RU2238579C2 - Device for displaying images to moving spectators - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: image displaying technology.

SUBSTANCE: device has back panel, on surface of which images are mounted, and slit panel, placed in parallel to back panel, directed to its surface. Slit panel is mounted at view distance from said trajectory and has multiple slits perpendicular to length of slit panel. Centers of adjacent images and adjacent slits are distanced for space between cadres. Distance between slits, view distance and actual width of image are selected in such a way, that result of multiplication of actual image width and quotient of division of view distance and distance between slits equaled visible width of image, and width of slit is selected to be no more than one tenth of actual image width. Second variant of device allows to demonstrate two sets of images to two spectators. Third variant of device has optical device transferring light from said images to spectator and having optical elements.

EFFECT: possible demonstration of seemingly animated images to moving spectator at low ambient light levels.

3 cl, 23 dwg

Description

State of the art

This invention relates to the display of still images that appear to be animated to a viewer in motion relative to these still images. More specifically, this invention relates to the display of such still images in spatially limited conditions.

Display devices that display still images that seem animated to the viewer in motion are known. These devices include a series of consecutive images (i.e., adjacent images that slightly and gradually differ each from the next). Images are arranged in the direction of movement of the viewer (for example, along the railway) so that these images are viewed sequentially. As the viewer moves past these images, they seem animated. The effect is similar to the effect of the book with page-turning. The page-throwing book has an image on each page that is slightly different from the one in front of it and behind it, so that when the pages are redirected, the viewer perceives the animation.

A long-standing trend in mass transportation systems was the creation of installations to provide passengers in the subway systems with animated moving pictures. Animation of these moving pictures is achieved by the movement of the viewer relative to the installation, which is attached to the walls of the subway tunnel. Such settings have obvious significance: the moving picture is visible through the train windows, through which otherwise only darkness would be visible. Possible useful objects for moving pictures could be selected works of art or informational messages from the transport system or from advertisers.

Each of the known settings provides for the presentation of a series of gradual images, or "frames" to the viewer / passenger so that successive frames are observed one after another. As is well known, the simple presentation of a series of still images to a moving viewer seems to be nothing but a blurry spot if they are displayed too close to the viewer at high speed. On the contrary, at a large distance or low speed, the viewer sees a series of individual images without animation. To achieve the effect of a moving picture, known devices provide methods for displaying each image for very short time intervals. When the display time is sufficiently short, the relative motion between the viewer and the image is effectively delayed, and the blurring of the image becomes negligible. Motion delay methods were based on stroboscopic illumination of images. These methods require precise synchronization between the viewer and the installation, so that each image is illuminated in the same position relative to the viewer, even when he is moving at high speed.

The requirements of a stroboscopic device are numerous: the flash should be extremely short for a fast moving viewer, and therefore accordingly bright, so that enough light reaches the viewer. This requirement, in turn, requires highly precisely synchronized flashes. This accuracy requires very precisely coordinated movement on the part of the viewer, with little or no change in speed. All of the above requirements lead to a high level of mechanical or electrical complexity and cost, or greater consistency in train movement than the existing one. Other known devices overcome the need for high accuracy in time by providing a repeater of some type on the vehicle of the viewer and the receiver on the installation to determine the position of the viewer. These devices require significant mechanical and electrical complexity and cost.

The aforementioned known devices generally require the viewer to be in a vehicle. This requirement may be imposed because the vehicle carries equipment for synchronization, lighting or signaling; or because it is necessary to maintain a high constancy of speed; or to, for example, increase the speed of the viewer. The use of a vehicle requires a high level of design complexity due to the many mechanical elements and because it is often necessary to deal with existing systems that require modification of existing equipment. Severe installation conditions on a moving subway train may limit the mechanical or electrical accuracy achievable in any unit that requires it, or may require frequent maintenance of units where high accuracy is to be achieved.

Use of the vehicle also imposes restrictions. At the most basic level, it limits the range of possible applications to those where viewers are in vehicles. More specifically, considerations of the physical dimensions of the vehicle limit the applicability of the stroboscopic device. The design should take into account information such as the height and width of the vehicle, the size and location of its window and the position of the viewer in the vehicle. For example, the proximity of windows on a high-speed train requires that strobe flashes preferably have a high frequency and a large number, so that the display is visible to all passengers of the train. The dimensions of the medium, for example, the physical space available for installing equipment in the subway tunnel, and the available distances over which images must be projected, impose additional restrictions on the size of elements of any device, as well as on the quality and service life of its various parts.

Although, in principle, a stroboscopic device can act for slowly moving viewers, simply by a closer arrangement of projectors, this is practically difficult. Firstly, closer proximity increases cost and complexity. Also, if the device is installed with a fixed distance between the projectors, the viewer needs a minimum speed.

The existing method for displaying animated images, using relative motion between the viewer and the device, is implemented in the zootrope. Zootrop is a simple hollow cylindrical device that performs animation by geometrically arranging slots cut in cylindrical walls and a series of gradual images placed inside the cylinder, one for each slit. When the cylinder rotates around its axis, the animation is visible through (now rapidly moving) slots.

The zootrop, however, is fixed in almost all its proportions, because its cross-section must be round. Since animation requires a minimum frame rate, and the frame rate depends on the rotation speed, when using the zootrop, only very short animations can be observed. Although there is relative movement between the viewer and the device, in practice the viewer cannot conveniently move in a circle around the zootrope. Therefore, with the zootrope, only one configuration is practically possible: the one in which the stationary viewer observes a short animation through a rotating cylinder.

For reasons of his inability to change shape, the short duration of his animation, and because he must spin, the zootrop remains a toy or curiosity without practical application. However, at least one known system displays images along an external railroad track in a device, which may be called a “linear zootropus,” in which images are mounted behind a wall in which gaps are made. This outdoor environment is essentially unlimited.

In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to be able to develop a device for use in a spatially-limited environment that displays still images that seem animated to a viewer in motion.

It would also be desirable to be able to develop such a device for use in a spatially-limited environment having low levels of ambient light.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of this invention is an attempt to create a device for use in a spatially-limited environment that displays still images that seem animated to the viewer in motion.

The objective of this invention is also an attempt to create such a device for use in a spatially-limited environment having low levels of ambient lighting.

