KR100765131B1 - Parallax barrier lcd which has wide viewing angle - Google Patents

Abstract

A display device having a wide viewing angle is provided to widen the viewing angle by implementing left and right three-dimensional images regardless of a position change of a user. A display device having a wide viewing angle includes an image display panel(51), a barrier(52), a tracking system, a micro processor, and an image display panel driving unit. The image display panel(51) displays an image for both eyes. The barrier(52) is located on a front plane or a rear plane of the image display panel(51), and implements a three-dimensional image. The tracking system outputs location information of an observer. The micro processor receives the location information of the observer from the tracking system, and calculates the number of sub pixels to be shifted and the inversion of left/right images displayed on the image display panel(51). The image display panel driving unit receives a calculation result of the micro processor, shifts and displays the left and right images by shifting the images by the unit of sub pixel. The micro processor calculates the number of total sub pixels to be shifted according to the location information of the observer and divides the calculated result by three. The micro processor does not invert the left and right images, and shifts the rest sub pixels if the quotient is zero or an even number. The micro processor inverts the left and right images, and shifts the rest sub pixels if the quotient is an odd number.

Description

Wide viewing angle stereoscopic display device {parallax barrier LCD which has wide viewing angle}

1 is a view showing a stereoscopic image display device disclosed in US Patent No. 6,108,029;

2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional LCD parallax barrier;

3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining a problem of a stereoscopic image display apparatus using a conventional LCD parallax barrier,

5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the concept of the present invention,

7 is a functional block diagram showing a stereoscopic image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a parallax barrier structure diagram of a stereoscopic image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

9 to 12 are diagrams showing driving states of a stereoscopic image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

13 is a functional block diagram showing a stereoscopic image display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

14 is a parallax barrier structure diagram of a stereoscopic image display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

15 is a diagram showing a driving state of the stereoscopic image display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image, and more particularly, to a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display apparatus that provides a wide viewing angle by shifting and displaying an image in subpixel units according to a user's position.

Various techniques have been proposed for a stereoscopic image display device using binocular disparity for a long time. One of the typical methods is to install a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier at a predetermined distance on a two-dimensional image panel so that different image information can be recognized on both left and right sides of the viewer to have a three-dimensional effect. to be.

A stereoscopic image display device using a lenticular lens arranges the left and right images in a stripe shape on the focal plane of a lens called a lenticular screen having a semi-cylindrical shape. Make the video visible. The width of one lens is determined by the pixel width of the indicator, which allows two pixels corresponding to the left and right images to enter. In this case, the pixel effect on the left side of the lens is visible only to the right eye, and the pixel on the right side is visible only to the left eye.

A stereoscopic image display apparatus using a parallax barrier is a technique of arranging thin stripe-shaped vertical slits for transmitting or blocking light at regular intervals, and then alternately arranging left and right images at appropriate intervals before or after them. Therefore, when viewed through this slit at a specific point in time, the left and right images are geometrically separated to feel a three-dimensional effect. In other words, by installing a striped parallax barrier optical plate that functions as special glasses in front of the monitor screen, users can recognize stereoscopic images without wearing glasses.

As such, a stereoscopic image display device displays a stereoscopic image using binocular parallax.

1 is a diagram illustrating a stereoscopic image display device disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,108,029. This stereoscopic image display device is constructed by providing an LCD parallax barrier 12 at a rearward distance from the image display panel 11. In the image display panel 11, the left image L and the right image R are alternately disposed with a pixel pitch P, and the LCD parallax barrier 12 has a transparent portion 12a and an opaque portion 12b. Are alternately arranged with a barrier pitch q. Light from an unillustrated light source passes through the transparent portion 12a of the LCD parallax barrier 12 and passes through the image display panel 11 to reach both eyes RE and LE of the observer. At this time, the light passing through the right image R of the image display panel 11 reaches the right eye RE of the observer, and the light passing through the left image L of the image display panel 11 is the left eye of the observer ( LE) respectively. In the left image L and the right image R of the image display panel 11, two-dimensional image information slightly different from each other recognized by the viewer's left and right eyes is input, thereby obtaining the image information having a three-dimensional effect. In FIG. 1, the LCD parallax barrier is installed at the rear of the image display panel. However, the image display panel may be installed at the rear of the LCD parallax barrier.

