JPS592912B2 - Image processing device using EL panel with memory - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention uses an optically writable electroluminescent (hereinafter referred to as EL) element that has a history characteristic in the relationship between the pulse width, frequency, or amplitude of a drive voltage waveform and luminance. , binarized optical 15 optical image (not including halftones)
The present invention relates to a processing method capable of displaying the sum, difference, or common portion of a first optical image and a second optical image by irradiating an EL element with an EL element.

Generally, when an EL is used as a display element, a matrix type electrode arrangement as shown in FIG. 1 is employed.
It is convenient to use a matrix type electrode arrangement in optical processing as well, since it can be combined with electrical writing and erasing. In FIG. 1, 1 is a glass sheet, 2 is a transparent electrode arranged in a striped pattern, 3 is a dielectric material such as Y203, 4 is a fluorescent layer such as 25ZnS doped with Mn, etc., 31 is the same dielectric material as 3, 5 is an electrode arranged perpendicular to 2; When an appropriate alternating current voltage is applied to one of the first electrode group 2 and one of the second electrode group 5 in an element having such a structure, only the intersecting portion of the electrodes emits light. 30 This is-
Corresponds to a picture element.

When a bipolar pulse as shown in Figure 2 is applied to the picture elements of a matrix type EL element, the luminance in the initial state without optical writing is Bs0, as shown in Figure 2a. .

Next, when light irradiation is performed 35, optical writing is performed while a voltage of +Vs or -Vs is applied to the EL element, and when the light irradiation is stopped, light is emitted at a brightness of Bwl thereafter. The pulse width τ must be wide enough to perform optical writing.

However, as long as the optical writing wavelength and optical intensity are sufficient, τ1 may be narrow. When optical erasing is performed, the pulse width of the applied waveform is narrowed to τ2 as shown in FIG. 2c. What is related to optical erasure is the period (τ1 to τ2) in which the potential difference of the EL element is at zero potential. Although some optical writing occurs during the period τ2, if τ2 is narrow, the optical writing intensity will be weak and will be erased during the period (τ1 to τ2). If the applied waveform is now BWl in Figure 2b and the brightness after optical writing is BWl, when the applied waveform is switched to the waveform shown in Figure 2c, the brightness decreases to Bw', but in this state the light is When irradiated, optical erasure is performed and the luminance becomes BS2. When the pulse width is returned to τ1, the luminance becomes BSl, making optical writing possible again. Since this history characteristic draws an arbitrary loop depending on the pulse width, frequency, or amplitude of the applied write voltage, it is also possible to display halftones.

The present invention provides a display device using an EL element having a hysteresis characteristic between the pulse width, frequency, or amplitude of an applied voltage and luminance as described above, in which a write drive pulse is applied to the display device to perform binarization. A negative optical image of the first input image is projected onto the display device to perform optical writing of the first input image, and a second input image is further written without erasing the first input image. A negative optical image is optically written over the first input image by applying a write drive pulse, or a positive optical image or a negative optical image of a second input image is written by applying an erase drive pulse and superimposed on the first input image. Optical image processing to optically erase the first input image; positive and negative optical images of the first and second input images; one optical image is subjected to optical writing and erasing processing similar to the above; The first and second input images are subjected to optical image processing by any one of optical image processing that is converted into a signal and input to the display device.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A method of processing a binarized optical image using an EL element having the above characteristics will be explained with reference to FIG. Here, for the sake of simplicity, a (5×5) matrix type panel will be explained as an example. Each picture element on the panel is Pll...Pl
, C..., P5l...P55, etc. It is assumed that optical image processing is performed on two images, for example. The first image is shown in FIG. 3a, and the second image is shown in FIG. 3b. From the first image, Figure 3a
A film with a negative image (hatched areas do not transmit light) as shown in . From the second image, a film of a negative image as shown in FIG. 3b and a positive image as shown in FIG. 3b are created. Image processing uses the images A5 and B5 in FIG. 3 in a summation mode (combining the first image and the second image). ]
and difference [3rd image in the mode for finding the difference between the first image and the second
Figure a' and figure 3b sacrificial images are used. ] and the product [Fig. 3 a'' and 3
Figure Br image is used. ]. In Figure 3, white circles indicate that the picture elements on the EL panel are in the optical writing state and are irradiated with light, black circles indicate that they are in the light erasing state and that light is irradiated, and triangle marks are 2 It shows the picture elements that are emitting light after processing the images. Next, an image processing method will be explained. The first image input method is common to each of the sum, difference, and product modes.

