JPH09146042A - Stereoscopic video display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appreciate stereoscopic video with high luminance, to decrease the number of components, and to simplify the constitution. SOLUTION: A mirror surface reflection type optical modulator 2 is irradiated with light from a light source 1 to form and reflect video for the left eye in a 1st direction and form and reflect video for the right eye in a 2nd direction, the video for the left eye and the video for the right eye are made incident on a polarization beam splitter 3 to transmit the S wave light of the video for the left eye and reflect and project the P wave light of the video for the right eye in the same direction, and the video for the left eye and the video for the right eye are projected on a screen through a projection lens 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display device using a specular reflection type optical modulator, which has a small number of parts, has a simple structure, and is capable of viewing a high-luminance image. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a stereoscopic image display device, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, light emitted from a light source 1 is made incident on a polarization beam splitter 2 and P-wave light is transmitted,
The S-wave light is reflected and separated into two lights. The P-wave light is transmitted through, for example, the liquid crystal panel 14 forming the image for the right eye to enter the projection lens 4, projected from the projection lens 4 to the screen 5, and the S-wave light. Is rotated by 90 ° by the retardation film 15 to be polarized into P-wave light, and then transmitted through another liquid crystal panel 16 for forming an image for the left eye to be incident on the projection lens 17, for example. 17 to screen 5
Is projected on. When a lenticular lens 18, a parallax barrier, or the like is arranged in front of, behind, or in front of or behind the screen 5 on which images projected from both projection lenses 4 and 17 are connected, these lenticular lenses 18,
There is a system in which a left-eye image and a right-eye image are separated by a parallax barrier or the like, and an observer views an image corresponding to each of the left and right eyes to stereoscopically view the image.

Further, the retardation film 15 is omitted,
An image for the left eye made up of P-wave light and an image for the right eye made up of S-wave light are formed on the screen 5, so that an observer can wear stereoscopic images by viewing the corresponding images with the left and right eyes. There are also some.

On the other hand, recently, by arranging a large number of minute mirrors in a matrix on one plane and changing the direction of the mirrors, the light is reflected in a predetermined direction, that is, in the direction of the projection lens. A specular light modulator that turns on and off light has been developed.

Further, the specular reflection type optical modulator is irradiated with incident light of two or more colors from different incident angles, and the tilt directions of the mirrors constituting each pixel of the specular reflection type optical modulator are time-division controlled. A projector device (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-209621) and three specular reflection type optical modulators are used, which are capable of reflecting two or more colors of incident light in the same direction and thereby performing color combination of each pixel. A projector device in which a red image, a green image or a blue image formed by each specular reflection type light modulator is combined by a prism and a color image is projected through a projection lens (JP-A-7-36012).
(See Japanese Patent Publication).

However, no stereoscopic image display device using this specular reflection type light modulator has been found so far.

[0007]

According to the stereoscopic image display device using the above-mentioned liquid crystal panel, there is a problem that the light loss in the liquid crystal panel is large and the screen looks dark. or,
Since two liquid crystal panels are used, two systems of image forming means including a liquid crystal panel and means for controlling the liquid crystal panel are required, and the number of parts is large and the structure tends to be complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a stereoscopic image display device using a specular reflection type optical modulator with little optical loss.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a stereoscopic image display device using a specular reflection type light modulator according to the present invention is provided with a light source and a light source for illuminating the left eye image. A polarized beam that forms a specular reflection light modulator that forms and reflects in a first direction and forms a right-eye image and reflects in a second direction; and a polarized beam that combines a left-eye image and a right-eye image A splitter and a projection lens that receives the left-eye image and the right-eye image combined by the polarization beam splitter and projects the left-eye image and the right-eye image on the screen are provided.

According to the present invention, the light emitted from the light source is incident on the specular reflection type optical modulator, and the specular reflection type optical modulator forms a left-eye image and a right-eye image. Are reflected in two different directions.

