JPH05307185A - Plural-picture display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To display plural pictures on one screen so that a user can easily segregate and recognize each picture without making the display space of each picture small and without hidden each other. CONSTITUTION:A liquid crystal screen controller 20 successively makes one of three liquid crystal screens 10 superposed at intervals translucent at a high speed, and makes other two transparent. A picture selecting device 30 synchronously selects the picture to be displayed corresponding to the translucent one, and a video projector 40 executes projection. While each picture is displayed, the user U can surely view the picture without being hidden by another picture since the another liquid crystal screen is transparent. Each picture can be displayed with the maximum size of the video projector 40. Since each picture is positioned on a point at a different distance from the observing point of the user U, the user can easily classify and recognize each picture by viewing the picture by means of the focusing function of eye.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image display device used in a computer or an image communication terminal, and more particularly to a display device for displaying a plurality of images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a CRT or the like has been used as an image display device of a computer or an image communication terminal. As a method of displaying a plurality of images on these devices, the screen division method shown in FIG. 10 and the overlapping window method shown in FIG. 11 are used. In the screen division method of FIG.
The first image 101 and the second image 10 are displayed on one screen 100.
When displaying the 2nd and 3rd images 103, the display area of the screen 100 is divided into 3 according to the number of the images, and it displays so that it may not overlap. On the other hand, in the overlap window method of FIG. 11, a window is independently set for each image and displayed on the screen 200 while allowing overlap. For example, in FIG. 7, the first image 201 overlaps the second image 202 displayed earlier, and the third image 1
03 is displayed overlapping. In addition to these methods, a method of superimposing and displaying images in a semitransparent state (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-7893) has also been used.

[0003]

However, each of the above-described conventional methods for displaying a plurality of images has the following problems.

(1) In the screen division method as shown in FIG. 10, there is a problem that a limited screen space must be divided into areas of each image and each space becomes small.

(2) In the overlap window method as shown in FIG. 11, there is a problem that a portion of the lower image where another image overlaps is hidden and invisible.

(3) In the method of superimposing and displaying images in a semi-transparent manner, the above-mentioned problems such as the space being small and being hidden and invisible can be solved, but a plurality of superposed images can be sorted out. It was difficult to recognize.

As described above, in the conventional device, a plurality of images in one screen are recognized by the user by separating each image without reducing the space of each image and hiding each other. There was no way to display it easily.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to display a plurality of images on one screen without reducing the display space of each image and to display the other images. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-image display device that can display each image in a form that can be easily recognized by a user without hiding the image.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a multiple image display device which displays a plurality of images at the same time and is electrically controlled to be in a transparent or translucent state and spaced from each other. A plurality of liquid crystal screens that are placed one on top of the other, a liquid crystal screen control device that sequentially controls one of the plurality of liquid crystal screens to be semitransparent and the other liquid crystal screen to be transparent, and the liquid crystal screen control An image selection device that selects and outputs one input image from a plurality of input images in synchronization with the device making the liquid crystal screen semi-transparent, and an image selected by the image selection device on the liquid crystal screen. And an image projecting device for projecting toward each other, or are electrically controlled to be in a transparent or translucent state and are arranged with a space therebetween. A plurality of liquid crystal screens, a plurality of image projection devices that respectively project respective images corresponding to the plurality of images toward the liquid crystal screen, and a transparency disposed in front of each of the image projection devices electrically. Controllable electronic shutter and one of the plurality of liquid crystal screens
Control the sheets one by one to be semi-transparent to control the other liquid crystal screens to be transparent, and control one of the electronic shutters to be opened and the other electronic shutters to be closed in synchronization with making the liquid crystal screens to be semi-transparent. And a control device that operates.

