EP1779151A1

EP1779151A1 - Lenticule and prism unit

Info

Publication number: EP1779151A1
Application number: EP05742262A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Armin Schwerdtner
Original assignee: SeeReal Technologies GmbH
Current assignee: SeeReal Technologies GmbH
Priority date: 2004-08-19
Filing date: 2005-04-25
Publication date: 2007-05-02
Also published as: WO2006021242A1; US20070268590A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a lenticule and prism unit and an illumination device for an autostereoscopic display. Said display comprises, in the direction of the light, an illumination matrix (7), an imaging matrix (8), and a transmissive image matrix (5). The illumination matrix comprises a plurality of controllable illumination elements (21). The imaging matrix (8) focuses the light of said illumination elements (21) in such a way that the image matrix (5) and a preferred visibility region (6) are illuminated in an oriented manner and consist of a lenticular (LM) and a prism mask (PM) with wedge elements (K1,K2,..) and elements (P1,P2,..) parallel to the plane. Said elements (KI,K2,.., PI,P2,..) are arranged in such a way that, from the light of an illumination element (21) in the visibility region (6), a multiple number of images with an associated widened resulting light density distribution (V) from (A to C') is created. The resulting images of laterally adjacent illumination elements are respectively superimposed on the edge regions thereof, such that an approximately homogeneous light density distribution (V) is achieved. The quality of the image is visibly increased with the obtained homogeneous luminosity.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a lenticular prism unit, in particular for autostereoscopic displays. A lenticular prism unit contains in its

Basic form of a lenticular with a large number of parallel lenticles.

The invention also relates to a lighting device for autostereoscopic

Displays with a transmissive image matrix for displaying two- and three-dimensional information with high image quality.

As autostereoscopic displays are referred to in the document displays, in which at least one observer from random locations on the information panel 3D-content can see without additional tools.

In the propagation direction of the light, the illumination device comprises an illumination matrix with a plurality of regularly arranged illumination elements and a subsequent imaging matrix with optical imaging elements.

In autostereoscopic displays, the light of the illumination device penetrates the following image matrix. The light is modulated for left sweet spots with the left images and for right sweet spots with the right images and focused on the corresponding eyes of the viewer. No crosstalk to the other eye or disturbance of the homogeneity of the images should occur when viewing the display from the sweet spots, the areas of non-stereoscopic vision.

An important field of application of the invention are displays in which different information is displayed to viewers, such as the driver of a vehicle who is shown information about the route while his passenger sees a movie. State of the art

The imaging matrix of the autostereoscopic displays is usually realized as a lenticular with simple spherical lenticles and is often mentioned in the literature and in a variety of inventions. In addition, a variety of structural design forms of lenticles in lenticular or a combination with prism elements is known. DE 297 10 551 U1 describes an autostereoscopic arrangement for the three-dimensional representation of information with a color display. A laterally displaceable prism mask is arranged in front of the color display, wherein the prism mask has a prism wedge corresponding to the width of the image columns and whose angle is selected so that the left columns of the display are seen from the left and the right columns from the right eye.

In US 3740119 A lenticular films are arranged in a projection apparatus with the aim of multiplying the images and the targeted focusing, in which the known spherical or cylindrical lens shape of the lenticule is modeled with symmetrical to the center line polygonal trains. Depending on the prism angle, the adjoining prism surfaces produce a plurality of projections displaced by a distance, equidistant images being produced by equidistant prism angles.

In the following, the prior art is considered for a lighting device for an autostereoscopic display with a transmissive image matrix.

For the imaging matrix lenticular with spherical lenticles are usually used. Extensive requirements are placed on the imaging matrix, since this matrix substantially influences the properties of the image in the observer plane. The matrix is largely responsible for the perceived quality of the image and, for example, the brightness distribution. The brightness distribution in the image depends, among other factors, on whether and how it is possible to convert the discrete light sources represented by the illumination elements of the illumination matrix into a uniform brightness distribution in the observer plane. A basic embodiment of an autostereoscopic display is described in EP 0 691 000 B1 of the applicant. The display includes an optical system for two- and three-dimensional display of information using a transmission matrix representing images associated with each viewer, at least one point or line light source, and collimating and focusing optics. Each pixel of the transmission display is associated with a respective prism of a prism mask and a respective phase element of a phase mask, wherein the light corresponding to the images is deflected and focused on the respective eyes of the viewer.

