Floating imaging apparatus and terminal device

Abstract

A floating imaging apparatus (100), comprising a display light source (10), a transflective element (20), and a retroreflective assembly (30). The transflective element (20) is used for emitting light from the display light source (10) to the retroreflective assembly (30) in a first manner, and emitting, in a second manner, light emitted from the retroreflective assembly (30) to the transflective element (20) and forming an object image, wherein the first and second manners are a combination of reflection and transmission. The retroreflective assembly (30) comprises a retroreflective element (31) and a light control element (32), wherein the light control element (32) emits light emitted to the retroreflective assembly (30) to the retroreflective element (31) in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light control element (32), and then emits the light from the retroreflective element (31) to the light control element (32).

Description

Suspended imaging device and terminal equipment CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311645970.2 filed on December 1, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a suspended imaging device and a terminal device. Background Art

[0003] Suspended display technology has been gradually promoted and used in recent years. It can display images in the air without the need for a medium, which has also attracted more and more attention and pursuit from the public.

[0004] In related art, after light from a display light source passes through a transflective beam splitter, the transmitted light does not participate in the suspended image. However, the reflected light enters a retroreflective element and returns along its original path. After passing through the transflective beam splitter again, it converges in mid-air, forming a suspended image. However, the retroreflective element generates large-angle stray light during this process, reducing the clarity of the displayed image and affecting image quality. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The embodiments of the present application aim to solve the problem in the related art that suspended imaging has large-angle stray light, which affects the imaging quality.

[0006] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a suspended imaging device, comprising: a display light source, a semi-transparent and semi-reflective element, and a retroreflective component. The display light source is used to emit light; the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element is located on the light output path of the display light source. The semi-transparent and semi-reflective element is used to direct the light from the display light source toward the retroreflective component in a first manner, and to direct the light from the retroreflective component toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element in a second manner to form an image of an object, wherein the first manner is one of reflection or transmission, and the second manner is the other of reflection or transmission; the retroreflective component is used to retroreflect the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and direct it toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element; the retroreflective component includes a retroreflective element and a light control element sequentially arranged along the direction in which the light is directed toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element, the light control element is used to direct the light directed from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element toward the retroreflective component toward the retroreflective element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light control element, and the retroreflective element is used to direct the light directed toward the retroreflective element toward the light control element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light control element.

[0007] In some embodiments, the light-controlling element has a focal length, a first light ray is emitted from the center of the display light source, the first light ray is emitted from the display light source to the center of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element through a first optical path, the first light ray is reflected by the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element to reach the light-controlling element and through a second optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the second optical path.

[0008] In some embodiments, the light-controlling element has a focal length, a first light ray is emitted from the center of the display light source, the first light ray is emitted from the display light source to the center of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element through a first optical path, the first light ray is transmitted through the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and reaches the light-controlling element through a third optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the third optical path.

[0009] In some embodiments, the light-control element includes a plurality of light-control units, and the retroreflective element includes a plurality of retroreflective units, and the plurality of light-control units correspond one-to-one to the plurality of retroreflective units.

[0010] In some embodiments, the light control unit is a convex lens.

[0011] In some embodiments, a surface of the convex lens adjacent to the retroreflective element is flat.

[0012] In some embodiments, the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element is a reflective polarizing element; the light emitted by the display light source is linearly polarized light, the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light, and the reflective polarizing element is used to reflect the light onto the retroreflective component, and the retroreflective component is used to receive the light reflected by the reflective polarizing element and change the polarization direction of the light, and then emit the light with changed polarization direction back to the reflective polarizing element; the reflective polarizing element is used to receive the light with changed polarization direction, and transmit the light with changed polarization direction out to form the object image.

[0013] In some embodiments, the display light source includes a light source assembly and a polarizer. The polarizer is located on the light-emitting side of the light source assembly, and the polarization direction of the polarizer is perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element.

[0014] In some embodiments, the retroreflective assembly further includes a quarter-wave plate, wherein the quarter-wave plate is located between the retroreflective element and the light-controlling element.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first dielectric layer is provided on a side of the light-controlling element away from the quarter-wave plate. The first dielectric layer is disposed around the light-controlling element, and a difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element and the refractive index of the first dielectric layer is greater than 0.1.

