Indication device

Abstract

The present invention provides a display device that can display a display pattern according to the open / closed state of an opening. [Solution] The display device 10 includes a light guide member 12 that can be selectively set to a first state and a second state, and a control unit that adjusts the display pattern by the light guide member 12 by controlling the light emitted to the light guide member 12 according to whether the light guide member 12 is in the first state or the second state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device.

Background Art

[0002] A technique for displaying a plurality of symbols by causing light to enter the inside of a light guide plate having translucency is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a symbol variable display device capable of variably displaying a plurality of symbols. This symbol variable display device includes a light guide plate having translucency disposed on the front side, and a light source that introduces light from an end face into the inside of this light guide plate. On the surface of the light guide plate, a light emitting portion that diffuses and reflects the light introduced into the inside of the light guide plate is formed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a louver window or the like in which a plurality of horizontally long glass plates are arranged, it is difficult to visually recognize the open / closed state, and there is a desire to easily visually recognize the open / closed state.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a display device capable of displaying a display pattern (at least a part of characters, figures, symbols, or a combination thereof) according to a plurality of different states.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The display device of the present invention includes a light guide member that can be selectively set to a first state and a second state, and a control unit that adjusts a display pattern by the light guide member by controlling light emitted to the light guide member according to whether the light guide member is in the first state or the second state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a display device that can display a display pattern according to a plurality of different states (open / closed state of the opening). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] (a) is a perspective view of a louver window configured in the display device according to the first embodiment. (b) is an enlarged view of the light guide member, the first light source and the second light source. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view showing a display pattern displayed on a light guide member by light emitted from a first light source, and (b) is a perspective view showing a display pattern displayed on a light guide member by light emitted from a second light source. [Figure 3] (a) is a front view of the display device showing the display pattern, as seen from inside, with the opening closed. (b) is a side view of the display device showing the display pattern, with the opening closed. (c) is a front view of the display device showing the display pattern, with the opening open. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the control configuration for the display device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the actions performed by the control unit. [Figure 6] (a) is a side view of a display device emitting light from a light guide member with the opening closed according to the second embodiment. (b) is a side view of a display device emitting light from a light guide member with the opening open according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a side view of a display device in which light is emitted from a light guide member with the opening of the third embodiment closed. [Figure 8] (a) is a front view of a display device constituting a sliding window according to the fourth embodiment. (b) is a front view of a display device constituting a sliding window according to the fourth embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the display device 10 according to this embodiment is installed in an opening 24 that penetrates the inside and outside of a building, forming a louver window. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the display device 10 includes a light guide member 12, a light source unit 14, an opening / closing sensor (sensor) 16, an environmental sensor 18, a control unit 20, and a drive unit 22. The light guide member 12 can selectively set the opening 24 to a closed state (first state) and an open state (second state). Specifically, a plurality of light guide members 12 arranged in parallel with mutually parallel rotation axes Ax are attached to the opening 24 so that the opening 24 can be opened and closed. In the following description, the direction in which the light guide members 12 are arranged in parallel will be referred to as the up and down direction, the building ceiling direction will be referred to as up, the floor direction as down, the indoor side as the front, and the outdoor side as the rear. The light guide member 12 is a roughly rectangular plate shape and has a plate surface 12a from which light LR and LG (described later) are emitted and a side surface 12b into which light LR and LG are incident. The light guide member 12 can open and close the opening 24 by rotating around a rotation axis Ax with the direction along the plate surface 12a as the axial direction. As shown in Figure 3(b), when the opening 24 is closed, the plate surfaces of adjacent light guide members 12 located vertically have overlapping and non-overlapping portions. As a result, the lower part of the upper light guide member 12 and the upper part of the lower light guide member 12 come into contact and overlap, sealing the opening 24.

[0010] The light source unit 14 includes a first light source 14a and a second light source 14b. As shown in Figures 1(b) and 2, the first light source 14a and the second light source 14b are arranged on the side 12b of the light guide member 12 and each consists of one or more light-emitting elements 28 that emit light LR and LG toward the inside of the light guide member 12. The light-emitting elements 28 are, for example, LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Specifically, the first light source 14a is equipped with multiple light-emitting elements 28 that emit light LR in the red wavelength band (e.g., 640-770 nm). The second light source 14b is equipped with multiple light-emitting elements 28 that emit light LG in the green wavelength band (e.g., 490-550 nm). The first light source 14a is arranged on one side 12b (first side) of the light guide member 12, which is located on one side in the axial direction of the rotation axis Ax. More specifically, the first light source 14a is positioned on the short-side surface 12b of the light guide member 12. The first light source 14a emits light LR toward the inside of the light guide member 12 from the direction in which one side surface 12b is located (approximately the first direction). The second light source 14b is positioned on the other side 12b of the light guide member 12 (the second side) such that the light LR from the first light source 14a and the light LG from the second light source 14b intersect. More specifically, the second light source 14b is positioned on the longitudinal side surface 12b of the light guide member 12. The second light source 14b emits light LG toward the inside of the light guide member 12 from the direction in which the other side surface 12b is located (approximately the second direction).

