JP3122529B2 - Display / imaging 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 display / imaging device in which a display device and an imaging device used in a TV telephone, a TV conference system, and the like are combined.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of communication technology such as image coding technology, two-way video communication such as a TV telephone and a TV conference system connecting remote locations by a video / voice communication network has been rapidly spreading. . In the future, it is expected that a more realistic video service can be provided by the enhancement of the ISDN network and the increase in the bandwidth of the transmission network.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a display / imaging apparatus currently used for two-way video communication. In this device, CRT
The image is displayed on the display device 1 such as a display, and the imaging device 2 is arranged on the upper surface or the side surface of the display device 1 to image the user M. However, since a user of such a device normally looks at the display device 1, even if the user takes an image with the imaging device 2, the user M does not look at the imaging device 2. For this reason, there has been a drawback in that even if it is possible to transmit a video full of a high sense of reality, the conversation between the interlocutors is unnatural because their eyes do not match.

[0004] Therefore, as a method of simply achieving a match between the eyes of interlocutors, a method using a semi-transparent mirror (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
-65683 etc.). FIG.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional display / imaging apparatus that matches a line of sight using a semi-transparent mirror. In this example, since the semi-transparent mirror 6 inclined at 45 ° is usually installed on the front of the display device 1, the user M can see the screen of the display device 1 through the semi-transparent mirror 6,
Furthermore, since the image of the expression of the user M is captured by the imaging device 2 installed above the semi-transparent mirror 6 as a reflection image from the semi-transparent mirror 6, it is equivalent to being photographed from within the display surface of the display device 1, and The eyes can be matched.

[0005] A display screen 7 for switching light transmission / scattering state as shown in FIG. 10 as a method for matching the lines of sight of the interlocutors and for supporting a large screen display used in a TV conference system or the like. (JP-A-2-22893). In this method, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the display screen 7, the control device 9, the projection type display device 1 ′, and the imaging device 2 constitute an apparatus. The displayed screen is displayed, and in the transmissive state, the user M who is the subject is imaged by the imaging device 2 through the screen 7, thereby realizing eye-gaze matching. The control device 9 switches between the light transmission / scattering state of the display screen 7 and the display / imaging.

[0006]

However, of the display / imaging devices according to the above-mentioned conventional system, in the system shown in FIG. 9, the line of sight can be easily matched by using only one semi-transparent mirror 6. Since the semi-transparent mirror 6 is inclined and installed in front of the device 1, the volume of the entire apparatus is increased by an amount corresponding to the inclination of the semi-transparent mirror 6, and the device becomes larger. In order to realize a more realistic display, a large screen is indispensable. However, a semi-transparent mirror 6 having a large area is required, and the volume occupied by the semi-transparent mirror 6 is further increased. This method has a disadvantage that the size of the apparatus is inevitable.

On the other hand, FIG.
In the method using the display screen 7 for switching the light transmission / scattering state shown in (1), it is necessary to switch the screen state at high speed in order to prevent the display screen and the imaging screen from flickering. An expensive control circuit 9 for controlling the 1 'and the imaging device 2 at high speed and a screen 7 which can be switched at high speed are indispensable. Therefore, there are drawbacks that the configuration of the device itself becomes complicated and the device itself becomes expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a display / imaging device used in a TV telephone, a TV conference system, or the like, which enables the eyes of the interlocutors to coincide with each other. Another object of the present invention is to simplify the configuration of a display / imaging device capable of handling a large screen and to realize a reduction in price.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a display / imaging apparatus having an optical screen arranged in front of a display device and an imaging device, a micro prism is used as the optical screen. Using a micro prism plate in which a light blocking slit is provided corresponding to the micro prism of the optical screen, or using a micro prism plate in which micro prisms are arranged as the optical screen, the display device and And / or wherein crossed Nicol polarizing plates are arranged on the front surface of the imaging device.

