JP2994960B2 - Virtual image type stereoscopic image display device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a virtual image type stereoscopic image display device provided with a pair of display means provided corresponding to both eyes of an observer and having an enlargement optical system and a display panel device. The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a conventional virtual image type stereoscopic image display device. This virtual image type stereoscopic image display device
This is called a head-mounted stereoscopic display, and includes a left-eye display unit 10L and a right-eye display unit 10L.
R. Each of the display means 10L, 10R includes a liquid crystal panel (LCD) 11L, 11R and a magnifying lens 12.
L, 12R. A left-eye image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11L, and a right-eye image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11R.

[0003] An observer views images on the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R through magnifying lenses 12L and 12R arranged in front of both eyes 13L and 13R. Therefore, the image recognized by the observer is a virtual image on the virtual screens 14L and 14R on the rear surfaces of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R.

[0004]

The virtual screen 14
When the point A on L, 14R is the gazing point, the focus adjustment and the convergence movement are in harmony, and the eyes do not fatigue. However, the virtual screen 14L, 1
When the target object displayed as the left image L and the right image R on 4R is gazed, the gazing point shifts to the stereoscopic image position B of the target object due to the binocular parallax. That is, the line of sight of the left eye 13L moves from the line 21L to 22L, and the line of sight of the right eye 13R moves from the line 21R to 22R. In this case, the convergence movement is performed so as to match the stereoscopic image position B, and the focus adjustment is performed so as to match the virtual screens 14L and 14R on which the virtual images are formed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a virtual image type stereoscopic image display device in which eyes are hardly fatigued.

[0006]

A first virtual image type stereoscopic image display device according to the present invention is provided corresponding to both eyes of an observer, and includes a pair of display devices provided with a display panel device and an enlargement optical system. Means, gaze detection means for detecting information on gaze directions of both eyes of the observer, and virtual image plane position adjustment means for adjusting a virtual image plane position based on the detected information on gaze directions of both eyes. It is characterized by.

The virtual image plane position adjusting means adjusts the position of the display panel device of each display means so that the virtual image plane position comes to the gazing point of the observer. The virtual image plane position is adjusted to the gazing point of the observer. For example, a device for adjusting the position of the magnifying optical system of each display means is used.

A second virtual image type stereoscopic image display device according to the present invention is provided corresponding to both eyes of an observer, and includes a pair of display means provided with a display panel device and an enlargement optical system. Gaze detection means for detecting information about the gaze direction of the eyes, first adjustment means for adjusting the position in the front-rear direction of the virtual image plane based on the detected information about the gaze directions of both eyes, Second adjusting means for adjusting the left-right center position of the virtual image plane based on the information, and third adjusting means for adjusting the horizontal display position of each of the left and right images based on the detected information on the gaze directions of both eyes. It is characterized by having.

The first adjusting means adjusts the position of the display panel device of each display means so that the position in the front-rear direction of the virtual image plane is at the gazing point of the observer. A device that adjusts the position of the magnifying optical system of each display means so as to come to the point of gaze of the user is used.

As the second adjusting means, for example, means for adjusting the rotation angle position of the display devices of both display means and the magnifying optical system so that the left and right center positions of the virtual image plane are positioned at the gazing point of the observer. Used.

As the third adjusting means, for example, a means for shifting the display image in the horizontal direction so that the left and right centers of the display image of the gazing object coincide with the sight line center is used.

A first virtual image type stereoscopic image display method according to the present invention is characterized in that the position of the virtual image plane is adjusted according to the line of sight of both eyes of the observer.

In a second virtual image type stereoscopic image display method according to the present invention, information relating to the line of sight of the observer's eyes is detected, and the virtual image plane position is adjusted based on the detected information relating to the line of sight of both eyes. It is characterized by.

[0014]

In the first virtual image type stereoscopic image display apparatus according to the present invention, information on the line of sight of the observer's eyes is detected. Then, the position of the virtual image plane is adjusted based on the detected information regarding the gaze directions of both eyes.

