JP2014178652A - Optical element, display device and optical element manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in which, in conventional devices, for arranging many objects in the air, and for making a user feel a sense of depth, all of the objects has to be disposed on a rear side of a mirror, and thus, a limited space on the rear side of the mirror has been messy.SOLUTION: An optical element comprises: a surface part that reflects a first flux of light to be radiated from a first object, and forms a first image; and an image formation part that images a second flux of light to be radiated from a second object in a space on an observer side from the surface part, and forms a second image.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical element, a display device, and a method for manufacturing the optical element.

By using a mirror composed of micromirrors assembled in a grid, an image of the object behind the mirror is formed between the mirror and the user so that the object floats in the air. A display device that is shown is known (see Patent Document 1).
[Prior art documents]
[Patent Literature]
[Patent Document 1] JP 2012-177922 A

  In order to give the user a sense of depth by arranging multiple near-view and background objects in the air, it is necessary to place all objects behind the mirror, and the limited space behind the mirror is complicated. It was.

  The optical element according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a surface portion that reflects a first light beam emitted from a first object to form a first image, and a second light beam emitted from a second object. And an imaging unit that forms an image in a space closer to the viewer to form a second image.

  The display apparatus in the 2nd aspect of this invention is equipped with said optical element and the installation part which installs at least any one of the said 1st object and the said 2nd object.

  In the method of manufacturing an optical element according to the third aspect of the present invention, a light beam emitted from an object arranged in a space opposite to the observer side is reflected a plurality of times and directed toward the space on the observer side. A first step of forming an image forming unit including a mirror structure in which micromirrors to be reflected are arranged in a matrix; and a second step of performing mirror processing on the surface of the observer side of the image forming unit. Have.

  It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention. In addition, a sub-combination of these feature groups can also be an invention.

It is explanatory drawing of the display apparatus 100 which concerns on 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the micromirror element 140 which concerns on 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the micromirror element 140 which concerns on 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the display apparatus 200 which concerns on 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing of the image formed with the display apparatus 200 which concerns on 2nd Example. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the display apparatus 300 which concerns on 3rd Example. It is a flowchart of the manufacturing process of the micromirror element 140 in this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the micromirror element 340 which concerns on a 4th Example. It is explanatory drawing of the optical system of the holographic element 440 which concerns on 5th Example.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solving means of the invention.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a display device 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1A is a conceptual diagram of the entire display device 100, and FIG. 1B is a diagram of an image shown in an observer's eye.

  The display device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a first display 111 that displays a first video, a second display 112 that displays a second video, a first installation unit 121 that installs the first display 111, and a second display. A second installation unit 122 on which the display 112 is installed. Furthermore, the display device 100 includes a first movable arm 131 that moves the first installation unit 121, a second movable arm 132 that moves the second installation unit 122, a first image 171 that is a virtual image, and a second image that is a real image. And a micromirror element 140 that forms an image 172. The first image 171 is formed by the first light flux 11 emitted from the first display 111, and the second image 172 is formed by the second light flux 12 emitted from the second display. In addition, the display device 100 includes a support base 150 that supports the first movable arm 131, the second movable arm 132, and the micromirror element 140, and a control unit 160 that controls at least the first movable arm 131 and the second movable arm 132. And comprising.

  The first display 111 and the second display 112 are substantially rectangular thin video display devices, for example, liquid crystal displays. When a signal is supplied from the control unit 160, the first display 111 and the second display 112 display an image according to the signal. An image displayed on the display is an image that does not emit light other than an image formed as an aerial image. For example, the background of an image formed as an aerial image may be filled with black. Thereby, the observer can observe a plurality of images superimposed in the air. In addition, the first display 111 and the second display 112 include a luminance adjustment unit that adjusts the luminance of each display under the control of the control unit 160.

  In the present embodiment, the first display 111 is installed in the first installation unit 121 such that the display surface faces the micromirror element 140. The second display 112 is installed in the second installation unit 122 such that the display surface faces the micromirror element 140. Further, the micromirror element 140 is located between the first display 111 and the second display 112. Therefore, the first display 111 and the second display 112 are installed so that the display surfaces face each other.

  The first installation part 121 is fixed to the first movable arm 131 and has a long hole for inserting and holding the first display 111. The second installation part 122 is fixed to the second movable arm 132 and has a long hole for inserting and holding the second display 112. In the present embodiment, a display is used as the object, but the object may be a three-dimensional object. Here, the object refers to an object as an entity that forms an aerial image. However, when the object is a display, it includes an image of an image formed as an aerial image. The three-dimensional object may be a self-luminous body or a reflector that receives light irradiation. In this case, the installation part in the present embodiment refers to the entire installation table in which, for example, an acrylic plate is inserted into the long hole in order to load a three-dimensional object.