If all the opaque portions 12b of the LCD parallax barrier 12 are made transparent, light from the light source passes evenly through the LCD parallax barrier 12 and the image display panel 11 to reach the viewer. This stereoscopic image display device displays a two-dimensional plane image in the same manner as a conventional two-dimensional display device. That is, this stereoscopic image display device controls the opaque portion of the LCD parallax barrier 12 to display both the planar image and the stereoscopic image.

This stereoscopic image display apparatus has a condition necessary for an observer to effectively sense a three-dimensional effect, and the relation is expressed by Equation 1 below.

Where n is a positive integer, S is the distance between the left and right eyes of the observer, D is the shortest distance between the image display panel and the observer's eye, d is the shortest distance between the LCD parallax barrier and the image display panel, and q is the LCD parallax. The barrier pitch, P, of the barrier is the pixel pitch of the image display panel.

2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional LCD parallax barrier. Conventional LCD parallax barriers supply power to the common electrode 21 of the upper or lower plate, the opposite plate strip electrode 22 arranged at a constant barrier pitch q interval, and the common electrode 21 and the strip electrode 22. And a power supply device 23 for inducing rearrangement of the liquid crystal layer positioned between the common electrode 21 and the strip electrode 22 to control a transparent state and an opaque state. When a voltage is applied between the common electrode 21 and the strip electrode 22 in the power supply 23 or the applied voltage is cut off, the liquid crystal layer of the corresponding portion becomes transparent or opaque so that a stereoscopic or planar image is displayed. .

3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining a problem of a stereoscopic image display apparatus using a conventional LCD parallax barrier.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stereoscopic image display device displays a right image in the observer's right eye and a left image in the observer's left eye, and synthesizes the two images in the observer's brain to feel a stereoscopic feeling. However, as shown in FIG. 4, when the observer leaves a specific position, a part of the image is covered by the barrier so that the stereoscopic image is not implemented. When the observer moves from the positions of R and L to the positions of R 'and L', the position of the barrier must be shifted by W to maintain stereoscopic images.

However, since the barrier position of the conventional stereoscopic image display device is fixed, the left and right viewing angles at which an observer can see the stereoscopic image are within about 5 degrees, which is very limited.

As a method for solving such a conventional problem, a method of moving a barrier has been proposed.

In this method, as shown in FIG. 4, when the observer moves from the position of R and L to the position of R 'and L', the position of the barrier is moved by W so that the viewer can see the stereoscopic image even at the changed position. This method can solve the narrow viewing angle problem regardless of the type of image display panel and the shape of the color filter.

However, in order to finely move the barrier, one strip electrode needs to be divided into a plurality of microelectrodes and each microelectrode is driven independently. In this case, the microelectrode has a narrow width and a long line to increase the resistance of the electrode itself. And the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer on the electrode line is relatively nonuniform. In addition, when the fine electrodes are driven, the voltage drop on the same electrode line is increased, and the driving circuit is complicated, thereby increasing the price of the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention devised to solve the above problems of the prior art is to move an image displayed on an image display panel in subpixel units according to the position of an observer, and to reverse the position of a left and right image or a barrier. It is to provide a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display device to display a stereoscopic image even if the position of.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display device comprising: an image display panel for displaying left and right binocular images;

Located at the front or rear of the image display panel, the barrier for implementing a stereoscopic image,

A tracking system that digitizes and outputs the observer's location information,

A microprocessor which receives the position information of the observer from the tracking system and calculates the inversion of the left and right images displayed on the image display panel and the number of subpixels to be shifted;

And an image display panel driver configured to receive the operation result of the microprocessor and to invert the left and right images in units of subpixels and display them on the image display panel.

