Aerial imaging device and aerial projection equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses an aerial imaging device and aerial projection equipment. The aerial imaging device comprises a projection module, a virtual image module and a negative refractive index module. Wherein the projection module is used for generating specified light carrying an image; the virtual image module is arranged on the light path where the specified light is located and used for forming a virtual image corresponding to the specified light and expanding the emergence angle of the specified light. The negative refractive index module is arranged on the light path where the specified light emitted by the virtual image module is located and used for forming a real image corresponding to the specified light in the air. The virtual image module can enlarge the emergent angle of the specified light, so that a real image formed in the air subsequently also has a certain visual angle, and audiences in the visual angle range can be ensured to watch a complete image. In addition, the projection module can improve the imaging brightness of the aerial projection equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aerial imaging technology, and more specifically, to an aerial imaging device and an aerial projection equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Aerial projection equipment is a device that can project clear images in the air. It does not require a traditional screen or wall to display images, but forms images directly in the air.

[0003] In related technologies, aerial projection devices often suffer from low image brightness. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an aerial imaging device and an aerial projection device.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, embodiments of this application provide an aerial imaging device, which includes a projection module, a virtual image module, and a negative refractive index module. The projection module is used to generate a specified ray carrying an image. The virtual image module is disposed in the optical path of the specified ray and is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray and expand the exit angle of the specified ray. The negative refractive index module is disposed in the optical path of the specified ray emitted through the virtual image module and is used to form a real image corresponding to the specified ray in the air.

[0006] In some possible embodiments, the negative refractive index module is an optical metasurface element, or an array of orthogonal mirrors.

[0007] In some possible embodiments, the virtual image module includes an optical waveguide unit and a concave lens unit. The optical waveguide unit has a coupling region and is positioned on the optical path of the specified ray to guide the specified ray to the coupling region and then couple it out through the coupling region. The concave lens unit is positioned between the coupling region and the negative refractive index module and is located on the optical path of the specified ray to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray on the focal plane of the concave lens unit.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, the concave lens unit is an electro-controlled liquid crystal lens or a liquid lens; the virtual image module also includes a control unit electrically connected to the concave lens unit for adjusting the focal length of the concave lens unit.

[0009] In some possible embodiments, the concave lens unit includes a plurality of lenses and a stage for supporting the plurality of lenses; the virtual image module further includes a control unit electrically connected to the stage for adjusting the displacement of at least one lens to adjust the focal length of the concave lens unit.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, the diameter of the concave lens unit is greater than the image height of the virtual image corresponding to the specified ray.

[0011] In some possible embodiments, the virtual image module includes a scattering element disposed on the optical path of the specified ray; the scattering element is located on the focal plane of the projection module so as to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray on the scattering element.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the virtual image module includes a first positive lens unit, an angle diffuser, and a second positive lens unit. The first positive lens unit, the angle diffuser, and the second positive lens unit are sequentially arranged in the optical path of the specified ray, so that the specified ray propagates to the negative refractive index module after exiting the second positive lens unit. After exiting the first positive lens unit, the specified ray forms an image on the plane of the angle diffuser. The angle diffuser is used to increase the exit angle of the specified ray; the second positive lens unit is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray.

[0013] In some possible embodiments, the angle diffuser includes any one of a microlens array, an angle diffuser sheet, or a holographic scattering film.

[0014] According to a second aspect of this application, embodiments of this application also provide an aerial projection device, which includes the above-described aerial imaging device.

[0015] This application provides an aerial imaging device and an aerial projection device. The aerial imaging device may include a projection module, a virtual image module, and a negative refractive index module. The virtual image module is disposed on the optical path of a specified ray, used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray and to expand the exit angle of the specified ray. The negative refractive index module is disposed on the optical path of the specified ray emitted through the virtual image module, used to form a real image corresponding to the specified ray in the air. Here, the projection module refers to a device with image projection capabilities, such as a projector. This embodiment, by setting a projection module, can significantly increase the output power of the specified ray, thereby improving the imaging brightness of the aerial projection device and enhancing the user's viewing experience.