[0016] In some embodiments, the retroreflective component further includes a quarter-wave plate, and the quarter-wave plate is located on a side of the light-control element away from the retroreflective element.

[0017] In some embodiments, a second dielectric layer is provided on a side of the light-controlling element away from the retroreflective element. The second dielectric layer is disposed around the light-controlling element. The difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element and the refractive index of the second dielectric layer is greater than 0.1.

[0018] In some embodiments, a first angle is formed between the transflective element and the display light source, and the first angle is between 30° and 80°.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first angle is 45°.

[0020] In some embodiments, a second angle is formed between the transflective element and the retroreflective component, and the second angle is equal to the first angle.

[0021] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a terminal device comprising a suspended imaging device, the suspended imaging device comprising: a display light source, a transflective element, and a retroreflective component. The display light source is configured to emit light; the transflective element is located in the light output path of the display light source. The semi-transparent and semi-reflective element is used to direct the light from the display light source toward the retroreflective component in a first manner, and to direct the light from the retroreflective component toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element in a second manner to form an object image, the first manner being one of reflection or transmission, and the second manner being the other of reflection or transmission; the retroreflective component is used to retroreflect the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and direct it toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element; the retroreflective component includes retroreflective elements and light-controlling elements that are sequentially arranged along the direction in which the light is directed toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element, the light-controlling element being used to direct the light directed from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element toward the retroreflective component toward the retroreflective element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element, and the retroreflective element being used to direct the light directed toward the retroreflective element toward the light-controlling element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element.

[0022] In some embodiments, the light-controlling element has a focal length, a first light ray is emitted from the center of the display light source, the first light ray is emitted from the display light source to the center of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element through a first optical path, the first light ray is reflected by the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element to reach the light-controlling element and through a second optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the second optical path.

[0023] In some embodiments, the light-controlling element has a focal length, a first light ray is emitted from the center of the display light source, the first light ray is emitted from the display light source to the center of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element through a first optical path, the first light ray is transmitted through the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and reaches the light-controlling element through a third optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the third optical path.

[0024] In some embodiments, the light-control element includes a plurality of light-control units, and the retroreflective element includes a plurality of retroreflective units, and the plurality of light-control units correspond one-to-one to the plurality of retroreflective units.

[0025] In some embodiments, the light control unit is a convex lens.

[0026] In some embodiments, a surface of the convex lens adjacent to the retroreflective element is flat. Beneficial effects

[0027] In the suspended imaging device provided in the embodiments of the present application, light emitted from the transflective element toward the retroreflective component, after being adjusted by the light-control element, is emitted in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-control element. At this point, the light-control element effectively converges the light emitted from the retroreflective element toward the light-control element. Due to the configuration of the light-control element, stray light that was originally diffused around the imaging point is now more concentrated at the imaging point, thereby improving the image brightness while reducing the intensity of interference caused by stray light. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an imaging optical path of a suspended imaging device in the related art;

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a suspended imaging device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a suspended imaging device provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the optical path principle of a suspended imaging device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0032] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an imaging light path of a suspended imaging device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of imaging results of a suspended imaging device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a suspended imaging device provided by yet other embodiments of the present application;

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a suspended imaging device provided by yet other embodiments of the present application;

[0036] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a retroreflective assembly provided by some embodiments of the present application;

[0037] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a retroreflective assembly provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0038] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a terminal device provided in some embodiments of the present application. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0039] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. The described technical solutions are only used to explain and illustrate the ideas of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," and similar words do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are simply used to distinguish different technical features. The term "plurality" and similar words mean two or more, unless otherwise expressly limited.

[0041] The use of "configured to" in this application is intended to be open and inclusive language, and does not exclude devices that are adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps. In addition, the use of "based on" is intended to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action that is "based on" one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0042] In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described in this application as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present application.

[0043] The various embodiments of the present application are similar, and features in different embodiments and / or different examples may be combined with each other.