DE 103 59 403 A1 of the applicant describes an autostereoscopic multi-user display with a sweet-spot unit. The display consists of a Beleuchtungs¬ and an imaging matrix with a field lens. The imaging matrix maps the turned-on elements of the illumination matrix in appropriate directions into the space in front of the display and the subsequent field lens focuses them as sweet spots on the eyes of viewers. The imaging matrix comprises two mutually parallel, rectified single lenticulars. In a further embodiment of the imaging matrix, a dual cell is used.

EP 0827350 A3 discloses an autostereoscopic display. It consists of a light source for illumination, a planar luminous body, and a carrier mask with a checkerboard-like arrangement of openings, and a lens array of vertical cylindrical lenses (half-cylinders) and a transmissive image matrix. Here, the lens array serves to direct the light of the apertures through the transmissive image matrix.

EP0881844 B4 describes another arrangement of an autostereoscopic display; the imaging matrix here comprises a first lenticular with horizontal semicylindrical lenticles, a diffuser and another lenticular mask with horizontal semicylindrical lenticles.

EP1045596 A2 discloses another optical system as an imaging matrix; Here, the matrix consists of an array of vertically extending cylindrical lenses and an array of horizontally extending cylindrical lenses in the light direction. The lenses of the lens arrays are each aligned in a matching the pattern of the openings of the shutter spacing. An important requirement for the illumination device and in particular for the imaging matrix is the most homogeneous possible illumination of the image matrix and of the preferred visibility region in the observer plane; this is not realized in the cited documents in a desirable manner. The alignment of the beams of individual lenticles to fully illuminated areas in the observer or projection plane is not shown or described in detail in the writings, although this significantly determines the quality of the visible image in the image.

The beams are not sufficiently aligned with areas of lesser radiance for discrete separate light sources. In particular, the images of these areas in the preferred visibility range produce transitions with low luminance, which are thus perceived by the viewer as unwanted narrow darker lines, as zones of low luminance. This leads to a significantly poorer image quality. In order to ensure that all points of the image matrix in the preferred visibility range can be seen in the required homogeneous brightness, it is necessary to superimpose the radiation beams generated by the illumination elements in the visibility region. This superposition is or can not be sufficiently achieved in the abovementioned solutions with cylindrical, semi-cylindrical or spherical lenticles.

For an overlay of the beam path, an aspheric lenticle or even an asymmetric aspheric lenticle would be required. However, aspherical and / or asymmetric lenticules have the disadvantage that they are difficult to produce, and in general only with great effort, in particular in terms of miniaturization. In the course of the progressive reduction of the lenticules, there is the danger that the limits of cost-effective and process-reliable production of the lenticulars will be reached. While maintaining the preceding tasks, it is necessary to provide an imaging element which has the advantageous optical properties of an aspheric and / or asymmetric lenticule, designed simply in terms of manufacturing and adjustment and, moreover, cost-effective and reliable even in miniaturization. Summary of the invention

The lenticule-prism unit, in particular for autostereoscopic displays, contains in its basic form a lenticular with several adjacent parallel lenticles in the form of cylindrical lenses. The lenticular is combined with a prismatic mask. This mask contains a plurality of prism mask elements that are constructed of wedge elements. There are several prism mask elements assigned to each lenticle. In a preferred embodiment, wedge elements and one or more plane-parallel elements are associated with a lenticle.

The invention is based on the idea that an aspherical and / or an asymmetric lenticle is discreetly approximated by a combination of a spherical lenticle and the associated prism mask elements. In a first simple discrete approximation of an aspheric lenticle, a lenticle is combined with a plane-parallel element which lies in the center of the optical axis of the lenticle and two mirror-symmetric wedge elements adjoining it. With a correspondingly high number of prism mask elements, the discretization is further refined and the approximation of asymmetric or aspherical lenticles is achieved in a simple manner.