[0016] Furthermore, this application embodiment sets up a virtual image module between the projection module and the negative refractive index module. In one aspect, the virtual image module in this application can form a virtual image corresponding to a specified ray, so that when the specified ray subsequently propagates to the negative refractive index module, a corresponding real image can be formed in the air through the negative refractive index module, thereby improving the display effect of the image and making the viewing experience more "sci-fi".

[0017] On the other hand, the virtual image module in this application can also expand the emission angle of the specified light rays, so that the real image formed in the air subsequently also has a certain viewing angle, ensuring that viewers within the viewing angle range can view the complete image. Compared with the prior art, users do not need to be in a specific position, resulting in a wider viewing range and improving the user's viewing experience. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the aerial projection device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an aerial imaging device in the aerial projection equipment shown.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another schematic diagram of the aerial imaging device in the aerial projection equipment shown.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the optical path of the virtual image formed by the aerial imaging device shown.

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the optical path of the real image formed by the aerial imaging device shown.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 This is another structural schematic diagram of the aerial imaging device in the aerial projection equipment shown.

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Another structural schematic diagram of the aerial imaging device in the aerial projection equipment shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 This application provides an aerial imaging device 200 and an aerial projection device 100 equipped with the aerial imaging device 200. The aerial projection device 100 refers to a device that projects images in the air. Here, "air" can refer to outdoor air (e.g., the night sky) or indoor air (e.g., the air in an exhibition hall, classroom, etc.), and this embodiment does not limit this. Specifically, the aerial projection device 100 can be an aerial projector, an aerial holographic projector, etc.

[0028] In this embodiment, the aerial imaging device 200 may include a housing (not shown) and an aerial projection device 100. The aerial projection device 100 is disposed within the housing, which serves to fix and protect the aerial projection device 100. The aerial projection device 100 is used to generate a specified ray L and project the specified ray L into the air. The specified ray L carries an image.

[0029] Please see Figure 2 The aerial imaging device 200 may include a projection module 30, a virtual image module 40, and a negative refractive index module 50. The projection module 30 is a device with image projection capabilities, used to generate a designated ray L carrying an image. Specifically, the projection module 30 can be a projector or a projector unit. For example, the projection module 30 may employ Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology, and its internal structure may include a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) to reflect light, thereby forming an image. Alternatively, a projector may employ Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) technology, which combines the advantages of liquid crystals and silicon-based integrated circuits. By integrating CMOS circuits and a liquid crystal layer on a silicon substrate, it achieves light modulation to form an image. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the projection module 30. In this embodiment, by setting the projection module 30, the output power of the designated ray L can be significantly increased, thereby improving the imaging brightness of the aerial projection device 100 and enhancing the user's viewing experience.

[0030] In this embodiment, the virtual image module 40 is disposed on the optical path of the specified ray L, and is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray L and expand the exit angle of the specified ray L. The negative refractive index module 50 is disposed on the optical path of the specified ray L emitted through the virtual image module 40, and is used to form a real image corresponding to the specified ray L in the air. Specifically, in Figure 2In the diagram, image A is a virtual image formed by virtual image module 40. This virtual image, acting as a "virtual object," is imaged by negative refractive index module 50 to form image B. Image B is a real image formed in the air.

[0031] In one implementation, the negative refractive index module 50 can be a negative refractive index plate lens. The negative refractive index plate lens is used to converge the light rays within the exit angle of a specified ray L and image them to an axisymmetric position with the plane where the negative refractive index module 50 is located as the plane of symmetry, so as to form a proportionally scaled real image in the air. For example, the negative refractive index plate lens can be an array of orthogonal mirrors. The orthogonal mirror array can include two sets of mutually perpendicular mirrors, and each set of mirrors can include multiple parallel plane mirrors. Specifically, after the specified ray L passes through the orthogonal mirror array, a real image of the same size and upright as the virtual image will be formed in the air.

[0032] As another implementation, the lens module 50 can be an optical metasurface element, which can interact with light through its surface nanostructure to converge light rays within a specified exit angle L, thereby forming a proportionally scaled real image in the air. This embodiment does not limit the specific implementation of the lens module 50.