[0044] To achieve suspended imaging, suspended imaging devices in related technologies typically use the following method. After the light emitted by the display light source passes through a semi-transparent, semi-reflective beam splitter, the transmitted light does not participate in the suspended imaging, while the reflected light enters the retroreflective element and returns along its original path. After passing through the semi-transparent, semi-reflective beam splitter again, it converges in mid-air to form a suspended image. However, the retroreflective element generates large-angle stray light in the process of returning the light along its original path, as shown in Figure 1. This reduces the clarity of the displayed image and affects the imaging quality.

[0045] Based on this, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a suspended imaging device. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , the suspended imaging device 100 includes a display light source 10 , a semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element 20 , and a retroreflective component 30 .

[0046] The display light source 10 is used to emit light, and the transflective element 20 is located on the light emission path of the display light source 10 .

[0047] The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element 20 is used to direct the light from the display light source 10 toward the retroreflective component 30 in a first manner, and to emit the light from the retroreflective component 30 toward the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element 20 in a second manner (for example, into the air) to form an object image 101; wherein the first manner is one of reflection or transmission, and the second manner is the other of reflection or transmission.

[0048] For example, as shown in FIG2 , the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 can first reflect the light onto the retroreflective component 30 (as shown by the solid line with a solid arrow in FIG2 , the solid line is the optical path of the light, and the solid arrow is the propagation direction of the light), and then transmit the light from the retroreflective component 30 toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 into the air and form an object image 101 (as shown by the solid line with a dotted arrow in FIG2 , the solid line is the optical path of the light, and the dotted arrow is the propagation direction of the light). In this case, the display light source 10 and the retroreflective component 30 are both located on one side of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20, and the final object image 101 is formed on the other side of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20, which is conducive to the human eye 102 viewing the object image 101 unobstructed on the other side of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20.

[0049] As another example, as shown in Figure 3, the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 can first transmit the light to the retroreflective component 30 (as shown by the solid line with an arrow starting from the display light source 10 and reaching the retroreflective component 30 in Figure 3, the solid line is the light path of the light, and the arrow is the propagation direction of the light), and then reflect the light from the retroreflective component 30 toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 into the air and form an object image 101 (as shown by the solid line with a dotted arrow starting from the retroreflective component 30 and reaching the object image 101 in Figure 3, the solid line is the light path of the light, and the dotted arrow is the propagation direction of the light).

[0050] The retroreflective element 31 is used to retroreflect light emitted from the transflective element 20 and direct the light toward the transflective element 20. The retroreflective assembly 30 includes the retroreflective element 31 and the light-controlling element 32, which are sequentially arranged along the direction in which the light is directed toward the transflective element 20. That is, as the retroreflective element 31 directs light toward the transflective element 20, the light sequentially passes through the retroreflective element 31 and the light-controlling element 32 before exiting. Thus, as the retroreflective element 31 receives light emitted from the transflective element 20, the light first passes through the light-controlling element 32 before entering the retroreflective element 31.

[0051] Exemplarily, the retroreflective element 31 is a non-light-transmitting element, which can allow light emitted from the light source position to return to the light source position after passing through the retroreflective element 31 .

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the light control element 32 is used to direct the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 to the retroreflective component 30 toward the retroreflective element 31 along a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light control element 32, and the retroreflective element 31 is used to direct the light emitted to the retroreflective component 30 toward the light control element 32 along a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light control element 32.

[0053] With this arrangement, light emitted from the transflective element 20 toward the retroreflective assembly 30, after being adjusted by the light-control element 32, is emitted in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-control element 32. At this point, the light-control element 32 effectively converges the light emitted from the retroreflective element 31 toward the light-control element 32. As shown in Figure 5, due to the arrangement of the light-control element 32, more stray light that was originally diffused around the imaging point is now focused on the imaging point, thereby improving the image brightness while reducing the intensity of interference caused by stray light.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 , a first angle α is defined between the transflective element 20 and the display light source 10, and the first angle α is between 30° and 80°. This configuration allows light emitted by the display light source 10 to be largely reflected or refracted by the transflective element 20, thereby making more efficient use of the light from the display light source 10 and ensuring that the object image 101 ultimately formed by the display light source 10 has a high display brightness.

