JP2001013456A - Stereoscopic video display device without spectacles - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a stereoscopic video to be properly observed by respective persons without requiring a means for replacing the left with the right videos or conversely even when it is observed by many persons. SOLUTION: This display device is provided with liquid crystal projections 1L and 1R, an image forming means 2a, shutter means 4L and 4R, a light guide means 2c and a shutter control means 5 controlling the light transmitting state and the light shielding state of the shutter areas of the shutter means 4L and 4R. The shutter means 4L and 4R are respectively arranged at the light sources 11L and 11R sides of liquid crystal panels 13L and 13R disposed in the respective projectors 1L and 1R and provided with two or more shutter areas whose light transmitting state and light shielding state can be switched in a horizontal direction. By the control means 5, the shutter means 4L and 4R are controlled so that a narrow-width area at which left eye video light arrives within a left- eye pixel image area and a narrow-width area at which right eye video light arrives within a right eye pixel image area do not become identical on a diffusion plate 2b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display apparatus without glasses, which can observe a stereoscopic image without using special glasses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method of realizing stereoscopic video display without requiring special glasses, a double lenticular system using two liquid crystal projectors and using a double lenticular screen as a screen has been proposed. In this method, as shown in FIG. 3, one liquid crystal projector 100a displays an image for the left eye, and the other liquid crystal projector 100b displays an image for the right eye, and the image is arranged in front of the double lenticular screen 200. This is a method of projecting the image. The double lenticular screen 200 is a diffusion plate 2 for forming an image.
Lenticular screens 200a and 200c are disposed on both front and rear sides of the liquid crystal projector 100a, 100c.
By the action of the lenticular screen 200a on the b side, the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye become vertical striped images 200bL and 200bR, respectively.
00b. The stripe image for the right eye among the vertical stripe images formed on the diffusion plate 200b by the action of the lenticular screen 200c arranged on the light emission side of the diffusion plate 200b, that is, the observer side, The striped image for the left eye (3R) of the observer 300 is separated and guided to the left eye (3L) of the observer 300. An observer who observes these vertical stripe images for the right and left eyes with the left and right eyes can observe a stereoscopic image without wearing special glasses due to the function of binocular parallax.

In this type of stereoscopic image display apparatus, as shown in FIG. 4, at an optimum observation distance (D in the figure) from the screen 200, areas in which a right-eye image or a left-eye image can be observed alternately. Exists. In FIG. 3, the arrow indicated by R is the right-eye image observation area, and the arrow indicated by L is the left-eye image observation area. Therefore,
When the observer's right eye 3R is in the R region and the left eye 3L is in the L region (position A in the figure), stereoscopic vision is possible, but in the opposite case (B in the figure), , And it becomes impossible to observe a stereoscopic image.

[0004] Conventionally, as a method for preventing a pseudo-viewing state due to a shift in the head position of the observer, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a sensor 1 for detecting the position of the head of the observer 300 is used.
0, the position of the head of the observer 300 is detected.
It is known that the images of 00a and 100b (not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) are exchanged to exchange the displayed left and right images. With this structure, when the observer 300 moves from the state where the observer 300 is located at the regular image observation position to the reverse viewing position as shown in FIG. 5, the displayed left and right images are exchanged as shown in FIG. Can be located at the position of the right eye of R, and the image observation region of L shown at the diamond can be located at the position of the observer's left eye.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional technique, when the observer moves to the reverse viewing position, a means for switching the left and right images in accordance with the movement is required. In the case of a large-screen display, observation is often performed by a plurality of persons. In this case, when only one observer moves, if the left and right images are switched by head tracking, the observer moves to a regular image observation position. There is a disadvantage that some other observers cannot observe a proper image.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention does not require a means for exchanging the left and right images, and allows each person to properly observe a stereoscopic image even when observing by a large number of people. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic image display device without glasses.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a stereoscopic image display apparatus without glasses according to the present invention comprises a first liquid crystal projector for projecting a left-eye image and a right-eye image. A second liquid crystal projector for projecting, and an image forming means for forming left and right images projected from each projector in a vertical stripe shape on a diffusion plate to form a left-eye pixel image area and a right-eye pixel image area in an overlapping manner A first shutter having a plurality of shutter areas in a lateral direction capable of switching between light transmission and light blocking, and forming a narrower image light reaching narrower area in the left eye pixel image area on the diffusion plate; Means and a plurality of shutter regions capable of switching between light transmission and light blocking in a horizontal direction, and forming a narrower image light reaching narrower region in the right eye pixel image region on the diffusion plate. Shutter means; A light guide means for condensing an image from the image light reaching narrow area in the image area at a position at a predetermined distance from the diffusion plate with an interocular distance or an interval of a smaller width, and a position of an observer Based on the output of the sensor that detects
A three-dimensional image display device without glasses, comprising: shutter control means for controlling light transmission and light shielding of a shutter area of the first and second shutter means, wherein the first and second shutter means are Each of the liquid crystal projectors includes two or more shutter regions in the horizontal direction, which are arranged on a light source side of a liquid crystal panel disposed in each liquid crystal projector and can switch between light transmission and light shielding. The first and second shutters so that a left-eye image light reaching narrow area in an image area and a right-eye image light reaching narrow area in a right-eye pixel image area do not become the same area on the diffusion plate. It is characterized by controlling the means. Here, the respective pixel image areas on the diffusion plate refer to respective vertical stripe image areas of the left-eye image and the right-eye image formed on the diffusion plate by the imaging unit. .