[0033] This embodiment provides an aerial imaging device 200. On one hand, since the virtual image module 40 can form a virtual image corresponding to a specified ray L, when the specified ray L subsequently propagates to the negative refractive index module 50, a corresponding real image can be formed in the air through the negative refractive index module 50, thereby improving the display effect of the image and making the viewing experience more "sci-fi".

[0034] On the other hand, since the virtual image module 40 can also expand the emission angle of the specified ray L, the real image formed in the air afterwards also has a certain viewing angle, ensuring that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image. Compared with existing technologies, users do not need to be in a specific position, resulting in a wider viewing range and improved viewing experience.

[0035] It should be noted that in related technologies, an aerial imaging scheme typically employs a combination of a display panel and a negative refractive index flat lens. For example, the display panel can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display (OLED), a mini-LED, and so on.

[0036] On the one hand, because the aforementioned display panels are difficult to achieve display brightness of tens of thousands of nits, aerial projection devices in related technologies often suffer from low image brightness. Therefore, this embodiment uses a projection module 30 to replace the display panel, which can significantly improve the imaging brightness of the aerial projection device 100.

[0037] On the other hand, in related technologies, negative refractive index flat panel lenses directly project the light emitted from the display panel. In this case, there is a problem that the field of view of the image formed by the negative refractive index flat panel lens is too small, which means that viewers can only see the image from a specific position (e.g., at a position where the display panel is approximately symmetrical with respect to the negative refractive index flat panel lens), resulting in a poor viewing experience for users.

[0038] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the inventors of this application provide a virtual image module 40 in the optical path between the display panel and the negative refractive index flat lens to expand the exit angle of the specified light ray L, so that the field of view of the image formed by the negative refractive index module 50 can be expanded synchronously to expand the user's viewing range and thus improve the user's viewing experience.

[0039] The specific implementation of the virtual image module 40 is described below.

[0040] Please see Figure 3 The virtual image module 40 can adopt a waveguide projection scheme. By combining it with an optical waveguide projection system, the light brightness of the aerial imaging device 200 can be improved. Specifically, the image projected by the aerial imaging device 200 in this embodiment can reach an eye brightness of tens of thousands of nits, so that the aerial imaging device 200 can work smoothly outdoors in environments with strong ambient light, thereby enriching the application scenarios of the aerial imaging device 200.

[0041] In this embodiment, the virtual image module 40 may include an optical waveguide unit 410 and a concave lens unit 420. The optical waveguide unit 410 has a coupling region 4101 and is disposed on the optical path of the specified ray L. It guides the specified ray L to the coupling region 4101 and couples it out through the coupling region 4101. The concave lens unit 420 is disposed between the coupling region 4101 and the negative refractive index module 50, and is located on the optical path of the specified ray L. It forms a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray L on the focal plane of the concave lens unit 420.

[0042] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the optical waveguide unit 410 may include an optical waveguide 4120 and a coupling element 4140. The optical waveguide 4120 is generally elongated and is used for total internal reflection of the light within it to achieve the transmission of a specified light ray L. Specifically, the optical waveguide 4120 may be a glass optical waveguide, a plastic optical waveguide, a semiconductor optical waveguide, etc., and this embodiment does not impose any specific limitations.