In accordance with this invention, an apparatus is provided for displaying a plurality of still images forming an animation display for a viewer generally moving at a known speed relative to said still images essentially along a known path substantially parallel to said still images. The device includes a rear panel having a length of the rear panel along the path. Still images are mounted on the surface of the rear panel, each of said still images having an actual image width and an image center. The centers of adjacent images are separated by a distance between frames. The slotted panel is located essentially parallel to the rear panel, facing its surface and is separated from it by the distance between the panels. The slit panel is installed at a viewing distance from the path. The distance between the panels and the viewing distance together make up the distance to the rear panel. The slit panel has a length of the slit panel along the path, and has a plurality of slots substantially perpendicular to the length of the slit panel. Each slit corresponds to one of the images and has a slit width measured along the length of the slit panel and a center of the slit, with the corresponding centers of adjacent slots being spaced apart by frames. To display each image with a visible image width, the distance between the panels, the viewing distance and the actual image width are selected so that the product of (a) the actual image width and (b) the division of (i) the viewing distance and (ii) the distance between the panels the creature was equal to the visible width of the image. In order to project each image substantially without blurring, the slit width is selected to be approximately no more than one tenth of the actual image width.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout all of the drawings, and in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective view of the device of figure 1;

figa is a perspective view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the device of figures 1 and 2;

figure 3 is a schematic representation of the geometry and optics of the device of figures 1 and 2;

figa is a schematic representation of a curved example embodiment of the invention;

4A, 4B and 4C (in general, FIG. 4) are schematic representations of one image and a slit with a viewer in three different positions at three different points in time;

5A, 5B and 5C (in general, FIG. 5) are schematic representations of a pair of images and slots with a viewer in three different positions at three different points in time;

6 is a schematic representation of one image observed by the viewer over time, illustrating the effect of stretching (image);

6A is a schematic diagram illustrating a tensile effect, where the rear panel is not parallel to the direction of movement;

7 is a schematic top view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention in which the images are curved;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a third preferred embodiment of the invention in which the images are tilted relative to the rear panel; FIG.

Fig.9 is a schematic top view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention, similar to the embodiment of Fig.8, but in which the slit panel includes a number of sections parallel to the images and tilted relative to the rear panel;

figure 10 is a schematic representation in perspective of a pair of combinations of a slit panel / rear panel of a fifth preferred embodiment of the invention, which is two-sided;

11 is a schematic top view of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

12 is a schematic top view of a sixth embodiment having curved images, such as in the embodiment of FIG. 7, and being two-sided, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11;

13 is a perspective view of a roller type image holder for use in a seventh preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an eighth preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG.

FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 14 of an eighth preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG.

FIG. 16 is a simplified perspective view showing the installation of a plurality of modular units according to the invention in a subway tunnel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple device based on the principles of simple geometric optics, which displays animation to a viewer in motion relative to it. The device essentially only requires the viewer to move essentially along a predictable path, essentially at a predictable speed. There are many common examples that meet these criteria, including, but not limited to, passengers on subway trains, pedestrians on alleys and sidewalks, passengers on railway trains, passengers on cars, passengers on lifts, etc.

For the rest of this document, for ease of description, reference will be given primarily to a specific exemplary application — installation in a metro system visible to passengers of a metro train — but the present invention is not limited to such an application.

The advantages of the present invention are as follows:

1. It preferably does not require the viewer to be in a vehicle.

2. It preferably eliminates the need for complex strobe lighting.

3. It preferably eliminates the need for precise synchronization or installation of switches between the device and the observer.

4. It preferably eliminates the need for moving parts.

5. It preferably does not require a shutter.

6. It preferably does not require the installation of special equipment on the viewer or on the vehicle of the viewer, if the viewer is in the vehicle.

7. It preferably does not require the transmission of information between the device and the viewer related to the position of the viewer, speed or direction of movement.

8. It preferably offers a very large depth of field of observation.

9. It preferably acts as intended, regardless of the direction of movement of the viewer.

10. It is preferably effective for each member of the group of closely spaced viewers, regardless of the distance between them or their mutual movement.

11. It preferably does not require optics more accurate than a simple slit (although other optics may be used).

12. It preferably does not require a correlation between the distance between the windows of the vehicle and the distance between the pictures.

13. It preferably provides the ability to effectively magnify the image in the direction of movement.

14. It preferably requires a very low minimum speed of the viewer, due to the fact that the increase allows a very close arrangement of gradual images.

15. It preferably does not require a specific geometry, be it circular, linear or any other geometry.

16. It preferably does not have a maximum speed. The device preferably includes a series of sequentially arranged pictures (“images” or “frames”) spaced at preferably equal intervals, and preferably between the pictures and the viewer, an optical device that preferably limits the viewer's view to a thin strip of each picture. This optical device is preferably an opaque material with a series of thin transparent slits in it — one slit for each picture — oriented with a long slit size perpendicular to the viewer's direction of movement. A series of pictures will be generally referred to as a “back panel”, and a preferred optical device will be generally referred to as a “slit panel”.

For the invention, it is not essential, but often desirable, to have a light source so that the pictures are brighter than the environment of the viewer. Lighting can provide backlighting for pictures or can be placed between the slit panel and the back panel to illuminate mainly the pictures in front without illuminating the viewer's environment. When lighting is used, it should preferably be constant in brightness. Natural or ambient lighting may be used. If ambient lighting is sufficient, the device can operate without any built-in light source.

It is also not necessary, but often desirable, to make the observer side of the slit panel dark or not reflecting light, or both, in order to maximize the contrast between the pictures visible through the slit panel and the slit panel itself. However, the crevice panel does not have to be dark or non-reflective. For example, the viewer side of the slit panel may have a conventional billboard placed on it with slots cut in the desired positions. This configuration is especially useful in places where some viewers move about the device and others are motionless. This may occur, for example, at metro stations where express trains pass through without stopping, and passengers wait for local trains while standing on the platform. Moving viewers will predominantly see the animation through the unimaginable spot of a regular billboard on the front of the slit panel. Fixed viewers will primarily see only a regular billboard.

Now the invention will be described with reference to figures 1-16.

The basic construction of a preferred embodiment of the display device 10 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the device 10 is a substantially rectangular solid formed by a housing 20 and a cover 21. The front and rear sides of the device 10 are preferably formed by a slit panel 22 and a back panel 23, which are described in more detail below. The slotted panel 22 and the rear panel 23 are preferably inserted into the slots 24 in the housing 20, which are provided for this purpose. The lighting frame 25 is preferably inserted between the housing 20 and the cover 21 and preferably comprises a light source 26, which preferably includes two fluorescent lamps 27 for illuminating the image, or “frames” 230, on the rear panel 23. The slot panel 22 preferably includes a plurality of slots 220, such as described in more detail below. Preferably, to prevent foreign objects from entering the device 10, especially if it is to be used in a harsh or dirty environment, for example in a subway tunnel, each slot 220 is covered with a light-transmitting, preferably transparent cover 221 (only one is shown). Alternatively, each slit 220 may be covered by a semi-cylindrical lens 222 (only one shown), which also improves the resolution of visible images. Especially if the focal length of the lens is approximately equal to the distance between the slit panel 22 and the rear panel 23, the image resolution can be increased. This improvement in resolution is achieved by narrowing the width of the strip of the actual image that is currently visible to the observer. Alternatively, the use of lenses may allow an increase in the width of the slit without decreasing the resolution.

