Aerial image display device

Abstract

Provided is an aerial image display device capable of realizing a concave curved aerial display. An aerial image display device is provided with: a display device; a control device that outputs a video signal to the display device; and an optical plate which is held so as to face a display screen of the display device at a predetermined angle, and when the display device displays an image, the image is imaged as an aerial image at symmetrical positions on the opposite side of the optical plate, and the display screen of the display device is convex. The aerial image display device, for example, is mounted as an image display device that simulates a manipulation simulator of a cockpit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerial image display device capable of displaying a concave curved aerial image. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, interest in aerial image display devices has been increasing. One of the main reasons is the demand for contactless displays during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is, their use is to replace touch panels combined with sensors. For example, in bank ATMs, supermarket self-service cash registers, corporate front desks, hotel check-in counters, and the like, multiple unspecified users operate the same touch panel. Such touch panels may become potential infection routes. To avoid this risk, the touch panel needs to be disinfected every time the user changes, but such a process is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive and difficult to fully implement.

[0003] If a non-contact interface using an aerial image display device is used, existing touch panels can be used with the same convenience, eliminating the need for such time-consuming and laborious procedures to avoid infection risks. For example, Patent Document 1 discusses the hygienic issues of the surgeon touching a pointing device such as a computer mouse during surgery, so aerial imaging technology is used to operate the mouse on a displayed non-contact remote pointer control device. Special optical elements that can be utilized in such aerial imaging technology include, for example, the optical imaging device described in Patent Document 2.

[0004] Aerial imaging technology allows images to appear in an empty space, which in itself is impactful and helps create a futuristic atmosphere. In addition to infection prevention measures, various applications can be considered. For example, if applied to digital signage, it can be more eye-catching. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 shows an example of using it instead of the gate at the ticket gate of a station. In addition, if it is displayed as an aerial image, it will appear from the surroundings, so it can be felt in three dimensions, which is highly entertaining and can be used in games and the like.

[0005] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-147054 Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2009 / 131128 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-142370 If the image were truly displayed as an aerial image, it would appear to float in the air and be visible from the surroundings. However, existing aerial image display devices are generally flat-panel displays. That is, while the image appears to float in the air, the aerial image itself is flat. Therefore, especially with large screens, the left and right ends of the display appear further from the eyes, making them difficult to see clearly. Furthermore, the image is distorted at the ends, significantly different from the original field of view. This, for example, can impair the sense of presence and immersion in gaming.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an aerial image display device capable of installing a concave curved aerial display that can achieve a more natural field of view. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an aerial image display device of one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a display device; a control device, which controls the output of an image signal to the display device; and an optical plate, which is maintained relative to the display screen of the display device at a specified angle. When the display device displays an image, the image is imaged as an aerial image at a symmetrical position on the opposite side of the optical plate. The display screen of the display device is a curved surface, and as a result, the display surface of the aerial image is also a curved surface.

[0008] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the display screen of the display device is convex, and as a result, the display surface of the aerial image is concave.

[0009] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the feature is that the image display device is installed as a control simulator that simulates a cockpit.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the aerial image display device according to claim 2 is characterized in that the cockpit is a control seat of an aircraft.

[0011] According to the aerial image display device of the present invention, a concave curved aerial display that is not affected by external light can be realized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a flight simulator 1 using the aerial image display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure only shows the aerial image G as viewed from the left side of the flight simulator 1. Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0014] Figure 3 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of Example 1 of the present invention. The figure only shows the aerial image G as viewed from directly above the flight simulator 1. Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0015] Figure 4 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows only the aerial image G as viewed from the front of the flight simulator 1. Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a flight simulator 2 using the aerial image display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 64 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of the second embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows only the aerial image G as viewed from directly above the flight simulator 2. Figure 5 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 2, the display screen of the curved display 64 and the aerial image G.

[0018] Figure 7 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 64 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of the second embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows only the aerial image G as viewed from the front of the flight simulator 2. Figure 5 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 2, the display screen of the curved display 64 and the aerial image G.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing a flight simulator 3 using the aerial image display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9This is a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the beam splitter 40' and the retroreflective plate 72 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of Example 3 of the present invention. The diagram, viewed from the left side of the flight simulator 3, only shows the beam splitter 40', the retroreflective plate 72, the display screen of the curved display 20, and the aerial image G.