In a first preferred embodiment, the prism mask lies in the propagation direction of the light in front of the lenticular, whereby spherical aberrations are reduced and a higher quality of the optical imaging is achieved. Here, the lenticular and the prism mask can be applied to a common substrate plate. In a further embodiment, the prism mask is behind the lenticular and is flat on the side surface of the light exit. The lenticular and the prism mask are here face-to-face, that is, the wedge elements and the lenticules point to each other. The lenticular and the prismatic mask may contact each other at one or more points of curvature of the lenticules to form a composite body.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a lighting device, in particular for an autostereoscopic display with a transmissive image matrix. The illumination device contains in the propagation direction of the light in detail an illumination matrix and an imaging matrix. The illumination matrix contains a multiplicity of regularly arranged illumination elements. In a simple embodiment, the illumination matrix is realized from a backlight as the light source and a shutter with controllable openings for the controlled transmission of light. Between the lighting elements, or the openings of the shutter are areas of lower light transmission, which are structurally conditioned, for example, due to wiring. The following imaging matrix contains a lenticular with a plurality of lenticles in the form of cylindrical lenses. The lenticules are preferably aligned parallel to the columns or rows of the illumination elements. The imaging matrix focuses the light of the illumination elements such that the image matrix and a selectable preferred visibility region are directionally illuminated in the observer plane.

The imaging matrix contains the lenticule-prism unit. According to the invention, the prism mask elements are selected and arranged in such a way as to multiply the images of the illumination elements according to the number of prism mask elements in the visibility region. Furthermore, the prism mask elements are arranged so as to superimpose these multiplied images so that a nearly homogeneous distribution of the luminance on the image matrix and in the visibility region arises.

In the arrangement according to the invention, a number of associated images multiplied by a number of prism mask elements corresponding to the number of prism mask elements is produced by a lighting element in the preferred visibility range. These images are each identified by the corresponding associated trapezoidal luminance distributions. These luminance distributions are offset in each case overlapping one another in order to effect a broadened homogenized luminance in the superposition of these laterally offset trapezoids.

The resulting luminance of a lighting element is thus significantly widened, so that consequently the images of a plurality of lighting elements associated with a lenticle are overlapped. Lateral adjacent lighting elements In the field of visibility, they generate the mentioned widened trapezoidal distributions of the luminance. With the arrangement according to the invention, their edge regions are each overlapped.

The said trapezoidal distributions are each characterized by a rectangle of the ideal distribution of the beam and of sloping edge regions, which are due to the real optical properties of the lenticule and the prism mask elements. With the arrangement and alignment according to the invention, the above edge regions of the individual luminance distributions are superimposed in the visibility region, the concept of the invention following an inverse consideration of these required overlays of the luminance distribution per illumination element and laterally adjacent elements as well as of a fixed geometry of these illumination elements the lenticule and prism mask elements and in particular the orientation of the wedge elements is fixed. With the achieved superimposition of these edge regions of the images of the illumination elements, a nearly homogeneous resulting distribution of the luminance arises at these transitions. Thus, in the visibility range as well as on the image matrix results in a nearly homogeneous illumination. The darker areas between the images of the lighting elements are almost eliminated and the quality of the image display is visibly increased for the viewer. The resulting luminance distribution is sustainably improved in a further subdivision of the prism mask in the sense of an approximation of an aspherical lenticle. The approximation also applies to an asymmetric lenticle. If necessary, it may be necessary to dispense with plane-parallel elements.

The inventively embodied lenticule prism unit is also advantageously used in known double arrays of lenticular with equally or oppositely directed vertices and also in crossed lenticulars. The lenticule-prism unit can be combined with other optical elements, for example a field lens. Brief description of the figures

The following figures illustrate embodiments of the inventive lenticule prism unit and the illumination device according to the invention as part of an autostereoscopic display and show in

1 shows a detail of the illumination device with a lenticular prism unit according to the invention and a schematic representation of the distribution of the radiation beams for a lighting element;

FIG. 2 shows a device analogous to FIG. 1 and its beam path, however, for three adjacent illumination elements; FIG.

3a shows a section of a composite component as preferred embodiments of the combination of the lenticular and the prism mask; such as

FIGS. 3b and 4 show further embodiments of the combination of the lenticular and the prism mask.

The detailed representations of the lenticule-prism unit in FIGS. 3 a, 3b and 4 and the assignment of the prism mask elements relate to a lenticle. The propagation direction of the light is illustrated by an arrow in these figures.

The lenticule-prism unit according to the invention is explained below, in particular for an autostereoscopic display. In the light direction, the display contains in a first part a lighting matrix 7 with a plurality of controllable light-transmitting illumination elements. The illumination matrix 7 is exemplary here not self-luminous realized, but consists of backlight 1 as a light source and a plurality of matrix-shaped arranged openings 21 having shutter 2 for the controlled light transmission. It follows one Imaging matrix 8 of a lenticular LM with a plurality of lenticules L. In this embodiment, the lenticules are each aligned parallel to the columns or rows of the openings 21 of the shutter 2. Through the matrix 8, the light of these apertures 21 is focused so that a subsequent transmissive image matrix 5 and a selectable preferred visibility region 6 in the observer plane 9 are suitably illuminated.

