Display device and game machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958592-B2
Application number	US-201615130594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A display device has a first display panel including an image display area in which an image is displayable, a light guide plate arranged at a back of the first display panel, the light guide plate comprising a transparent material, a plurality of light sources respectively facing a plurality of positions on side surfaces of the light guide plate, a second display panel arranged at a back of the light guide plate, the second display panel being configured to display an image viewable through the light guide plate and the first display panel, and a controller configured to control turning on and turning off of the plurality of light sources and to control a first image displayed on the first display panel and a second image displayed on the second display panel. The light guide plate includes an emission surface facing the first display panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display device, comprising:
a first display panel including an image display area in which an image is displayable;
a light guide plate arranged at a back of the first display panel, the light guide plate comprising a transparent material;
a plurality of light sources respectively facing a plurality of positions on side surfaces of the light guide plate;
a second display panel that is a liquid crystal display arranged at a back of the light guide plate, the second display panel being configured to display an image viewable through the light guide plate and the first display panel; and
a controller configured to control turning on and turning off of the plurality of light sources and to control a first image displayed on the first display panel and a second image displayed on the second display panel,
wherein the light guide plate includes
an emission surface facing the first display panel,
a diffusion surface facing the second display panel, and
a plurality of prisms respectively arranged in a plurality of partial areas of the diffusion surface respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources, and

each of the plurality of prisms is configured to illuminate a portion of the image display area of the first display panel corresponding to a corresponding one of the partial areas with light emitted from a corresponding one of the light sources and entering the light guide plate.

2. The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of partial areas are set to allow the entire display image area of the first display panel image display area to be illuminated with light from the plurality of light sources when all the plurality of light sources are turned on.

3. A game machine, comprising:
a game machine unit; and
the display device according to claim 2 arranged on a surface of the game machine unit to face a player of the game machine.

4. A game machine, comprising:
a game machine unit; and
the display device according to claim 1 arranged on a surface of the game machine unit to face a player of the game machine.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second display panel displays the second image in accordance with a signal provided from the controller.

6. A display device, comprising:
a first display panel including an image display area in which an image is displayable;
a light guide plate arranged at a back of the first display panel, the light guide plate comprising a transparent material;
a first light source facing a first side surface of the light guide plate, and a second light source facing a second side surface of the light guide plate that is perpendicular to the first side surface;
a second display panel arranged at a back of the light guide plate, the second display panel being configured to display an image viewable through the light guide plate and the first display panel; and
a controller configured to control turning on and turning off of the plurality of light sources and to control a first image displayed on the first display panel and a second image displayed on the second display panel,
wherein the light guide plate includes
an emission surface facing the first display panel,
a diffusion surface facing the second display panel, and
a plurality of first prisms, each of which has a first reflection surface that faces the first light source, and a plurality of second prisms, each of which has a reflection surface facing the second light source.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of the first prisms are disposed in a first partial area of the diffusion surface, the plurality of the second prisms are disposed in a second partial area of the diffusion surface, and the first and second partial area do not overlap.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Fujita Junya
• Kishimoto Jun
• Hirose Yuji

Classifications

• G09G3/003

  to produce spatial visual effects · CPC title

• A63F7/022

  Pachinko · CPC title

• G09G3/342

  using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines · CPC title

• A63F2009/2451

  using illumination, e.g. with lamps · CPC title

• G02B6/0015

  provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it · CPC title