[0055] In some examples, the first angle α may be 30°, 80°, or any value in the range of 30° to 80°.

[0056] Exemplarily, the first angle α is 45°. With this arrangement, the light emitted from the display light source 10 has a better concentration, and the light emitted by the display light source 10 can be effectively reflected or refracted by the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element 20, thereby ensuring that the final object image 101 has a higher brightness.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , a second angle β is formed between the transflective element 20 and the retroreflective component 30 , and the second angle β is equal to the first angle α.

[0058] When the first angle α is 45°, the second angle β is also 45°, so that the retroreflective component 30 can receive light from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 (for example, reflection) to a greater extent, thereby ensuring that the light emitted by the display light source 10 can pass through the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 and the retroreflective component 30 to a greater extent, and finally form a high-brightness object image 101.

[0059] In some examples, the display surface of the display light source 10 and the surface of the retroreflective component 30 can have the same size, that is, the length and width of the display light source 10 can be respectively equal to the length and width of the retroreflective component 30. The thickness of the display light source 10 and the thickness of the retroreflective component 30 can be the same or different.

[0060] In some embodiments, the suspended imaging device 100 may further include a mounting frame, and the display light source 10, the transflective element 20, and the retroreflective component 30 are respectively fixed at appropriate positions on the mounting frame, so that the suspended imaging device 100 has greater stability.

[0061] In some embodiments, the light-control element 32 has a focal length F. A first light ray is emitted from the center of the display light source 10. The first light ray travels from the display light source 10 toward the center of the transflective element 20 over a first optical path D1. That is, the distance between the center of the display light source 10 and the center of the transflective element 20 is the first optical path D1.

[0062] For the center of the display light source 10 and the center of the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20, the geometric center points of the display light source 10 and the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 can be selected respectively. This can ensure the accuracy of the final result on the one hand, and also help to measure the first optical path D1.

[0063] In some examples, as shown in FIG2 , the first light is reflected by the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 and reaches the light-control element 32 and passes through the second optical path D2. The focal length F is equal to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the second optical path D2. That is, the object distance at this time (the distance from the starting point of the light to the optical center of the light-control element 32) is equal to the focal length. When the object distance is equal to the focal length, the object distance and the image distance (the distance from the optical center of the light-control element 32 to the center point of the object image 101) are also equal. This ensures that the light emitted from the position of the display light source 10 can be converged to the image point to a large extent, thereby ensuring the imaging brightness. At the same time, due to the focusing effect of the light-control element 32, it can effectively eliminate interfering light at large angles, reduce the diffuse light spot, and thus improve the imaging effect.

[0064] It should be noted that the optical path of the first light from the surface of the light-controlling element 32 to the optical center of the light-controlling element 32 is relatively short compared to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the second optical path D2. Therefore, during the object distance measurement process, only the first optical path D1 and the second optical path D2 are usually measured.

[0065] In some examples, the focal length F may also be equal to the sum of the first optical distance D1 , the second optical distance D2 , and the optical distance of the first light from the surface of the light-control element 32 to the optical center thereof.

[0066] In other examples, as shown in FIG3 , the first light is transmitted through the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 and reaches the light-control element 32 through the third optical path D3, and the focal length F is equal to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the third optical path D3. That is, the object distance at this time (the distance from the starting point of the light to the optical center of the light-control element 32) is equal to the focal length. When the object distance is equal to the focal length, the object distance and the image distance (the distance from the optical center of the light-control element 32 to the center point of the object image 101) are also equal, which can ensure that the light emitted from the position of the display light source 10 can be converged to the image point to a large extent, thereby ensuring the imaging brightness. At the same time, due to the focusing effect of the light-control element 32, it can effectively eliminate interfering light at large angles, reduce the diffuse light spot, and thus improve the imaging effect.

[0067] It should be noted that, since the first light is transmitted through the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 and reaches the light-control element 32, the third optical path D3 is equal to the sum of the first sub-optical path d1 that the first light passes through in the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 and the second sub-optical path d2 that the first light passes through after being transmitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element 20 to reach the light-control element 32.

