DISPLAY DEVICE, DISPLAY METHOD AND HEAD-UP DISPLAY

• US 20100214635A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Takashi, Okumura, Haruhiko, Hotta, Aira, Okada, Naotada, Horiuchi, Kazuo
• Application Number:
  US12/728,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0087 with index gradient
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings

Abstract

A display device, generating light flux containing image information and making the light flux incident to one-eye of an image viewer by controlling an angle of divergence of the light flux is provided. The device includes a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux.

Claims

1. A display device, generating light flux containing image information and making the light flux incident to one-eye of an image viewer by controlling an angle of divergence of the light flux,

the device comprising a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between an optical element nearest to the one-eye of optical elements included in the display device and the one-eye is 21.7 cm or more.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between an optical element nearest to the one-eye of optical elements included in the display device and the one-eye is 25.5 cm or more.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between an optical element nearest to the one-eye of optical elements included the display device and the one-eye is 63.4 cm or more.

5. A display device comprising:

a light flux generation unit configured to generate light flux containing image information;

a field of view control unit configured to make the light flux incident to one-eye of an image viewer; and

an image formation unit configured to form an image based on the light flux, the image formation unit including an optical element nearest to the one-eye of constituent optical elements, which is placed apart from the one-eye by 21.7 cm or more,

at least one of the field of view control unit and the image formation unit including a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the optical element nearest to the one-eye of constituent optical elements of the image formation unit is placed apart from the one-eye by 25.5 cm or more.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the optical element nearest to the one-eye of constituent optical elements of the image formation unit is placed apart from the one-eye by 63.4 cm or more.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the field of view control unit and the image formation unit include at least one selected from a group consisting of an optical structure body including a lens and an aperture, a lenticular plate, a holographic diffuser, a microlens array, a grated index type microlens, a prism sheet, a louver sheet and an optical structure body having a plurality of waveguide shaped like a top truncated triangular pyramid arrayed.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the light flux generation unit includes a light source and any one of an optical element scanning the light flux generated in the light source and a light switch modulating the light flux.

10. The device according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image pickup unit configured to image the image viewer;

an image judgment unit configured to process the image imaged by the image pickup unit and to derive a position of the one-eye of the image viewer; and

a control unit configured to control direction of the light flux based on information about the derived position of the one-eye by the image judgment unit.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit controls at least any of a position and an angle of optical elements included in the light flux generation unit, the field of view control unit and the image formation unit.

12. A display method, generating light flux containing image information and making the light flux incident to one-eye of an image viewer by controlling an angle of divergence of the light flux by using a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the image viewer is imaged,

the imaged image is processed and a position of the one-eye of the image viewer is derived, and

the direction of the light flux is further controlled based on information about the derived position of the one-eye.

14. A display method,

generating light flux containing image information, and

making the light flux incident to the one-eye by placing an optical element nearest to one-eye of an image viewer apart from the one-eye by 21.7 cm or more by using a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the light flux is made incident to the one-eye by placing the optical element nearest to the one-eye of the image viewer apart from the one-eye by 25.5 cm or more.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the light flux is made incident to the one-eye by placing the optical element nearest to the one-eye of the image viewer apart from the one-eye by 63.4 cm or more.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the display method making the light flux incident to the one-eye includes a method controlling an angle of divergence of the light flux using an optical system including at least one selected from a group consisting of an optical structure body including a lens and an aperture, a lenticular plate, a holographic diffuser, a microlens array, a grated index type microlens, a prism sheet, a louver sheet and an optical structure body having a plurality of waveguide shaped like a top truncated triangular pyramid arrayed.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein

the image viewer is imaged,

the imaged image is processed and a position of the one-eye of the image viewer is derived, and

the direction of the light flux is further controlled based on the derived position information of the one-eye.

19. A head-up display comprising:

a light flux projection unit configured to output light flux containing image information configured to be incident to one-eye of an driver;

an angle of divergence control mechanism configured to control an angle of divergence of the light flux, the angle of divergence control mechanism including a first lens, a second lens and an angle of divergence control device provided between the first lens and the second lens, the angle of divergence control device being configured to control the angle of divergence of the light flux; and

a transparent plate provided with a reflecting layer having the light flux projected thereon with the angle of divergence controlled by the angle of divergence control mechanism.