First, the first image input method will be explained. Now put the image as shown in Figure 3 a into the projector and press the EL
When the panel is irradiated with light and the drive waveform applied to the EL element is set to the state shown in Figure 2b, the light is irradiated to the picture element indicated by the white circle in Figure 3c, and optical writing is performed. This is done, and the light continues to emit light from then on. The size of the image projected onto the EL panel can be changed by the projector. Next, we input the second image, which consists of sum, difference,
It differs depending on the mode of the product. In the Japanese mode, when the second image shown in FIG. 3b' is irradiated with light by the projector after the optical writing of the first image shown in FIG. 3c, the white circle mark in FIG. 3d is Light is irradiated to the area shown by to perform optical writing, and after processing, the picture element shown by the triangle mark in FIG.

Optical writing is performed twice on picture elements P33, P34, P43, and P44, and the luminance of light emission increases slightly compared to other picture elements, but
Since we are considering a binary image here, this does not need to be a problem. In the difference mode, after the first image is optically written as shown in FIG. 3c, the driving waveform of the EL panel is switched to the waveform shown in FIG. 2c. In this state, Figure 3b
Putting an electric image into a projector and irradiating it onto the EL panel, light is irradiated to the area indicated by the black circle in Figure 3f, causing optical erasure, and the common area between the first image and the second image, P33
, P34, P43, and P44 are erased, and the picture elements in Fig. 3g
Only the picture elements indicated by the triangle marks emit light. In this way, only the portion obtained by subtracting the second image from the first image will be displayed. In the product mode, the third figure c of the first image
After the optical writing is performed, the drive waveform of the EL panel is changed to the second
The waveform is changed to that shown in Figure c.

In this state, as shown in Figure 3b, put the image into the projector
When the panel is irradiated, the light is irradiated to the areas indicated by the black circles in FIG. are erased, and only the picture elements indicated by the triangular marks in FIG. 31 remain and continue to emit light. In this way the first
Only the common parts of the image and the second image are displayed. After image processing, if the driving waveform of the EL panel is changed to the waveform shown in FIG. 2b, the picture elements remaining without being erased will emit brighter light, making them easier to see. By using the subtraction mode, it is possible to depict moving objects and stationary objects.

For example, in the two images of FIGS. 4A and 4B taken at different times, if the first image is set to FIG. 4A and the second image is set to FIG. 4B, and the difference mode is set using the method described above, Only the cars in Figure 4a can be displayed, and when the product mode is selected, only the mountains in Figure 4a can be displayed. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the optical image processing apparatus as described above. In Fig. 5, 6 is a variable frequency oscillation circuit, 7 is an inverter for waveform shaping, 8 is a monostable multipipe radar, 9 is a flip-flop, 10 to 13 are AND gates, 14 and 15 are NOR gates, and 16 and 17 are OR gates. , 18 is an optical write/erase switch, 19 and 20 are electrical write/erase signals, 21 and 22 are electrical write/erase and optical write/erase switch circuits, and 23 and 24 are ELs. drive circuit, 25 is EL
The panel 26 is a projector. FIG. 6 shows the output waveform of the logic circuit, and FIG. 7 shows the waveform applied to the EL element. The operation of the optical image processing apparatus will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. The output of the oscillation circuit 6 is waveform-shaped by an inverter 7, and inputted to a monostable multipipe radar 8, which converts the waveform of period t1 with pulse width T2 to Q as shown in FIG. 6a.
It occurs on the terminal. This output is T of flip-flop 9.
The waveform shown in FIG. 6b is obtained at the Q terminal of the flip-flop, and the waveform shown in FIG. 6c is obtained at the Q terminal.
Now, when the switch 18 is on the α side, the output terminal of the OR gate 17 is on the high potential side (hereinafter, the high potential side is indicated by 1H1),
The output terminal of the OR gate 16 is on the low potential side (hereinafter, the low potential side will be indicated as 6L"). The output of the OR gate 16 is 1
Since it is L, the output of AND gates 10 and 11 is 6L"
It becomes as. Also, the output terminal of the AND gate 12 has a sixth
A waveform as shown in FIG. 6B is obtained, and at the output terminal of the NOR gate 14, a waveform as shown in FIG. 6C, which is opposite in phase to this output, is obtained. At the output terminal of the AND gate 13, a waveform as shown in FIG. 6c is obtained, and at the output terminal of the NOR gate 15, a waveform as shown in FIG. 6b, which is opposite in phase to this output, is obtained. 19 and 20 are signals for electrically performing the above-mentioned writing/erasing etc. (not shown)
However, these signals are transferred to the electrical write/erase mode and optical write/erase mode switching circuits 21, 2.
2 is entered.

