Image display apparatus

• US 6,222,509 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagano, Akihiko, Ohsawa, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZIALI, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US09/085,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/207, 345/32, 345/87, 359/559-561, 359/10, 359/16, 382/210, 348/203, 348/335, 348/764, 348/771, 349/5, 349/61, 349/68, 349/70
• US Class Current: 345/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/135 Liquid crystal cells structurally associated with a photoconducting or a ferro-electric layer, the properties of which can be optically or electrically varied G02F1/133348 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1354 having a particular photoconducting structure or material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/111 of roll films
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP

Abstract

An image display apparatus having a storage/display element for receiving writing light indicative of an image obtained from an original, storing the image and displaying the stored image, includes a light detecting mechanism for detecting light which has an influence on writing, and a determining circuit for determining an image storage operation condition for the storage/display element according to an amount of light detected by the light detecting mechanism.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus having a storage/display element for receiving writing light indicative of an image obtained from an original, storing the image by receiving said writing light, and, after the image storage being performed, displaying the stored image by receiving reading light, comprising:

a light detecting mechanism for detecting light which has an influence on writing; and

a determining circuit for determining an image storage operation condition for said storage/display element according to an amount of light detected by said light detecting mechanism,

wherein the image is stored according to the image storage operation condition determined by said determining circuit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light detecting mechanism detects an amount of the writing light projected on said storage/display element.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining circuit causes said storage/display element to continue a storage operation until the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism reaches a predetermined amount of light.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light detecting mechanism detects an amount of external light of said image display apparatus.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determining circuit determines a target amount of the writing light according to the amount of external light detected by said light detecting mechanism.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determining circuit determines a voltage to be applied during writing to said storage/display element, according to the amount of the external light detected by said light detecting mechanism.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining circuit determines a target amount of the writing light according to the amount of light detected by said light detecting mechanism.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining circuit determines a voltage to be applied during writing to said storage/display element, according to the amount of light detected by said light detecting mechanism.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light detecting mechanism detects an amount of the writing light projected on said storage/display element and an amount of external light of said image display apparatus.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said determining circuit determines a target amount of the writing light according to the amount of external light detected by said light detecting mechanism, and causes said storage/display element to continue a storage operation until the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism reaches a predetermined amount of light.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a writing illumination element for producing the writing light and a reading illumination element for reading of a display.

12. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a writing illumination element for producing the writing light and a reading illumination element for reading of a display.

13. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a writing illumination element for producing the writing light and a reading illumination element for reading of a display.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determining circuit causes said writing illumination element to perform a preliminary light emission, determines a target amount of light according to the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism during the preliminary light emission, and causes said storage/display element to perform a storage operation until the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism during a main light emission reaches the target amount of light.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determining circuit causes said writing illumination element to perform a preliminary light emission, determines a target incidence time period according to the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism during the preliminary light emission, and causes said storage/display element to perform a storage operation until the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism during a main light emission reaches the target incidence time period.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said determining circuit causes said writing illumination element to perform a preliminary light emission, and determines an image storage operation condition for said storage/display element according to the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism during the preliminary light emission.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said light detecting mechanism detects an amount of light reflected by said storage/display element from the writing light projected on said storage/display element.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said light detecting mechanism detects an amount of divided light provided by a light dividing element disposed in an optical path, from the writing light projected on said storage/display element.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein part of said light detecting mechanism is positioned in an optical path during the preliminary light emission, and is retracted from the optical path during a main light emission.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light blocking mechanism for blocking incidence of external light on said storage/display element during an image storage operation of said storage/display element.

21. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a light blocking mechanism for blocking incidence of external light on said storage/display element during an image storage operation of said storage/display element and during detection of the amount of the writing light projected on said storage/display element, by said light detecting mechanism.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said light blocking mechanism uses a light blocking element whose transmittance varies according to a condition of application of an electrical signal.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said light blocking mechanism uses a light blocking element whose transmittance varies according to a condition of application of an electrical signal.

24. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

25. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

26. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

27. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the original is a developed film.

28. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the original is a developed film.

29. An image display apparatus having a storage/display element for receiving a writing light indicative of an image obtained from a developed film, said element storing the image by receiving the writing light and displaying the stored image by receiving reading light after the image storage, comprising:

an information reading mechanism for reading photography information from the developed film; and

a determining circuit for determining an image storage operation condition for said storage/display element according to the photography information detected by said information reading mechanism,

wherein the storage of the image is performed according to the image storage operation condition determined by said determining circuit.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said determining circuit determines a target amount of the writing light according to the photography information detected by said information reading mechanism.

31. An apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a light detecting mechanism for detecting light which has an influence on writing, said determining circuit determining a target amount of the writing light according to the photography information detected by said information reading mechanism and causing said storage/display element to continue a storage operation until the amount of the writing light detected by said light detecting mechanism reaches a predetermined amount of light.

32. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said determining circuit determines a voltage to be applied to said storage/display element during writing, according to the photography information detected by said information reading mechanism.

33. An apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a light blocking mechanism for blocking incidence of external light on said storage/display element during an image storage operation of said storage/display element.

34. An apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising a light blocking mechanism for blocking incidence of external light on said storage/display element during an image storage operation of said storage/display element and during detection of the amount of the writing light projected on said storage/display element, by said light detecting mechanism.

35. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said light blocking mechanism uses a light blocking element whose transmittance varies according to a condition of application of an electrical signal.

36. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said light blocking mechanism uses a light blocking element whose transmittance varies according to a condition of application of an electrical signal.

37. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

38. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

39. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said storage/display element is a spatial light modulator.

40. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said spatial light modulator includes at least a photoconductor layer and a liquid crystal layer which are sandwiched between transparent electrodes.

41. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said spatial light modulator includes at least a photoconductor layer and a liquid crystal layer which are sandwiched between transparent electrodes.

42. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said spatial light modulator includes at least a photoconductor layer and a liquid crystal layer which are sandwiched between transparent electrodes.