JPH11205822A - Image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a plurality viewers to select different two-dimensional or stereoscopic images and to view them, in matching with the purpose of each viewer. SOLUTION: This display device is provided with a direction dependent image display element 14 that allows a plurality of viewers, the viewing direction of which differs to view different images, regardless of the one set of the display element and with a direction dependent image setting circuit 18 that selects the number of direction dependent images and a display direction of the image. Thus, a multi-screen display by which a plurality of viewers view different images regardless of the one set of the display device is realized, without having to divide display areas on a screen and number of the multi- screen displays is changed, in accordance with the number of viewers and the necessity to set effectively the view area.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-screen display technology such as a multi-screen television and a multi-screen video game, and a stereoscopic image display technology.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique for displaying a plurality of images on one image display element, for example, a display area on a television display screen or a liquid crystal display screen is often divided to display a plurality of images. Have been done. In this case, there is a problem that the display area of each image is reduced, and an image other than the intended image is observed, and it is difficult to view the image only when the image is the intended image. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-46622 discloses a method of displaying two screens for each observer without dividing a display area using a lenticular lens. As shown in FIG.
In Japanese Patent No. 46622, different images can be displayed without dividing the display area. In FIG. 16, two pixels on the image display element 1 (two pixels of the image observed by the observer X and two pixels of the image observed by the observer Y)
On the other hand, by arranging the lenticular lenses 2 arranged one by one on the front surface of the image display element 1, different observers X and Y can observe different images.

[0003]

However, in the method shown in FIG. 16, three or more persons cannot observe different images. Also, in the two-screen display state, the observer located in front of the display element cannot observe the target image because different images are observed with both eyes or the two images are mixed. There is a problem that the observer has to move his / her observation position in order to obtain an image desired by the observer. Furthermore, in this method, the screen display of each observer can be freely performed, such as allowing a plurality of observers to observe a stereoscopic image or allowing only some observers to observe a stereoscopic image. Setting was impossible. On the other hand, regarding the observation of a stereoscopic image, a binocular method that does not include an eye focusing effect, or
It is known that when a multi-view type stereoscopic image is observed for a long time, a physiological adverse effect may be exerted on a human body. The first object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and a first object of the present invention is to allow a plurality of viewers to select and observe different two-dimensional images or three-dimensional images according to their respective purposes. It is a second object of the present invention to prevent a physiological adverse effect by preventing a viewer from observing a stereoscopic image for a certain period of time or more in an observable display device.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a plurality of observers having different observation positions are made to observe different images by one display element. It is characterized by having a direction-specific image display element, and a direction-specific image setting means for switching the number of images by direction to be displayed simultaneously and the display direction of the image, without dividing the display area of the screen, With a single display device, a multi-screen display in which a plurality of observers observe different images can be realized, and the number of multi-screen displays can be switched according to the number and necessity of the observers to make the observation area effective. Can be set. According to the second aspect of the present invention,
The image display element for each direction has a configuration in which a slit array is arranged on the front surface of the display element, and a plurality of observers differ from each other by blocking display light other than the image intended by the observer for each direction. Realize multi-screen display for observing images. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the direction-specific image setting means is configured such that two or more continuous direction-specific images adjacent to each other at at least one or more observation positions are provided by a binocular parallax effect provided to an observer at the observation position. A first display state in which a stereoscopic image can be observed, and an observer at an observation position at which the stereoscopic image can be observed does not exist and two or more observation positions can observe different two-dimensional images. A second display state of multi-screen display and a direction-specific image setting means for switching between the two display states are provided, and a plurality of observers having different observation positions can form a stereoscopic image according to their respective needs. It enables observation and observation of a two-dimensional image. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a predetermined time elapses after the direction-specific image setting means starts displaying a stereoscopic image for each observer, the stereoscopic image display time is automatically switched to the two-dimensional image display. A control means is provided to prevent a physiological adverse effect on a human body that may be caused by continuous stereoscopic vision for a long time.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal display element 11
And a number of slits 1 called a parallax barrier 12
An image display element 14 for each direction (a display element in which an image different depending on the observation direction is observed) is constituted by the slit array having three, and is selected by an image signal selection circuit 16 from an image signal source 15 having a plurality of image signals. 4
One image signal 17 is divided into image signals 19 to 22 to the liquid crystal display element 11 by a direction-specific image setting circuit 18 so that pixels A to
D can be displayed in four directions. The image signals 19 to 22 and the pixels A to D respectively correspond to the image signal 1
Pixels 9 are sequentially connected to corresponding image signals such as pixel A, and image signal 20 is pixel B. The adjacent pitch (slit pitch) of the opening 13 of the parallax barrier 12 is the same as that of four pixels of the liquid crystal display element 11,
The pitch is slightly smaller. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a difference in visible pixels on the liquid crystal display element 11 depending on the directions of the observers W1 to W4 at the observation positions A to D in the configuration of FIG. By configuring the image display device as shown in FIG. 1, different images can be observed at different observation positions A to D as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show the condition of FIG. 1 under the condition that the number of the observers W1 to W4 in FIG. 2 is not four and at least one observer is on the boundary line of each observation position. From the image signal selection circuit 16 to the direction-specific image setting circuit 18
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a selected image signal 17 and changes in image signals 19 to 22 from a direction-specific image setting circuit 18 to a liquid crystal display element driving circuit 23. FIG. 3 shows a case where one observer is observing on the boundary between the observation positions B and C. FIG.
In (a), the observer W5 moves the image display element 1 for each direction.
4, that is, on the boundary between the observation positions B and C. FIG. 3B shows the selected image signal 17-1 and the image signals 19-1, 20-1, 21- 21 in that case.
1, 22-1. In this case, the observer W5
Is one person, so that the number of selected image signals 17-1 is one. Further, since the observer W5 is located on the boundary between the observation positions B and C, the image signal 20 of the same selected image signal 17-1 for both the observation positions B and C of the direction-specific image display element 14 is obtained.
By sending and displaying -1 and 21-1, the display can be observed without discomfort. Note that the image signals 19-1 and 2 in this case are
Since 2-1 is not visible to the observer W5, it need not be displayed.

