Multi-display apparatus

• US 5,926,153 A
• Filed: 01/26/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Takahiko, Hirata, Koji, Yoshikawa, Hiroki, Mori, Shigeru, Matsuda, Yutaka, Ohishi, Tetsu, Osawa, Atsuo, Tanide, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Application Number:
  US08/592,177
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 345/1, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/2, 434/38, 434/40, 434/44
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/32 by projected image G09B9/307, G09B9/36 take precedence

Abstract

A multi-display apparatus includes a plurality of rear projection-type display devices each in which projection light from image sources is projected through projection lenses onto a rear projection surface of a rear projection screen to form a picture image on a front viewing surface of the rear projection screen, the plurality of rear projection-type display devices being combined together in contiguous relation to one another to form a large screen. An overall front viewing surface of the large screen is formed into a concave surface curved both in a horizontal visibility angle direction and a vertical visibility angle direction. A light-absorbing portion is formed on the front viewing surface of the rear projection screen, and the light-absorbing portion absorbs projection light which passes through one rear projection screen, and is incident as external light on another rear projection screen, thereby preventing a picture image from being degraded.

Claims

1. A rear projection-type multi-display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of rear projection-type display devices each in which projection light from image sources is projected through projection lenses onto a rear projection surface of a rear projection screen to form a picture image on the rear projection screen, said plurality of rear projection-type display devices being combined together in contiguous relation to one another to form a large screen, said large screen having a viewing side remote from said rear projection surface of the rear projection screens of said plurality of rear projection-type display devices;

wherein the rear projection screens have peripheral edge parts at the viewing side of said the large screen which are against and fixed respectively to screen support frames of unit support frames so that for removal of the rear projection screens, the rear projection screens are pushed into the rear projection-type display devices, and said large screen has a portion which is formed into a concave surface curved both in a horizontal visibility angle direction and a vertical visibility angle direction.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which at least part of said rear projection screen-type devices constituting said large screen have substantially flat screens.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which at least part of said large screen has a polygonal shape other than a rectangular shape.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which at least one of said screens having said polygonal shape other than a rectangular shape has a trapezoidal shape.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which at least one of said plurality of rear projection-type display devices jointly constituting said viewing front surface of said large screen has a rectangular shape, and said screen of at least one of the other rear projection-type display devices has a trapezoidal shape.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rear projection screens are configured so that the projection light projected through the projection lenses and passing through a respective one of the rear projection screens is substantially prevented from being incident as external light upon another one of the rear projection screens so as to substantially prevent degradation of picture quality.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said large screen has a generally spherical shape.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said large screen has a shape defined by one of the whole and part of a generally regular dodecahedral surface.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said large screen has a shape defined by one of the whole and part of a generally regular icosahedral surface and a regular icosahedral surface.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said large screen has a shape defined by one part of a 32-surface construction having regular pentagonal surfaces and regular hexagonal surfaces.

11. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which each of said rear projection screens jointly constituting said large screen has a geodesic regular pentagonal shape on said front viewing surface of said large screen, and said large screen is defined by one of the whole and part of a pseudo dodecaheral surface analogous to a spherical surface, or one of the whole and part of a spherical surface.

12. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which each of said rear projection screens constituting viewing surface of said large screen has a geodesic regular triangular shape on said large screen, and said front viewing surface of said large screen is defined by one of the whole and part of a pseudo icosahedral surface analogous to a spherical surface, or one of the whole and part of a spherical surface.

13. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which part of said rear projection screens constituting said large screen has a geodesic regular pentagonal shape, and the other rear projection screens have a geodesic regular hexagonal shape said large screen, and said viewing front surface of said large screen is defined by one of the whole and part of a pseudo 32-surface construction analogous to a spherical surface, or one of the whole and part of a spherical surface, said 32-surface construction being defined by said geodesic regular pentagonal and hexagonal shapes in combination.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said large screen has a generally ellipsoidal shape.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said large screen has a shape generally equal to a shape generated by revolving a constant curved line about an axis.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, claim 7, claim 14 or claim 15, in which each of said rear projection screens constituting said large screen has a geodesic polygonal surface, with each side of said polygonal shape disposed on a geodesic line on said large screen.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which at least on of said geodesic polygonal shapes is a geodesic square shape analogous to a trapezoidal shape.

18. Apparatus according to claim 16, in which at least one rear projection screens of said constituting said large screen has a geodesic rectangular shape, and at least one of the other rear projection screens has a geodesic trapezoidal shape.

23. A display system comprising a rear-projection multi-display apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 19.

19. A rear projection-type multi-display apparatus comprising:

a plurality of rear projection-type display devices each in which projection light from image sources is projected through projection lenses onto a projection rear surface of a rear projection screen to form a picture image on said rear projection screen, the rear projection screens of said plurality of rear projection-type display devices being combined together in contiguous relation to one another to form a large screen, said large screen having a viewing side remote from said rear projection surface of the rear projection screens of said plurality of rear projection type display devices;

wherein the rear projection screens have peripheral edge parts at the viewing side of said large screen which are against and fixed respectively to screen support frames of unit support frames so that for removal of the rear projection screens, the rear projection screens are pushed into the rear projection type display devices, and said unit support frames are assembled together so that said large screen has a portion which is formed into a concave surface curved both in a horizontal visibility angle direction and a vertical visibility angle direction, so that when viewed from the front side, a visual field angle in the horizontal direction, as well as a visual field angle in the vertical direction, is not less than about 60°

.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, in which one of a viewing stand and a passage formed of a generally transparent material is provided at a lower portion of a viewing position.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, in which said viewing stand or said passage has a width in the range of between 0.5 m and 2 m.

22. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the rear projection screens are configured so that the projection light projected through the projection lenses and passing through a respective one of the rear projection screens is substantially prevented from being incident as external light upon another one of the rear projection screens so as to substantially prevent degradation of picture quality.