JP7208459B2 - Area setting method and display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an area setting method and a display device.

In recent years, image display technology using a projector has progressed. In addition, there is an increasing need for displaying images in various places, as typified by projection mapping that displays images on arbitrary objects such as buildings.

For example, Non-Patent Literature 1 describes the development of an interlayer film corresponding to an increase in the amount of information displayed on the glass of an automobile. In addition, Non-Patent Document 2 describes a technique for projecting an image on various places in a focus-free manner.

Regarding the development of an interlayer film corresponding to the increase in the amount of information displayed on the automobile windshield [searched on July 4, 2018], Internet <URL: https://www.sekisui.co.jp/news/2015/1274415_23166 .html> Xperia Touch (G1109) [Searched July 4, 2018], Internet <URL: https://www.sony.jp/xperia-smart-products/products/G1109/>

The technique described in Non-Patent Document 1 is specialized for the technique of displaying on glass, and the technique described in Non-Patent Document 2 is applicable only to surfaces that reflect visible light. On the other hand, in everyday environments, there are a mixture of areas that transmit visible light and areas that reflect visible light. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique for displaying information in an integrated manner in a visible light transmitting area and a visible light reflecting area. Moreover, in such a technique, a technique is desired that precisely defines a region that transmits visible light and a region that reflects visible light.

According to one embodiment, the region setting method includes a first region that emits reflected light by receiving a visible light laser, and a first region that transmits visible light and emits fluorescence of a preset wavelength by receiving an ultraviolet light laser. A method of defining a first area and a second area of a display device for irradiating image light onto an illuminated surface having a second area. The area setting method has a reference light emission step and an area determination step. In the reference light emitting step, reference light is emitted from a reference light source that emits reference light having a wavelength preset for the display device. In the area determination step, the light detection unit that is provided in the display device and detects light at a scanning position, which is a position where the surface to be irradiated is sequentially scanned, scans the surface to be irradiated and detects light based on the reference light. A first region and a second region are defined based on the scanning position of the light and the intensity of the light.

According to one embodiment, the display device includes a first region that emits reflected light by receiving a visible light laser, and a second region that transmits visible light and emits fluorescence of a preset wavelength by receiving an ultraviolet light laser. Image light is applied to an illuminated surface having two regions. The display device has an area determination processing reception unit, a light detection unit, and an area determination unit. The region determination processing receiving unit receives start of region determination processing for setting the first region and the second region. Upon receiving the start of the region determination process, the photodetector sequentially scans the surface to be illuminated and detects light at the scanning position as reference light. The area determination unit determines whether the scanning position is in the first area or the second area according to the reference light.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the area|region setting method etc. which define with high precision the area|region which transmits visible light, and the area|region which reflects visible light, etc. can be provided.

1 is a top view of an automobile equipped with a display device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the interior of an automobile equipped with the display device according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure showing the irradiated field of the display device concerning an embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a windshield according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a display device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a light source section of the display device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a region setting method; It is the figure which showed the example of the arrangement|positioning of a reference light source and a motor vehicle in the area|region setting method. It is the figure which showed the example of the to-be-irradiated area|region in the area|region setting method. 4 is a flowchart of area determination processing executed by the display device; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a scanned image of a scanner mirror of the display device; 7 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the light detected by the photodetector and the threshold; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of area distribution information generated by area determination processing; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a reference member and an automobile in a region setting method according to a second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an irradiated region in the region setting method according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of intensity of energy of laser light and intensity of light energy detected by a photodetector in Embodiment 2. FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following descriptions and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted as necessary.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a top view of an automobile equipped with a display device according to an embodiment. A car 900 shown in the figure has a camera 901 and a display device 1 . A camera 901 is a plurality of cameras that capture images of the surroundings of the automobile 900 . As shown in the figure, an automobile 900 has a camera 901R on the right door mirror and a camera 901L on the left door mirror. The camera 901R captures an image of the surroundings on the right side of the automobile 900, and the camera 901L captures an image of the surroundings on the left side of the automobile 900. FIG. Specifically, the camera 901R captures an image of the rear right from the right side of the automobile 900, and the camera 901L captures an image of the rear left from the left side of the automobile. In addition, the camera 901 may include a camera arranged to face the front of the automobile 900 in order to photograph the front of the automobile 900 . Camera 901 may also include a camera that faces the rear of automobile 900 in order to photograph the rear of automobile 900 .

The display device 1 is a laser projector that displays a predetermined image by irradiating laser light onto an illuminated area set in the interior of the automobile 900 . As shown in the figure, an automobile 900 has two display devices (display device 1A and display device 1B).

The arrangement of the display device in the automobile will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the interior of an automobile equipped with the display device according to the first embodiment.

