Aerial image display device and contactless input type aerial display using the same

Abstract

To provide an aerial image display device capable of forming a clear aerial image and having excellent visibility, and a contactless input type aerial display using the same.SOLUTION: A contactless input type aerial display 10 is constituted by: an aerial image display device 11 including optical image forming means 18 composed of a plurality of first light reflection surfaces and a plurality of second light reflection surfaces which are orthogonally arranged in a plan view, which are formed in a planar shape having parallel-arranged light-incoming surface 16 and light-outgoing surface 17, and which are respectively formed at right angles to the light-incoming surface 16 and light-outgoing surface 17 and parallel-arranged at a prescribed interval, image display means 19 located on the light-incoming surface 16 side of the optical image forming means 18 and whose luminance for displaying an image which is the base of an aerial image 12 is 200 cd / m2 or greater, and a light diffusion member 20 which is covered over an image display surface 19a of the image display means 19; and detection means 14 provided to the aerial image display device 11, for detecting the position of indication means 13 that touches the aerial image 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerial image display device in which a plurality of strip-shaped first and second light-reflecting surfaces (mirror surfaces), each arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, display an aerial image using optical imaging means arranged orthogonally in a planar view, and a non-contact input type aerial display using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a stereoscopic image forming device (optical imaging device) described in Patent Document 1 is known as a device for forming a stereoscopic image (aerial image = real image) of an object in the air using light (scattered light) emitted from the object surface (target object). This imaging device has first and second light control panels formed by arranging a large number of band-shaped metal reflecting surfaces perpendicularly on one side of two transparent flat plates at a constant pitch inside the two transparent flat plates, and the first and second light control panels are closely attached to each other with one side facing each other so that the light reflecting surfaces of the first and second light control panels are orthogonal to each other. In this optical imaging device, as shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6 of Patent Document 1, the object image M' or N' formed in the air is generated at a symmetrical position to the object M or N across the optical imaging device. This is also true when a display device such as a display is installed instead of the object M or N and an aerial image of an image displayed on the display device is formed. Therefore, by combining such an optical imaging means (optical imaging device) with a display (display device) that displays an image, an aerial image display device that displays an aerial image (spatial image) of an image can be obtained. Furthermore, by combining this aerial image display device with a detection means that detects the position of a pointing means that touches the spatial image (aerial image), a non-contact input device such as that shown in Patent Document 2 can be obtained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2009 / 131128 [Patent Document 2] Utility model registration No. 3219968 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As a display (display device) for displaying an image in the above-mentioned aerial image display device and non-contact input device (non-contact input type aerial display), a television or personal computer monitor (display), a display screen (display) of a tablet terminal, etc. are used. These image display means use various types of light-emitting elements such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes including mini LEDs and micro LEDs) or organic EL elements (also called organic light-emitting LEDs or OLEDs). In recent years, with the improvement in the quality of these light-emitting elements, the brightness of image display means has been increasing. When an aerial image display device is configured by combining such a high-brightness image display means with an optical imaging means, there is a problem that linear interference fringes (also called flare) occur due to the interference of light during imaging, making the aerial image unclear and reducing visibility. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an aerial image display device that can form clear aerial images and has excellent visibility, and a non-contact input type aerial display using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An aerial image display device according to a first aspect of the present invention that meets the above-mentioned objective is an aerial image display device that is formed in a flat plate shape having a light entrance surface and a light exit surface that are arranged in parallel, and has a plurality of first light reflecting surfaces that are formed perpendicular to the light entrance surface and the light exit surface and arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of second light reflecting surfaces that are formed perpendicular to the light entrance surface and the light exit surface and arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and displays an aerial image on the light exit surface side of the optical imaging means using an optical imaging means in which the first light reflecting surfaces and the second light reflecting surfaces are arranged orthogonally in a planar view, the optical imaging means, and a display device arranged on the front writing surface side of the optical imaging means, which displays an image on which the aerial image is based and has a luminance of 200 cd / m 2The device is equipped with the above-mentioned image display means and a light diffusing member built into the image display means or covering the image display surface of the image display means, and the aerial image corresponding to the image is formed by light that is irradiated from the image display means toward the front light surface of the optical imaging means, and is reflected once by the first light reflecting surface and then once by the second light reflecting surface. Here, as the light diffusing member, a member that is white or milky white and translucent (has light transmissivity) or has fine irregularities on the surface is preferably used, and the form of the member may be a plate, sheet or film. The light diffusion member diffuses light irradiated from a light source (light-emitting element) built into the image display means or highly directional light (high-brightness light) irradiated from the image display surface of the image display means, thereby suppressing the occurrence of unnecessary interference fringes and bright spots in the aerial image.