In FIG. 4, two observers are observed, one on the boundary between the observation positions A and B, and the other on the boundary between the observation positions C and D. In FIG. 4A, the observers W6 and W7 are positions obliquely facing (facing) the direction-specific image display element 14, and the observer W6 is on the boundary between the observation positions A and B, and the observer W7. Are observation positions C and D
Observed on the border line. FIG. 4B shows the selected image signals 17-2 and 17-3 and the image signals 19-2 and 19-2 in that case.
20-2, 21-2 and 22-2 are shown. In this case, since there are two observers W6 and W7, the number of selected image signals 17-2 and 17-3 is two, and the observer W6 is located on the boundary between the observation positions A and B. Since the observer W7 is located on the boundary between the observation positions C and D, the image signal of the same selected image signal 17-2 for both the observation positions A and B of the direction-specific image display element 14 for the observer W6. 19-2 and 20-2
For the observer W7, and the same selected image signal 17 for both the observation positions C and D of the direction-specific image display element 14 for the observer W7.
By sending and displaying the image signals 21-2 and 22-2 of -3, both observers W6 and W7 can observe the display without discomfort.

In FIG. 5, there are three observers, one observes on the boundary between the observation positions A and B, and the other two observers in the observation positions C and D, respectively. In FIG. 5A, the observers W8, W9, and W10 are positions obliquely facing (facing) the image display element 14 for each direction, and the observer W8 observes the boundary between the observation positions A and B. The observer W9 is in the observation position C, and the observer W10 is observing in the observation position D. FIG. 5B shows the selected image signal 17 in that case.
-4, 17-5, 17-6 and image signals 19-3, 20-
3, 21-3 and 22-3 are shown. In this case,
Since there are three observers W8, W9, and W10, the number of selected image signals 17-4, 17-5, and 17-6 is three, and the observer W8 is located on the boundary between the observation positions A and B. Observer W
9 is located in the observation position C and the observer W10 is located in the observation position D, so that the same selected image signal is used for both the observation positions A and B of the direction-specific image display element 14 for the observer W8. 1
The image signals 19-3 and 20-3 of 7-4 are sent and displayed,
Observation position C of image display element 14 for each direction for observer W9
The image signal 21-3 of the selected image signal 17-5 is sent and displayed for the observer W10, and the image signal 22-6 of the selected image signal 17-6 for the observation position D of the direction-specific image display element 14 for the observer W10.
3 for display, observers W8, W9, and W10
Can observe the display without discomfort.