The display device 1A and the display device 1B are fixed to the ceiling above the driver's seat of the automobile 900. The display device 1A projects an image to the right front region of the room, and the display device 1B projects an image to the left front region of the room. set to illuminate. The display device 1A, for example, performs predetermined processing on the peripheral image of the right side of the automobile 900 captured by the camera 901R, and illuminates the image on the right front side of the room. Similarly, the display device 1B, for example, performs predetermined processing on the peripheral image of the left side of the automobile 900 captured by the camera 901L, and illuminates the image on the front left side of the room.

The display device 1 has a first region that emits reflected light when receiving a visible light laser and a second region that transmits visible light and emits fluorescence of a predetermined wavelength when receiving an ultraviolet light laser. The surface is irradiated with image light.

An example of display by the display device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example in which the display device 1 emits a message image for the driver. The message image is an image displayed by the display device 1 so as to be recognized by the driver U by irradiating the image light. The figure shows the scenery seen by the driver of the automobile 900 . As shown in the figure, a bicycle 801 is running in front left of an automobile 900 . Also, a pedestrian 802 exists in the traveling direction of the automobile 900 . In addition, another vehicle 803 is traveling on a side road to the right of the vehicle 900 . Further, the display device 1 is configured to be able to recognize these objects from the image data of the image captured by the camera 901 installed outside the automobile 900 .

As described above, the display device 1 according to the present embodiment irradiates an external object, which is a blind spot due to the A-pillar or door trim, with a visible light laser based on an image captured by a camera. can be displayed in

Also, the display device 1 recognizes the pedestrian 802 present in front of the automobile 900 based on the image captured by the camera. In order to make the driver aware of the presence of the pedestrian 802, the display device 1 displays a message image surrounding the pedestrian 802 with a polygonal frame such as a rectangle. In this case, the display device 1 displays, for example, a rectangle surrounding the pedestrian 802 by irradiating the second area with the ultraviolet laser.

In this manner, the display device 1 displays a message image for allowing the driver to recognize arbitrary information within the visual range of the driver. At this time, the display device 1 irradiates the first area with a visible light laser, and irradiates the second area with an ultraviolet light laser.

The irradiated area in the interior of the automobile 900 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an illuminated area of the display device according to the first embodiment. In the area assumed to be the field of view of the driver in front of the interior of the vehicle 900, an illuminated area F91 is set on the right side, and an illuminated area F92 is set adjacently on the left side of the illuminated area F91.

The irradiated region F91 is a region where the display device 1A irradiates an image. The irradiated area F91 includes the windshield 904, the right A-pillar 905, the side window 906, the dashboard, the door trim, and the like. Also, the irradiated area F92 is an area where the display device 1B irradiates an image. The irradiated area F92 includes the windshield 904, the left A-pillar 903, the side window 902, the dashboard, the door trim, and the like. That is, the illuminated area F91 and the illuminated area F92 include areas that do not transmit visible light (A pillar, dashboard, etc.) and areas that relatively transmit visible light (side windows and windshield). . In the following description, a region that does not transmit visible light will be referred to as a first region. A region relatively transparent to visible light is referred to as a second region. The left end portion of the irradiated region F91 and the right end portion of the irradiated region F92 may partially overlap or may be spaced apart.

A combined area of the illuminated area F91 and the illuminated area F92 substantially matches the field of view when the driver is facing forward. By arranging the images to be emitted by the plurality of display devices in a state in which the plurality of display devices 1 are installed and the irradiation ranges are adjacent to each other, the display device 1 can suitably display a wide-angle image.

The A-pillar 905, the dashboard, and the like, which form the first area of the area forming the illuminated area, are areas that do not transmit visible light. The first region has a function of reflecting visible light at a constant ratio without transmitting visible light. Therefore, in the first area, the visible light emitted by the display device 1 can be reflected, and the reflected visible light can be visually recognized by the driver or the like. The surface of the first region may be made of a material containing a retroreflector so that the visible light emitted by the display device 1 can be appropriately reflected.

The side window 902, the windshield 904, and the side window 906, which form the second region among the regions forming the irradiated region, transmit visible light and emit light when receiving ultraviolet light having a predetermined wavelength. have. A material having such a function is, for example, laminated glass having a self-luminous interlayer.

The display device 1A and the display device 1B are arranged so as to illuminate the upper rear part of the driver in different directions. The display device 1A is installed in the upper left rear of the driver and illuminates the front right of the driver. The display device 1A is installed so that the irradiated area F91 is included in the irradiable range. Similarly, the display device 1B is installed so that the irradiated area F92 is included in the irradiable range. The arrangement of the display device 1A and the display device 1B is not limited as long as it does not block the front view of the driver, such as near the upper side or the lower side of the windshield.

