Light irradiation system

Abstract

To improve performance property of light.SOLUTION: A light irradiation system includes: a first light irradiation device having at least one point light source; and a first optical element spaced apart from the point light source by at least a distance direction. The first optical element is configured to emit a linear emission light extending in a first expansion direction by bending or passing so as to expand the incident light incident from one of the point light sources in a first expansion direction. At at least a first observation position and a second observation position, the emission light is observed as bent in a bending direction different from the first expansion direction. A distance between the first optical element and the first observation position in the distance direction is longer than a distance between the first optical element and the second observation position in the distance direction. The bending direction at the first observation position is configured to be different from the bending direction at the second observation position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light irradiation system. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for providing a light effect device capable of locally changing the distance between a lenticular lens and a light source.

[0003] Said light effect device comprises a plate-shaped LED array, and a plate-shaped lenticular lens facing the LED array. The lenticular lens has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the lenticular lens has convex lenses arranged in rows. The distance between the lenticular lens and the LED array varies depending on the position on the lenticular lens. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-102709 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, the above technique still has room for improvement in terms of light performance and the like. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a light irradiation system is provided. This light irradiation system comprises a first light irradiation device including at least one point light source, and a first optical element positioned at least in the distance direction from the point light source. The first optical element is configured to emit linear emitted light extending along a first expansion direction by refracting or transmitting incident light incident from one of the point light sources so as to expand in a first expansion direction. The emitted light is observed to bend in a bending direction different from the first expansion direction at at least a first and a second observation position. The distance between the first optical element and the first observation position in the distance direction is longer than the distance between the first optical element and the second observation position in the distance direction. The bending direction at the first observation position is configured to be different from the bending direction at the second observation position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the light irradiation system 1. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view of the light irradiation system 1 shown above, viewed from above. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a side view of the light irradiation system 1 shown, viewed from the left and right directions. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an enlarged side view of the first optical element 3. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the second light irradiation device 4. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 5. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the functional components of the processor 53. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the light L2 emitted from a single point light source 22 and the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. [Figure 9] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10]This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 8. [Figure 11] This is a photographic diagram showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1. [Figure 12] This is a photographic diagram showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the relationship between the emitted light L2 from multiple point light sources 22 and the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. [Figure 14] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 13. [Figure 16] Figure 14 is a photographic image showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown. [Figure 17] This is a photograph of the region to the left of the observer OB1's perspective, from the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 14. [Figure 18] This is a photograph of the region to the right as seen from observer OB1, of the observed emission light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 14. [Figure 19] This is an example of a series of images displayed across multiple display units 21. [Figure 20] Figure 19 is a photographic image showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown. [Figure 21] This is a photograph of the central region as seen from observer OB1, from the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19. [Figure 22] This is a photographic image of the region to the left of the observer OB1's perspective, from the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19. [Figure 23]It is a photographic diagram of a region on the right side as viewed from the observer OB1 among the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation condition shown in Fig. 19. [Figure 24] It is a continuous image obtained by applying a Bloom filter to the continuous image of Fig. 19. [Figure 25] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 24 at the first observation position P1. [Figure 26] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 24 at the second observation position P2. [Figure 27] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 24 at the second observation position P2. [Figure 28] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 24 at the second observation position P2. [Figure 29] It is a continuous image configured to continuously move a point group simulating artificial life. [Figure 30] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 29 at the first observation position P1 and its temporal change. [Figure 31] It is a photographic diagram showing the observation result of the continuous image shown in Fig. 29 at the second observation position P2 and its temporal change. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various characteristic features shown in the embodiments described below can be combined with each other.

[0009] Incidentally, the program for implementing the software appearing in the present embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium that can be read by a computer, may be provided to be downloadable from an external server, or may be provided such that the program is run on an external computer to implement the function at a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0010] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "part" may include, for example, hardware resources implemented by circuits in a broad sense, and the information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, various types of information are handled in this embodiment, and these types of information can be represented, for example, by the physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, the high or low values ​​of signal values ​​as a set of binary bits composed of 0s or 1s, or by quantum superposition (so-called qubits), and communication and calculations can be performed on circuits in a broad sense.

[0011] Furthermore, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by combining at least a suitable combination of circuits, circuits, processors, and memory. In other words, it includes application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), etc.

[0012] 1. Overview of the light irradiation system This section describes the overview of the light irradiation system 1. For the sake of explanation, the direction from observer OB1 toward the light irradiation system 1 will be referred to as the front-to-back direction, and the directions perpendicular to this front-to-back direction, relative to observer OB1, will be referred to as the up-down direction and the left-to-right direction.

[0013] <Light Bed System 1> Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the light irradiation system 1. Figure 2 is a plan view of the light irradiation system 1 shown in Figure 1, viewed from above and below. Figure 3 is a side view of the light irradiation system 1 shown in Figure 1, viewed from left and right. Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of the first optical element 3 shown in Figure 1. The light irradiation system 1 is configured to produce fantastical images by emitting light towards the user. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the light irradiation system 1 comprises a first light irradiation device 2, a first optical element 3, a second light irradiation device 4, and an information processing device 5.