[0006] In the aerial image display device of the first invention, it is preferable that the image display means is a liquid crystal display with a backlight, and the light diffusing member is disposed between a liquid crystal panel of the liquid crystal display and the backlight, or on the image display surface of the liquid crystal panel. Here, LEDs are preferably used as the light source for the backlight, and in addition to normal (general) LEDs, these LEDs include mini LEDs, micro LEDs, organic light-emitting LEDs (OLEDs, also called organic EL elements), etc. Organic light-emitting LEDs used as backlights emit white light like other LEDs.

[0007] In the aerial image display device pertaining to the first invention, the display may be an organic EL display, and the light diffusing member may be disposed on an image display surface of the organic EL display. Here, the organic EL display may use organic light-emitting LEDs that emit light in the colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue), or may combine an organic light-emitting LED that emits white light with an RGB color filter.

[0008] In the aerial image display device pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, the display may be an LED display, and the light diffusing member may be disposed on an image display surface of the LED display. Here, the LED display may use mini LEDs or micro LEDs that emit light in the colors R (red), G (green), and B (blue), or may be a combination of a mini LED or micro LED that emits white light and an RGB color filter.

[0009] A non-contact input type aerial display according to a second invention that meets the above-mentioned objective is a non-contact input type aerial display that uses the aerial image display device according to the first invention, and comprises the aerial image display device and a detection means that is attached to the aerial image display device and detects the position of a pointing means that touches the aerial image. Here, it is preferable that the detection means is disposed on the lower side of the aerial image in parallel with the aerial image (imaging surface). In addition, the detection means preferably has a light-emitting unit that irradiates detection light in a direction parallel to the aerial image to form a detection surface parallel to the aerial image, and a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light from the pointing means when the pointing means touches the detection surface at a position overlapping the aerial image when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The aerial image display device of the first invention prevents the occurrence of linear interference fringes (flare) caused by light interference when an aerial image is formed by irradiating light that has been diffused (homogenized) and weakened in directionality by a light diffusion member toward the light entrance surface of the optical imaging means, thereby enabling the display of a clear aerial image with excellent visibility.

[0011] In the aerial image display device of the first invention, when the image display means is a liquid crystal display with a backlight and the light diffusion member is placed between the liquid crystal panel of the liquid crystal display and the backlight, or on the image display surface of the liquid crystal panel, the conventional high-brightness, highly directional light is dispersed and irradiated to the optical imaging means in a uniform state, effectively suppressing the occurrence of interference fringes during imaging.

[0012] In the aerial image display device of the first invention, when the display is an organic EL display and the light diffusing member is arranged on the image display surface of the organic EL display, the light of conventional surface emission is irradiated to the optical imaging means in a further dispersed state, thereby effectively suppressing the occurrence of interference fringes during imaging.

[0013] In the aerial image display device of the first invention, when the display is an LED display and the light diffusing member is arranged on the image display surface of the LED display, the conventional high-brightness, highly directional light is dispersed and irradiated to the optical imaging means in a uniform state, thereby effectively suppressing the occurrence of interference fringes during imaging.

