Display device

Abstract

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a liquid containing at least one of a diffusion component and a fluorescent dye; at least one droplet generating unit for generating droplets from the liquid; and at least one projection unit for irradiating the droplets with light.

Description

display device

[0001] The embodiment relates to a display device.

[0002] Various techniques have been proposed, such as in Non-Patent Document 1, in which a high-speed projector periodically projects light onto water droplets falling at a constant time interval, allowing the user to visually recognize the shape of the water droplets, making them appear as if they are stationary in the air, or as if the falling speed of the water droplets is variable, or as if the water droplets are rising on an orbit.

[0003] Water droplets transmit almost all light, so to improve the visibility of the water droplets, a rear-mounted projector is used, in which the projector is placed in front of the user, or multiple projectors are used to project from different angles.

[0004] Sadam Fujioka, ““drop”:An Interactive Art Installation with Waterdrop Projection-Mappin”, Proceedings of the ACM on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, August 2, 2021, Volume 4, Issue 2, Article No. 27, pp 1-8.

[0005] However, rear-mounted projectors have the problem that the projector light is directly visible to the user, making them feel dazzled. Also, increasing the number of projectors increases the complexity of calibration and synchronization between devices.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and proposes a technique for improving the visibility of water droplets.

[0007] The display device of the embodiment includes a liquid containing at least one of a diffusing component and a fluorescent dye, one or more droplet generating units that generate droplets from the liquid, and one or more projection units that irradiate the droplets with light.

[0008] According to the embodiment, a display device with improved visibility of water droplets can be provided.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water droplet generating unit of the display device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control unit of the display device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to a second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device according to a third embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, elements that are identical or similar to elements already described will be assigned the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will generally be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, or a subnumber may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element distinctly.

[0011] (1) First Embodiment A display device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the display device 1 of this embodiment includes a water droplet generating unit 10 , a projection unit 11 , and a control unit 12 .

[0014] The display device 1 of this embodiment uses water droplets 19A to display light output from the projection unit 11. This makes the water droplets 19A visible to the user. The display device 1 is also called a water droplet visualization device. The display device 1 of this embodiment can be provided as, for example, a projection system (projection device).

[0015] The water droplet generating unit 10 generates water droplets 19A using the liquid 200A.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the water droplet generating unit 10 in the display device 1 of this embodiment.

[0017] The water droplet generating unit 10 includes a tank 101 , a pump 102 , a nozzle 103 , and a vibrator 104 .

[0018] The tank 101 temporarily stores the liquid 200 (e.g., liquid 200A). The pump 102 supplies the liquid 200A from a water source (not shown) into the tank 101. The nozzle 103 drips water droplets 19 (e.g., water droplets 19A). The oscillator 104 vibrates at a predetermined frequency. The oscillator 104 applies vibrations to the nozzle 103. The vibration of the oscillator 104 forms water droplets 19 that are output at a predetermined frequency (time interval, period). The water droplets 19 are dripped at a certain time interval T1. The water droplets 19 contain a substance that has been added to the liquid 200. The operation of the water droplet generating unit 10, more specifically, the operation of the pump 102, the operation of the nozzle 103, and the operation of the oscillator 104, is controlled by the control unit 12.

[0019] 2, the water droplet generation unit 10 uses liquid 200A to generate water droplets 19A that fall at a predetermined frequency. The water droplet generation unit 10 causes at least one water droplet 19A to fall at the predetermined frequency. As the water droplets 19A fall, a falling trajectory 15 of the water droplets 19A is formed. The water droplets 19A on the falling trajectory (while falling) become spherical in the air. One or more water droplets 19A on the falling trajectory 15 function as a projection screen.

[0020] It is also possible to drop a plurality of water droplets 19A in a line aligned in a direction perpendicular to the falling direction. Alternatively, the plurality of water droplets 19A in a line may be aligned in another direction perpendicular to the falling direction and dropped. This allows a two-dimensional or three-dimensional projection screen to be formed in a certain space. The water droplet generating unit 10 may eject water droplets upward, causing the ejected water droplets to fall by parabolic motion.

[0021] The projection unit 11 is configured to include at least one of a projector and a strobe. The projection unit 11 outputs (projects) light 90 that constitutes illumination or an image (still image or video). The light 90 is, for example, visible light. The projection unit 11 is positioned so that the falling trajectory 15 of the water droplet 19A from the water droplet generation unit 10 is included in the projection range of the projection unit 11. The projection unit 11 is positioned on the front side of the falling trajectory 15 formed by the falling water droplet 19A. As a result, the light (or image) 90 irradiated from the projection unit 11 is displayed on the water droplet 19A from the front side of the projection area corresponding to the falling trajectory 15. The front-positioned projection unit 11 is positioned on the same side as the user. The user observes the light (or image) irradiated on the water droplet 19A from the side where the projection unit 11 is positioned. Therefore, the user's viewing direction can be substantially the same as the projection direction of the projection unit 11.

