Projection System

Abstract

To provide an ornamental environment that can give audiences an immersed feeling in projected videos.SOLUTION: A projecting system 1 comprises: a foundation plane 10 that is provided on a lower side than a horizontal plane 93 passing through a center 92 of a virtual sphere 91; a spherical screen 20 that has a low end edge 21 provided on the lower side than the horizontal plane 93, and is provided in a whole surface of an inner surface of the virtual sphere 91 on an upper side from the low end edge 21; an audience stage 30 that has a plane 31 configured to have an audience 87 located on the plane disposed on the upper side from the low end edge 21, and is disposed with a space separated from the screen 20 on an inner side further than the screen 20; and a projector group 50. The projector group 50 includes a plurality of projectors 61 that are disposed in a location invisible from the audience 87 on a lower side than the audience stage 30, and have a projecting area different from each other, and is configured to project a video onto the screen 20 gaplessly up to an apex 94 of the virtual sphere 91 from the lower side than the horizontal face 93 by the plurality of projectors 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a projection system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a theater in which an image is projected onto a dome-shaped or spherical screen and the image is viewed by an audience. In such theaters, a plurality of projectors are generally used. Each part is adjusted so that the images projected from each projector are appropriately connected to each other, and a single image is projected across the entire surface of the wide screen. For example, a digital planetarium is known in which an image of the night sky is projected onto a hemispherical dome screen.

[0003] Being surrounded by the images allows the audience to feel immersed in the world of the images. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to a global imaging facility that uses the inner wall of a sphere as a screen to project images across the entire sphere. In this facility, a bridge-like passageway is provided so as to penetrate the center of the sphere. Both ends of the passageway are connected to a pair of entrances that open to the inside and outside of the sphere. Multiple projectors are placed around each of these entrances, and each projector projects an image onto a divided area of ​​the screen that it faces. Images from these divided areas are stitched together to project the image across the entire sphere. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4538352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the facility disclosed in Patent Document 1, images can be projected over an almost entire sphere, but the viewing space for spectators is a long and narrow corridor, and the viewing space is very limited. In addition, spectators can easily see the projectors installed around the entrances and exits. In a situation where the projectors are visible, it is difficult for spectators to feel immersed in the world of the images.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a viewing environment that allows the audience to feel immersed in the projected images. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a projection system comprises a base surface located below a horizontal plane passing through the center of a virtual sphere, a spherical-like screen having a lower edge located below the horizontal plane passing through the center and covering the entire inner surface of the virtual sphere above the lower edge, an audience stand having a surface configured to accommodate an audience located above the lower edge and located inside the screen and spaced apart from the screen, and a projector group including a plurality of projectors located below the audience stand in positions not visible to the audience and having different projection areas, the plurality of projectors being configured to project images onto the screen without gaps from below the horizontal plane passing through the center to the top of the virtual sphere. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a viewing environment in which the audience can feel immersed in the projected images. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an outline of a configuration example of a projection system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of the projection system according to the first embodiment, as viewed from above. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an outline of a configuration example of a projection system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First embodiment] The first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a configuration example of a projection system 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a configuration example of the projection system 1. The projection system 1 relates to a dome-shaped image theater in which an audience can watch images projected by multiple projectors on a spherical screen from inside the sphere. The images projected by the multiple projectors are adjusted so that they are appropriately connected to each other, and one large image is projected on the entire screen. In particular, the projection system 1 projects images from the zenith to below the audience's eye position across the entire horizontal circumference.

[0011] The configuration of the projection system 1 will be described with a virtual sphere 91 in mind. The projection system 1 is provided on a base surface 10. The base surface 10 is provided below a horizontal plane 93 passing through a center 92 of the virtual sphere 91. The spherical screen 20 of the projection system 1 is provided on the entire inner surface of the virtual sphere 91 above the base surface 10. That is, the lower edge 21 of the screen 20 is below the horizontal plane 93 passing through the center 92 of the virtual sphere 91. The lower edge 21 of the screen 20 is located on the intersection line between the base surface 10 and the virtual sphere 91 or above the intersection line. In this way, the screen 20 covers the area from below the horizontal plane 93 passing through the center 92 of the virtual sphere 91 to the apex 94 of the virtual sphere 91 without any gaps. In other words, in the projection system 1 of this embodiment, the screen 20 is provided in a superhemispherical shape, extending beyond 180 degrees to the lower side, wider than a hemisphere. In the example shown here, the base surface 10 is a horizontal plane, but is not limited to this. The base surface 10 may be inclined from the horizontal, or may be curved or uneven.