[0014] The non-contact input aerial display of the second invention uses an aerial image display device that suppresses the occurrence of interference fringes and can display bright, clear aerial images, making it easy for the user to see the aerial image when inputting information, preventing input errors, and providing excellent operability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a non-contact input type aerial display according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing a main part of the non-contact input type aerial display. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are a front cross-sectional view and a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of an optical imaging means in an aerial image display device used in the non-contact input type aerial display. [Figure 4] 1A is a schematic side view showing an image display means and a light diffusion member in an aerial image display device used in the non-contact input type aerial display, and FIG. 1B is a schematic side view showing a modified example of the image display means and the light diffusion member in the aerial image display device. [Diagram 5] (A) shows the imaging light displayed on the same non-contact input aerial display, and (B) shows the imaging light displayed on a conventional non-contact input aerial display. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A non-contact input type air display according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a non-contact input type aerial display 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an aerial image display device 11 and a detection means 14 attached to the aerial image display device 11 for detecting the position of a pointing means 13 (here, a finger) such as a finger or a touch pen touching the aerial image 12.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the aerial image display device 11 includes an optical imaging means 18 formed in a flat plate shape having a light entrance surface 16 and a light exit surface 17 arranged in parallel, and a luminance of 200 cd / m 2 that displays an image on which the aerial image 12 is based, the optical imaging means 18 being disposed on the light entrance surface 16 side of the optical imaging means 18. 2 The device includes the image display means 19 described above, and a light diffusing member 20 that is provided covering the image display surface 19a of the image display means 19. Here, the image display means 19 is disposed inclined at an angle α with respect to the light entrance surface 16 of the optical imaging means 18, and the aerial image 12 is formed at a position symmetrical to the image display means 19 across the optical imaging means 18, that is, on an imaging surface 21 inclined at an angle α with respect to the light exit surface 17 on the light exit surface 17 side of the optical imaging means 18. The angle α is preferably within a range of about 30 to 60 degrees, but is not limited to this range and may be selected as appropriate. As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the optical imaging means 18 has a plurality of first light reflecting surfaces 22 formed perpendicular to the light entering surface 16 and the light exiting surface 17 and arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of second light reflecting surfaces 23 formed perpendicular to the light entering surface 16 and the light exiting surface 17 and arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, the first light reflecting surfaces 22 and the second light reflecting surfaces 23 being arranged orthogonal to each other when viewed in a plane.

[0018] In manufacturing this optical imaging means 18, for example, a transparent resin is molded (e.g., by injection molding, press molding, roll molding, etc.) to produce a first molded body 27 having a plurality of grooves 26, each having a trapezoidal cross section and one side of which is a vertical surface 24 and the other side of which is an inclined surface 25, arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and a second molded body 31 having a plurality of grooves 30, each having a trapezoidal cross section and one side of which is a vertical surface 28 and the other side of which is an inclined surface 29, arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B). Then, the vertical surfaces 24, 28 of the grooves 26, 30 of the first molded body 27 and the second molded body 31, respectively, are covered with a metal reflective film 33, thereby forming a first light control section 35 having a plurality of first light reflecting surfaces 22 and a second light control section 36 having a plurality of second light reflecting surfaces 23. The metal reflective film 33 reflects light specularly (mirror-like) and is made from a metal such as aluminum, and can cover the vertical surfaces 24, 28 by methods such as sputtering, metal vapor deposition, spraying of metal microparticles, ion beam irradiation, or plating. Then, each groove 26 of the first light control unit 35 and each groove 30 of the second light control unit 36 ​​are filled with transparent adhesive 37, and with grooves 26 and 30 facing each other, the first light control unit 35 and the second light control unit 36 ​​are stacked (overlapped) in the thickness direction, joined, and integrated so that the first light reflecting surface 22 and the second light reflecting surface 23 are perpendicular in a planar view, thereby obtaining the optical imaging means 18.