[0022] For example, the irradiation time or irradiation frequency (e.g., blinking rate) of the light 90 output from the projection unit 11 is variable. Therefore, the irradiation time or irradiation frequency of the light 90 from the projection unit 11 can be changed according to the frequency (cycle) of the generation of the water droplets 19A. For example, if the irradiation frequency (flashing cycle) of the light 90 from the projection unit 11 is substantially the same as the frequency of the generation of the water droplets 19A, the water droplets 19A will be observed to be floating in the air. Depending on the irradiation frequency of the light 90 and the frequency of the generation of the water droplets, the water droplets 19A will be observed to be gently rising or gently descending.

[0023] The control unit 12 can control the operation of the water droplet generation unit 10 and the operation of the projection unit 11. The control unit 12 is, for example, a computer.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control unit 12 in the display device 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 12 includes a processor 120, a ROM 121, a RAM 122, a storage 123, and an interface (I / F) 124.

[0025] The processor 120 is a processing circuit capable of executing various programs (software, applications). The processor 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). Note that multiple processors 120 may be provided within the control unit 12.

[0026] The ROM 121 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM (registered trademark), and stores programs and control data for controlling the water droplet generation unit 10 and the projection unit 11.

[0027] The RAM 122 is a volatile semiconductor memory such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM) or a static RAM (SRAM). The RAM 122 is used as a working area for the processor 120. The RAM 122 temporarily stores various data and parameters used by the processor 120.

[0028] The storage 123 is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card. The storage 123 stores various types of information, various types of data, and various types of parameters. For example, the storage 123 stores information or video data of illumination projected by the projection unit 11. Programs and control data may be stored in the storage 123. For example, the storage 123 stores a program for controlling the display device 1 of this embodiment. The program for controlling the display device 1 may be stored in the ROM 121 or the RAM 122.

[0029] The interface 124 includes various connectors, various ports, a signal processing circuit, a communication module, etc. The interface 124 connects the water droplet generation unit 10 and the projection unit 11 to the control unit 12. The interface 124 is responsible for inputting and outputting information and data, various processes on the information and data, and various controls for acquiring information and data. The interface 124 can transfer signals, information, and data between the control unit 12 and the other components 10 and 11 by communication via a wireless or wired network. The interface 124 sends various data and signals from the water droplet generation unit 10 and the projection unit 11 to the processor 120. The interface 124 sends various data and signals from the processor 120 to the water droplet generation unit 10 and the projection unit 11.

[0030] The display device 1 of this embodiment operates as follows.

[0031] The control unit 12 starts controlling the water droplet generating unit 10 and the projection unit 11 .

[0032] The water droplet generating unit 10 generates water droplets 19A that fall at a set predetermined frequency. As the water droplets 19A fall, a falling trajectory 15 of the water droplets 19A is formed. One water droplet 19A or a group of multiple water droplets 19A that exist on the falling trajectory 15 of the water droplets 19A functions as a projection screen that is viewed by the user.

[0033] The projection unit 11 irradiates light 90 corresponding to the illumination or image toward the falling trajectory 15 of the water droplet 19A. The irradiated light 90 is displayed on the water droplet 19A present on the falling trajectory 15. This makes the water droplet 19A visible to the user.

[0034] As described above, the light 90 output from the projection unit 11 is displayed on the water droplet 19A, which functions as a screen.

[0035] In this embodiment, the water droplet generating unit 10 stores a liquid 200A containing a diffusing component 201 in a tank 101. The water droplet generating unit 10 uses the liquid 200A to generate water droplets 19A. For example, the liquid 200A is water containing a diffusing component 201. The diffusing component 201 diffuses irradiated light. The liquid 200A contains colloidal particles as the diffusing component 201. For example, pigments used in watercolor paints and / or microscopic air bubbles are stirred in the liquid 200A as the colloidal particles 201. The water droplets 19A contain the colloidal particles (diffusing component) 201 added to the liquid 200A.

[0036] The water droplet generating unit 10 generates water droplets 19A containing a diffuse component 201. The water droplets 19A containing the diffuse component 201 receive light (visible light) 90 from the projection unit 11.

[0037] As a result, in this embodiment, the irradiated light 90 is diffused by the diffuse component 201 within the water droplet 19A containing the diffuse component 201. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the visibility of the water droplet 19A is improved.

[0038] As a result, even if one projection unit 11 is disposed in front of the projection area 15, the entire water droplet can be observed at a wide viewing angle.

[0039] As described above, the display device 1 of the first embodiment can improve the visibility of water droplets.

[0040] (2) Second Embodiment A display device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] 4, the droplet generating unit 10 stores a liquid 200B containing a fluorescent dye 202. In this embodiment, the droplet generating unit 10 generates droplets 19B containing the fluorescent dye 202 using the liquid 200B.

[0042] For example, the fluorescent dye 202 is uranine. In this case, the liquid 200B is a uranine aqueous solution. When irradiated with light in the ultraviolet wavelength range, the uranine aqueous solution 200B emits fluorescence with wavelengths in the visible light range. Note that the fluorescent dye 202 may be a material other than uranine.