As described above, when the number of observers and the observation position are in the states shown in FIGS. 3A to 5A, the selected image selected by the image selection circuit by the direction-specific image setting circuit. By connecting the signals to the image signals 1 to 4 as shown in (b) of each figure, the number of displayed images can be changed according to the number of observers and the observation position, and each observer can display a desired image. You will be able to select and observe.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the second embodiment. This second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment of FIG. 1, but differs in the following points. The first difference is that the parallax barrier 12 in the first embodiment is configured by changing to a liquid crystal shutter array 32.
The second difference is that a function of displaying a stereoscopic image is added to the image signal processing performed by the image signal selection circuit 36 and the direction-specific image setting circuit 38. Therefore, the signal from the image signal source 35 and the signal from the stereoscopic image signal source 33 are input to the image signal selection circuit 36, and the selected image signal or the selected stereoscopic image is transmitted from the image signal selection circuit 36 to the direction-specific image setting circuit 38. An image signal 37 is output. Here, a stereoscopic image display according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the position of each observer and the direction-specific image display element 34 in the configuration of the second embodiment in FIG. 6 in the case of displaying a stereoscopic image. For example, when a two-eye stereoscopic image display is performed for two observers W11 and W12 as shown in FIG. 7, the observer W11 is output from the stereoscopic image signal source 33 in FIG.
And two selected stereoscopic image signals 37-1 and 37-2 to be displayed for W12, and in the direction-specific image setting circuit 38, the right-eye image included in the selected stereoscopic image signal 37-1 is converted into an image. The signal 39-1 is the image for the left eye as the image signal 40-1, the image for the right eye included in the selected stereoscopic image signal 37-2 is the image signal 41-1 and the image for the left eye is the image signal 42-. 1 to be operated.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the position of each observer and the direction-specific image display element 34 in the configuration of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 when four-eye multi-view stereoscopic image signals are used. is there. As shown in FIG. 8, by using four-eye multi-view three-dimensional image signals and inputting the four direction-specific images included in the signals to the pixels A to D of the liquid crystal display element 31, the observers W13, W14, W15
Can observe different sides of one stereoscopic image at each of the observation positions a, b, and c. Further, considering a case where four observers can observe different stereoscopic images as shown in FIG. 9 using the display device of FIG. 6, the third embodiment shown in FIG. Configuration is required. Therefore, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the position of each observer and the image display element 54 for each direction in the configuration of the third embodiment of FIG. In FIG. 9, four observers W16-
Since W19 can observe different stereoscopic images, the observation positions are eight observation positions A ′ to H ′, which are twice as large as those in FIG.
And the observer W16 is located between the observation positions A'B 'and the observer W17 is located between the observation positions C'D',
The observer W18 is located between the observation positions E'F ', and the observer W19 is located between the observation positions G'H', and faces the direction-specific image display element 54.