In an alternative embodiment 200 shown in FIG. 2A, the housing 201 is similar to the housing 20, except that it includes light-transmitting, preferably transparent, front and rear walls 202, 203, respectively, forming a completely enclosed structure. At least one of the walls 202, 203 (as shown, this is the wall 202) preferably has hinges 204 to form a service door 205 that can be opened, for example, to replace the rear panel 23 (change the images 230 on it, or to replace the lighting lamps 27). As shown in FIG. 2A, the lighting lamps 27 are mounted in the backlight unit 206 instead of the lighting frame 25, making it necessary for the rear panel 23 and the images 230 to be light transmitting. Of course, an exemplary embodiment 200 can be used with the illumination frame 25 instead of the backlight unit 206. Similarly, the device 10 can be equipped with the backlight unit 206 instead of the illumination frame 25, in which case the back panel 23 and the images 230 must be light transmitting.

Figure 3 is a schematic top view of a part of the device 10 observed by the viewer 30, moving mainly at a constant speed V along the route 31, essentially parallel to the device 10. Route 31 is drawn as a schematic representation of a railway track, but it can be any known trajectory, for example, a highway, or an alley, or sidewalk, along which the viewer generally moves at a known, essentially constant speed.

The following variables can be determined from figure 3:

D _s is the width of the slit;

D _ff is the distance between frames;

D _bs is the distance from the back panel to the slit panel;

V _w is the speed of the viewer relative to the device;

D _sb is the thickness of the slit panel;

In _i is the actual width of one image frame;

D _vs - distance from the viewer to the slit panel.

Other parameters that are not marked will be described below, including B (brightness), c (contrast), and D _i (visible or perceived width of one image frame).

An alternative geometry is shown in FIG. 3A, where the path 31 'is curved and the slot panel 22' and the rear panel 23 'are respectively curved so that all three are substantially “parallel” to each other. Although they are not labeled in FIG. 3A, other parameters are the same as in FIG. 3, except that depending on the degree of curvature, some adjustment is possible in the magnitude of the stretching or magnification of the image, as will be discussed below.

One of the most significant differences of the present invention from a previously known device for observing from a moving vehicle is that no attempt is made to delay the visible movement of the image. That is, in the present device, the invention is always in motion relative to the viewer, and some parts of the image are always visible to the viewer. This is in contradiction with the known systems for moving viewers, where the stroboscopic flash is designed to be so close to instantaneous to achieve the apparent stop of movement of a single image frame, despite its actual movement relative to the viewer.

As with any animation, the device according to this invention relies on the well-known effect of inertia of visual perception, due to which the viewer perceives a continuously moving image when displaying a series of discrete images. The action of this invention uses two different, but simultaneous manifestations of the inertia of visual perception. The first takes place in the eye, restoring the full coherent image, clearly completely visible immediately, when in reality small strips of the image are shown that pass through the entire image. The second is the usual flip book effect, with which a series of sequentially arranged images are perceived as continuous animation.

Figure 4 illustrates the first effect of inertia of visual perception. It shows the position of the viewer 30 relative to one image at successive points (Figs. 4A, 4B and 4C) in time. In each of FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C, double arrows 40 represent the total actual image width, D _i , while distance 41 represents the portion of the image currently visible. This diagram shows that the viewer 30, in a short period of time, begins to see every part of the image. However, at any given moment, only a narrow strip of the image is visible, with a width of 41. Since the period of time during which the strip is visible is very short, and therefore the movement of the image observed through the slit at this time is very small, the viewer perceives the image with very little blurring or an image with no blur at all, even at very high speeds. Theoretically, there is no upper limit on the speed at which the device operates, the faster the viewer moves, the less time when this strip is visible. That is, the effect that would cause blurring of the image - the increasing speed of the viewer - is eliminated by an action that reduces the blurring of the image by the period of visibility of this strip.

4, the view of the movement of the eye of the viewer is purely illustrative. In practice, the viewer's gaze is fixed on the screen, which is perceived as stationary, and the entire frame can be seen using peripheral vision, as in the case of a conventional billboard.

Figure 5 illustrates the second effect of inertia of visual perception. It shows a viewer 30 looking in a fixed direction at three consecutive points in time. In Fig. 5A, the narrow strip of the first image n is in a straight line of view of the viewer through the slit 221. In Fig. 5B, the direct view of the viewer falls on the cover of the slit panel 22. During the time when the opaque part of the slit panel 22 is in the line of direct view of the viewer , the viewer continues to perceive the strip of image n just seen through the slit 221. In Fig. 5C, the direct line of sight of the viewer falls on the slit 222 adjacent to the slit 221, and the viewer 30 sees the strip of the adjacent image n + 1. Since each slit 221, 222 is preferably substantially perfectly aligned with its corresponding image, the strips visible at a given angle in two separate slots preferably correspond essentially exactly. That is, in the position of, say, three inches from the left edge of the image, this strip three inches from the left edge of the image is visible from one frame to the next, and the strip from any other part of the image is never visible. Thus, the alignment between the slit and the image prevents distortion and blurring perceived by the viewer, which otherwise could be caused by the rapid movement of the images. Since consecutive frames differ slightly, as is the case with consecutive images in ordinary animation, the viewer perceives the animation.

Two effects of inertia of visual perception act almost simultaneously. At speeds above the minimum threshold, the viewer 30 does not perceive either discrete images or discrete stripes.

A very useful effect of the device 10 is the visible stretching, or expansion, of the image in the direction of movement. 6 illustrates geometric considerations explaining this stretching effect. The marked "Position 1" and "Position 2" are two positions of this frame 230, where the opposite edges of the frame 230 are visible. Since the position of the frame 230 and the slit 220 are fixed relative to each other, they accurately determine the angle at which the viewer 30 must look so that this slot 220 has been aligned with the edge of the image 230.

In Position 1, the left edge of the image 230 is aligned with the slit 220 and the viewer's eye. In Position 2, the right edge of the image 230 is aligned with the slit 220 and the viewer's eye. In fact, these two positions take place at different points in time, but, as explained above, this is not observed by the viewer 30. Only one full image is observed.

If x is the distance from the center point between the two positions of the slit 220 to any of the individual positions in Position 1 or Position 2, then the perceived image width, D _i 'is equal to 2x. Of these triangles,

Thus, the perceived image width D _i increases relative to the actual image width by a factor equal to the ratio of the distance between the viewer and the slit panel to the distance between the slit panel and the rear panel.