[0021] Figure 10 This figure illustrates the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G by the beam splitter 40' and the retroreflective plate 72 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of Example 3 of the present invention. The figure shows only the aerial image G as viewed from directly above the flight simulator 1. Figure 8 The beam splitter 40 ′, the retroreflective plate 72 , the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G of the flight simulator 3 .

[0022] Figure 11 This figure explains the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G by the beam splitter 40' and the retroreflective plate 72 in a flight simulator using the aerial image display device of Example 3 of the present invention. The figure shows only the aerial image G as viewed from the front of the flight simulator 1. Figure 8 The beam splitter 40 ′, the retroreflective plate 72 , the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G of the flight simulator 3 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Example 1 A first embodiment of the aerial image display device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This device is applied to a flight simulator, which allows users to sit in a cockpit that simulates a real cockpit, view images, and operate an aircraft, experiencing the truest sense of control. Flight simulators can be used as entertainment game consoles or as equipment for pre-flight training of aircraft controls.

[0024] That is, Figure 1 As shown, the flight simulator 1 is a control seat simulating an aircraft cockpit, and is composed of a simulator body 10 and a seat 17 for an operator who operates the flight simulator 1. The simulator body 10 includes a joystick 12, operating pedals 14, instruments 16, speakers 18, and the like.

[0025] Inside the simulator body 10, a curved display 20, a control unit 30, and an optical panel 40 are installed. The control unit 30 is connected to the joystick 12, control pedals 14, instruments 16, speakers 18, and curved display 20 via internal wiring (omitted in the figure), exchanging signals with them to simulate flight conditions for the ride experience.

[0026] The optical plate 40, with its incident surface facing downward, faces the display surface of the curved display 20 at a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees). The image on the display surface of the curved display 20 is refocused as an aerial image G at the same distance on the opposite side, forming the same image as the original. In other words, the aerial image G is displayed at a symmetrical position relative to the optical plate 40. Of course, the image displayed on the curved display 20 is the flight image generated by the flight simulator 1. Furthermore, the sound output from the speaker 18 includes sound effects accompanying the operator's control operations.

[0027] In addition, the specific implementation of the operation method, signal control, flight control simulation, etc. performed in the flight simulator 1 here is the same as that of the existing flight simulator, so the detailed description is omitted here.

[0028] The curved display 20 is a convex, curved liquid crystal display device positioned approximately horizontally with the display surface facing upward. Here, the curvature of the convex surface is, for example, 1000R. Instead of a curved liquid crystal display device, a flexible display such as an organic EL display or electronic paper with a backlight can be curved at a desired curvature. In either case, the important thing is that the display surface faces upward and is convex.

[0029] Here, the position of the curved display 20 is fixed, but the support structure can also be designed so that the position can be adjusted in the vertical direction. In this case, the focusing position of the aerial image G can be adjusted to a position that is easy for the operator to see.

[0030] The control device 30 is essentially a small computer, consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage device for storing various programs and data, and input / output interfaces. Examples of such interfaces include a USB port and wireless LAN (such as Wi-Fi). These interfaces enable updates to various data and programs related to the flight simulation. Furthermore, the control device 30 outputs image signals to the curved display 20, providing the basis for the aerial images. Furthermore, the control device 30 outputs audio signals to the speaker 18, producing guidance sounds, sound effects, and the like.

[0031] Furthermore, as the optical plate 40, for example, an optical imaging element (dihedral orthogonal reflector) as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-175297 can be used. This optical imaging element is implemented by arranging a plurality of mutually orthogonal planar light reflecting portions at regular intervals. Alternatively, a structure such as a dihedral corner reflector described in Japanese Patent No. 4900618, which has a square hole with a reflective surface formed on the side surface, can be used.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40. To simplify the description, only the image viewed from the left side of the flight simulator 1 is shown. Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0033] also, Figure 3 This figure also illustrates the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40. For simplicity of description, only the image viewed from directly above the flight simulator 1 is shown. Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0034] and then, Figure 4 This is also a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40. To simplify the description, the front view of the flight simulator 1 ( Figure 1 The figure only shows the Figure 1 The optical plate 40 of the flight simulator 1, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G.

