JPH10149112A - Extension type display and portable information equipment using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the display larger than equipment size without spoiling its portability. SOLUTION: The portable information equipment 100 consists of a screen 1 on which an image of light is projected, a screen storage part 2 which contains the screen 1 in a wound state, and a main body part 3 which is provided with the screen storage part 2 on its top surface so that it can freely be moved and fixed and has a battery, etc., inside. When the equipment is not used, the screen 1 is stored in the screen storage part 2, which is united with the main body part 3. For use, the screen storage part 2 is moved from the main body part 3 and fixed opposite a user, and the screen 1 is drawn out of the screen storage part 2 and expanded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an extended display and a portable information device using the same, and more particularly, to a large display without impairing portability, thereby achieving power saving and miniaturization. The present invention relates to an extended display and a portable information device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, LCDs are widely used as displays for portable personal computers and portable input devices. In addition, a projection-type LCD that uses a liquid crystal display element as a light valve and enlarges and projects a display image on a screen has been widely used.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional projection type LCD. In this projection type LCD 600, white projection light from a light source 601 is reflected by three dichroic mirrors 601 to 603 into three primary colors of red, green and blue (RG
B), and enters the liquid crystal light valves 604 to 606 for displaying images corresponding to the respective RGB. The light transmitted through the liquid crystal light valves 604 to 606 is synthesized again by dichroic mirrors 607 and 608, and projected on a screen (not shown) by a projection lens 609.

[0004]

However, according to the above prior art, the display size is fixed because the LCD is formed on the glass substrate. For this reason, there is a problem that the display cannot be actually larger than the device size to be used, and the display size is limited. That is, in the B5 size personal computer, the display size is limited to the B5 size, and it is not possible to cope with the recent miniaturization of the personal computer. In addition, for example, when a display larger than the size of the device is used, there is a problem that the size of the entire device is eventually increased and portability is impaired.

Next, the above-mentioned projection type LCD has a main purpose of displaying a large screen in a theater or an event, and uses a large light source such as a metal halide lamp, a halogen lamp, and a xenon lamp. There was also a problem that electric power was large.

In addition, the projection type LCD has a problem that a large amount of light is lost due to a liquid crystal light valve and the like, and that the size of the device is large because it is a stationary type. For this reason, there is also a problem that the main purpose is small-sized portability, and it is not suitable for a portable information device having a small battery capacity.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has been made to make the display larger than the device size without impairing portability, to reduce the light amount loss, and to save power.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an extended display capable of realizing miniaturization and a portable information device using the extended display.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an extended display according to claim 1 comprises a light source means for irradiating light, and a spatial modulation means for spatially modulating light from the light source means. Means, a screen means for displaying an image by projecting light modulated by the spatial modulating means and capable of being wound or expanded, and a screen accommodating means for winding and accommodating the screen means. It is.

Further, in the extended display according to the present invention, in the extended display, the spatial modulation means is a mirror array in which mechanically movable mirrors are two-dimensionally arranged.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the extended display, the spatial modulation means is a mechanical shutter array in which shutters that can be mechanically opened and closed are two-dimensionally arranged.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the extended display, the light source means is an LED.

A portable information device according to claim 5 is
The extended display is provided in a device body smaller in size than the expanded screen means of the extended display.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an extended display according to the present invention and a portable information device using the same will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portable information device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The portable information device 100 plays the role of the display according to the first embodiment, and a screen 1 on which a light image is projected, a screen storage unit 2 that winds and stores the screen 1, and a screen storage unit 2 Is movably fixed on the upper side,
The main body 3 has a battery and a CPU inside.

When the portable information device 100 is not used, as shown in FIG. 1A, the screen 1 is housed in a screen housing 2, and the screen housing 2 is integrated with the main body 3. Is becoming

On the other hand, when the portable information device 100 is used, as shown in FIG.
Is moved from the main body 3 and fixed at a position facing the user. Then, the screen 1
Pull out and spread out, and fix it with some tension.

This fixing is performed by extending the support rods 4 stored in the screen storage section 2 along the upper side and the lower side of the screen 1 and locking the ends of the screen 1 to the support rods 4. . Further, the screen storage section 2 may be made detachable from the main body section 3. Further, the screen 1 may be folded in a bellows shape and housed in the screen housing unit 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 3 is
Light source 1 in which red, blue and green LEDs of three colors are arranged in an array
0 is built in. The optical system 15 of the main body 3 is
A microlens array 11 for two-dimensionally condensing light emitted from a light source 10, a reflective optical switch array 12 in which elements to be optical switches are two-dimensionally arranged, and a light reflected by the reflective optical switch array 12. Screen light 1
And a lens 13 for focusing light.