  The micromirror element 140 includes a half mirror 230 as a surface portion on the first display 111 side and an imaging portion 220 on the second display 112 side, as will be described in detail later. The half mirror 230 reflects the first light beam 11 emitted from the first display 111 to form a first image 171 that is a virtual image. The imaging unit 220 projects the second light flux 12 emitted from the second display 112 onto the space on the first display 111 side, and forms the second image 172 corresponding to the image displayed on the first display 111 as a real image. Let me image.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the first display 111 displays a mountain image, and the second display 112 displays a bus image. In such a case, the observer squints the micromirror element 140 from the space on the first display 111 side so that the bus floating in the space between the observer and the micromirror element 140 and the back of the micromirror element 140 are Mountains floating in space can be observed on the same straight line. That is, it is possible to give the viewer a sense of depth in the video by causing the near view to appear as a real image in front of the viewer and projecting the background onto the half mirror 230. As shown in FIG. 1B, the parallel aerial image can be viewed by an observer assuming that the bus is located in front of the mountain. As shown in the figure, the image formed in front of the observer does not hide the image formed in the back as viewed from the observer. The same applies to the following embodiments.

  The 1st movable arm 131 and the 2nd movable arm 132 are electric arms which can move the 1st installation part 121 and the 2nd installation part 122 to arbitrary directions. That is, the first movable arm 131 can adjust the position and angle of the first display 111, and the second movable arm 132 can adjust the position and angle of the second display 112. The electric arm may include, for example, a plurality of rotation shafts that are rotatable in the middle of the arm, and the arm may be fixed to the support base so as to be rotatable in the roll direction. Thereby, the formation place of the first image 171 and the second image 172 can be moved.

  Specifically, for example, in this embodiment, when it is desired to move a foreground bus over a wide range in front of a background mountain, a range in which the bus which is the second image 172 can be moved by moving an image in the second display 112. Are limited by the screen size of the second display 112. However, if the second display 112 is moved in the space below the micromirror element 140 by moving the second movable arm 132, the optical path of the second light flux 12 emitted from the second display 112 is changed, and the second display 112 is moved. The place where the image 172 is formed can be moved. That is, by moving the second movable arm 132, the bus that is the second image 172 can be freely moved in the space between the observer and the micromirror element 140. Further, by enabling the first movable arm 131 and the second movable arm 132 to operate the formation place of the first image 171 and the second image 172, for example, the display itself can be reduced in size, so that the entire display device 100 can be reduced in size. Can also be achieved.

  The control unit 160 can change the formation positions of the first image 171 and the second image 172 by controlling the above-described operations of the first movable arm 131 and the second movable arm 132. For example, when the viewpoint sensor provided in the display device 100 detects the position of the observer's eyes and the detection result is input to the control unit 160, the control unit 160 detects that the first light beam 11 and the second light beam 12 are detected positions. The angle or the like of the first movable arm 131 and the second movable arm 132 may be adjusted so as to be incident on. Thereby, the observer can observe the aerial image even if the viewpoint position is changed.

  In addition, the control unit 160 can adjust the contrast ratio of both displays by controlling the brightness adjusting units of the first display 111 and the second display 112. That is, for example, if the brightness of the second display 112 is higher than that of the first display 111, the second image 172 can be formed more clearly than the first image 171. In addition, the control unit 160 may adjust the contour of the video on each display. For example, if the outline of the video on the second display 112 is emphasized, the boundary between the second image 172 and the first image 171, that is, the boundary between the foreground and the background can be clarified and sharpened.

  In this embodiment, it is preferable that the display device 100 is installed in a dark place without any other light source. Although described later in detail, the half mirror 230 is a reflective surface having transparency. Therefore, if the display device 100 is installed in a dark place, it is possible to prevent the light beams from the light sources other than the first display 111 from being reflected by the half mirror 230 and entering the viewer's viewing angle. An image can be obtained. Further, the entire display device 100 may be housed in a housing that can block light from the outside, and a viewing hole for an observer may be provided. As a result, the light beam from the light source other than the first display 111 is prevented from being reflected by the half mirror 230 and entering the observer's viewing angle even when the display device 100 is not installed in the dark place. And a clear aerial image can be obtained.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system in the micromirror element 140 according to the first embodiment. 2A is an overall view of the micromirror element 140, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion where a light beam enters the micromirror element 140. FIG. In the drawings used in the following description, the elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 are omitted as elements that exhibit the same function unless otherwise specified.

  The micromirror element 140 includes flat plates 221 and 222 made of a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped materials arranged in parallel, and a half mirror 230 as a reflective layer. The half mirror 230 is formed on the surface of the flat plate 221. A mirror structure is formed by the flat plates 221 and 222, and the mirror structure constitutes the imaging unit 220.

  The rectangular parallelepiped material is made of a plastic or glass rod represented by transparent acrylic, with one side of a square cross section in the short-side direction being around several hundred μm to several cm. The length of the rectangular parallelepiped material in the longitudinal direction is about several centimeters to several meters. Further, three of the four surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction are surfaces used for light transmission or reflection, and thus are in a smooth state. About 100 to 20000 rectangular parallelepiped materials are used for each of the flat plates 221, 222. A light reflecting film is formed on one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped material extending in the longitudinal direction. The light reflecting film is formed by vapor deposition or sputtering of aluminum or silver. A light absorption film is formed on the surface opposite to the surface on which the light reflection film is formed, and a light absorption surface is formed by the light absorption film. The light absorption film may be formed by sticking a black thin sheet. Further, the light absorption film may be formed by attaching a matte black paint.