As described above, the irradiated region F91 and the irradiated region F92 include a first region that reflects visible light and a second region that transmits visible light and receives ultraviolet light to emit fluorescence in the visible light wavelength range. and Note that the display device 1 according to the present embodiment defines the first area and the second area by executing the area setting method described later. A specific method will be described later.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the principle of the self-luminous intermediate film of the windshield will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional view of the windshield according to the first embodiment. The windshield 904 is composed of two glass plates 904G and a self-luminous intermediate film 904IM sandwiched between the two glass plates 904G. Also, the self-luminous intermediate film 904IM contains a light-emitting material 904A. The light-emitting material 904A has a property of emitting fluorescence having a wavelength in the visible light range when excited by ultraviolet light having a specific wavelength, and transmitting light other than the ultraviolet light. That is, the self-luminous intermediate film 904IM emits light by irradiating the windshield 904 having the above configuration with predetermined ultraviolet light from the display device 1 . Accordingly, the driver or the like riding in the automobile 900 can visually recognize the image displayed on the windshield 904 .

Note that the side window 902, the windshield 904, and the side window 906 are not limited to the materials described above, and have the function of transmitting visible light and emitting light when receiving non-visible light such as ultraviolet light having a predetermined wavelength. may have another structure. For example, it may be composed of a combination of a resin such as acrylic that transmits visible light and a light-emitting material. Moreover, the side window 902, the windshield 904, and the side window 906 may have a UV cut layer having a property of cutting ultraviolet light on the outer surface side of the automobile, in addition to the above-described configurations. As a result, the ultraviolet light emitted by the display device 1 can be prevented from leaking to the outside, and the ultraviolet light contained in the sunlight can prevent the entire surface from fluorescing and obstructing the field of view.

Next, the configuration of the display device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the display device according to the first embodiment. The display device 1 has a control section 10, a laser light source section 20, a scanner section 30, a memory 40, and an area determination processing reception section 50 as main components.

The control unit 10 is connected to the camera 901 , the laser light source unit 20 , the scanner unit 30 , the memory 40 , and the area determination processing reception unit 50 , and controls the operation of the display device 1 . The control unit 10 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a combination of other electric circuits. Therefore, for example, the control unit 10 can also be called a control circuit. The control unit 10 has an image data acquisition unit 11, an image processing unit 12, an area determination unit 13, a laser light source control unit 14, and a scanner control unit 15 as main components.

The image data acquisition unit 11 performs processing for receiving image data, which is data of a peripheral image of the automobile 900 captured by the camera 901, via a predetermined interface.

The image processing unit 12 recognizes a predetermined object from the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 11, and performs predetermined processing on the image data based on the information regarding the recognized object. An example of the predetermined process is a process of extracting image data of a recognized target object and generating irradiation image data for irradiating the irradiation regions F91 and F92 with the extracted image data. The irradiation image data is image data of an image irradiated by the display device 1 . Another example of the predetermined processing is a process of superimposing a frame surrounding the target object at the position of the target object seen from the user and drawing the recognized target object, or a process in which the recognized object is a pedestrian. This is a process of superimposing and drawing an icon or character information indicating a type such as whether it is a bicycle or a bicycle. The image processing unit 12 also has a function of adjusting distortion, and performs distortion adjustment processing corresponding to the surface to be illuminated on the image data. The image processing unit 12 performs the above-described processing to generate irradiation image data.

The area determination unit 13 performs area determination processing. The area determination process is a process included in the area setting method, and is a process of determining and demarcating the first area and the second area according to the position and intensity of light detected by the display device.

In the area determination process, the area determination unit 13 acquires information about the scanning position, which is the position of the scanner scanned by the scanner unit 30 . The information about the scanning position is information used when the scanner control section 15 controls the scanner section 30, and corresponds to, for example, the angle of the scanner mirror.

Also, in the area determination process, the area determination unit 13 acquires the signal generated by the light detection unit 24 at the scanning position of the scanner 31 . Thereby, the region determination unit 13 compares the magnitude of the signal generated by the photodetection unit 24 with a preset threshold, and determines whether the irradiation position irradiated with the laser light is the first region or the second region. . Further details of the area determination process will be described later.

In addition, in the area determination process, the light received by the light detection unit 24 when performing the area determination process is referred to as "reference light". Reference light is light emitted by a predetermined light source for executing the region setting method. Details of the reference light will be described later.

The laser light source control unit 14 outputs a laser drive signal based on the irradiation image data to the laser driver 22 to control the output of the laser diode. Thereby, the laser light source control section 14 controls the light output from the laser light source section 20 . Specifically, the laser light source control unit 14 controls red, blue, and green laser light sources of visible light according to the color and brightness of each pixel included in the irradiation image data processed by the image processing unit 12 . It controls the driving of the diodes 211R, 211B, 211G and the ultraviolet laser diode 211UV. Also, the laser light source control unit 14 determines the state of the laser light source unit 20 based on the intensity of the laser light energy detected by the photodiode 23 , determines the driving current value of the laser diode 211 , and controls the laser driver 22 . APC (Automatic Power Control) processing is performed to control the

Also, the laser light source controller 14 operates in synchronization with the scanner controller 15 . More specifically, for example, the laser light source control unit 14 shares a horizontal synchronization signal for horizontal synchronization and a vertical synchronization signal for vertical synchronization with the scanner control unit 15, and based on these signals, Determine the power of each laser. As described above, the laser light source control section 14 and the scanner control section 15 operate synchronously, so that the display device 1 controls the color and output of each pixel that constitutes the irradiation image data. The display device 1 can thereby generate a desired image.