[0010]

In the multi-image display device of the present invention, the liquid crystal screen control device or the control device makes one of the plurality of liquid crystal screens overlapping each other semitransparent and synchronizes the other liquid crystal screens transparent. The image selection device selects an image to be displayed on the translucent liquid crystal screen, or one of the electronic shutters in front of the plurality of image projection devices is opened, and the image projection device projects the image. Since the projected image passes through the transparent liquid crystal screen and forms an image only on the semitransparent liquid crystal screen, the images corresponding to each liquid crystal screen are selected and displayed while sequentially changing the liquid crystal screen to be semitransparent. By doing so while switching at high speed, the user can always see that each image is displayed on a plurality of liquid crystal screens which are located at different distances from the observation point and overlap each other.

Since each image is transparent to the other liquid crystal screen which does not display the image during the period in which each image is displayed, the user can see each image without fail, and each image is covered by the other image. It won't disappear. Further, each image can be displayed in the maximum size that can be displayed by the image display device that constitutes the device.

Further, since each image is located at a different distance from the user's observation point, the user can easily see each image by using the focus adjustment function of the eyes or looking at the image while moving the observation position. Can be recognized separately.

[0013]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is an example in which one video project and three liquid crystal screens are used as an image projection apparatus. In FIG. 1, 10 is three (LCS1, LCS2, LCS3) liquid crystal screens that are overlapped with each other, 20 is a liquid crystal screen control device, 30 is an image selection device, 40 is a video projector, and 50 is a plurality of input image signals. Further, S1, S2, S3 are signals for driving the respective liquid crystal panels, P1, P2, P3 are respective image signals input by the input image signal 50, and P is the image selecting device 3.
A display image signal selected by 0 and projected by the video projector 40 is shown. U is a user who views the image.

In the configuration of the present embodiment, the three liquid crystal screens LCS1, LCS2 and LCS3 are arranged in parallel with each other with a space therebetween, facing each other in the viewing direction of the user U. A video projector 40 is arranged behind these three liquid crystal screens 10.

In the above, the display image P of the video projector 40 is input from the image selection device 30. A plurality of image selection devices 30 are input by the input image signal 50 (three in the example shown in the figure, corresponding to the number of liquid crystal screens 10).
The images P1, P2 and P3 are sequentially switched in synchronism with the frame period to form the display image signal P. A synchronization signal synchronized with this switching is also input to the liquid crystal screen control device 20.

The liquid crystal screen 10 is transparent when an appropriate AC voltage is applied, and semitransparent when no AC voltage is applied. The liquid crystal screen control device 20 generates this AC voltage, and sequentially switches in synchronization with the above-mentioned synchronization signal to send out AC voltage signals S1, S2, S3 to the liquid crystal screens LCS1, LCS2, LCS3.

The operation and action of the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described. 2 (a), (b) and (c) are diagrams showing examples of images displayed in this embodiment, FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation thereof, and FIGS. 4 (a), (b) and (c). ) And FIG. 5 are diagrams for explaining the operating principle thereof, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining the scaling ratio of the image in the present embodiment.

For purposes of explanation, the image signals P1, P
It is assumed that the images P1, P2 and P3 shown in FIG. 2 are input to 2 and P3. The apparatus of the present embodiment has a screen L
Images P1, P2 and P are respectively displayed on CS1, LCS2 and LCS3.
3 to display. As shown in the time chart of FIG. 3, the image selection device 30 switches P1 and P while switching for each frame in synchronization with the frame period of the image signal.
2 and P3 are sequentially selected and output, and the selected image P is projected on the liquid crystal screen 10 by the video projector 40.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the liquid crystal screen control device 20 that operates in synchronization with the image selection device 30.
In the period T1 shown in the time chart of FIG. 3 in which the image selection device 30 selectively outputs the image P1, S other than S1 is displayed.
By applying the AC voltage signals of S2 and S3 and not applying S1, only the liquid crystal screen LCS1 is made semitransparent and the other is made transparent. The image P1 projected from the video projector 40 is a transparent liquid crystal screen LCS.
2, LCS3 is transparent and translucent liquid crystal screen L
Image on CS1. As shown in FIG. 4B, in the period T2 following the period T1, the image selection device 30 displays the image P2.
And the liquid crystal screen control device 20 applies the AC voltage signals of S1 and S3 and does not apply S2 to make only the liquid crystal screen LCS2 semitransparent. The image P2 projected from the video projector 40 passes through the liquid crystal screen LCS3 and forms an image on the liquid crystal screen LCS2. At this time, since the liquid crystal screen LCS1 is transparent,
When the user U visually recognizes the image formed on the liquid crystal screen LCS2, the liquid crystal screen LCS1 does not prevent it. Similarly, as shown in FIG.
In a period T3 subsequent to the period T2, the image P3 is selected and projected, and only the liquid crystal screen LCS3 is made semitransparent so that the image is displayed on the liquid crystal screen LCS3. Since the liquid crystal screen on which the image is displayed is translucent, the user U can see the image from the opposite side.