Here, for simplicity, only optical processing will be considered. In the case of optical processing, the output of the NOR gate 14 is input to the drive circuit 23, and the waveform shown in FIG. 7a is applied to the vertical electrode (V electrode) of the EL panel 25. Further, the output of the NOR gate 15 is input to the drive circuit 24, and the waveform shown in FIG. 7b is applied to the horizontal electrode (H electrode) of the EL panel 25. A waveform shown in FIG. 7c is applied to the EL panel, and at this time, when a light image is irradiated onto the EL panel from the projector 26, optical writing is performed. In the sum processing mode, the first
If the optical image and the second optical image are input, it is possible to synthesize the two images. In the difference processing mode, the first optical image is input in the state described above.

Next, when the switch 18 in Fig. 5 is set to the b side, the OR gate 1
The output of gate 6 becomes “H” and the output of OR gate 17 becomes 1L.
The AND gate 10 has an output as shown in FIG. 6d. The output of the AND gate 12 is L, and the output terminal of the NOR gate 14 has the waveform shown in FIG. 6d. An output with the phase reversed is output. In the case of optical processing, this output passes through a switching circuit 21 and is input to a drive circuit 23. From the drive circuit 23, it is sent to the V electrode of the EL panel 25 as shown in FIG. The waveform shown in d is applied to the output terminal of the AND gate 11.The waveform shown in FIG. The output is the waveform shown in FIG.
A waveform shown in FIG. 7e is applied to the H electrode of the panel 25. A waveform shown in FIG. 7f is applied to the EL panel 25. In this state, when a negative optical image as described above is input from the projector 26, only the difference between the two images can be displayed. After image processing, when the switch 18 is returned to the α side, the picture elements remaining without being erased by light will emit bright light. In the product processing mode, it is only necessary to perform the same operations as in the difference processing mode and change the image to a positive image when inputting the second image. In this way, only the common parts of the two images can be displayed. Although the above explanation was limited to optical writing and erasing, either the first or second input image is introduced into the EL panel 25 as switching electric signals 19, 20 by the switching circuits 21, 22Vc. It's okay.

In this case, a negative optical image of the first input image or a positive optical image or a negative optical image of the second human input image is created in advance as an electric signal consisting of the video signal 20 and the synchronization signal 19, and the switching circuits 21 and 22 respectively It will be introduced in At this time, the projector 26 is not used for input images input as electrical signals 19 and 20. Note that the switching circuits 21 and 22 may be of any type as long as they perform a known switching operation using, for example, logic circuits.

Conventionally, when image processing is performed using multiple input images,
Although a storage device was required in addition to the display device, the adoption of the present invention has the effect of making it possible to process a plurality of images using only the display device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1A and b are partially cutaway perspective views and cross-sectional views of an EL with a matrix structure, Figures 2A, b, and c are BV characteristic diagrams and voltage application waveform diagrams of the EL, and Figure 3 is a diagram of the present invention. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the figures used in the optical image processing of the embodiment, the locations where optical writing or optical erasing is performed, and the light emitting locations, and Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the binarized image applied to image processing. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical image processing device according to an embodiment, FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing waveforms at various points in the mode switching circuit, and FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing waveforms applied to the EL element. 6... Oscillator circuit, 7... Inverter, 8... Monostable multi-pipe radar, 9...
...Flip-flop, 10 to 13...
And gate, 14, 15... Noah gate, 1
6,17...OR gate, 18...Switch switch, 19,20...Writing/erasing electric signal, 21,22...Switching circuit, 23, 24...
...Drive circuit, 25...EL panel, 26
...Projector number one.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Electroluminescence (
EL) element is used to display the sum of the first image and the second image, add the first image and the second image, subtract the second image from the first image, and display the common part of the first image and the second image. In a matrix type display device that performs a product display that extracts , a write drive pulse applying means for putting the entire display device into an optically writable state, an erasing drive pulse applying means for putting the entire display device into an optically erasable state, Select the write drive pulse applying means by operating when inputting the first image of sum display, difference display, and product display, and the second image of sum display, and display the difference display.
means for switching and selecting one of the write drive pulse application means and the erase drive pulse application means, which is operated to select the erase drive pulse application means when inputting a second image of product display; While applying one of the selected drive pulses, the first image of the sum display, difference display, and product display, the negative image of the second image of the sum display and difference display, and the positive image of the second image of the product display are 1. An image processing device using an EL panel with a memory, comprising means for projecting light onto a display device.