Optical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019235263-A1
Application number	US-201716318028-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Aug 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical device includes a light guide plate configured to guide light entering therein, and cause said light to exit from an emission surface thereof and thereby form an image in a space; a group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a narrow view direction taken as greater than or equal to 0° and less than a first angle relative to a reference plane that is orthogonal to the emission surface and parallel to a side surface of the light guide plate; and a group of wide-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a wide view direction taken as greater than or equal to the first angle and less than 90° relative to the reference plane. The group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors have different image forming conditions.

First claim

1 . An optical device comprising:
a light guide plate configured to guide light entering therein from a light source, change the optical path of light guided, and cause said light to exit from an emission surface of the light guide plate and thereby form an image in a space; a group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a narrow view direction taken as greater than or equal to 0° and less than a first angle relative to a reference plane that is orthogonal to the emission surface and parallel to a side surface of the light guide plate; and a group of wide-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a wide view direction taken as greater than or equal to the first angle and less than 90° relative to the reference plane, wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors have different image forming conditions.

2 . The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors form a stereoscopic image in a space different from the light guide plate, and wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors form a two-dimensional image on the emission surface of the light guide plate.

3 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors is configured to form the two-dimensional image at a location that is fixed and independent of the angle in the wide view direction.

4 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors is configured to form the two-dimensional image at a location that changes in accordance with the angle in the wide view direction.

5 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors is arranged at a larger pitch than the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors.

6 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of second optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of second optical-path deflectors configured to form a point image, whereby the second optical-path deflectors appear to form a line image.

7 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of first optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of first optical-path deflectors configured to form a line image, whereby the first optical-path deflectors appear to form a planar image.

8 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contains groups of fourth optical-path deflectors in a plurality of sections with a single section including a group of fourth optical-path deflectors constituted by a plurality of fourth optical-path deflectors, a group of fourth optical-path deflectors configured to form a single point image; and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors in the optical device configured to group the point images whereby the two-dimensional image appears to present a planar image.

9 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors includes reflection surfaces configured to form an image in a space within a narrow view direction taken as greater than or equal to 0° and less than a first angle relative to the reference plane, and
wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors includes reflection surfaces configured to form an image in a space within a wide view direction taken as greater than or equal to the first angle and less than 90° relative to the reference plane.

10 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the image is constituted from parallax images, and a plurality of pairs of the parallax images, each pair made up of a right-eye parallax image and a left-eye parallax image are horizontally aligned.

11 . The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors are irradiated with light from a direction diagonal to the reference plane.

12 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of second optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of second optical-path deflectors configured to form a point image, whereby the second optical-path deflectors appear to form a line image.

13 . The optical device according to claim 3 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of second optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of second optical-path deflectors configured to form a point image, whereby the second optical-path deflectors appear to form a line image.

14 . The optical device according to claim 4 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of second optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of second optical-path deflectors configured to form a point image, whereby the second optical-path deflectors appear to form a line image.

15 . The optical device according to claim 5 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of second optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of second optical-path deflectors configured to form a point image, whereby the second optical-path deflectors appear to form a line image.

16 . The optical device according to claim 2 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of first optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of first optical-path deflectors configured to form a line image, whereby the first optical-path deflectors appear to form a planar image.

17 . The optical device according to claim 3 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of first optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of first optical-path deflectors configured to form a line image, whereby the first optical-path deflectors appear to form a planar image.

18 . The optical device according to claim 4 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of first optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of first optical-path deflectors configured to form a line image, whereby the first optical-path deflectors appear to form a planar image.

19 . The optical device according to claim 5 , wherein the group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contain a plurality of aligned groups of first optical-path deflectors made up of a plurality of first optical-path deflectors configured to form a line image, whereby the first optical-path deflectors appear to form a planar image.

20 . The optical device according to claim 3 , wherein the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors contains grou

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Shinohara Masayuki
• Tanoue Yasuhiro
• Kurata Gouo
• Kitamura Norikazu
• Okada Kazuyuki

Classifications

• F21S2/00

  Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction · CPC title

• G03B35/18

  by simultaneous viewing · CPC title

• G02B6/003

  Lens or lenticular sheet or layer · CPC title

• G09F13/18

  Edge-illuminated signs · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title