[0068] Furthermore, compared to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the third optical path D3, the first sub-optical path d1 accounts for a relatively small proportion. Therefore, during the object distance measurement process, only the first optical path D1 and the second sub-optical path d2 can be measured. In this case, the focal length F can be equal to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the second sub-optical path d2.

[0069] In some examples, the optical path of the first light ray from the surface of the light-control element 32 to the optical center of the light-control element 32 is relatively short compared to the sum of the first optical path D1 and the third optical path D3. Therefore, the optical path of the first light ray from the surface of the light-control element 32 to the optical center of the light-control element 32 is not taken into account during the object distance measurement process.

[0070] In some examples, the focal length F may also be equal to the sum of the first optical distance D1 , the third optical distance D3 , and the optical distance of the first light from the surface of the light-controlling element 32 to the optical center of the light-controlling element 32 .

[0071] In some embodiments, the focal length F is equal to the sum of the first optical length D1 and the second optical length D2 (or the sum of the first optical length D1 and the third optical length D3). The two values ​​may be absolutely equal or approximately equal. When the two values ​​are approximately equal, the ratio of the difference between the two values ​​to the focal length F is less than or equal to 10%. That is, for example, when the focal length F is 10 cm, the minimum object distance can be 9 cm, and the maximum object distance can be 11 cm.

[0072] In some examples, the focal length F of the light control element 32 is between 3 cm and 50 cm, which is conducive to the arrangement of the positions between the display light source 10, the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element 20 and the retroreflective component 30, while ensuring that the suspended imaging device 100 has a better imaging effect.

[0073] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 9, the retroreflective element 31 includes a plurality of retroreflective units 310, and the light control element 32 includes a plurality of light control units 320. The plurality of light control units 320 correspond one-to-one to the plurality of retroreflective units 310 (that is, each light control unit 320 is arranged corresponding to one retroreflective unit 310). In this way, the light incident from the direction of the light control unit 320 can be well controlled, so that the light spot of the object image finally formed is smaller and the brightness is higher, thereby improving the final imaging effect.

[0074] For example, the plurality of retroreflective units 310 may be arranged in an array.

[0075] The retroreflective unit is, for example, a micro triangular pyramid prism, which can make the light irradiated on the retroreflective element 31 return along the original path with high recursiveness, thereby facilitating improvement of imaging accuracy and image clarity.

[0076] It is worth noting that the focal length F of the light control element 32 is consistent with the corresponding light control unit 320. When the first light emitted from the center of the display light source passes through the light control unit 320 at the center of the light control element 32, the focal length of the light control unit 320 is the focal length of the light control element 32.

[0077] In some embodiments, the light control unit 320 is a convex lens.

[0078] In some examples, a side surface of the light control unit 320 away from the corresponding retro-reflective unit 310 bulges toward a direction away from the retro-reflective unit 310 , thereby forming a convex surface of a convex lens.

[0079] In some examples, a surface of one side of the light control unit 320 close to the retroreflective element 31 (eg, the retroreflective unit 310 corresponding to the light control unit 320 ) is flat, which facilitates the manufacture of the light control unit 320 .

[0080] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the transflective element 20 is a reflective polarizing element 21. The reflective polarizing element 21 controls the propagation direction of linearly polarized light, allowing only one type of linearly polarized light to pass through. For example, the reflective polarizing element 21 can be formed by laminating multiple functional film materials; alternatively, the reflective polarizing element 21 can be a metal wire grid composed of a specialized microstructure.

[0081] Illustratively, the reflective polarizing element 21 may be disposed on a fixing plate 22 , and the fixing plate 22 and the reflective polarizing element 21 may be bonded together by a transparent adhesive, which helps to suppress warping, curling, etc. of the reflective polarizing element 21 .

[0082] The fixing plate 22 may be a colorless transparent plate. For example, it may be a plastic film such as acrylic film, polyester film, polycarbonate film, or polyolefin film, or a glass plate such as alkali glass, quartz glass, chemically strengthened glass, or alumina glass.

[0083] The light emitted by the display light source 10 is linearly polarized light, and the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element 21 is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light.

