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US 10,895,759 B2Granted
Optical device and method of three-dimensional display
AssigneeOMRON Corporation
InventorsMasayuki Shinohara, Yasuhiro Tanoue, Gouo Kurata, Yoshihiko Takagi, Tsuyoshi Arai, Norikazu Kitamura, Mitsuru Okuda, Takahiro Morichi
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Abstract
An optical device includes a planar-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms a planar image of a predetermined shape in a space, and an outline-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms an outline image with a light intensity different from the light intensity of the planar image at the outer-edge region of the planar image.
Claims15
An optical device comprising:
- a planar-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms a planar image of a predetermined shape in a space;
- and
- an outline-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms an outline image with a light intensity different from the light intensity of the planar image at an outer-edge region of the planar image,
- wherein the planar-image forming unit and the outline-image forming unit each include:
- a light guide plate configured to direct light entering therein from a light source and emit light from an emission surface, and
- a plurality of optical-path deflectors arranged in the light guide plate and configured to change an optical path of light directed thereto and causing light emitted therefrom to form an image in a space, and
- wherein the plurality of optical-path deflectors include:
- a group of planar-image optical-path deflectors configured to change the optical path of light directed thereto, causing the light to exit therefrom and form the planar image in a space, and thereby to function as the planar-image forming unit;
- and
- a group of outline-image optical-path deflectors configured to change the optical path of light directed thereto, causing the light to exit therefrom and form the outline image in a space, and thereby to function as the outline-image forming unit,
- wherein the group of planar-image optical-path deflectors is configured to form a planar image with increased light intensity in regions other than the outer-edge region of the planar image to reduce the difference in light intensity between the regions other than the outer-edge region and an inner part of the planar image.
8 more elements
A method of three-dimensional display with use of an optical device, the optical device comprising:
- a planar-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms a planar image of a predetermined shape in a space;
- and
- an outline-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms an outline image with a light intensity different from the light intensity of the planar image at an outer edge region of the planar image,
- wherein the planar-image forming unit and the outline-image forming unit each comprising:
- a light guide plate configured to direct light entering therein from a light source and emit light from an emission surface, and
- a plurality of optical-path deflectors arranged in the light guide plate and configured to change an optical path of light directed thereto and causing light emitted therefrom to form an image in a space, and
- wherein the plurality of optical-path deflectors comprises:
- a group of planar-image optical-path deflectors configured to change the optical path of light directed thereto, causing the light to exit therefrom and form the planar image in a space, and thereby to function as the planar-image forming unit;
- and
- a group of outline-image optical-path deflectors configured to change the optical path of light directed thereto, causing the light to exit therefrom and form the outline image in a space, and thereby to function as the outline-image forming unit,
- the method comprising:
- causing the group of planar-image optical-path deflectors to form the planar image of the predetermined shape in the space, and
- causing the group of outline-image optical-path deflectors to form the outline image with a different light intensity than the planar image at the outer-edge region of the planar image,
- wherein the group of planar-image optical-path deflectors is configured to form the planar image with increased light intensity in regions other than the outer-edge region of the planar image to reduce the difference in light intensity between the regions other than the outer-edge region and an inner part of the planar image.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.