The specular reflection type optical modulator comprises a large number of minute mirrors arranged in a matrix, and each minute mirror has a flat state in which its reflecting surface faces the light source, and a state in which it is inclined to one side. By switching to the state of tilting to the opposite side, the light emitted from the light source can be selectively reflected in two different directions.

Therefore, if the minute mirror corresponding to the black point of the left eye image is made flat and the minute mirror corresponding to the white point is tilted to one side at the timing of forming the image for the left eye, the image for the left eye is formed. Is formed and reflected to one side, and at the timing of forming the image for the right eye, the micro mirror corresponding to the black point of the image for the right eye is flattened, and the micro mirror corresponding to the white point is tilted to the other. , A right-eye image can be formed and reflected to the other side.

Pixels for forming an image for the left eye (hereinafter,
It is called a pixel for the left eye. ) And pixels for forming an image for the right eye (hereinafter, referred to as pixels for the right eye) are freely arranged, and for example, pixels for the left eye and pixels for the right eye are alternately arranged for each vertical line. Alternatively, the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels may be alternately arranged for each horizontal line, or the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels may be arranged in a checkered pattern.

Further, in order to improve the spatial resolution, it is also possible to replace the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels in a time division manner, for example, the left eyes arranged alternately every vertical line. Pixels for the right eye and the pixels for the right eye are replaced in a time division manner, or the pixels for the left eye and the pixels for the right eye that are alternately arranged for each horizontal line are replaced in a time division manner, or arranged in a checkered pattern. The left-eye pixel and the right-eye pixel may be interchanged in a time-division manner, or the left-eye image formation and the right-eye image formation may be alternately performed in a time-division manner by all the pixels at the same time. It is possible.

The rotation axis of the left-eye pixel and the rotation axis of the right-eye pixel of the specular reflection type light modulator may be arranged in parallel with each other, or may be arranged so as to intersect with each other. .
When the rotation axis of the pixel for the left eye and the rotation axis of the pixel for the right eye are arranged in parallel with each other, they pass through the incident optical axis from the light source and are centered on the incident optical axis on a plane orthogonal to the rotational axis. When the left-eye image and the right-eye image are reflected in the symmetrical direction, the rotation axes of the left-eye pixel and the right-eye pixel are arranged so as to intersect with each other. The left-eye image and the right-eye image are reflected in a direction that passes through the incident optical axis from the light source and is inclined by the same angle from the incident optical axis on a plane orthogonal to each rotation axis.

The left-eye image and the right-eye image formed by the specular reflection type light modulator each include P-wave light and S-wave light, and are guided to the polarization beam splitter by appropriate optical systems. . When the left-eye image and the right-eye image are incident on the polarization beam splitter from directions different from each other by 90 °, the S-wave light is reflected and the P-wave light is transmitted, for example, the S-wave light of the left-eye image and the right-eye image. P for eye image
The wave light is emitted from the polarization beam splitter toward the projection lens. In this case, the P-wave light of the left-eye image and the S-wave light of the right-eye image are emitted as unnecessary light from the polarization beam splitter in a direction different from the direction of the projection lens by 90 °.

The S-wave light of the left-eye image and the P-wave light of the right-eye image that have entered the projection lens are enlarged and projected on the screen by the projection lens, and a left-eye image and a right-eye image are formed on the screen surface. To be done. Since the polarization directions of the left-eye image and the right-eye image formed on this screen are different from each other, the observer separates the left-eye image and the right-eye image using polarizing glasses. As a result, a stereoscopic image can be observed.

In addition, the left eye image pixels and the right eye image pixels are formed on the screen so that the left eye image pixels and the right eye image pixels are alternately arranged side by side, and the left and right are separated by using a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, thereby eliminating the need for polarizing glasses You can also observe stereoscopic images with. The left-eye image and the right-eye image are not limited to monochrome images, but may be color images. In the case of displaying a color stereoscopic image, for example, a rotary color filter for switching three primary colors or a time-division color separation device in which a dichroic mirror and a liquid crystal shutter are combined is arranged between a light source and a specular reflection type light modulator. Each pixel of the specular reflection type light modulator may be on / off controlled in synchronization with the color switching timing of the rotating color filter or the time division color separation device.

