Multiple-screen simultaneous displaying apparatus, multi-screen simultaneous displaying method, video signal generating device, and recorded medium

• US 20030006943A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Seiji, Sekizawa, Hidehiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,956,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 using special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/302 characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/40 in which the desired character is selected from a number of characters arranged one beside the other, e.g. on a common carrier plate
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

There are provided: a display surface (20) (mixed picture display part) for assigning a plurality of pieces of video information, respectively, to a plurality of a first divided area (S-I), a second divided area (S-II) and a third divided area (S-III), so as to display the plurality of the pieces of the video information on the display surface (20); a first picture separating mechanism disposed on the display surface (20) corresponding to the first divided area (S-I) of the plurality of the divided areas (S-I, S-II, S-III), and defining a predetermined polarizing direction; a second picture separating mechanism disposed on the display surface (20) corresponding to the second divided area (S-II) and the third divided area (S-III) of the plurality of the divided areas (S-I, S-II, S-III), and defining a predetermined polarizing direction different from the polarizing direction of the first picture separating mechanism; mirrors (optical means) (31, 32) disposed rightward and leftward relative to the display surface (20) in such a manner as to form respective predetermined angles relative to the display surface (20); and a third picture separating mechanism (40) defining a polarizing direction same as the polarizing direction of the first picture separating mechanism, and allowing a picture displayed on the display surface (20) and a picture displayed on the mirror (31, 32) to pass through the third separating mechanism (40) for a viewer to view the pictures.

Claims

1. A multi-picture simultaneous display device comprising:

a mixed picture display part on which a plurality of pieces of video information are assigned, for display, to a plurality of respective divided areas of a display screen, the divided areas being divided by a rule;

a first picture separating mechanism disposed on the mixed picture display part corresponding to one of the plurality of the divided areas, the first picture separating mechanism defining a first polarizing element;

a second picture separating mechanism disposed on the mixed picture display part corresponding to the other of the plurality of the divided areas, the second picture separating mechanism defining a second polarizing element which is different in a polarizing direction from the first polarizing element of the first picture separating mechanism;

a plurality of optical means each of which is disposed in such a manner as to form a predetermined angle relative to the mixed picture display part;

a third picture separating mechanism for separating a picture displayed on the mixed picture display part and on the plurality of the optical means so as to allow the picture to be viewable, the third picture separating mechanism defining a third polarizing element which is equal in the polarizing direction to one of the first polarizing element of the first picture separating mechanism and the second polarizing element of the second picture separating mechanism.

2. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of the optical means have such a function as to reverse a picture and to rotate a polarized light by reflection.

3. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1, characterized in that each of the plurality of the optical means is a mirror.

4. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1,

characterized in that the plurality of the divided areas of the mixed picture display part comprise:

a first divided area defining one of the divided areas formed by dividing the display screen into a transverse direction belt-like; and

at least one of the following two;

a second divided area and a third divided area defining the other of the divided areas formed by dividing the display screen into a transverse direction belt-like, the second divided area and the third divided area being separated, respectively, into left and right, and

a fourth divided area and a fifth divided area defining the other of the divided areas formed by dividing the display screen into a transverse direction belt-like, the fourth divided area and the fifth divided area being separated, respectively, into upper and lower;

and characterized in that the plurality of the optical means are disposed in at least one of the following two manners;

sidewise relative to the mixed picture display part, and

lengthwise relative to the mixed picture display part.

5. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first picture separating mechanism, the second picture separating mechanism, and the third picture separating mechanism are formed with a combination of a linearly polarizing element.

6. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first picture separating mechanism, the second picture separating mechanism, and the third picture separating mechanism are formed with a combination of a circularly polarizing element.

7. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of the optical means have a door mechanism for opening and closing.

8. A multi-picture simultaneous display device comprising:

a mixed picture display part for displaying the following two display modes by a switching operation per field;

a first display mode for displaying one piece of video information on an entire area of a display screen, and

a second display mode for displaying the other pieces of the video information on a plurality of divided areas of the display screen in such a manner as to assign the other pieces of the video information to the respective divided areas which are divided by a rule;

a first picture separating mechanism disposed on the mixed picture display part, and defining a first polarizing element;

a plurality of optical means each of which is disposed in such a manner as to form a predetermined angle relative to the mixed picture display part; and

a second picture separating mechanism for separating a picture displayed on the mixed picture display part and on the plurality of the optical means so as to allow the picture to be viewable, the second picture separating mechanism defining a second polarizing element which is different in a polarizing direction from the first polarizing element of the first picture separating mechanism;

and characterized in that the polarizing direction of one of the first picture separating mechanism and the second picture separating mechanism is switched synchronously with the switching operation of the first display mode and the second display mode.

9. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the plurality of the optical means have such a function as to reverse a picture and to rotate a polarized light by reflection.

10. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8, characterized in that each of the plurality of the optical means is a mirror.

11. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the first picture separating mechanism and the second picture separating mechanism are formed with a combination of a linearly polarizing element.

12. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the first picture separating mechanism and the second picture separating mechanism are formed with a combination of a circularly polarizing element.

13. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8,

characterized in that the divided areas of the mixed picture display part comprise at least one of the following two:

a first divided area and a second divided area formed by separating the display screen, respectively, into left and right, and

a third divided area and a fourth divided area formed by separating the display screen, respectively, into upper and lower;

and characterized in that the plurality of the optical means are disposed in at least one of the following two manners;

sidewise relative to the mixed picture display part, and

lengthwise relative to the mixed picture display part.

14. The multi-picture simultaneous display device as described in claim 8, characterized in that the plurality of the optical means have a door mechanism for opening and closing.

20. The multi-picture simultaneous display method as described in claim 19, characterized in that the processed pieces of the video information includes the following picture and information of the inputted video information:

a static picture, a piece of extraction picture information, a piece of partly deletion picture information, a piece of enlarged picture information, a piece of different view-point picture information.

15. A multi-picture simultaneous display method,

characterized in that a plurality of pieces of video information are assigned, for display, to a plurality of respective divided areas of a display screen, the divided areas being divided by a rule;

and

characterized in that at least one of the plurality of the divided areas divided and displayed on the display screen is displayed on a plurality of optical means each of which is disposed at an end of the display screen, to thereby allow a picture to be viewable with a picture separating means, the picture being displayed on the display screen and on the plurality of the optical means.

16. A multi-picture simultaneous display method,

characterized in that the multi-picture simultaneous display method displays the following two display modes by a switching operation per field:

a first display mode for displaying, of a plurality of pieces of video information, one piece of the video information on an entire area of a display screen, and

a second display mode for displaying, of the plurality of the pieces of the video information, the other pieces of the video information on a plurality of divided areas of the display screen in such a manner as to assign the other pieces of the video information to the respective divided areas which are divided by a rule; and

characterized in that a picture displayed on the display screen and on a plurality of optical means is allowed to be viewable with a picture separating means which switches the picture synchronously with the switching operation of the first display mode and the second display mode.

17. A video signal generator for supplying a video signal to a picture display device, comprising:

a first input means for inputting a first video information observed by facing a display part squarely;

a second input means for inputting a second video information observed by seeing the mixed picture display part in the plurality of the mirrors; and

an output means reversing one of the first video information inputted by the first input means and the second video information inputted by the second input means so that the thus reversed video information is displayed opposite to the other of the first video information and the second video information, the output means assigning the first video information and the second video information to respective display areas on the mixed picture display part, and the output means outputting a video signal which is so constituted that the first video information and the second video information are displayed alternately, in a form of a nest, on the mixed picture display part.

18. A multi-picture simultaneous display method comprising:

a plurality of inputting steps of inputting a plurality of pieces of video information, respectively, into a mixed picture display part-displaying the plurality of the pieces of the video information; and

a step of generating a multi-picture display video information which is constituted in a form of a nest, the generating step having the following sub-steps of;

a step of reversing a display of the pieces of the video information to be displayed on a plurality of optical means, the reversed pieces being included in the plurality of the pieces of the video information inputted at the inputting steps, and

a step of assigning sequentially the pieces of the video information to respective divided areas which are divided by a rule, to thereby generate the multi-picture display video information.

19. A multi-picture simultaneous display method comprising:

a plurality of inputting steps of inputting a plurality of pieces of video information, respectively, into a mixed picture display part displaying the plurality of the pieces of the video information;

a step of processing at least one of the pieces of the video information, the processed pieces being included in the plurality of the pieces of the information inputted at the inputting steps; and

a step of generating a multi-picture display video information which is constituted in a form of a nest, the generating step having the following sub-step of;

a step of assigning sequentially the pieces of the video information to respective divided areas which are divided by a rule, to thereby generate the multi-picture display video information.

21. A multi-picture simultaneous display method comprising:

a plurality of steps of inputting a plurality of pieces of video information, respectively, into a mixed picture display part displaying the plurality of the pieces of the video information;

a step of processing at least one of the pieces of the video information, the processed pieces being included in the plurality of the pieces of the video information inputted at the inputting steps;

a step of reversing the pieces of the video information to be displayed on a plurality of optical means, the reversed pieces being included in one of the following two;

the plurality of the pieces of the video information inputted at the inputting steps, and

the at least one of the pieces of the video information processed at the processing step; and

a step of generating a multi-picture display video information which is constituted in a form of a nest, the generating step having the following sub-step of;

a step of assigning sequentially the pieces of the video information to respective divided areas which are divided by a rule, to thereby generate the multi-picture display video information.

22. The multi-picture simultaneous display method as described in claim 21, characterized in that the processed pieces of the video information includes the following picture and information of the inputted video information:

a static picture, a piece of extraction picture information, a piece of partly deletion picture information, a piece of enlarged picture information, a piece of different view-point picture information.

23. A recording medium wherein a multi-picture display video information is recorded in a form of a nest by the following steps of:

a step of inputting a plurality of pieces of video information, into a mixed picture display part displaying the plurality of the pieces of the video information;

a step of reversing the pieces of the video information to be displayed on a plurality of optical means, the reversed pieces being included in the pieces of the video information inputted at the inputting step; and

a step of assigning sequentially the pieces of the video information to respective divided areas which are divided by a rule.