[0084] Generally, the linearly polarized light emitted by the display light source 10 includes p-polarized light and s-polarized light. For example, if the polarization vector of a light is in a plane, it is called p-polarized light, and if the polarization vector of the light is perpendicular to the plane, it is called s-polarized light.

[0085] When the polarization axis of the reflective polarizing element 21 is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the p-polarized light, all p-polarized light emitted by the display light source 10 is reflected by the reflective polarizing element 21, while the s-polarized light is transmitted. When the polarization axis of the reflective polarizing element 21 is parallel to the polarization direction of the p-polarized light, all p-polarized light emitted by the display light source 10 is transmitted by the reflective polarizing element 21, while the s-polarized light is reflected.

[0086] In this embodiment, the light emitted by the display light source 10 is p-polarized light, and the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element 21 is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light.

[0087] The reflective polarizing element 21 is used to reflect the light (p-polarized light) emitted by the display light source 10 onto the retroreflective component 30. The retroreflective component 30 is used to receive the light (p-polarized light) reflected by the reflective polarizing element 21 and change the polarization direction of the light, and then reflect the light with the changed polarization direction (s-polarized light) back to the reflective polarizing element 21. The reflective polarizing element 21 is used to receive the light with the changed polarization direction (s-polarized light) and transmit the light with the changed polarization direction (s-polarized light) out to form an object image.

[0088] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the display light source 10 includes a light source assembly 11 and a polarizer 12. The polarizer 12 is located on the light-emitting side of the light source assembly 11. The polarization direction of the polarizer 12 is perpendicular to the polarization axis of the reflective polarizing element 21. The light source assembly 11 is configured to emit the aforementioned linearly polarized light.

[0089] Exemplarily, the polarization direction of the polarizer 12 is parallel to the polarization direction of the p-polarized light emitted by the light source assembly 11, and perpendicular to the polarization direction of the s-polarized light emitted by the display light source 10. Therefore, of the linearly polarized light (including p-polarized light and s-polarized light) emitted by the light source assembly 11, only the p-polarized light can pass through the polarizer 12, while the s-polarized light cannot. This helps prevent the s-polarized light emitted by the light source assembly 11 from directly transmitting through the reflective polarizing element 21 and forming stray light, thereby preventing this stray light from interfering with the suspended imaging, thereby improving the imaging effect.

[0090] In some examples, the light source assembly 11 may include an OLED or micro-LED (mini LED or micro LED) display device. When the light source assembly 11 includes a micro-LED display device, it is advantageous for splicing a larger area, thereby achieving large-area suspended imaging, thus broadening its practical application scenarios.

[0091] In other examples, the light source assembly 11 may also adopt an LCD display.

[0092] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7-10, the retroreflective assembly 30 further includes a quarter wave plate 33 (ie, a 1 / 4 λ wave plate).

[0093] With this arrangement, light reflected from the reflective polarizing element 21 sequentially passes through the light-control element 32 and the quarter-wave plate 33 of the retroreflective assembly 30 before reaching the retroreflective element 31. Then, after being retroreflected by the retroreflective element 31, it sequentially passes through the quarter-wave plate 33 and the light-control element 32 before reaching the reflective polarizing element 21. During this process, the light passes through the quarter-wave plate 33 twice, and its polarization direction is changed. The final polarization direction is the same as the polarization property of the reflective polarizing element 21, thereby ultimately transmitting from the reflective polarizing element 21 into the air. Specifically, the light reflected from the reflective polarizing element 21 is, for example, p-polarized light. After passing through the quarter-wave plate 33 twice, it becomes s-polarized light, thereby ultimately transmitting from the reflective polarizing element 21.

[0094] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9 , the quarter-wave plate 33 is located between the retroreflective element 31 and the light-controlling element 32 .

[0095] Exemplarily, a first dielectric layer 34 is provided on the side of the light-controlling element 32 away from the quarter-wave plate 33 . The first dielectric layer 34 is arranged around the light-controlling element 32 , and the difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element 32 and the refractive index of the first dielectric layer 34 is greater than 0.1.