FIG. 10 shows the eight observation positions A 'as described above.
To H ′ according to the third embodiment,
The pitch of the openings of the liquid crystal shutter array 52 to be simultaneously opened is 2 in the case of the liquid crystal shutter array 32 in FIG.
Double (one for every six pixels), so that different images can be displayed in eight directions, and the right-eye image A ′ for each observer W16 to W19 in each direction,
C ′, E ′, G ′ and left-eye images B ′, D ′, F ′, H ′
Is displayed. However, in the configuration as it is, the number of pixels of the stereoscopic image observed by the observers W16 to W19 (the number of pixels of the image observed by the left and right eyes) is
In the configuration of FIG. 6, each of the observers W11 and W12 at the time of FIG. Therefore, this FIG.
In the case of 0, the opening 1 and the opening 2 of the liquid crystal shutter array 52 are set to a speed (30H) at which the afterimage effect of the eye effectively works.
z or more, and by switching the image displayed on the liquid crystal display element 51 in synchronization with this, the number of pixels of the stereoscopic image to be effectively observed (the number of pixels of the image observed by each of the right and left eyes) Number) is doubled. The signal flow from the selected stereoscopic image signal 57 to each pixel of the liquid crystal display element 51 at this time is shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the signal flow when the opening 2 is in the transmission state is changed by the direction-specific image setting circuit 58 in contrast to the signal flow when the opening 1 is in the transmission state. Specifically, for example, when the opening 1 is in the transmission state, the image for the right eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 57-1 becomes the image signal 59 and is input to the pixel A, and the left eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 57-1 is displayed. The image for use becomes an image signal 60 and is input to the pixel B. However, when the opening 2 is in the transmission state, the selected stereoscopic image signal 57-
The right-eye image 1 is an image signal 63 and is input to the pixel E. The left-eye image of the selected stereoscopic image signal 57-1 is an image signal 64 and is input to the pixel F. Similarly to the above, the pixels to which the other selected stereoscopic image signals are input are also changed in accordance with FIG. This is based on the position of the opening 1 and the position of the opening 2 of the liquid crystal shutter array 52 and the positional relationship between the pixels A to H of the liquid crystal display element 51.
This is a necessary change in order to show the same image to the observer at each of the observation positions A ′ to H ′. If the operation principle shown in FIG. 11 is used, the above-described four-eye multiview display in FIG. 8 can be extended and displayed as an eight-eye multiview stereoscopic display.
As described above, various variations of the stereoscopic display method using the display devices of the second and third embodiments have been described. Further features of the second and third embodiments are described above. The present invention combines the various types of three-dimensional image display and two-dimensional image display described above to select and observe a three-dimensional image and a two-dimensional image according to the needs of a plurality of observers.

Hereinafter, a combination of the three-dimensional image display and the two-dimensional image display will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 using an example of the four observation positions according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a case where one of two observers on different observation position boundaries observes a stereoscopic image, and the other observes a two-dimensional image. In FIG. 12A, the observer W20 is at the observation position A
The viewer W20 is a viewer of a stereoscopic image, which is located on the boundary line between the images B and B and faces the direction-specific image display element 54. The observer W21 is located on the boundary between the observation positions C and D and faces the direction-specific image display element 34. It is assumed that the observer W21 is a two-dimensional image observer. The flow of the image in that case is as shown in FIG. The selected stereoscopic image signal 37-4 is input to the pixel A as the image signal 39-3, and is input to the pixel B as the image signal 40-3. The two-dimensional selected image signal 37-5 becomes the image signal 41-3 and is input to the pixel C, and becomes the image signal 42-3 and is input to the pixel D. As a result, the observer W20 can observe the stereoscopic image, and the observer W21 can observe the two-dimensional image.

FIG. 13 shows a case where three observers observe a stereoscopic image by one observer located at a different observation position boundary, and the other two observe a two-dimensional image while staying within the observation position. This is the case. In FIG. 13A, the observer W22 is located on the boundary between the observation positions A and B and faces the direction-specific image display element 34. The observer W22 is an observer of a stereoscopic image. The observer W23 is located in the observation position C, the observer W24 is located in the observation position D, and faces the direction-specific image display element 54. The observers W23 and W24 are two-dimensional image observers. Suppose there is. The flow of the image in that case is as shown in FIG. Selected stereoscopic image signal 37
-6 is input as an image signal 39-4 to the pixel A, and is input as an image signal 40-4 to the pixel B. The two-dimensional selected image signal 37-7 is converted to an image signal 41-4 and input to the pixel C, and the two-dimensional selected image signal 37-8 is converted to an image signal 42-4 and input to the pixel D. As a result, the observer W22 observes the stereoscopic image, and observers W23 and W2
4 allows a two-dimensional image to be observed.