[0012] In the projection system 1, an audience sits on an audience stand 30 to watch an image. The surface 31 of the audience stand 30 on which the audience sits is located above the lower edge 21 of the screen 20. The audience stand 30 is located in the center of the virtual sphere 91 in the horizontal direction, that is, inside the screen 20 and spaced apart from the screen 20. In the illustrated example, the audience stand 30 has a disk shape. Thus, in the projection system 1, there is a gap 95 between the screen 20 and the audience stand 30. The height of the audience stand 30 is preferably such that the eye position 88 of an audience 87 on the audience stand 30 is equal to or higher than a horizontal plane 93 passing through a center 92 of the virtual sphere 91. For example, the height of the audience stand 30 is higher than the horizontal plane 93 passing through the center 92 of the virtual sphere 91. The audience stand 30 is supported on the base surface 10 from below by, for example, an audience stand support part 33. A fence or enclosure wall 32 is provided around the periphery of the spectator platform 30, and the fence or enclosure wall 32 restricts the spectators 87 from going outside the spectator platform 30 and also blocks the downward line of sight of the spectators 87 within a predetermined range.

[0013] With the screen 20 and the spectator stand 30 arranged in this way, a spectator 87 on the spectator stand 30 can view images that surround him / her horizontally all around, and vertically from near the bottom edge 21 of the screen 20 below his / her feet to the top 22 of the screen 20 at the zenith. Such surrounding images allow the spectator 87 to feel immersed in the images.

[0014] The spectators 87 can enter the projection system 1 through an entrance provided at the height of the base surface 10, and can climb onto the spectator stand 30 from directly below the spectator stand 30 or from the side of the spectator stand 30 using stairs or an elevator provided from the base surface 10 to the spectator stand support part 33. Alternatively, the projection system 1 may be configured so that the spectators 87 can enter and exit the surface 31 of the spectator stand 30 using a passage extending horizontally from the side of the spectator stand 30, or an elevator extending vertically from above the spectator stand 30, which is connected to the surface 31 of the spectator stand 30 only when entering or exiting.

[0015] The projection system 1 includes a plurality of projectors 61 for projecting images onto the screen 20. The projectors 61 project images onto different areas, and are arranged so that their edges overlap. In the projection system 1, the projector group 50 including the plurality of projectors 61 projects images onto the entire upper surface of the screen 20 from the lower edge 21 without gaps. That is, the plurality of projectors 61 of the projector group 50 project images onto the screen 20 from below a horizontal plane 93 passing through a center 92 of a virtual sphere 91 to a top 94 of the virtual sphere 91 without gaps. Each projector 61 of the projector group 50 is connected to an image control device 71 having a computer. The images projected by each projector 61 are controlled by the image control device 71.

[0016] Here, each projector 61 of the projector group 50 is disposed in a position below the audience platform 30 and not visible to the audience 87. Therefore, the image projected on the screen 20 as seen by the audience 87 is not disturbed by the light of the projector 61, the audience 87 is not distracted by the projector 61 coming into view, and the shadow of the audience 87 is not cast on the image projected by the projector 61.

[0017] The arrangement of the projectors 61 will be further described. The projector group 50 includes a first projector group 51 including at least one projector 61, and a second projector group 52 including at least one projector 61. The projector 61 of the first projector group 51 is configured to project an image onto a first region 81 on the upper side of the screen 20. The projector 61 of the second projector group 52 is configured to project an image onto a second region 82 on the lower side of the screen 20. In the illustrated example, the first projector group 51 and the second projector group 52 each include six projectors 61. The six projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 and the six projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 each project an image onto a region divided into six in the horizontal direction, so that the image is projected 360 degrees in the horizontal direction, all around.

[0018] The projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 are disposed on the base surface 10 in the gap 95 between the screen 20 and the audience stand 30. That is, the projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 are disposed at a position between the screen 20 and the audience stand 30 in the horizontal direction. The first region 81 into which the projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 project images is a region including the top 22 of the screen 20. The projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 can be disposed at a position that is in a blind spot for the audience 87 on the base surface 10 below the audience stand 30 and is horizontally away from the audience stand 30 and closer to the screen 20 side. With this arrangement, the projectors 61 can project images up to the top 22 of the screen 20 without being obstructed by the audience stand 30 or the audience 87.

