Multiple display apparatus

Details Multiple display apparatus Multiple display apparatus

2000-11-21

2003-05-13

Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)

Optics: image projectors

Composite projected image

C353S037000, C353S094000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06561651

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 11-331627 and 2000-72857 filed on Nov. 22, 1999 and Mar. 15, 2000, respectively, the contents of which are incorporated by the reference.
The present invention relates to a multiple display apparatus for displaying a single image on a screen by projecting a plurality of images thereonto and, more particularly, to a seamless multiple display apparatus, in which adjacent areas of a plurality of images projected onto a screen are overlapped.
FIG. 13
is a schematic view showing a general construction example of a rear projection type seamless multiple display apparatus.
The illustrated seamless multiple display apparatus in
FIG. 13
has a plurality of (i.e., total number of 9=3×3, 3 in horizontal (or X) direction and 3 in vertical (or Y) direction) liquid crystal projectors
10
a
to
10
i
disposed on the rear side of the screen
20
. A single image is formed by images projected from the projectors
10
a
to
10
i
onto corresponding areas
20
a
to
20
i
on the screen
20
.
In this seamless multiple display screen, an overlap part
21
is formed in adjacent parts of the images projected from the projectors
10
a
to
10
i
onto the screen
20
. A problem is thus posed in that the display in the overlap part
21
is brighter than in the other areas because of the incidence of the light fluxes from two to four projectors. Another problem that may be encountered is a failure of projection of accurate image on the screen
20
due to such distortion as percussions without accurate position relationship among the projectors
10
a
to
10
i.
To prevent the above problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-326981 proposes a method, in which an image is previously projected onto a screen by using a test signal and photographed with a digital camera, photograph data thus obtained is then corrected, and geometrical conversion, color correction and luminance correction of an input signal are performed by using the corrected data.
The photographing by the digital camera is usually performed from the front of the screen. Therefore, a problem is posed that, watching the projected image in a direction deviated from the screen front (for instance in an oblique direction of an upward or downward direction), results in brightness difference in,the overlap part from the other areas of the screen due to different directions of projection of the projectors and visual field angle characteristic of the screen, so that the display in the overlap part is pronounced. More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 14
, when observing image projected from the projectors
10
u
and
10
v
onto the screen, the light doses at points A and B are equal in the case of observation in front-ward direction D
1
, but observation in oblique direction D
2
results in that the point A is darker due to less light dose thereat than at the point B.
As shown, the prior art seamless multiple display apparatus has a problem that the display in an overlap part of adjacent images is pronounced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and it has an object of providing a multiple display apparatus featuring superior display quality without pronounced display in any overlap part.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multiple display apparatus for displaying an image with projection of a plurality of images from a plurality of image projecting means onto a screen, wherein: the plurality of image projecting means are disposed such that their images are projected substantially from one point onto the screen.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multiple display apparatus for displaying an image with projection of a plurality of images from a plurality of image projecting means onto a screen, and the plurality of image projecting means are disposed such that their images are projected substantially from one point onto the screen and adjacent areas of images projected from the plurality of image projecting means onto the screen overlap one another.
According to other aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multiple display apparatus for displaying an image with projection of a plurality of images from a plurality of image projecting means onto a screen, wherein: the plurality of image projecting means are disposed such that their images are projected substantially from one point onto the screen and the image projecting means include image emitting means for emitting light fluxes of images to be projected onto the screen and reflecting means for reflecting the projection light fluxes emitted from the image emitting means toward the screen.
According to still other aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multiple display apparatus for displaying an image with projection of a plurality of images from a plurality of image projecting means onto a screen, and the plurality of image projecting means are disposed such that their images are projected substantially from one point onto the screen, adjacent areas of images projected from the plurality of image projecting means onto the screen overlap one another and the image projecting means include image emitting means for emitting light fluxes of images to be projected onto the screen and reflecting means for reflecting the projection light fluxes emitted from the image emitting means toward the screen.
Those of the plurality of image projecting means for projecting images onto the screen in the same row in horizontal direction are disposed horizontally, whereby images of light fluxes emitted from horizontally arranged predetermined image emitting means are projected via the reflecting means onto the screen in a predetermined area of the same row in horizontal direction; and those of the plurality of image projecting means for projecting images onto the screen in the same column in vertical direction are disposed vertically, whereby images of light fluxes emitted from vertically arranged predetermined image emitting means are projected via the reflecting means onto the screen in a predetermined area of the same column in vertical direction.
Those of the plurality of image projecting means for projecting images onto the screen in the same row in horizontal direction are disposed vertically, whereby images of light fluxes emitted from vertically arranged predetermined image emitting means are projected via the reflecting means onto the screen in a predetermined area of the same row in horizontal direction; and those of the plurality of image projecting means for projecting images onto the screen in the same column in vertical direction are disposed-vertically, whereby images of light fluxes emitted from vertically arranged predetermined image emitting means are projected via the reflecting means onto the screen in a predetermined area of the same column in vertical direction.
An area of the reflecting means of an image projecting means, on which the light flux projected from an adjacent image projecting means onto the screen is partly incident, is constructed such as to transmit part of the incident light.
According to further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multiple display apparatus for displaying an image with projection of a plurality of images from a plurality of image projecting means onto a screen, wherein: the plurality of image projecting means are disposed such that their images are projected substantially from one point onto the screen, the plurality of image projecting means each include an image generating means for generating an image to be projected onto the screen, and a lens provided between the image generating means and the screen and those of the plurality of image projecting means, which do not regularly face the screen, are constructed such that the image surfaces of their image generating means are tiltable in vertical direction with respect to the lens axis.
According to still further aspect of the present inventi

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