The elements of the reflection type optical switch array 12 have a function of turning on / off for each pixel by reflecting light emitted from the light source 10 toward the screen 1 in accordance with an image signal.

FIG. 3 shows a specific example of such a reflection type optical switch array 12. This reflection type optical switch array 1
2 is a mirror 12 for reflecting light emitted from the light source 10
1 is a structure in which the elements 120 having 1 are two-dimensionally arranged. This element 120 includes a mirror 121,
A hinge 122 made of a soft material that can be twisted and serves as a rotation axis of the mirror 121, a support post 123 that joins and supports both ends of the hinge 122, and identifies the mirror 121 by attracting the mirror 121 by electrostatic attraction. It comprises landing electrodes 124a and 124b that rotate in the directions, and address electrodes 125 that indicate the position of each element 120.

When a current is applied to one of the landing electrodes 124a, the mirror 121 is attracted to the one of the landing electrodes 124a by electrostatic attraction, and the mirror 121 rotates in a specific direction. Thus, the reflection direction of the mirror 121 changes. Further, when the other landing electrode 124b is energized, the mirror 121 rotates in the opposite direction, and the reflection direction of the mirror 121 changes in another direction.

The optical system 15 is integrated by a housing 16. The housing 16 is housed in the main body 3 together with the optical system 15 when the portable information device 100 is not used, and is pulled out of the main body 3 when the portable information device 100 is used, and Fixed on top. The screen 1, the screen housing 2, the optical system 15, and the housing 16 correspond to the extended display described in the claims.

First, the light projected from the light source 10 passes through the microlens array 11 and reaches the reflection type optical switch array 12. In the reflection type optical switch array 12, the light from the light source 10 is turned on / off by changing the reflection direction of the mirror 121 (FIG. 3) according to the image signal, and an image of the light is formed on the screen 1 in accordance with the change. .

That is, if the light is reflected toward the screen 1, the light from the light source 10 is projected on the screen 1 through the lens 13 to form an image of the light. If the reflection direction deviates from the screen 1, no light image is formed because the light does not reach the screen.

As described above, according to the portable information device 100, a large display can be obtained without being restricted by the device size of the portable information device 100. In addition, since the optical system 15 such as the reflection type optical switch array 12 having high light use efficiency is adopted and the light source 10 is configured by the LED, a large-bright light source such as a metal halide lamp, a halogen lamp, and a xenon lamp is not required. Become.

As a result, the power consumption is reduced and the life of the battery is extended. In addition, since the light source and the battery can be reduced, the size of the portable information device 100 can be made more suitable for carrying. As a result, the display can be made larger than the device size without deteriorating the portability, and further, the size and power consumption can be reduced.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 4 is a side view showing a portable information device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The portable information device 200 plays the role of the display of the first embodiment, and the screen 1 on which a light image is projected.
A screen storage unit 2 for winding and storing the screen 1, and a main body unit 3 having the screen storage unit 2 movably and fixedly provided on a side surface and having a battery and a CPU therein
It is composed of The structures and mechanisms of the screen 1, the screen storage unit 2, and the main unit 3 are substantially the same as those of the portable information device 100 of the first embodiment.

When the portable information device 200 is not used, the screen 1 is housed in the screen housing 2, and the screen housing 2 is integrated with the main body 3. On the other hand, when the portable information device 200 is used, the screen storage unit 2 is moved from the main unit 3 and fixed at a position facing the user.

Then, the screen 1 is pulled out from the screen storage section 2 and spread, and is fixed with a certain amount of tension. This fixing is performed by extending the support bar 4 housed from the screen housing portion 2 along the upper side and the lower side of the screen 1 and locking the end of the screen 1 to the support bar 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, a light source 10, a microlens array 11, an optical shutter array 27,
The lens 28 is assembled as a set (assembly unit 21),
It is provided inside the main body 3. The light source 10 is one in which LEDs of three colors of red, blue and green are arranged in an array. The microlens array 11 has two-dimensionally arranged microlenses for condensing light emitted from the light source 10.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the positional relationship between the microlens array 11 and the optical shutter array 27. The microlenses 111 constituting the microlens array 11 are positioned corresponding to the optical shutters 271 constituting the optical shutter array 27. Therefore, the light that has passed through the microlens 111 is collected and reaches the corresponding optical shutter 271. Optical shutter 27
1 mechanically opens and closes a shutter according to an image signal, and passes or blocks the light for each pixel. Here, since the optical shutter 271 is provided at a substantially focal position of the microlens 111, light transmission efficiency is good.