[0096] This arrangement enables a larger refractive index difference between the light-controlling element 32 and the first dielectric layer 34 , which is beneficial for improving the focusing effect of the light-controlling element 32 , thereby increasing the final brightness of the object image 101 and improving its imaging effect.

[0097] For example, the first dielectric layer 34 can be air. Since the light-control element 32 is located on the side of the quarter-wave plate 33 away from the retroreflective element 31, it can be exposed to air. In this case, it is sufficient to ensure that the refractive index difference between the material of the light-control element 32 and the refractive index of air is greater than 0.1, which facilitates the production of the retroreflective assembly.

[0098] It should be noted that the shape of the first dielectric layer 34 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 9 , and it can be flexibly configured according to the selected material and actual needs, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not impose any limitation thereto.

[0099] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10 , the quarter-wave plate 33 is located on a side of the light-control element 32 away from the retroreflective element 31 .

[0100] Exemplarily, a second dielectric layer 35 is provided on the side of the light-controlling element 32 away from the retroreflective element 31 . The second dielectric layer 35 is arranged around the light-controlling element 32 . The difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element 32 and the refractive index of the second dielectric layer 35 is greater than 0.1.

[0101] This arrangement enables a larger refractive index difference between the light-controlling element 32 and the second dielectric layer 35 , which is beneficial for improving the focusing effect of the light-controlling element 32 , thereby increasing the final brightness of the object image 101 and improving its imaging effect.

[0102] For example, the second medium layer 35 may be a transparent adhesive layer, which may also play a bonding role, thereby improving the connection stability between the light-control element 32 and the quarter-wave plate 33 .

[0103] Some embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a terminal device 200, which includes any of the above-mentioned levitation imaging devices 100 and a terminal device body. The device body may include a frame, etc. The terminal device 200 may be a vehicle, VR or AR device, etc.

[0104] As shown in FIG11 , when the terminal device 200 is a vehicle, the display light source 10, transflective element 20, and retroreflective assembly 30 in the suspended imaging device 100 are fixed to appropriate positions on the vehicle. Once the suspended imaging device 100 is fixed to the vehicle, the object image 101 is positioned outside the vehicle's windshield, thereby projecting the object displayed by the display light source onto the outside of the windshield. While the user is driving, the display light source can be used to display information such as instrumentation or navigation maps, which is then presented on the outside of the windshield via the suspended imaging device. The user no longer needs to look down at the instrumentation, thereby improving driving safety.

[0105] It should be noted that the object image 101 is the image ultimately formed by the aforementioned suspended imaging device 100 by adjusting the light emitted by the display light source 10. The object image 101 can be an image or a video. The box marking the object image 101 in the figure only serves to roughly indicate the location of the object image 101 and does not limit the shape or actual location of the object image 101.

[0106] In addition, the human eye 102 drawn in the drawings (FIGS. 2-3 and 7-8) mentioned in the embodiments of the present disclosure is only for illustration and does not limit the actual position of the human eye 102.

[0107] In summary, although the present application is disclosed above with preferred embodiments, the above preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application is based on the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A suspended imaging device, comprising: Display light source, used to emit light; A semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element, located on the light-emitting path of the display light source; and A retroreflective component; wherein: The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element is used to direct the light from the display light source toward the retroreflective component in a first manner, and to direct the light from the retroreflective component toward the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element in a second manner to form an object image, wherein the first manner is one of reflection or transmission, and the second manner is the other of reflection or transmission; The retroreflective component is used to retroreflect the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and emit it toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element; the retroreflective component includes retroreflective elements and light-controlling elements which are arranged in sequence along the direction in which the light is emitted toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element, the light-controlling element is used to emit the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element toward the retroreflective component toward the retroreflective element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element, and the retroreflective element is used to emit the light emitted toward the retroreflective element toward the light-controlling element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element.

2. The suspended imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The light control element has a focal length, the center of the display light source emits a first light, and the first light travels from the display light source to the center of the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element through a first optical path; wherein, After the first light is reflected by the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element, it reaches the light-controlling element and passes through a second optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the second optical path; or The first light is transmitted through the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element and reaches the light-controlling element through a third optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the third optical path.

