JP2005055822A - Projection display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projection display system enabling a plurality of observers to view individual pictures at the same time with simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: The projection display system has a screen 10 constituted of recurrent reflection material, and a plurality of picture projection means 20A, 20B and 20C for respectively projecting the pictures to the screen 10 from nearly the same directions as the line-of-sight directions of a plurality of observers 5A, 5B and 5C to the screen. The picture projection means 20A, 20B and 20C are mounted on the heads of the observers 5A, 5B and 5C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a projection display system, and more particularly to a display system for realizing display contents that are simultaneously viewed by a plurality of observers, or a display system for simultaneously displaying a plurality of display contents.

  In general, a normal display device currently used can only display one image (video or the like) simultaneously on one display screen. For example, a large-screen display device is prepared for viewing by a large number of observers. In this case, a large number of observers see the same image at the same time (for example, below) Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, a virtual reality technology configured to be able to visually recognize an image substantially similar to a real object has been actively researched, and a head mounted display or the like has been developed as such an image display device. As an image display device applying such virtual reality technology, there is a proposal configured to form a realistic three-dimensional image on a screen configured to be movable using a special optical system or sensor. It is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 2 below).
JP-A-5-3559 JP 2000-10194 A

  However, as described above, a normal display device can only show the same image to a plurality of viewers at the same point, and a plurality of displays can be displayed when a plurality of viewers want to view different images. Since it is necessary to prepare a device, there is a problem that a large place is required to install a plurality of display devices and a large amount of cost is required.

  In addition, the above-described image display device using the virtual reality technique needs to perform complicated processing by detecting the movement of the observer and the screen, which complicates the system configuration and increases the restrictions on the observer. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to configure as an actual display device.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a projection display system that allows a plurality of observers to simultaneously view different images with a simple configuration. More specifically, the observer can see the image at a free position with respect to the screen, and the observer can see the predetermined image only when the observer moves to the predetermined position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a projection display device in which different viewers can simultaneously see different images on a common screen.

  The projection display system of the present invention includes a screen made of a retroreflective material, and a plurality of image projection means for projecting an image on the screen from substantially the same direction as the line of sight of a plurality of observers with respect to the screen. It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, when the image is projected onto the screen composed of the retroreflective material by the image projecting means, the light constituting the image returns in the projection direction due to the recursion from the screen. An image on the screen is visually recognized by an observer having a line-of-sight direction set in substantially the same direction. At this time, the plurality of image projecting means is configured to project the image onto the screen from substantially the same direction as the line of sight of the plurality of observers, so that the plurality of observers face the screen from different positions. By doing so, it is possible to visually recognize the images individually projected on the screen. Therefore, it is possible for a plurality of viewers to simultaneously view different images using a common screen without being disturbed by other people.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the said image projection means is comprised so that it may move with the said observer. According to this, since the image projection unit is configured to move together with the observer, the image on the screen can always be visually recognized even if the observer moves.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the image projection means is configured to be attachable to the observer. According to this, by attaching the image projection means to the observer, the image projection means can be moved together with the observer without providing a moving mechanism or the like in the image projection means.

  In the present invention, it is desirable that the image projecting unit is configured to be attachable to the head of the observer. According to this, since the projection position of the image projection means can be set closer to the observer's eyes, a higher quality image can be visually recognized.

  It should be noted that the position of the image projecting unit may not necessarily match the actual light emitting position of the image projecting device. For example, by deflecting light emitted from the light emission position of the image projection device using a beam splitter or the like, the projection direction on the screen can be made substantially coincident with the viewing direction of the observer. It should be noted that the observer can view the best image by setting the object point of the projection image by the image projection means at a position optically conjugate with the observer's eyes.

  In the present invention, it is desirable to have sound generating means capable of generating sound in parallel with the image projection of the image projecting means. According to this, the observer can listen to the sound together with the image projected on the screen.