1 shows a detail of the illumination device with a lenticular prism unit according to the invention and a schematic illustration of the distribution of the radiation beams for an opening 21 of the shutter 2. The imaging matrix 8 here comprises a combination of a lenticular LM and a prism mask PM. The prism mask PM is here arranged in the propagation direction of the light following the lenticular LM. The prism mask PM contains a multiplicity of wedge elements and plane-parallel elements, wherein a plurality of prism mask elements K1, K2,..., P1, P2,... Are each assigned to a lenticle L.

The lenticule prism unit realizes in this schematic embodiment a simple form of discrete approximation of an aspherical lenticle. A further detailed representation of the lenticule prism unit is shown in FIG. 3.

A lenticle L in this embodiment, a lying in the center of the optical axis of the lenticle L plane-parallel element P1 and two mirror-symmetrically arranged angle-like wedge elements K1 and K2 assigned. The wedge elements K1 and K2 are located at the edge of the lenticule. The prism mask elements K1, K2, P1 here divide the aperture of the lenticle L into three equally long intervals. The wedge elements K1.K2 face the lenticules L face-to-face. The lenticular LM is planar at its light entry side and the prism mask PM at its light exit side.

The surface which is hatched vertically in the figure shows, by way of example, the distribution of the beam B2 from the central opening 21 of the shutter 2 through the lenticle L and the plane-parallel element P1 of the prism mask PM up to the observer plane 9. The basis points of the trapezoid BB 'are the associated one Distribution of the luminance V12 in the visibility region 6 in the observer plane 9 shown. This trapezoidal distribution is characterized by a rectangle of the ideal distribution of the beam and by faded edge areas, which are due to the real optical properties of the lenticule and the prism mask elements.

The superimposed beams B1 and B3 of the wedge elements K1 and K2 are shown obliquely hatched in the figure. Here, the beam B1 passes through the wedge element K1 (in the figure above) and supplies in the observer plane 9 the associated profile of the luminance distribution V11. The obtained trapezoid of the luminance distribution V11 is indicated in the figure by the base points A-A '. Analogously, the base points C-C mark the trapezium of the luminance V13, which follows from the beam B3 for the wedge element K2 lying below.

In the observer plane 9, the superimposition of the luminance V11 to V13 results in the luminance V shown by dashed lines. Due to the resulting multiplication of the number of images, which according to the invention the number of prism mask elements (here K1 + K2 + P1 = 3) is equal, and by the lateral overlapped shift of the images produces a broadened homogeneous region of the resulting luminance distribution V. As can be seen from the figure, the resulting region of the luminance V widened correspondingly with its sloping edge regions between the base points A and C.

FIG. 2 shows in a device analogous to FIG. 1 a schematic representation of the distribution of the beam bundles starting from three adjacent openings 21 of the shutter 2 through the lenticular LM and the prism mask PM up to the images of the openings 21 in the preferred visibility area 6 of the observer plane 9 These three openings 21 are assigned to the same lenticle L.

In the visibility region 6, the images of the three openings 21 yield the profiles V1 to V3 associated with the openings of the broadened luminances previously explained in FIG. 1 as resultant from V11 to V13, respectively. The combination of the lenticular LM and the prism mask PM and the arrangement and orientation of the prism mask elements K1, K2, P1 causes the overlapped ones sloping edge regions of the luminance V1 to V3. The course of the ray bundles through the lenticle L and the associated prism mask elements K1, K2, P1 is directed so that the sloping edge regions of the images V1 to V3 of the three openings 21 overlap. The dashed line in the figure shows the resulting from the superposition of V1 to V3 homogenized curve V of the luminance. The resulting distribution of the luminance V is thus characterized only by a very small decrease in the luminance in the region of the superimposed edge regions. Thus, according to the object, an almost homogeneous resulting distribution V of the luminance in the entire preferred visibility range 6 is achieved. On the display and in the visibility range, an almost homogeneous illumination is achieved. The darker areas between the images of the openings are almost eliminated and the quality of the image display is visibly increased for the viewer.

