JPH01209484A - Mirror information transmitting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To increase the value of displayed images by selectively displaying images provided with different light characteristics in the same mirror and making a transparent body be uniformly bright without damaging a device or the transparent body. CONSTITUTION: One continuous mirror screen 12 is provided, it is surrounded by a peripheral frame 14 and first and second display areas 16 and 18 are respectively formed. The screen uniformly reflects environment light beams from an outer surface 20 and displays plane images 22 and stereoscopic images 24 corresponding to the back illumination of the display areas 16 and 18. That is, the screen 12 is provided with uniform reflectivity in the state of 'OFF' but can selectively display different image providing materials and the uniform reflectivity of the environment light beams in an OFF state is guaranteed by the uniform layer of a reflective material. Thus, the clarity and reproducibility of the displayed images are improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the field of information transmission, in particular to continuous mirror screens.
The present invention relates to a device for displaying images of logarithms with different optical characteristics through a screen (dscreen).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional devices for displaying images through mirror surfaces are described in the following patents: US Pat. That is, U.S. Patent No. 509. (i
No. 72, Mr. Wills: Same < m720.877, Mr. Block; Also No. 2,069,388, Mr. Holinstein; Also No. 2,565,575. Mr. Rosenthal: Also No. 2,098,177. , Mr. Engman; Argentina Patent No. 193.254 1973.4.
It comes with ll.

In these devices, a transparent body (tra) is used to provide the image.
nsparency) or an object is placed behind a partially transparent mirror of uniform optical density, ie a mirror whose transmittance and reflectance are uniform over its entire surface. This mirror is made by known mirror manufacturing methods including, for example, the nitric acid trowel method.

Items displayed through a single continuous mirror of uniform transmission must have the same optical properties, including reflectance. It is not possible to display items with different reflectivities or physical shapes (eg, planar transparency and three-dimensional objects) through a uniform screen. This can be done without darkening the displayed image.
This is because in order to attenuate the reflection of environmental light rays for each item, different optical densities are required for each item. If the light characteristics of these items are different, only one item may appear in the dark screen or glow with a different intensity than the other items.

The devices according to each of the above-mentioned patents have a plurality of localized light sources placed immediately after a transparent body with a planar image. Such a light source has non-uniform brightness and the (K In ) of the displayed image
It can also cause "hot spots" that can burn or distort transparent objects.

Therefore, in many cases, it is desirable to provide an apparatus that selectively displays images with different light characteristics within the same mirror, and that also illuminates a transparent body uniformly without damaging the apparatus or the transparent body. .

[Means for Solving the Problems and Their Effects] The information transmission system according to the present invention consists of transparent mirrors that extend continuously over a predetermined range, and reflective materials with different optical densities arranged within the range. 'Vl, the material forming regions of lu numbers different from each other in light transmittance; a medium located after said mirror in said region and providing an image; and a region marked with "-" selectively backlighting the mirror so that the image depicted on the medium appears in front of the mirror.

In one preferred embodiment, the reflective material described above is
It includes a previous layer having a uniform optical density within a predetermined range and a subsequent layer located after the previous layer.

In another embodiment, the reflective material has a first area of a first predetermined light transmittance and a second area of a second predetermined light transmittance that is less than the first transmittance. and, including. The image is provided by a three-dimensional object after the first area and a sheet providing a planar image after the second area. said first and second zones are selectively backlit by independent lamp structures disposed above and after said zones and by a mirror positioned at an angle of about 45° to said sheet; Light is directed onto the sheet.

The device according to the invention has one continuous surface, which in the "off" state has uniform reflectivity, but has a plurality of areas of different calculated optical densities and different image-providing materials. It is now possible to display selectively. A uniform reflectance of ambient light in the off-state is ensured by the uniform previous layer of reflective material. After this there is a subsequent layer which contains areas of different densities.

