Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470899-B2
Application number	US-201514724290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	Jun 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A transmissive screen formed in an arc shape around a center axis, and, when light entering an inner circumferential surface is output from an outer circumferential surface, having a diffusion angle in a first direction as a direction along the center axis wider than a diffusion angle in a second direction as a circumferential direction around the center axis, projection devices that are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction around the center axis and respectively project image lights on the inner circumferential surface, and a display control device that allows the projection devices to project the image lights so that partial images formed by portions of the respectively projected image lights of the projection devices may be observed as one visually recognized image having the partial images arranged in the second direction at viewpoints set outside of the outer circumferential surface along the second direction are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a transmissive screen formed in an arc shape forming at least a part of a cylindrical shape around a center axis, and, when light entering an inner circumferential surface is output from an outer circumferential surface, having a diffusion angle in a first direction as a direction along the center axis wider than a diffusion angle in a second direction as a circumferential direction around the center axis;
a plurality of projection devices that are respectively arranged at equal intervals along the second direction around the center axis and respectively project image lights on the inner circumferential surface; and
a display control device that allows the plurality of projection devices to project the image lights so that partial images formed by portions of the respectively projected image lights of the plurality of projection devices may be visually recognized as one visually recognized image in which the partial images are arranged in the second direction at a plurality of viewpoints set outside of the outer circumferential surface along the second direction.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the plurality of projection devices are seen the first direction, respective output parts of the image lights are located inside of the cylindrical shape.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the screen has a direction adjustment layer that adjusts a traveling direction of the light output from the outer circumferential surface when the light entering the inner circumferential surface is output from the outer circumferential surface.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a position detection device that detects a position of an observer,
wherein the display control device allows the projection devices that project the image lights entering the detected position of the observer in the plurality of projection devices to project the image lights.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a distance detection device that detects a distance of an observer from the center axis,
wherein the display control device forms the partial images making the visually recognized image visually recognized in the position of the observer in response to the detected distance of the observer.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, supposing that a number of the plurality of projection devices is n, a diameter of the screen is D, and a diameter of a virtual circle on which respective pupil positions of the plurality of projection devices are located around the center axis is φ, a diffusion angle δ of the screen in the second direction is expressed by formula (1):
δ=360/ n× 1/( D/φ+ 1)  (1).

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of projection devices includes:
a light source unit that respectively and individually outputs three color lights of red, green, and blue in a time-division manner;
a light modulator that respectively modulates the three color lights output from the light source unit and forms color images in response to the three color lights; and
a projection optical unit that projects the color images in response to the three color lights formed by the light modulator,
wherein the display control device allows the adjacent projection devices of the plurality of projection devices to respectively project the color images in different colors.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yoneno Kunio
• Endo Takashi
• Sonehara Tomio

Classifications

• G03B21/625

  Lenticular translucent screens · CPC title

• G03B21/10 Primary

  Projectors with built-in or built-on screen · CPC title

• G03B21/206

  Control of light source other than position or intensity · CPC title

• H04N9/3147

  Multi-projection systems (video walls G06F3/1446) · CPC title

• G03B35/20

  using two or more projectors · CPC title