JP3072866B2 - 3D stereoscopic image display device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device for displaying a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a technique for three-dimensional stereoscopic display, there is a technique using binocular parallax with a stereoscopic mirror (stereoscope). In the display of a stereoscopic image so far, there is a trend from a still image to a moving image and from black and white to a color. In particular, as a technique for displaying full-color moving images, in the field of stereoscopic movies, a method of optically separating right and left images using polarizing glasses to stereoscopically display the image, and in the field of television, a liquid crystal shutter is used. A method of separating a right image and a left image in a time-sharing manner and performing three-dimensional display has already been put to practical use. However, since these moving image stereoscopic display technologies require glasses, it is troublesome to wear glasses, the video screen is darkened by wearing glasses, and in communication, unless the interlocutor talks in an unnatural state There is a problem such as not becoming. On the other hand, as a stereoscopic display without wearing glasses, there are a method using a lenticular sheet, a method using holography, and a method using a varifocal mirror.

[0003] With the advancement of photographic technology, holography has
Although it has succeeded in reproducing high-definition, full-color stereoscopic images,
Considering the application to communication, there is a major problem that moving images in real time cannot be obtained. On the other hand, for a varifocal mirror, it is necessary to increase the number of images in the depth direction in order to provide a realistic three-dimensional effect. There is an inherent problem that the perspective can be reversed.

On the other hand, there is a parallax barrier or lenticular system as a system that does not require glasses and uses binocular parallax. Although the principle is almost the same, a lenticular method in which the light amount does not decrease is superior. Here, a three-dimensional stereoscopic display technique using a lenticular sheet, which is considered to be closest to practical use, will be described.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional two-lens lenticular system. As shown in FIG. 5A, it is configured by a combination of a transmissive display device 1 having pixels arranged in a matrix and a lenticular sheet 2 made of a lens having a semi-cylindrical shape. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 5B, the transmissive display device 1 is configured by alternately arranging left-eye images L and right-eye images R in stripes. A surface light source 3 is provided on the back of the transmission type display device 1. In the stripe-shaped kamaboko lens of the lenticular sheet 2, two sets of pixels are arranged along the lens. Then, FIG.
1 corresponds to the image R for the right eye and the other corresponds to the image L for the left eye. The pitch, radius of curvature, and thickness of the kamaboko lens are accurately designed so that each image reaches the right or left eye of the observer. FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show images R and R for the right eye and the left eye, respectively.
The relationship between L and transmitted light is shown. By displaying the left-eye image L or the right-eye image R every field or every frame, the observer M can see a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.

In the prior art described above, only a three-dimensional stereoscopic display device in which the surface light source 3 and the transmissive display device 1 are combined has been described, but there is also an example realized by using a light emitting display device.

[0007]

In the above-described three-dimensional stereoscopic image display apparatus using the lenticular sheet 2,
Observation of three-dimensional stereoscopic images was possible. However, since an image is composed of two sets of striped pixels for the right eye and the left eye, there is a problem that the resolution is reduced to half. In addition, since the lenticular sheet 2 is present on the entire surface of the transmissive display device 1, the surface is uneven and the unnaturalness cannot be avoided.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional stereoscopic image display device which can solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and can improve the human interface with high resolution.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a surface light source arranged in a matrix or a stripe, a light directivity switching device using a lenticular sheet as a constituent element, and a transmission using the light directivity switching device as a light source. Type display device, wherein the surface light source has a function of electrically controlling on / off of light at least in a stripe shape, and the lenticular sheet includes at least the stripe light source in one lens. It is optically designed to have a structure including two light sources so that light from one stripe light source is focused on the right eye of the observer and light from the other stripe light source is focused on the left eye of the observer. The transmission type display device,
A display screen is configured using light from the light directivity switching device as a light source.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the light emitted from the surface light source becomes a stripe light source for the right eye or the left eye of the observer. These striped light sources are covered with a lens having a semi-cylindrical shape designed to focus light on the right or left eyes of the observer. Therefore, the light directivity switching device acts so that light from the stripe light source for the right eye is focused on the right eye of the observer, and light from the stripe light source for the left eye is focused on the left eye of the observer. The transmissive display device located between the observer and the light directivity switching device has a function of superimposing the image for the right eye or the image for the left eye on the light focused on the right or left eye of the observer. Further, the directivity control device emits light for the right eye when the transmission type display device is displaying the image for the right eye, and conversely, for the left eye when the transmission type display device is displaying the image for the left eye. And act synchronously so as to emit light.

Further, according to the present invention, since each pixel can be used in accordance with even and odd frames, the pixel is not divided for the right eye and the left eye as in the past, so that the resolution is 1 unit. A normal image can be displayed without reducing to / 2 and without feeling unnatural.

[0012]

1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c) show an example of the configuration of a three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention. 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a main part of the matrix type surface light source of FIG. 1, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of a main part of the transmission type display device. Hereinafter, a case will be described in which a three-dimensional stereoscopic image is displayed by a method of switching between a right-eye image and a left-eye image for each frame.