A T-plane image-providing sheet or "slide" is placed after one area of the screen, and the latter layer of that area is selected so that its optical density cooperates with that of the two previous layers and that the environmental light rays by the slide are to eliminate visible reflections. The ambient light reflected by the slide is sufficiently attenuated by the above combined optical density that this light is invisible to the eye compared to the greater amount of ambient light reflected by the uniform layer closest to the front of the device. can not see. At the same time, the combined optical density of the reflective material in each area is very low, allowing the image to be displayed clearly when the screen is backlit. Therefore, the optical density of the second layer is changed between one area and the next, in part due to the difference in the reflectivity of the slide.

Behind one area of the screen, instead of a slide, a three-dimensional object is placed in a suitably closed chamber. The image displayed when this area is backlit is therefore a stereoscopic image of this object. The optical density of this area of the chamber is sufficient to prevent visible reflection of ambient light by objects when not backlit, but substantially less than the density required for slides in contact with the screen. small.

- In this example of displaying a three-dimensional object, this uniform previous layer has the density required for the three-dimensional object, and the other layers have a density in these ranges. It is actually a transparent "window" part.

The optical density of the surface of the screen is controlled by thin film technology, whereby the density in each area is adjusted just enough to obscure the image behind it in the absence of backlighting. This allows the integration of many areas of different densities in one continuous mirror, increasing the sharpness and reproducibility of the displayed image. Vibrant 2D and 3D images can be simultaneously expressed on a single reflective screen based on a predetermined time distribution plan,
You can also erase it instantly.

All common areas and areas that are not backlit are totally reflecting ambient light. When audio is output in conjunction with the video and at the same time, the effect is outstanding.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a display system lO according to one embodiment of the present invention.
shows. The system has one continuous mirror screen 12 surrounded by a peripheral frame 14 and forming first and second viewing areas 16,18 respectively. This screen uniformly reflects ambient light from its outer surface 20 and displays a planar image 22 and a stereoscopic image 24 in response to backlighting of the viewing area 113.18.

This image is displayed temporally with, for example, audio output. Furthermore, the three-dimensional object can be rotated or moved while being displayed.

The uniform reflectance of this screen in the "off" state is achieved by a first uniform reflectance layer on the front surface 20, and is also necessary for displaying two-dimensional and three-dimensional images on the same screen. The difference in optical density is provided by a second reflective layer behind the first layer. This second layer appears only when one viewing area is backlit.

This display area is used to alternately display two or more images from a slide or other plane with different optical properties.Then, a second layer of reflective material The optical density of the screen 12 is "fine tune" at the location of the image providing sheet.
:adjustment), which causes each modulus to appear glowing when backlit, and essentially disappear when backlit.

Next, the embodiment of the mirror screen 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a single composite consisting of aligned panels I, II, the first chamber 28 after the
A second chamber 30 behind the display area 18 is formed. This panel I is a light-transmitting mirror having a uniform light density, and its light transmittance is slightly less than 50% of the light rays in the entire 6-inch viewing area. Panel ■ is another light-transmissive mirror having a window section 32 corresponding to the area of the second viewing area 18 (see Figure 1).The distribution of reflective material in the area of panel H is uniform. , from a very low optical density in the transparent window to a very high optical density in the other "non-window" parts. In this example, the optical density in the non-window parts of panel H has a transmittance slightly less than 33% in the visible range, while the window portion is transparent.

Panel 3 is the last of the panels arranged side by side, and carries an image providing sheet 34 at a position corresponding to the first display area 1G (see FIG. 1). The other parts of the panel (2) are preferably transparent.

As mentioned above, the housings 26 each have a display area 16
and a first and second chamber 28.2 provided behind 18.
I have 8. This chamber is separated by a partition 36 and has separate lamps 38, 40 for illumination. The tray outside the chamber is connected to VF1 by an opaque border 42.
4, and this part supports the outer parts of panels 1, 1, and 2.

': 81 to 28 illuminates the back side of the image providing sheet 34, and the light beam that passes through the image providing sheet reaches the front surface 20 of the mirror screen, and its intensity is equal to the viewing area 16 of the screen.
This is sufficient to overcome the reflected image of the surrounding scenery. As a result, the planar image 22 of the sheet 34 is
When you turn on 8, it will be displayed on the screen. The image-providing sheet is substantially indirectly illuminated by a light beam 38 which is directed downwardly from the opaque top surface 44 of the chamber 28 toward a mirror 46 tilted forward at the bottom of the chamber. are doing. The walls in the rest of the room are opaque, except for the back wall, which has a translucent sheet 4 to minimize the reflection of the image.
It's 9. The downwardly directed lamp 38 and mirror 46 cooperate to illuminate the image providing sheet 34 at an acute angle and project an image of uniform brightness onto the mirror screen 12.