Returning to FIG. 4, the lens 23 is disposed on the optical axis of the assembly section 21. Reference numeral 22 denotes a mirror that reflects light that has passed through the lens 23 and projects the light on the screen 1. The lens 23 and the mirror 22 are integrated by a housing 24.

The housing 24 is provided with the portable information device 2.
When 00 is not used, it is stored in the main body 3,
When the portable information device 200 is used, it is pulled out from the main body 3 and fixed on the optical axis of the assembly section 21. In addition, the screen 1, the screen storage part 2, the assembly part 21, the mirror 2
2. The lens 23 and the housing 24 correspond to the extended display described in the claims.

The light projected from the light source 10 passes through the microlens array 11 and reaches the optical shutter array 27. In the optical shutter array 27, the light from the light source 10 is turned on / off by opening and closing each shutter 271 in accordance with an image signal, and an image of the light is formed on the screen 1 via the lens 23 and the mirror 22. I do.

As described above, according to the portable information device 200, a large display can be obtained without being restricted by the device size of the portable information device 200. In addition, since an optical system such as the optical shutter array 27 having good light use efficiency is adopted and the light source 10 is constituted by an LED, a large-sized light source with high luminance such as a metal halide lamp is not required. For this reason, power consumption is reduced and the life of the battery is extended.

Further, since the light source and the battery can be made smaller, the size of the portable information device 200 can be made more suitable for carrying. As a result, the display can be made larger than the device size without deteriorating the portability, and further, the size and power consumption can be reduced. Further, the main optical system such as the microlens array 11 and the optical shutter array 27 is provided in the main body 3, so that the device structure is simplified.

[0037]

As described above, according to the expandable display according to the present invention (claim 1), the screen means can be wound or expandable, and the screen means can be wound and housed. Therefore, a large display can be downsized when not in use. For this reason, by attaching to a small portable information device, a large display can be obtained without impairing portability.

According to the extended display according to the present invention (claim 2), a mirror array in which mechanically movable mirrors are two-dimensionally arranged is used as the spatial modulation means. The light amount loss is smaller than that. This eliminates the need for a light source that is large and consumes a large amount of power, promotes power saving and miniaturization, and is convenient to carry.

According to the extended display according to the present invention (claim 3), a mechanical shutter array in which mechanically openable and closable shutters are two-dimensionally arranged is used as the spatial modulation means. Less light loss compared to bulbs. This eliminates the need for a light source that is large and consumes a large amount of power, promotes power saving and miniaturization, and is convenient to carry.

Further, according to the extended display according to the present invention (claim 4), as described above, if the loss of light quantity is small, power saving and small light source means can be used. Since an LED is very suitable as such a light source, power saving and miniaturization can be promoted by using the LED as the light source.

Further, according to the portable information device of the present invention (claim 5), the extended display is provided in the device main body having a smaller size than the screen means in the extended state of the extended display. Thus, a portable information device having a large display without impairing portability is realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portable information device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the portable information device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the reflective optical switch array shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a portable information device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

5 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an assembly unit built in the portable information device illustrated in FIG. 4;

6 is an explanatory perspective view showing an arrangement relationship between the micro lens array and the optical shutter array shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a configuration of a conventional projection LCD.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Screen 2 Screen storage part 3 Main body part 4 Support rod 10 Light source 11 Micro lens array 12 Reflection type optical switch array 121 Mirror 27 Optical shutter array 100 Portable information device 111 Micro lens 200 Portable information device 271 Optical shutter

Claims (5)

[Claims] A light source unit for irradiating light; a spatial modulation unit for spatially modulating light from the light source unit; and an image displayed and wound by projecting the light modulated by the spatial modulation unit. Or, an expandable display comprising: a screen means which is expandable; and a screen storage means for winding and storing the screen means. 2. The extended display according to claim 1, wherein the spatial modulation means is a mirror array in which mechanically movable mirrors are two-dimensionally arranged. 3. The extended display according to claim 1, wherein the spatial modulation means is a mechanical shutter array in which shutters that can be mechanically opened and closed are two-dimensionally arranged. 4. The extended display according to claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED. 5. The portable information, wherein the extended display according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided in a device body smaller in size than the screen means in an extended state of the extended display. machine.