By the way, the left-eye image and the right-eye image projected on the screen follow different optical paths from each other, and thus they may deviate from each other. This deviation is not a problem when observing a stereoscopic image, but when the observer observes a planar image without wearing polarizing glasses, this deviation causes a decrease in resolution. Therefore, at the time of displaying a two-dimensional image, it is preferable to block either the left-eye image or the right-eye image so that the image is not double-projected on the screen. Further, in this case, if an image is formed by using all the pixels of the specular reflection type light modulator, the number of pixels becomes twice as large as that at the time of displaying a stereoscopic image. You can appreciate the brightness of the screen.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The following will specifically describe an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. As shown in the principle diagram of FIG. 1, a stereoscopic image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention modulates a light source 1 and light emitted from the light source 1 to generate a left-eye image and a right-eye image. Are alternately formed in a time-division manner to reflect a left-eye image in a first direction and a right-eye image in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Device 2, a left-eye image and a right-eye image which are incident from directions different from each other by 90 °, a polarization beam splitter 3 which transmits P-wave light and reflects S-wave light, and is emitted from this polarization beam splitter 3. A projection lens 4 is provided which alternately magnifies and projects the left-eye image and the right-eye image on the screen in a time division manner.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, the specular reflection type optical modulator 3 is provided with a large number of micromirrors arranged at appropriate intervals in the horizontal and vertical directions, and each micromirror is For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the pixels L for the left eye or the pixels R for the right eye are alternately arranged for each horizontal line.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the left-eye pixel L, when the left-eye image becomes 0FF, the reflection surface is in front, that is, the light source 1
When it is turned on, the reflecting surface is tilted in the first direction in which the reflecting surface is directed obliquely upward around the rotation axis indicated by the broken line, and the incident light source light is reflected obliquely upward. That is, when the left-eye image is turned on, the left-eye pixel L corresponding to the white point of the left-eye image tilts in the first direction and reflects the incident light obliquely upward, while By making the left-eye pixel L corresponding to the black spot of the image flat, a left-eye image is formed by the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 and is emitted obliquely upward from the specular reflection type optical modulator 2.

When the right-eye image is turned off, the right-eye pixel R is in a flat state in which the reflecting surface faces the front, that is, in the direction directly facing the light source 1, and when the right-eye image is turned on. The reflection surface rotates in the second direction in which the reflecting surface faces obliquely downward around the rotation axis shown by the broken line, and reflects the incident light obliquely downward. As a result, a right-eye image is formed by the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 and is emitted obliquely downward from the specular reflection type optical modulator 2.

The light incident on the left-eye pixel L or the right-eye pixel R in the flat state is reflected in the direction opposite to the light source 1, so that the opposite right-eye image or left-eye image is obtained. There is no fear of disturbing, there is no fear of lowering the resolution of the image formed on the screen, and the light utilization rate can be increased by re-reflection by the light source 1.

The image for the left eye and the image for the right eye emitted from the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 are passed through an optical system having, for example, a reflecting mirror 6 to a polarization beam splitter 3 and then to each other.
° Inject from different directions. In FIG. 1, in order to simplify the description, one reflecting mirror 6 is provided as an optical system.
However, in practice, the left-eye image and the right-eye image emitted from the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 are incident on the polarization beam splitter 3 from directions different from each other by 90 °, which is more complicated. The optical system configured as described above is used.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the output optical axis is polarized by 20 ° with respect to the input optical axis of the specular reflection type optical modulator 2, the output optical axis is on the output optical axis. An optical system in which a reflecting mirror 6a orthogonal to an axis inclined by a predetermined angle is arranged, and a second reflecting mirror 6b parallel to the incident optical axis of the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 is arranged on the reflecting optical axis of the reflecting mirror 6a. By providing the above, it is possible to make the polarization beam splitters 3 arranged on the extension line of the incident optical axis incident from directions different from each other by 90 °.