Fig. 6A shows the effect of magnification when the rear panel 23 'is not quite parallel to the path of the viewer. The gain is found by defining the expression f (x), where x is the distance along the path of the viewer, for the shape of the back panel - that is, the distance of the back panel from the axis defined by the path of the observer - around each slit (for example, Fig. 7 shows the back panel 71, in which each image 730 forms a semicircle around its corresponding slit 220). To facilitate understanding, you can determine the x axis along the direction of movement of the viewer, and the y axis perpendicular to the x axis, and select the initial position of the viewer 30.

To find the magnification, it is determined how an arbitrary element of the picture 230 ′ located on the rear panel 23 ′ on the flat rear panel 23 ″ for projection will be perceived by the viewer 30. FIG. 6A shows a section of the actual rear panel 23 ′ between the slit panel 22 and the rear panel 23 "for projection. The length of the rear panel PR 23 ′ defines a picture element 230 ′. This section 230 'will appear to the viewer 30 as if it were on the flat rear panel 23 "for projection, as shown.

To facilitate presentation, the rear panel section 23 'shown is a straight line segment, but this straightness is not required. Also, the shape of the rear panel does not have to be fully described by the expression y = f (x). In practice, you can approximate the true shape of the back panel in many ways - for example, considering the back panel as a series of infinitely small elements, each of which can be approximated by a linear segment.

The viewer 30 in position A sees the left edge P of the picture element 230 'when the slit 220 is in Q. Since the positions of the picture element 230' and slit 220 are fixed relative to each other, they accurately determine the angle at which the viewer 30 should look so that this slit 220 has been aligned with the edge of the element 230 '. Therefore, the right edge R of this picture element 230 ′ will be visible when the device moves relative to the viewer 30 to a position where a line parallel to the QR passes through A.

The left edge of the picture element 230 'will appear on the rear panel 23 "for projection in position B, at a distance Δ x from the y axis. The right edge of the picture element 230' will appear on the rear panel 23" for projection in position C. Visible image width D _i is the distance of the aircraft.

Point P is the intersection of the rear panel 23 'with a line passing through A and B.

Point Q is the intersection of slotted panel 22 with a line passing through A and B.

Point R is the intersection of the rear panel 23 'with a line through Q and R.

Distance Di - distance from P to R.

The coordinates of the point P, (P _x / P _y ) is the solution (x, y) for y = f (x), and

where the last equation is the equation for the line passing through A and B.

The coordinates of the point Q, (Q _x , Q _y ) are the solution (x, y) for y = (D _vb / Δ x) x, and

The coordinates of the point R, (R _x , R _y ) are the solution (x, y) for y = f (x) y

Finally, the size D _i that this picture element 230 ′ must have, in order to stretch it to the size D _i , is given by

where the variables on the right-hand side can all be found from the dimensions of the device and Δ x.

The above findings demonstrate practical methods for determining the effect of stretching, in order to pre-compress the image for both substantially parallel and non-parallel rear panels. A useful viewing rule that is valid for any rear panel configuration stems from the fact that the BAC angle is equal to the BQC angle - the angular size of the projected image, visible to the viewer, is the same as the angular size of the actual image in the slot position 220.

In order to pre-compress the image, it can be divided into many elements starting at Δ x = 0 and going sequentially in any direction, increasing by Δ x, respectively. Then each element can be pre-compressed and placed in an appropriate place on the rear panel.

In cases where the trajectory of the viewer is curved such as the geometry shown in FIG. 3A, neither the slit panel nor the rear panel need to be straight lines. A similar conclusion can be used for non-parallel rear panels by determining the function g (x) for the slit route relative to the viewer and replacing the ratio (B) with y = g (x).

In practice, images can be compressed in the direction of movement prior to installation on the rear panel so that, when projected, they are stretched to their normal proportions, allowing a large image to be represented in a relatively smaller space. Curved or sloping surfaces on the rear panel can be used to enhance the effect. That is, as the non-planar back panel approaches the slit panel, the increase increases significantly. However, for simplicity, the following description will assume a flat rear panel, unless otherwise indicated.

As shown below, the stretching effect, when adjusted through the corresponding variable parameters of the device 10, can be very useful. Also, the relationship between the perceived image size D _i and the viewer distance D _vs is linear - the image becomes larger as the viewer moves further. This can be beneficial in a proper environment.

There are some limitations and side effects. Both effects of inertia of visual perception require minimum speeds, which are not necessarily equal. Too slow speed can lead to the perception of only discrete vertical lines, or flicker, or insufficient observed animation effect. In practice, the perception of only discrete vertical lines is a major limitation. A possible beneficial effect of the stretching effect arises from the fact that strips of multiple frames are visible at the same time. That is, if the perceived image is ten times larger than the actual image, strips of ten different images can be visible at any given time. Since each frame represents different time points in the animation, many moments of the image can be seen at the same time. This effect can, for example, be used to alternate (interleave) images, if desired. Likewise, many copies of a single frame can be displayed in a manner similar to that used in the commercial projection of moving pictures, or this effect can also lead to distortion or blurring perceived by the viewer 30. However, in practice this distortion is barely noticeable and can be reduced by a higher frame rate or a slower change in the animation object.

Another possible beneficial effect occurs when the image of one frame 230 is visible through a slit 220 corresponding to an adjacent frame 230. In this case, the viewer can see many adjacent animations. These "second order" images can be used for a graphic effect, if desired. Or, if they are undesirable, they can be removed by increasing the thickness of the slit panel D _sb or the ratio D _ff / D _{i by} introducing a light barrier 32 between the slit panel 22 and the rear panel 23 or by changing the geometry of the rear panel 23. All these techniques are described below.

Another possible useful effect is due to the fact that the stretching effect distorts the proportions of the image 230. You can eliminate this effect, if it is undesirable, by pre-compressing the images 230 so that the stretching effect restores the actual proportions. However, caution should be exercised when different viewers 30 view the device 10, each with a different D _vs. In this case, the exact restoration of the correct size occurs only on one D _vs. On the other D _vs, recovery will be inaccurate. However, in practice, for many of the ranges of parameters used, inaccurate proportions give little or no harmful effect.

In general, the environment affects four parameters - V _w, D _bs , D _vs and D _i , V _w , the speed of the viewer, in general, depends, for example, on the speed of the vehicle, the usual walking speed of the viewer, or the speed of a moving walkway, escalator , etc. D _bs , the distance from the rear panel to the slot panel is generally limited by the space between the train and the tunnel wall, or the available space of the pedestrian path, for example D _vs , the distance from the viewer to the slot panel depends, for example, on the width of the subway car or the width of the pedestrian path . Finally, D _i , the perceived image width, should be no more than the area visible to the viewer 30, in this case, for example, the width of the train window.

