Television – Stereoscopic – Stereoscopic display device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-28
2002-05-21
Diep, Nhon (Department: 2713)
Television
Stereoscopic
Stereoscopic display device
C348S051000, C345S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06392690
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image display device for displaying three-dimensional images which an observer can observe without special glasses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, a three-dimensional image display device for displaying three-dimensional images has been used in many ways, for example, for game machines which are provided in amusement arcades, three-dimensional monitors, CAD (computer aided design), and medical instruments.
Generally, an observer can attain a three-dimensional view of an object based on displayed object images, if the object images have parallax therebetween which corresponds to a distance between the observer's eyes (such images are hereinafter referred to as parallax images) and they are made to be seen by the eyes respectively. The following are typical methods for directing the parallax images to the observer's right and left eyes respectively, which are applied to three-dimensional image display devices for displaying images based on the foregoing principal.
1. Shutter glasses method: Parallax images for the right eye and those for the left eye are alternately displayed by switching, and the observer is made to wear shutter glasses in which states of right and left shutters are switched in synchronization with the switching of the parallax images. Thus, by this shutter glasses method, parallax images are directed to the observer's right and left eyes by the switching operation of the shutter glasses.
2. Polarizing glasses method: Polarizing plates having light polarization directions crossing one another are provided before an image for the left eye and that for the right eye, respectively, and the observer is made to wear glasses in which, likewise, polarizing plates having light polarization directions crossing one another are provided so as to come before the right and left eyes respectively. By doing so, parallax images are directed to the observer's right and left eyes respectively.
3. Parallax barrier method, or lenticular lens method: By providing in front of a display element, a parallax barrier with a plurality of apertures (slits), or a lenticular lens composed of cylindrical lenses provided so as to form a plane surface, an image observation space is formed in front of the parallax barrier or the lenticular lens. The observer is made to observe images with his/her eyes positioned in the space. The following description will explain in detail a three-dimensional image display device to which the parallax barrier method or the lenticular lens method of the foregoing item 3 is applied.
FIG. 14
illustrates a cross section of a three-dimensional (3-D) image display device
50
in which a parallax barrier
71
is installed before a liquid crystal display (LCD) element
51
.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, the LCD element
51
has a TFT substrate
52
and a counter substrate
53
, which both are made of glass, and liquid crystal
57
is cramped therebetween. On the TFT substrate
52
, TFTs (thin film transistors), not shown, as active elements and pixel electrodes
54
are provided in a matrix form. On the other hand, on the counter substrate
53
, there are provided a color filter
55
composed of filters of three colors, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) which are formed at the same pitch as that for the TFTS, and transparent electrodes
56
made of, for example, ITO (indium tin oxide). The LCD element
51
of this type is formed as an active-matrix-type color liquid crystal panel.
Between individual filters of the color filter
55
, a black matrix
58
for blocking light with respect to the TFTs and separating individual pixels from one another is formed. The black matrix
58
is normally formed by forming a chrome oxide/metal chrome thin film on the counter substrate
53
and etching the thin film to a desired pattern by the photolithography technique. Therefore, accuracy is required in determining positions of the color filter
53
and the black matrix
58
.
Further, on the color filter
55
, a transparent color filter protection film
59
is provided, which cancels level differences in the color filter
55
to form a flat surface and prevents electrodes from breaking down. Moreover, alignment films
60
and
61
are provided on surfaces of the TFT substrate
52
and the counter substrate
53
on their sides to the liquid crystal
57
, respectively, so that their alignment directions cross each other, for example. On outside surfaces of the TFT substrate
52
and the counter substrate
53
(opposite surfaces thereof to the surfaces on the sides to the liquid crystal
57
), there are provided linearly polarizing plates
62
and
63
(see FIG.
14
), respectively. Further, on an outside surface of the linearly polarizing plate
62
, a backlight, not shown, is provided.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, a plurality of pixel groups
64
, each of which is composed of n pixels, are formed in the LCD element
51
. Pixels in the pixel group
64
are arranged as follows:
(R
1
, G
2
, B
3
, . . . Rn), (G
1
, B
2
, R
3
, . . . Gn), (B
1
, R
2
, G
3
, . . . Bn), . . .
where (i) pixels in a pair of parentheses belongs to the same one pixel group
64
, (ii) R, G, and B respectively represent pixels which are driven by color signals corresponding to the red color, the green color, and the blue color, and (iii) numerals
1
through n indicate correspondence to parallax images
1
through n, respectively. Thus, the pixels for displaying the parallax images are arranged in an order of R→G→B.
Incidentally, n parallax images are n images obtained when viewing an object from n different directions. Such a device wherein n parallax images are used is generally called as multi-view device.
On the other hand, the parallax barrier
71
has a plurality of slits serving as apertures
72
and light blocking sections
73
, as shown in FIG.
14
. The parallax barrier is disposed in front of the LCD element
51
so that the apertures
72
correspond to the pixel groups
64
of the LCD element
51
at 1:1 ratio.
Light going out from each pixel of the LCD element
51
normally outgoes in all directions from the LCD element
51
, but with the foregoing arrangement, lights outgoing from pixels belonging to the same pixel group
64
pass through the same aperture
72
, going along optical paths shown by arrows in FIG.
14
.
Then, as shown in
FIG. 16
, observation regions E
1
, E
2
, . . . En at which images of “1” to “n” are observed, respectively, are formed in front of the 3-D image display device
50
, by dividing a space there. As a result, in the case where the observer's eye is placed, for example, in the observation region E
1
, the observer can observe all the images of “1” displayed by the LCD element
51
. Thus, by placing the eyes in two regions among the observation regions E
1
, E
2
, . . . and En, respectively, the observer facing the LCD element
51
with the parallax barrier
71
therebetween selects two among the images of “1” to “n,” thereby observing 3-D images. In other words, the observer is allowed to observe various 3-D images depending on viewing angles (positions of the eyes).
On the other hand,
FIG. 17
shows a cross section of a 3-D image display device
50
wherein a lenticular lens
81
is provided in front of an LCD element
51
. The lenticular lens
81
is composed of a plurality of cylindrical lenses
82
arrayed on a substrate
83
so that the pixel groups
64
of the LCD element
51
and the cylindrical lenses
82
correspond to each other at 1:1 ratio. Therefore, when the observer observes display through the lenticular lens
81
, images are selectively viewed depending on the direction of viewing, due to the functions of the cylindrical lenses
82
.
For example, in the case where the observer is at a imposition in the same direction with respect to the display as the direction (shown by a solid line arrow in
FIG. 17
) in which light outgoing from a pixel for displaying an image obtained by viewing an object in a direction of “1” (such a pixel is hereinafter
Fujii Akiyoshi
Hamada Hiroshi
Diep Nhon
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Philippe Gims
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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