The left-eye image and the right-eye image that enter the polarization beam splitter 3 include P-wave light and S-wave light, respectively, and these P-wave light are included in the polarization beam splitter 3.
Is reflected by and the S-wave light is transmitted. As a result, for example, the P-wave light of the left-eye image is emitted from the polarization beam splitter 3 in the same direction as the S-wave light of the right-eye image, and these left-eye images are emitted by the projection lens 4 arranged on this emission optical axis. The P-wave light of the image for the right eye and the S-wave light of the image for the right eye are enlarged and projected.

The light incident on the polarization beam splitter 3 is the light emitted from the light source and then reflected by the specular reflection type optical modulator 2. After the light is emitted from the light source, the light is transmitted through the liquid crystal panel having large optical loss and polarized. Compared with the case where the light is incident on the beam splitter 3, the light loss is significantly reduced, and the brightness of the image can be increased. Further, as compared with the case where two liquid crystal panels are used, it is sufficient to control one specular reflection type optical modulator 2, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the size can be reduced, so that an image can be formed. The configuration including the control means is simplified.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The pixels L for the left eye and the pixels R for the right eye are alternately arranged for each line to enhance the resolution in the horizontal direction. For example, as shown in FIG. The eye pixels R may be arranged to increase the resolution in the vertical direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the left eye pixels L and the right eye pixels R may be arranged in a checkered pattern. is there. When the left-eye pixels L and the right-eye pixels R are arranged in a checkered pattern in this manner, the resolution is increased in both the horizontal and vertical directions, which is advantageous.

Further, in the one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotation axis of the left-eye pixel L and the rotation axis of the right-eye pixel R of the specular reflection type light modulator 3 are parallel to each other. But
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the rotation axis of the left-eye pixel L and the rotation axis of the right-eye pixel R may be oriented in directions intersecting with each other. Further, in these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 or 6, the rotation axis of the left-eye pixel L or the rotation axis of the right-eye pixel R is oriented in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.
The rotation axis of R may be inclined, and for example, the rotation axis may be set on the diagonal line of the pixel L for the left eye or the pixel R for the right eye as shown in FIG. 7 or 8.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 9, a lens 7 for converging the light of the light source 1 between the light source 1 and the specular reflection type light modulator 2, a rotary color filter 8, and a light source 1
And a lens 9 for collimating the light transmitted through the lens 7 and the rotary color filter 8 into parallel light. The RGB three primary color switching frequency of the rotary color filter 8 is set to 180 Hz, which is three times as high as that of monochrome display, and the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 is driven in synchronization with this to perform color stereoscopic image display. .

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 10, four dichroic mirrors 11 and two total reflection mirrors 12 are used instead of the rotary color filter 8 of the preceding example.
A time-division color separation device 10 in which the above and three color liquid crystal shutters 13 are combined is provided, and the RGB3 primary color switching frequency of this time-division color separation device 10 is set to 180 Hz, which is three times that of monochrome display, and synchronized with this. Then, the specular reflection type light modulator 2 is driven to display a color stereoscopic image.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the light source and the light from the light source are irradiated to form the image for the left eye.
And a left-eye image and a right-eye image are incident on the mirror-reflecting light modulator that reflects in the second direction and reflects in the second direction. A polarization beam splitter that transmits one of P-wave light and S-wave light of the right-eye image and reflects the other and emits in the same direction, and a left-eye image and a right-eye image are incident from the polarization beam splitter. Since the screen is provided with the projection lens for projecting the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye, the light loss between the light source and the projection lens is smaller than that of the conventional example in which the liquid crystal panel is interposed therebetween. Therefore, the brightness of the image can be increased.