The successful perception of the animation effect in general is also affected by the precisely set minimum frame rate, namely approximately 15-20 frames per second. The frame rate, the distance between frames and the speed of the viewer are related by:

frame rate = V _w / D _ff (2)

Since the frame rate should generally be greater than the minimum threshold, and V _w generally depends on the environment, this ratio sets the maximum D _ff .

For example, for a train moving at a speed of about 30 miles per hour (about 48 kilometers per hour), for a given minimum frame rate of about 20 frames per second, the above ratio determines that D _ff can be either large or about 2 feet ( approximately 67 cm).

Alternatively, the minimum V _w is determined by the minimum D _ff allowed for the image, which is limited by the fact that D _ff can be no less than D _i . The stretching effect theoretically allows D _{i to} be arbitrarily reduced without decreasing D _i ', since D _bs can, in principle, be arbitrarily reduced. In practice, however, D _bs cannot be reduced arbitrarily, since very small sizes will result in very different perceived image widths for each viewer 30 located on a different D _vs. That is, on too small D _bs , viewers on opposite sides of the car can see images with markedly different proportions. Moreover, small Ds, leading to a large increase, require correspondingly high image quality or print resolution.

If viewers view the device 10 from different distances D _vs , the closer ones (viewers with the smallest D _vs ) generally define limits for D _bs .

Since images cannot overlap,

If D _i = D _ff and you can see second-order images, it will seem that they are adjacent to first-order images, slightly out of synchronization. The resulting image will be similar to the image on a set of television sets, installed one after another, and starting their programs at a slightly different time. This effect can be used for graphic purposes, or, if this is undesirable, three changes in the parameters can remove it.

Firstly, the ratio D _i / D _ff can be reduced by effectively determining the distance between adjacent images. This change will move the second-order images from the primary images.

Secondly, it is possible to increase the thickness of the slit panel D _sb so that second-order images are blocked by a cutoff angle. That is, for any nonzero thickness of the slit panel 22, there will be an angle through which, if you look, it is impossible to see through the slots. As the thickness of the slit panel 22 increases, this angle becomes smaller, and it can be seen that it follows the relation

This ratio can be alternatively written

by substitution for D _i from relation (1). This shows the limit imposed on D _{sb by the} desired perceived image width.

The same effect as described above can be achieved by installing a light barrier 32 between the slit panel 22 and the rear panel 23, thereby blocking the visibility of the image 230 through the slit 220 of the neighboring image 230.

Thirdly, you can change the shape of the back panel, as shown in Fig.7. In the device 70, the rear panel 71 supports curved images 730, so that second-order images are not observed. A change in the shape of the back panel will result in a slightly altered stretch effect. As before, this stretching effect can be eliminated by pre-compressing the image in the direction of motion.

. Из фиг.7 можно наблюдать, что поскольку угол зрения становится большим, зритель продолжает наблюдать через каждую данную щель 220 только изображение 730, соответствующее этой щели 220. В идеальном случае нулевой ширины щелевой панели, самая левая полоска изображения видима, когда зритель смотрит под 90° слева, а самая правая полоска видима, когда зритель смотрит под 90° справа. Полоски, находящиеся между ними, непрерывно видны под углами, находящимися между этими крайними углами. Другими словами, каждое изображение наблюдается как изображение неограниченной ширины. (На фиг.7 изогнутое изображение 730 не совсем достигает щелевой панели 22 для иллюстрации максимального угла зрения, позволяемого виньетированием щелевой панели ненулевой ширины. В принципе, кривая изображения 730 может достигать щелевой панели).The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 has a potentially useful property not only in that it does not show second-order images, but also in an arbitrary width of first-order image. This effect refers to the stretching effect described above, which assumes a flat geometry of the rear panel, but differs from it. The final observed image width is limited by slit panel vignetting - the exact ratio can be found by solving relation (5) for

. From Fig. 7, it can be observed that as the angle of view becomes large, the viewer continues to observe through each given slit 220 only an image 730 corresponding to this slit 220. In the ideal case of a zero width slit panel, the leftmost strip of the image is visible when the viewer looks at 90 ° to the left, and the rightmost bar is visible when the viewer is looking 90 ° to the right. The strips between them are continuously visible at angles between these extreme corners. In other words, each image is observed as an image of unlimited width. (In Fig. 7, the curved image 730 does not quite reach the slit panel 22 to illustrate the maximum angle of view allowed by vignetting the slit panel to a non-zero width. In principle, the image curve 730 can reach the slit panel).

An additional ratio is such that the width should be inversely proportional to the brightness of the light, i.e. D _s ∞ 1 / B. In general, the device has a higher resolution and less blurring of the image, the smaller the width of the slit (similar to how a camera with a point aperture has a higher resolution with a smaller point gap). Since narrower slits allow less light to pass through, the brightness must increase with decreasing slit width so that the same amount of light reaches the viewer 30.

The ratio of the width of the slit 220 to the width of the image determines the amount of blurring of the image, perceived by the viewer 30 in the direction of movement. More specifically, the size of the slit 220 projected from the viewer 30 onto the rear panel 23 determines the scale above which the present device will not reduce erosion. This length is set because the strip of the image, which can be visible through the slit 220 at any given moment, is in motion and therefore blurred in the perception of the viewer. The size of the slit 220 relative to the image width should thus be as small as practicable if the highest possible resolution is desired. In the parameter ranges of the two examples below, the width of the slots will be below about 0.03125 inches (less than about 0.8 mm).

Achievable brightness and resolution, and their relationship can be expressed quantitatively.

First we define the following additional parameters:

L _ocp - ambient (photometric) brightness of the viewer's environment;

L _device - brightness of the back panel on the device;

C is the contrast between the image and the environment at the location of the viewer;

D _vb = D _vs + D _bs - distance between the viewer and the rear panel;

In _scr - the (subjective) brightness of the environment at the location of the viewer;

In _device - image brightness at the location of the viewer;

TF - the proportion of transmission, or the proportion of light that passes through the slit panel;

R is the resolution of the image.

L _ocp describes the photometric brightness of a typical object in the viewer's field of view when viewing the image projected by the device. This typical object should represent the overall brightness of the viewer's environment and should characterize the level of background lighting. For example, in the subway or train, it may be the wall of the car, adjacent to the window through which the device is visible.

In _okr - the brightness of this object, as it is seen by the viewer, and

where D _okr - the distance between the viewer and the object of the environment. It is sometimes difficult to choose a specific object as a representative of the environment. As mentioned above, in the embodiment used in the subway tunnel, the environmental object may be the wall of the subway car adjacent to the window, in this case, In _okr , the distance from the viewer to the wall. To facilitate the calculation, it can be approximately taken equal to D _vs , because the additional distance from the window to the device is relatively small.

