THREE DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY UNIT AND DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20020105483A1
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto, Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata
• Original Assignee: Jun Koyama, Satoshi Teramoto, Shunpei Yamazaki, Yoshiharu Hirakata
• Inventors: Hirakata, Yoshiharu, Teramoto, Satoshi, Koyama, Jun, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3666 with the matrix divided into sections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 : for two or more viewers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 : specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/403 : the images being monoscopic

Abstract

In a structure in which six active matrix regions 103 to 108 are integrated on one glass substrate, horizontal scanning control circuits 101 and 102 are commonly disposed for the respective active matrix regions 103 to 105 and 106 to 108. Then, the horizontal scanning control circuits 101 and 102 are operated at different timings, and images formed by the active matrix regions 103 to 105 and 106 to 108 are synthesized and projected. With this operation, the horizontal scanning frequency required for one horizontal scanning control circuit can be made half of the horizontal scanning frequency of the display screen.

Claims

1. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of different images on an identical screen;

and means for selecting said plurality of images for each of the viewers.

2. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for dividing a plurality of different images on an identical screen with time to display separated images; and

means having an optical shutter;

wherein said means having said optical shutter opens and/or shuts said optical shutter in synchronism with a timing at which the plurality of images are divided, and selectively transmits one of the images divided with time.

3. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for dividing a plurality of different images on an identical screen with time to display divided images; and

means for giving a different polarizing state to at least one of the divided images.

4. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for displaying two images having different polarizing states on an identical screen; and

means for selectively transmitting said images having different polarizing states in correspondence with said plurality of viewers.

5. A display unit that displays images different depending upon a visual point, using a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, characterized in that a non-display region that does not conduct display or a region where display of a predetermined background color is conducted is disposed between the respective display data which constitute different images.

6. A display method characterized in that a screen on which a plurality of images which are divided with time are displayed is viewed intermittently at a timing which is identical with a timing when dividing the image with time, to thereby selectively recognize one of said plurality of images.

7. A display method characterized in that a screen on which a plurality of images having different polarizing states are displayed is viewed through a plurality of polarizing filters having different polarizing states, respectively, to thereby recognize said plurality of images, independently.

8. A display method characterized in that a screen on which a plurality of images containing an image having a predetermined polarizing state are displayed is viewed through a filter that selectively transmits said predetermined polarizing state, to selectively recognize only an image having said predetermined polarizing state.

9. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for forming an image which is optically modulated by an integrated liquid-crystal panel;

means for displaying a plurality of different images on an identical screen; and

means for selecting said plurality of images for each of the viewers;

wherein said integrated liquid-crystal panel is so arranged as to provide active matrix regions where images of M×

N are formed, and regions having peripheral circuits of M+N on a substrate, assuming that M and N are natural numbers of 2 or more;

wherein said M- peripheral circuits conduct horizontal scanning control of the N- active matrix regions simultaneously; and

wherein said N- peripheral circuits conduct vertical scanning control of the M- active matrix regions simultaneously.

10. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for forming an image which is optically modulated by an integrated liquid-crystal panel;

means for dividing a plurality of different images on an identical screen with time to display separated images; and

means having an optical shutter;

wherein said integrated liquid-crystal panel is so arranged as to provide active matrix regions where images of M×

N are formed, and regions having peripheral circuits of M+N on a substrate, assuming that M and N are natural numbers of 2 or more;

wherein said M- peripheral circuits conduct horizontal scanning control of the N- active matrix regions simultaneously;

wherein said N- peripheral circuits conduct vertical scanning control of the M- active matrix region simultaneously; and

wherein said means having said optical shutter opens and shuts said optical shutter in synchronism with a timing at which the image is separated, to selectively transmit one of the images divided with time.

11. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for forming an image which is optically modulated by an integrated liquid-crystal panel;

means for dividing a plurality of different images on an identical screen with time to display separated images; and

means for giving a different polarizing state to at least one of the separated images;

wherein said integrated liquid-crystal panel is so arranged as to provide active matrix regions where images of M×

N are formed, and regions having peripheral circuits of M+N on a substrate, assuming that M and N are natural numbers of 2 or more;

wherein said M- peripheral circuits conduct horizontal scanning control of the N- active matrix regions simultaneously; and

wherein said N- peripheral circuits conduct vertical scanning control of the M- active matrix regions simultaneously.

15. The display unit of claim 14 wherein the different polarizing states are straight polarizing states different from each other by 90°

.

16. The display unit of claim 14 wherein the different polarizing states comprise a clockwise circular polarizing state and a counterclockwise circular polarizing state.

17. The display unit of claim 14 wherein said image forming means uses a liquid-crystal panel where (M×

N) active matrix regions and (M+N) peripheral drive circuits for driving said (M×

N) active matrix regions are integrated on an identical substrate.

