Extended display device

• US 20060145942A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Maatta, Esa
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/04 having collapsible parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

A large undivided image may be displayed by combining primary images displayed by two or more display units. Due to inactive edge regions of the display units, there is a gap between the primary images. To eliminate the gap, the paths of light rays transmitted from the display units are shifted and/or bent to form secondary images based on said primary images. Paths of light rays transmitted from a single display unit are shifted and/or bent substantially in only one direction. Consequently, the secondary images are shifted with respect to said primary images such that a gap between said secondary images is substantially eliminated. Advantageously, the secondary images are formed using an element comprising a plurality of linear and parallel prisms which have equal prism angles.

Claims

1. A display device for displaying an image, comprising at least:

a first display unit having a first active region to display a first primary image,

a second display unit having a second active region to display a second primary image, said second active region and first active region being adjacent to each other but having a gap between them, and

an image merging element adapted to form a first secondary image based on said first primary image and a second secondary image based on said second primary image, wherein said image merging element comprises at least a first image shifting element adapted to shift and/or bend paths of light rays originating from said first primary image substantially in a first direction only in order to change a visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said image merging element further comprises a second image shifting element adapted to shift paths of light rays originating from said second primary image substantially in a second direction only in order to change the visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image, said second direction being substantially opposite to said first direction.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein an area of the first image shifting element is at least 51% of an entire area of the first active region, and an area of the second image shifting element is at least 51% of an entire area of the second active region.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein local optical magnification provided by said first image shifting element is substantially constant over the area of said first image shifting element.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a degree of shifting, bending, or both, caused by the image shifting element is substantially constant over the area of said first image shifting element.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said first image shifting element is implemented using a plurality of substantially linear and parallel prisms.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein said first image shifting element is a microprism sheet.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein prism angles of said prisms are substantially equal.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said image merging element is flexible.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein said image merging element is adapted to be held in planar form by a tensioning force.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said device is a foldable device.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein an angular intensity distribution of light transmitted by said first display unit is optimized according to a predetermined viewing direction.

13. The display device according to claim 11, wherein an angular intensity distribution of light transmitted by said first display unit is adapted to be adjusted according to an angle between said first display unit and said second display unit.

14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between said first primary image and said second primary image is adjustable.

15. The display device according to claim 1, wherein an angle between said first display unit and said second display unit is substantially smaller than one hundred and eighty degrees.

16. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a third display unit comprising a third active region to display a third primary image.

17. A display device for displaying an image, comprising at least:

a first display unit comprising a first active region to display a first primary image,

a second display unit comprising a second active region to display a second primary image, said second active region and first active region being adjacent to each other but having a gap between them, and

an image merging element adapted to form a first secondary image based on said first primary image and a second secondary image based on said second primary image, said image merging element comprising a plurality of substantially linear and parallel prisms, with prism angles of said prisms being substantially equal.

18. A mobile device comprising a display device for displaying an image, said display device in turn comprising at least:

a first display unit having a first active region to display a first primary image,

a second display unit having a second active region to display a second primary image, said second active region and first active region being adjacent to each other but having a gap between them, and

an image merging element adapted to form a first secondary image based on said first primary image and a second secondary image based on said second primary image, wherein said image merging element comprises at least a first image shifting element adapted to shift, or to bend, or to both shift and bend paths of light rays originating from said first primary image substantially in a first direction only in order to change a visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image, and

a second image shifting element adapted to shift, or to bend, or to both shift and bend paths of light rays originating from said second primary image substantially in a second direction only in order to change a visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image, said second direction being substantially opposite to said first direction.

19. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein said first image shifting element and said second image shifting element are implemented using a plurality of substantially linear and parallel prisms, the prism angles of said prisms being substantially equal.

20. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein said device is a foldable device.

21. The mobile device according to claim 20, wherein an angular intensity distribution of light transmitted by said first display unit is adjustable according to an adjustable angle between said first display unit and said second display unit.

22. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein a distance between said first primary image and said second primary image is adjustable.

23. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein an angle between said first display unit and said second display unit is substantially smaller than one hundred and eighty degrees.

24. A method to display an image, said method comprising:

transmitting light rays from a first active region of a first display unit to display a first primary image,

transmitting light rays from a second active region of a second display unit to display a second primary image, said second active region and first active region being adjacent to each other but having a gap between them,

using an image merging element to form a first secondary image based on said first primary image and a second secondary image based on said second primary image, said image merging element comprising at least a first image merging element, and

shifting, or bending, or both shifting and bending paths of the light rays originating from said first primary image substantially in only a first direction by said first image shifting element in order to change a visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising shifting or bending, or both shifting and bending paths of the light rays originating from said second primary image substantially in only a second direction by a second image shifting element in order to change a visual distance between said first secondary image and said second secondary image, said second direction being substantially opposite to said first direction.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein substantially all light rays constituting the first secondary image are shifted, bent, or both substantially to a same extent.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said first image shifting element is implemented using a plurality of substantially linear and parallel prisms.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein prism angles of said prisms are substantially equal.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said image merging element is flexible and is held in planar form by tension.

30. The method according to claim 24, further comprising selecting an angular intensity transmitted by said first display unit to optimize an apparent brightness of said first secondary image in a predetermined viewing direction.

31. The method according to claim 24, further comprising adjusting an angular intensity distribution of light transmitted by said first display unit according to an angle between said first display unit and said second display unit.

32. The method according to claim 24, further comprising adjusting a distance between said first primary image and said second primary image.

33. A method to display an image, said method comprising:

transmitting light rays from a first active region of a first display unit to display a first primary image,

displaying a second primary image by a second active region of a second display unit, and

bending paths of said light rays using a plurality of prisms to form a first secondary image based on said primary image.