L _device describes the brightness of the images on the back of the device. The rear panel is always visible through the slitboard, which effectively filters the light passing through it, its brightness at the location of the viewer in the _Device is

TF, the transmission ratio of the slit panel, is the ratio of the length of the slit panel transmitting light to the total length, i.e.

where the equality in the second row is maintained when D _ff = D _i .

R, the resolution of the image, is the ratio of the image size to the size of the slots projected onto the back panel,

This value is called resolution, because the image tends to blur in the direction of movement on the scale of the width of the slit. Since the eye can see simultaneously the entire area of the image, enclosed in the width of the slit, and the image moves during its vision, the eye cannot distinguish details in the image much smaller than the projected width of the slit. Therefore, D _s effectively determines the size of the image element in the direction of movement. In other words, for example, if the slit width is equal to one tenth of the image width, the image actually contains ten image elements in the direction of movement. In practice, the eye allows you to see the image a little better than R, but R determines the scale.

In order for the image to expressively project an unbroken image, R should preferably be greater than 10, but this may depend on the image to be projected. It should also be noted that R = 1 / TF when D _i = D _ff , so increasing the resolution decreases the amount of transmitted light.

c - contrast between the image of the device and the environment at the location of the viewer. In order for the image to be visible in the environment of the viewer, the brightness of the device must be higher than the minimum brightness

In order for the device to be visible at all, c determines the minimum brightness of the device, which depends on the properties of the human eye: if the image of the device is too dim compared to its environment, it will be invisible. The brightness of a device can always be greater than the minimum determined with. In practice, c should be equal to at least about 0.1. For many applications, such as commercial advertising, it may be desirable for c to be greater than 1.

The following parameters contain the smallest set of parameters (which can be called "independent" parameters) that fully describe the device according to this invention - D _vs , D _bs , V _w , L _open , D _open , c, L _ystp , D _i , D _s and D _ff . Other parameters that may be called "dependent parameters" are

Of the independent parameters, the first five are essentially determined by the environment in which the device is installed. In a metro system, for example, these five parameters are determined by the cross sections of the tunnel and train, the speed of the train, and the lighting in the train. On pedestrian walkways or in the interior of buildings, as another example, these parameters are determined by the dimensions of the alley or corridor, pedestrian speed and ambient lighting conditions.

ограничено либо окружающей средой (например, шириной окна поезда метро), либо требованиями к изображению, которое должно быть отображено устройством (например, эстетические соображения), или и тем и другим. Остальные зависимые параметры определяются независимыми параметрами.The contrast c and the dependent parameters R and FR are limited by the properties of human perception and the fact that the image of the device should be expressive and not distorted by blurring much.

It is limited either by the environment (for example, the window width of the metro train), or by the requirements for the image to be displayed by the device (for example, aesthetic considerations), or both. The remaining dependent parameters are determined by independent parameters.

When these parameters are essentially unlimited, significantly greater freedom of action with the remaining four independent parameters is allowed, and the special relationships below are not necessary. Such less stringent conditions occur, for example, in connection with a railway train moving in a level environment, when D _vs is extremely unlimited. Sometimes, a substantially unlimited parameter leads to an environment in which this device cannot be installed at all, such as one where the level of ambient light changes dramatically and arbitrarily or the speed of the viewer is completely unknown.

Restrictions on the remaining independent parameters are best expressed as a series of inequalities and are given below.

The combination of relations (6), (7) and (10) gives the minimum gap width,

The solution of relation (9) for D _s gives

The combination of relations (11) and (12) limits the width of the gap above and below:

)/D_vs=D_i. Неравенство между крайней левой и дальней правой сторонами соотношения вводит минимальную яркость для устройства L_устр. То есть, если яркость устройства ниже минимального порога, изображение устройства будет слишком тусклым, чтобы его можно было видеть в яркости окружающей среды зрителя.In this expression, L _okr and all distances except the width of the slit are significantly limited by the environment, a R and with limited features of the visual perception of a person. As mentioned earlier, to facilitate calculations, D _ocp can be approximated using D _vs ; note also that (D _bs ×

) / D _vs = D _i . The inequality between the far left and far right sides of the ratio introduces the minimum brightness for the device L _device . That is, if the brightness of the device is below the minimum threshold, the image of the device will be too dim to be seen in the brightness of the environment of the viewer.

When the brightness of the device is large enough, the inequalities between D _s and the leftmost and rightmost parts of the ratio determine the acceptable range of the width of the gap. A smaller slit width gives a higher resolution, but a lower brightness, and a larger slit width gives a brightness due to the resolution. The high brightness of the device extends the lower limit of the range of permissible slit widths.

Another similar relationship for the distance between frames can be obtained from the above relationships. Relation (3) can be written

Relation (2), frame rate = V _w / D _ff , can be rewritten

where FR stands for frame rate and equality changes to inequality to reflect that FR is the minimum frame rate necessary for the animation effect to work.

The combination of relations (14) and (15) gives

V _w and all distances except D _ff are significantly limited by the environment, and FR is limited by the visual perception of a person. Therefore, the ratio determines the allowable range for D _ff . It also imposes a condition on the environment in which the present invention can be applied, i.e., if the inequality is not maintained between the extreme left and right extreme parts of the ratio, the present invention cannot be used.

Selecting a smaller D _ff brings the second-order frames closer to the first-order frames, while increasing the frame rate. A decrease in D _ff also increases the transmittance without decreasing the resolution. Choosing a larger D _ff moves the images further apart by reducing the frame rate.

Although in principle the device 10 does not require the inclusion of a light source for its operation, if the ambient lighting is sufficient, such as in the open air (the cover 21 or the rear panel 23 must be light-transmitting), in practice the use of very narrow slots imposes such a requirement. That is, when operating in low ambient light conditions and a desired average resolution, preferably bright interior lighting. The designation "internal" indicates the volume of the device 10 between the rear panel 23 and the slit panel 22, as opposed to the "external", which is everywhere except in this place. The interior will contain visible images 230, but may be empty, or contain a supporting structure, light sources, optical partitions, etc., as described above in connection with figures 1, 2 and 2A.

Moreover, this lighting should preferably not illuminate the exterior of the device, or illuminate the environment of the viewer, or directly hit the viewer, because the high contrast between the dark exterior and the bright interior improves the perception of the final image. This lighting requirement is less difficult than the requirement for stroboscopic devices - in a subway tunnel, this lighting should not be brighter than that achieved with conventional residential / commercial lighting, such as fluorescent lamps. Lighting should preferably be constant so that there is no difficulty with synchronization. Preferably, the inside of the device 10 should be physically isolated, as far as possible, from the external environment of the subway tunnel, as discussed earlier, while preferably allowing heat to be dissipated from the light source, if necessary. A housing may also be used to help illuminate the interior by reflecting light that would otherwise not be directed toward visible images 230.