[0019] Next, the operation of the optical imaging means 18 will be described. As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), in the optical imaging means 18, of the light emitted from an object not shown (for example, the image display means 19 in Figure 1) and incident on the first light control unit 35 from the light entrance surface 16, for example, light L1 and L2 enter the first light control unit 35 from positions P11 and P21, respectively, are reflected once at positions P12 and P22 on the first light reflecting surface 22, enter the second light control unit 36, are reflected once at positions P13 and P23 on the second light reflecting surface 23, and are emitted into the air from the second light control unit 36 ​​at positions P14 and P24 on the light exit surface 17. Here, the light L1 and L2 enter the transparent adhesive 37 from the first molded body 27 at Q1 and Q2 in Fig. 3(B), and enter the second molded body 31 from the transparent adhesive 37 at S1 and S2 in Fig. 3(A). However, since the refractive indexes η1 and η2 of the first molded body 27 and the second molded body 31 are the same and are close to (substantially equal to) the refractive index η3 of the transparent adhesive 37, the effect of refraction is extremely small, and phenomena such as total reflection and spectroscopic phenomena do not occur. Therefore, of the light irradiated from the object (image display means) toward the light entrance surface 16 of the optical imaging means 18, countless light beams that are reflected once by the first light reflecting surface 22 and then once by the second light reflecting surface 23 form an image in the air, and an aerial image (not shown) that is a real image of the object (corresponding to the image displayed on the image display means) is formed at a position symmetrical to the object across the optical imaging means 18.

[0020] Although the light L1 and L2 are refracted at positions P11 and P21 on the light entrance surface 16 and positions P14 and P24 on the light exit surface 17, the transparent resin (first molded body 27 and second molded body 31) that serves as the base material for the first light control unit 35 and the second light control unit 36 ​​has the same refractive index and is homogeneous, and all light involved in the formation of the aerial image is refracted at a constant (same) angle at the light entrance surface 16 and the light exit surface 17, similar to the light L1 and L2, regardless of the light entrance position and the light exit position, so that these refractions do not affect the image formation. In addition, in Figures 3(A) and (B), the left side surface of the metal reflective film 33 is the first light reflecting surface 22 and the second light reflecting surface 23, but either the front or back surface (left or right in Figures 3(A) and (B)) of the metal reflective film 33 can function as the first light reflecting surface and the second light reflecting surface, and either the front or back surface of the metal reflective film 33 functions as the first light reflecting surface and the second light reflecting surface depending on the arrangement (front / back inversion) of the first light control unit 35 and the second light control unit 36 ​​or the direction in which light enters.

[0021] The optical imaging means 18 has a luminance of 200 cd / m 2In a non-contact input type aerial display using a conventional aerial image display device that combines the above-mentioned image display means 19, when an aerial image is formed, there is a problem that, as shown in Figure 5 (B), optical interference generates linear (radial) interference fringes (flare) in each imaging light, causing the aerial image to become unclear and reducing visibility. In contrast, the aerial image display device 11 used in the non-contact input type aerial display 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a light diffusion member 20 that covers the image display surface 19a of the image display means 19, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Here, examples of the image display means 19 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and an LED display. In addition, the light diffusion member 20 is preferably a white or milky white semi-transparent (translucent) member or a member with fine irregularities formed on the surface, and may be in the form of a plate, sheet, or film. The light diffusion member 20 diffuses the highly directional light irradiated from the image display surface 19a, and as shown in Fig. 5(A), the occurrence of unnecessary interference fringes in the imaging light is suppressed, so that the non-contact input type aerial display 10 (aerial image display device 11) can obtain a clear aerial image and realize smooth input operations.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the light diffusion member 20 is disposed on the image display surface 19a of various image display means 19. However, when the image display means is a liquid crystal display with a backlight, the light diffusion member 20 may be disposed between the liquid crystal panel 40 and the backlight 41 of the liquid crystal display 39 as shown in FIG. 4(B). This allows the light irradiated from the light source (not shown) of the backlight 41 of the liquid crystal display 39 (image display means) to the liquid crystal panel 40 to be diffused, and the same action and effect as described above can be obtained. The light source of the backlight 41 includes, in addition to normal (general) LEDs, mini LEDs, micro LEDs, organic light emitting LEDs (OLEDs, also called organic EL elements), and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0023] Next, the detection means 14 will be described. 1 and 2, the detection means 14 is disposed inside the housing 43 of the aerial image display device 11, parallel to the aerial image 12 (imaging surface 21) on the lower side of the aerial image 12. An opening 44 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the detection means 14 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 43, and the detection means 14 has a light-emitting unit (not shown) that irradiates detection light through the opening 44 in a direction parallel to the aerial image 12 to form a detection surface 45 parallel to the aerial image 12 (coinciding with the imaging surface 21 in this embodiment), and a light-receiving unit (not shown) that receives reflected light reflected from the pointing means 13 when the pointing means 13 touches the detection surface 45 at a position overlapping with the aerial image 12 in a front view. With the above configuration, the aerial image 12 (=imaging surface 21, detection surface 45) can function as a non-contact input screen, and when a user looks at the aerial image 12 and indicates a specific position on the aerial image 12 with the pointing means 13, that position is detected by the detection means 14, and characters are input or a specific operation (command) is executed corresponding to the indicated position.