[0011] Collimator lenses or cylindrical lenses may be installed between the first light source 14a and the side surface 12b, and between the second light source 14b and the side surface 12b. This allows the light LR emitted from the first light source 14a and the light LG emitted from the second light source 14b to be spread into a wide light-emitting area and further made into parallel light directed in the direction of emission. This increases the incidence efficiency of the light guide member 12 and allows the display pattern SB to be displayed with uniform brightness. In addition, the lens surface of a collimator lens or cylindrical lens may be provided on the side surface 12b. Since there is no need to install a new lens and the number of parts is reduced, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0012] The light guide member 12 includes a microlens array 26. Specifically, a microlens array 26 is processed on one of the plate surfaces 12a of the light guide member 12. The microlens array 26 has a structure that combines a large number of tiny lenses ranging in size from several to several hundred micrometers. As shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the microlens array 26 collects the light LR from the first light source 14a and the light LG from the second light source 14b that are incident into the light guide member 12, and efficiently emits them from one of the plate surfaces 12a in a predetermined direction where the observer's viewpoint is located, thereby displaying a display pattern SB, such as characters or figures, indicating the state of the light guide member 12 on one of the plate surfaces 12a. In other words, the light LR emitted from the first light source 14a and the light LG emitted from the second light source 14b are incident on the light guide member 12 from adjacent side surfaces 12b, 12b, respectively, and travel toward the microlens array 26 from different directions. The light LR and LG that reach the microlens array 26 are reflected towards one of the panel surfaces 12a. This reflected light LR and LG is visible to the observer as the display pattern SB. More specifically, at the second location on the microlens array 26 corresponding to the "Safety First" pattern position, the light LG emitted from the second light source 14b, that is, the light LG incident from approximately the second direction relative to the microlens array 26, is transmitted so as not to be emitted outside the display device 10. At the same time, the light LR emitted from the first light source 14a, that is, the light LR incident from approximately the first direction relative to the microlens array 26, is reflected or refracted in a predetermined direction and emitted outside the display device 10, thereby displaying the red letters "Safety First" (display pattern SB) on one of the panel surfaces 12a. As will be described later, the microlens array 26 can also display a portion of the red characters on one surface 12a of one light guide member 12, and the remaining portion of the red characters on one surface 12a of another light guide member 12 adjacent to that light guide member 12.Furthermore, at the first location corresponding to the "Ventilation in Progress" pattern position on the microlens array 26, the light LR emitted from the first light source 14a, that is, the light LR incident from approximately the first direction as viewed from the microlens array 26, is transmitted, while the light LG emitted from the second light source 14b, that is, the light LG incident from approximately the second direction as viewed from the microlens array 26, is reflected or refracted in a predetermined direction, thereby displaying the green characters "Ventilation in Progress" (display pattern SB) on one of the panel surfaces 12a. In addition, as shown in Figure 2(c), the light guide member 12 can guide the light LR emitted from the first light source 14a to display the red characters "Safety First" in the space on one of the panel surfaces 12a. Similarly, it can guide the light LG emitted from the second light source 14b to display the green characters "Ventilation in Progress" in the space on one of the panel surfaces 12a. The display pattern SB, which is displayed in space, includes both three-dimensional and two-dimensional images that are visible to the observer. The light guide member 12 is formed from a transparent resin plate material with a relatively high refractive index, such as polycarbonate resin or polymethyl methacrylate resin. Alternatively, these resin plates may be laminated on a glass substrate.