First, the light directivity switching device 11 is configured by combining a matrix type surface light source 12 and a lenticular sheet 13. The matrix type surface light source 12 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), a left-eye light source L and a right-eye light source R are arranged in a matrix. In addition, a matrix display device is also used for the transmission display device 14. FIG.
As shown in (c), in even frames, the left-eye light source L
Are illuminated in a stripe pattern, and in synchronization therewith, the transmissive display device 14 displays the image L for the left eye. This is shown in FIG.
It is shown in (c). On the other hand, in the odd-numbered frame, the light source for the right eye is turned on in a striped manner as in the even-numbered frame, and the transmission type display device 14 displays the image R for the right eye. Figure 2
(A) and (b) show. The observer M can observe a three-dimensional stereoscopic image by fusing the left-eye image L and the right-eye image R.

FIG. 3 shows a specific configuration example of the three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention. The light directivity switching device 11 includes a matrix surface light source (liquid crystal display panel) 12 and a lenticular sheet 13. And the liquid crystal display panel 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a planar light source 15, a first polarizing plate 16, a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell 17 for display, and a second polarizing plate 18. The first polarizing plate 16 and the twisted nematic liquid crystal cell 17 for display constitute a polarization control element. Further, the transmissive display device 14 includes a display twist nematic liquid crystal cell 1 serving as a polarization control element made of liquid crystal by removing a surface light source and one polarizing plate from the liquid crystal display device.
9 and a third polarizing plate 20. Planar light source 15
The light emitted from is polarized in one direction by the first polarizing plate 16. In the twisted nematic liquid crystal cell 17 for display, the polarization direction of light changes according to an external signal. Only the light that has changed by 90 degrees is the second polarizer 1
8 and enters the lenticular sheet 13. The light emitted from the lenticular sheet 13 acts as a light source for the transmissive display device 14. Only the light that has passed through the third polarizing plate 20 is focused on the observer M. Therefore, since the image of the transmissive display device 14 can be focused on a specific area, a three-dimensional stereoscopic image can be observed.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a control system of the three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention. The images from the right-eye camera 21 and the left-eye camera 22 are switched by a switch 24 according to a signal from the synchronization signal generator 23, and at the same time, the light directivity switching device 11 uses the signal from the synchronization signal generator 23 to direct light. Sex is switched. As described above, since the entire surface of the transmissive display device 14 can be configured to be flat, the uneven surface of the lenticular sheet 13 is hidden, so that a natural image can be observed.

[0016]

As described above in detail, the present invention relates to a surface light source arranged in a matrix or a stripe, a light directivity switching device having a lenticular sheet as a constituent element, and a light directivity switching device comprising the light source switching device. A surface light source has a function of turning on and off light at least in a stripe shape by electric control, and the lenticular sheet includes at least two stripe light sources in one lens. It is structured so that light from one stripe light source is focused on the right eye of the observer and light from the other stripe light source is focused on the left eye of the observer. Since the display screen is configured with the light from the light directivity switching device as a light source,
A display device that can observe a three-dimensional stereoscopic image in some cases and a normal image in some cases without lowering the resolution is obtained. In addition, since the uneven surface of the lenticular sheet does not appear on the surface, a natural image can be displayed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between an observer and left-eye and right-eye images in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing a specific configuration example of the three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control system of the three-dimensional stereoscopic display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional three-dimensional stereoscopic display device.

6 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between an observer and left-eye and right-eye images in the conventional example of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 11 light directivity switching device 12 matrix type surface light source 13 lenticular sheet 14 transmission type display device 15 planar light source 16 first polarizing plate 17 twisted nematic liquid crystal cell for display 18 second polarizing plate 19 twisted nematic liquid crystal for display Cell 20 Third polarizing plate 21 Right eye camera 22 Left eye camera 23 Synchronous signal generator 24 Changeover switch

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-230699 (JP, A) JP-A-3-65943 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03B 35/16-35/26

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light source comprising: a surface light source arranged in a matrix or a stripe; a light directivity switching device having a lenticular sheet as a constituent element; and a transmissive display device having the light directivity switching device as a light source. The surface light source has a function of turning on and off light at least in a stripe shape by electric control, and the lenticular sheet has a structure including at least two of the stripe light sources in one lens, and one stripe. The light from the light source is focused on the right eye of the observer, and the light from the other stripe light source is focused on the left eye of the observer. A three-dimensional stereoscopic image display device, wherein a display screen is configured using light from the switching device as a light source. 2. A liquid crystal display comprising a planar light source, a polarization control element comprising a first polarizing plate and a liquid crystal cell, and a second polarizing plate as a surface light source arranged in a matrix or a stripe. 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display panel has pixels arranged so as to form at least a lattice-shaped optical shutter, and the optical shutter area can be turned on / off by an electric signal. 3D stereoscopic image display device. 3. The three-dimensional stereoscopic image display device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission type display device has a polarization control element made of liquid crystal and a third polarizing plate as minimum components.