[0024] As the detection means 14, a zForce (registered trademark) AIR touch sensor or an optical sensor formed in a flat bar shape (strip shape), such as AIRBAR (registered trademark), is preferably used. The position of the pointing means 13 pointing to the aerial image 12 can be detected by scanning the surface of the aerial image 12 (imaging surface 21) with detection light, such as laser light or infrared light, irradiated from the detection means 14 (light emitting unit). In this embodiment, the detection means 14 is accommodated inside the housing 43, but the detection means 14 can be installed on the outer upper surface of the housing 43 and the opening 44 can be omitted. The detection means 14 may be arranged parallel to the aerial image 12 (imaging surface 21) on either the left or right side of the aerial image 12. In this case, the detection means 14 is rotatably held by the housing 43, and is configured to be placed on the upper surface of the housing 43 except when in use, thereby achieving excellent compactness. The configuration of the detection means is not limited to that of the embodiment, and may be any configuration that can detect the position of the pointing means 13 touching the aerial image 12. For example, the detection means may be a frame-type sensor (a type of optical proximity sensor) formed in a frame shape along the outer periphery of the aerial image 12 and having a plurality of light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements arranged around the aerial image 12, or an infrared motion sensor or the like. Note that, in this embodiment, the imaging surface 21 and the detection surface 45 coincide with each other, but the detection surface 45 may be arranged parallel to the imaging surface 21 with a gap provided on the front or back side of the imaging surface 21.

[0025] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and also includes other embodiments and variations that can be considered within the scope of the matters described in the claims. As a method of integrating the first light control unit and the second light control unit, the first light control unit and the second light control unit are arranged facing each other so that one side of the first light control unit and the other side of the second light control unit, that is, the sides on which the grooves are formed, face each other, and a sheet-like transparent resin having a lower melting point than the first molded body and the second molded body is sandwiched between them, and heated and pressurized in a vacuum state to melt and solidify only the transparent resin. Alternatively, the grooves of the first light control unit and the second light control unit may be filled with molten transparent resin separately, solidified, and molded into a flat plate shape, and then bonded with a transparent adhesive or the like. At this time, the one side of the first light control unit and the other side of the second light control unit may be arranged facing each other and bonded, or the one side of the first light control unit and the one side of the second light control unit may be arranged facing each other and bonded, or the other side of the first light control unit and one side of the second light control unit may be arranged facing each other and bonded. Furthermore, instead of the first and second light control sections being formed separately from two transparent resin molded bodies and then joined together, the first and second light control sections may be formed on both sides of a single transparent resin molded body.