  Next, another projection display system of the present invention includes a screen made of a retroreflective material, an image projection unit that projects an image onto the screen from a predetermined position, and a position display unit that displays the predetermined position. It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, the observer can visually recognize the image on the screen projected by the image projection unit by moving to the predetermined position displayed by the position display unit. Therefore, for example, at exhibitions, museums, museums, museums, etc., it is possible to view only works that are desired to be observed without being disturbed by other people and without being distracted by other works. Here, examples of the position display means include an explanation indicating the contents of the image projected by the image projection means, a sign indicating the observation position of the observer, and the like. More specifically, explanations and signs are displayed on the floor, walls, panels, ceiling, and the like.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a seating portion for seating an observer at the predetermined position is provided as the position display means. According to this, since the observer's head position is determined when the observer is seated on the seating section, the observer's line-of-sight direction with respect to the screen can be set more accurately, so that the image projected on the screen Can be visually recognized better, and an observer can also be seated, so that the image can be visually recognized in a relaxed manner.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the plurality of image projecting units are provided at different positions. According to this, the observer can select and visually recognize an arbitrary image. In this case, it is desirable that at least a part of the image range on the screen projected by at least two of the plurality of image projecting units is overlapped with each other. . According to this, a plurality of observers can visually recognize different images on a limited screen. Therefore, the size of the image range projected by each image projection means can be set without being influenced by other images, and a large number of images can be projected and displayed simultaneously on a certain screen in parallel. Is possible.

  Next, still another projection display system of the present invention includes a screen made of a retroreflective material, and a plurality of image projection means for projecting an image onto the screen from different positions. .

  According to the present invention, a plurality of viewers can view different images on a limited screen. Moreover, it can comprise so that a different image can be visually recognized according to an observer's position.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that at least a part of an image range on the screen projected by at least two of the plurality of image projecting units is overlapped with each other. According to this, the size of the image range projected by each image projecting means can be set without being influenced by other images, and a large number of images can be simultaneously projected and displayed on a certain screen. Is possible.

  In the present invention, the screen is disposed so as to face an observer's passage, and at least two of the image projection means project images from different directions of the passage or from different distances with respect to the screen. It is preferable to be configured. According to this, an observer on one side of the passage with respect to the screen and an observer on the other side of the passage can see different displays, or different distances with respect to the screen. It is possible for viewers on the roadway to see different displays. Therefore, since the display content according to the position of the observer on the traffic path can be viewed, it is effective when used for traffic signs, road guidance displays, advertisements, and the like.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the image projecting unit is configured to project images respectively corresponding to the left and right eyes of the observer on the screen. According to this, a predetermined optical effect can be exhibited by projecting images corresponding to the left and right eyes of the observer on the screen. For example, by projecting images respectively corresponding to the line-of-sight positions of the left and right eyes, the viewer can visually recognize a three-dimensional display mode. In this case, by projecting the images corresponding to the line-of-sight positions of the left and right eyes onto the screen from a direction substantially corresponding to the line-of-sight direction of the left and right eyes, more specifically, optically for the left and right eyes By projecting an image having a conjugate object point on the screen, a three-dimensional image can be viewed without the observer wearing special glasses or the like.

  Next, an embodiment of a projection display system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the basic configuration of the projection display system of the present embodiment. The projection display system of the present embodiment includes a screen 10 made of a retroreflective material, and an image projection unit 20 that projects a predetermined image on the screen 10.

  The screen 10 is made of a retroreflecting material. The retroreflective material has a property of reflecting incident light in the incident direction. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the screen 10 is disposed on the reflective material 12 formed on the base material 11 and on the front side of the reflective material 12 (more specifically, the reflective material 12. And a transparent bead 13 made of a light transmitting material such as resin. The substrate 11 is preferably made of a flexible material such as cloth. The transparent beads 13 may be arranged in a state of being completely embedded in transparent materials having different refractive indexes. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a screen 10 'having an optical material 13' disposed on a base material 11 'via an air layer 12', and the optical material 13 'having a microprism 13a' is used. You can also. The microprism 13a ′ is formed by arranging pyramidal or conical projections in a plane in a horizontal and vertical direction.