In this way, by repeating the cycles T1, T2, T3 at high speed in synchronization with the frame cycle of the video projector signal, the liquid crystal screen LCS1,
It is possible to display the images P1, P2 and P3 on the LCS2 and LCS3. Further, during the period in which each image is displayed, other screens do not hinder the user from visually recognizing the displayed image. As a result, as shown in FIG. Overlapping screens LCS1, LCS2 located at
Images P1, P2 and P3 appear to be displayed at the position of LCS3.

In the apparatus of the present embodiment, one video projector 40 projects an image on three screens LCS1, LCS2 and LCS3 located at different distances, and therefore the focus is required to focus on each screen. It is necessary to use a deep projection lens. Further, since the image formed on the screen closer to the video projector 40 is smaller than the image formed on the far screen, it is necessary to strictly match the size of the images among the three images. In this case, the images P1, P2, P3 to be projected
Need to be enlarged or reduced by using a method such as image processing. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance between the video projector 40 and the liquid crystal screens LCS1, LCS2, LCS3 is L.
1, L2, L3. When the projection angle of view of the video projector 40 is adjusted to the liquid crystal screen LCS3, FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The images P1 and P2 may be reduced so that the lengths C1 and C2 of one side of 1 and P2 are C1 = L3 / L1 C2 = L3 / L2, respectively.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the structure. In this embodiment, the device of the present invention is configured by using three liquid crystal screens, three video projectors, and a liquid crystal shutter that blocks or transmits the projection light of the video projector, and is more strict than the device of the first embodiment. This is an example in which the focus of the image and the projection angle of view can be adjusted to each screen.

In FIG. 8, 10 is three liquid crystal screens (LCS1, LCS2, LCS3) which are overlapped with each other, 41, 42 and 43 are video projectors arranged in parallel, and 60 is attached to the projection lens portion of the projector. The liquid crystal shutter includes the video projector 4
Those attached to the lens portions 1, 42, 43 are LCS1 ', LCS2', LCS3 ', respectively. Reference numeral 61 is a liquid crystal screen / liquid crystal shutter control device for controlling the transparency of the liquid crystal shutter 60 and the liquid crystal screen 10 in synchronization. The other parts are the same as the components with the same numbers as in FIG.

In the configuration of this embodiment, the three images P1, P2, P3 of the input image signal 50 are input to the corresponding three video projectors 41, 42, 43 so that they can be projected on the liquid crystal screen 10. .. The three liquid crystal screens LCS1, LCS2, LCS3 are arranged in parallel with a space therebetween, and although not shown in the drawing, the user U is the first.
Of the video projectors 41, 42, 43 as in the embodiment of
View the display of the liquid crystal screen 10 from the opposite side. The liquid crystal shutter 60 can be opened / closed by controlling its transparency by applying or not applying an AC voltage, and blocks or transmits the projection light of the video projectors 41, 42, 43.

The operation and action of the second embodiment having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation. Images P1, P2 and P3 are input to the video projectors 41, 42 and 43, respectively, and projected on the liquid crystal screen 10. The video projector 41 has a liquid crystal screen L.
Focus on the distance of CS1, LCD screen LCS1
The projection angle of view is adjusted to the size of. Similarly, the video projector 42 is aligned with the liquid crystal screen LCS2, and the video projector 43 is aligned with the liquid crystal screen LCS3.