In addition, another wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display apparatus according to the present invention includes an image display panel for displaying left and right binocular images;

Located at the front or rear of the image display panel, a variable barrier for implementing a stereoscopic image,

A tracking system that digitizes and outputs the observer's location information,

A microprocessor which receives the position information of the observer from the tracking system and calculates whether the variable barrier is inverted and the number of subpixels to be shifted of the image displayed on the image display panel;

A barrier driver configured to receive the operation result of the microprocessor and to invert the position of the variable barrier;

And an image display panel driver configured to receive an operation result of the microprocessor and to shift the image in subpixel units to display the image on the image display panel.

Hereinafter, a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is applied to a stereoscopic image display device that induces the left and right binocular disparity of an observer using a parallax barrier composed of an LCD on a two-dimensional image display panel to recognize a planar image as a stereoscopic image.

5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the concept of the present invention, and show a state in which a parallax barrier is positioned in front of the image display panel.

The stereoscopic image display device includes an image display panel 51 including a plurality of subpixels sp01 to sp24, and a parallax barrier 52 provided at a predetermined distance from the front of the image display panel 51.

One red subpixel, one green subpixel, and one blue subpixel adjacent to each other of the image display panel 51 constitute one pixel. The red and green subpixels and blue subpixels have a stripe structure.

The image display panel 51 alternately displays the left image to be seen by the left eye and the right image to be seen by the right eye. For convenience, in this image display panel 51, a pixel displaying a left image is referred to as a left pixel and a pixel displaying a right image is referred to as a right pixel.

The observer's right eye can observe the image of the right pixels PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, but the image of the left pixels PL1, PL2, PL3, PL4 is covered by the parallax barrier 52. You cannot observe because you lose. The observer's left eye can observe the image of the left pixels PL1, PL2, PL3, and PL4, but the image of the right pixels PR1, PR2, PR3, and PR4 is covered by the parallax barrier 52. You cannot observe because you lose.

In FIG. 5, the first subpixel sp01 is the red subpixel Lr1 of the first left pixel PL1, and the 02 subpixel sp02 is the green subpixel Lg1 of the first left pixel PL1. The third subpixel sp03 is the blue subpixel Lb1 of the first left pixel PL3. Further, the 04th subpixel sp04 is the red subpixel Rr1 of the first right pixel PR1, the 05th subpixel sp05 is the green subpixel Rg1 of the first right pixel PR1, The 06th subpixel sp06 is the blue subpixel Rb1 of the first right pixel PR1. Similarly, the twenty-second subpixel sp22 is the red subpixel Rr4 of the fourth right pixel PR4, the twenty-third subpixel sp23 is the green subpixel Rg4 of the fourth right pixel PR4, The 24th subpixel sp24 is the blue subpixel Rb4 of the fourth right pixel PR4.

In the drawing, an image display panel includes four left pixels and four right pixels, and includes a first left pixel PL1, a first right pixel PR1, a second left pixel PL2, and a second right pixel PR2. ), ..., the fourth left pixel (PL4), the fourth right pixel (PR4) in order, and shown in the order of red sub-pixel, green sub-pixel, blue sub-pixel, but the present invention is limited to this Not. In general, the image display panel includes more pixels, the right pixel and the left pixel may be inverted, and the color order of the subpixels may also vary.

When the observer moves from the positions of R and L to the positions of R 'and L' as shown in Fig. 6, the present invention does not move the position of the parallax barrier 52 but rather to the image display panel 51. The subpixel shifts the subpixel toward the right to display the displayed image.

That is, the red subpixel Lr1 and the green subpixel Lg1 of the first left pixel PL1 are displayed on the first subpixel sp01 and the second subpixel sp02, and the third subpixel sp03 is displayed. ) To the fifth subpixel sp05, the blue subpixel Rb1, the red subpixel Rr1, and the green subpixel Rg1 of the first right pixel PR1 are displayed. In addition, the blue subpixel Lb2, the red subpixel Lr2, and the green subpixel Lg2 of the second left pixel PL2 are displayed on the 06th subpixel sp06 to the 08th subpixel sp08. .

When the image displayed on the image display panel is moved in this way, even if the viewer changes the position, the stereoscopic image can be viewed at the changed position.

