THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY

• US 20120146897A1
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Yano, Sumio, Yoshida, Shunsuke, Ando, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/20 using two or more projectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/39 the picture elements emitting light at places where a pair of light beams intersect in a transparent material

Abstract

A light ray controller has a circular frustum shape and is fitted in a circular hole of a top board such that its large diameter bottom opening faces upward. The light ray controller transmits a light ray while diffusing the light ray in a ridgeline direction and transmits the light ray straightforward without diffusing the light ray in a circumferential direction. A rotation module is provided under the table. One or more scanning projectors are provided on a circumference around an axis of the light ray controller on the rotation base of the rotation module. One or more scanning projectors are rotated by the rotation module. The controller controls one or more scanning projectors being rotated based on three-dimensional shape data stored in a storage.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional display for presenting a three-dimensional image based on three-dimensional shape data, comprising:

a light ray controller having a cone shape or a columnar shape and arranged such that a bottom of said cone shape or said columnar shape is opened on a reference plane;

at least one light ray generator provided around said light ray controller so as to direct a light ray group including a plurality of light rays from under said reference plane and from the outside of said light ray controller to an external surface of said light ray controller;

a rotating mechanism adapted to rotate said at least one light ray generator around a central axis of the light ray controller; and

control means adapted to control said at least one light ray generator such that a three-dimensional image is presented by the light ray group generated by said at least one rotated light ray generator based on said three-dimensional shape data, wherein

said light ray controller is formed to transmit each light ray directed by said at least one light ray generator without diffusing the light ray in a circumferential direction and to transmit the light ray while diffusing the light ray in a ridgeline direction.

2. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said reference plane is a top surface of a top board of a table, said top board has an opening, and said light ray controller is fitted in said opening of said top board.

3. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light ray generator comprises a projector.

4. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said light ray controller has projections formed so as to extend in said circumferential direction and to be arranged in said ridgeline direction on the external surface or an internal surface of said cone shape or said columnar shape.

5. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said light ray controller is formed by a sheet material that transmits a light ray without diffusing the light ray in a first direction and transmits the light ray while diffusing the light ray in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction.

6. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the color of a light ray directed to said light ray controller by said at least one light ray generator for each emitting direction and for each rotational position of said at least one light ray generator.

7. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, further comprising a reflector provided under said reference plane and outside said light ray controller, wherein

said at least one light ray generator is provided to emit a light ray group toward said reflector inside said reflector, and

said reflector is provided to reflect a light ray group emitted by said at least one light ray generator and direct the light ray group to the external surface of said light ray controller.

8. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light ray generator comprises a plurality of light ray generators arranged at equiangular intervals around said light ray controller.

9. The three-dimensional display according to claim 1, further comprising detecting means for detecting eye positions of a viewer, wherein said control means controls said at least one light ray generator based on the eye positions detected by said detecting means.

10. The three-dimensional display according to claim 9, wherein said control means controls said at least one light ray generator such that the position of each pixel of a three-dimensional image perceived by a viewer is constant regardless of said eye positions of the viewer.

11. The three-dimensional display according to claim 10, wherein said control means controls said at least one light ray generator such that a reference three-dimensional image is presented when the eyes of said viewer are within a previously set viewing area and corrects the light ray group generated by said at least one light ray generator such that a three-dimensional image presented when the eyes of said viewer are positioned outside the previously set viewing area matches said reference three-dimensional display.