angle can be enlarged. In addition, since Example 4 has the widest viewing angle compared with the said Example, it is suitable when many people observe. In addition, when the first stereoscopic two-dimensional image P1 and the second stereoscopic two-dimensional image P2 are different images, for example, as shown in FIG. You may make it display the image of a beer can as the 1st three-dimensional two-dimensional image P1, and the image of a motor vehicle as the second three-dimensional two-dimensional image P2.

  While the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described above, various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments and examples of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiments and examples, the chief rays are emitted from the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10 in two different directions, but are emitted from the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10. The direction of the principal ray is not limited to two directions, and may be two or more directions. FIG. 10 shows that when light is emitted in four different directions from the image display surface 11 of the display unit 10A, the microlens array 20A moves each lens array half 21 in the left-right direction (as in the case of two directions). (X direction) is shifted by a half lens pitch. As a result, the four stereoscopic two-dimensional images are displayed on the four stereoscopic image planes 51, 52, 53, and 54, respectively.

  As described above, the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device of the present invention can cope with even a display unit including a liquid crystal display capable of emitting principal rays in two or more different directions.

  As described above, the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is arranged so as to be separated from the display unit 10 including the image display surface 11 that displays a two-dimensional image and the image display surface 11. And the light emitted from the image display surface 11 is imaged on the imaging surface 5 in the space located on the opposite side of the display unit 10 of the microlens array 20, A stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device that displays a stereoscopic two-dimensional image, wherein the display unit 10 displays and outputs a two-dimensional image in a plurality of different directions from the image display surface 11, and the microlens array 20 Two microlens array halves 21 in which a pair of micro convex lenses 23 installed with their optical axes coincided with each other are two-dimensionally arranged adjacent to each other, and the optical axes of the two microlens array halves 21 coincide. State Thus, one microlens array half 21 is arranged in the direction in which the microconvex lens 23 is adjacent to be shifted by half the lens pitch, which is the distance between the centers of the adjacent microconvex lenses 23, and the stereoscopic two-dimensional image is displayed on the display unit. Are displayed on imaging planes 51, 52,... Corresponding to a plurality of different directions of the two-dimensional image displayed and output from 11, respectively, so that a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device with a wide viewing angle can be provided.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of schematic structure of the display part of the three-dimensional two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the optimization of the chief ray of the display part of the three-dimensional two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the chief ray of a micro lens array. It is a figure explaining one Example (when a stereoscopic image display surface overlaps partially) of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining one Example (when a stereoscopic image display surface corresponds) of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining one Example (when a stereoscopic image display surface is arrange | positioned adjacently) of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining one Example (when a stereoscopic image display surface is arrange | positioned separately) of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 9 is an example of a stereoscopic two-dimensional image displayed on two stereoscopic image display surfaces together with FIG. 9. FIG. 8 is an example of a stereoscopic two-dimensional image displayed on two stereoscopic image display surfaces together with FIG. 8. It is a schematic block diagram of the two-dimensional two-dimensional image display apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,7 Stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus 2 Stereoscopic image display part 3 Display drive part 4 Image generation part 5 Stereoscopic image display surface 10 Display part 11 Image display surface 12 Liquid crystal display part 13 Backlight 14 Parallax barrier part 20 Micro lens array 21 Lens array half 22 Transparent substrate 23 Micro convex lens 51 First image display surface 52 Second image display surface

Claims (7)

A display unit including an image display surface for displaying a two-dimensional image, and an image transmission panel disposed on the image display surface so as to be spaced apart from each other. Light emitted from the image display surface is transmitted to the image transmission panel. A stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device that displays a stereoscopic two-dimensional image by forming an image on an imaging plane in a space located on the opposite side of the display unit,
The display unit
Display and output a two-dimensional image in a plurality of different directions from the image display surface;
The image transmission panel is
Two microlens array halves in which a pair of microconvex lenses installed with their optical axes aligned on both sides are arranged two-dimensionally adjacent to each other are provided,
From the state in which the optical axes of the two microlens array halves coincide with each other, the one microlens array halves have a lens pitch that is the distance between the centers of the adjacent microconvex lenses in the direction in which the microconvex lenses are adjacent to each other. Place it half off,
The stereoscopic two-dimensional image is
A stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus, wherein the two-dimensional image displayed on the display unit is displayed on the image plane corresponding to a plurality of different directions.   The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a principal ray output from the display unit and a principal ray of the image transmission panel substantially coincide with each other.   2. The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device according to claim 1, wherein display positions of the stereoscopic two-dimensional images displayed on the respective imaging planes substantially coincide with each other.   The stereoscopic two-dimensional image according to claim 3, wherein the direction of light of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image displayed in a plurality of different directions is set so as to enable stereoscopic viewing based on motion parallax. Display device.   The stereoscopic two-dimensional image according to claim 3, wherein the direction of light of the stereoscopic two-dimensional image displayed in a plurality of different directions is set so as to enable stereoscopic viewing based on binocular parallax. Display device.   The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays and outputs a two-dimensional image in two different directions.   The stereoscopic two-dimensional image display device according to claim 6, wherein the image transmission panel forms an image of light from the two different directions.

Images