[0010]

In the display / imaging device of the present invention, a screen made of a small prism plate capable of coping with a large screen and inexpensively manufactured is arranged in front of the display device and the imaging device, and the refraction of these small prisms is provided. By the action, the optical axis center of the display and the optical axis center of the imaging are matched in front of the screen,
The gaze matching between the interlocutors is easily realized without switching the display / imaging in a time division manner. A light-blocking slit provided corresponding to the micro prism or a front face of both the display device and the imaging device, or a crossed Nicol polarizing plate provided on the front surface of the other device when one device has a polarizing function. Prevents display or imaging of a double image.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an optical element used in a display / image pickup apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
(Hereinafter, referred to as a micro prism array 3) is configured by arranging a large number of micro prisms having an inclination angle θ with respect to the vertical direction, and the surfaces α,
When light or an image having a certain angle φ with respect to β is incident, the light path is changed in the normal direction to the back surface by refraction. Conversely, the light or the image perpendicularly incident on the flat surface on the back surface has an optical path branched from each surface of the prism in the direction of the angle φ. Therefore, a display device such as a display (or an image pickup device such as a camera) is positioned at a position A (in the example of the elevation angle φ in the example of FIG. 1), and a camera (or display) is positioned at the position B (in the direction of the depression angle φ in the example of FIG. 1). ), C in the normal direction (horizontal direction in the figure) with respect to the back surface
The display can be seen through the micro prism array 3 from this position, and the subject at the position C can be imaged by the camera through the micro prism array 3.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a display / image pickup apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As described with reference to FIG. 1, since the optical axis at which the user M looks at the display device 1 and the optical axis at which imaging is performed by the imaging device 2 are optically coincident with each other, the user M looks at the display device 1. At the same time, the user is looking at the imaging device 2. As a result, the eyes of the interlocutors can be matched.

However, in the optical system described with reference to FIG. 1, a display image or a picked-up image does not transmit through a single surface of α or β, but actually transmits through both surfaces. As a result, the display image can be viewed not only in the direction of the user M but also in other directions, and a so-called double image is observed. The same applies to imaging, in which an image other than the subject is captured and a double image is captured.
Thus, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a slit 4 for blocking light is provided between the display device 1 and the imaging device 2 and the micro prism array 3, and the light blocking slit 4 allows, for example, a display image to have an α-plane. Only the β image is transmitted through only the β plane, and the other optical paths are blocked by the light blocking slit 4. As a result, the aforementioned double image can be removed.

Although the display / imaging device frame is visible to the user M due to the optical path used for imaging, the display / imaging device frame is made black and dark except for the display device 1 so that images other than the display image can be displayed. Can be hidden from view.

The layout of the display device 1 and the image pickup device 2 shown in FIG. 2 is determined by the incident angle φ on the prism surface shown in FIG. 1. This φ is the inclination θ of the prism surface and the refraction of the prism material. The rate can be uniquely determined. For example, the prism is made of acrylic resin (refractive index ~
If it is prepared in 1.5) and the inclination θ of the prism surface is 35 °, φ = 24.4 °.

[Embodiment 2] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the display / image pickup apparatus according to the present invention. The major difference between the present embodiment and the configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
Is that a projection type display device 1 'is used instead of. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the scattering layer 3a is formed on the α-plane such that one of the prism surfaces (α-plane) of the micro prism array 3 replaces the display screen. You will see the image projected on layer 3a. In other words, the micro prism array 3 also serves as a display screen for the projection display device 1 'and an optical element for making the optical path of the image coincide with the display.

In this embodiment, since one of the prism surfaces of the micro prism array 3 is the scattering layer 3a, the imaging device 2 does not take a double image.
In order to capture also the image projected on a, a light blocking slit 4 is provided as in the first embodiment to prevent the image quality of the captured image from deteriorating.

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment,
Although the prism surface is arranged on the display device 1 and the imaging device 2 side, it is obvious that the same effect can be obtained even if the prism surface is arranged on the user M side.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 5 shows another sectional view of an optical element used in a third embodiment of the present invention. 1 of FIG. 1 and FIG.
The difference from the embodiment is that a light blocking layer 5 equivalent to the light blocking slit 4 of FIG. 2 is formed on the back surface of the prism surface as shown in FIG. 5, and the light blocking slit 4 and the micro prism array 3 of FIG.
Are simultaneously produced.