[0043] The projection unit 11 irradiates a projection area including the falling trajectory 15 of the water droplet 19B with light 91 whose main component is a wavelength outside the visible light range. When the liquid 200B is a uranine aqueous solution, the light 91 has a wavelength in the ultraviolet range. Note that light 91 in the ultraviolet range (ultraviolet light) may be used for fluorescent dyes 202 other than uranine. Depending on the type of fluorescent dye 202, the light 91 may be visible light.

[0044] In this embodiment, when irradiated with light 91 in the ultraviolet range, the water droplets 19B containing the fluorescent dye 202 emit light with wavelengths in the visible light range.

[0045] When an aqueous solution is used as the liquid 200B as in this embodiment, breakdowns in the devices that make up the water droplet generating unit 10, such as the pump and the electromagnetic valve (nozzle), are less likely to occur.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the water droplet 19B itself emits light, improving the visibility of the water droplet. Therefore, even if one projection unit 11 is disposed in front of the projection area, the entire water droplet can be observed at a wide viewing angle.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light emitted from the projection unit 11 is light outside the visible light range, such as ultraviolet light, so the user can observe the glowing water droplets in a dark environment without the surrounding environment (viewing environment) being illuminated by visible light.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, before ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the water droplet 19B, the water droplet 19A can be observed by the user with its transparency ensured, just like a normal water droplet (e.g., a pure water droplet).

[0049] As described above, the display device 1 of the second embodiment can improve the visibility of water droplets.

[0050] (3) Third Embodiment A display device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0051] The display device 1 of this embodiment includes a water tank 20. The water tank 20 stores a liquid 200C. The liquid 200C is an aqueous solution containing multiple types of fluorescent dyes 202A, 202B, and 202C. The multiple fluorescent dyes dissolved in the liquid 200C are dyes that emit different colors depending on the wavelength of light. The liquid 200C may further include a diffusing component (colloid particles) 201. The liquid 200C may contain only one type of fluorescent dye.

[0052] The display device 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of water droplet generation units 10A, 10B, and 10C. The plurality of water droplet generation units 10A, 10B, and 10C are connected to a water tank 20. Water droplets 19C containing fluorescent dyes 202 (202A, 202B, and 202C) fall from each of the plurality of water droplet generation units 10A, 10B, and 10C.

[0053] The display device 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of projection units 11A, 11B, and 11C. The plurality of projection units 11A, 11B, and 11C are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of water droplet generation units 10A, 10B, and 10C. Each projection unit 11A, 11B, and 11C irradiates light onto the falling trajectory 15 of the water droplet 19C of the corresponding water droplet generation unit 10A, 10B, or 10C.

[0054] The projection units 11A, 11B, and 11C each have a different light source and output light 92A, 92B, and 92C of a different wavelength, respectively. This allows the projection units 11A, 11B, and 11C to irradiate the water droplets 19C containing the fluorescent dye 202 on the corresponding falling trajectory 15 with light 92A, 92B, and 92C of a wavelength that reacts with the fluorescent dye 202 contained in the liquid 200C.

[0055] For example, one of the multiple projection units 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) may output ultraviolet light, and the other projection units 11 may output visible light. The color of the visible light may be imparted to the water droplets 19C that have been illuminated by the ultraviolet light.

[0056] The display device 1 of the third embodiment can improve the visibility of water droplets, similarly to the above-described embodiments.

[0057] (4) Others: The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0058] 1... Display device 10, 10A, 10B, 10C... Water droplet generation unit 11, 11A, 11B, 11C... Projection unit 12... Control unit 19A, 19B, 19C... Water droplets 90, 91, 92A, 92B, 92C... Light 101... Tank 102... Pump 103... Nozzle 104... Vibrator 120... Processor 121... ROM 122... RAM 123... Storage 124... Interface 200A, 200B, 200C... Liquid 201... Diffused component 202, 202A, 202B, 202C... Fluorescent dye

Claims

1. A display device comprising: a liquid containing at least one of a diffusing component and a fluorescent dye; one or more droplet generating units that generate droplets from the liquid; and one or more projection units that irradiate the droplets with light.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusing component is a pigment or air bubbles.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the light is visible light.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescent dye is uranine.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light is ultraviolet light.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more water droplet generation units include a first water droplet generation unit and a second water droplet generation unit, the one or more projection units include a first projection unit and a second projection unit, the first projection unit irradiates the water droplets from the first water droplet generation unit with first light, and the second projection unit irradiates the water droplets from the second water droplet generation unit with second light different from the first light.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the first light has a wavelength outside the visible light region, and the second light has a wavelength within the visible light region.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more projection units include a first projection unit and a second projection unit, the first projection unit irradiating the water droplets with first light having a wavelength outside the visible light range, and the second projection unit irradiating the water droplets with second light having a wavelength within the visible light range.

Images