[0013] The opening / closing sensor 16 detects the open / closed state of the opening 24. Specifically, the opening / closing sensor 16 detects the open / closed state of the opening 24 by detecting the inclination angle θ of the light guide member 12. Here, the inclination angle θ is the angle at which the light guide member 12 is inclined with respect to the substantially plane of the display device 10, as shown in Figure 3(b), and is the acute angle that the light guide member 12 makes with the vertical axis. If the drive unit 22, which will be described later, is a stepping motor, the opening / closing sensor 16 should be set to count the number of steps and derive the inclination angle θ from the number of steps. If it is a DC motor, it should be set to sense the amount of rotation using an encoder or an electromagnetic induction sensor and derive the inclination angle θ. When the inclination angle θ is within the first angular range R1, the opening 24 is in a closed state. For example, the first angular range R1 is 5°≦θ≦10°. On the other hand, when the inclination angle θ is within the second angular range R2, the opening 24 is in an open state. For example, the second angular range R2 is 45° ≤ θ ≤ 50°. The opening / closing sensor 16 outputs a signal indicating the opening / closing state to the control unit 20.

[0014] The environmental sensor 18 measures and detects the environment inside and outside the light guide member 12, i.e., the indoor and outdoor environments. Specifically, the environmental sensor 18 measures and detects outdoor weather information (temperature, humidity, wind speed, presence or absence of rain or snow, etc.) and indoor environmental information (temperature, humidity, airflow velocity, carbon monoxide concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, suspended dust concentration, presence or absence of people, presence or absence of air conditioner operation, etc.). For detecting the presence or absence of people, for example, detection may be done from images captured by a camera, or detection may be done using infrared light or ultrasound. The environmental sensor 18 transmits signals indicating the outdoor weather information and indoor environmental information to the control unit 20.

[0015] The drive unit 22 moves the light guide member 12. Specifically, the drive unit 22 is, for example, a motor. The drive unit 22 rotates the light guide member 12 in both forward and reverse directions around the rotation axis Ax, thereby opening and closing the opening 24.

[0016] The control unit 20 acquires signals output from the environmental sensor 18 and controls the opening and closing of the opening 24. More specifically, the control unit 20 analyzes the information from the environmental sensor 18 and operates the drive unit 22 in a direction that closes or opens the opening 24, or stops the drive unit 22. The control unit 20 may also process whether to close or open the opening 24 based on the results of machine learning to improve the comfort of the indoor environment. In this case, the control unit 20 makes a decision on whether to close or open the opening 24 based on this machine learning model. For example, in summer, a temperature of 20°C to 24°C and a humidity of 40% to 60% are considered comfortable, and in winter, a temperature of 18°C ​​to 20°C and a humidity of 45% to 60% are considered comfortable. If the external environment is comfortable across the display device 10, but the internal environment is not, the control unit 20 controls the drive unit 22 to open the opening 24. In addition, for example, when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is 1000 ppm or higher, the control unit 20 operates the drive unit 22 in the direction of opening the opening 24. Furthermore, for security reasons, such as late at night, the control unit 20 uses a machine learning model that includes other factors to control the opening and closing, so that it does not open or close even in situations where it should be opened. Further, the control unit 20 adjusts the display pattern SB by the light guide member 12 by controlling the light LR and LG emitted to the light guide member 12 according to whether the light guide member 12 is in the closed state or the open state. Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the signal (detection result) output from the opening / closing sensor 16 and selectively emits the light LR and LG from the first light source 14a and the second light source 14b. More specifically, when the tilt angle θ of the light guide member 12 is within the first angle range R1, the control unit 20 emits the light LR from the first light source 14a, and when the tilt angle θ of the light guide member 12 is within the second angle range R2, the control unit 20 emits the light LG from the second light source 14b. Therefore, when the opening 24 is in the closed state (when the tilt angle θ is within the first angle range R1), as shown in FIG. 3(a), the display device 10 condenses the red light LR emitted from the first light source 14a by the microlens array 26 and emits it in a predetermined direction, and displays the red characters of "safe", "first" across two adjacent light guide members 12 vertically, and displays the red character of "one" on one of the plate surfaces 12a or in the space on the side of one of the plate surfaces 12a on one light guide member 12. On the other hand, when the opening 24 is in the open state (when the tilt angle θ is within the second angle range R2), as shown in FIG. 3(c), the display device 10 condenses the green light LG emitted from the second light source 14b by the microlens array 26 and emits it in a predetermined direction, and displays the green characters of "ventilation in progress" on each of the four light guide members 12 on one of the plate surfaces 12a or in the space on the side of one of the plate surfaces 12a. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may adjust the display pattern SB by the light guide member 12 by controlling the light LR and LG emitted to the light guide member 12 based on the measurement result from the environment sensor 18. Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the signal output from the environment sensor 18 and selectively emits the light LR and LG from the first light source 14a and the second light source 14b.