[0015] In the second virtual image type stereoscopic image display apparatus according to the present invention, information on the line of sight of the observer's eyes is detected. The position in the front-rear direction of the virtual image plane is adjusted based on the detected information on the gaze directions of both eyes. Further, the left and right center positions of the virtual image plane are adjusted based on the detected information regarding the gaze directions of both eyes. Further, the horizontal display positions of the left and right images are adjusted based on the detected information regarding the gaze directions of both eyes.

In the first virtual image type stereoscopic image display method according to the present invention, the virtual image plane position is adjusted according to the line of sight of the observer's both eyes.

In the second virtual image type stereoscopic image display method according to the present invention, information on the line of sight of the observer's both eyes is detected, and the virtual image plane position is adjusted based on the detected information on the line of sight of both eyes. You.

[0018]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a three-dimensional image display device.

This virtual image type stereoscopic image display device includes a display means 10L for the left eye and a display means 10R for the right eye. Each display means 10L, 10R is a liquid crystal panel (LC
D) Equipped with 11L, 11R and magnifying lenses 12L, 12R. A left-eye image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11L, and a right-eye image is displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11R.

Each of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R is disposed so as to be movable in the optical axis direction of the magnifying lenses 12L and 12R. The positions of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R in the optical axis direction are adjusted by a position adjusting mechanism (not shown).

The display means 10L is provided with a line-of-sight detector 20L for detecting information regarding the line-of-sight direction of the left eye. Similarly, the display unit 10R is provided with a line-of-sight detector 20R for detecting information on the line-of-sight direction of the right eye.

As a method of detecting the line of sight, an EOG (Electro-Oc) utilizing a change in the potential of the cornea with respect to the retina is used.
ulography) method, a corneal reflection method that detects the movement of a virtual image generated inside the cornea when a spotlight is incident on the eyeball, utilizing the fact that the amount of reflected light differs between the white-eye part and the black-eye part when irradiating infrared rays to the eyes Sclera reflection method. The line-of-sight detectors 20L and 20R may detect the line of sight based on any method.

An observer views images on the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R through magnifying lenses 12L and 12R disposed in front of both eyes 13L and 13R. For this reason, the image recognized by the observer is a virtual image on the virtual screens (virtual image planes) 14L and 14R on the rear surfaces of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R.

The operation of the virtual image type stereoscopic image display device when the gazing point shifts from point A on the virtual screens 14L and 14R to point B before the point will be described. The fixation point is A
When it is at a point, the distance from the eyes 13L, 13R to the virtual screens 14L, 14R where the virtual images are formed is equal to the distance from the eyes 13L, 13R to the gazing point A. For this reason, focus adjustment and convergence movement are in harmony.

Point B is the stereoscopic image position of the target object when the target object displayed as the left image L and the right image R on the virtual screens 14L and 14R is gazed as shown in FIG. When the gazing point shifts to the point B, the line of sight of the left eye 13L shifts from the line 21L to 22L. Also, the right eye 13
The line of sight of R shifts from line 21R to 22R. Therefore, when some adjustment is not performed, both eyes 13L, 1L
Virtual screens 14L, 14R where virtual images are formed from 3R
Does not coincide with the distance from both eyes 13L, 13R to point of gaze B, and the eyes are easily tired.

In this virtual image type stereoscopic image display device, when the gazing point changes, the virtual screen (virtual image plane) shifts to a new gazing point based on the information on the gaze direction detected by the gaze detectors 20L and 20R. Thus, the positions of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R in the optical axis direction are adjusted.

For example, when the gazing point shifts from point A to point B, the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R are moved in the directions of the magnifying lenses 12L and 12R so that the virtual screen comes to point B. The positions of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R after movement are shown by broken lines in FIG. Further, new virtual screens (virtual image planes) are indicated by 15L and 15R in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a virtual image formed on the virtual screens 14L and 14R when the gazing point is point A and a new virtual screen 1 when the gazing point shifts from point A to point B.
An example of a relationship with a virtual image formed on 5L and 15R is shown.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, an image in which a person exists in front of the house is shown. When the gazing point is point A, the gazing object is an image of a house. When the gazing point is point A, the image of the house as the gazing object is in focus and the convergence angle is correct. Therefore, on the virtual screens 14L and 14R, the left-eye image and the right-eye image of the house have no parallax, and the left-eye image and the right-eye image of the person have parallax.