By using this configuration, the image is subdivided in each of the narrow image light reaching areas formed in the left-eye pixel image area and the right-eye pixel image area on the diffusion plate due to the arrangement of the shutter means. Is done. That is, a narrow image light area (light emission point) is formed in each image light reaching narrow area. By controlling the light transmission and the light shielding of each shutter region by the shutter control means, the images of the narrowed image light reaching narrow regions that are subdivided corresponding to the observation position are individually moved, Is realized. Further, since the left-eye pixel image area and the right-eye pixel image area are formed on the diffusion plate so as to overlap with each other, the size of one pixel image area can be increased as compared with the case where the pixel images are formed alternately. It becomes easy to form more image light reaching narrower areas inside. It should be noted that the larger the number of images in the video light reaching narrow area formed in each video imaging area, the more observations can be made.

[0009] More specifically, the light which is disposed between each light source in the first and second liquid crystal projectors and each shutter means, and which has passed through the light-transmitting portions of each shutter area of each shutter means. It is preferable to provide first and second optical means configured to reach the entire image display section of each liquid crystal panel. Further, the image light that has passed through each liquid crystal panel via the light-transmitting portions in the respective shutter areas of the first and second shutter means is respectively condensed to the substantially aperture portions of the respective projection lenses of the first and second liquid crystal projectors. Preferably, each projection lens is arranged to be imaged.

With this configuration, the image light from the liquid crystal projector is uniformly projected from each projection lens regardless of the shutter area of the shutter means, and each pixel on the diffusion plate corresponds to the light transmitting area of the shutter means. It is possible to reliably form an image in the narrow image light reaching area in the image area, and it is possible to arrange the shutter means outside the projection lens, thereby simplifying the configuration of the apparatus.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a stereoscopic video display device without glasses according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows that the head of the observer 3B in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a case.

The three-dimensional image display apparatus without glasses according to this embodiment includes a screen 2, a left-eye projector 1L as a first liquid crystal projector, a right-eye projector 1R as a second liquid crystal projector, and each projector. Shutter means 4 arranged inside 1L, 1R
L (first shutter means), 4R (second shutter means)
, A sensor 10 for detecting the position of the head of the observer 3,..., And shutter means 4L, 4R according to the detection value of the sensor 10.
And a shutter control means 5 for controlling the shutter speed.

The left-eye projector 1L projects a left-eye image, and the right-eye projector 1R projects a right-eye image.

Each of the shutter means 4L and 4R has eight shutter areas in the horizontal direction which can switch between light transmission and light shielding. These shutter means 4L, 4R
An N liquid crystal layer, a pair of transparent glass plates provided so as to sandwich the TN liquid crystal layer, an ITO stripe pattern portion forming one electrode, an ITO solid pattern forming the other transparent electrode, and an emission side / incident side. And a polarizing plate. Said I
The TO stripe pattern portion is composed of eight vertical stripe-shaped ITO films corresponding to the above-described shutter regions. In this embodiment, the shutter means is constituted by a TN type liquid crystal panel. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another type of liquid crystal panel may be used, and further, a dispersion type liquid crystal panel may be used. .