  The plurality of rectangular parallelepiped materials are formed by bringing a light absorbing film surface of one rectangular parallelepiped material into close contact with a light reflecting film surface of another adjacent rectangular parallelepiped material. The flat plate 221 is laminated and bonded onto the flat plate 222. The parallel direction of the rectangular parallelepiped material of the flat plate 221 is orthogonal to the parallel direction of the rectangular parallelepiped material of the flat plate 222. Thus, a mirror structure is formed.

  In addition, the light absorption film may be formed on the light reflection film instead of closely adhering the light absorption film surface of one rectangular parallelepiped material and the light reflection film surface of another rectangular parallelepiped material. Thereby, simplification of a manufacturing process can be achieved, for example.

  The half mirror 230 is formed by laminating on the surface of the flat plate 221 opposite to the surface on the flat plate 222 side. The half mirror 230 constitutes a reflective layer having both light reflectivity and transmissivity.

  In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, when the first light beam 11 is incident on the half mirror 230, the first light beam 11 reflected by the half mirror 230 is incident on the eyes of the observer. Further, when the second light beam 12 is incident on the image forming unit 220 on the surface opposite to the half mirror 230, the second light beam 12 reflected in the image forming unit 220 is in the eyes of an observer in the space on the half mirror 230 side. Incident. When the optical system is enlarged, as shown in FIG. 2B, both light beams that have followed different optical paths when entering the micromirror element 140 are the same optical path when entering the eyes of the observer. Become.

  This will be specifically described below. First, when the first light beam 11 is incident on the half mirror 230, it is reflected once on the surface of the half mirror 230 with a reflection angle equal to the incident angle. On the other hand, when the second light beam 12 is incident on the flat plate 222 of the micromirror element 140, the second light beam 12 is first reflected on the light reflecting film surface of the flat plate 222. When the first reflected second light beam is incident on the flat plate 221, the light is reflected a second time on the light reflecting film surface of the flat plate 221. That is, the second light beam 12 is reflected by the imaging unit 220 twice in total and is emitted from the imaging unit 220. The second light beam 12 reflected twice by the imaging unit 220 passes through the half mirror 230. That is, when the second light beam 12 is incident on the imaging unit 220, the second light beam 12 is emitted from the half mirror 230 on the opposite side to the incident time.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first light beam 11 and the second light beam 12 incident on the micromirror element 140 from different surfaces are incident on the eyes of the observer in the space on the half mirror 230 side through the same optical path. Thus, the observer can observe the image shown on the first display and the image shown on the second display on the same straight line.

  In the present embodiment, the half mirror 230 is used as the reflective layer, but a cover glass may be used as the reflective layer. As with the half mirror 230, the cover glass can reflect the light beam and transmit the light beam. Alternatively, the surface of the micromirror element 140 may be made a reflective surface by polishing the surface of the micromirror element 140 without providing a reflective layer. Thereby, for example, the manufacturing process can be shortened.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system of the micromirror element 140 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, the positional relationship among the observer, the first display 111, the second display 112, the first image 171, and the second image 172 is drawn with respect to the micromirror element 140 together with the observation axis 10 and the central axis of each light beam. Yes. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for illustration purposes. Specifically, the micromirror element 140 is shown as a cross-sectional view, while the first display 111 and the second display 112 are shown as perspective views. Yes. In particular, the first display 111 and the second display 112 are illustrated so that each display surface appears so that an image displayed on each display surface can be visually recognized. More specifically, when viewed from the micromirror element 140, the display surface of the first display 111 is illustrated such that one of the four sides of the first display 111 is labeled UP. . Similarly, when viewed from the micromirror element 140, the display surface of the second display 112 is illustrated such that one of the four sides of the second display 112 is labeled UP. Further, the first image 171 and the second image 172 are also illustrated so as to be visually recognized as images. The same applies to FIGS. 8 and 9 described later.

  The first display 111 is disposed at a position where the first light beam 11 radiated from the display surface of the first display 111 enters the half mirror 230. The second display 112 is disposed at a position where the second light flux 12 emitted from the display surface of the second display 112 is incident on the imaging unit 220.

  The observation axis 10 is a virtual optical axis that extends in the stacking direction of the micromirror elements 140 from the center of the micromirror element 140 and has an inclination with respect to the micromirror elements 140. In the present embodiment, aerial images are formed side by side on the observation axis 10. Therefore, the observer can observe a series of aerial images by observing the aerial image with the line of sight coincident with the observation axis 10.