The laser light source control section 14 also has a wavelength selection section 141 . The wavelength selection unit 141 selects visible light corresponding to the first region for the first region based on the region distribution information, which is information about the distribution of the first region and the second region on the irradiated surface. The second region has a function of selecting the ultraviolet light corresponding to the second region as the second wavelength light.

The wavelength selection unit 141 performs processing for setting output of visible light or ultraviolet light, for example, for each irradiation position corresponding to a pixel of an image irradiated by the display device 1 . The laser light source control unit 14 outputs the laser light set by the wavelength selection unit 141 based on the area distribution information stored in the memory 40, the horizontal synchronization signal and the vertical synchronization signal, thereby selecting visible light or ultraviolet light. output. Thereby, the display device 1 drives the visible light laser when irradiating the pixels included in the first region, and drives the ultraviolet light laser when irradiating the pixels included in the second region. In this manner, by switching the laser light based on the preset area distribution information, the wavelength switching operation can be performed efficiently.

The scanner control unit 15 outputs a scanner drive signal to the scanner driver 32 to control laser light scanning by the scanner 31 . The scanner control section 15 controls the operation of the scanner section 30 according to the above-described horizontal synchronizing signal and vertical synchronizing signal. Further, the scanner control unit 15 monitors the detection signal of a scanning angle detection unit (not shown) that detects the scanning angle of the scanner 31, and controls the scanning angle of the scanner 31, waveform generation, oscillation frequency, and the like. conduct.

The laser light source unit 20 mainly includes a laser module 21 that outputs laser light, a laser driver 22 that drives the laser diode of the laser module 21, a photodiode 23 that measures the amount of the output laser light, and a subject. It has a photodetector 24 for detecting the intensity of light energy reflected by the irradiation area and received through the scanner 30 .

Details of the laser light source unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a laser light source unit of the display device according to the first embodiment; FIG. As shown, the laser module 21 includes a red laser diode 211R, a green laser diode 211G, a blue laser diode 211B, an ultraviolet laser diode 211UV, and dichroic mirrors 212R and 212G corresponding to the laser diodes 211R, 211B, 211G and 211UV, respectively. , 212B, 212UV. The laser light of each color output from the laser diode 211 is combined by the dichroic mirror 212 and output to the scanner section 30 .

The dichroic mirror 212R has the property of reflecting almost 100% of the red wavelength light output from the red laser diode 211R. The dichroic mirror 212G has characteristics of transmitting substantially 100% of the red wavelength light output from the red laser diode 211R and reflecting substantially 100% of the green wavelength light output from the green laser diode 211G. As a characteristic example, the dichroic mirror 212B has a characteristic of transmitting almost 100% of the red wavelength light output from the red laser diode 211R and the green wavelength light output from the green laser diode 211G. Furthermore, the dichroic mirror 212B has, as an example of its characteristics, the characteristic of reflecting nearly 100% of the blue wavelength light output from the blue laser diode 211B. The dichroic mirror 212UV reflects about 98% of the red wavelength light, the green wavelength light, and the blue wavelength light, and transmits about 98% of the ultraviolet light output from the ultraviolet laser diode 211UV. It has reflective properties.

With such a configuration of the dichroic mirror 212, about 98 % are incident on the scanner section 30 and approximately 2% of these laser beams are incident on the photodiode 23 . The laser driver 22 drives the laser diode 211 based on the laser drive signal from the controller 10 . The photodiode 23 measures the amount of incident laser light and outputs the measurement result to the controller 10 . Note that the arrangement of the laser diode 211 and the dichroic mirror 212 is not limited to that shown in the drawing, and it is sufficient if similar outputs are made to the scanner section 30 and the photodiode 23 .

The laser light source unit 20 also has a beam splitter 213, a quarter wave plate 214, and a photodetector 24 in addition to the above configuration. The beam splitter 213 reflects light of a preset wavelength out of the light received from the scanner section 30 . The beam splitter 213 has polarization dependence, for example, and transmits almost 100% of the laser light incident from the UV side of the dichroic mirror 212, and supplies the orthogonal polarization component of the light reflected and returned from the outside to the photodetector 24. do. The quarter-wave plate 214 is used to make the laser light emitted from the laser light source section 20 substantially perpendicular to and from the laser light source section 20 , suppresses reflection in the forward path, and efficiently guides the return light to the light detection section 24 . is provided.

The photodetector 24 is a photodetector including a photoelectric conversion element that converts light received via the scanner 30, quarter-wave plate 214, and beam splitter 213 into electrical signals. When receiving light of a preset wavelength, the photodetector 24 generates a current corresponding to the intensity of the energy of the light. The photodetector 24 supplies a signal corresponding to the current value of the generated current to the controller 10 . Thereby, the photodetector 24 detects the reference light when executing the region setting method.