The shutter means 4L, 4R are arranged behind the liquid crystal panels 13L, 13R of the projectors 1L, 1R, that is, on the light sources 11L, 11R side.
Further behind, a left-eye integrator group 12L as the above-mentioned first optical unit and a right-eye integrator group 12R as the above-mentioned second optical unit are arranged, respectively.

The light from the light sources 11L and 11R passes through the integrator groups 12L and 12R, respectively, passes through the light transmitting portions of the shutter means 4L and 4R, and enters the liquid crystal panels 13L and 13R. However, at this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the light that has passed through the light-transmitting portions of the shutter means 4L and 4R is transmitted to the liquid crystal panels 13L and 13L for displaying images.
The integrator groups 12L and 12R are configured to reach the entire image display section of R.

Thereafter, the light passing through the light transmitting portions of the respective shutter areas of the shutter means 4L, 4R is transmitted to the liquid crystal panels 13L, 4R.
Each projector 1 is modulated when passing through 13R.
The light enters the L, 1R projection lenses 7L, 7R.

At this time, in the process of passing through the projection lenses 7L, 7R, the images passing through the light transmitting portions of the shutter means 4L, 4R and the liquid crystal panels 13L, 13R are shown near the apertures in the projection lenses 7L, 7R. As shown in FIG. 1, the projection lenses 7L and 7R are provided so as to form an image once. Here, the image areas 44L and 44R in the figure show the areas where the images are formed in the space near the stop of each of the projection lenses 7L and 7R. Accordingly, in the image areas 44L and 44R in the projection lenses 7L and 7R, images corresponding to the light transmitting portions of the shutter means 4L and 4R are formed as bright points.

The image light passing through the projection lenses 7R and 7L is projected on the screen 2 in front of the projection lenses 7R and 7L.

With this configuration, the image light from each of the projectors 1L and 1R is uniformly distributed to each projection lens 7 regardless of the shutter area of the shutter means 4L and 4R.
L, 7R, and the shutter means 4
It is possible to reliably form an image in a narrow image light reaching area in each pixel image area on the diffusion plate 2b corresponding to the light transmitting areas L and 4R, and to connect the shutter means 4L and 4R to each of the projection lenses 7L and 7L. 7R can be arranged outside, adjustment,
The structure can be simplified easily.

The shutter control means 5 controls light transmission and light shielding of the shutter area in accordance with the position of the observer 3 based on the output of the sensor 10. For example, if two observers (3
1A showing the case A, 3B), the shutter means 4L opens the second and sixth shutter areas from the left as viewed in the figure, and the shutter means 4R opens from the left as viewed in the figure. The third and seventh shutter areas are open. In FIG. 2 showing a state in which the head of the observer 3B has moved leftward from the state shown in FIG. 1 by the distance between the eyes, the shutter means 4L includes the third and sixth shutters from the left in FIG. The area is open, and the shutter means 4R
The fourth and seventh shutter areas from the left as viewed in the figure are open.

The screen 2 includes a diffusing plate 2b as an image forming surface, an incident lenticular lens 2a as an image forming means disposed on the incident side of the diffusing plate 2b, and a diffusing plate 2b.
b, an emission side lenticular lens 2c, which is a light guide means, disposed on the emission side of b. The entrance-side lenticular lens 2a has lens portions 21a... And diffuses the left and right images projected from the projectors 1L and 1R into a diffusion plate 2b.
An image is formed in a vertical stripe on the top. That is, each lens portion 21a of the incident side lenticular lens 2a is provided with each shutter means 4L, 4R formed in the projection lenses 7L, 7R.
The images 44L and 44R that have passed through the light-transmitting portions are imaged on the diffuser plate 2b by inverting left and right as vertical stripe images. At this time,
The lenticular lens 2a is formed so that each vertical stripe image is formed continuously. Therefore, the images 44L and 44R in each of the projection lenses 7L and 7R are
The image is continuously superimposed on the image. As a result, the image of the light-transmitting portion in the shutter, which becomes a bright spot, is formed as a bright spot image on the diffusion plate 2b. As described above, by the action of the shutter means 4L, 4R and the incident side lenticular lens 2a, the left of the image forming area (each pixel image area) corresponding to the same pixel of the vertical stripe image formed on the diffusion plate 2b. The number of narrow left-eye images corresponding to the number of the shutter regions in the open state is in the eye image forming region (L image region), and the number of the shutter regions in the open state is in the right eye image forming region (R image region). The right-eye images having a narrow width corresponding to the number of images are respectively formed.