  In the present embodiment, the first display 111 displays a mountain image. When the display surface of the first display 111 is viewed in front from the half mirror 230 at an elevation angle, the image of the mountain is projected upside down with respect to the image shown to the observer. By projecting the image of the first display 111 in this way, the observer can observe the mountain image reflected by the half mirror 230 as an upright image in which the top, bottom, left and right are correct.

  The second display 112 displays a bus image. When the display unit of the second display 112 is viewed from the imaging unit 220 of the micromirror element 140 at a depression angle, the image of the bus is displayed as an image that is vertically and horizontally reversed with respect to the image shown to the observer. By projecting the image of the second display 112 in this manner, the observer can observe the bus image reflected twice by the imaging unit 220 as an upright image in which the top, bottom, left and right are correct.

  In the present embodiment, the mountain image is formed at a position symmetrical to the first display 111 around the half mirror 230. The image of the bus is formed at a position that is substantially plane-symmetric with respect to the second display 112 with the imaging unit 220 as the center. In addition, the first display 111 and the second display 112 have a substantially axially symmetric positional relationship around the observation axis 10. Therefore, a mountain image and a bus image can be formed on the observation axis 10 by adjusting the arrangement of the first display 111 and the second display 112. In addition, by setting the top, bottom, left, and right of the video on each display as described above, the observer can observe the correct bus image and mountain image on the observation axis 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  From the above, by making the surface of the micromirror element 140 a reflective surface, the observer can observe a real image and a virtual image on the same line of sight. In other words, as compared with the case where the aerial image is formed only in the space between the observer and the micromirror element, the present embodiment can give the observer a greater sense of depth of the aerial image. In addition, this makes it possible to arrange the display not only on the back side of the micromirror element 140 but also on the front side. In other words, it is possible to avoid complications due to the arrangement of all displays on the back side of the micromirror element 140.

  In the first embodiment described above, the display device 100 has been described as a configuration including one micromirror element 140, but may be configured to include a plurality of micromirror elements 140. In the second embodiment, the display device has two micromirror elements.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system of the display device 200 according to the second embodiment. The display device 200 according to the present embodiment includes micromirror elements 141 and 142, a third display 113 that displays a third video, a fourth display 114 that displays a fourth video, and a fifth video that displays a fifth video. Display 115.

  In FIG. 4, the positions of the third display 113, the fourth display 114, and the fifth display 115 in the display device 200 are represented as P3, P4, and P5, respectively. For the purpose of simplifying the drawing, the third image 173, the fourth image 174, and the fifth image 175 formed on the observation axis 10 are represented by I3, I4, and I5, respectively. Furthermore, the formation positions of the third image 173, the fourth image 174, and the fifth image 175 are represented as F3, F4, and F5, respectively. Then, the third light flux 13 emitted from the third display 113, the fourth light flux 14 emitted from the fourth display 114, and the fifth light flux 15 emitted from the fifth display 115 are connected to the observation axis 10 and each of them. It is drawn with the central axis of the luminous flux. A third image 173 is formed by the third light flux 13 emitted from the third display 113, and a fourth image 174 is formed by the fourth light flux 14 emitted from the fourth display, and is emitted from the fifth display. A fifth image 175 is formed by the fifth light flux 15.

  The micromirror elements 141 and 142 are the same as the micromirror element 140 used in the first embodiment. The micromirror elements 141 and 142 are arranged so that the surface directions of the half mirrors 231 and 232 are orthogonal to each other. Furthermore, the end of the surface of the half mirror 232 of the micromirror element 142 is surface-bonded to the side surface of the micromirror element 141 in the stacking direction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the luminous flux emitted from the display located behind the micromirror element 141 and the micromirror element 142 from directly entering the eyes of the observer.

  The observation axis 10 is a virtual optical axis that extends in the stacking direction of the micromirror elements 141 around the center of the micromirror element 141, and is inclined with respect to the micromirror elements 141. In the present embodiment, aerial images are formed side by side on the observation axis 10. Therefore, the observer can observe a series of aerial images by observing the aerial image with the line of sight coincident with the observation axis 10.

  In this embodiment, F3, F4, and F5 are aligned on the observation axis 10 in order from the front of the observer. F3 and F4 are both on the observation axis 10 between the observer and the micromirror element 141, while F5 is on the observation axis 10 extending deep inside the micromirror element 141 when viewed from the observer.

  The third display 113 is at a position P3 that is substantially plane-symmetric with F3 with respect to the horizontal plane formed by the plane of the micromirror element 141 through which the observation axis 10 passes. Further, the third display 113 is installed in such a direction that the third light flux 13 radiated from the third display 113 enters the image forming portion of the micromirror element 141.

  The position of the fourth display 114 is a position substantially symmetrical with F4 with respect to the horizontal plane as a first position, and a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane forms a vertical plane formed by the plane of the micromirror element 142. , At a position P4 that is plane-symmetric with respect to the first position. Further, the fourth display 114 is installed in such a direction that the fourth light beam 14 emitted from the fourth display 114 is incident on the imaging portion of the micromirror element 142.