[0014] <First light irradiation device 2> The first light irradiation device 2 is configured to irradiate the first optical element 3 with light. In this embodiment, it includes a plurality of display units 21. Each of the display units 21 is arranged in an arc shape relative to the others. The first light irradiation device 2 can display various images across the plurality of display units 21 by controlling the light emission patterns of these point light sources 22. The image may be a still image or a moving image whose display content changes over time. The image is a continuous image whose display content changes continuously over time. Each of the display units 21 includes at least one (or a plurality in this embodiment) point light sources 22.

[0015] <Point light source 22> Each of the point light sources 22 emits incident light L1 toward the first optical element 3, which will be described later. Note that the point light sources 22 are not limited to a single light source, but may be configured as an assembly of multiple light sources. The point light sources 22 in this embodiment are a light source assembly comprising three LED light sources of red, green, and blue colors, and an emission control unit (e.g., a liquid crystal) for controlling the emission manner of the incident light L1 from the LED light sources. The point light sources 22 are arranged periodically in two dimensions within the plane formed by the display unit 21. In this way, the display unit 21 functions as an LED array including multiple point light sources 22.

[0016] <First optical element 3> The first optical element 3 is configured to emit linear emitted light L2 extending along the first expansion direction D1 by refracting or transmitting incident light L1 incident from one of the point light sources 22 so as to expand in a first expansion direction D1. The first optical element 3 includes a flat lenticular lens. More specifically, the first optical element 3 is a flat lenticular lens whose normal direction includes the distance direction D0. The first optical element 3 is positioned at least in the distance direction D0 away from the first light irradiation device 2 which includes the point light sources 22. In this embodiment, the first optical element 3 faces the display unit 21 which is arranged in an arc shape. As a result, at least some of the multiple point light sources 22 are at different distances from the first optical element 3 in the distance direction D0. The first optical element 3 comprises an incident surface 31 and an emitted surface 32.

[0017] <Incidence plane 31> The incident surface 31 is the surface to which incident light L1 from the first light irradiation device 2 is incident, and it faces the first light irradiation device 2 in the distance direction D0. In this embodiment, the incident surface 31 is formed by a plurality of convex cylindrical lenses. The cylindrical lenses extend perpendicular to the first magnification direction D1. The plurality of cylindrical lenses are arranged periodically in the first magnification direction D1, thereby configuring the incident light L1 incident on the incident surface 31 to be magnified in the first magnification direction D1. For the sake of explanation, the direction perpendicular to the first magnification direction D1 on the incident surface 31 will be referred to as the extension direction Dy. The extension direction Dy is perpendicular to the distance direction D0 in this embodiment. The first magnification direction D1 and the extension direction Dy define the plane of the first optical element 3. In this embodiment, the distance direction D0 is the front-to-back direction for the observer OB1, the first expansion direction D1 is the up-and-down direction for the observer OB1, and the extension direction Dy is the left-to-right direction for the observer OB1.

[0018] <Injection surface 32> The emission surface 32 is the surface from which the refracted or transmitted incident light L1 is emitted, and is located opposite the incident surface 31 in the thickness direction of the first optical element 3. In this embodiment, the emission surface 32 is formed in a planar shape. As a result, the incident light L1, which has been amplified in the first augmentation direction D1 by the incident surface 31, is emitted from the emission surface 32 as emitted light L2, which has been augmented in the first augmentation direction D1. In this embodiment, the thickness direction is treated as coinciding with the distance direction D0, but the thickness direction may differ from the distance direction D0. The emission surface 32 is configured to face the observer OB1. As a result, the emitted light L2 emitted from the emission surface 32 can be observed by the observer OB1 located at least at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. Details of these observation positions and the emitted light L2 observed at each observation position will be described later.

[0019] The width of the first optical element 3 in the first expansion direction D1 is the width of the first optical element 3 in the first expansion direction D1 Light irradiation device 2 The width is longer than the width of the first optical element 3. More specifically, the width of the first optical element 3 is longer than the width of the area (display section 21) where the point light source 22 is located in the first magnification direction D1. In this embodiment, the width of the first optical element 3 in the first magnification direction D1 is arbitrary, but specifically, for example, it is 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300 cm, and may be within the range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here. In particular, the width of the first optical element 3 in the first magnification direction D1 is preferably longer than the distance between the line of sight of the observer OB1 and the ground surface, specifically, for example, it is 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2 times the distance between the line of sight of the observer OB1 and the ground surface, and may be within the range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first light irradiation device 2 and the first optical element 3 are arranged symmetrically in the extending direction Dy. This enhances the visual effect produced by the emitted light L2.

