Exhibition device and video picture exhibition method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9910409-B2
Application number	US-201414894872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

In an exhibition device and a video picture exhibition method according to the present invention, at least one exhibition object for reinforcing the three-dimensional effect of a spatial image is disposed in a region other than an upper surface of an image-forming optical element (micromirror array) in an upper surface of an enclosure (case) of the device and at a position where a distance from the center of a virtual display area of the spatial image projected from a display to over the enclosure thereto is not greater than a diagonal length of the virtual display area or at a position where the distance is not greater than a maximum diameter of the virtual display area. This achieves the effective display of an impressive two-dimensional video picture appearing three-dimensional in association with the exhibition object disposed on the upper surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An exhibition device comprising:
an image-forming optical element in an upper surface of an enclosure for housing a display, the image-forming optical element being light-transmissive;
a display disposed under the image-forming optical element and including a display surface in an attitude inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a lower surface of the image-forming optical element; and
at least one exhibition object disposed on the upper surface of the enclosure,
wherein the exhibition device image-forms an image displayed on the display surface of the display through the image-forming optical element as a spatial image standing up obliquely in a virtual display area defined at a spatial position symmetrical to the display surface, with respect to a plane of an element surface of the image-forming optical element, thereby displaying the spatial image in association with the at least one exhibition object,
wherein the at least one exhibition object on the upper surface of the enclosure is disposed in a region other than the upper surface of the image-forming optical element and at a position satisfying
L≦X   (1)

where L is a shortest distance between the center of the virtual display area and the at least one exhibition object, and X is a longer one of a diagonal length of the virtual display area and a maximum diameter of the virtual display area.

2. The exhibition device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one exhibition object includes a plurality of exhibition objects, and at least one pair of the exhibition objects is disposed at left-hand and right-hand positions symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line of the virtual display area, as viewed in a leftward/rightward direction.

3. The exhibition device according to claim 1 , wherein the image-forming optical element is a micromirror array including corner reflector type unit optical elements.

4. The exhibition device according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle of the display surface of the display is not less than 30° and less than 90°, with respect to the lower surface of the image-forming optical element.

5. A method of exhibiting a video picture, comprising:
image-forming an image displayed on a display surface of a display disposed in a downwardly inclined attitude under an image-forming optical element in an upper surface of an enclosure, the image-forming optical element being light-transmissive, through the image-forming optical element, as a spatial image standing up obliquely in a virtual display area defined in space over the enclosure in corresponding relation to the display surface, thereby exhibiting the spatial image in conjunction with at least one exhibition object disposed on the upper surface of the enclosure,
wherein the at least one exhibition object reinforces the three-dimensional effect of the spatial image and is disposed and exhibited in a region other than the upper surface of the image-forming optical element in the upper surface of the enclosure so as to satisfy
L≦X   (1)

where L is a shortest distance between the center of the virtual display area and the at least one exhibition object, and X is a longer one of a diagonal length of the virtual display area and a maximum diameter of the virtual display area.

6. The method according to claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one exhibition object includes a plurality of exhibition objects, and
wherein, when viewed from a front side of the enclosure facing an upward inclination of the spatial image, at least one pair of the exhibition objects is disposed at left-hand and right-hand positions symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line of the virtual display area as viewed in a leftward/rightward direction.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one of pair of the exhibition objects disposed symmetrically is placed and exhibited at positions forward of the spatial image image-formed over the enclosure and adjacent to an edge of the image-forming optical element.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the left-hand and right-hand exhibition objects disposed at the positions forward of the spatial image are positioned so as to conceal part of the spatial image as viewed from the front side of the enclosure facing the upward inclination of the spatial image, or wherein a beam or bridge member for concealing part of the spatial image provides coupling between the at least one pair of exhibition objects.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one of pairs of the exhibition objects disposed symmetrically is placed and exhibited at positions rearward of the spatial image image-formed over the enclosure and adjacent to an edge of the image-forming optical element.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one of pairs of the exhibition objects disposed symmetrically is placed and exhibited at positions leftward and rightward of the spatial image image-formed over the enclosure and adjacent to edges of the image-forming optical element.

11. An exhibition device comprising:
an image-forming optical element in an upper surface of an enclosure for housing a display, the image-forming optical element being light-transmissive;
a display mounting stand for mounting the display disposed under the image-forming optical element, the display including a display surface in an attitude inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a lower surface of the image-forming optical element; and
at least one exhibition object disposed on the upper surface of the enclosure,
wherein the exhibition device image-forms an image displayed on the display surface of the display through the image-forming optical element as a spatial image standing up obliquely in a virtual display area defined at a spatial position symmetrical to the display surface, with respect to a plane of an element surface of the image-forming optical element, thereby displaying the spatial image in association with the at least one exhibition object,
wherein the at least one exhibition object on the upper surface of the enclosure is disposed in a region other than the upper surface of the image-forming optical element and at a position satisfying
L≦X   (1)

where L is a shortest distance between the center of the virtual display area and the at least one exhibition object, and X is a longer one of a diagonal length of the virtual display area and a maximum diameter of the virtual display area.

Assignees

• Nitto Denko Corp

Inventors

• Juni Noriyuki

Classifications

• G03H1/2249

  Holobject properties · CPC title

• G02B30/56

  by projecting aerial or floating images · CPC title

• G02B17/002

  Arrays of reflective systems · CPC title

• G03H1/0005 Primary

  Adaptation of holography to specific applications (holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042) · CPC title

• G03H1/2205

  using downstream optical component · CPC title