When the planar image providing sheet 34 is placed behind the viewing area 16 (see FIG. 1), the combined optical density of panels I and (2) at that position is, when not backlit.
Reflection of environmental visible light by the image providing sheet must be sufficiently prevented. Otherwise, the sheet 34 will be visible in the "off" state, impairing the uniform reflection effect. In the same sense, the optical density of the combination of panels I and II should not be greater than is necessary to prevent reflection of ambient light by the sheet. This is because such optical density prevents the appearance of the image when the sheet is backlit.

The second chamber 30 of the housing 2B is different from the first chamber and contains an object 50, which is displayed on the mirror screen 12. The chamber 30 has a lamp 4 located on the opaque upper surface 52 of the chamber.
0 and surrounded by an opaque inner wall 54. A translucent sheet 55 is placed on the back wall of the chamber to prevent coherent reflections of the light beams. Object 50 may be rotated on turntable 56 if necessary to draw the person's attention or to display another side of the object.

The optical requirements for displaying a three-dimensional object 50 are different from those for displaying a two-dimensional image. This is because the object is in the space behind the screen.

This causes the reflection of ambient light coming through the screen to be much lower than the level that would be encountered by the slide. Therefore, even at low optical densities, objects cannot be seen through the screen in the "off" state. Additionally, a low optical density is required to make objects visible through a mirror screen, such as in a slide.
This is because objects often do not allow light to pass through them. Only light rays reflected from an object can be used as a means of communication to the viewer. In this embodiment, panel 1 has a uniform optical density suitable for displaying object 50, and panels 1 and 2 are transparent over the entire second viewing area 18.

In FIG. 3, the thickness of each layer of panels 1, 2, and 3 is exaggerated. Each panel has a rigid transparent sheet 58 which serves as the base or "base" of the panel. Sheet 58 of Panel I is lined with a uniform layer 60 of reflective material, which material has sufficient optical density to render objects unremovable when the equipment rust is in the "off" condition. flexible transparent coating 62
is applied behind layer 6o to protect it. The reflective layer G4 provided on the rear side of the transparent sheet 58 has portions of different optical densities within the screen 12.

Layers 60 and 64 combine to create the optical density of the first viewing area 1B, the second viewing area, and the area surrounding the viewing area. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the layer 64 has a uniform optical density in the first viewing area 16 and the peripheral area of the mirror screen 12, and has a substantially zero optical density in the second viewing area 18.
, and forms the window 32 (second and third
(see figure). Layer 64 also includes a flexible transparent coating 66.
and panels 1 and 2 are held together by a removable edge seal 68. Therefore, panel 1 can be replaced with a panel of different optical properties, thereby forming other viewing areas, or using the device for image-providing materials with different optical properties. I can do it.

The transparent sheet 58 of panel (2) sandwiches the planar image providing sheet 34 and stores the object 50 in the second chamber 30 (second
figure). Since FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view across the second chamber, the elephant providing sheet 34 is not visible. Here, a space for storing an object 50 is shown schematically at 70 between a transparent sheet 58 and a translucent sheet 55 behind the chamber 30.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing 26 in the first chamber 28, with the lamp 38 in the light source box 72 at the top of the chamber 28.
is placed. The light from this lamp is directed downward through the open lower 4 in the ceiling of the room and onto the screen 12 and mirror 46. This mirror faces forward and upward from the bottom of the box.
Illuminate the screen indirectly. The mirror preferably forms an angle 76 of about 45° with respect to the screen 12 and is supported at its upper end by retaining ribs 78.