[0021] The installation method of the first optical element 3 is arbitrary; it may be installed on the floor, on the ceiling or wall, or it may be configured to be movable by being attached to casters or the like.

[0022] <Second light irradiation device 4> The second light irradiator 4 is positioned between at least one of the point light sources 22 and the first optical element 3, and is configured to irradiate the first optical element 3 with light separately from the first light irradiator 2. In detail, the second light irradiator 4 is positioned so as to be covered by the first light irradiator 2, which is arranged in an arc shape. This allows the second light irradiator 4 to block a portion of the incident light L1 emitted from the first light irradiator 2 toward the first optical element 3, while irradiating the first optical element 3 with light different from the incident light L1, thereby enhancing the effect of the emitted light L2 observed by the user through the first optical element 3 from the second light irradiator 4. For the sake of explanation, the light irradiated from the second light irradiator 4 toward the first optical element 3 will be referred to as effect light L3 to distinguish it from the incident light L1. The incident light L1 and the effect light L3 will be incident on the first optical element 3 in a superimposed state. The second light irradiation device 4 of this embodiment is configured to be rotatable. As a result, the irradiation pattern of the performance light L3 changes according to the rotation, which further enhances the performance of the light emitted from the first optical element 3.

[0023] 2. Details of the second light irradiation device 4 This section will provide a detailed description of the second light irradiation device 4 described in the previous section. Note that the second light irradiation device 4 described here is merely an example and is not the only one.

[0024] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the second light irradiation device 4. The second light irradiation device 4 in this embodiment comprises a support column 41, at least one effect light source 42 different from the point light source 22, a second optical element 43, and a rotating part 44. In this embodiment, the second light irradiation device 4 comprises three effect light sources 42 and three second optical elements 43 corresponding to each of the three effect light sources 42.

[0025] <Strut part 41> The support column 41 is configured to accommodate the light source 42, which will be described later, and serves as the rotational axis of the second light irradiation device 4. The shape of the support column 41 can be arbitrary, such as a prism, cylinder, pyramid, or cone, but in this embodiment it is cylindrical, extending in the first expansion direction D1.

[0026] <Production light source 42> Each of the light sources 42 is composed of multiple point light sources, similar to, for example, the point light source 22. The light sources 42 extend along the first expansion direction D1. In this embodiment, the light sources 42 are composed of multiple point light sources arranged in a line along the first expansion direction D1. The multiple light sources 42 are arranged at equal intervals from each other in the circumferential direction of the support column 41. In this embodiment, the three light sources 42 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the support column 41 at intervals of 120 degrees around the rotation axis of the support column 41. In other words, the light sources 42 comprises a first light source and a second light source extending along the first expansion direction D1, and the first and second light sources are arranged to emit light in different directions from each other.

[0027] <Second optical element 43> The second optical element 43 is configured to magnify the light incident from the performance light source 42 (i.e., performance light L3) in a second magnification direction D2 that is different from the first magnification direction D1. As a result, the performance light L3 is first magnified in the second magnification direction D2 by the second optical element 43, and then further magnified in the first magnification direction D1 by the first optical element 3. Therefore, the light from the point source of the performance light source 42 can be observed by the observer OB1 in a higher-dimensional manner, such as a plane or a three-dimensional object. In this embodiment, the second magnification direction D2 is different for each second optical element 43 corresponding to each of the multiple performance light sources 42. As a result, the magnification pattern of the performance light L3 changes with the operation of the rotating part 44, which will be described later, and the performance effect of the light produced by the rotation of the rotating part 44 can be further enhanced. The second optical element 43 in this embodiment includes a lenticular lens. The lenticular lens is curved in an arc shape according to the shape of the support column 41. Each lenticular lens is positioned in front of each of the multiple performance light sources 42. Adjacent lenticular lenses are connected or bonded to each other, thereby forming the entire lenticular lens into a cylindrical shape that surrounds the circumferential surface of the support column 41.

[0028] <Rotating part 44> The rotating unit 44 is configured to rotate the light source 42 about a rotation axis that extends along the first expansion direction D1. This configures the first and second light sources included in the multiple light sources 42 to move as a result of the rotation of the rotating unit 44. The power source for the rotating unit 44 is arbitrary and may be human power or power from an external power supply. The rotational operation of the rotating unit 44 may be controlled by an information processing device 5 or the like, which will be described later. In this case, the rotating unit 44 may be equipped with a rotation drive unit such as a pulse motor. This makes it possible to enhance the effect of light by coordinating the operation of the rotating unit 44 with the display content of the first light illumination device 2, for example, between the first light illumination device 2 and the second light illumination device 4.

[0029] 3. Example of hardware configuration of the information processing device 5 <Information Processing Device 5> The information processing device 5 is configured to control any device included in the light irradiation system 1 in response to user operations, etc. For example, the information processing device 5 is configured to control the light emission mode of the point light source 22, the light emission mode of the effect light source 42, the driving mode of the rotating unit 44, etc. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 5. The information processing device 5 comprises a communication unit 51, a storage unit 52, a processor 53, a display unit 54, and an HMI device 55, and these components are electrically connected within the information processing device 5 via a communication bus 50. Each component will be described further.