Since a left-eye image and a right-eye image can be formed by using one specular reflection type light modulator,
Compared to a conventional example in which two liquid crystal panels are used to form a left-eye image and a right-eye image, the number of parts can be reduced and the size can be reduced. The configuration including the control means for can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an operation of the specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a pixel array of the specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another pixel array of the specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing still another pixel array of the specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the operation of another specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of still another specular reflection type optical modulator of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a main part of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram illustrating an actual configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Light source 2 Specular reflection type optical modulator 3 Polarization beam splitter

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 18, 1996

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0020

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The following will specifically describe an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. As shown in the principle diagram of FIG. 1, a stereoscopic image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention modulates a light source 1 and light emitted from the light source 1 to generate a left-eye image and a right-eye image. Is formed to reflect the left-eye image in the first direction, and the right-eye image is reflected in the first direction.
And a specular reflection type optical modulator 2 that reflects in a second direction opposite to the direction, and the left-eye image and the right-eye image are 90 ° to each other.
A polarization beam splitter 3 that is incident from different directions, transmits P-wave light, and reflects S-wave light, and a projection lens that magnifies and projects a left-eye image and a right-eye image emitted from the polarization beam splitter 3 on a screen. 4 and.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0026

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the output optical axis of the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 is deflected by 20 ° with respect to the input optical axis, the output optical axis is on the output optical axis. An optical system in which a reflecting mirror 6a orthogonal to an axis inclined by a predetermined angle is arranged, and a second reflecting mirror 6b parallel to the incident optical axis of the specular reflection type optical modulator 2 is arranged on the reflecting optical axis of the reflecting mirror 6a. By providing the above, it is possible to make the polarization beam splitters 3 arranged on the extension line of the incident optical axis incident from directions different from each other by 90 °.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0027

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

The left-eye image and the right-eye image that enter the polarization beam splitter 3 include P-wave light and S-wave light, respectively, and these P-wave light are included in the polarization beam splitter 3.
Is transmitted, and the S-wave light is reflected. As a result, for example, the P-wave light of the left-eye image is emitted from the polarization beam splitter 3 in the same direction as the S-wave light of the right-eye image, and these left-eye images are emitted by the projection lens 4 arranged on this emission optical axis. The P-wave light of the image for the right eye and the S-wave light of the image for the right eye are enlarged and projected.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A light source and a specular reflection type which is irradiated with light from the light source to form a left-eye image and reflects it in a first direction, and forms a right-eye image and reflects it in a second direction. The light modulator, the left-eye image and the right-eye image are incident, one of the P-wave light and the S-wave light of the left-eye image and the right-eye image is transmitted, and the other is reflected in the same direction. And a projection lens that receives a left-eye image and a right-eye image from the polarization beam splitter and projects a left-eye image and a right-eye image onto the screen. 3D image display device. 2. The rotation axis of each pixel displaying one of the left-eye image and the right-eye image of the specular reflection type light modulator and the rotation axis of each pixel displaying the other image are mutually relative. The pixels are arranged in parallel, and when the pixels are off, the pixels are in a flat state where they are located on the plane where the pixels are arranged, and each pixel that displays one of the left-eye image and the right-eye image is on. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pixel which is sometimes tilted in the first direction and each pixel which displays the other image is tilted in a second direction opposite to the first direction when being turned on. 3. A rotation axis of each pixel for displaying one of a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the specular reflection type light modulator, and a rotation axis of each pixel for displaying the other image. The stereoscopic image display device according to claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image display devices are oriented in directions intersecting with each other. 4. A time-division color separation device combining a rotating color filter or a dichroic mirror and a liquid crystal shutter is arranged between the light source and the specular reflection type light modulator, and the specular reflection type light modulator is rotated by a rotating color filter or The time-division driving is performed in synchronization with the color switching of the time-division color separation device.
3. The stereoscopic video display device according to 1.