Scan type display device with image scanning function

• US 5,670,971 A
• Filed: 12/19/1994
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AVIX, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AVIX, Inc.
• Inventors: Yajima, Hiroshi, Tokimoto, Toyotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US08/359,211
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 345/30, 345/31, 345/33, 345/34, 345/39, 345/96
• US Class Current: 345/31
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/005 forming an image using a quickly moving array of imaging elements, causing the human eye to perceive an image which has a larger resolution than the array, e.g. an image on a cylinder formed by a rotating line of LEDs parallel to the axis of rotation

Abstract

A scan type display device has a device body carrying a light emitting cell array, in which a plurality of light emitting cell arrays are aligned on a line, for scanning aerial plane to display a desired image by residual image effect. The light emitting cells are selectively illuminated according to an image data stored in a memory in synchronism with motion of the device body. The display device also has at least one light receiving element provided on the device body in a positional relationship with the light emitting cell array in such a manner that, when an image carrying medium containing an image to be sampled is placed in close proximity to the light emitting cell array in opposition and the light emitting cells in the light emitting cell array are selectively illuminated, a reflected light from the image carrying medium is received by the light receiving element for sampling the image on the image carrying medium. When an image carrying medium is placed in close proximity to the light emitting cell array in opposition, each individual light emitting cell is illuminated in order for locally irradiating light on the image carrying medium for reading output the light receiving element for sampling image data of a linear image fraction, and by relatively shifting the image carrying medium and the light emitting array for repeating sampling of image data for other linear image fraction to establish an image data of the two-dimensional image.

Claims

1. A scan type display device comprising a device body carrying a light emitting cell array including a plurality of light emitting cells arrange in a linear alignment for scanning an aerial plane to display a desired image by utilizing a residual image effect, said light emitting cells being selectively illuminated according to image data stored in a memory and in synchronism with motion of said device body, said display device further comprising:

light receiving means including at least one light receiving element provided on said device body, said light receiving element being positioned to receive a reflected light from a to-be-sampled image displayed on an image carrying medium, when such image is placed in proximity and in opposition to said light emitting cell array and is illuminated by said light emitting cells;

means for illuminating each individual light emitting cell of said light emitting array in a predetermined order for sampling line image data of a single display line of such to-be-sampled image; and

means for detecting shifting of such to-be-sampled image so as to terminate sampling of line image data of a previous display line of such to-be-sampled image and to sample line image data of a next display line of such image.

2. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said light receiving element is placed at one end of said light emitting cell array, said light receiving element having a field of vision covering the area in front of said light emitting cell array.

3. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises a transparent light guide member having an incident surface extending along said light emitting cell array and a light outgoing surface located in the vicinity of said light receiving element.

4. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display device is a manual scan type display device, said device body being held by hand and swung for scanning said light emitting cell array on the aerial display plane.

5. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for detecting shifting of such to-be-sampled image include means for detecting relative displacement of said image carrying medium and said light emitting cell array in a direction transverse to the alignment direction of said light emitting cells, said detecting means comprising a roller rotating according to relative movement between said image carrying medium and said light emitting cell array, and a rotation sensor for detecting rotating angular displacement of said roller.

6. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said means for detecting shifting of such to-be-sampled image include means for detecting relative displacement of said image carrying medium and said light emitting cell array in a direction transverse to the alignment direction of said light emitting cells, said detecting means comprising synchronization mark detecting means for detecting a synchronization mark formed on said image carrying medium.

7. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said device body is provided at the front portion thereof with a guide along which said medium is shifted relative to said light emitting cell array.

8. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said synchronization mark is a notch formed in the edge of said image carrying medium, and said synchronization mark detecting means comprises a switch mechanism having a movable strip, said switch mechanism operating in response to said notch by contacting said movable strip onto the edge of said image carrying medium.

9. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display device is a rotary driven scan type display device in which said device body is rotatively driven by a drive mechanism.

10. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the image scanning is performed by placing said image carrying medium along the rotational trace of said light emitting cell array and the image on said image carrying medium is scanned by rotating said light emitting cell array.

11. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said drive mechanism is provided with a rotation sensor for detecting rotational angular displacement, and the rotation of said light emitting cell array during image scanning on said image carrying medium is detected by said rotation sensor.

12. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said light receiving elements are provided in plural with the number being substantially half of the number of said light emitting cells, said light receiving elements are arranged at a pitch double of the pitch of said light emitting cells, and said light receiving element array is located in the vicinity of said light emitting cell array in parallel relationship to the latter.

13. A scan type display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an operation fulcrum member mounted on one end of said device body by a bearing and rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said device body;

rotation detecting means for obtaining an angular position information and an angular speed information of said operation fulcrum member relative to said device body;

display control means for selectively illuminating light emitting cells in said light emitting cell array according to said image data in synchronism with detection signal of said rotation detecting means; and

control means for scanning the image on said image carrying medium by performing light emitting control for said light emitting cells and reading control for reading output of said light receiving element, in synchronism with detection signal of said rotation detecting means during rotation of said device body on the image carrying medium.

14. An aerial display device comprising:

a substantially straight elongated bar form device body;

a light emitting cell array provided on said device body and having a plurality of light emitting cells arranged in alignment;

at least one reflected light receiving element provided on said device body in the vicinity of said light emitting cell array;

a motion sensor detecting physical motion of said device body for generating a motion signal indicative thereof;

a controller including a memory storing an image data to be aerially displayed and operable in a display mode for selectively driving said light emitting cells in a display pattern corresponding to a fractional line pattern of the image to be displayed and varying the display pattern in synchronism with motion of said device body, and in a image scanning mode for scanning fractional line pattern of an image to be sampled by driving said light emitting cell array to sequentially illuminate one of said light emitting cells in order for locally irradiating the light on a point on the fractional line pattern, sampling and holding data indicative of the image in the irradiated point and varying the fractional line pattern to scan in synchronism with relative displacement between the image to be sampled and the light emitting cell array for sampling and holding an image data of a two dimensional image.