[0030] The communication unit 51 preferably uses wired communication methods such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt®, and wired LAN network communication, but may also include wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 3G / LTE / 5G, and Bluetooth® communication as needed. In other words, it is more preferable to implement it as a collection of these multiple communication methods. That is, the information processing device 5 may communicate various information from the outside via the communication unit 51 and the network.

[0031] The storage unit 52 stores various types of information as defined above. This can be done, for example, as a storage device such as a solid-state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the information processing device 5 executed by the processor 53, or as memory such as random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily necessary information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. The storage unit 52 stores various programs and variables related to the information processing device 5 executed by the processor 53.

[0032] The processor 53 performs processing and control of the overall operation related to the information processing device 5. The processor 53 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The processor 53 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 5 by reading predetermined programs stored in the memory unit 52. That is, information processing by software stored in the memory unit 52 is concretely realized by the processor 53, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the processor 53. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the processor 53 is not limited to being a single unit, and may be implemented with multiple processors 53 for each function, or a combination thereof.

[0033] The display unit 54 is configured to display various information to the user. It may be included in the housing of the information processing device 5 or it may be an external unit. The display unit 54 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that the user can operate. This is preferably done by using different display devices such as CRT displays, liquid crystal displays, organic EL displays, and plasma displays depending on the type of information processing device 5.

[0034] The HMI device 55 is a human-machine interface device. The HMI device 55 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 5 or it may be external. For example, the HMI device 55 may be implemented as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 54. If it is a touch panel, the user can input tap operations, swipe operations, etc. Of course, instead of a touch panel, a switch button, mouse, QWERTY keyboard, voice recognition device, gesture detection device, gaze detection device, biosignal detection device, imaging device, etc. may be used. In other words, the HMI device 55 receives operation input made by the user. In response, the HMI device 55 transmits a signal corresponding to the operation input to the processor 53 via the communication bus 50. The processor 53 can perform predetermined controls and calculations as needed. The HMI device 55 can also be said to include an input unit configured to accept input from the user.

[0035] 4. Functional configuration of the information processing device 5 Figure 7 shows an example of the functional units of the processor 53. As shown in Figure 7, the processor 53 includes an acquisition unit 531, a display control unit 532, and a rotation control unit 533. This section will describe the outline of these functional units. Details of each functional unit will be explained later in conjunction with the information processing described below.

[0036] The acquisition unit 531 is configured to acquire information from user input or from other devices. For example, the acquisition unit 531 acquires the user's input for content to be displayed on the display unit 21 and the content of the image displayed on the display unit 21. The acquisition unit 531 is configured to acquire various information by reading various information stored in the storage area, which is at least a part of the memory unit 52, and writing the read information to the work area, which is at least a part of the memory unit 52. The storage area is, for example, the area of ​​the memory unit 52 that is implemented as a storage device such as an SSD. The work area is, for example, the area that is implemented as memory such as RAM. The acquisition by the acquisition unit 531 includes acquiring the output results of each functional unit included in the processor 53.

[0037] The display control unit 532 can present various images to the user via the display unit 21 of the first light illumination device 2 or the light source 42 of the second light illumination device 4. In such a case, for example, the display control unit 532 controls the display unit 21 of the first light illumination device 2 to display visual information such as images including screens, still images or moving images, icons, and messages. The display control unit 532 may generate only rendering information for displaying the visual information on the display unit 21.

[0038] The rotation control unit 533 is configured to control the rotational movement of the rotating unit 44 based on information acquired by the acquisition unit 531. For example, the rotation control unit 533 rotates the rotating unit 44 based on an image displayed on the display unit 21, thereby changing the emission pattern of the special effect light L3 from the second light irradiation device 4.

[0039] 5. Details of the emitted light L2 from the light irradiation system 1. This section will provide a detailed explanation of the emitted light L2 that is directed from the light irradiation system 1, as described in the previous sections, toward the observer OB1.

[0040] 5.1. Observation method of emitted light L2 from a single point light source 22 First, we will describe the observation method of the light L2 emitted from a single point light source 22 at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the light L2 emitted from a single point light source 22 and the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. The distance d1 between the first optical element 3 and the first observation position P1 in the distance direction D0 is longer than the distance d2 between the first optical element 3 and the second observation position P2 in the distance direction D0. Hereafter, for the sake of explanation, we will refer to distance d1 as the first observation distance d1 and distance d2 as the second observation distance d2. The first observation distance d1 and the second observation distance d2 can be appropriately determined according to the distance d0 between the point light source 22 and the first optical element 3 in the distance direction D0, and the azimuth angle θ from each observation position to the point light source 22. The azimuth angle θ represents how much the direction from each observation position toward the point light source 22 (in other words, the direction of the emitted light L2 toward the observation position) is tilted in the left-right direction (extension direction Dy) with respect to the distance direction D0.