[0019] The projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 are each disposed below the audience stand 30. The second area 82 onto which the projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 project images is an area below the first area 81. By being disposed below the audience stand 30, the projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 are not visible to the audience 87. Also, by being disposed below the audience stand 30, the projectors 61 can smoothly project images onto the second area 82 below the screen 20, including the portion located below the audience 87.

[0020] The projection system 1 of this embodiment can surround the audience 87 with images all around horizontally and over 180 degrees vertically, providing a viewing environment that gives the audience 87 a sense of immersion in the projected images. Such a projection system 1 can also be applied to a planetarium, for example.

[0021] Dome-shaped or spherical image theaters have been known for some time. For example, images are projected by a plurality of projectors on the entire surface of a hemispherical dome-shaped screen. In such cases, in order to prevent the presence of the audience from interfering with the projection, audience seats are generally provided below the hemispherical screen, and images are projected by projectors from below the hemispherical screen. That is, the audience looks up from below the hemispherical screen. For example, such a configuration is excellent for applications such as planetariums where viewers look up at the starry sky. However, in order to provide an image that gives the audience a greater sense of immersion, it is preferable to cover the audience with images from the zenith to below the audience's eye level.

[0022] As a configuration in which a hemispherical screen exceeding 180 degrees is provided and an image is projected from the zenith to below the eye level of the audience, a configuration in which a hole is drilled in part of the screen and an image is projected from the hole by a projector is also known. In such a configuration, the image can be projected so as to avoid the audience, so projection onto a spherical screen is also possible. However, in such a configuration, the image is interrupted at the hole where the projector is placed, and the audience cannot be surrounded by the image all around. This also prevents the audience from feeling immersed in the image.

[0023] In contrast, according to the projection system 1 of the present embodiment, although the projection is not spherical and there is no projection at the feet, the audience 87 can be surrounded by uninterrupted images in all horizontal directions, in a range of 180 degrees or more from the zenith to below the eye position 88 of the audience 87. The shadow of the audience 87 does not appear in the projected image, and the audience 87 cannot see the projector 61 at all. Therefore, the sense of realism is not lost. The projection system 1 can give the audience 87 a sensation that he has never experienced before by using images with such a wide viewing angle. It can be said that in the projection system 1, the space at the feet of the audience 87, where no image is projected, is appropriately used as a space for arranging the projector 61.

[0024] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described. Here, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an outline of a configuration example of a projection system 2 according to this embodiment. In the projection system 2 of this embodiment, the audience stand 30 is supported on the audience stand support part 33 via a tilt support mechanism 40, which is different from the projection system 1 of the first embodiment.

[0025] The tilt support mechanism 40 includes actuators 41 that support the spectator stand 30 so that it can tilt. The tilt support mechanism 40 is, for example, a mechanism called a Stewart platform, and supports the spectator stand 30 at three points on the bottom surface with a total of six hydraulic actuators 41, two on each side. By controlling the length of each hydraulic actuator 41, the position and attitude of the spectator stand 30 is controlled with a total of six degrees of freedom, including translation along the three axes of x, y, and z, and rotation along the three axes of pitch, roll, and yaw.

[0026] Seats equipped with seat belts are provided on the spectator platform 30. Audience members 87 sit in the seats with their bodies fastened by the seat belts, and watch the images projected on the screen 20.

[0027] The operation of the tilt support mechanism 40 is controlled by an audience stand control device 72. The image control device 71 and the audience stand control device 72 are connected to a control device 73. The control device 73 synchronizes the image projected on the screen 20, which is controlled via the image control device 71, with the movement of the audience stand 30, such as tilt, which is controlled via the audience stand control device 72. The image projected on the screen 20 is tilted in conjunction with the tilt of the audience stand 30, allowing the audience 87 to feel the horizontal gravity vector without being aware of the tilt. In this way, the audience 87 can experience a simulated sense of acceleration and deceleration.

[0028] In the projection system 2, the projector 61 is disposed in a position that is not visible to the audience 87 even when the audience stand 30 is tilted. That is, in the projection system 2, the arrangement of the projector 61, the shape of the screen 20, the maximum tilt angle of the audience stand 30, and the positional relationship between the seats on the audience stand 30 and the fence or enclosure wall 32 are taken into consideration.

[0029] In the projection system 2 of the second embodiment, similarly to the projection system 1 of the first embodiment, images are projected without gaps across the entire surface of the screen 20 by a projector group 50 including a plurality of projectors 61 under the control of an image control device 71. Each projector 61 is disposed at a position below the audience platform 30 and not visible to an audience 87.