While projecting the images P1, P2 and P3 on the video projectors 41, 42 and 43 respectively, the liquid crystal screens LCS1 and LC are displayed as shown in the time chart of FIG.
S2, LCS3 and liquid crystal shutters LCS1 ', LCS
2 ', LCS 3'is operated. In the period T1 in the figure, only the liquid crystal shutter LCS1 'of the three liquid crystal shutters is transparent (open), so only the image P1 is projected on the liquid crystal screen 10, and the other liquid crystal shutters LCS2' and LCS are closed.
Shut off at 3 '. At that time, among the three liquid crystal screens, only the LCS1 is semitransparent and the others are transparent, so that the projected image P1 is formed on the liquid crystal screen LCS1. At this time, since the video projector 41 that projects the image P1 has the focus and the projection angle of view aligned with the liquid crystal screen LCS1, the formed image matches the liquid crystal screen LCS1 both in focus and size. At subsequent T2 and T3, images P2 and P3 are similarly formed on the liquid crystal screens LCS2 and LCS3, respectively. Since the liquid crystal screen on which the image is displayed is translucent, the user can see the image from the other side.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where three liquid crystal screens are used has been shown, but it goes without saying that an apparatus using two or four or more liquid crystal screens can be realized. As described above, the present invention can be applied in various ways in accordance with the gist thereof and can take various embodiments.

[0030]

As described above, according to the multi-image display device of the present invention, a plurality of images can be displayed in a limited field of view without reducing the space of each image and the other images. It is possible to display each image in a form that the user can easily distinguish and recognize each image without hiding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

2A, 2B, and 2C are diagrams showing examples of images displayed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

4 (a), (b) and (c) are diagrams for explaining the operating principle of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle of the above first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an image enlargement / reduction ratio in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an image enlargement / reduction ratio similarly in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional multi-image display screen of a screen division method.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional multiple-image display screen of an overlapping window system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Plural liquid crystal screens 20 ... Liquid crystal screen control device 30 ... Image selection device 40, 41, 42, 43 ... Video projector 50 ... Plural input image signals 60 ... Plural liquid crystal shutters 61 ... Liquid crystal screen / liquid crystal shutter control device LCS1 , LCS2, LCS3 ... Liquid crystal screen S1, S2, S3 ... AC voltage signal LCS1 ', LCS2', LCS3 '... Liquid crystal shutter P1, P2, P3 ... Input image signal (or image) P ... Display image signal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of image display devices for displaying a plurality of images at the same time, and a plurality of liquid crystal screens which are electrically controlled to be in a transparent or semi-transparent state and are arranged at intervals with each other, and the plurality of liquid crystal screens. One of the LCD screens
A liquid crystal screen control device for sequentially controlling the liquid crystal screen to be semi-transparent and another liquid crystal screen to be transparent, and one of a plurality of input images in synchronization with the liquid crystal screen control device making the liquid crystal screen semi-transparent. A multi-image display device comprising: an image selection device that selects and outputs an input image; and an image projection device that projects the image selected by the image selection device toward the liquid crystal screen. 2. A plurality of image display devices for displaying a plurality of images at the same time, and a plurality of liquid crystal screens which are electrically controlled to be in a transparent or translucent state and which are arranged at intervals with each other, and the plurality of liquid crystal screens. A plurality of image projection devices that respectively project the respective images toward the liquid crystal screen, an electronic shutter that is arranged in front of each of the image projection devices and that can electrically control transparency, and a plurality of the plurality of image projection devices. One of the liquid crystal screens is sequentially controlled to be semi-transparent and the other liquid crystal screen is controlled to be transparent, and one of the electronic shutters is controlled to open in synchronization with the semi-transparent liquid crystal screen. And a control device for controlling the electronic shutter to be closed.