  The position of the fifth display 115 is located at a position P5 that is substantially plane-symmetric with F5 with respect to the horizontal plane as a second position and that is plane-symmetric with the second position with respect to the vertical plane. Further, the fifth display 115 is installed such that the fifth light flux 15 emitted from the fifth display 115 is incident on the half mirror 232 of the micromirror element 142. Hereinafter, the optical system of the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  First, the third light flux 13 radiated from the third display 113 is reflected twice by the imaging unit 220 of the micromirror element 141, and is emitted with respect to the horizontal plane along an optical path that is substantially plane-symmetric with the third display 113. As a result, a third image 173 is formed at a position substantially plane-symmetric with the third display 113 with respect to the horizontal plane.

  Next, the fourth light flux 14 radiated from the fourth display 114 is reflected twice by the image forming unit 220 of the micromirror element 142, and has an optical path that is substantially plane-symmetric with the fourth display 114 with respect to the vertical plane. Eject. Here, the optical path length of the fourth light beam 14 from the fourth display 114 to the micromirror element 142 is longer than the optical path length of the fourth light beam 14 from the micromirror element 142 to the micromirror element 141. Therefore, the fourth light beam 14 emitted from the micromirror element 142 is reflected once by the half mirror 231 of the micromirror element 141 without converging between the optical paths from the micromirror element 142 to the micromirror element 141. The optical path of the fourth light beam 14 reflected by the half mirror 231 coincides with the observation axis 10, and the fourth light beam 14 converges on the observation axis 10. That is, the fourth image 174 is formed at the convergence position.

  Here, the optical path length of the fourth light flux 14 from the fourth display 114 to the micromirror element 142 is the optical path length of the fourth light flux 14 from the micromirror element 142 to the half mirror 231 and the fourth reflected by the half mirror 231. This substantially coincides with the sum of the optical path lengths until the light beam 14 converges.

  As described above, the third image 173 and the fourth image 174 are formed side by side on the observation axis 10 between the observer and the micromirror element 141 in order from the front of the observer.

  The fifth light beam 15 emitted from the fifth display 115 is reflected by the half mirror 232 and further reflected by the half mirror 231. The optical path of the fifth light beam 15 reflected a total of two times coincides with the observation axis 10, and the fifth light beam 15 enters the eyes of the observer. A fifth image 175, which is a virtual image of the image of the fifth display 115, is formed on the observation axis 10 in the back of the micromirror element 141 when viewed from the observer. Here, the sum of the optical path length of the fifth light beam 15 from the fifth display 115 to the half mirror 232 and the optical path length of the fifth light beam 15 from the half mirror 232 to the half mirror 231 is the fifth image from the half mirror 231. This coincides with the distance on the observation axis 10 to the formation position 175.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the third image 173, the fourth image 174, and the fifth image 175 are formed side by side on the observation axis 10 in this order from the front of the observer. Details of the image of the display and the image formed on the observation axis 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the micromirror element 141 and the micromirror element 142 are joined, but the two micromirror elements may be arranged apart from each other. However, both micromirror elements are arranged so that the third image 173, the fourth image 174, and the fifth image 175 are formed on the observation axis 10. For example, the micromirror element 142 may be translated along the extension of the optical path between the micromirror element 142 and the micromirror element 141 so that the micromirror element 142 is separated from the micromirror element 141. However, as the micromirror element 142 moves, the positions of the third display 113 and the fourth display 114 are adjusted as appropriate. Thereby, for example, the formation place of each image can be changed. The same applies to a third embodiment described later.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an image formed by the display device 200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an image on each display. FIG. 5B is a conceptual perspective view of an image formed on the observation axis 10. FIG. 5C is a view of an image formed on the observation axis 10 as seen from the observer's eyes.

  In FIG. 5A, the third display 113 displays a bus image, the fourth display 114 displays a forest image, and the fifth display 115 displays a mountain image. Here, as shown in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C, each image on the observation axis 10 viewed from the observer is the same as the image of the bus and the image of the mountain. However, the image of the forest is inverted from the image on the fourth display 114. This is because when the fourth light flux is reflected by the micromirror element 141 and the micromirror element 142, the inverted fourth image 174 is formed on the observation axis 10. Therefore, the upright fourth image 174 can be formed on the observation axis 10 by pre-inverting the image of the fourth display 114. Whether the video to be displayed on each display is inverted or increased is determined in consideration of the number of reflections by the mirror. The inversion processing of the video signal may be performed by the control unit or another video processing unit.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the optical system of the display device 300 according to the third example. FIG. 6A is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of each component in the display device 300, and FIG. 6B is a diagram of an image formed on the observation axis 10 viewed from the observer's eyes.

  The display device 300 according to the present embodiment includes micromirror elements 141 and 142, a third display 113, a fourth display 114, a fifth display 115, a sixth display 116 that displays a sixth image, and a seventh display. A seventh display 117 for displaying video. Further, the display device 300 includes a first half mirror 261 and a second half mirror 262. Except for the provision of the sixth display 116, the seventh display 117, the first half mirror 261, and the second half mirror 262, the display device 200 is the same as that of the second embodiment.