[0017] Next, the flowchart executed by the control unit 20 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. The control unit 20 performs the processing shown in the flowchart by executing a program stored in a storage device (not shown). First, the control unit 20 obtains a signal from the open / close sensor 16 indicating the open / closed state (tilt angle θ) of the light guide member 12 (step S1). Next, the control unit 20 obtains signals from the environment sensor 18 indicating the outdoor and indoor environments (step S2). Next, the control unit 20 obtains a signal from the environment sensor 18 indicating whether or not there is a person inside (step S3). If there is no person inside (step S3: No), the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if there is a person inside (step S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the indoor air conditioner (not shown) is operating based on the signal from the environment sensor 18. If the air conditioner is operating (step S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if the air conditioner is not operating (Step S4: No), the process proceeds to Step S5. In Step S5, the control unit 20 determines, based on signals from the environmental sensor 18 and, if applicable, a machine learning model, whether the indoor environment is more comfortable with the opening 24 open compared to when it is closed. If the environment is more comfortable with the opening 24 open (Step S5: Yes), the process proceeds to Step S6. In Step S6, the control unit 20 drives the drive unit 22 so that the tilt angle θ falls within the second angular range R2 (the opening 24 is open) (Step S6: No) (Step S8). When the tilt angle θ falls within the second angular range R2 (Step S6: Yes), the control unit 20 stops the operation of the drive unit 22 and emits light LG from the second light-emitting unit (Step S7). The process then returns to Step S1. Furthermore, if the process proceeds from step S3 to step S9, from step S4 to step S9, or from step S5 to step S9, the control unit 20 drives the drive unit 22 so that the inclination angle θ is within the first angle range R1 (the opening 24 is closed) (step S9: No) (step S8).When the tilt angle θ is within the first angle range R1 (step S9: Yes), the control unit 20 stops the operation of the drive unit 22 and causes the first light emitting unit to emit the light LR (step S10). Then, this process returns to step S1.

[0018] As described above, the display device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a light guide member 12 that can be selectively set to a closed state and an open state, and a control unit 20 that adjusts the display pattern SB by the light guide member 12 by controlling the light LR and LG emitted to the light guide member 12 according to whether the light guide member 12 is in the closed state or the open state. By being configured as described above, the display device 10 can display the display pattern SB according to the open / closed state of the opening 24, that is, a plurality of different states. Thereby, an observer can easily visually recognize the open / closed state of the opening 24.

[0019] Further, in the display device 10 of the present embodiment, a first light source 14a that emits the light LR from a direction in which one side surface 12b is located toward the inside of the light guide member 12, and a second light source 14b that emits the light LR from a direction in which the other side surface 12b is located toward the inside of the light guide member 12, a light source unit 14 including the above, and an open / close sensor 16 that detects the closed state and the open state are further provided, and the control unit 20 selectively emits the light LR and LG from the first light source 14a and the second light source 14b based on the detection result of the open / close sensor 16. By being configured as described above, the display device 10 can display the display pattern SB according to the open / closed state of the opening 24. Thereby, an observer can easily visually recognize the open / closed state of the opening 24.

[0020] Furthermore, in the display device 10 of the present embodiment, the light guide member 12 is a light guide plate having a plate surface 12a that emits the light LR and LG, and is selectively set to a closed state and an open state by rotating around a rotation axis Ax having a direction along the plate surface 12a as an axial direction. Thereby, the display device 10 can selectively set a plurality of different states.

[0021] Furthermore, in the display device 10 of this embodiment, the closed state is the state when the inclination angle θ of the light guide member 12 is within the first angular range R1, and the open state is the state when the inclination angle θ of the light guide member 12 is within the second angular range R2. As a result, the display device 10 can selectively set to the first state and the second state depending on the inclination angle θ.

[0022] Furthermore, the display device 10 of this embodiment further includes a light source unit 14 which includes a first light source 14a that emits light LR from approximately a first direction toward the light guide member 12, and a second light source 14b that emits light LG from approximately a second direction toward the light guide member 12. The light guide member 12 is a light guide plate having a plate surface 12a that emits light LR and LG, the first light source 14a is arranged on the first side surface 12b of the light guide member 12, and the second light source 14b is arranged on the second side surface 12b of the light guide member 12. With the above configuration, the display device 10 can display a display pattern SB according to the open / closed state of the opening 24. As a result, the observer can easily visually confirm the open / closed state of the opening 24.