For example, the photodetector 24 detects the intensity of the reference light emitted through the windshield. When the photodetector 24 detects the reference light emitted through the windshield, the area determination unit 13 receives the signal generated by the photodetector 24 and determines the value of this signal and the scanner mirror when this signal was detected. , it is determined whether this scanning position is the first area or the second area.

Further, the light detection unit 24 may detect the intensity of reflected light emitted when predetermined visible light hits the interior of the automobile such as the A pillar. In this case, the area determination section 13 determines that the detected position is the first area according to the signal supplied from the photodetection section 24 .

The photodetector 24 may have a function of detecting the intensity of fluorescent light emitted by the self-luminous intermediate film 904IM provided on the windshield. In this case, the area determination section 13 determines that the detected position is the second area according to the signal supplied from the photodetection section 24 .

Returning to FIG. 5, the description is continued. The scanner unit 30 irradiates a region to be irradiated with laser light that is incident from the laser light source unit 20 . The scanner unit 30 mainly includes a scanner 31 that is a scanning mirror unit that reflects the laser light output from the laser light source unit 20 and scans the irradiation position of the laser light, a scanner driver 32 that drives the scanner 31, and a scanner. It has a scanning angle detection unit (not shown) for detecting the scanning angle of 31 and the like. The scanner 31 has a vertical mirror 311 for scanning in the vertical direction, a horizontal mirror 312 for scanning in the horizontal direction by reflecting the laser beam, and the like, as scanner mirrors for scanning by reflecting the laser beam. The vertical mirror 311 and the horizontal mirror 312 are composed of MEMS (micro electromechanical system) mirrors or the like.

The scanner driver 32 drives the scanner 31 based on the scanner drive signal from the scanner control section 15 . When the scanner 31 is composed of a vertical mirror 311 and a horizontal mirror 312, generally the vertical mirror 311 operates at a scanning angle and oscillation frequency controlled by the scanner driver 32, and the horizontal mirror 312 has an oscillation frequency of High to operate at scan angles and oscillation frequencies due to resonance. Note that the horizontal mirror 312 may operate at the scanning angle and oscillation frequency controlled by the scanner driver 32, similarly to the vertical mirror 311. FIG.

The memory 40 is a rewritable non-volatile storage device such as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), flash memory or FeRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory). The memory 40 is connected to the control unit 10 and stores arbitrary data or provides the control unit 10 with arbitrary data stored in the memory 40 according to instructions from the control unit 10 . The memory 40 also stores area distribution information as rewritable information.

The area distribution information is information indicating, for each irradiation position operated by the display device 1, whether the irradiation position is the first area or the second area. In other words, the area distribution information is information defining the irradiated area into the first area and the second area. While referring to the area distribution information, the laser light source control unit 14 instructs the laser light source unit 20 to irradiate the first area with the visible light laser and the second area with the ultraviolet light laser. instruct.

The region determination processing reception unit 50 generates a trigger signal for the display device to start the region determination processing. In the present embodiment, the area judgment processing reception unit 50 is configured by a switch or the like. When the user turns on the switch, the region determination processing reception unit 50 generates a trigger signal and supplies the generated trigger signal to the control unit 10 . Upon receiving the trigger signal, the control unit 10 starts region determination processing. Note that the region determination processing reception unit 50 may be a sensor as long as it generates a trigger signal. For example, if the region determination processing receiving unit 50 is an optical sensor that detects reference light, the display device 1 can start the region determination processing using the detection of the reference light as a trigger signal. Alternatively, the area determination processing reception unit 50 may be a communication interface. In this case, the area determination processing reception unit 50 receives the trigger signal via the communication interface and supplies the received trigger signal to the control unit 10 .

Next, an area setting method will be described. In the area setting method, the display device 1 installed in the vehicle 900 irradiates a visible light laser to a first area such as the interior of the vehicle 900 where visible light does not pass, and the glass of the vehicle 900 or the like emits a self-luminous medium. A method of defining a first region and a second region in order to irradiate a second region having a film with an ultraviolet light laser.

The region setting method is performed with a reference member 700 installed around an automobile 900 as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of reference light sources and automobiles in the region setting method. A reference member 700 shown in FIG. 7 has a top plate 710, a front plate 720, a left side plate 730 and a right side plate 740 as main components, and is formed into a box shape by each structure. The reference member 700 may have any shape as long as the reference member can cover the side window 902 , the windshield 904 and the side window 906 that constitute the second area in the scanning range of the display device 1 . Further, the reference member 700 is provided with a reference light source 711 at a position where the reference member 700 can be irradiated with the reference light. The installation position of the reference light source 711 is arbitrary as long as the reference member 700 can be irradiated with the reference light.