In FIG. 6, the blue subpixel Lb1 of the first left pixel PL1 is not displayed because it is out of the areas sp01 to sp24 of the image display panel. Additional subpixels may be further provided so that pixels outside the area of the image display panel may be displayed.

7 is a functional block diagram showing a stereoscopic image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This includes a tracking device 71, a microprocessor 72, an image display panel driver 73, and an image display panel 74. A parallax barrier, not shown, is located in front of the image display panel.

The tracking device 71 detects the position of the observer's eye, and the microprocessor 72 inverts the left and right pixels displayed on the image display panel by using the position information of the observer's eye determined by the tracking device 71. Calculate whether or not to shift. The image display panel driver 73 provides image information to the image display panel 74 according to the result calculated by the microprocessor 72 so that the image is displayed on the image display panel 74.

8 is a parallax barrier structure diagram of a stereoscopic image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 to 12 are diagrams showing driving states of the stereoscopic image display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. .

The parallax barrier of the stereoscopic image display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a fixed structure as shown in FIG. 8.

9 illustrates a state in which the observer's gaze is changed from R and L to R ₁ and L ₁ . When the observer's line of sight changes from R, L to R ₁ , L ₁ , the image is shifted and displayed by one subpixel to the left. Accordingly, the green subpixel Lg1, the blue subpixel Lb1, and the red subpixel Lr1 image of the first left pixel PL1 are displayed on the 02th subpixel sp02 to the 04th subpixel sp04. In the same manner, the green subpixel Lg4, the blue subpixel Lb4, and the red subpixel Lr4 image of the fourth left pixel PL4 are displayed on the 20th subpixel sp20 to the 22nd subpixel sp22. Display.

10 shows a state in which the observer's gaze is changed from R and L to R ₂ and L ₂ . When the viewer's line of sight changes from R, L to R2, L2, the image is shifted and displayed by two subpixels to the left. That is, the blue subpixel Lb1, the red subpixel Lr1, and the green subpixel Lg1 of the first left pixel PL1 are displayed on the 03th subpixel sp03 to the 05th subpixel sp05. In the same manner, the blue subpixel Lb4, the red subpixel Lr4, and the green subpixel Lg4 of the fourth left pixel PL4 are displayed on the 21st subpixel sp21 to the 23rd subpixel sp23. Display.

11 shows a state in which the observer's gaze is changed from R and L to R ₃ and L ₃ . If the observer's line of sight changes from R, L to R ₃ , L ₃ , the image should be shifted left by three subpixels. In this case, the first subpixel sp01 to the third subpixel sp03 become empty. In the present invention, the pixel image rising to the first subpixel sp01 to the third subpixel sp03 is displayed. That is, when the observer's line of sight is changed and the three subpixels are to be shifted, the order of the right pixel and the left pixel is reversed, and the right pixel image is displayed first, followed by the left pixel image.

12 illustrates a state in which the observer's gaze is changed from R and L to R ₄ and L ₄ . If the viewer's line of sight changes from R, L to R ₄ , L ₄ , the image should be shifted by four subpixels to the left. In this case, as in FIG. 11, the right pixel image is displayed first, followed by the left pixel image.

This inversion continues from shifting three subpixels to shifting five subpixels, and then shifting the right and left pixels again when the observer's eye shifts and shifts six subpixels. Is reversed to display the left pixel image first and then display the right pixel image.

That is, when the tracking device 71 recognizes the position of the observer's eye, the microprocessor 72 obtains the number of subpixels to be shifted from the observer's eye position information, and divides the number of subpixels to be shifted by three. If the quotient is even, the left pixel image is displayed first, and the right pixel image is displayed, but shifted by the rest. If the quotient is odd, the right pixel image is displayed first, and the left pixel image is displayed, but shifted by the rest. The shift direction is the direction opposite to the observer's eye movement direction.

13 is a functional block diagram showing a stereoscopic image display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This includes a tracking device 131, a microprocessor 132, a barrier driver 133, a parallax barrier 134, an image display panel driver 135, and an image display panel 136. The image display panel 136 is located behind the parallax barrier 134.