When gazing at an image of a person while gazing at the image of the house, the convergence angle changes due to binocular parallax, and the gazing point shifts from point A to point B. Accordingly, as described above, the virtual screen moves to the position of point B by moving the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R. Since the virtual screen shifts to the gazing point B in this way, when the gazing point is the point B, the image of the person being the gazing object is in focus and the convergence angle is adjusted. Therefore, on the new virtual screens 15L and 15R, there is no parallax between the left-eye image and the right-eye image of the person who is the gazing object, and there is a parallax between the left-eye image and the right-eye image of the house.

As described above, in the virtual image type stereoscopic image display device, even if the gazing point changes, the virtual screen is formed at the gazing point position, so that the convergence movement and the focus adjustment are in harmony and the eyes become tired. It becomes difficult.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the liquid crystal panel 11 when the gazing point changes using a general model
The method of controlling the positions of the L and 11Rs in the optical axis direction will be described in more detail.

A method of controlling the positions of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R in the optical axis direction when the point of gaze moves from point A to point B in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the position of the display means 10R in the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal display 11R and the position of the virtual image plane with respect to the right eye 13R.

In FIG. 3, the distance between the eyes 13L and 13R is E. In addition, in the plane of FIG.
A line passing through the centers of L and 13R and orthogonal to a line connecting both eyes 13L and 13R is defined as a reference line S. The distance from the right eye 13R to the point A is DAR, and the distance from the left eye 13R to the point A is DAL. The angle between the line of sight of the right eye 13R with respect to point A and the reference line S is θAR, and the angle between the line of sight of the left eye 13L with point A and the reference line S is θAL.

The distance from the right eye 13R to the point B is DBR,
The distance from the left eye 13R to the point B is defined as DBL. Also,
The angle between the line of sight of the right eye 13R with respect to the point B and the reference line S is θBR, and the angle between the line of sight of the left eye 13L with respect to the point A and the reference line S is θBL. The distances DAR, DAL, DBR and DBL are represented by the following equations, respectively.

[0036]

DAR = E / ｛sin θAR + (cos θAR × tan θAL)｝ DAL = E / ｛sin θAL + (cos θAL × tan θAR)｝ DBR = E / ｛sin θBR + (cos θBR × tan θBL)｝ DBL = E / {sin θBL + (cos θBL × tan θBR)}

In FIG. 4, the right eye 13R and the magnifying lens 1
Let e be the distance from 2R. Gaze point A and magnifying lens 12R
And the distance to b1. Assuming that the position of the liquid crystal panel 11R when the virtual image is formed at the gazing point A is PA, the distance between the magnifying lens 12R and the liquid crystal panel 11R at that time is a1.

The distance between the gazing point B and the magnifying lens 12R is represented by b2. Assuming that the position of the liquid crystal panel 11R when the virtual image is formed at the gazing point B is PB, the distance between the magnifying lens 12R and the liquid crystal panel 11R at that time is a2.

When the liquid crystal panel 11R is at the position PA, the following relationship is established between a1, b1 and the focal length f of the magnifying lens 12R.

[0040]

1 / f = −1 / b1 + 1 / a1

The distance between the right eye 13R and the gazing point A is DAR
Therefore, the above second equation is expressed as follows.

[0042]

1 / f = -1 / (DAR-e) + 1 / a1

When the liquid crystal panel 11R is at the position PB, the following relationship holds between a2, b2 and the focal length f of the magnifying lens.

[0044]

1 / f = -1 / b2 + 1 / a2

The distance between the right eye 13R and the gazing point B is DBR
Therefore, the fourth equation is expressed as follows.

[0046]

1 / f = −1 / (DBR−e) + 1 / a2

The distance ΔaR (a1-a2) for moving the liquid crystal panel 11R from the position PA to the position PB is as follows from the above equations 3 and 5.

