See-through display apparatus and method thereof

• US 20090167966A1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: NAM, Dong-kyung, YOO, Ho-joon, KIM, Chang-yeong, RYU, Hee-seob
• Application Number:
  US12/153,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/5
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals

Abstract

A see-through display apparatus and a method thereof are provided. The see-through display apparatus includes: a screen which changes its transparency by varying its light scattering properties; a projector which projects an image onto the screen; and a control unit which controls a change of transparency of the screen. Accordingly, an image can be clearly displayed on the screen by controlling light scattering and non-scattering states of the screen, and also a user can monitor the external environment through the screen.

Claims

1. A see-through screen device including:

a screen whose transparency is changed by varying light scattering properties of the screen; and

a control unit which controls a change of transparency of the screen.

2. The see-through screen device of claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), whose state shifts between a light scattering state and a light non-scattering state according to an orientation direction of anisotropic liquid crystal.

3. The see-through screen device of claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the state of the screen periodically between the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state.

4. The see-through screen device of claim 3, wherein the control unit varies sections of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state.

5. The see-through screen device of claim 4, wherein the control unit determines a cycle of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state and durations of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state by means of the number of image frames and brightness.

6. A see-through display apparatus including:

a screen whose transparency is changed by varying light scattering properties of the screen;

a projector which projects an image onto the screen; and

a control unit which controls a change of transparency of the screen.

7. The see-through display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the screen is made of PDLC, whose state shifts between a light scattering state and a light non-scattering state according to an orientation direction of anisotropic liquid crystal.

8. The see-through display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit changes a state of the screen periodically between a light scattering state and a light non-scattering state.

9. The see-through display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit varies durations of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state.

10. The see-through display apparatus of claim of claim 8, wherein the control unit determines a cycle of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state and sections of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state by means of the number of image frames and brightness.

11. The see-through display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit controls a brightness of a lamp of the projector according to the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen.

12. The see-through display apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit controls a brightness of the image projected onto the screen by opening or shutting a shutter of the projector according to the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen.

13. The see-through display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the shutter of the projector is an electric shutter or mechanical shutter.

14. A method of displaying an image projected from a projector onto a screen, whose state shifts between a light scattering state and a light non-scattering state, the method including:

determining a cycle of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen; and

varying the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen according to the determined cycle and projecting the image from the projector while the screen is in the light scattering state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining ofthe cycle ofthe light scattering state and the light non-scattering state includes varying sections of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein when the sections of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state are varied, the cycle of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state and the sections of the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state are determined with reference to the number of image frames and brightness.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the projecting of the image from the projector includes controlling a brightness of a lamp of the projector according to the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state of the screen.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the projecting of the image from the projector includes controlling a brightness of the projected image by opening and shutting a shutter of the projector according to the light scattering state and the light non-scattering state.