  In FIG. 6, the arrangement of the third display 113, the fourth display 114, the fifth display 115, the sixth display 116, and the seventh display 117 in the display device 300 is represented as P3, P4, P5, P6, and P7, respectively. Yes. In order to simplify the drawing, the third image 173, the fourth image 174, the fifth image 175, the sixth image 176, and the seventh image 177 formed on the observation axis 10 are respectively represented by I3, I4, I5, I6 and I7. Furthermore, the formation positions of the third image 173, the fourth image 174, the fifth image 175, the sixth image 176, and the seventh image 177 are represented as F3, F4, F5, F6, and F7, respectively. Then, the third light flux 13 emitted from the third display 113, the fourth light flux 14 emitted from the fourth display 114, the fifth light flux 15 emitted from the fifth display 115, and the radiation from the sixth display 116 are emitted. The sixth light flux 16 and the seventh light flux 17 emitted from the seventh display 117 are drawn together with the observation axis 10 and the central axis of each light flux. A third image 173 is formed by the third light flux 13 emitted from the third display 113, and a fourth image 174 is formed by the fourth light flux 14 emitted from the fourth display, and is emitted from the fifth display. A fifth image 175 is formed by the fifth light flux 15, a sixth image 176 is formed by the sixth light flux 16 emitted from the sixth display, and a seventh image 177 is formed by the seventh light flux 17 emitted from the seventh display. It is formed.

  In this embodiment, F3, F4, F7, F6, and F5 are positioned on the observation axis 10 in this order from the front of the observer. F3, F4, and F7 are both located on the observation axis 10 between the observer and the micromirror element 141, while F6 and F5 are the observation axis 10 extending deep inside the micromirror element 141 when viewed from the observer. Located on the top.

  As for the 1st half mirror 261 and the 2nd half mirror 262, one plane is a reflective surface, and the back surface of a reflective surface is a transmissive surface. Therefore, a different light flux is obtained by arranging the half mirror on the optical path of one light flux with the transmission surface of the half mirror as the incident surface of the light flux and making another light flux incident on the reflection surface of the half mirror. The center axis of the can be matched.

  In the present embodiment, the first half mirror 261 is disposed in the space between the fifth display 115 and the micromirror element 142 and on the central axis of the fifth light flux 15 emitted from the fifth display 115. . Further, the first half mirror 261 is arranged such that the incident side of the fifth light flux 15 is a transmission surface. The transmission surface forms 45 degrees with the central axis of the fifth light flux 15.

  Similarly, the second half mirror 262 is disposed in the space between the fourth display 114 and the micromirror element 142 and on the central axis of the fourth light flux 14 emitted from the fourth display 114. Further, the second half mirror 262 is arranged such that the incident side of the fourth light beam 14 is a transmission surface. The transmission surface forms 45 degrees with the central axis of the fourth light beam 14.

  The position of the sixth display 116 is a first position that is plane-symmetric with F6 with respect to the horizontal plane, a second position that is plane-symmetric with the first position with respect to the vertical plane, and With respect to the horizontal plane formed by the plane of the first half mirror 261, the plane is symmetrical to the second position at a position P6. Furthermore, the sixth display 116 is installed in such a direction that the sixth light flux 16 emitted from the sixth display 116 enters the first half mirror 261.

  The position of the seventh display 117 is a third position that is plane-symmetric with F7 with respect to the horizontal plane, the fourth position is a position that is plane-symmetric with the third position with respect to the vertical plane, and With respect to the horizontal plane formed by the plane of the second half mirror 262, the plane is symmetrical to the fourth position at a position P7. Further, the seventh display 117 is installed such that the seventh light flux 17 emitted from the seventh display 117 is incident on the second half mirror 262.

  Here, the central axis of the sixth light beam 16 reflected by the first half mirror 261 coincides with the central axis of the fifth light beam 15 transmitted through the first half mirror 261. However, the optical path length of the center axis of the sixth light beam 16 from the sixth display 116 to the first half mirror 261 is shorter than the optical path length of the center axis of the fifth light beam 15 from the fifth display 115 to the first half mirror 261. . Thereby, the sixth image 176 that is a virtual image is formed in front of the fifth image 175 that is a virtual image on the observation axis 10 extending behind the micromirror element 141 when viewed from the observer.