Chambers 28 and 30 have a series of louvers 8 on their upper and lower surfaces.
1 to prevent the image providing sheet 34 and the object 50 from being damaged by heat. As the air in the room is heated by the heat from the lamp, it rises and escapes through the top of the louver. This allows air to enter through the lower louvers and cool the chamber.

An audio output and timing subsystem is provided in a separate chamber at the bottom of the housing and is connected to images 22 and 2.
Coordination and time coordination with 4 (Figure 1). This subsystem 82 is constructed using known electronic techniques to coordinate the audio and the mirror image of the device for maximum effect on the viewer. Additionally, this subsystem 82 can control motorized turntable 52 (FIG. 2) to rotate it while object 50 is being projected.

The rigid substrate 58 of Panels I, II, and ■ is preferably a sheet of crystalline polycarbonate and is approximately 1/6 inch thick. Both sides of the base material 58 of panels I and
1 polished. This causes the reflectance of layer 64 to be lower than that of layer 60.
It is not very expensive and has the lowest internal reflection between panels. The transparent coatings 62 and 66 are preferably crystalline polyethylene and have one or two adhesive sides depending on the specification. Double-sided adhesive sheets are used when panels ■ need to be permanently adhered to other panels. first chamber 2
8 rear sheet 49 and rear sheet 55 of second chamber 30
is preferably a rigid clear (white) polycarbonate or acrylic sheet approximately 1/16 inch thick.

The reflective layers GO and 64 are made by controllable thin film manufacturing methods that allow tight control of their properties, such as vacuum deposition or sputtering. In one embodiment, this layer 60 is a uniform layer of colorless chrome or nickel on the back surface of the transparent substrate 58 of Panel I, with a deposited thickness of about 3900 nm and a thickness of about 100 nm in the visible spectrum. It has a transmittance of 42%.

This optical density ensures that when lamp 40 is off, object 5
0 from view, leaving the second viewing area 18 (Figure J1) in only environmental reflections. However, when the second viewing area is backlit, the object 50 is completely visible.

If image-providing sheet 34 is an acetate film, such as a typical photographic slide, layer 64 of panel H is a gray chrome layer with a deposited thickness of about 400 OA.

This results in a light transmission of approximately 28% in the visible spectrum. In combination with Panel I's 42% transmission, it completely hides the image-providing sheet from view when in the off state. A specific example with such a percentage is the product name E kta
This is a photographic film made by Kogutsuku for Chrome. This film absorbs externally incident light extremely well and is not as highly reflective as other image-providing materials.

Other materials that may be considered as image-providing sheets are translucent plastics that have been rendered light-sensitive for use as photographic materials. This material has the trade name D uraehr.
Sold at omc. It has a much higher reflectance of light than acetate film. Alternatively, the sheet 34 may be a printed matter, which in the Jintong state is highly translucent and has a high reflectance. If a different image-providing material is used, the optical density of the second panel H is adjusted to correspond to the reflectivity of the material.

A display made in accordance with another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5, here including panels 1-34' and 34' with different optical characteristics. For example, one sheet may be a photographic slide and the other sheet may be a printed matter. These sheets are placed behind the areas of panel ■ corresponding to display areas IG and 17, respectively (
Figure 1). A pair of rear lighting chambers 28' and 28'' are connected to the device l.
This is the same as the first chamber of O, but it is located behind the image providing sheet and illuminates the sheet separately. Panel I
and (ii) are the same as described above, except that the optical density of the reflective + A material layer is selected to suit the characteristics of the image-providing sheet, and when not backlit, the images of these two sheets are The point is that it is also hidden. The window area 32' may be a transparent area, as described in the previous embodiment 10, or alternatively an area with a less positive reflectance than the perimeter of the panel H.