[0030] The projector group 50 includes a first projector group 51 and a second projector group 52. The projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 are each disposed at a position in a blind spot for an audience 87 on the base surface 10 of a gap 95 between the screen 20 and the audience platform 30. The projectors 61 of the first projector group 51 project an image onto a first area including the top 22 of the screen 20.

[0031] The projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 are each disposed under the audience platform 30. The projectors 61 of the second projector group 52 project an image onto a second area 82 below the first area 81. In the projection system 1 of the first embodiment, an image is projected by one projector 61 from the lower end of the first area 81 to the lower edge 21 of the screen 20. In contrast, in the projection system 2 of the second embodiment, the second area 82 from the lower end of the first area 81 to the lower edge 21 of the screen 20 is divided into an upper area 82a and a lower area 82b. The second projector group 52 includes an upper projector group 52a and a lower projector group 52b. An image is projected onto the upper area 82a of the second area 82 by the upper projector group 52a of the second projector group 52. Into the lower region 82b of the second area 82, images are projected by the lower projector group 52b of the second projector group 52.

[0032] As in this example, the second area 82 may be divided into any number of areas in the height direction. The projectors 61 that project images into the upper area 82a of the second area 82 may be disposed on the base surface 10 of the gap 95 between the screen 20 and the audience platform 30, similar to the first projector group 51. Thus, in this embodiment and also in the first embodiment described above, the arrangement of the projectors 61 and the area onto which each projector 61 projects an image may be adjusted as appropriate.

[0033] The projection system 2 of this embodiment can also surround the audience 87 with images all around horizontally and over 180 degrees vertically. Furthermore, the projection system 2 of this embodiment can also make the audience 87 feel acceleration. As a result, the projection system 2 can provide the audience 87 with a viewing environment that gives them a high level of immersion.

[0034] Although the present invention has been described above by showing preferred embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0035] For example, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the shape of the screen 20 is not limited to a part of a sphere, but may be a part of an ellipsoid or a distorted shape. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, these shapes are also described as being spherical. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 Projection System 2. Projection System 10 Basic surface 20 Screens 21 Bottom edge 22 Summit 30 Spectator stand 31 sides 32 Fences or enclosures 33 Spectator stand support 40 Tilt support mechanism 41 Actuator 50 Projectors 51 First projector group 52 Second projector group 52a Upper projector group 52b Lower projector group 61 Projector 71 Image control device 72 Spectator stand control device 73 Control device 81 First Area 82 Second Area 82a Upper area 82b Lower area 87 Audience 88 Eye Position 91 Virtual Sphere 92 center 93 Horizontal plane 94 Summit 95 Gap

Claims

1. A base surface is provided below a horizontal plane passing through the center of the virtual sphere; A spherical screen having a lower edge below a horizontal plane passing through the center and provided on the entire inner surface of the imaginary sphere above the lower edge; an audience platform having a surface on which an audience is positioned above the lower edge and positioned inwardly of and spaced apart from the screen; a projector group including a plurality of projectors arranged below the audience platform in a position not visible to the audience and having different projection areas, the plurality of projectors being configured to project images onto the screen without gaps from below a horizontal plane passing through the center to the top of the virtual sphere; Equipped with the projector group includes a first projector group including at least one projector arranged on the base surface at a position between the screen and the audience platform in a horizontal direction and configured to project an image onto a first region including a top portion of the screen; Projection system.

2. 2. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the projector group includes a second projector group including at least one projector arranged below the audience platform and configured to project an image onto a second area below the first area.

3. A base surface is provided below a horizontal plane passing through the center of the virtual sphere; A spherical screen having a lower edge below a horizontal plane passing through the center and provided on the entire inner surface of the imaginary sphere above the lower edge; an audience platform having a surface on which an audience is positioned above the lower edge and positioned inwardly of and spaced apart from the screen; a projector group including a plurality of projectors arranged below the audience platform and invisible to the audience, the plurality of projectors having different projection areas, the projectors being configured to project images onto the screen without gaps from below a horizontal plane passing through the center to the top of the virtual sphere; An actuator that supports the spectator stand in a tiltable manner; a control device that causes the projectors to project images on the screen according to the inclination of the audience platform; Equipped with The projector is disposed at a position where it is not visible to the audience even when the audience platform is tilted. Projection system.

4. 4. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein the audience platform is disposed so that the eyes of the audience are at a height equal to or higher than a horizontal plane passing through the center.

5. 5. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein the audience platform is supported on the base surface from below.

Images