[0023] Furthermore, the display device 10 is further equipped with an environmental sensor 18 that measures the environment inside and outside the light guide member 12, and the control unit 20 further adjusts the display pattern SB based on the measurement results from the environmental sensor 18. As a result, the opening 24 is automatically opened and closed according to the difference between the outdoor and indoor environments so that the indoor environment is comfortable, and the display device 10 can display the display pattern SB according to the open / closed state of the opening 24. There is no need to open or close the opening 24 manually, and observers can easily see its open / closed state. In addition, since the opening 24 is automatically closed when a person who was inside leaves the room, it is possible to prevent forgetting to close it and enhance security.

[0024] Next, the display devices 110 and 210 according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment, described below, controls the amount of light emitted from a specific light source included in a light source unit provided on the side surface in the short direction of the light guide member, according to the opening and closing state of the opening. In the third embodiment, the arrangement of the light sources included in the light source unit provided on the side surface in the short direction of the light guide member differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration and arrangement of the light guide member, light source unit, opening / closing sensor, environmental sensor, control unit and drive unit are the same as in the first embodiment, so they are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment and their descriptions are omitted.

[0025] First, with reference to Figure 6, the display device 110 according to the second embodiment will be described. The first light source 14a has a plurality of light-emitting elements 28 that emit light LR toward the light guide member 12. When the opening 24 is closed by the plurality of light guide members 12, as shown in Figure 6(a), a portion of the plate surfaces 12a of vertically adjacent light guide members 12 overlap. This overlapping portion of the plate surfaces 12a includes a first light source overlap portion 12w where the first light sources 14a overlap. In the closed state of the opening 24, the control unit 20 controls the brightness of the light LRw emitted from the first light source 14a in the first light source overlap portion 12w of the plurality of light-emitting elements 28 of the first light source 14a to be lower than the brightness of the light LRs emitted from the first light source 14a in the portion 12s of the light guide member 12 other than the first light source overlap portion 12w. As a result, the brightness of the light LRw emitted from the first light source 14a in the first light source overlapping portion 12w becomes approximately equal to the brightness of the light LRs emitted from the first light source 14a in the portion 12s of the light guide member 12 other than the first light source overlapping portion 12w. Therefore, in this embodiment, the display pattern SB displayed on one side of the panel 12a of the display device 110 has an overall uniform brightness, improving the visibility for the observer. Furthermore, the light LRs, LRw, and LG emitted from the light guide member 12 diffuse as shown by the dashed arrows in Figures 6(a) and (b). The control unit 20 controls the light-emitting element 28 so that the amount of light emitted in a predetermined direction (solid arrow) is maximized according to the tilt angle θ of the light guide member 12. As a result, the display pattern SB displayed on one side of the panel surface 12a is displayed more brightly, improving the observer's visibility.

[0026] Next, with reference to Figure 7, the display device 210 according to the third embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 7, when the opening 24 is closed, the light guide members 12 have an exposed portion 12e on at least a part of one of the plate surfaces 12a, as a portion of the plate surfaces 12a of a plurality of vertically adjacent light guide members 12 overlap. In other words, the exposed portion 12e is the portion where the light guide members 12 do not overlap. The light-emitting element 28 included in the first light source 114a is arranged only in the exposed portion 12e. In this way, since the first light source 114a does not have light-emitting elements 28 that emit light in overlapping directions, the brightness of the light LR emitted from each light guide member 12 is made uniform. As a result, in the display device 210 of the third embodiment, the display pattern SB displayed on one plate surface 12a side has an overall uniform brightness, which improves the visibility for the observer.