Two examples show in more detail how different parameters are interconnected.

Example 1

The first example illustrates how all restrictions tend to weaken as V _w increases. For example, in a typical metro system, the following parameters may be suggested:

V _w = 30 mph (train speed);

D _bs = 6 inches (distance between train and wall);

D _vs = 6 feet (half the width of the train, for the average location of the viewer 30 inside the car);

= 3 фута (ширина окна поезда).

= 3 feet (train window width).

According to relations (3) and (1)

If the images are adjacent so that D _ff = D _i , the maximum frame rate is achieved. Then according to the relation (2)

At this frequency, the parameters can be adjusted to a large extent, while maintaining high quality animation. This frame rate is also high enough to support image interleaving (see above), if desired, despite the reduction in the actual frame rate that occurs during interleaving.

Example 2

The second example illustrates how restrictions are tightened at a frame rate near the minimum. To find the minimum practically feasible V _w , suppose the following parameters:

frame rate = 20 frames / sec;

D _bs = 6 inches;

D _vs = 6 feet;

= 2 фута.

= 2 feet.

According to the relation (1)

)/D_vs=(0.5 фут × 2 фут)/6 фут = 2 дюйма.D _i = (D _bs ×

) / D _vs = (0.5 ft × 2 ft) / 6 ft = 2 inches.

For adjacent images, D _ff = D _i , and

V _w = D _ff × frame rate =

= 2 inches × 20 fps =

= 40 inch / sec

which is approximately equal to the speed of the pedestrian.

The meaning of this last result is that the device can successfully display high-quality animations for pedestrians, which greatly expands the potential applicability of this device compared to devices based on the stroboscopic effect.

The following alternative preferred embodiments are within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Fig. 8 illustrates another preferred embodiment 80, characterized in an optimal angle of view of the animation. In the device 80, the rear panel 83 supports images 830 that are tilted at an acute angle to the rear panel 83, changing the viewing angle from a right angle to this acute angle. This change allows a more natural view for pedestrians, for example, because it does not require the pedestrian to turn his head strongly away from the direction of movement. This embodiment may also exclude second-order images.

FIG. 9 illustrates a further preferred embodiment 90, similar to device 80, but in which slot panel 92 is also angled. This improvement also provides a more natural viewing position for pedestrians. The asymmetric triangular design allows a natural view for viewers moving from left to right. A symmetrical design (not shown), in which the top view of the slit panel may be more similar, for example, to a series of isosceles triangles, can satisfy viewers moving in both directions.

10 illustrates a methodology for using one slot panel 101 as a back panel for another slot panel 102, while at the same time using this slot panel 102 as the back panel of the original slot panel 101. This configuration allows two devices to be installed side-by-side in one space. This device 100 can be improved by shifting one set of slots from another by D _i / 2 or by some part of D _i .

11 shows a simple schematic top view of the device 100. The slots 220 of one slot panel 101 are centered between the slots 220 of the opposite slot panel 102, which acts as a rear panel of the previous slot panel. That is, between the slots 220 of one slit panel are images 230 visible through another slit panel, and vice versa. Since the slots are very narrow, their presence in the rear panel creates a slight distraction.

12 shows another embodiment 120, similar to device 100 but containing a set of twisted images 1230 (as in FIG. 7) opposing slots 220 opposite the slit / back panels 101, 102. Device 120 thus combines the features and advantages of device 70 and device 100.

13 illustrates an image display mechanism of a roller type 130 that can be placed in the rear panel position. Rollers can contain many sets of images, which can be changed by simply rotating from one set of images to another. Such a mechanism can greatly simplify the replacement of images. In order to replace one animation with another, instead of manually replacing each image, you can rotate these videos to another set of images. This change can be made manually or automatically, for example, using a timer. By combining slots 220, mechanism 130 may be used in device 100 or device 120.

Another preferred embodiment 140 is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. In the device 140, a “back panel” 141 with its images 142 is placed between the viewer 30 and a number of mirrors 143. Each mirror 143 preferably has substantially the same size and orientation as any slots that would be used in the above embodiments. Mirrors 143 are preferably mounted on a panel 144 that replaces the slit panel, but mirrors 143 can be mounted individually or on any other suitable support. The operating principles of the device 140 are essentially the same as for the above embodiments. However, since the “back panel” 141 will obscure the view of the mirrors 143 by the viewer 30, the “back panel” 141 may be located above or below the line of sight of the viewer 30. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the “back panel” 141 is located above the line of sight viewer 30. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, both the “rear panel” 141 and the “mirror panel” 144 are tilted. However, if positioned correctly, tilting panels 141 and 144 may not be necessary. As with the slot panel, the Mirror Panel 144 will work best when its non-mirrored parts are dark to increase contrast with the images.

The full animation displayed using the device of the present invention for use in a metro system can be of a significant size, a mile (or more) in length. In accordance with another aspect of this invention, such an animation can be performed by dividing a back panel carrying images for such an animation into smaller sections, providing a plurality of devices according to the invention for matching the local structure of the subway tunnel structure where possible. Many metro systems have repeating supporting structures along the length of the tunnel to which such modular devices can be attached in a mechanically simplified manner.

As an example, the New York City subway system has evenly spaced columns throughout its tunnel network supporting I-beams between many pairs of tracks. The installation of the device according to the present invention can be greatly facilitated by taking advantage of these I-beams, their uniform location and the certainty of their placement along the train path, but outside it. However, this one example should not be construed as limiting applicability to the metro system alone.

Modular technology has many other advantages. This provides the potential to facilitate construction and maintenance by taking advantage of structures that are explicitly designed to be used in subway tunnels. The design of the I-beams is strong enough and ensures that the device does not fall into the path space. The constant size of the I-beams reliably adjusts D _bs , facilitating design considerations. Additionally, the cost and technical difficulties are reduced, since the device can be easily attached to the external part of the supporting device without drilling or possible harmful changes to the existing structure.

FIG. 16 schematically shows an example of module separation possible for the double-sided device of FIGS. 10 and 11. As shown, the entire length of two slit panels, which may be half a mile or more, is reduced to construct a plurality of identical slot panels 160, each of which has a length approximately equal to the distance between adjacent I-beams 161 (for example, about five feet). Each of the slit panels is then attached to a pair of existing supporting I-beams, together with other parts of the device, as described above.

Thus, it is seen that display devices have been developed for use in spatially limited conditions that display still images that seem animated for observers in motion.

Experienced specialists will understand that the present invention can be practically applied in other embodiments other than those described, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims.