[0043] The optical waveguide 4120 may have an output region 4101 and an input region 4103. The input region 4103 is located on the optical path of the designated ray L emitted from the projection module 30, to couple the designated ray L into the optical waveguide 4120. The optical waveguide unit 410 may also include an input element 4160, which is located on the side of the optical waveguide 4120 opposite to the input region 4103, to deflect the designated ray L, thereby causing the designated ray L to undergo total internal reflection within the optical waveguide 4120 at a certain angle. Specifically, the input element 4160 may be a prism (e.g., a wedge prism), an array of mirrors, a surface relief grating, a holographic grating, etc., and this embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0044] A designated ray L within the optical waveguide 4120 can be coupled out to the outside via the coupling region 4101. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling element 4140 is disposed in the coupling region 4101. It is used to couple a portion of the specified light ray L out of the optical waveguide 4120 and reflect another portion of the specified light ray L, so that the other portion of the specified light ray L propagates within the optical waveguide 4120. Therefore, the coupling element 4140 in this embodiment can realize the pupil expansion function of the optical waveguide unit 410. That is, the coupling element 4140 can couple a portion of the energy of the specified light ray L out of the optical waveguide 4120, while the other portion of the energy of the specified light ray L continues to propagate within the optical waveguide 4120 in the form of total internal reflection, thereby significantly increasing the optical expansion of the output light field of the optical waveguide 4120. Specifically, the "pupil expansion function" can be understood as expanding the size of the exit pupil of the projection module 30 to the size of the coupling region of the optical waveguide 4120, while keeping the angular distribution of the exit pupil of the projection module 30 unchanged.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the coupling element 4140 of the optical waveguide 4120 can expand the size of the image formed by the specified light ray L in the air, thereby improving the image display effect. Specifically, the coupling element 4140 can be a prism (e.g., a wedge prism), an array of mirrors, a surface relief grating, a holographic grating, etc., and this embodiment does not impose any specific limitations.

[0046] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the concave lens unit 420 is used to form a virtual image corresponding to a specified ray L on the focal plane of the concave lens unit 420. Here, "virtual image" refers to the virtual image formed on the focal plane of the concave lens unit 420 by the optical system comprised of the projection module 30, the optical waveguide unit 410, and the concave lens unit 420. Specifically, the concave lens unit 420 can "diverge" the specified ray L to expand its exit angle, ensuring that the subsequent real image formed in the air also has a certain viewing angle, guaranteeing that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image.

[0047] Please see Figure 4 The focal length of the concave lens unit 420 is F, where F refers to the distance between the optical center of the concave lens unit 420 and the focal plane where the virtual image is located. D is the diameter of the concave lens unit 420, and d is the size of the virtual image A (i.e., the image height of the virtual image). Specifically, the size d of the virtual image A satisfies the following formula:

[0048]

[0049] in, It is half of the field of view (FOV) of the projection module 30, that is, half the angle of the field of view. Therefore, in When the values ​​are fixed, for any point in the virtual image, the range of the angle of the emitted light (i.e., the exit angle of the virtual image A) depends only on the diameter 𝐷 and the focal length 𝐹, and is independent of other light output parameters of the projection module 30.

[0050] Please refer to details. Figure 5 , Let be the exit angle of the virtual image A, which satisfies the following formula:

[0051]

[0052] It is not difficult to see here that, because the negative refractive index module 50 can image the virtual object corresponding to the "virtual image" to an axisymmetric position with the plane where the negative refractive index module 50 is located as the plane of symmetry, a proportionally scaled real image is formed in the air. That is, the virtual image A and the real image B are "axisymmetric". Therefore, the exit angle of the virtual image and the viewing angle of the real image are equal. According to the above formula, it is easy to see that when the diameter of the concave lens unit 420 is greater than the image height of the virtual image corresponding to the specified ray L, that is, when... Greater than At that time, the viewpoint of the real image A value greater than 0 ensures that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image, thus reducing the viewing difficulty for viewers.

[0053] Specifically, the concave lens unit 420 can be a lens group formed by multiple lenses, the optical power of which is less than 0, so that the lens group can effectively achieve the effect of a concave lens. Furthermore, the concave lens unit 420 can also be an electro-controlled liquid crystal lens, a liquid lens, etc., and this embodiment does not limit it to these types.

[0054] In some possible embodiments, the focal length of the concave lens unit 420 is adjustable. For example, when the concave lens unit 420 is an electro-hydraulic liquid crystal lens or a liquid lens, the operating parameters of the concave lens unit 420 can be adjusted to achieve focal length adjustment. Specifically, taking an electro-hydraulic liquid crystal lens as an example, the focal length can be adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the applied voltage. Furthermore, when the concave lens unit 420 is a lens group formed by multiple lenses, the focal length can be changed by adjusting the mechanical displacement between the lenses.