[0026] In the above embodiment, the optical imaging means has been described as one in which the multiple light reflecting surfaces of the first and second light control units are arranged linearly (parallel), but as described in Japanese Patent No. 7038267, a first light control unit in which multiple light reflecting surfaces are arranged radially around a reference point X, and a second light control unit in which multiple light reflecting surfaces are arranged concentrically around a reference point Y that overlaps with the reference point X in a planar view may be used. In this case, the radial light reflecting surface of the first light control unit is arranged linearly around the reference point X, whereas the concentric light reflecting surface of the second light control unit is curved along a concentric circle around the reference point Y, but at the point where the light reflecting surface of the first light control unit and the light reflecting surface of the second light control unit intersect in a planar view, the light reflecting surfaces are orthogonal to each other. Thus, an aerial image can be formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Furthermore, as an optical imaging means, for example, as described in Japanese Patent No. 5437436 (Figures 4 to 6), first and second light control units having a number of band-shaped reflective surfaces arranged vertically (e.g., at the same pitch) on one side of a transparent flat plate may be used, which are superimposed so that the respective band-shaped reflective surfaces are orthogonal in a planar view. In the above embodiment, the grooves of the first and second molded bodies (first and second optical control units) are formed to have a trapezoidal cross section, but since the bottom portion of the groove is not an essential component of the optical imaging means, the dimensions (width) of the bottom portion do not need to be strictly controlled, and the groove may be formed to have a triangular cross section that opens out to one side or the other side, with one side being a vertical surface and the other side being an inclined surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 10: non-contact input type aerial display, 11: aerial image display device, 12: aerial image, 13: indication means, 14: detection means, 16: light entrance surface, 17: light exit surface, 18: optical imaging means, 19: image display means, 19a: image display surface, 20: light diffusion member, 21: imaging surface, 22: first light reflecting surface, 23: second light reflecting surface, 24: vertical surface, 25: inclined surface, 26: groove, 27: first molded body, 28: vertical surface, 29: inclined surface, 30: groove, 31: second molded body, 33: metal reflective film, 35: first light control unit, 36: second light control unit, 37: transparent adhesive, 39: liquid crystal display, 40: liquid crystal panel, 41: backlight, 43: housing, 44: opening, 45: detection surface

Claims

1. An aerial image display device that displays an aerial image on the light exit surface side of an optical imaging means, the aerial image display device being formed in a flat plate shape having a parallel-arranged light entrance surface and a light exit surface, the aerial image display device having a plurality of first light reflecting surfaces that are formed perpendicular to the light entrance surface and the light exit surface and that are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of second light reflecting surfaces that are formed perpendicular to the light entrance surface and the light exit surface and that are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, the first light reflecting surfaces and the second light reflecting surfaces being arranged orthogonally in a plan view, the optical imaging means, and a display device arranged on the front writing surface side of the optical imaging means, which displays an image on which the aerial image is based and has a brightness of 200 cd / m ２ An aerial image display device comprising the above-mentioned image display means and a light diffusing member built into the image display means or covered on the image display surface of the image display means, and characterized in that the aerial image corresponding to the image is formed by light that is irradiated from the image display means toward the front light surface of the optical imaging means, and is reflected once at the first light reflecting surface and then once at the second light reflecting surface.

2. 2. The aerial image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image display means is a liquid crystal display with a backlight, and the light diffusing member is disposed between a liquid crystal panel of the liquid crystal display and the backlight, or on the image display surface of the liquid crystal panel.

3. 2. The aerial image display device according to claim 1, wherein the display is an organic electroluminescence display, and the light diffusing member is disposed on an image display surface of the organic electroluminescence display.

4. 2. The aerial image display device according to claim 1, wherein the display is an LED display, and the light diffusing member is disposed on an image display surface of the LED display.

5. A non-contact input type aerial display using an aerial image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises the aerial image display device and a detection means attached to the aerial image display device for detecting the position of a pointing means touching the aerial image.

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