3. The suspended imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: The light control element has a focal length, the center of the display light source emits a first light, and the first light travels from the display light source to the center of the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element through a first optical path; wherein, The first light is transmitted through the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element and reaches the light-controlling element through a third optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the third optical path.

4. The suspended imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-controlling element includes a plurality of light-controlling units, and the retroreflective element includes a plurality of retroreflective units, and the plurality of light-controlling units correspond to the plurality of retroreflective units in a one-to-one manner.

5. The suspended imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The light control unit is a convex lens.

6. The suspended imaging device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The surface of one side of the convex lens close to the retroreflective element is a plane.

7. The suspended imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element is a reflective polarizing element; the light emitted by the display light source is linearly polarized light, the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light, the reflective polarizing element is used to reflect the light onto the retroreflective component, the retroreflective component is used to receive the light reflected by the reflective polarizing element and change the polarization direction of the light, and then emit the light with changed polarization direction back to the reflective polarizing element; the reflective polarizing element is used to receive the light with changed polarization direction, and transmit the light with changed polarization direction to form the object image.

8. The suspended imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The display light source comprises a light source assembly and a polarizer. The polarizer is located at the light-emitting side of the light source assembly. The polarization direction of the polarizer is perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the reflective polarizing element.

9. The suspended imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The retroreflective assembly further includes a quarter wave plate, and the quarter wave plate is located between the retroreflective element and the light control element.

10. The suspended imaging device according to claim 9, characterized in that: A first dielectric layer is disposed on a side of the light-controlling element away from the quarter-wave plate. The first dielectric layer is disposed around the light-controlling element. The difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element and the refractive index of the first dielectric layer is greater than 0.

1.

11. The suspended imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The retroreflective component further comprises a quarter wave plate, and the quarter wave plate is located on a side of the light control element away from the retroreflective element.

12. The suspended imaging device according to claim 11, characterized in that: A second dielectric layer is disposed on a side of the light-controlling element away from the retroreflective element. The second dielectric layer is disposed around the light-controlling element. The difference between the refractive index of the light-controlling element and the refractive index of the second dielectric layer is greater than 0.

1.

13. The suspended imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: There is a first angle between the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element and the display light source, and the first angle is between 30° and 80°.

14. The suspended imaging device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first angle is 45°.

15. The suspended imaging device according to claim 14, characterized in that: A second angle is formed between the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element and the retroreflective component, and the second angle is equal to the first angle.

16. A terminal device, comprising a suspension imaging device, wherein the suspension imaging device comprises: Display light source, used to emit light; A semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element, located on the light-emitting path of the display light source; and A retroreflective component; wherein: The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element is used to direct the light from the display light source toward the retroreflective component in a first manner, and to direct the light from the retroreflective component toward the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element in a second manner to form an object image, wherein the first manner is one of reflection or transmission, and the second manner is the other of reflection or transmission; The retroreflective component is used to retroreflect the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element and emit it toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element; the retroreflective component includes retroreflective elements and light-controlling elements which are arranged in sequence along the direction in which the light is emitted toward the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element, the light-controlling element is used to emit the light emitted from the semi-transparent and semi-reflective element toward the retroreflective component toward the retroreflective element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element, and the retroreflective element is used to emit the light emitted toward the retroreflective element toward the light-controlling element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the light-controlling element.

17. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein: The light control element has a focal length, the center of the display light source emits a first light, and the first light travels from the display light source to the center of the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element through a first optical path; wherein, After the first light is reflected by the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element, it reaches the light-controlling element and passes through a second optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the second optical path; or The first light is transmitted through the semi-transmissive and semi-reflective element and reaches the light-controlling element through a third optical path, and the focal length is equal to the sum of the first optical path and the third optical path.

18. The terminal device according to claim 16, wherein: The light-controlling element includes a plurality of light-controlling units, and the retroreflective element includes a plurality of retroreflective units, and the plurality of light-controlling units correspond to the plurality of retroreflective units in a one-to-one manner.

19. The terminal device according to claim 18, wherein: The light control unit is a convex lens.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, wherein: The surface of one side of the convex lens close to the retroreflective element is a plane.

Images