A display device 1 on which the region setting method is to be executed is installed in an automobile 900 . Since the aspect of the display device 1 installed in the automobile 900 has already been explained, the explanation is omitted here.

A specific example of the area setting method will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the region setting method.

First, the user turns on the illumination installed on the inner surface of the top plate 710 to emit the reference light from the reference light source (step S1). As shown in FIG. 7, a reference light source 711 is provided on the inner surface of the top plate 710 . The reference light source 711 is a light configured to emit light of a preset wavelength (for example, white light with a color temperature of around 6000 Kelvin) at a wide irradiation angle. The reference light source 711 is configured to illuminate the inner surface 720S of the front panel 720, the inner surface 730S of the left panel 730, and the inner surface 740S of the right panel 740, respectively. The inner surface of the reference member 700 is coated with matte white paint so as to reflect the reference light with high reflectance and little unevenness. The reference light may be emitted for a period in which the scanner mirror can scan the area setting range at least once, and the so-called flash light emission is performed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an irradiated area in the area setting method. When the illuminated area F91 and the illuminated area F92 are observed from inside the automobile 900 with the reference member 700 installed, the inner surface of the reference member 700 illuminated by the reference light can be visually recognized through the glass.

The inner surface of the reference member 700 emits a high intensity white light. On the other hand, the interior of the automobile 900 is in a state where the lights are turned off. That is, when the irradiated areas F91 and F92 are observed from the interior of the automobile 900, the hatched area in the drawing, which is the glass portion, and the interior portion of the automobile 900 can be clearly distinguished.

Return to FIG. Next, when the user instructs the display device 1 to start the area determination process (step S2). The display device 1 executes region determination processing (step S3). By the area determination process, the display device 1 sets the first area irradiated with the visible light laser and the second area irradiated with the ultraviolet laser.

Details of the region determination processing will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of area determination processing executed by the display device. The flowchart of FIG. 10 shows the processing of the control section 10 of the display device 1 .

When the area determination process is started, the controller 10 first starts scanning with the scanner mirror (step S10). More specifically, the scanner control section 15 controls the angles of the scanner mirrors (vertical mirror 311 and horizontal mirror 312) so that the light detection section 24 can detect light at a preset scanning position.

Next, the scanner control unit 15 increments the horizontal coordinate Hn from 1 to Hmax, and increments the vertical coordinate Vm from 1 to Vmax. Thereby, the scanner mirror sequentially scans the irradiated area. When performing the above operation, the scanner control section 15 sets the coordinate Vm of the vertical mirror 311 to 1 (step S11). The scanner control unit 15 also sets the coordinate Hn of the horizontal mirror 312 to 1 (step S12).

Next, the region determination unit 13 of the control unit 10 detects the light received by the light detection unit 24 when the horizontal coordinate Hn=1 and the vertical coordinate Vm=1 are set as the scanning position, and the energy of the light is detected. It is determined whether or not the current value Ab corresponding to the strength of has exceeded the threshold value Ath (step S13). When it is detected that the current value Ab exceeds the threshold Ath (step S13: Yes), the region determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position is the second region (step S14). On the other hand, if it is not detected that the current value Ab has exceeded the threshold Ath (step S13: No), the region determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position is the first region (step S15). The area determination unit 13 temporarily stores the information determined in step S14 or step S15 in the registry (step S16).

Next, the scanner control unit 15 increments the horizontal coordinate of the laser beam (step S17). The control unit 10 repeats the processing of steps S12 to S17 until Hn>Hmax.

Next, the scanner control unit 15 increments the vertical coordinate of the laser light (step S18). The control unit 10 repeats the processing of steps S11 to S18 until Vm>Vmax.

Next, the control unit 10 stops scanning of the scanner mirror (step S19), writes the area distribution information temporarily stored in the registry into the memory 40 (step S20), and terminates the process.

An example of the area determination process according to the first embodiment has been described above, but the area determination process is not limited to this. For example, the area determination process scans the entire irradiated area multiple times, calculates the statistical value of the values generated by the photodetector 24 at the corresponding scanning positions, and determines whether the first area or the second area is determined according to the calculated statistical value. can be judged. In addition, the area determination process can be modified in a way that is obvious to those skilled in the art, such as changing the processing order in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the process of scanning the scanner mirror, or using an interlaced method.

A state in which the display device 1 scans the scanner mirror will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a scanned image of the scanner mirror of the display device. The illuminated area F92 shown in the figure is shown as a rectangle in order to facilitate understanding of the area illuminated by the display device 1B in FIG. The irradiated area F92 has the upper left as the origin, the H direction in the horizontal direction, and the V direction in the vertical direction. As shown in the figure, the upper left of the irradiated area F92 is the coordinates (1, 1), and the upper right is the coordinates (Hmax, 1). Further, the lower left of the irradiated area F92 is the coordinates (1, Vmax), and the lower right is the coordinates (Hmax, Vmax). The display device 1B scans the scanner mirror while sequentially scanning the irradiated region F92 from the upper left coordinates (1, 1) to the lower right coordinates (Hmax, Vmax).