[0041] Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 8.

[0042] The bending direction D3 described below refers to the direction in which the incident light L1 from the point light source 22, which is linearly expanded in the first expansion direction D1, bends relative to the first expansion direction D1. In this embodiment, the bending direction D3 is approximately perpendicular to the first expansion direction D1 and aligns with the extension direction Dy. For the sake of explanation in this embodiment, when the emitted light L2 bends away from the observer OB1 relative to the straight line along the incident light L1, it is said that the emitted light L2 is bending in the positive bending direction D3, and when the emitted light L2 bends towards the observer OB1 relative to the straight line along the incident light L1, it is said that the emitted light L2 is bending in the negative bending direction D3. In other words, the positive bending direction D3 is the direction from the center of the first optical element 3 toward the outer edge of the extension direction Dy, and the negative bending direction D3 is the direction from the outer edge of the extension direction Dy of the first optical element 3 toward the center of the first optical element 3.

[0043] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2 extends linearly in the first expansion direction D1. Furthermore, the emitted light L2 is observed to bend in a bending direction D3 different from the first expansion direction D1 at least at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. As a result, observer OB1 can observe linear emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2 such that at least a portion of it is convex in the positive bending direction D3 or the negative bending direction D3.

[0044] Here, as shown in Figure 9, the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 bends from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the first expansion direction D1, and bends from the outer edge to the center of the first optical element 3 in the extension direction Dy. As a result, the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 is observed to bend in a smooth convex shape toward the positive bending direction D3. In other words, the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 is bent toward the positive bending direction D3.

[0045] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 10, the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 bends from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the first expansion direction D1, and also bends from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the extension direction Dy. As a result, the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 is observed to bend in a smooth convex shape toward the negative bending direction D3. That is, the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 bends toward the positive bending direction D3. Therefore, the bending direction D3 at the first observation position P1 is configured to be different from the bending direction D3 at the second observation position P2.

[0046] Figure 11 is a photographic image showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1. In this case, the first observation distance d1 is longer than 70 cm and greater than 1 m. Figure 12 is a photographic image showing the observation results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2. In this case, the second observation distance d2 is approximately 70 cm. One of the point light sources 22 included in the display unit 21 emits white incident light L1. From Figures 11 and 12, it can be seen that, as an overall trend, the emitted light L2 is observed to bend in a positive bending direction D3 at the first observation position P1, and the emitted light L2 is observed to bend in a negative bending direction D3 at the second observation position P2. It should be noted that this is merely an overall trend of the emitted light L2 being observed to bend in the bending direction D3 as described above, and there is a possibility that it may bend in the opposite bending direction D3 in some parts.

[0047] 5.2. Observation methods of emitted light L2 from multiple point light sources 22 and effect light sources 42 Next, the observation method of the emitted light L2 from the multiple point light sources 22 at the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2 will be described. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the emitted light L2 from the multiple point light sources 22 and the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. The display control unit 532 causes the multiple point light sources 22 to emit white light to represent points arranged at equal intervals on the arc-shaped display unit 21. The display control unit 532 also emits light from the effect light source 42. As a result, the incident light L1 from each of the multiple point light sources 22 and the effect light L3 from the first light irradiation device 2 are incident on the first optical element 3. Note that the relationship between the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2 in this section is the same as that between the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2 in the previous section, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0048] Figure 14 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 13. Figure 15 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the emitted light L2 observed at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 13.

[0049] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, incident light L1 from multiple point light sources 22 and effect light L3 from effect light source 42 are emitted from the first optical element 3 toward the observer OB1 as linear emitted light L2 extending along the first expansion direction D1. At this time, the emitted light L2, which is the expanded effect light L3, is observed near the center of the first optical element 3 in the extension direction Dy. For the sake of explanation, the emitted light L2, which is the expanded incident light L1, will be referred to as the first emitted light L21, and the emitted light L2, which is the expanded effect light L3, will be referred to as the second emitted light L22. The brightness of the second emitted light L22 is higher than that of the first emitted light L21. This is because the effect light sources 42 are arranged along the first expansion direction D1, and the expanded light reinforces each other. Also, the second emitted light L22 is thicker than the first emitted light L21. This is because the second expansion direction D2 of the second optical element 43 extends in a different direction from the first expansion direction D1 of the first optical element 3, causing the effect light L3 to be incident on the first optical element 3 in an expanded state in the extension direction Dy. Due to the presence of this second emitted light L22, the second emitted light L22 is more likely to attract the observer OB1's line of sight compared to the first emitted light L21, thereby enhancing the sense of security provided by a fixed viewpoint.