[0048]

ΔaR = {f ² × (DBR−DAR)} {{(DBR−e + f) × (DAR−e + f)}

That is, when the gazing point shifts from point A to point B, the control movement amount of the liquid crystal panel 11R of the display means 10R with respect to the right eye 13R is ΔaR.

Similarly, the control movement amount ΔaL of the liquid crystal panel 11L of the display means 10L with respect to the left eye 13L when the gazing point shifts from the point A to the point B is as follows.

[0051]

ΔaL = {f ² × (DBL−DAL)} {{(DBL−e + f) × (DAL−e + f)}

That is, when the gazing point changes, the angle between the sight line and the reference line S of each eye 13L, 13R with respect to the gazing point is determined based on the information on the gaze direction detected by the gaze detectors 20L, 20R. Can be And
The distance from each eye 13L, 13R to the gazing point is determined based on the angle formed between the determined line of sight of the eye 13L, 13R with respect to the gazing point and the reference line S, and the above-described formula 1.

Thereafter, a predetermined magnifying lens 1
2L, 12R focal length f and magnifying lens 12L, 1L
Based on the distance e between the 2R and each of the eyes 13L, 13R, the distance from each of the eyes 13L, 13R to the gazing point, and Equations 6 and 7, the respective liquid crystal panels 11L, 11R.
The control movement amount of R is obtained. Then, each of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R is moved in the optical axis direction by the obtained control movement amount.

In the above embodiment, the line-of-sight detectors 20L, 20L
Each liquid crystal panel 11L, 11R is moved in the optical axis direction so that the virtual image position comes to a new point of gaze based on the information on the line of sight detected by R, but by moving the optical system. Is also good.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, each display means for each eye 31 is composed of a liquid crystal panel 32 and two lenses 33 and 34 disposed between the eye 31 and the liquid crystal panel 32. One of the two lenses is a fixed lens 33
The other is a movable lens 34 movable in the optical axis direction. Then, a lens position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the moving lens 34 in the optical axis direction is provided.

When the gazing point moves, the gaze detector 2
Based on the information on the line of sight detected by 0L and 20R, the moving lens 34 is moved so that the virtual image position comes to a new point of gaze. In the example of FIG. 5, when the point of regard shifts from point A to point B, moving lens 34 is moved from position PA to position PB.

FIG. 6 shows another virtual image type stereoscopic image display device.

In this virtual image type stereoscopic image display device,
Magnifying lenses 12L, 12R of each display means 10L, 10R
1 in that the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R can be rotated according to the line of sight. That is, the magnifying lens 1 of each display means 10L, 10R
2L, 12R and liquid crystal panels 11L, 11R are rotatably arranged. In addition, magnifying lenses 12L and 12R
Further, an angle position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the rotation angle position of the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R is provided.

When the gazing point moves from the point A to the point B, the liquid crystal panel is displayed on the basis of the information on the line of sight detected by the line of sight detectors 20L and 20R, as in the virtual image type stereoscopic image display device of FIG. The virtual screen (virtual image plane) is moved to point B by moving 11L and 11R in the optical axis direction (this processing is referred to as first processing). In this state, as shown by the virtual screens 15L and 15R in FIG. 1, the left and right center positions of the virtual screens 15L and 15R are shifted from the center of the line of sight.

Therefore, taking the image of FIG. 2 as an example, like the left and right images after the first processing shown in FIG. 2 and the left-eye image shown in FIG.
On R, the right and left center N of the gaze object (person) image coincides with the line-of-sight center M, but the left-right center position G of the virtual screens 15L and 15R does not coincide with the line-of-sight center M. For this reason, as shown in the left and right combined images after the first processing shown in FIG. 2, there is a portion where the left-eye image and the right-eye image do not overlap, and there is a problem that the luminance of the portion where both images do not overlap decreases. .

Therefore, in this virtual image type stereoscopic image display device, after the first processing, the magnifying lens 12L of each display means 10L, 10R, based on the information on the line of sight detected by the line of sight detectors 20L, 20R. The 12R and the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R are rotated such that their optical axes pass through the gazing point B (this process is referred to as a second process). Magnifying lens 12L after rotation, 1
The positions of the 2R and the liquid crystal panels 11L and 11R are shown by broken lines in FIG. Further, new virtual screens thus obtained are indicated by 15L and 15R in FIG.