[0055] Specifically, in Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the virtual image module 40 may further include a control unit 430, which is electrically connected to the concave lens unit 420 and is used to adjust the focal length of the concave lens unit 420. Exemplarily, the control unit 430 may be a controller, such as a microcontroller unit (MCU); the control unit 430 may also be a control circuit formed by multiple electronic devices, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0056] In some possible embodiments, the control unit 430 can be directly connected to the electro-liquid lens or liquid lens to adjust the focal length of the concave lens unit 420. In other possible embodiments, the concave lens unit 420 may include multiple lenses (not shown) and a stage (not shown) for supporting the multiple lenses. The control unit 430 is connected to the stage to adjust the mechanical displacement of at least one lens via the stage, thereby adjusting the focal length of the concave lens unit 420.

[0057] Therefore, the focal length of the concave lens unit 420 in this embodiment is dynamically adjustable. When the focal length changes, the imaging position corresponding to the virtual image also changes, thereby changing the imaging position of the real image in the air to achieve an aerial 3D display effect and improve the viewing experience. As one implementation method, the control unit 430 can determine the focal length of the concave lens unit 420 based on the depth information of the image to be projected and control the concave lens unit 420 to achieve a 3D display effect of the image.

[0058] In some possible embodiments, the control unit 430 can also adjust the size of the image to be projected based on the depth information of the image to be projected. This is due to the size of the virtual image formed by the concave lens unit 420. Depending on the focal length 𝐹 of the concave lens unit 420 and the field of view of the projection module 30, when the focal length 𝐹 of the concave lens unit 420 changes, it is necessary to compensate for the size of the image to be projected in order to ensure that the size of the virtual image (i.e., the image height) remains unchanged, so as to ensure that the real image has a better display effect.

[0059] Specifically, the adjustment range of the focal length 𝐹 of the concave lens unit 420 is: The depth range of the image to be projected is In the case of any projection depth The focal length of its corresponding concave lens unit 420 Satisfy the following formula:

[0060]

[0061] Therefore, the focal length F of the concave lens unit 420 is adjusted to In this case, the size of the image to be projected needs to be scaled down to its original size. This is multiplied to ensure that the size of the virtual image remains constant.

[0062] Please see Figure 6 The virtual image module 40 may include a scattering element 440, which is disposed on the optical path of the specified ray L. The scattering element 440 is located on the focal plane of the projection module 30, so that a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray L is formed on the scattering element 440. Specifically, the scattering element 440 may be a scattering film.

[0063] Therefore, in this embodiment, by focusing the projection module 30 on the surface of the scattering element 440, the scattering effect of the scattering element 440 is used to expand the emission angle of the specified light L, thereby ensuring that the projected image in the air also has a certain viewing angle, and ensuring that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image.

[0064] Please see Figure 7 The virtual image module 40 may include a first positive lens unit 450, an angle diffuser 460, and a second positive lens unit 470. The first positive lens unit 450, the angle diffuser 460, and the second positive lens unit 470 are sequentially arranged in the optical path of the specified ray L, so that the specified ray L is emitted through the second positive lens unit 470 and then propagates to the negative refractive index module 50.

[0065] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the designated light ray L emitted by the projection module 30 is a collimated light ray, so that after the designated light ray L is emitted through the first positive lens unit 450, it forms an image on the plane where the angle diffuser 460 is located. Specifically, the first positive lens unit 450 can be a single convex lens or a lens group formed by multiple lenses. The optical power of the lens group is greater than 0, so that the lens group can achieve the imaging effect of a convex lens (i.e., a positive lens).

[0066] Angle diffuser 460 is used to increase the emission angle (i.e., the light cone angle) of the specified light ray L, thereby ensuring that the projected image in the air also has a certain viewing angle, guaranteeing that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image. Specifically, angle diffuser 460 may include any one of a microlens array (MLA), an angle diffuser sheet, or a holographic scattering film.

[0067] The second positive lens unit 470 is used to form a virtual image corresponding to a specified ray L. Specifically, the specified ray L after passing through the angle diffuser 460 will form a magnified virtual image at the second positive lens unit 470. This virtual image will then form a corresponding real image in the air after passing through the negative refractive index module 50. Specifically, the second positive lens unit 470 can be a single convex lens or a lens group formed by multiple lenses. The optical power of the lens group is greater than 0 so that the lens group can achieve the imaging effect of a convex lens (i.e., a positive lens).