The exit-side lenticular lens 2c has lens portions 21c arranged at a pitch corresponding to the pitch of each image forming area formed on the diffusion plate 2b. Then, the narrow left-eye image 22 formed in the left-eye image forming area on the diffusion plate 2b corresponding to each of the shutter areas in the light transmitting state.
LA is the left eye of the observer 3A, and the left-eye image 22LB is the left eye of the observer 3B. The narrow right eye formed in the right-eye image forming area in correspondence with each of the shutter areas in the light transmitting state. The image 22RA is guided to the right eye of the observer 3A, and the right eye image 22RB is guided to the right eye of the observer 3B.

Here, when all the shutter areas of the shutter means 4L and 4R are in the open state (when the whole becomes transparent).
In, the entire area on the diffusion plate 2b is a light emitting point, the image at the observation position by each lens unit 21c is in a range much larger than the interocular distance, and the observer cannot recognize a stereoscopic image. At the same time, the left-eye image and the right-eye image are superimposed and formed on the same portion on the diffusion plate 2b. On the other hand, when the image light passes through the shutter unit 4L, 4R with a width corresponding to one shutter area,
A part on the diffusion plate 2b (narrow area where image light reaches) is a light emitting point, and each lens part 21c of this part is
The size of the image at the observation position is equivalent to the interocular distance. When the position of the above-mentioned part (the narrow area where the image light reaches) is shifted by one, each lens part 21c of this part is shifted.
Will move by the distance corresponding to the interocular distance.

It is assumed that, as shown in FIG. 2, only the observer 3B has moved leftward from the state shown in FIG. The movement of the observer 3B is detected by the sensor 10, and this detection information is given to the shutter control means 5. The shutter control unit 5 supplies a shutter ON / OFF signal to the shutter units 4L and 4R. The shutter ON / OFF signal in this case is a signal to the shutter means 4L that the second shutter area from the left as viewed in the figure is shielded and the third shutter area is opened (transmitted). This is a signal to the shutter means 4R that the third shutter area from the left as viewed in the figure is shielded from light and the fourth shutter area is opened (transmitted).

By moving the aperture shutter area in this way, the image areas in the projection lenses 7L and 7R also move,
One luminescent spot pair 22LB, 2 on the diffusion plate 2b described above.
The 2RB moves to the right, and the image of the moved part at the observation position by each lens unit 21c is located on the left by a distance corresponding to the interocular distance, and the observer 3B can appropriately perform stereoscopic vision even at the moved position. Can be performed. As described above, even if the light from the light sources 11L and 11R passes through any opening of the shutter means 4L and 4R, the light is uniformly applied to the entire image display portion of the liquid crystal panels 13L and 13R, and the light is projected onto the projection lens. After forming an image once in 7L and 7R, it is possible to uniformly form an image as a bright spot on the diffusion plate 2b.

The description of the above embodiment is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or reducing the scope thereof. Also, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment,
It goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lenticular lens is used as the image forming means and the light guiding means. However, the light amount is reduced. However, a parallax barrier may be used instead. It is possible. In addition, a so-called multi-view three-dimensional image display device without glasses can be configured by changing a display image according to the position of the observer (switching and displaying images captured from multiple directions as appropriate).

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case has been described in which the shutter means 4L and 4R each have eight shutter areas. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of shutters may be further increased to, for example, 16, so that the shutter area of each of the shutter means 4L and 4R is controlled in accordance with the movement of the head position of each observer. In this case, the number of images in the image light reaching narrow region formed in each pixel image region on the diffusion plate 2b increases, so that more observation can be performed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of a single-panel type liquid crystal projector has been described.
A configuration in which a three-panel liquid crystal projector using a liquid crystal panel for each of B may be used. In this case, the light from the light source is a dichroic mirror or
Before being separated into RGB light by the dichroic prism, it is better to limit the light emitting area by the shutter. in this case,
Only one shutter is required, and the number of components is reduced as compared with preparing three shutters for RGB.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need for a means for exchanging left and right images, and even when a large number of people are observing, each person can properly observe a stereoscopic image. It has the effect of being able to do so.