3a shows a section of a preferred embodiment of the combination of the lenticular LM and the prism mask PM as a composite component. The figure shows a single lenticle L and the associated combined prism mask elements of the lenticule-prism unit L, K1, K2, P1. The propagation direction of the light is illustrated in this and the following figures by an arrow. Here, the number of prism mask elements K1, K2, P1 and their arrangement is adopted analogously to FIGS. 1 and 2. Two wedge elements K1, K2 are also facing the lenticules L face-to-face, with the lenticular LM at its light entrance side and the prism mask PM at its light exit side being flat. The lenticule and the prism mask PM are bonded at the points of contact of the lenticules L and the wedge elements K1, K2 and thus form a composite component. This composite component has a high dimensional stability. Its easy handling allows a rational and process-safe production and assembly in high quantities.

FIG. 3 b shows a further configuration of the lenticule-prism unit in an arrangement derived from FIG. 3 a. Here, the prism mask PM is arranged in the propagation direction of the light in front of the lenticular LM. This most preferred Embodiment reduces spherical aberrations and achieves a higher quality of optical imaging.

4 illustrates the approximation of an asymmetric lenticle with the combination of the lenticule L and the prism mask elements. A lenticle L is here associated with three wedge elements K1, K2, K3 and a plane-parallel element P1. For the desired approximation, the wedge elements K1 to K3, as shown, have a different size and angular orientation. It is conceivable to dispense with the plane-parallel element P1, so that the prism mask is realized exclusively by wedge elements.

Claims

claims

1. Lenticular prism unit, in particular for an autostereoscopic display, which contains a lenticular with a plurality of lenticles in the form of cylindrical lenses and a prism mask (PM) arranged parallel to the lenticules (L) of the lenticular prismatic mask elements, characterized in that in each case a plurality of prism mask elements are assigned to one lenticle (L), wherein the combination of the lenticle (L) and the associated prism mask elements discretely approximates an aspheric and / or asymmetric lenticle.

2. lenticule prism unit in which the prism mask elements both wedge elements (K1, K2, ..) and plane-parallel elements (P1, P2, ..) are.

3. Lenticular prism unit according to claim 1, wherein the prism mask (PM) has a central plane-parallel element (P 1) extending in the region of the optical axis of the associated lenticle (L).

4. lenticule prism unit according to claim 1, wherein the prismatic mask elements (K1, K2, .., P1, P2, ..) are arranged symmetrically about the optical axis of the associated lenticle (L).

5. The lenticule prism unit according to claim 1 in which the lenticular (LM) and the prism mask (PM) in one or more points of curvature of the lenticule (L) touch.

The lenticule-prism unit of claim 1 wherein the lenticular (LM) and prismatic mask (PM) are a common element.

7. lighting device for an autostereoscopic display with a lenticular prism unit according to claim 1 _x in the propagation direction of the light, a lighting matrix (7) with a plurality of regularly arranged lighting elements (21) and a lenticular prism unit (8), wherein by the lenticule prism unit (8) the light of these lighting elements (21) is focused such that a subsequent transmissive image matrix (5) and a selectable preferred visibility region (6) are suitably illuminated in the observer plane (9), characterized in that the prism mask elements (K1, K2, .., P1, P2, ..) are arranged and aligned such that in the visibility region (6) a nearly homogeneous luminance distribution is formed.

8. Lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the prism mask elements per lenticle in the visibility range corresponding to the number of these prism mask elements (K1, K2, .., P1, P2, ..) multiplied number of images with their luminance distribution (V11 with A ₁ A 'to V13 with C ₁ C) and the prism mask elements are arranged such that these laterally shifted images overlap and a resulting, to the range (A to C) widened luminance distribution (V) is formed.

9. Lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the prism mask elements (K1, K2, .., P1, P2, ..) are arranged and aligned such that the images of laterally adjacent, the same lenticle (L) associated lighting elements (21) superimposed on the sloping edge regions of these widened luminance distributions (V) and thus in the visibility region (6) produces a nearly homogeneous luminance distribution.

10. Lighting device according to one or more of claims 7 to 9, wherein from the predetermined overlays of the luminance distribution (V) and from a fixed geometry of the lighting elements (21), the arrangement and orientation of the lenticule (L) and the prism mask elements ( K1, K2, .., P1, P2, ..) is fixed.

11. Lighting device according to one or more of claims 7 to 10, which contains a combination of a plurality of lenticular (LM) and a plurality of prism masks (PM).