18. The display unit of claim 14 wherein said image forming means comprises:

(M×

N) active matrix regions;

N-vertical scanning control circuits for commonly conducting the vertical scanning control of said M- active matrix regions; and

M- horizontal scanning control circuits for commonly conducting the horizontal scanning control of said N- active matrix regions.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the images divided with time and displayed is separated using an optical shutter, and the images having different polarizing states are separated from each other using a filter that selectively transmits a specific polarizing state, to obtain 2n- images, individually.

12. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of different images on an identical screen;

means for selecting said plurality of images for each of the viewers; and

means for converting the image viewed for each of the viewers into a three-dimensional display.

13. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of different images on an identical screen;

means for selecting said plurality of different images for each of the viewers; and

means for selecting the images which can be viewed by each of the viewers from two-dimensional display or three-dimensional display.

14. A display unit, comprising:

means for forming a plurality of images which are divided with time, respectively;

means for giving different polarizing states to one and others of said plurality of images, respectively;

means for superimposing said plurality of images on each other to project the superimposed images;

means for dividing the images which are divided with time by an optical shutter; and

means for selectively transmitting said different polarizing states, respectively.

19. A method of displaying 2n-kinds of different images on an identical screen, assuming that n is a natural number of 1 or more, characterized in that said 2n-kinds of different images are separated into n-images by time-division, and separated by giving two polarizing states thereto.

21. A display method, characterized in that a plurality of images are displayed on an identical screen with different polarizing states and the time-division.

22. A display method in which one image consisting of R, G and B, and the other image consisting of R′

, G′ and

B′

are projected on an identical projection plane, characterized in that different polarizing states are given to said one image and said the other image, and each of said one image and said the other image is further made up of a plurality of different images which are divided with time.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state include the respective straight polarizations which are different from each other by 90°

.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state are clockwise circular polarization and counterclockwise circular polarization.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said first image and said second image are superimposed or at least partially superimposed on each other on an identical screen to be displayed.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state include the respective straight polarizations which are different from each other by 90°

.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state are clockwise circular polarization and counterclockwise circular polarization.

23. A display method of projecting first images which have a first polarizing state and are divided with time into a right-eye image and a left-eye image, and second image which have a second polarizing state different from said first polarizing state and are divided with time into a right-eye image and a left-eye image on an identical projection plane, characterized in that said first images are selectively transmitted by optical means for selectively transmitting said first polarizing state, and said first image transmitted is viewed by right and left eyes of a viewer while being divided with time by using an optical shutter, to thereby selectively obtain a first three-dimensional image;

and said second images are selectively transmitted by optical means for selectively transmitting said second polarizing state, and said second image transmitted is viewed by right and left eyes of the viewer while being divided with time by using an optical shutter, to thereby selectively obtain a second three-dimensional image.

27. A method of projecting first images which have a first polarizing state and are divided with time into a right-eye image and a left-eye image, and second images which have a second polarizing state different from said first polarizing state and are divided with time into a right-eye image and a left-eye image on an identical projection plane, which is characterized in that said first and second images are obtained as images which have two different polarizing states and are superimposed on each other by using an optical shutter, and those images are separated into an image for a viewer'"'"'s right eye and an image for his left eye by first optical means for selectively transmitting said first polarizing state and second optical means for selectively transmitting said second polarizing state.

30. A display method of obtaining, as a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image, first images having a first polarizing state, which are obtained by dividing with time and displaying a plurality of different three-dimensional images for a viewer'"'"'s right eye and his left eye, and second images having a second polarizing state different from said first polarizing state, which are obtained by dividing with time and displaying a plurality of different three-dimensional images for a viewer'"'"'s right eye and his left eye, characterized in that a specific image which is divided with time from said first and second images is selected by an optical shutter, an image for his right eye or his left eye is obtained by optical means that selectively transmits said first polarizing state from said selected image, and an image for his right eye or his left eye is obtained by optical means that selectively transmits said second polarizing state from said selected image.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state include the respective straight polarizations which are different from each other by 90°

.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state are clockwise circular polarization and counterclockwise circular polarization.

33. A display method of obtaining, as a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image, first images having a first polarizing state, which are obtained by dividing with time and displaying a plurality of different three-dimensional images for a viewer'"'"'s right eye and his left eye, and second images having a second polarizing state different from said first polarizing state, which are obtained by dividing with time and displaying a plurality of different three-dimensional images for a viewer'"'"'s right eye and his left eye, characterized in that said first images are obtained by optical means that transmits said first polarizing state, an image for his right eye or left eye of a specific image is obtained by dividing said first images with time by an optical shutter, said second images are obtained by optical means that transmits said second polarizing state, and an image for his left eye or right eye of a specific image is obtained by dividing said second images with time by an optical shutter.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state include the respective straight polarizations which are different from each other by 90°

.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said first polarizing state and said second polarizing state are clockwise circular polarization and counterclockwise circular polarization.

36. A display unit, through which being capable of viewing different images by a plurality of viewers, respectively, comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of different timedivided images on an identical screen;

and means for selecting said plurality of images for each of the viewers.