Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-25
2003-02-18
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C345S008000, C345S009000, C359S011000, C359S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06522311
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image information displaying system and hologram displaying apparatus, capable of being installed in a showroom and so forth, for presenting image information including moving and still images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image information displaying systems are widely used to present image information including moving and still images to passersby and viewers in front of showrooms. These systems are composed of a screen and a unit for supplying image information to the screen.
A typical image information displaying system employs a videotape, an optical disk, or slides to store image information, a video deck, an LD player, or a projector to reproduce the image information, and a CRT or a liquid-crystal panel to display the reproduced image information.
Poorly presented image information hardly attracts the attention of passersby, and therefore, hardly realizes advertising and eye-catching effects.
Image information to be displayed must be adjusted so that it can be recognized easily by people. If image information is poorly adjusted and is hardly recognizable, it will not appeal to, or attract the attention of, people.
Image information must be adjusted according to ambient conditions around the location where the image information displaying system is installed. It is very difficult to adjust image information beforehand. In particular, when the system is installed outdoors or facing the outdoors, the values of parameters used to adjust image information vary from hour to hour and are dependent on weather and seasonal conditions.
Usually, the system is continuously operated to always display image information. The system, therefore, consumes a large amount of power and energy, has high running costs, and has a short service life.
A conventional image information displaying system comprising a screen and a means for supplying image information to the screen finds application as a means for presenting image information, as still pictures or a moving picture, from a showroom or the like to passersby and other viewers in general.
Specifically, the image information recorded in the videotape, the optical disk, slides or the like is reproduced and presented using a displaying system such as a CRT or a liquid crystal panel connected to various reproduction or playback apparatuses including a video deck, an LD player and a projector.
Consider the case in which an image information displaying system is used for presenting information to chain store outlets or branch offices located over wide areas.
In such a case, for the image information displaying system of each outlet or branch office to be operated practically, it is necessary to teach the operating know how to each outlet and branch office and to train the staff therein. This poses no problem if the image information displaying systems are installed within a small area or in a small number or the workers are limited in number. In the case where the image information systems are installed over a wide area, in many units or must be operated by many workers, however, the presentation of information requires the troublesome and expensive work of training the workers, distributing operating manuals, etc.
No available image information displaying system places sufficient emphasis on reduced costs for management and practical operation (education and training as examples) of each of a multiplicity of systems installed over a wide area.
In the case where the image information displaying system is used for displaying a commercial for a commodity, for example, the mere presentation of image information on the image displaying system can hardly attract the attention or interest of passersby or viewers, making effective advertisement difficult. In other words, the eye-catching effect is small.
The operation of an image information displaying system, therefore, requires an appropriate adjustment of the image information to make it easily visible to passersby and viewers and to attract their attention even more. The adjustment for presenting more visible image information may include brightness adjustment, color drift correction, determination of appropriate hue or adjustment of the position at which the image is displayed.
As long as the image information is difficult to recognize due to insufficient adjustment, the image information is less appealing to passersby and viewers and a good eye-catching effect is often difficult to produce.
To cope with the above-mentioned problems and to improve the eye-catching effect, a method has been conceived to install a means for adjusting the image information with each image information displaying system. The adjusting means, however, makes the image information displaying system more expensive. In addition, the maintenance and inspection as well as the operation of the adjusting means often increases the system cost.
Also, since the image information displaying system is kept in operation for presenting image information, the reproduction or playback unit and the display unit thereof are also kept in operation. The power consumed by these units is so large as to pose problems from the viewpoints of energy saving and running cost. Further, the protracted operation time of the reproduction unit and the display unit shortens the service life thereof.
New display systems employing plasma display units, thin liquid-crystal display units, and projection television units are being developed to present still and moving images to passersby in front of showrooms.
To enhance an advertising effect, these systems must be made larger. The larger systems, however, frequently provide an oppressive feeling to viewers. This limits their possible locations, usability, and design flexibility.
To solve the problem and realize a high advertising effect, a display system employing a hologram screen has been proposed.
The hologram screen, as will be explained later in detail, consists of a transparent base and a thin-film hologram element attached thereto. The hologram element has interference fringes. When light containing image information is emitted onto the interference fringes, the light forms a real image, which is diffracted by the hologram element. Viewers see the real image reproduced on the hologram element.
The hologram element is transparent, and the hologram screen does not require a power source or a driver. The hologram screen, therefore, needs only a small installation space and the designing freedom thereof is good.
One problem of the hologram screen is that it has a limited viewing angle within which people can see images on the hologram screen. Accordingly, the hologram screen must be carefully installed so that viewers can correctly see images thereon.
To achieve correct positioning of the hologram screen, many experiments have been made. For example, a mirror method surrounds a light diffuser with mirrors to produce-object beams that irradiate a photosensitive material from different directions. The object beams and a reference beam record intricate interference fringes on the photosensitive material. The photosensitive material is used as a hologram element of a hologram screen.
Even the hologram screen made by the mirror method has a limited viewing angle. Namely, the hologram element of the mirror method involves parts where no light diffuser is recorded, and therefore, images on the hologram screen are partly invisible depending on viewer's positions. At some position, images on the hologram screen provide low brightness, different colors, or poor quality for viewers.
In this way, it is very difficult to sufficiently expand the viewing angle of a hologram screen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the first viewpoint of the prior art, a first object of the present invention is to provide an image information displaying system capable of providing excellent eye-catching effects, reduced energy consumption and running costs, and an extended service life.
In order to accomplish the object, a first as
Kadowaki Satoru
Kawazoe Naoyuki
Matsumoto Tooru
Mizutani Yasuhiro
Denso Corporation
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
Hjerpe Richard
Nguyen Kimnhung
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