  In the screen 10 of the present embodiment, the planar structural period of the structure of the retroreflecting material is set to be equal to or less than the image resolution required for the projection display system. Further, it is preferable that the structural period of the screen 10 is smaller than the resolution of the projected image on the screen 10 by the image projecting means 20. Thereby, since the resolution of the image projection means 20 can be reliably realized on the screen 10, the performance of the image projection means 20 can be exhibited effectively.

  The image projection unit 20 can be configured by various image projection apparatuses such as a liquid crystal projector and a slide projector. For example, FIG. 12 shows an example of the image projecting means 20 composed of a liquid crystal projector. An optical unit shown in the cross section in the figure is built in the housing of the image projection means 20, and this optical unit includes an illumination optical system including a light source and light beams R of red, green and blue. , G and B, a color composition optical system for recombining each light beam R, G, and B after passing through each liquid crystal light valve to be described later, and a color composition optical system from the color separation optical system And a light guide system for guiding the light flux to the side.

  The illumination optical system includes a light source lamp 201, integrator lenses 202 and 203 made of an assembly of minute lenses, a polarization conversion element 204 made of an assembly of a polarization separation film and a quarter wavelength plate, and a reflection mirror 205. And are installed. As the light source lamp, a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, or the like can be used. The polarization conversion element 204 has a structure in which a translucent plate built in a state in which polarization separation films inclined with respect to the optical axis are arranged is in contact with a quarter-wave plate. P-polarized light that has been transmitted through the separation film and reflected by the polarization separation film is reflected by another adjacent polarization separation film and converted to S-polarization, so that incident light can be aligned with S-polarization.

  In the color separation optical system, a red-green reflecting dichroic mirror 206 and a green reflecting dichroic mirror 208 are installed, and the light beams R and G are reflected by the red-green reflecting dichroic mirror 206 and the light beam B is transmitted. Of the reflected light beams R and G, the light beam G is reflected by the green reflecting dichroic mirror 208, and the light beam R passes through the green reflecting dichroic mirror 208.

  In the light guide system, the light beam B is reflected by the reflection mirror 207 and enters the condenser lens 215. The light beam G is directly incident on the condenser lens 214 from the green reflecting dichroic mirror 207. The light beam R enters the condenser lens 213 through the incident side lens 209, the reflection mirror 210, the intermediate lens 211, and the reflection mirror 212.

  Liquid crystal light valves 216, 217, and 218 are attached to the ends of the condenser lenses 213, 214, and 215, respectively. These liquid crystal light valves are configured by a liquid crystal panel module in which a liquid crystal panel, which will be described later, is housed in a panel mounting frame and a wiring member such as a flexible wiring board is connected, and the panel mounting frame, which will be described later, is supported and fixed in an optical unit. It is installed by inserting and fixing to 219. These light valves are controlled for switching according to desired image information by control drive means (not shown) (conductively connected to the wiring member), and modulate the light beams R, G, and B.

  In the color synthesis optical system, a dichroic prism that receives the light beams R, G, and B, which are respectively modulated by the liquid crystal light valves 216, 217, and 218 to form a predetermined image component, on three surfaces is configured. A cubic prism unit 220 is installed. The prism unit 220 combines the light beams R, G, and B to form a color image including desired image information. This color image is enlarged and projected on a screen (not shown) at a predetermined position by the projection lens unit 221.

  In such an image projecting means 20, among the image components modulated and formed by the liquid crystal light valves 216, 217, and 218, the image components formed by the liquid crystal light valves 216 and 218 are selectively stored in the prism unit 220. Although reflected by the reflecting surface, the image component formed by the liquid crystal light valve 217 passes through the prism unit 220 without being reflected. Therefore, the image component formed based on the light beams R and B and the image component formed based on the light beam G are combined in a state where they are mirror-inverted with respect to each other about the vertical axis in the left-right direction. Will be projected.