[0050] As shown in Figure 14, the first emitted light L21 observed at the first observation position P1 is in the positive bending direction D3 (That is, the direction toward the central second emitted light L22) It bends in such a way that it forms a convex shape that protrudes from the center outward from the center of the first optical element 3. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 15, the first emitted light L21 observed at the second observation position P2 is in the negative bending direction D3 (That is, the direction away from the central second emitted light L22) It bends in such a way that it forms a convex shape that protrudes from the outer edge of the first optical element 3 toward the center.

[0051] The degree of bending of these emitted light L2 increases from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the extending direction Dy. In other words, as the angle of incidence of the incident light L1 to the incident surface 31 increases, the degree of bending of the emitted light L2 increases. This is because the first light irradiation device 2 has multiple point light sources 22 located at different positions in the extending direction Dy. With this configuration, the visual effects of light can be further enhanced.

[0052] Also, Figure 1 4 As shown in Figure 15, the length of the emitted light L2 in the first expansion direction D1 decreases from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the extension direction Dy. This phenomenon occurs because the light irradiation system 1 is arranged in an arc shape. As the distance in the distance direction D0 between the point light source 22 and the first optical element 3 decreases, the magnification ratio in the first expansion direction D1 by the first optical element 3 decreases. In other words, as the distance in the distance direction D0 between the point light source 22 and the first optical element 3 decreases, the field of view of the lenticular lens narrows. By providing the first light irradiation device 2 with multiple point light sources 22 at different distances from the first optical element 3 in the distance direction D0, it is possible to create more dynamic lighting effects using this relationship between distance and magnification ratio.

[0053] Figure 16 is a photographic image showing the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 14. Figure 17 is a photographic image of the region to the left as seen from observer OB1 among the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 14. Figure 18 is a photographic image of the region to the right as seen from observer OB1 among the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the observation results at the second observation position P2 only capture a portion of the displayed content due to the field of view, but the overall image is the same as that shown in Figure 15. One of the point light sources 22 included in the display unit 21 emits white incident light L1. It can be seen that the degree of bending of the outermost first emitted light L21 in the extending direction Dy is particularly large compared to the degree of bending of the other first emitted light L21.

[0054] 5.3. Observation method of emitted light L2 when a continuous image is displayed on the display unit 21. In the previous section, we described the observation method of emitted light L2 when the point light source 22 emits light in such a way that it shows white points separated at equal intervals. In this section, we will describe the observation method of emitted light L2 when the point light source 22 emits light in such a way that it shows a continuous image as a whole. In this case, the incident light L1 from each point light source 22 is amplified and emitted as a linear first emitted light L21, but the observer OB1 may not be able to distinguish between the first emitted light L21 from each individual incident light L1.

[0055] Figure 19 is an example of a continuous image displayed across multiple display units 21. The display control unit 532 controls the display content of the display unit 21 by emphasizing the emission patterns of individual point light sources 22 included in the display unit 21 so that the display content of the display unit 21 takes the form of a continuous linear pattern colored by a continuous gradient of white, yellow, blue, green, etc., against a black background (i.e., a non-emitting point light source 22). The display control unit 532 continuously changes the shape and gradient of such linear patterns over time according to a predetermined algorithm, thereby continuously displaying an image like the one shown in Figure 19 on the display unit 21. Preferably, the continuous image is configured so that the displayed object moves or deforms continuously. This reduces the burden on the observer OB1 caused by rapid changes in the displayed content and allows for a more relaxing light effect. The display control unit 532 also emits light from the effect light source 42, as in the previous section. At this time, the rotation control unit 533 rotates the rotation unit 44 at a constant speed. This rotation speed is slower than the rate of change of the image on the display unit 21.

[0056] Figure 20 is a photographic image showing the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the first observation position P1 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19. Figure 21 is a photographic image of the central region as seen from observer OB1 among the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19. Figure 22 is a photographic image of the left region as seen from observer OB1 among the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19. Figure 23 is a photographic image of the right region as seen from observer OB1 among the observed results of the emitted light L2 at the second observation position P2 under the observation conditions shown in Figure 19.

[0057] As shown in Figure 20, at the first observation position P1, the observer OB1 can grasp the overall picture of the emitted light L2 projected onto the first optical element 3, making it easier to objectively understand the display content of the display unit 21 illuminated through the first optical element 3.

[0058] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 21, the incident light L1 from the point light source 22 located behind the second light irradiator 4 relative to the first optical element 3 is blocked by the first optical element 3. Therefore, as shown in Figure 21, the second emitted light L22 is emitted from the central part of the first optical element 3, and the first emitted light L21 is less likely to be emitted around it. Thus, by placing the second light irradiator 4 between the first light irradiator 2 and the first optical element 3, it is possible to create a performance where the light source 42 is more likely to attract the attention of the observer OB1.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, at the second observation position P2, the image is observed in an enlarged state such that the first emitted light L21 bends in a negative bending direction D3 as it moves from the center to the outer edge of the first optical element 3 in the extending direction Dy. At the second observation position P2, the observer OB1 sees the emitted light L2 projected onto the first optical element 3 spread out in front of their eyes, and only a portion of the display content of the display unit 21 illuminated through the first optical element 3 is visible. Therefore, the light irradiation system 1 can use the emitted light L2 to create what is known as an "unspeakable image," which is difficult to objectively describe in words.