Next, the intensity of light detected by the photodetector 24 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the light detected by the photodetector and the threshold. The graph shown in the figure is an example when the scanner mirror scans the irradiated region F92 shown in FIG. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates time, and the vertical axis of the graph indicates current value. The display device 1 starts scanning the scanner mirror from the coordinates (1, 1) at time t0, and reaches the coordinates (Hmax, 1) at time t2. The display device 1 scans from the coordinates (1, 2) to the coordinates (Hmax, 2) from time t2 to time t3, and repeats the scanning thereafter.

A polygonal line L11 shown in the graph indicates the intensity of light detected by the light detection section 24 . A straight line crossing the polygonal line L11 indicates the threshold Ath. When the current value of the light detected by the photodetector 24 exceeds the threshold Ath, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position corresponding to the exceeding time is the second area.

For example, the polygonal line L11 exceeds the threshold Ath during the period from time t0 to time t1. That is, the irradiated area corresponding to the scanning position scanned by the scanner mirror during the period from time t0 to time t1 is the second area. Therefore, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position where the reference light is detected is the second area. Also, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position where the reference light is not detected is the first area. In this manner, the area determining section 13 defines the first area and the second area.

Next, an example of area distribution information will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of area distribution information generated by area determination processing. The area distribution information is superimposed on the irradiated area F92 shown in the drawing. Each of the plurality of rectangles shown in the drawing schematically shows the coordinates of the irradiation position. In the description of FIG. 13, low-resolution area information is shown for ease of explanation. It goes without saying that the boundary line of the shape is not visible and smooth enough. In the figure, gray rectangles indicate the second area, and white rectangles indicate areas that were not determined as the second area. In the present embodiment, the control unit 10 of the display device 1 determines that an area that has not been determined as the second area is the first area. Therefore, the display device 1 determines the first area or the second area for each scanning position in this way, and stores the area distribution information generated according to the determination result in the memory 40 .

As mentioned above, although Embodiment 1 was described, Embodiment 1 is not restricted to the above-mentioned composition. For example, the aspect of the illumination and inner surface of the reference member 700 is not limited to white, as long as the light detection section 24 can identify the light arriving through the glass. Further, the reference member 700 may have a light-emitting device using LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) or organic ELs (Electro-luminescence) in the front panel 720, the left panel 730, and the right panel 740, respectively. Also, the step of turning on the illumination shown in FIG. 7 and the step of starting the area determination process may be executed by one operation.

Further, the step of turning on the illumination installed on the inner surface of the top plate 710 described above may be performed using natural light (sunlight) instead of the reference light source 711 . In that case, the reference light emitting step of emitting the reference light from the reference light source can be interpreted as the reference light source as the reference member. That is, by illuminating the reference member with natural light, the reference member reflects the natural light, and the reflected light becomes the reference light.

According to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to provide an area setting method and the like for accurately demarcating an area that transmits visible light and an area that reflects visible light.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. The region setting method according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the reference light source is installed inside the vehicle 900 . Further, the area setting method according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the form of the reference member.

14A and 14B are diagrams showing a reference member and an automobile in the area setting method according to the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, a display device 1 is installed on the ceiling of an automobile 900 . A reference light source 600 is installed below the display device 1 . A reference light source 600 is a light source that is attached when setting an area.

The reference light source 600 is an illumination device that emits reference light, which is visible light with a preset wavelength. The reference light source 600 is set to irradiate the reference light to the irradiated regions F91 and F92. When the reference light source 600 emits reference light, the interior of the automobile 900 emits reflected light.

Further, the inner surfaces 720S, 730S and 740S of the reference member 700 shown in the figure are set to have a low reflectance with respect to the reference light. For example, the inner surfaces 720S, 730S and 740S are coated with a matte black coating that easily absorbs the reference light.

A state in which the reference light source 600 emits reference light will be described with reference to FIG. 15 . 15A and 15B are diagrams showing examples of irradiated regions in the region setting method according to the second embodiment. When the illuminated area F91 and the illuminated area F92 are observed from inside the automobile 900 with the reference light source 600 lighting the reference light, the interior parts such as the A pillars 903 and 905 and the dashboard reflect the reference light. there is On the other hand, side window 902, windshield 904 and side window 906 transmit the reference light. Further, the reference member 700 installed so as to surround the front portion of the automobile 900 has a low reflectance with respect to the reference light. Therefore, when the irradiated areas F91 and F92 are observed from the interior of the automobile 900, the glass portion, which is the dark gray area shown in the drawing, and the interior portion of the automobile 900 can be clearly distinguished.

Next, the reference light detected by the photodetector 24 in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the light detected by the photodetector and the threshold. A polygonal line L12 shown in the graph indicates the intensity of light detected by the light detection unit 24 . The wavelength of the light detected by the light detection unit 24 is light of a preset wavelength in the visible light region emitted by the reference light source 600 . A straight line that intersects the broken line L12 indicates the threshold Ath. When the current value of the light detected by the photodetector 24 exceeds the threshold Ath, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position corresponding to the exceeding time is in the first area.