  Further, the central axis of the seventh light flux 17 reflected by the second half mirror 262 matches the central axis of the fourth light flux 14 transmitted through the second half mirror 262. However, the optical path length of the central axis of the seventh light beam 17 from the seventh display 117 to the second half mirror 262 and the optical path length of the central axis of the seventh light beam 17 from the second half mirror 262 to the micromirror element 142 The sum is longer than the optical path length of the central axis of the seventh light flux 17 from the micromirror element 142 to the micromirror element 141. Therefore, the seventh light flux 17 radiated from the micromirror element 142 is reflected by the half mirror 231 of the micromirror element 141 once without converging between the optical paths from the micromirror element 142 to the micromirror element 141. The central axis of the seventh light beam 17 reflected by the half mirror 231 is located on the observation axis 10, and the seventh light beam 17 converges on the observation axis 10. That is, the seventh image 177 is formed at the convergence position.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the third image 173, the fourth image 174, the seventh image 177, the sixth image 176, and the fifth image 175 are formed side by side on the observation axis 10 from the front of the observer. Can do. For example, if the third image 173 is a bus image, the fourth image 174 is a forest image, the fifth image 175 is a mountain image, the sixth image 176 is a sun image, and the seventh image 177 is a house image, As shown in FIG. 6B, the observer can observe each image formed on the observation axis 10 by superimposing them on the same straight line.

  From the above, the number of images formed on the observation axis 10 can be increased by providing the first half mirror 261 and the second half mirror 262 in the display device 200 of the second embodiment. Further, the arrangement positions of the plurality of half mirrors are not limited to the arrangement positions in the present embodiment, and can be freely arranged on each light beam with the incident side of each light beam as a transmission surface. That is, by using a plurality of half mirrors, for example, the complexity of device arrangement in the display device can be avoided.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the manufacturing process of the micromirror element 140 in this embodiment. The manufacturing process includes a first process composed of steps S101 and S102, a second process composed of step S103, and a third process composed of step S104.

  In step S101, flat glass plates 221 and 222 that are arranged side by side so as to be in close contact with each other are formed using a plurality of glass-made longitudinal members having a light reflecting surface and a light absorbing surface. In step S102, the imaging unit 220 is formed by bonding the flat plates 221 and 222 so that the parallel directions of the longitudinal members are orthogonal to each other.

  In step S103, using the imaging unit 220 manufactured in step S102, one plane of the flat plates 221 in which the longitudinal members are arranged is polished. As a polishing method, for example, automatic polishing using a polishing machine can be used. Planar polishing ends when the polished surface becomes a smooth surface having reflectivity.

  In step S104, aluminum or silver is vapor-deposited on the polished surface of the imaging unit 220 polished in step S103, and a half mirror 230 is formed on the polished surface. The micromirror element 140 in this embodiment is manufactured by the above manufacturing process.

  In the present embodiment, the half mirror 230 is formed on the polished surface of the imaging unit 220. However, the micromirror element may not have the half mirror 230. That is, the polished surface of the imaging unit 220 polished in step S103 may be used as the reflecting surface. Thereby, the light transmittance of the real image radiated | emitted from the image formation part 220 can be raised.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an optical system of the micromirror element 340 according to the fourth embodiment. In the embodiments so far, the planar half mirror 230 is used as the reflective layer, but in the present embodiment, the concave half mirror 330 is used as the reflective layer.
The micromirror element 340 includes the imaging unit 220 described above, a glass single-sided concave lens 380, and a half mirror 330 formed on the concave surface of the single-sided concave lens 380. The plane opposite to the concave surface of the single-sided concave lens 380 is fixed to the polishing surface of the imaging unit 220. The concave surface of the single-sided concave lens 380 is polished. The half mirror 330 is formed by depositing aluminum or silver on the concave surface of the single-sided concave lens 380.

  The concave surface of the half mirror 330 is formed as an elliptical curved surface. The first display 111 is disposed at one of the two focal points of the concave half mirror 330. An elliptically curved concave mirror can form an image on the other focal point by placing a point light source at one of the two focal points. That is, if the first light beam 11 radiated from the first display 111 arranged at one focus of the half mirror 330 can be regarded as a point light source with respect to the half mirror 330, it can be imaged at the other focus. it can. Therefore, the first display 111 is relatively small with respect to the half mirror 330. The second display 112 is disposed on the image forming unit 220 side of the micromirror element 340.

  In the present embodiment, the first light beam 11 radiated from the first display 111 and the second light beam 12 radiated from the second display 112 enter the micromirror element 340 and enter the eyes of the observer. The optical system up to will be described.

  First, the second light flux 12 that is reflected twice from the imaging unit 220 and enters the single-sided concave lens 380 is refracted by the single-sided concave lens 380 to form a second image 372 that is a real image. The second image 372 is formed at a position farther from the micromirror element 340 than the micromirror element 140 that does not have the single-sided concave lens 380.

  Next, the first light beam 11 radiated from one focal point of the half mirror 330 and incident on the half mirror 330 is reflected by the concave half mirror 330 and converges near the other focal point of the half mirror 330 to be a real image. A first image 371 is formed.