FIG. 6 shows a configuration diagram of a display / image pickup apparatus using the optical element shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, since the micro prism array 3 and the light blocking layer 5 as a light blocking slit are formed integrally, the optics of the micro prism array 3 and the light blocking slit 4 required in the first embodiment of FIG. There is an advantage that a special alignment is not required.

[Embodiment 4] FIG. 7 shows another configuration of the display / image pickup apparatus according to the present invention. The micro prism array 3 having the structure with the scattering layer shown in FIG. 4 is used, and instead of the light blocking slit 4 in FIG.
a and 8b are installed on the front of the projection display 1 'and the imaging device 2. If the light blocking slit 4 is not provided, the display image projected on the scattering layer will be reflected on the imaging device 2, but the linearly polarized image projected by the polarizing plate 8a installed on the front surface of the projection display device 1 '. And the direction of linearly polarized light by the polarizing plate 8b installed in front of the imaging device 2 is 90 °.
Because of the difference, the display image is not reflected on the imaging device 2. With such a configuration, the optical alignment between the light blocking slit 4 and the micro prism 3 necessary in FIG. 2 is not required. When a liquid crystal projector is used for the projection display 1 ', the projection light itself is linearly polarized, so that it is not necessary to install the polarizing plate 8a on the front surface of the projection display 1'. This prevents the luminance of the displayed image from deteriorating.

In this embodiment, an example in which the projection type display device 1 'is used is shown. However, the same effect can be obtained by using the ordinary direct-view type display device 1 and installing the polarizing plate 8a on the front surface of the display device 1. Obviously,

In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the case where the imaging device 2 is installed above the display device 1 (or 1 ') has been described. Needless to say, it can be installed in Regarding the orientation of the micro prism array, the same effect can be obtained by arranging the surface on which the micro prism is formed on the user M side or arranging the surface on which the micro prism is not formed on the user side M. It is clear. As described above, the present invention can be variously applied according to the gist and can take various embodiments.

[0025]

As described above, in the display / image pickup apparatus of the present invention, the screen can be moved only by installing the optical element (micro prism plate) constituted by the micro prism in front of the display apparatus and the image pickup apparatus. It is possible to realize a display / imaging apparatus which can easily cope with a large screen and can match the line of sight without switching to the light transmission / scattering state by division. At that time, the optical element used in the present invention can easily and inexpensively produce a large-area element by using a lenticular lens or a Fresnel lens production technique used in a projection display device, and realizes eye-gaze matching for large-screen display. There is an advantage that the cost increase for performing can be extremely small. For this reason, it is possible to make the visual lines coincide only by installing this optical element in the conventional display / imaging device that does not coincide with the visual line. Furthermore, since an expensive circuit or screen for controlling the time division is not required as compared with the conventional method in which the state of the screen is time division of the light transmission / scattering state, there is an advantage that it can be realized at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an optical element used in a display / imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a display / imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the display / imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an optical element used in a display / imaging apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an optical element used in a display / imaging apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the display / imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the display / imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional display / display used for two-way video communication.
Configuration diagram of imaging device

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a conventional display / imaging apparatus that achieves eye-gaze matching using a semi-transparent mirror.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a conventional display / imaging apparatus that achieves eye-gaze matching for large-screen display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display apparatus 1 '... Projection display apparatus 2 ... Imaging apparatus 3 ... Micro prism array 4 ... Light blocking slit 5 ... Light blocking layer 8a, 8b ... Polarizing plate

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shigenobu Sakai 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (56) References JP-A-61-65683 (JP, A) JP-A-5-284493 (JP, A) JP-A-62-280817 (JP, A) JP-A-5-30503 (JP, A) JP-A-5-506327 (JP, A) A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 7/10 H04N ^7/ 14-7/173 H04N ^7/ 20-7/22

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A display / imaging device comprising an optical screen disposed in front of a display device and an imaging device, wherein a fine prism plate having micro prisms arranged therein is used as the optical screen. A display / imaging device, wherein a light blocking slit is provided correspondingly. 2. A display / imaging device comprising an optical screen disposed in front of a display device and an imaging device, wherein the display device and / or the imaging device uses a micro prism plate in which micro prisms are arranged as the optical screen. A display / imaging device, wherein crossed Nicol polarizing plates are arranged on the front of the device.