[0035] Under certain conditions of incident light, the optical plate 40, with its dual-reflection structure, such as a dihedral orthogonal reflector or a dihedral corner reflector, recursively reflects the incident light in the direction of the panel plane without changing the component of the incident light perpendicular to the panel plane. As a result, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G are plane-symmetrical with respect to the optical plate 40.

[0036] Specifically, position L1 (the most bulging position) in the horizontal center of the curved display 20 is closest to the optical plate 40, and light emitted from position L1 is focused at position M1 closest to the optical plate 40. In other words, light emitted from position L1 is reflected at arbitrary positions R1 and R1 on the optical plate 40 and then focused at position M1, which is located on the opposite side of the optical plate 40 and is separated by the distance between position L1 and the optical plate 40.

[0037] Similarly, position L2 on the lateral outer side of the curved display 20 is away from the optical plate 40, and light emitted from position L2 is focused at position M2, which is away from the optical plate 40. In other words, light emitted from position L2 is reflected at arbitrary positions R2 and R2 on the optical plate 40 and is focused at position M2, which is away from position L2 and the optical plate 40, on the opposite side of the optical plate 40.

[0038] As a result, when viewed from the perspective of the operator sitting in the seat 17 , the aerial image G displayed in front of the operator appears to be curved into a concave surface, thereby realizing a concave curved aerial display.

[0039] In conventional flight simulators using flat-panel displays, the left and right edges of the displays feel far from the eyes, making them difficult to see clearly. Furthermore, the image is distorted at the edges, significantly different from the original field of view. In contrast, this concave curved in-flight display can reproduce the operator's field of view during actual flight without causing discomfort.

[0040] In addition, since there is no physical display itself in the air display, a more immersive control experience can be achieved through a three-dimensional viewing experience. Furthermore, in a physical display, the reflection of external light on the display surface of the display sometimes blocks the operator's field of view, but in an air display, there is no such reflection of external light, and it will not be hindered by external light, allowing a deep immersion in the simulated control experience. Entertainment Example 2 Next, the second embodiment of the aerial image display device of the present invention is described. In this second embodiment, it is also applied to a flight simulator in which a person can sit in a cockpit that simulates a real cockpit, watch the image and operate the aircraft at the same time, and experience the real operation. However, here, the curved display 20 is replaced by a combination of multiple flat-panel displays. The structure of other flight simulators is similar to Figure 1 The embodiment 1 shown is the same, so repeated description is omitted.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a flight simulator equipped with an aerial image display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The same components as in the first embodiment are marked with the same reference numerals. Figure 5 As shown, the flight simulator 2 is a control seat simulating an aircraft cockpit, and is composed of a simulator body 60 and a seat 17 for an operator who operates the flight simulator 2. The simulator body 60 includes a joystick 12, operating pedals 14, instruments 16, speakers 18, and the like.

[0042] and Figure 1Similarly to the embodiment 1 shown, a display 64, a control device 30, and an optical plate 40 are installed inside the simulator body 60, but the display 64 is not the integrated curved display used in embodiment 1, but is composed of a combination of multiple flat-panel displays 64-1, 64-2, and 64-3 as described later.

[0043] Here, the control device 30 is connected to the joystick 12 , joystick pedals 14 , instruments 16 , speakers 18 , and display 64 via internal wiring (omitted in the figure), exchanges signals with them, and simulates flight conditions for a riding experience.

[0044] The optical plate 40, with its incident surface facing downward, faces the display surface of the monitor 64 at a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees). The image on the display surface of the monitor 64 is refocused as an aerial image G at the same distance on the opposite side, forming the same image as the original. In other words, the aerial image G is displayed at a symmetrical position relative to the optical plate 40. The image displayed on the monitor 64 is a flight image generated by the flight simulator 2. Furthermore, the sound output from the speaker 18 includes sound effects accompanying the operator's control operations.

[0045] In addition, the specific implementation of the operation method, signal control, flight control simulation, etc. performed in the flight simulator 1 here is the same as that of the existing flight simulator, so the detailed description is omitted here.