[0068] This application provides an aerial imaging device 200 and an aerial projection device 100 equipped with the aerial imaging device 200. The aerial imaging device 200 may include a projection module 30, a virtual image module 40, and a negative refractive index module 50. The projection module 30 generates a specified ray L carrying an image. The virtual image module 40 is disposed in the optical path of the specified ray L, and is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray L and expand the emission angle of the specified ray L. The negative refractive index module 50 is disposed in the optical path of the specified ray L emitted via the virtual image module 40, and is used to form a real image corresponding to the specified ray L in the air. This embodiment, by setting the projection module 30, can significantly increase the output power of the specified ray L, thereby increasing the imaging brightness of the aerial projection device 100 and improving the user's viewing experience.

[0069] This embodiment provides an aerial imaging device 200. On one hand, since the virtual image module 40 can form a virtual image corresponding to a specified ray L, when the specified ray L subsequently propagates to the negative refractive index module 50, a corresponding real image can be formed in the air through the negative refractive index module 50, thereby improving the display effect of the image and making the viewing experience more "sci-fi".

[0070] On the other hand, since the virtual image module 40 can also expand the emission angle of the specified ray L, the real image formed in the air afterwards also has a certain viewing angle, ensuring that viewers within the viewing angle range can see the complete image. Compared with existing technologies, users do not need to be in a specific position, resulting in a wider viewing range and improved viewing experience.

[0071] In this application specification, certain terms are used to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. The specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to"; "generally" means that those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem within a certain margin of error and basically achieve the technical effect.

[0072] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this application and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0073] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or merely surface contact. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0074] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0075] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0076] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An aerial imaging device, characterized in that, include: The projection module is used to generate a specified ray of light carrying an image; A virtual image module is disposed on the optical path where the specified ray is located, and is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray and expand the emission angle of the specified ray; as well as A negative refractive index module is set in the optical path of a specified ray emitted through the virtual image module, and is used to form a real image corresponding to the specified ray in the air.

2. The aerial imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The negative refractive index module is an optical metasurface element, or an array of orthogonal mirrors.

3. The aerial imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The virtual image module includes an optical waveguide unit and a concave lens unit; The optical waveguide unit is provided with a coupling region. The optical waveguide unit is disposed on the optical path where the specified light ray is located, and is used to guide the specified light ray to the coupling region and couple it out through the coupling region. The concave lens unit is disposed between the coupling region and the negative refractive index module, and is located on the optical path of the specified ray, for forming a virtual image corresponding to the specified ray on the focal plane of the concave lens unit.

4. The aerial imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The concave lens unit is an electro-controlled liquid crystal lens or a liquid lens; the virtual image module also includes a control unit, which is electrically connected to the concave lens unit and is used to adjust the focal length of the concave lens unit.

5. The aerial imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The concave lens unit includes multiple lenses and a stage for supporting the multiple lenses; the virtual image module also includes a control unit electrically connected to the stage for adjusting the displacement of at least one of the lenses to adjust the focal length of the concave lens unit.

6. The aerial imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The diameter of the concave lens unit is greater than the image height of the virtual image corresponding to the specified ray.

7. The aerial imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The virtual image module includes a scattering element, which is disposed on the optical path where the specified light ray is located; The scattering element is located on the focal plane of the projection module so as to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified light ray on the scattering element.

8. The aerial imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The virtual image module includes a first positive lens unit, an angle diffuser, and a second positive lens unit; The first positive lens unit, the angle diffuser, and the second positive lens unit are sequentially arranged in the optical path where the specified light ray is located, so that the specified light ray propagates to the negative refractive index module after being emitted through the second positive lens unit; The designated light rays are emitted through the first positive lens unit and form an image on the plane where the angle diffuser is located; The angle diffuser is used to increase the emission angle of the specified light ray; the second positive lens unit is used to form a virtual image corresponding to the specified light ray.

9. The aerial imaging device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The angle diffuser includes any one of a microlens array, an angle diffuser sheet, or a holographic scattering film.

10. An aerial projection device, characterized in that, include: The aerial imaging apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images