Further, the left-eye pixel image area and the right-eye pixel image area are formed on the diffusion plate so as to overlap with each other, so that the size of one pixel image area can be increased as compared with the case of alternately forming the pixel image area. The overall configuration of the device can be simplified.

Furthermore, it is possible to arrange the shutter means outside the projection lens, so that the structure of the apparatus can be further simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a stereoscopic video display device without glasses according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when one observer has moved between eyes from the state shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a conventional stereoscopic video display device without glasses.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining that, in the configuration of FIG. 3, regions where a right-eye image and a left-eye image can be observed alternately exist;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which left and right display images are switched according to the position of an observer in the configuration of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the left and right display images are switched according to the position of the observer in the configuration of FIG. 3;

[Description of Signs] 1L Projector for left eye (first liquid crystal projector) 1R Projector for right eye (second liquid crystal projector) 2 Screen 2a Lenticular lens on incident side 2b Diffusion plate 2c Lenticular lens on exit side 4L First shutter means 4R Second shutter means 5 Shutter control means 7L, 7R Projection lens 10 Sensor 11L, 11R Light source 12L First integrator group (first optical means) 12R Second integrator group (second optical means) 13L, 13R Liquid crystal panel

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hideyuki Kanayama 2-5-1-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Goro Hamagi 2-5-2-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2H088 EA07 EA13 EA14 HA24 HA26 HA28 MA20 5C061 AA07 AA12 AA23 AB14 AB18 5C094 AA01 AA12 AA14 AA45 AA48 AA53 AA56 BA16 BA43 CA19 DA01 DB02 EA05 A01 EA02 A01 EA02 BB12 BB15 BB17 CC09 CC11 DD03 DD05 DD09 DD11 EE18 EE26 FF02 FF06 FF07 FF12 FF15 GG02 GG23 GG28 GG46 HH04

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first liquid crystal projector for projecting a left-eye image, a second liquid crystal projector for projecting a right-eye image, and left and right images projected from each projector are vertically arranged on a diffusion plate. Imaging means for forming an image in a stripe shape and overlapping the left-eye pixel image area and the right-eye pixel image area;
First shutter means for horizontally providing a plurality of shutter areas capable of switching between light transmission and light shielding, and forming a narrower image light reaching narrower area in the left eye pixel image area on the diffusion plate; A second shutter means for horizontally providing a plurality of shutter areas capable of switching between light transmission and light shielding, and forming a narrower image light reaching narrower area in the right eye pixel image area on the diffusion plate; And light guide means for condensing an image from the image light reaching narrow area in each pixel image area at a predetermined distance from the diffuser with an interocular distance or an interval of a smaller width. And a shutter control means for controlling light transmission and light blocking of a shutter area of the first and second shutter means based on an output of a sensor for detecting a position of an observer. The first and the first The two shutter means are respectively arranged on the light source side of the liquid crystal panel provided in each of the liquid crystal projectors, and are provided with two or more shutter areas in a lateral direction capable of switching between light transmission and light shielding. The control means is configured such that the left-eye image light reaching narrow area in the left-eye pixel image area and the right-eye image light reaching narrow area in the right-eye pixel image area do not become the same area on the diffusion plate. A three-dimensional image display device without glasses, wherein the first and second shutter means are controlled. 2. A light source disposed in each of the first and second liquid crystal projectors between each light source and each of the shutter means, and light passing through a light-transmitting portion of each shutter area of each of the shutter means is provided by the light source. The stereoscopic image display device without glasses according to claim 1, further comprising first and second optical means configured to reach an entire image display unit of each liquid crystal panel. 3. The image light passing through each of the liquid crystal panels via the light transmitting portions of each of the shutter areas of the first and second shutter means is supplied to the projection lens of each of the first and second liquid crystal projectors. The stereoscopic image display device without glasses according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the projection lenses is disposed so as to form an image on a substantially aperture portion.