[0060] 6. Others The above-described method of information processing is merely an example and is not limited to it.

[0061] The sequential images displayed on the display unit 21 are not limited to those described above, but may also be, for example, the sequential images shown in Figure 24. Figure 24 is a sequential image obtained by applying a Bloom filter to the sequential image in Figure 19. Figure 25 is a photographic image showing the observation results of the sequential image shown in Figure 24 at the first observation position P1. Figures 26 to 28 are photographic images showing the observation results of the sequential image shown in Figure 24 at the second observation position P2. Figure 26 corresponds to the observation results of the center of the first optical element 3, Figure 27 to the left side of the first optical element 3, and Figure 28 to the right side of the first optical element 3.

[0062] Another example of the display content of the display unit 21 is the continuous image shown in Figure 29. Figure 29 is a continuous image configured to continuously move a point cloud that mimics artificial life. The rate of change of the continuous image shown in Figure 29 is greater than that of the continuous image shown in Figure 19 or Figure 24. Figure 30 is a photograph showing the observation results of the continuous image shown in Figure 29 at the first observation position P1 and its change over time. Figure 31 is a photograph showing the observation results of the continuous image shown in Figure 29 at the second observation position P2 and its change over time.

[0063] The display control unit 532 may be configured to switch between images based on the user's selection of images acquired by the acquisition unit 531. The display control unit 532 may also adjust the rate of change of the continuous images according to the user's selection. This allows the user to express the psychological portrayal they wish to convey to the observer OB1 with less burden compared to changing the entire image.

[0064] The point light source 22 is not limited to a light source assembly including an LED light source, but can be any light source, such as a light source that emits light by discharge (mercury lamp, fluorescent lamp, etc.) or a laser light source that emits light by laser. The point is that the first optical element 3 can amplify the incident light L1 from the point light source 22 in the first amplification direction D1.

[0065] The arrangement of the display unit 21 is not limited to an arc shape and can be arbitrary; for example, it may be arranged in a straight line. In other words, the distance between each of the multiple point light sources 22 and the first optical element 3 is arbitrary.

[0066] The first optical element 3 is not limited to a flat lenticular lens, but can be any optical element that magnifies the incident light L1 in a first magnification direction D1 such that the bending direction D3 differs between the first observation position P1 and the second observation position P2. For example, the first optical element 3 may be a cylindrical lens with an exit surface 32 formed in a concave lens shape. Furthermore, the shape of the first optical element 3 is not limited to a flat shape, but may be continuously bent in the distance direction D0. In addition, the first optical element 3 may be composed of a combination of multiple lenticular lenses.

[0067] The information processing device 5 may be on-premise or in a cloud-based configuration. In the case of a cloud-based information processing device 5, for example, the above-mentioned functions and processing may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 5 performed various storage and control functions, but instead of the information processing device 5, multiple external devices may be used. That is, various information and programs may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple external devices using blockchain technology or the like.

[0069] The light irradiation system 1 does not necessarily have to include an information processing device 5. In this case, the first light irradiation device 2 and the second light irradiation device 4, etc., may be controlled by external equipment not included in the light irradiation system 1.

[0070] The above-mentioned light irradiation system 1 may be provided in any of the following embodiments.

[0071] (1) A light irradiation system comprising a first light irradiation device including at least one point light source, and a first optical element positioned at least in the distance direction from the point light source, wherein the first optical element is configured to emit linear emitted light extending along the first expansion direction by refracting or transmitting incident light incident from one of the point light sources so as to expand in a first expansion direction, wherein the emitted light is observed to bend in a bending direction different from the first expansion direction at at least a first observation position and a second observation position, the distance between the first optical element and the first observation position in the distance direction is longer than the distance between the first optical element and the second observation position in the distance direction, and the bending direction at the first observation position is configured to be different from the bending direction at the second observation position.

[0072] With this configuration, even if the same light is irradiated from the light source, the shape of the emitted light can be changed by changing the observation position relative to the first optical element. For example, by moving from the first observation position to the second observation position, the bending direction of the observed emitted light changes according to the observation position. Therefore, the visual effects of light can be enhanced.

[0073] (2) In the light irradiation system described in (1) above, the first optical element includes a flat lenticular lens.

[0074] This configuration allows optical elements to be used like a screen, further enhancing the visual effects of light.

[0075] (3) The light irradiation system described in (1) or (2) above, comprising a plurality of point light sources that are at different distances from the first optical element in the distance direction.

[0076] With this configuration, incident light from multiple point light sources is magnified at different magnifications depending on the distance to the first optical element. As a result, the shape of the emitted light observed at each observation position differs between the incident light from the first point light source and the incident light from the second point light source. Therefore, the first optical element can emit emitted light of a wider variety of shapes, further enhancing the visual effects of light.