As described above, even if the images to be displayed are made from objects with different optical properties, or even if one image is a planar image and the other is a three-dimensional image, multiple separate images can be displayed on a single reflective surface. A system is provided that displays images clearly and independently. In either case, the images appear on the screen at random and time-adjusted times, and before and after the display they are just mirrors. The image can be moved without being displayed, and audio can be attached to it if desired. The scope of use of this system is very wide, and it is particularly useful in the fields of education, advertising, and information dissemination.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been representatively described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific examples, and all ☆ important embodiments within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It can be widely applied to various embodiments.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display system made according to one of the embodiments of the invention, with the separate display areas shown in dashed lines and the grammar shown in dashed lines; FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view schematically showing a cross-section of the front screen of the system taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the display system; 4-4 is a cross-sectional view of the system; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a display system made in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; The same reference numerals are used for the same parts in each drawing. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (16)

[Claims] (1) A translucent mirror means that continuously spreads over a predetermined range, and has reflective materials with different optical densities arranged within the range, and this material consists of a plurality of translucent mirrors with different light transmittances. forming an area; and means located behind said mirror means in said area for providing an image; and selectively backlighting said area so that said image is visible from in front of said mirror means. A mirror information transmission device comprising: means for transmitting information. (2) The arranged reflective material comprises a first layer having a uniform optical density within the predetermined range and a second layer having a non-uniform optical density within the predetermined range, The mirror information transmission device according to claim 1, comprising: a second layer located after the first layer. (3) the mirror means includes a front portion, a rear portion, and means for holding the front and rear portions together, the front portion having a transparent substrate, which 3. The mirror information transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the mirror information transmission device is located immediately in front of the first layer and supports the first layer. 4. The mirror communication device of claim 2, wherein said rear portion of said mirror means includes a separate transparent substrate supporting said second layer of non-uniform optical density. 5. A mirror communication device according to claim 3, wherein said retaining means are constructed and arranged such that said rear section can be replaced with another section having a different optical density. (6) The arranged reflective material has a first area having a first predetermined light transmittance and a second area having a second predetermined light transmittance lower than the first transmittance. and wherein said imaging means captures an object after said first area and said second area.
2. The mirror information transmission device of claim 1, further comprising a light transmissive sheet providing a planar image after the area. (7) The backlighting means includes lamp means disposed in front of and behind the image-providing sheet, and means for reflecting light from the lamp means onto the image-providing sheet. The mirror information transmission device according to claim 1. (8) said backlighting means further comprising a wall forming a chamber behind said image providing sheet, said chamber having an upper end and a lower end; said lamp means further comprising a wall forming a chamber behind said image providing sheet; 8. The mirror information transmitting device according to claim 7, wherein said upper and lower ends of said chamber are provided with louvers for illuminating the inside and for allowing cooling air to pass upwardly. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said reflecting means is a substantially flat mirror mounted at an angle of about 45 DEG to said image providing sheet. (10) said backlighting means further comprising another lamp means disposed substantially above said object;
8. A mirror information transmission device as claimed in claim 7, comprising: partition means for isolating said lamp means for selectively illuminating said image providing sheet and said object. (11) The arranged reflective material further comprises a first uniform layer having an optical density that provides the first light transmittance over the entire predetermined range, and after the first layer. a second layer, the second layer being substantially transparent in the first area and having an optical density in the second area, which 7. The mirror information transfer device of claim 6, comprising: a layer that cooperates with the layer to create the second predetermined light transmittance. (12) the array of reflective material further includes a third area surrounding the first and second areas and lined with a substantially opaque member to prevent transmission of light therein; 7. The mirror information transmission device according to claim 6. 13. The mirror information transmission device of claim 6, further comprising means for rotating said object while being backlit. (14) The arranged reflective material has a first area having a first predetermined light transmittance and a second area having a second predetermined light transmittance lower than the first transmittance. and wherein the imaging means includes first and second light-transmissive sheets that provide a planar image and are disposed after each of the first and second areas of the mirror means, the provided sheet comprises materials of different optical properties, and the first and second transmittances are selected according to the optical properties of the sheet providing the image, such that the image is visible only when the sheet is backlit. The mirror information transmission device according to claim 1. (15) the sheets providing the image have different reflectances, and the first and second transmittances of the mirror means are selected to complement the reflectances, and the sheets are back-illuminated. 15. The mirror information transmission device according to claim 14, wherein the image is made visible only when the image is displayed. (16) The mirror information transmission device according to claim 1, further comprising: means for outputting audio in response to the image; and means for adjusting the time of back illumination of the seat based on the output of the audio.