The tracking device 131 detects the position of the observer's eye, and the microprocessor 132 uses the position information of the observer's eye determined by the tracking device 131 to determine whether the barrier is inverted and the image displayed on the image display panel. Calculate the degree of shift. The barrier driver 133 drives the parallax barrier 134 according to the result calculated by the microprocessor 132. The image display panel driver 135 provides image information to the image display panel 136 according to a result calculated by the microprocessor 132 so that the image is displayed on the image display panel 136.

FIG. 14 is a parallax barrier structure diagram of a stereoscopic image display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a view showing a driving state of the stereoscopic image display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The parallax barrier of the stereoscopic image display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a structure capable of reversing as shown in FIG. 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 14A, a barrier may be formed by turning on the first driving line 141 and turning off the second driving line 142. As shown in b), the barrier may be reversed by turning off the first driving line 141 and turning on the second driving line 142.

FIG. 15 illustrates a state in which an observer's gaze is changed from R and L to R ₃ and L ₃ in the stereoscopic image display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the same effect as that in Fig. 11 of the first embodiment is obtained by inverting the position of the barrier without inverting the left pixel and the right pixel.

That is, the left and right pixel images are sequentially displayed on the image display panel, and the transparent and opaque portions of the barrier are inverted.

When the tracking device 131 recognizes the position of the observer's eye, the microprocessor 132 obtains the number of subpixels to be shifted from the observer's eye position information, divides the number of subpixels to be shifted by 3, and the quotient. If the number is even, the barrier position is returned to the original state and the remaining number is shifted and displayed on the image display panel. If the odd number is odd, the position of the barrier is inverted and the remaining number is shifted and displayed on the image display panel.

Although the technical spirit of the present invention has been described above with the accompanying drawings, it is intended to exemplarily describe the best embodiment of the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. In addition, it is obvious that any person skilled in the art may make various modifications and imitations without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the position of the observer is changed, the viewing angle can be enlarged by implementing the left and right stereoscopic images.

In addition, the stereoscopic images are aligned automatically according to the initial position of the observer, so that the observer does not have to work to adjust the viewing zone in which the stereoscopic image is felt.

Claims (8)

An image display panel displaying left and right binocular images, a barrier for realizing a stereoscopic image, a tracking system that quantizes and outputs position information of an observer, and a viewer located at the front or rear of the image display panel, and the observer from the tracking system A microprocessor configured to receive position information of and calculate the inversion of the left and right images displayed on the image display panel and the number of subpixels to be shifted; An image display panel driver configured to shift and display the image display panel; The microprocessor calculates the total number of subpixels to be shifted according to the position information of the observer and divides the result by three, If the divided quotient is 0 or an even number, the remaining number of divided subpixels is shifted without inverting left and right images. And if the divided quotient is an odd number, inverting left and right images and shifting the remaining number of divided subpixels. delete delete The method of claim 1, The shift direction of the image is a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display device, characterized in that the opposite direction of the movement direction of the observer. An image display panel for displaying left and right binocular images, a variable barrier positioned at the front or rear of the image display panel for realizing a stereoscopic image, a tracking system for digitizing and outputting position information of an observer, and the tracking system from the tracking system. A microprocessor configured to receive position information of an observer and calculate whether the variable barrier is inverted and the number of subpixels to be shifted in an image displayed on the image display panel, and a position of the variable barrier by receiving a calculation result of the microprocessor. A barrier driver for inverting the signal; and an image display panel driver for receiving an operation result of the microprocessor and shifting the image in subpixel units to display the image on the image display panel. The microprocessor calculates the total number of subpixels to be shifted according to the position information of the observer and divides the result by three, If the divided quotient is 0 or an even number, the remaining number of divided subpixels is shifted without inverting left and right images. And if the divided quotient is an odd number, inverting left and right images and shifting the remaining number of divided subpixels. delete delete The method of claim 5, The shift direction of the image is a wide viewing angle stereoscopic image display device, characterized in that the opposite direction of the movement direction of the observer.

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