According to the second process, FIG. 6 or FIG.
As shown in (b), the left and right center positions G of the virtual screens 15L and 15R coincide with the sight line center M. However, in this case, as shown in FIG. 7B, the right and left centers N of the gazing object (person) image are shifted from the sight line center M.

Therefore, in this virtual image type stereoscopic image display device, after the second processing, the left and right centers N of the gazing object (human) image are determined based on the information on the gaze direction detected by the gaze detectors 20L and 20R. The left and right display images are horizontally shifted by image processing so as to match the line-of-sight center M. The image after the horizontal shift is shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a virtual image formed on the virtual screens 14L and 14R when the gazing point is the point A, and after the gazing point is shifted to the point B and the first to third processes are performed.
The example of the relationship with the virtual image formed on new virtual screens 15L and 15R is shown.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the image after the gazing point is shifted to the point B, the center N of the left and right of the gazing object (person) image, the center M of the sight line, and the virtual screens 15L and 15R.
And the left and right centers G of the two coincide. In the combined image of the left eye and the right eye, since the left eye image and the right eye image overlap in all portions, there is no occurrence of a portion where the luminance is reduced like the image obtained by the virtual image type stereoscopic image display device of FIG. .

[0066]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a virtual image type stereoscopic image display device in which eyes of an observer are less likely to be tired.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a virtual image type stereoscopic image display device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a relationship between a virtual image when a gazing point is point A and a virtual image when the gazing point shifts to point B in the virtual image stereoscopic image display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a general model when a gazing point shifts;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of adjusting the position of the liquid crystal panel in the optical axis direction when the gazing point shifts as in the model of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a virtual image position is changed by moving a lens.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of another virtual image type stereoscopic image display device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining processing by the virtual image type stereoscopic image display device in FIG. 6;

8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a relationship between a virtual image when the gazing point is point A and a virtual image when the gazing point shifts to point B in the virtual image stereoscopic image display device in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a conventional virtual image type stereoscopic image display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10L, 10R Display means 11L, 11R Liquid crystal display 12L, 12R Magnifying lens 13L, 13R Eye of observer 14L, 14R Virtual screen 15L, 15R Virtual screen 20L, 20R Eye detector

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Koichi Yoneda 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshiya Iinuma 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Inside Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Katsumi Terada 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-7-248466 (JP, A) JP-A-6-260 235885 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G02B 27/22 H04N 13/04

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of display means provided respectively corresponding to both eyes of an observer and provided with a display panel device and a magnifying optical system, a visual line detecting means for detecting information on a visual line direction of both eyes of the observer. First adjusting means for adjusting the position in the front-rear direction of the virtual image plane based on the information about the detected line-of-sight directions of the two eyes, and determining the left-right center position of the virtual image plane based on the detected information about the detected line-of-sight direction of both eyes. A virtual image type stereoscopic image display device comprising: a second adjusting unit that adjusts; and a third adjusting unit that adjusts a horizontal display position of each of the left and right images based on information on the detected line of sight of both eyes. 2. The virtual image system according to claim 1, wherein the first adjusting means adjusts the position of the display panel device of each display means so that the position of the virtual image plane in the front-rear direction is at the gazing point of the observer. Stereoscopic image display device. 3. The virtual image system according to claim 1, wherein the first adjusting means adjusts the position of the magnifying optical system of each display means so that the front-back position of the virtual image plane is at the gazing point of the observer. Stereoscopic image display device. 4. The second adjusting means adjusts the rotation angle positions of the display devices of both display means and the magnifying optical system so that the left and right center positions of the virtual image plane are positioned at the gazing point of the observer. Item 3. A virtual image type stereoscopic image display device according to any one of Items 1, 2 and 3. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third adjusting means shifts the display image in the horizontal direction so that the left and right centers of the display image of the gazing object coincide with the sight line center.
The virtual image stereoscopic image display device according to any one of the above.