Also, as shown in FIG.
In the case where a time-division display operation is used in the openings 1 and 2 using the 2nd, the four selected stereoscopic image signals 57-1 to 5-5 in FIG.
If a two-dimensional image signal is input to a part of 7-4 so that the right-eye image and the left-eye image are the same image signal, some observers can observe the two-dimensional image. Become. Naturally, all the selected stereoscopic image signals 57-1 to 57-4 have 2
If a signal of a two-dimensional image is input, all observers will observe a two-dimensional image. As described above, the image signal selection circuit 36 or 56 and the direction-specific image setting circuit 38 or 58 are capable of inputting and outputting the signals of the two-dimensional image and the stereoscopic image in various patterns, thereby enabling a plurality of observers. It becomes possible to observe a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image according to the necessity of. However, when a time-division display operation is performed in the openings 1 and 2 using the liquid crystal shutter array 52 as shown in FIG. 10, not only the connection of the image signal is rearranged but also the liquid crystal shutter array 5 synchronized therewith.
The second control operation is also required. By the way, the method of stereoscopic display as used in the second and third embodiments cannot obtain the effect of adjusting the crystalline lens, so that the convergence (the operation of turning the eyeball toward the object) and the adjustment are not performed. Cause a discrepancy,
It is said that observing a stereoscopic image by such a display method for a long time has a bad effect on a human body due to this. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment described below, of the plurality of observers in the display devices of the above-described second and third embodiments, a person observing a stereoscopic image displays the stereoscopic image for a certain period of time or more. In order to prevent continuous observation, the stereoscopic display is stopped after a certain period of time to prevent adverse effects on the human body.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fourth embodiment in which protection of a three-dimensional image observer described above is taken into consideration. FIG.
4, a stereoscopic image signal source 73, an image signal source 75, an image signal selection circuit 76, a direction-specific image setting circuit 78, an image signal 7
9 to 82, liquid crystal display element driving circuit 83, liquid crystal display element 7
1, a liquid crystal shutter array 72, and a direction-specific image display element 7 including the liquid crystal display element 71 and the liquid crystal shutter array 72.
The basic configuration such as 4 is the three-dimensional image signal source 33, the image signal source 35, the image signal selection circuit 36, the direction-specific image setting circuit 38, the image signals 39 to 42, the liquid crystal display element driving circuit 43, the liquid crystal It is the same as the display element 31, the liquid crystal shutter array 32, the direction-specific image display element 34 composed of the liquid crystal display element 31 and the liquid crystal shutter array 32, etc., except that a three-dimensional display time control circuit 84 is added to the direction-specific image setting circuit 78. The connection is switched so that a plurality of parallax image signals become the same image signal in a stereoscopic display area after a predetermined time (about 15 to 30 minutes). FIG.
For example, assuming that two observers are observing a stereoscopic image and the observer W11 has passed a predetermined observation time as shown in FIG. The connection of the image signal flowing as shown in FIG. 7B may be switched as shown in FIG. In particular,
In FIG. 15, initially, the image for the right eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 77-1 is input to the pixel A as the image signal 79-1, and the image for the left eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 77-1 is the image signal 80-. 1 is input to the pixel B, the image for the right eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 77-2 is input to the pixel C as the image signal 81-1 and the image for the left eye of the selected stereoscopic image signal 77-2 is The image signal 82-1 is input to the pixel A. When the stereoscopic display time control circuit 84 determines that a predetermined time has elapsed, the image signal 80-1 input to the pixel B is changed to the selected stereoscopic image signal 77. The image for the right eye of -1 is the same signal as the image signal 79-1. By doing so, the observer W in FIG.
Reference numeral 11 indicates that a two-dimensional image is observed after observing the three-dimensional image for a predetermined time, thereby preventing adverse effects on the human body due to observing the three-dimensional image for a long time.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the observation position is described as 4 positions or 8 positions. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by using the method of the present invention, for example, 2 observation positions or 3 observation positions 10 if position or more subdivided
The present invention can be applied to an observation position and the like.