  The image projection unit 20 described above uses three liquid crystal light valves 216 to 218. However, as the image projection unit 20 of this embodiment, one liquid crystal light valve incorporating a color filter is used. It can also consist of things. In this case, the image projection means can be configured more compactly. Of course, if it is not necessary to project a color image, it may be a monochrome image projection means.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the projection light 20P projected by the image projection means 20 of the present embodiment hits the screen 10, the screen 10 is made of a retroreflecting material, so that it is in the same direction as the projection direction. The reflected reflected light 20Q is generated. Therefore, by arranging the light projection position of the image projecting unit 20 close to the eyes of the observer 5, the observer 5 can visually recognize the image projected on the screen by the image projecting unit 20. On the other hand, another observer who is away from the light projection position of the image projecting means 20 hardly sees the image. Here, arranging the light projection position of the image projection means 20 close to the eyes of the observer 5 means that the object point of the projection image of the image projection means 20 is in the vicinity of a position optically conjugate with respect to the eyes of the observer 5. It means that it is configured so as to be arranged. Of course, it is most desirable that the object point is arranged at an optically conjugate position with respect to the observer's eyes.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the present embodiment. A plurality of image projection means 20A, 20B, and 20C are prepared for the screen 10, and each is configured to have a projection direction that approximately matches the line-of-sight direction of the viewers 5A, 5B, and 5C with respect to the screen 10. . More specifically, for example, the image projection means 20A, 20B, and 20C are attached to the heads of the observers 5A, 5B, and 5C via attachment means such as a band, and are always viewed by the observers 5A, 5B, and 5C. It is set so that a projection direction substantially equal to the direction can be obtained.

  By configuring as described above, it is possible to project images from the plurality of image projecting units 20A to 20C onto the common screen 10, and each projected image has an eye direction in which the projection directions substantially coincide. It is visually recognized only by the persons 5A to 5C. That is, for an observer 5A, only the image projected by the image projecting means 20A is visually recognized, and the images projected by the other image projecting means 20B and 20C are not visually recognized. 10 can be shared and different images can be viewed individually.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which a plurality of image projection means 20Aa, 20Ab, 20Ac, 20B, and 20C are arranged in a space in which the screens 10A, 10B, and 10C are arranged. Here, positions where the images projected by the respective image projecting units can be visually recognized are displayed by the position display units 21Aa, 21Ab, 21Ac, 21Ba, and 21Ca. This position display means can be composed of marks (such as arrows) or characters drawn on the floor or panel.

  In this configuration example, when the observer is positioned at the position displayed by the position display means, the observer can visually recognize the image projected by each image display means. In addition, since the image projected by other image display means other than the image corresponding to the position cannot be viewed, only the target image can be concentrated and observed.

  Here, among the plurality of image projecting units, at least two image projecting units 20Aa, 20Ab, and 20Ac are configured such that at least a part of the projected image ranges overlap each other. Accordingly, a large number of images can be individually viewed without increasing the area of the commonly used screen 10A.