[0077] (4) A light irradiation system according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further comprising a second light irradiation device disposed between the first light irradiation device and the first optical element, wherein the first light irradiation device comprises at least one effect light source different from the point light source, and the effect light source extends along the first expansion direction.

[0078] With this configuration, the light from the light source for the special effect enters the first optical element and is observed as emitted light at both the first and second observation positions. At this time, because the light source for the special effect extends along the first expansion direction, the light from the light source for the special effect reinforces each other as emitted light. Therefore, the emitted light from the light source for the special effect is more likely to be observed with a stronger brightness at each observation position compared to emitted light from other point light sources, and thus the emitted light from the light source for the special effect is more likely to attract the observer's gaze compared to other light sources. Consequently, it becomes easier to create a stable and focused light effect.

[0079] (5) In the light irradiation system described in (4) above, the second light irradiation device comprises a second optical element, the second optical element is configured to amplify the light incident from the light source in a second amplification direction different from the first amplification direction.

[0080] With this configuration, the light from the light source is first amplified in a second expansion direction by a second optical element, and then further amplified in a first expansion direction. As a result, the thickness of the light from the light source in the second expansion direction increases, making the light from the light source more easily noticed by the observer. Therefore, it becomes easier to create a more focused and stable lighting effect.

[0081] (6) In the light irradiation system described in (5) above, the second light irradiation device further comprises a rotating part, the rotating part is configured to rotate the light source about a rotation axis extending along the first expansion direction.

[0082] With this configuration, the direction of light amplification from the second optical element's light source is maintained, while the rotation of the light source changes the appearance of the emitted light from the first optical element. Therefore, the visual effects of the light can be further improved.

[0083] (7) In the light irradiation system described in (6) above, the light source comprises a first light source and a second light source extending along the first expansion direction, wherein the first light source and the second light source are arranged to emit light in different directions from each other and are configured to move by the rotation of the rotating part.

[0084] With this configuration, the pattern of light emitted from the light irradiation device changes as the rotating part rotates, which further enhances the visual effects of the light. Of course, this is not always the case.

[0085] Finally, while various embodiments relating to this disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in a variety of 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 spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1: Light irradiation system 2: First light irradiation device 20: Communications bus 21:Display section 22: Point light source 3: First optical element 30: Communications bus 31:Incidence plane 32: Injection surface 4: Second light irradiation device 41: Strut part 42: Production light source 43: Second optical element 44: Rotating part 5: Information Processing Device 51: Communications Department 52: Storage section 53: Processor 54:Display section 55: HMI devices 531: Acquisition Department 532: Display Control Unit 533: Rotation control unit D0: Distance direction D1: First expansion direction D2: Second expansion direction D3: Bending direction Dy: Extending direction L1: Incident light L2:Emission light L21: First emitted light L22: Second emitted light L3: Stage lighting OB1: Observer P1: First observation position P2: Second observation position d0: distance d1: First observation distance d2: Second observation distance θ:Azimuth

Claims

1. A light irradiation system, The first light illumination device includes at least one point light source, and a first optical element is positioned at least a distance away from the point light source. The first optical element is configured to emit linear emitted light extending along the first expansion direction by refracting or transmitting incident light incident from one of the point light sources so as to expand it in a first expansion direction, wherein the first optical element is positioned such that, at least at the first and second observation positions, the emitted light is observed to bend in a bending direction different from the first expansion direction, by covering the observer's field of view toward the point light source at the first observation position. The distance between the first optical element and the first observation position in the distance direction is longer than the distance between the first optical element and the second observation position in the distance direction. The second observation position is set such that the direction of bending of the emitted light at the second observation position is reversed with respect to the direction of bending of the emitted light at the first observation position.

2. In the light irradiation system according to claim 1, The first optical element includes a flat lenticular lens.

3. In the light irradiation system according to claim 1, The device comprises a plurality of point light sources, each having a different distance from the first optical element in the distance direction.

4. In the light irradiation system according to claim 1, Furthermore, the system includes a second light irradiation device positioned between the first light irradiation device and the first optical element, The second light irradiation device comprises at least one light source different from the point light source, The aforementioned light source for the effects extends along the first expansion direction.

5. In the light irradiation system according to claim 4, The second light irradiation device comprises a second optical element, The second optical element is configured to amplify the light incident from the light source in a second amplification direction different from the first amplification direction.

6. In the light irradiation system according to claim 5, The aforementioned second light irradiation device further includes a rotating part, The rotating part is configured to rotate the light source about a rotation axis that extends along the first expansion direction.

7. In the light irradiation system according to claim 6, The aforementioned light source for the effects comprises a first light source and a second light source for the effects, extending along the first expansion direction. The first and second light sources are arranged to emit light in different directions from each other and are configured to move by the rotation of the rotating part.

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