Claims (26)

1. An apparatus for displaying a plurality of still images forming an animation display to a viewer generally moving at a known speed relative to said substantially still images along a known path substantially parallel to said still images, comprising a back panel having a back panel length along said path, wherein said still images are mounted on the surface of the rear panel, each of said still images having the actual width of the image and has the center of the image, while the centers of the images of the neighboring images are spaced apart by frames, and a slit panel located substantially parallel to the rear panel, facing its surface and spaced apart by a distance between the panels, the slot panel being installed at a viewing distance from said path, wherein the distance between the panels and the viewing distance together form a distance to the rear panel, the slot panel having a length of the slot panel along the aforementioned drawn path, and contains many slots essentially perpendicular to the length of the slit panel, and each slit corresponds to one of the above images and has a slit width measured along the length of the slit panel and the center of the slit, the respective centers of adjacent slots being separated by the distance between the frames, to display each mentioned image with a visible image width, the distance between the panels, the viewing distance and the actual image width are selected so that the product (a) of the actual width image and (b) the separation distance from (i) the viewing distance and (ii) the distance between the panels was essentially equal to the visible width of the image, and for projecting each of the mentioned images, essentially without blurring, the width of the slit was chosen so that it was no more than about one tenth of the actual image width. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said images are illuminated to the brightness of the image, and when the viewer is in an environment illuminated to the brightness of the environment, the width of the slit is at least approximately one tenth of the product (a) of the actual width image, (b) the square of the quotient from dividing the distance to the rear panel by the viewing distance, and (c) the quotient from dividing the brightness of the environment by the brightness of the image. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the slit is at least approximately the product of (a) the actual width of the image, (b) the square of the quotient from dividing the distance to the rear panel by the viewing distance, and (c) quotient from dividing the brightness of the environment by the brightness of the image. 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a light source for illuminating said images to image brightness. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the light source is located between the slit panel and the rear panel. 6. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the rear panel is light transmitting, and the rear panel is between the light source and the slit panel. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an essentially cylindrical lens in each slit. 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the said path, the rear panel and the slit panel are curved. 9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that only one of the above images is visible through the slit panel at any time. 10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of partitions, each of the partitions extending from the slit panel to the rear panel between the respective neighboring of said images. 11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a housing to prevent foreign objects from entering between the slit panel and the rear panel. 12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the slit panel and the rear panel form part of the housing. 13. The device according to p. 12, characterized in that it further comprises appropriate transparent coatings for each gap. 14. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the slotted panel and the rear panel are located inside the housing, and said housing has a service door through which the rear panel is replaced. 15. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the individual said images are curved relative to the rear panel and the slit panel. 16. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the individual said images are tilted relative to the rear panel and the slit panel. 17. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the frames is selected taking into account the aforementioned known speed to create the desired frame rate, visible to the viewer, and the frame rate is at least about 15 frames per second. 18. The device according to 17, characterized in that the known trajectory is a subway path, and the viewer is a passenger of a subway train traveling along the subway path. 19. The device according to 17, characterized in that the said known path is an alley, and the viewer is a pedestrian in the alley. 20. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the centers of the slits is directly opposite to the corresponding center of the centers of the images. 21. A device for displaying two respective sets of still images forming two corresponding animation displays for two respective viewers, generally moving at corresponding known speeds relative to said respective sets of still images, essentially along known paths substantially parallel to said still images comprising a first slit panel having a length of a first slit panel along said paths and having a series of lei perpendicular to the length of the first slot panel and spaced apart from each other, the first slot panel having a viewer side of the first slot panel and the opposite side of the first slot panel, the first slot panel having the first of the aforementioned sets of still images on the opposite side of the first a slit panel along the length of the first slit panel, and a second slit panel having a length of a second slit panel along said paths and having a series of slots perpendicular to the length of the second a slit panel and spaced apart from each other along it, the second slit panel having a viewer side of a second slit panel and an opposite side of the second slit panel, while the second slit panel has a second of the aforementioned sets of still images on the opposite side of the second slit panel along the length a second slot panel, the first and second slot panels being substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart at a first distance, the opposite side of the first slot panel on is facing the opposite side of the second slot panel, said still images of the first slot panel correspond to the slits of the second slot panel, said still images of the second slot panel correspond to the slots of the first slot panel, and the said images of the second slot panel are animated to the viewer, which in most cases is parallel to the said device display along said side of the viewer of said first slit panel, and said images of said first Spruce panels appear animated viewer moving in most cases parallel to said display device for the viewer along the side of the second slitboard. 22. An apparatus for displaying a plurality of still images forming an animation display to a viewer generally moving at a known speed relative to said still images essentially along a known path substantially parallel to said still images, comprising a back panel having a length of the back panel along said path, wherein said still images are mounted on the surface of the rear panel, each of said still images having t is the actual width of the image and has the center of the image, while the centers of the images of the neighboring images are spaced between the frames, and an optical device arranged so as to transmit light from said images to the viewer along said path, the optical device having optical elements observed by the viewer on viewing distance from said path, each corresponding optical element being at an optical distance from the corresponding and has the element width measured parallel to the said trajectory, and the center of the element along the said width, the corresponding centers of neighboring elements being spaced from each other by the distance between the frames, moreover, to display each mentioned image with a visible image width, the optical distance, the viewing distance and the actual the image width is selected so that the product of (a) the actual image width and (b) the division of the viewing distance from (i) the viewing distance by (ii) the optical distance, essentially , was equal to the apparent width of the image, and for projecting each said image, essentially without blurring, the width of the element was selected so as to be no more than about one tenth of the actual width of the image. 23. The device according to item 22, wherein the said image is illuminated to the brightness of the image, and when the viewer is in an environment illuminated to the brightness of the environment, the width of the element is at least approximately one tenth of the product (a) of the actual width image, (b) the square of the quotient of dividing (i) the sum of the viewing distance and the optical distance by (ii) the viewing distance, and (c) the quotient of dividing the environmental brightness by the brightness of the image. 24. The device according to item 22, wherein said image is illuminated to the brightness of the image, and when the viewer is in an environment illuminated to the brightness of the environment, the width of the element is at least approximately equal to the product (a) of the actual image width, (b) the square of the quotient of dividing (i) the sum of the viewing distance and the optical distance by (ii) the viewing distance, and (c) the quotient of dividing the environmental brightness by the brightness of the image. 25. The device according to item 22, wherein the optical device is a slit panel located essentially parallel to the rear panel facing its surface, and spaced from it by a distance between the panels, and the slit panel is installed at a viewing distance from the aforementioned trajectory, the slit panel has a length of the slit panel along said path, the optical elements are slots substantially perpendicular to the length of the slit panel. 26. The device according to item 22, wherein the surface of the rear panel is facing away from said path, and each of the optical elements is a mirror.

Images