  The configuration shown in FIG. 5 is particularly effective when various exhibits are displayed as projection images in a museum, an art museum, an exhibition hall, or the like. In this case, the position display means may not be the mark as described above, and may be, for example, a chair (stool or bench) constituting the seating portion 21 as shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in the figure, the image projecting means 20 may be mounted on the seating section 21 itself. Further, instead of the seating section 21 itself, it may be disposed at a position close to the observer's head when sitting on the seating section 21. For example, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The image projection means 20 ′ may be mounted on the support 25 ′ fixed to the head. Further, like the image display means 20 ″ indicated by a three-dot chain line in FIG. 6, an image projection unit 20A ″ appropriately supported and fixed by a support 25 ″ and the light projected from the image projection unit 20A ″. It may include a light deflecting material 20B ″ such as a half mirror or a beam splitter that is deflected in the direction of the observer's line of sight and directed onto the screen 10. In this case, the object point of the projection image of the image projection means It is desirable that the position is substantially coincident with a position optically conjugate with the observer's eye.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration plan view schematically showing a headset that can be worn on the observer's head in each of the configuration examples shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5. The headset 30 shown in FIG. 7 includes a band unit 31 for mounting on the observer's head, image projection means 32 fixed to the band unit 31, and speaker units attached to both ends of the band unit 31. 33R, 33L. This headset 30 basically has the form of headphones. The image projection means 32 is fixed to either the left or right part or the center part of the band part 31. Thereby, the observer can visually recognize the image projected from the image projection means 32 on the screen comprised with the retroreflection material. Simultaneously with the above image, sound can be heard by the speaker units 33R and 33L.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration plan view schematically showing another headset 40 different from the above. This headset 40 differs from the above in that the image projection means 42R and 42L are fixed to the left and right positions of the band portion 41, respectively. The speaker units 43R and 43L are the same as described above. In this headset 40, the display mode when the viewer sees with the right eye is projected on the screen by the right image projection unit 42R, and the display mode when the viewer sees with the left eye by the left image projection unit 42L. Projected on the screen. The image projected by the image projecting means 42R is mainly observed with the observer's right eye, and the image projected by the image projecting means 42L is mainly observed with the observer's left eye. Thereby, the observer can visually recognize the three-dimensional image projected on the screen.

  In this case, special spectacles 45 for differentiating the types of light received by the observer from the left and right eyes are applied, and the types of light projected by the left and right image projection means 42R and 42L are mutually different. By making them different, it is possible to improve the selectivity of both images viewed by the observer with the left and right eyes. For example, it is assumed that the light constituting the image of the image projection means 42R is longitudinally polarized light, the light constituting the image of the image projection means 42L is transversely polarized light, and the right lens of the special glasses 45 transmits only the vertically polarized light By setting the left lens to transmit only laterally polarized light, the image of the image projection unit 42R can be observed only with the right eye, and the image of the image projection unit 42L can be observed only with the left eye. Examples of different types of light include those having different wavelengths of light in addition to those having different azimuths (deflection directions) of the light deflection surface as described above.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the headset 40. The main control device 101 composed of an MPU, a controller, etc. sends the original image data and audio data to the image processing device 102 and the audio processing device 103 synchronously. The image processing apparatus 102 processes the image data sent from the main control apparatus 101 to generate right-eye image data and left-eye image data, and sends them to the image projection means 42R and 42L. On the other hand, the audio processing device 103 sends the audio data sent from the main control device 101 to the speaker units 43R and 43L in synchronization with the image processing device 102.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory plan view showing a state in which a screen 54 made of a retroreflecting material is arranged inside a vehicle (automobile) 50. The screen 54 is disposed between the front seat (driver seat 51 or front passenger seat 52) and the rear seat 53. In particular, it is preferable that the front seats 51 and 52 are installed in the vicinity of the backrest portions. In this case, it is desirable that the vehicle 50 is disposed not behind the center portion but behind one of the driver seat 51 and the passenger seat 52. This is because the screen 54 can be configured not to prevent the driver from using the rearview mirror 55 to check the rear.

  The screen 54 is installed as described above, and an observer sitting on the rear seat 53 wears the headsets 30 and 40 shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 to see an image projected on the screen 54. Can do. In this case, even if two or more people board the rear seat 53, each person can see different images on the common screen 54 by wearing the headset. The image projecting means may be supported and fixed inside the vehicle 50, for example, the headrest of the rear seat 53, the ceiling portion above the rear seat 53, and the like. In the above, an example of an automobile is given as the vehicle, but an airplane (aircraft) may be used instead. In this case, it is possible to hold the screen on the rear surface (back surface) of the front seat and perform projection, observation, etc. using the image projection means.