[0046] Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 Corresponding to Example 1 Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 , is a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging the display screen of the display 64 into an aerial image G through the optical plate 40, and Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 Likewise, for simplicity of description, only the flight simulator 2 is shown in the figures viewed from above and from the front. Figure 5 The optical panel 40 of the flight simulator 2, the display screen of the display 64 and the aerial image G.

[0047] from Figure 7 As can be clearly seen, display 64 is composed of a central flat-panel display 64-2 positioned approximately horizontally with its display surface facing upward, and flat-panel displays 64-1 and 64-3 positioned adjacent to it at a predetermined angle (e.g., 20 degrees) to its left and right. Therefore, if the display surfaces of flat-panel displays 64-1, 64-2, and 64-3 are considered a continuous series of display surfaces, display 64 can be considered a curved display in a broad sense.

[0048] Certainly, the position of this display 64 is also fixed, but also can design supporting structure, so that can adjust position in the vertical direction. In this case, the focusing position of aerial image G can be adjusted to the position that the operator sees easily.

[0049] The structure, operation, and function of the control device 30 and optical plate 40 are identical to those of the flight simulator 1 of the first embodiment. Consequently, the display screen of the curved display 64 and the aerial image G are plane-symmetrical with respect to the optical plate 40. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, from the perspective of the operator seated in the seat 17, the aerial image G displayed in front of the operator appears to be curved concavely, thus realizing a concave aerial display.

[0050] The flight simulator 1 of the first embodiment can seamlessly display a concave curved aerial image, but this requires a dedicated curved display, which can easily increase the cost. The flight simulator 2 of the second embodiment can achieve this by combining an inexpensive general-purpose liquid crystal display, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0051] [Example 3] Next, we will describe Example 3 of the aerial image display device of the present invention. This Example 3 is also applied to a flight simulator that allows users to experience the real world of flight control while viewing images and operating an aircraft in a cockpit that simulates a real cockpit. However, this method uses a beam splitter as an optical plate, and implements the aerial image display using a retroreflective method that includes a retroreflective plate that retroreflects light emitted from the curved display and reflected by the beam splitter.

[0052] Therefore, the difference from the above-mentioned embodiment 1 is that, as the optical system, instead of using an optical plate with a double reflection structure such as a dihedral orthogonal reflector or a dihedral corner reflector, a retro-reflective method using a beam splitter or a retro-reflective plate is used. Figure 1 The embodiment 1 shown is the same, so repeated description is omitted.

[0053] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing a flight simulator equipped with an aerial image display device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Figure 1 The same components as in the first embodiment are marked with the same reference numerals. Figure 8 As shown, the flight simulator 3 is a control seat simulating an aircraft cockpit, and is composed of a simulator body 70 and a seat 17 for an operator who operates the flight simulator. The simulator body 70 includes a joystick 12, operating pedals 14, instruments 16, speakers 18, and the like.

[0054] Figure 9 、 Figure 10 as well as Figure 11The diagram is a diagram illustrating the principle of imaging the display screen of the curved display 20 into an aerial image G through the beam splitter 40' and the retroreflective plate 72. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 Similarly, in order to simplify the description, only the left side, top and front views of the flight simulator 3 are shown. Figure 8 The optical plate (beam splitter 40 ′) of the flight simulator 2 , the retroreflective plate 72 , the display screen of the curved display 20 , and the aerial image G.

[0055] and Figure 1 Similarly to the first embodiment shown, the curved display 20 , the control device 30 , and the optical plate are installed inside the simulator body 70 . However, the beam splitter 40 ′ is used as the optical plate, and a retroreflective plate 72 is provided on the back side of the flight simulator 3 .

[0056] As in Example 1, the curved display 20 is a convex curved liquid crystal display device placed approximately horizontally with the display surface facing upward. Here, the curvature of the convex surface is, for example, 1000R. Instead of a curved liquid crystal display device, a flexible display composed of an organic EL display or electronic paper with a backlight, etc., which is bent at a desired curvature, can also be used. In any case, it is important that the display surface faces upward and is convex. Of course, the position of the curved display 20 is fixed, but the support structure can also be designed so that the position can be adjusted in the vertical direction. In this case, the focusing position of the aerial image G can be adjusted to a position that is easy for the operator to see.