For example, the polygonal line L12 exceeds the threshold Ath during the period from time t1 to time t2. That is, the irradiated area corresponding to the scanning position scanned by the scanner mirror during the period from time t1 to time t2 is the first area. Therefore, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position where the reference light is detected is the first area. Also, the area determination unit 13 determines that the scanning position where the reference light is not detected is the second area. In this manner, the area determining section 13 defines the first area and the second area.

Although the second embodiment has been described above, the region setting method according to the second embodiment is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the reference member 700 may be the room surrounding the entire automobile 900 . Alternatively, reference member 700 may be a cloth-like member that covers the windshield and side windows of automobile 900 .

Further, the reference light source 600 installed in the interior of the automobile 900 may employ one that emits ultraviolet light instead of illumination that emits visible light. In that case, the photodetector 24 detects the fluorescence emitted by the self-luminous intermediate film 904IM. Therefore, the signal generated by the photodetector 24 in this case exceeds the threshold value Ath at the scanning position corresponding to the second area, similarly to that described with reference to FIG.

According to the second embodiment described above, it is possible to provide an area setting method and the like for accurately demarcating an area that transmits visible light and an area that reflects visible light.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the display device described above can be applied not only to automobiles but also to moving bodies such as trains, airplanes, and ships. Moreover, the display technology used in the above-described display device can be applied not only to the above-described moving body, but also to houses and outdoors.

1 display device 10 control unit 11 image data acquisition unit 12 image processing unit 13 area judgment unit 14 laser light source control unit 15 scanner control unit 20 laser light source unit 21 laser module 22 laser driver 23 photodiode 24 light detection unit 30 scanner unit 31 scanner 32 scanner driver 40 memory 50 region determination processing reception unit 141 wavelength selection unit 211 laser diode 212 dichroic mirror 213 beam splitter 311 vertical mirror 312 horizontal mirrors 600, 711 reference light source 700 reference member 710 top plate 720 front plate 730 left side plate 740 right side plate 760 Opening 770 Operation panel 801 Bicycle 802 Pedestrian 803 Other car 900 Car 901 Cameras 902, 906 Side windows 903, 905 A pillar 904 Windshield 904A Luminescent material 904IM Self-luminous intermediate film F91 Irradiated area F92 Irradiated area

Claims (7)

An image is formed on an irradiated surface having a first region that emits reflected light when receiving a visible light laser and a second region that transmits visible light and emits fluorescence of a preset wavelength when receiving an ultraviolet light laser. A region setting method for defining the first region and the second region of a display device that emits light,
a reference light emission step of emitting the reference light from a reference light source that emits reference light having a wavelength preset for the display device;
A light detection unit provided in the display device that detects light at a scanning position, which is a position where the surface to be illuminated is sequentially scanned, scans the surface to be illuminated to detect light based on the reference light, and detects light and a region determination step of demarcating the first region and the second region based on the scanning position and the intensity of the light. The reference light emitting step emits the reference light to the display device through the illuminated surface,
The region determination step defines the first region and the second region by determining that the scanning position where the reference light transmitted through the illuminated surface is detected is the second region.
2. The area setting method according to claim 1. The reference light emitting step emits the reference light from the display device side to the illuminated surface, and the area determining step determines the scanning position where the reference light reflected on the illuminated surface is detected to the first scanning position. 2. The region setting method according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are defined by determining that they are regions. The reference light emitting step emits the reference light source for the second region to emit the fluorescence from the display device side to the illuminated surface,
The area determination step defines the first area and the second area by determining the scanning position where the fluorescence is detected on the surface to be illuminated as the second area.
2. The area setting method according to claim 1. The area determination step defines the first area and the second area based on the detection result of the light detection unit in the display device provided in the room of the moving object.
The area setting method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. An image is formed on an irradiated surface having a first region that emits reflected light when receiving a visible light laser and a second region that transmits visible light and emits fluorescence of a preset wavelength when receiving an ultraviolet light laser. A display device that emits light,
an area determination processing reception unit that receives start of area determination processing for setting the first area and the second area;
a light detection unit that sequentially scans the surface to be illuminated and detects light at a scanning position as reference light when the start of the region determination process is received;
A display device comprising: an area determination unit that determines whether the scanning position is the first area or the second area according to the reference light. a laser light source unit that irradiates an irradiation position on the surface to be irradiated with a laser beam selected from the visible light laser and the ultraviolet light laser;
The visible light laser is irradiated to the irradiation position determined to be the first region by the region determination unit, and the ultraviolet light laser is irradiated to the irradiation position determined to be the second region by the region determination unit and a laser light source control unit that instructs the laser light source unit to irradiate the
7. A display device according to claim 6.

Images