  As described above, the optical paths of the first image 371 and the second image 372 that are real images formed by the first light beam 11 and the second light beam 12 are positioned on the observation axis 10. Thus, the second image 372 and the first image 371 can be formed side by side on the observation axis 10 in front of the micromirror element 340 in order from the front of the observer. That is, by using the micromirror element 340, the observer can observe the second image 372 and the first image 371 in an overlapping manner in order from the front on the observation axis 10. Of the two planes of the micromirror element 340, a single-sided concave lens having a curved surface having a curvature close to that of the concave surface may be installed on the surface on which the single-sided concave lens 380 is not fixed. By providing a single-sided concave lens so that the planes are bonded to both planes of the micromirror element 340, distortion of the second light beam 12 can be suppressed. Further, instead of the half mirror 330, a holographic element that forms a real image with natural light and functions as a concave mirror may be used.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the optical system of the holographic element 440 according to the fifth embodiment. In the embodiments so far, the optical system using the micromirror element as an optical element has been described. In the present embodiment, an optical system using the holographic element 440 as an optical element will be described.

  In the holographic element 440, the reference light from the second image 472 that floats is recorded in advance as an interference fringe using a laser. Further, the surface portion 430 of the holographic element 440 is subjected to planar polishing, and the surface portion 430 is used as a reflection surface without providing a reflection layer of a half mirror.

  The first display 111 is located in the space on the surface portion 430 side of the holographic element 440. Further, the first display 111 is arranged such that the central axis of the first light beam 11 radiated from the first display 111 is inclined with respect to the surface portion 430. The first light beam 11 is reflected by the surface portion 430.

  In this embodiment, the holographic element 440 is irradiated with the reproduction illumination light from the reproduction device 490 from the space on the viewer side. As a result, a second image 472 which is a pseudoscopic real image is formed on the observation axis 10 in front of the observer. In addition, the optical path after the first light beam 11 radiated from the first display 111 is reflected by the surface portion 430 is located on the observation axis 10, and thus extends to the back of the holographic element 440 when viewed from the observer. A first image 471 that is a virtual image is formed on the observation axis 10. That is, a second image 472 that is a real image and a first image 471 that is a virtual image are formed side by side on the observation axis 10 in order from the front of the observer. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the observer can superimpose the second image 472 and the first image 471 on the observation axis 10 without using the space opposite to the surface portion 430 of the holographic element 440. Can do.

  In this embodiment, the reproduction illumination light from the regenerator 490 is irradiated from the space on the viewer side, but the reproduction illumination light may be irradiated from a space on the opposite side of the viewer. . Thereby, the second image 472, which is an orthoscopic real image, can be formed on the observation axis 10 extending in the back of the holographic element 440 when viewed from the observer.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The order of execution of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings is particularly “before” or “prior to”. It should be noted that the output can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings, even if it is described using “first”, “next”, etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. It is not a thing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Observation axis, 11 1st light beam, 12 2nd light beam, 13 3rd light beam, 14 4th light beam, 15 5th light beam, 16 6th light beam, 17 7th light beam, 100 Display apparatus, 111 1st display, 112 1st 2 display, 113 3rd display, 114 4th display, 115 5th display, 116 6th display, 117 7th display, 121 1st installation part, 122 2nd installation part, 131 1st movable arm, 132 2nd movable Arm, 140, 141, 142 Micromirror element, 150 Support base, 160 Control unit, 171 1st image, 172 2nd image, 173 3rd image, 174 4th image, 175 5th image, 176 6th image, 177 7th image, 200 display device, 220 imaging unit, 221, 222 flat plate, 230, 231, 232 half 261, first half mirror, 262 second half mirror, 300 display device, 330 half mirror, 340 micromirror element, 371 first image, 372 second image, 380 single-sided concave lens, 430 surface portion, 440 holographic element 471 First image 472 Second image 490

Claims (10)

A surface portion that reflects the first light flux emitted from the first object to form a first image;
An optical element comprising: an image forming unit that forms a second image by forming an image of a second light beam emitted from the second object in a space closer to the observer than the surface portion.   The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the surface portion is formed by a reflective layer that reflects the first light flux.   The imaging unit reflects the second light beam emitted from the second object disposed in a space opposite to the observer side with respect to the optical element a plurality of times to reflect the optical element on the observer side. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the micromirrors that reflect toward the space include a mirror structure arranged in a matrix.   The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first image and the second image are observed by the observer so that at least a part of the first image and the second image overlap in the depth direction.   The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the surface portion is formed by a half mirror that transmits a part of the second light flux.   The said imaging part records the interference fringe by coherent light previously, receives the reproduction illumination light radiated | emitted from a reproducing | regenerating apparatus, and contains the holographic element which floats an image in space. The optical element described. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A display device comprising: an installation unit configured to install at least one of the first object and the second object.   The display device according to claim 7, further comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts a relative contrast between the first image and the second image.   The display device according to claim 7, wherein the third light beam emitted from the third object is reflected by at least two of the optical elements arranged so as not to be parallel to each other to form a third image. A mirror structure in which micromirrors that reflect a light beam emitted from an object arranged in a space opposite to the viewer's side a number of times and reflect it toward the space on the viewer's side are arranged in a matrix. A first step of forming an imaging portion including:
The manufacturing method of the optical element which has the 2nd process of carrying out the mirror surface processing of the surface by the side of the said observer among the said imaging parts.

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