Video projection system

• US 4,734,779 A
• Filed: 06/08/1987
• Issued: 03/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Video Matrix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Video Matrix Corporation
• Inventors: Levis, Maurice E., Carmen, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/059,790
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 358/87, 358/93, 358/104, 358/108, 358/231, 358/64, 340/705, 340/717, 340/720, 353/30, 353/31, 353/32, 353/34, 353/38
• US Class Current: 348/383
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence

Abstract

A large screen video display system to display bright video images at high resolution comprises an array of video monitors arranged adjacent each other in a compact matrix, for example, an array of 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4 video monitors. A lenticular optical plate is placed in front of the face plate of each monitor to magnify the video images and project them as a mosaic of images on the back face of a rear projection screen. Circuit means electronically, using digital techniques, divide the original video image into segments, each segment being displayed on a separate monitor, and into sub-segments, for example, 48 rectangular sub-segments, which sub-segments are individually rotated 180° about the image axis on each monitor. A viewer looking at the video image displayed on the front of the RP projection screen sees a continuous image covering the entire screen and is not aware that the image is made up from sub-segments and segments displayed on individual monitors.

Claims

1. A large screen video display system to display video images comprising:

a plurality of at least four video monitors arranged adjacent each other to form an array of said monitors, each of said monitors having a face plate upon which a video image appears;

a plurality of lenticular optical plates each plate comprising a plurality of lens elements positioned side-by-side to form a plate of lens elements, one of said lenticular optical plates being positioned in front of the face plate of each of said respective video monitors;

segment circuit means to divide an original video image into segments so that each segment is displayed on a respective one of said video monitors;

sub-segment circuit means to divide each of said segments into a plurality of video image sub-segments, which sub-segments are displayed on each of said respective video monitors, the said sub-segments corresponding in location and number to the lens elements of the respective optical plate corresponding to the monitor on which the sub-segments are displayed; and

a rear projection screen having a rear surface and a front surface upon which the final image to be viewed appears, the said lens elements forming images on said rear surface, which images are combined on said screen to form a unitary video image.

2. A video display system as in claim 1, wherein each of said sub-segments on a monitor face plate is rotated by 180°

from its image when viewed on the front of said screen.

3. A video display system as in claim 1 wherein the array is an array of four monitors arranged in two rows and two columns.

4. A video display system as in claim 1 wherein the array is an array of nine monitors arranged in three rows and three columns.

5. A video display system as in claim 1 wherein each monitor has an imaginary central optical axis and the said lens elements each have an optical axis arranged, except at the center lens element, at an angle with respect to the said monitor central optical axis.

6. A video display system as in claim 1 wherein each optical lens element magnifies an image on the face plate in the range of 1.1 to 1.5.

7. A video display system as in claim 1 wherein each sub-segment is separated from its adjoining sub-segments by a non-image gap (blank space).

11. A video display system as in claims 1 or 8 wherein the video monitors are cathode ray tube displays.

12. A video display system as in claims 1 or 8 wherein the video image displayed on each of the monitors is subsegmented into a mosaic of rectangles and each element is a non-inverting projecting lens.

13. A video display system as in claims 1 or 8 wherein the rear projection screen consists of a thin fiber optic plate with two plane parallel faces.

14. A video display system as in claims 1 or 8 wherein the rear projection screen consists of a thin fiber optic plate with a plane front face on the audience side and a curved rear surface to correct for monitor image curvature and projected image field curvature.

15. A video display system as in claims 1 or 8 wherein the video monitor image display elements are video imaging signals.

8. A large screen video display system to display video images comprising:

a plurality of at least four video monitors arranged adjacent each other and abutting each other to form a rectangular array of said monitors, each of said monitors having a curved face plate upon which a video image appears;

a plurality of lenticular optical plates each plate comprising a plurality of lens elements which magnify in focus in the range of magnification of 1.1 to 1.5 and positioned side-by-side to form a plate of lens elements, one of said lenticular optical plates being positioned in front of the face plate of each of said respective video monitors;

segment circuit means to divide an original video image into segments so that each segment is displayed on a respective one of said video monitors;

sub-segment circuit means to divide each of said segments into a plurality of video image sub-segments, which sub-segments are displayed rotated by 180°

on each of said respective video monitors, the said sub-segments corresponding in location and number to the lens elements of the respective optical plate corresponding to the monitor on which the sub-segments are displayed; and

a curved rear projection screen having a rear surface and a front surface upon which the final image to be viewed appears, the said lens elements forming images on said rear surface, which images are combined on said screen to form a unitary video image.

9. A video display system as in claim 8 wherein the array is an array of four monitors arranged in two rows and two columns.

10. A video display system as in claim 8 wherein the array is an array of nine monitors arranged in three rows and three columns.