  In FIG. 11, a screen (projection panel) 62 made of a retroreflective material is installed beside a traffic path (a road in the illustrated example) 61 through which an observer passes, and the screen 62 is arranged from one side of the traffic path 61. An image projecting unit 63A that projects an image toward the screen and an image projecting unit 63B that projects an image from the other side of the passage 61 toward the screen 62 are installed.

  In this way, an observer (a person on the vehicle in the illustrated example) 61A traveling from one side of the traffic path 61 views only the image projected by the image projecting unit 63A. The observer (same as above) 61B traveling from the other side views only the image projected by the image projection unit 63B. Therefore, by projecting images according to the needs of the viewers 61A and 61B onto the screen, a display mode with higher functionality than that of a conventional standing signboard or the like can be realized. For example, it is possible to separately display a destination road map, destination information, and the like for each of the observers 61A and 61B.

  In this embodiment, it can be configured such that specific display contents can be visually recognized only within a predetermined range of the passage 61 depending on the installation positions of the image projection means 63A and 63B. For example, a plurality of image projecting units that project an image from one side of the passage 61 toward the screen 62 are installed at different positions with respect to the screen 62. For example, by installing the image projecting unit 63A and the image projecting unit 63A ′, the viewer 61A traveling in the same direction can sequentially view a plurality of different display contents as the distance to the screen 62 decreases. Can do. For example, a configuration is possible in which a large character or a picture is displayed at a position far from the screen 62 so that it can be easily seen, and a large amount of information can be seen with a smaller letter or picture as the screen 62 is approached.

  The projection display system of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The schematic perspective view which shows the conceptual structure of this embodiment. The expanded partial sectional view which expands and shows the cross-section of a screen. The expanded partial sectional view of another screen. The schematic plan view which shows the structure of this embodiment. The schematic perspective view which shows the structure of another embodiment. The schematic block diagram which shows the example of a position display means. The schematic plan view which shows an example of a headset. The schematic plan view which shows the other example of a headset. 1 is a schematic configuration block diagram showing the configuration of a system including a headset. The schematic plan view which shows another embodiment. The schematic plan view which shows different embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of image projection means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Screen, 11 ... Base material, 12 ... Reflective material, 13 ... Transparent bead, 20 ... Image projection means, 21 ... Seating part

Claims (13)

  A screen made of a retroreflective material, and a plurality of image projecting means for projecting an image onto the screen from substantially the same direction as the line of sight of a plurality of observers with respect to the screen. Projection display system.   The projection display system according to claim 1, wherein the image projecting unit is configured to move together with the observer.   The projection display system according to claim 2, wherein the image projection unit is configured to be attachable to the observer.   The projection display system according to claim 3, wherein the image projecting unit is configured to be attachable to the head of the observer.   5. The projection display system according to claim 1, further comprising sound generating means capable of generating sound in parallel with image projection of the image projecting means.   A projection display system comprising: a screen made of a retroreflective material; image projection means for projecting an image onto the screen from a predetermined position; and position display means for displaying the predetermined position.   The projection display system according to claim 6, wherein a seating unit for seating an observer at the predetermined position is provided as the position display unit.   The projection display system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the plurality of image projecting units are arranged at different positions.   9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least a part of an image range on the screen projected by at least two of the plurality of image projecting units is overlapped with each other. The projection display system described.   A projection display system comprising: a screen made of a retroreflective material; and a plurality of image projection means for projecting an image onto the screen from mutually different positions.   11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least a part of an image range on the screen projected by at least two of the plurality of image projecting units is overlapped with each other. The projection display system described.   The screen is arranged so as to face an observer's passage, and at least two of the image projecting units project images from different directions of the passage or different distances to the screen, respectively. The projection display system according to claim 10, wherein the projection display system is configured as described above. The projection according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the image projecting unit is configured to project images respectively corresponding to the left and right eyes of the observer onto the screen. Display system.

Images