[0027] Next, a display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 8. In the fourth embodiment, the display device is configured as a sliding window and a double-hinged window. The configuration and arrangement of the light source unit, environmental sensor, drive unit and control unit, excluding the light guide members and opening / closing sensors, are the same as in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used as in the first embodiment and their description is omitted. In Figure 8(a), the direction in which the light guide members 12, 12 are arranged in parallel is referred to as the left-right direction, and in Figure 8(b), the direction in which the light guide members 12, 12 are arranged in parallel is referred to as the up-down direction. As shown in Figure 8(a), a sliding window is configured by the display device 310a so that the opening 24 can be opened and closed. The display device 310a comprises two light guide members 12, 12, a first light source 14a, a second light source 14b, an opening / closing sensor 16, an environmental sensor 18, a control unit 20, and a drive unit 22. More specifically, the two light guide members 12, 12 open and close the opening 24 by sliding in the left and right directions. The opening / closing sensor 16 detects the slid position of the light guide members 12, 12. The control unit 20 acquires the signal output from the opening / closing sensor 16 and controls the emission of light LR from the first light source 14a and light LG from the second light source 14b. Specifically, when the positions of the light guide members 12, 12 are within a range where they contact either one end 24L or the other end 24R of the opening 24 in the sliding direction (closed state), the control unit 20 emits light LR from the first light source 14a. On the other hand, when the positions of the light guide members 12, 12 are not within a range where they contact either one end 24L or the other end 24R of the opening 24 in the sliding direction (open state), the control unit 20 emits light LG from the second light source 14b. As a result, when the opening 24 is in the closed state, a display pattern SB with the words "Safety First" in red is displayed on one side of the panel surface 12a, and when the opening 24 is in the open state, a display pattern SB with the words "Ventilation in Progress" in green is displayed on one side of the panel surface 12a. This allows observers to easily visually confirm the open or closed state of the opening 24. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(b), the display device 310b has a sliding window configuration in which two light guide members 12, 12 slide up and down to open and close the opening 24. Specifically, when the opening 24 is open, the display pattern SB of the words "Safety First" in red is displayed on one of the panel surfaces 12a. When the opening 24 is open, the display pattern SB of the words "Ventilation in Progress" in green is displayed on the other panel surface 12a. The display device 310b has the same configuration and arrangement as the display device 310a, except that the light guide members 12, 12 slide up and down, so its explanation is omitted.

[0028] The embodiments described above are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and essence of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. For example, embodiments 1 to 3 above illustrate a display device provided with multiple light guide members, but there may be only one light guide member. Also, embodiment 4 may have a configuration with three or more light guide members. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 10, 110, 210, 310…Display devices, 12…Light guide members, 14a, 114a…First light sources, 14b…Second light sources, 16…Open / close sensors, 18…Environmental sensors, 20…Control unit, 22…Drive unit, 26…Microlens array

Claims

1. A light guide member that can be selectively set to a first state and a second state, A control unit that adjusts the display pattern by the light guide member by controlling the light emitted to the light guide member according to whether the light guide member is in the first state or the second state, A display device equipped with the following features.

2. A light source unit including a first light source that emits light from approximately a first direction toward the light guide member, and a second light source that emits light from approximately a second direction toward the light guide member, The system further comprises sensors for detecting the first state and the second state, The control unit selectively emits light from the first light source and the second light source based on the detection result of the sensor. The display device according to claim 1.

3. The light guide member is a light guide plate having a surface that emits light, and is selectively set to a first state and a second state by rotating it around a rotation axis with the direction along the surface as the axial direction. The display device according to claim 1.

4. The first state is the state when the inclination angle of the light guide member is within a first angular range. The second state is the state when the inclination angle of the light guide member is within the second angular range. The display device according to claim 3.

5. The light guide member comprises a plurality of light guide plates arranged in parallel, each having a rotation axis parallel to the others. Each of the multiple light guide plates is equipped with a light source unit that includes a first light source that emits light into the light guide plate from approximately a first direction, and a second light source that emits light into the light guide plate from approximately a second direction. The first light source has a plurality of light-emitting elements, The plurality of light guide plates include a first light source overlapping portion in which, in either the first state or the second state, a portion of the plate surfaces of adjacent light guide plates overlap, and the first light sources overlap in the overlapping portion. The control unit lowers the brightness of the light emitted from the light-emitting element in the overlapping portion of the first light source on the light guide plate to a level lower than the brightness of the light emitted from the light-emitting element in the portion of the light guide plate other than the overlapping portion of the first light source. The display device according to claim 3.

6. The light source unit further includes a first light source that emits light from approximately a first direction toward the light guide member, and a second light source that emits light from approximately a second direction toward the light guide member, The light guide member is a light guide plate having a surface that emits light, The first light source is positioned on the first side of the light guide plate, The second light source is located on the second side of the light guide plate. The display device according to claim 1.

7. The light guide member is a light guide plate having a surface that emits light, The light guide plate can be selectively set to a first state and a second state by sliding it. The display device according to claim 1.

8. The light guide member further comprises environmental sensors for measuring the environment inside and outside the light guide member, The control unit further adjusts the display pattern based on the measurement results from the environmental sensor. The display device according to claim 1 to claim 7.

Images