[0057] Here, the control device 30 is also connected to the joystick 12 , joystick pedals 14 , instruments 16 , and speakers 18 via internal wiring (omitted in the figure), exchanges signals with them, and simulates flight conditions for the riding experience.

[0058] The beam splitter 40' has an incident surface facing downward and is positioned at a predetermined angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the display surface of the curved display 20. Furthermore, light from the curved display 20 is reflected by the beam splitter 40' and, as viewed from the aerial image G, is retroreflected by the retroreflective plate 72 located on the opposite side of the beam splitter 40'. In other words, the incident and reflected directions of the light on the retroreflective plate 72 are the same, but in opposite directions.

[0059] The light retroreflected by the retroreflective plate 72 passes through the beam splitter 40 ′ and forms an image in the air G. Of course, the display screen of the curved display 20 and the image in the air G are plane-symmetrical with respect to the optical plate (beam splitter 40 ′), thus realizing a concave curved air display.

[0060] That is, the image on the display surface of the curved display 20 is refocused as an aerial image G at the same distance on the opposite side, forming the same image as the original. In other words, the aerial image G is displayed at a position symmetrical to the beam splitter 40'. The image displayed on the curved display 20 is the flight image generated by the flight simulator 3. Furthermore, the sound output from the speaker 18 is sound effects accompanying the operator's control operations.

[0061] In addition, the specific implementation of the operation method, signal control, flight control simulation, etc. performed in the flight simulator 1 here is the same as that of the existing flight simulator, so the detailed description is omitted here.

[0062] Certainly, the position of this curved display 20 is also fixed, but also can design supporting structure, so that can adjust position in the up-down direction. In this case, the focusing position of the aerial image G can be adjusted to the position that the operator easily sees.

[0063] The structure, operation, and function of the control device 30 and curved display 20 are identical to those of the flight simulator 1 of the first embodiment. The display screen of the curved display 20 and the aerial image G are plane-symmetrical with respect to the beam splitter 40'. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the aerial image G displayed in front of the operator seated in the seat 17 appears to be curved concavely, achieving a natural field of view.

[0064] The flight simulator 3 adopts a retroreflective method, so the brightness of the aerial image G is lower than that of the flight simulators 1 and 2 adopting the dual reflection structure of Examples 1 and 2, but it has the characteristics of being easy to design a wide viewing angle characteristic and a relatively large system.

[0065] Industrial Applicability The aerial image display device according to the present invention can realize a concave curved aerial display, and can be used as a flight simulator for entertainment, a game machine, or a device for pre-flight control training of an actual aircraft.

[0066] The above describes the aerial image display device involved in the present invention based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. Changes can be made within the scope of the main purpose of the present invention. If possible, the technologies described in each embodiment or the known technologies can be combined.

[0067] For example, most common aerial image display devices implement a contactless interface that allows users to touch the aerial image for operation. The above embodiment omits this contactless interface, as it mimics a cockpit. However, depending on the application, a contactless interface that allows users to touch the aerial image for operation may be very effective. In this case, as with existing aerial image display devices, a contactless interface can be implemented by simply placing an operation detection unit consisting of an infrared LED and an infrared camera near the aerial image (e.g., in front of the optical plate 40).

[0068] Description of Reference Numerals 1, 2, 3 Flight Simulator 10, 60, 70 simulator body 12 Joystick 14 operating pedals 16 Instruments 17 seats 18 speakers 20, 64 curved displays 30 Control device 40 optical plates 40' beam splitter 64-1, 64-2, 64-3 flat panel displays 72 Retroreflective sheet

Claims

1. An aerial image display device, characterized in that: have: display device; a control device for controlling output of an image signal to the display device; as well as The optical plate is held at a predetermined angle to face the display screen of the display device. When the display device displays an image, the image is formed as an aerial image at symmetrical positions on opposite sides of the optical plate. The display screen of the display device is a curved surface, and as a result, the display surface of the aerial image is also a curved surface.

2. The aerial image display device according to claim 1, wherein: The display screen of the display device is a convex surface, and as a result, the display surface of the aerial image is a concave surface.

3. The aerial image display device according to claim 2, wherein: The aerial image display device is installed as an image display device of a control simulator that simulates a cockpit.

4. The aerial image display device according to claim 3, wherein: The cockpit is the control seat of the aircraft.

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