[0016]

By using the present invention as described above,
Without dividing the display area of the screen, a single display device can realize a multi-screen display in which a plurality of observers observe different images, and the number of multi-plane displays according to the number of observers and necessity. Can be switched to effectively set the observation area. Also, a plurality of observers at different observation positions can observe a stereoscopic image or a two-dimensional image according to their respective needs. Further, by controlling the stereoscopic display time, it is possible to prevent a physiological adverse effect on the human body that may occur when the stereoscopic image is continuously observed for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a difference in a visible pixel on a liquid crystal display element depending on a direction of a viewer at each viewing position in the configuration of FIG. 1;

3 (a) and (b) show selected image signals from the image signal selection circuit of FIG. 1 to a direction-specific image setting circuit when one observer is observing on a boundary line of observation positions. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a change in an image signal from a direction-specific image setting circuit to a liquid crystal display element driving circuit.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a case where two observers are observing on a boundary line between different observing positions from the image signal selecting circuit of FIG. 1 to an image setting circuit for each direction. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a selected image signal and a change in an image signal from a direction-specific image setting circuit to a liquid crystal display element driving circuit.

5 (a) and 5 (b) show a case where three observers are observed, one observes a boundary line of the observation positions, and the other two observes at different observation positions of the remaining observation positions. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a change of a selected image signal from the image signal selection circuit of FIG. 1 to a direction-specific image setting circuit and a change of an image signal from the direction-specific image setting circuit to a liquid crystal display element driving circuit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a second embodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing a positional relationship between the position of each observer and a direction-specific image display element in the configuration of FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the position of each observer and the direction-specific image display element in the configuration of FIG. 6 when a four-eye multi-view stereoscopic image signal is used. .

9 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the position of each observer and a direction-specific image display element in the configuration of FIG. 10;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a third embodiment.

11 is a diagram showing a flow of a signal from a selected stereoscopic image signal to each pixel of a liquid crystal display element in the configuration of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing a case where one of two observers on different observation position boundaries observes a stereoscopic image, and the other observes a two-dimensional image.

FIGS. 13 (a) and (b) show three observers who observe a stereoscopic image by one observer on a different observation position boundary line, and the other two observers stay within the observation position; It is a figure showing the case where a two-dimensional image is observed.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fourth embodiment in which protection of a stereoscopic image observer is taken into consideration.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing switching of image signal connection in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a method of displaying two screens to each observer without dividing a display area using a conventional lenticular lens.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image display element, 2 ... Lenticular lens, 11, 31, 51, 71 ... Liquid crystal display element, 12
... Parallax barrier, 13 ... Opening, 14, 3
4, 54, 74 ... image display elements by direction, 15, 3
5, 55, 75 ... image signal source, 16, 36, 56,
76 ... Image signal selection circuit, 17, 37, 57, 77
... Selected (stereoscopic) image signals, 18, 38, 58, 78
... Direction-specific image setting circuits, 19 to 22, 39 to 42,
59-66, 79-82 ... image signal, 23, 43,
67, 83 ... Liquid crystal display element drive circuit, 32, 52,
72 ... Liquid crystal shutter array, 33, 53, 73 ...
A stereoscopic image signal source, 84 ... a stereoscopic display time control circuit,
A to D, A 'to H', W1 to W24, X, Y ... observers

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image display element for each direction which enables a plurality of observers having different observation positions to observe different images with one display element, the number of images to be displayed simultaneously and the display direction of the image. An image display device comprising: a direction-specific image setting unit for switching the image display. 2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the direction-specific image display element has a configuration in which a slit array is arranged on a front surface of the display element. 3. The three-dimensional image setting means according to claim 2, wherein the two or more continuous direction-specific images adjacent to each other at at least one or more observation positions provide a binocular parallax effect to an observer at the observation position. And a multi-screen in which there is no observation position at which the stereoscopic image can be observed and observers at two or more observation positions can observe different two-dimensional images. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a direction-specific image setting unit configured to switch a display to a second display state. 4. A three-dimensional image display time control means for automatically switching to two-dimensional image display when a predetermined time has elapsed since the direction-specific image setting means started displaying a three-dimensional image for each observer. The image display device according to claim 3, further comprising: