JP2001142024A - Virtual image display device and electronic equipment mounting the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment capable of further enlarging image data or text data enlarged as a virtual image and excellent in visibility and to provide electronic equipment capable of changing eye relief in accordance with circumstances. SOLUTION: An optical distance from a real image display part 202 to an image enlarging part 400 is made variable. The eye relief is changed in accordance with the change of the optical distance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a virtual image display having a function of visually enlarging and displaying an image and an electronic apparatus equipped with the virtual image display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various information devices, especially liquid crystals,
In addition, devices capable of handling visual information by means of photoelectric image display means have made remarkable progress. In addition, information processing machines for personal use, which are so-called mobile devices that can be used anywhere and at any time, have been remarkably developed. The performance required of this mobile device includes a compact form with good mobile performance, a high speed of information processing, a large number of processing functions, etc., as well as more information accurately in a limited space of a small device. Means for displaying to the user in an easy-to-understand manner are required. At present, display means such as liquid crystal which occupy most of an arbitrary operation surface of the device has become mainstream, but there is no possibility of following downsizing of the device.

In view of the above, virtual image magnifying display devices such as a head-mounted display and a finder (check) display have recently attracted attention as one effective display method for solving this problem, and much research and development of related devices have been advanced. I have.

Hereinafter, a conventional virtual image display device will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a conventional virtual image display device, and shows a display device of an eyepiece optical system using a refraction lens type. In the figure, a small L
A display image (not shown) drawn on a display module 1 made of a CD (liquid crystal display) or the like is converted into a virtual image enlarged by a plurality of lens units 2 having a positive refractive power and having a plurality of lenses for correcting various aberrations. The projection is performed on the visual sense of the eye part 4 in the direction of the axis 3. This projected image is the actual LC
Since it appears to be enlarged farther than the position of D, it is possible to realize monitoring that is close to actual with a compact and relatively low power consumption configuration.

[0006] Such a configuration is used in a monitoring finder optical system for confirming the shooting range (angle of view) and focus of many video camcorders, and combining one or a plurality of lenses to form a positive lens. The virtual image enlarged by the refractive power is projected visually. Although it has a simple structure and is generally used for an optical system having a relatively small angle of view, there is a problem that the structure becomes slightly larger in the optical axis direction of the optical system.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a conventional virtual image display device, and shows a reflective display device that projects an enlarged virtual image by a concave mirror. In the figure, a display image (not shown) drawn on the display module 1 is first reflected by the half mirror unit 7 so as to be bent by approximately 90 degrees, and converged by the action of the concave mirror 9 arranged on the optical axis 8. The reflected light is transmitted through the half mirror unit 7 again, and a virtual image (not shown) of the enlarged display image is projected to the eyes 4.

In such a configuration, since the half mirror section 7 is used, the brightness of the virtual image is reduced, and the display device has a very low visibility which is viewed as a very dark image by the user's eyes. turn into. Further, if an attempt is made to brighten an image, the power used for illumination increases, the power consumption increases, and the display device is not suitable for a portable information terminal.

In these virtual image display devices,
Although an optical system for virtual image enlargement is provided, there is no description of a configuration for further enlarging all or a part of the enlarged virtual image.

As an electronic apparatus using such a virtual image display device, for example, a portable information terminal is described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2721709, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-259964, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-235892. It describes a portable information terminal equipped with a display, and describes that received information is displayed on a virtual image magnifying display.

[0011]

However, in the above-described virtual image display apparatus and the electronic equipment equipped with them, the image data and the text data enlarged and displayed as a virtual image on the display unit are further enlarged as necessary. Because of this, it often happens that important parts of the information obtained cannot be seen or overlooked.

Also, since the eye relief cannot be changed, the display contents of the virtual image display can always be viewed only from a fixed position, so that the electronic device is inconvenient to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an electronic device with excellent visibility that can further enlarge image data, text data, and the like enlarged as a virtual image, and changes an eye relief according to a situation. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device capable of performing such operations.

[0014]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the optical distance from the real image display section to the image enlarging means is made variable. The eye relief changes according to the change of the optical distance.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a real image display unit for displaying an image, image enlargement means for optically enlarging an image formed on the real image display unit as a virtual image, and the real image display unit. A light guide unit for guiding light from the unit to the image enlargement unit, and by changing the optical distance from the real image display unit to the image enlargement display unit, an image enlarged and displayed as a virtual image is displayed. The display mode can be further changed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of display modes having different eye reliefs and characteristics of each display mode are provided by changing an eye relief according to a change in an optical distance. Since the usage method can be realized, the degree of freedom of the user in viewing the virtual image display device (for example, whether to look in a peeping manner, to view from a slightly distant position, to view alone, or to see in large numbers) can be increased. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a region which is enlarged and displayed outside as a virtual image in an image formed on a real image display section changes according to a change in an optical distance.
Since the user can arbitrarily select an optimal display area according to the use conditions, it is possible to provide a virtual image display device with good visibility and good usability.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the visual acuity of the user and the operating conditions are changed by changing the magnification of the virtual image seen from the outside with respect to the image formed on the real image display unit in accordance with the change in the optical distance. Therefore, it is possible to arbitrarily select an optimum enlargement ratio in accordance with the above, and to provide a virtual image display device having good visibility and good usability.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the position of the real image display section is changed to change the optical distance from the real image display section to the enlarged image display section, so that the inside of the housing of the virtual image display device is changed. It is possible to complete the operation for changing the optical distance by using, and to minimize the change in shape such as the protrusion of the member to the outside of the housing, so that a virtual image display device that is easier to use is provided. Can be.

According to the present invention, the optical distance from the real image display section to the image enlargement display section is changed by changing the position of at least a part of the image enlargement means. It is possible to provide an easy-to-use virtual image display device that can change the display mode of the virtual image visually recognized by the user according to the use purpose of the user.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the optical axis distance from the real image display section to the image enlarging means is larger than three times the thickness of the light guiding means, so that the thickness of the virtual image display device is determined. Since the optical path length can be increased while making a certain light guide means thin, aberration can hardly occur in the light condensing means, and the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device can be improved.

The present invention according to claim 8 is a real image display unit for displaying an image, a first image enlarging means for optically enlarging an image formed by the real image display unit as a first virtual image,
A light guiding unit for guiding light from the real image display unit to the first image enlarging unit; and a second light guide unit in which at least a part of an image displayed on the real image display unit is further enlarged than the first virtual image. By providing the second image enlargement unit that can be enlarged as the second virtual image, the display form of the image enlarged and displayed as the virtual image can be changed according to the relationship between the first image enlargement unit and the second image enlargement unit. Further changes can be made.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, at least two virtual images can be displayed by selecting whether to display the first virtual image or the second virtual image to the outside by the second image enlarging means. The user can accurately select the display mode of
The usability of the virtual image display can be improved.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the first eye relief for displaying the first virtual image is different from the second eye relief for displaying the second virtual image.
The degree of freedom in viewing the virtual image display can be further increased.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the first eye relief is longer than the second eye relief, an image with a small enlargement ratio can be seen near and an image with a large enlargement ratio can be seen far away. Therefore, it is possible to provide a virtual image display device having good visibility with any eye relief.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the space is formed between the real image display part and the light guide means, the influence of the heat from the real image display part on the light guide means can be further reduced.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a space is formed between the light guiding means and the image enlarging means.
Since the optical path of the light guided to the image magnifying means and the optical path of the light transmitted inside the other light guiding means can be overlapped,
The degree of freedom of how light is transmitted inside the light guide can be increased, and the degree of freedom of the shape of the light guide can be increased.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the light guide means is provided with at least three or more reflecting surfaces, so that the length of the light path of light is increased while the size of the light guide means itself is reduced. Can be.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the size of the entire virtual image display device can be further reduced by reflecting the light from the real image display unit at least three times by the light guiding means and guiding the light to the image enlarging means. In particular, since the optical distance can be increased while reducing the line of sight (the direction in which the user looks in), it is possible to increase the apparent virtual image size with a smaller configuration, and to reduce the size and size. A highly visible virtual image display device can be realized.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, since the light guide means is formed of an optical prism, the length of light passing through the air can be made shorter. Is reflected and scattered, thereby deteriorating the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the optical prism is triangular prism-shaped, so that the optical prism is small.
Since the thickness can be reduced, the size and thickness of the virtual image display device can be reduced.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, since the three side surfaces of the triangular prism are formed as reflecting surfaces, the reflecting surface can be formed more easily, and light can be guided using the entire optical prism. Therefore, the space utilization efficiency inside the optical prism can be improved.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the surface on which the light from the real image forming unit is incident and the surface on which the light is emitted to the image enlarging unit are the same side surface, thereby simplifying the structure of the light guiding unit. And the number of surfaces on which light is incident and transmitted can be reduced.
It is possible to reduce the number of operations for mirroring the surface to lower the surface roughness or to remove scratches, improve the productivity of the virtual image display device, and reduce the manufacturing cost.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a real image display section, image enlarging means for optically enlarging an image formed by the real image display section as a virtual image, and the real image display section being provided in a non-contact manner. An optical prism that guides light from the real image display unit to image enlarging means, wherein the optical prism has a substantially flat incident surface on which light from the real image display unit enters, and the optical prism from the real image display unit. A first inner reflection surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the prism that reflects light rays incident into the prism, and a second inner reflection surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the prism that reflects light from the first inner reflection surface. A reflecting surface, a third internal reflecting surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the prism for reflecting the light reflected by the second internal reflecting surface, and light from the third internal reflecting surface being used as the image enlarging means. Almost flat surface that emits light to By providing a Ranaru exit surface, the light can be made shorter in length through the air, the light by the dust in the air or the like is reflected and scattered,
Deterioration of the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device can be minimized, and the size of the entire virtual image display device can be further reduced, and in particular, the line of sight (the direction in which the user looks in) can be reduced. Since the optical distance can be increased, the apparent size of the virtual image can be increased with a smaller configuration, and a small-sized and highly visible virtual image display device can be realized.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, the image enlarging means is made of a dielectric member having a positive refracting power which is disposed in close proximity to the exit surface of the optical prism in a non-contact manner. The degree of freedom of light transmission can be increased, the degree of freedom of the shape of the light guide means can be increased, and the incident light can be condensed and shown as an enlarged virtual image.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, the dielectric member having a positive refractive power is made of a convex lens, an aspherical optical lens, a Fresnel lens, or a hologram lens, so that light is more efficiently condensed. can do.

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the optical prism, the second inner reflection surface is formed on the same plane as the entrance surface and the exit surface, thereby simplifying the structure of the light guide means. And the number of surfaces through which light is incident and transmitted can be reduced, so that the work required to reduce the surface roughness or scratches, which is particularly necessary for such surfaces, can be reduced. In addition, the productivity of the virtual image display device can be improved, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conversion means for converting at least one of a data signal and an audio signal into a transmission signal or converting a received signal into at least one of a data signal and an audio signal; An antenna for transmitting and receiving a received signal, a speaker for converting an audio signal converted by the conversion unit into a sound, a microphone for converting an audio signal to an electric signal, and a data signal converted by the conversion unit. Since the virtual image display device according to any one of 1 to 23 and a control unit for controlling each unit are provided, it is possible to change a display mode of an image enlarged and displayed as a virtual image on the virtual image display device. The user can change the display mode of the virtual image to be visually recognized according to the purpose of use. It is possible to provide a child device, the miniaturization of electronic devices, can be made thinner and lighter, can be further visibility provides electronic devices with low false like good.

According to the twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, since the virtual image display device is housed in the housing of the electronic equipment, the virtual image display device can be prevented from being directly touched by a user, and the virtual image display device can be prevented. It is possible to prevent dust or the like from entering the display device and deteriorating the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, a display window is provided in a housing of an electronic apparatus, and a virtual image formed by a virtual image display device is displayed through the window, whereby stray light leaking from the surroundings. Can be suppressed from being mixed into the eyes of the user, and an electronic device having excellent visibility can be obtained.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, the display window is disposed at a position deviating from the longitudinal center line of the electronic device, and the microphone is provided on the opposite side of the display window with respect to the center line. This allows the user to talk through the microphone while viewing the image from the display window, and to further reduce the distance between the microphone and the user's mouth. An easy-to-use portable information terminal that can be improved can be realized.

According to the twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, the length of the portable information terminal can be shortened by making the longitudinal direction of the electronic device and the longitudinal direction of the virtual image display device non-parallel, so that sound can be output. It is possible to enable a usage such as checking an image while listening.

According to the twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, the length of the portable information terminal can be made very short by making the longitudinal direction of the electronic device substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the virtual image display device. It is possible to enable a usage such as checking an image while listening to voice.

According to a thirty-first aspect of the present invention, an image magnifying means of a virtual image display device is provided so as to protrude and house freely with respect to a housing of an electronic device. The display mode can be further changed.

According to a thirty-first aspect of the present invention, the display form of the image enlarged and displayed as a virtual image is further changed by changing the arrangement position of the real image display portion of the virtual image display device in the housing of the electronic device. Can be done.

According to the thirty-second aspect of the present invention, the display portion is provided separately from the virtual image display device, so that the display location can be selected according to the purpose.

Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a portable information terminal having a communication function will be described as an example of the electronic device.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portable information terminal equipped with a virtual image display according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the portable information terminal equipped with a virtual image display according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 shows an AA ′ cross section in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the portable terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a virtual image display device, and the virtual image display device 100 is housed in a housing 50 of an electronic device. Details of the virtual image display device 100 will be described later. Reference numeral 101 denotes a microphone for converting a voice into a voice signal, 102 denotes a speaker for converting a voice signal to a voice, 103 denotes an operation unit including dial buttons and the like, 104 denotes a display unit, and the display unit 104 denotes incoming information and outgoing information. It displays very simple, relatively low-resolution (about 50 × 120 or less) character information such as a character such as a telephone number or the name of a partner by search information, etc., and is constituted by a liquid crystal display device. A surface lighting device is mounted below. Reference numeral 105 denotes an antenna for transmitting and receiving, and reference numeral 106 denotes a display window through which an image from the virtual image display device 100 can be viewed. A fine image (about 320 × 480 or more) can be seen.

Here, it is preferable that the display window 106 is arranged so that the center thereof is deviated from the longitudinal center line of the housing 50 of the portable information terminal. With such an arrangement, even if the portable information terminal is not tilted greatly, the display window 10 can be used.
Since the image can be viewed from 6, the image visibility of the portable information terminal can be improved.

The positional relationship between the display window 106 and the microphone 101 depends on the longitudinal center line B of the housing 50 of the portable information terminal.
It is preferable to be arranged so as to sandwich -B '. With this arrangement, the distance between the microphone 101 and the mouth of the user can be made shorter when talking via the microphone 101 while viewing the image from the display window 106. An easy-to-use portable information terminal capable of improving both visibility and callability can be realized.

The display window 106 may be provided on the virtual image display device 100 side or on the housing 50 side.

Further, the arrangement direction of the virtual image display device defined by a straight line connecting the centers of the real image display portion and the display window of the virtual image display device housed inside the portable information terminal and the longitudinal direction of the portable information terminal are as follows. , A non-parallel relationship, more preferably a substantially vertical relationship, can further reduce the length of the portable information terminal in the longitudinal direction,
It is preferable because it can be used to check an image while listening to voice.

Since the virtual image display device 100 is housed in the housing 50 as described above, it is possible to prevent the virtual image display device 100 from being directly touched by a user to be damaged or to deteriorate optical characteristics. In addition to this, it is possible to prevent dust or the like from entering the inside of the virtual image display device 100 and adhering to the light guide member or the like, thereby deteriorating the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device.

Further, by providing the display window 106, stray light leaking from the surroundings can be prevented from entering the user's eyes, and an electronic device with excellent visibility can be obtained.

Further, by providing the virtual image display device 100 in addition to the display unit 104, it is possible to select a place for displaying information according to the purpose. For example, the communication address information for communicating with the other party is displayed on the display unit 104, and detailed information such as map information which should be greatly enlarged or an e-mail sent from the other party are viewed on the virtual image display device 100. You can do so.

The information to be displayed on the display unit 104 or the virtual image display device 100 is determined by determining the size of the file of the information.
The configuration may be determined uniquely by the electronic device, or the configuration may be such that the user selects which one to display. In that case, it is preferable to provide the operation means 103 with something like a display section selection button in terms of usability. Information at the time of transmission may be displayed on the display unit 104, and information at the time of reception may be displayed on the virtual image display device 100.

Next, the operation of the portable information terminal having such a configuration will be described.

First, when there is an incoming call, the receiving unit 11
1 sends an incoming signal to the control unit 112,
Displays a predetermined character or the like on the display unit 104 or the virtual image display device 100 based on the incoming signal, and when a button or the like for receiving an incoming call is pressed from the operation unit 103, a signal is transmitted to the control unit 112. Then, the control unit 112 sets each unit to the incoming call mode. That is, the signal received by the antenna 105 is converted into an audio signal by the receiving unit 111, the audio signal is output as audio from the speaker 102, and the audio input from the microphone 101 is converted into an audio signal, Through the antenna 105 to the outside.

Next, a case of transmitting a call will be described.

When transmitting a signal, first, a signal to transmit is transmitted from the operation unit 103 to the control unit 112. Subsequently, when a signal corresponding to a telephone number or an Internet protocol address (hereinafter abbreviated as an IP address) is transmitted from the operation unit 103 to the control unit 112, the control unit 11
2 transmits a signal corresponding to a telephone number or an IP address from the antenna 105 via the transmission unit 110.
The signal input at this time is often displayed on the display unit 104 while the surface illumination device emits light. When communication with the other party is established by the transmission signal, a signal to that effect is sent to the control unit 112 via the reception unit 111 via the antenna 105, and the control unit 112 sets each unit to the transmission mode. That is, the signal received by the antenna 105 is
The audio signal is converted into an audio signal by the receiving unit 111, and the audio signal is output as audio from the speaker 102 and the microphone 1
The voice input from 01 is converted into a voice signal, and transmitted to the outside via the transmitting unit 110 and the antenna 105.

Next, an example of an operation for displaying an enlarged virtual image in the display window 106 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of an image display of the portable information terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, data received by the antenna 105 is amplified by the amplifier 113, converted into an amplified signal, and transmitted to the binarization circuit 114. Then, the amplified signal is A / D-converted by the binarization circuit unit 114 and sent to the decoder circuit unit 115 as a binarized signal. The binarized signal sent to the decoder circuit unit 115 is a decoded signal when the data is compressed or encrypted, and is a binary signal when the data is not compressed or encrypted. The conversion circuit 11
Sent to 6. Thereafter, the decode signal or the binarized signal sent to the conversion circuit unit 116 is output to the display unit drive circuit unit 11.
The signal is converted into a drive signal conforming to No. 7 and transmitted to the display drive circuit 117. Then, the display unit drive circuit unit 117 displays an image on the real image display unit 118 of the virtual image display device 100 according to the drive signal.

Next, the configuration of the virtual image display device will be described with reference to FIG.

In the present embodiment, the virtual image display device 10 provided inside the housing 50 of the portable information terminal
0 is broadly divided into the image forming module 200, the light guide member 300, and the light condensing member 400, and the respective configurations will be described below.

First, the image forming module 200 includes a backlight device 201 and a real image display section 202 (real image display section 1).
18), and the backlight device 201 and the real image display unit 202 are mounted on a common housing 203.

The backlight device 201 emits light when supplied with power from a backlight power supply 205, and illuminates the real image display unit 202. The whole of the real image display unit 202 is illuminated almost uniformly at a predetermined luminance or higher. It is desirable to do.
Light sources of such a backlight device include a light emitting diode (LED) and an electroluminescence (EL).
Alternatively, it is preferable to use a light-emitting device using a thin fluorescent tube or the like because uniform illumination with high luminance is easy.

The real image display section 202 is made of liquid crystal. Here, it is particularly preferable that the real image display section 202 is made of transmissive liquid crystal because it can secure sufficient brightness and can suppress generation of stray light. Then, the real image display unit 202 includes the image processing circuit 2
Based on the image information signal from the display unit 04 (same as the display unit driving circuit unit 117), the voltage applied to the liquid crystal is controlled for each cell to change the way light is transmitted from the backlight device 201.

As a result, the diffused light emitted from the backlight device 201 enters the real image display unit 202 and passes through to form a light beam group including image information, and the light beam group is emitted from the image forming module. . Here, the resolution of the real image display unit 202 is at least 320 × 480 or more, more preferably 800 × 600 or more, so that the display capability required for the portable information terminal can be satisfied. Misunderstanding can be almost eliminated. Further, by reducing the size of the real image display unit 202 to at least 1 inch or less, preferably 0.5 inch or less, the size of the virtual image display device mounted on the electronic device can be reduced, and It is possible to easily incorporate a virtual image display device capable of displaying an apparently large screen with high definition into an electronic device while suppressing an increase in the size of the electronic device. In addition, the virtual image enlarged image has an apparent size of at least 24 inches or more, preferably 28 inches or more 2 m ahead, so that the virtual image display device is excellent in visibility and hardly misidentified or overlooked. Can be.

The distance from the light emitting surface of the backlight device to the incident surface of the real image display unit 202 is 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or more.
It is preferable that the thickness be 0 mm or less, since it is possible to suppress large diffusion of light and to increase the amount of light incident on the rear light guide member 300. When it is necessary to provide the backlight device 201 and the real image display unit 202 with a certain distance from each other in terms of arrangement of electronic components (not shown) or safety from heat or the like, the backlight device 201 may be provided. It is also possible to provide a condensing plate, a diffusing plate, etc. between the image forming unit and the real image display unit 202.

The housing 203 has a backlight device 201 and a real image display unit 202 mounted thereon, and the housing 203 is further mounted on the housing 50 of the portable information terminal. The housing 203 is preferably formed of a metal or resin material having a low light transmittance and a sufficient thickness so as to hardly transmit incident light. Such materials include aluminum, magnesium,
Brass or a metal or alloy having similar strength and hardness may be used, or ABS polystyrene or a synthetic resin having similar strength and hardness may be used. In particular, by using a metal or an alloy, heat generated in the image forming module 200 can be efficiently conducted and dissipated, so that overheating of the image forming module 200 can be suppressed. In addition, by using resin, the virtual image display device 100 can be reduced in weight, and can be particularly optimized for a portable electronic device such as a portable information terminal, which is strongly demanded by the market for weight reduction.

The space between the backlight device 201 attached to the housing 203 and the real image display unit 202 is surrounded by the housing 203, and most of the light emitted from the backlight device 201 is transmitted to the real image display unit. 20
2 is a preferable configuration because generation of stray light from the backlight device 201 can be suppressed.

Further, since the portable information terminal can be attached to the housing 50 in a state where the backlight device 201 and the real image display unit 202 are attached to the housing 203 in advance, the backlight device 201 and the real image display unit 202 Since the complicated work such as the positioning of the portable information terminal can be performed in another process, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the productivity of the portable information terminal.

In this embodiment, the case 203 is provided separately from the case 50 of the portable information terminal.
Without the backlight unit 201 and the real image display unit 2
02 may be directly mounted on the housing 50, or the backlight device 201 may be provided on the housing 50, and the real image display unit 202 may be provided on the housing 203.

In the present embodiment, the real image display unit 202
Although a liquid crystal is used as a display device, a self-luminous display device that does not require a backlight device may be used. As such a display device, an organic EL, an LED panel field emission display, or the like can be considered. By using these display devices, the backlight device 201 can be eliminated, so that the structure of the image forming module 200 can be simplified, high luminance and uniform luminance distribution can be realized, and The amount of heat and power consumption can also be reduced. Further, the size and thickness of the portable information terminal can be reduced.

In FIG. 2, the image processing circuit 20
4 and the backlight power supply 205 are both illustrated for convenience so as to be provided outside the housing 50, but in reality, both the image processing circuit 204 and the backlight power supply 205 are provided inside the housing 50 or the housing 203. Is housed inside.

Next, the light guide member 300 will be described. In the present embodiment, the light guide member 300 is constituted by an optical prism having a triangular prism shape having a substantially isosceles triangular cross section. The first surface 302, which also functions as a reflecting surface, is substantially flat and has a reflectance of at least 90% or more made of a metal such as silver or aluminum, or a dielectric multilayer film in order to increase the reflectance. The first reflection surface 303 on which the high-reflection film is formed has a substantially flat surface and is made of a metal such as silver or aluminum, or at least 90% of a dielectric multilayer film or the like in order to increase the reflectance.
This is a second reflection surface on which a high reflection film having the above-described reflectance is formed. As a material of the light guide member 300, a resin material or a glass material having a refractive index of 1.3 to 1.6 and a light transmittance of 93% or more is used.
Can be easily generated on the surface in contact with the air, and the loss of light in the light guide member 300 can be minimized.
Therefore, it is preferable because the light use efficiency can be increased and a bright image can be transmitted.

As described above, by forming the light guide member 300 as a triangular prism-shaped optical prism, the optical prism can be reduced in size.
Since the thickness can be reduced, the size and thickness of the virtual image display device can be reduced. Furthermore, since the three side surfaces of the triangular prism are reflection surfaces, the reflection surface can be formed more easily, and light can be guided using the entire light guide member 300. Space utilization efficiency can be improved.

As for the cross-sectional shape of the light guide member, the end on which the second reflecting surface 303 is formed is closer to the end on which the first reflecting surface 302 is formed, depending on the spread of light. It may be configured to be large (long). With this configuration, the light use efficiency can be improved.

A group of light beams having image information emitted from the image forming module 200 enters the inside of the light guide member 300 from the incident portion 301 a of the first surface 301 of the light guide member 300, and most of the light beams enter the first portion. The light enters the internal reflection surface 301 and is reflected there. Further, the reflected light group is substantially flat, and the reflecting portion 3 is in the same plane as the incident portion 301a.
01b. The reflection at the reflecting portion 301b is total reflection as defined by Snell's law. In order to increase the reflectance, it is not necessary to perform the above-mentioned metal treatment or coating treatment with a dielectric multilayer film. The treatment for the purpose of raising is not performed. Such a reflection part 301b
By not forming a reflection film or the like on the surface, the amount of light incident on the light guide member 300 from the image forming module 200 and the amount of light emitted from the light guide member 300 to the light condensing member 400 can be substantially reduced. The light coming from the first inner reflection surface 302 can be reflected, so that the light use efficiency can be improved and the backlight device 2
01 can be further suppressed, so that the power consumption of the image forming module 200 can be reduced, which is preferable.

The light ray group reflected by the reflecting portion 301b of the first surface 301 further reaches the second inner reflecting surface 303 which is substantially flat or an arbitrary curved surface, and the second inner reflecting surface 303
Then, the light is emitted from the emission portion 301c of the first surface 301 to the outside of the light guide member 300.

By guiding light using the light guide member 300 as described above, the length of the light beam group passing through the air can be further shortened. Therefore, the light beam group is reflected and scattered by dust and the like in the air. Thus, it is possible to minimize the deterioration of the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device 100. Further, by setting the number of reflections in the light guide member 300 to three or more, the size of the entire virtual image display device can be further reduced, and in particular, the direction of the line of sight (the direction in which the user looks in).
The optical distance can be increased while reducing the thickness of the device, so that the apparent size of the virtual image can be increased with a smaller configuration, and a compact and highly visible virtual image display device can be realized. it can.

Further, the surface 300a having the largest area of the light guide member 300 is defined by the incident portion 301a, the reflecting portion 301b, and the emitting portion 3a.
By using it as 01c, the structure of the light guide member 300 can be simplified, and the number of surfaces through which light enters / transmits can be reduced, so that the surface roughness particularly required for such surfaces is reduced. Since the work of mirroring the surface to be scratched or scratched can be reduced, the productivity of the virtual image display device can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the optical prism is used as the light guide member. However, the portion where the optical prism was present is used as a space, and the optical prism is located at the position of the reflecting portion 301b and the inner reflecting surfaces 302 and 303, respectively. By arranging the reflection member, it can also serve as a light guide member.

In the present embodiment, the optical prism constituting the light guide member 300 is constituted by a triangular prism having a substantially isosceles triangular cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape.
It may be a quadrangular prism, a pentagonal prism, an elliptical cylinder, or may have a shape other than the column shape. Also, the number of reflections inside is not limited to three. Further, in the present embodiment, the input and output surfaces are configured to be the same surface, but the light may be output from different surfaces.

Further, the first internal reflection surface 302 and the second internal reflection surface 303 may be configured to be convex outside the light guide member 300 so as to have a light condensing function, if necessary. May be formed so as to be convex inside the light guide member. Also, a shape combining these may be used. Thus, the first internal reflection surface 302 and the second internal reflection surface 303
The shape of each of the non-planar shapes can increase the degree of freedom in how to guide the light, minimizing the decrease in light use efficiency, and is a compact and excellent visibility virtual image display. The device can be realized, and the size and thickness of the portable information terminal equipped with the device can be reduced.

Next, the positional relationship between the image forming module 200 and the light guide member 300 will be described.

The real image display unit 2 of the image forming module 200
02 and the incident portion 301a of the light guide member 300 have an angle of 1
It is arranged to be less than 0 degrees, preferably substantially parallel. With such an arrangement, the real image display unit 20
2 has a central axis of 80 degrees or more, preferably substantially perpendicular to the incident portion 301a, and the real image display 202.
And the light incident on the incident part 301a is hardly reflected on the surface of the incident part 301a, and most of the light from the real image display part 202 can be introduced into the light guide member. Therefore, the light use efficiency is high, and an increase in power consumption for securing the light amount can be suppressed.

The image forming module 200 and the light guide member 300 are provided apart from each other. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the light guide member 300 from expanding or contracting under the influence of heat generated in the image forming module 200, and to suppress the deterioration of the optical characteristics particularly due to the deformation of the surface shape of the incident portion 301a. Thus, a virtual image display device having always excellent visibility can be realized. Further, since the total reflection at the reflecting portion 301b of the light guide member 300 can be efficiently generated, the light use efficiency can be improved. Here, the distance between the image forming module 200 and the light guide member 300 that are provided apart from each other ranges from 1 μm (longer than the target light wavelength) to 5 mm.
That is, the total reflection at the reflecting portion 301b is reliably generated, and the virtual image display device 100 can be miniaturized while avoiding the problem of heat and the like. In particular, by setting the thickness to 1 mm or less, the light guide member 30
0 to minimize the spread of light between the light guide members 30
Since the heat from the image forming module 200 can be cut off at a high rate while avoiding an increase in the size of the virtual image display device 100, the size and thickness of the virtual image display device 100 can be significantly reduced.

Next, the light collecting member 400 will be described. In this embodiment, the light condensing member 400 uses a positive refractive power in combination with the lens 401 and the lens 402, and the lenses 401 and 402 are attached to a common housing 403.

The group of light rays emitted from the light guide member 300 projects the screen of the real image display unit 202 as a virtual image enlarged at the position of the eye point 404 through the condensing member 400 disposed immediately after. The light guide member 300 and the light condensing member 400 are provided apart from each other, whereby the total reflection at the reflecting portion 301b of the light guide member 300 can be efficiently performed, and the light guided to the light guide member 300 Even if the light path of the light guide member 300 and the other light paths of the light transmitted inside the light guide member 300 are overlapped, the loss of the light amount can hardly occur, so that the degree of freedom of the light transmission inside the light guide member 300 can be increased. As a result, the degree of freedom of the shape of the light guide member 300 can be increased.

At this time, the light collecting member 400 and the light guide member 300
Is 8 mm or less, more preferably 1 m, from the viewpoint of not obstructing total reflection at the reflecting portion 301b and reducing the size of the virtual image display device 100.
m or less. Note that the lower limit does not prevent total reflection as long as it is equal to or longer than the wavelength of light.

In this embodiment, the light condensing member 400 is used.
Is composed of a plurality of lenses 401 and 402, but may be composed of a single lens or a combination of three or more lenses. Further, any of a convex lens, an aspherical optical lens, a Fresnel lens, a hologram lens, and the like formed to have a light condensing function may be used.

The light emitted from the center of the real image display unit 202 of the image forming module 200
The light guide member 30 which is a major factor that determines the thickness of the electronic device is that the length of the trajectory of the light (optical path length) until reaching the light guide member 4 is larger than three times the thickness D of the light guide member 300.
Since the optical path length can be increased while reducing the value of 0, aberration can be hardly generated by the light condensing means, and the optical characteristics of the virtual image display device can be improved.

Next, the mode change of the visual characteristic of the virtual image display device will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
5 (a) and 5 (b) are schematic diagrams showing modes of visual characteristics of the virtual image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are both diagrams of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example on the virtual image display device according to the embodiment, and FIG.
(B) shows the case shown in FIG. 5 (b).
FIGS. 5A and 5B both show the light guide member 3 for convenience.
00 and the like are not shown in the original shape, but are linearly developed to be optically equivalent.

In the figure, a real image display unit 202 and a light condensing member 400 having an action of enlarging an image projected on the real image display unit 202 via a light guide member 300 (not shown) to a virtual image are schematically shown. Is shown in FIG.
Consists of one or more lens groups with positive refracting power and as described below a plurality of visual modes,
In other words, it has a structure corresponding to a plurality of display screen modes. Here, a description will be given particularly of a case having two modes. Here, the two modes are, as shown in FIG. 5A, a distance between the end face 400a of the light condensing member 400 and the eye, that is, a spatial working distance called an eye relief of about 10 mm to about 30 mm. If the degree is relatively short (hereinafter: short eye relief)
As shown in FIG. 5B, this corresponds to a case where the eye relief is longer than approximately 30 mm and the eyes are sufficiently away from the display window (hereinafter, long eye relief).

At the time of the short eye relief, the light collecting member 4
Reference numeral 00 is configured so as to be slightly protruded outside the housing 50 of the portable information terminal (upward in the paper plane). As a mechanism for projecting the light collecting member 400,
The casing 50 and the casing 403 may be threaded so that the casing can be moved up and down, or a projection supported by a spring is provided on the side face of the casing 403, and the projection is stored on the side face of the casing 50. By providing an accommodating portion, a vertical movement may be provided. The driving means may be a motor or the like, or may be manually moved up and down.

By looking into the inside of the display window 106 from a predetermined eye relief position, the entire pattern (abcd... T) displayed over the display area of the real image display unit 202 as shown in FIG. Can be projected as a virtual image enlarged to vision.
As a result, almost the entire image formed on the real image display unit 202 can be viewed as a greatly enlarged virtual image, and further, it can be prevented from being seen by others nearby while viewing the enlarged image. Can be.

The enlarged virtual image and real image display section 20 shown in FIG.
The real image of No. 2 is schematically shown, and the sizes of the respective screens do not always have such a relationship.

Next, at the time of the long eye relief, the light collecting member 400 is disposed closer to the inside of the housing 50 of the portable information terminal (closer to the light guide member 300) than at the time of the short eye relief. In this state, by looking into the internal display window 106 from the position of the predetermined long eye relief, it becomes possible to project the limited area of the display area of the real image display unit 202 visually as an enlarged virtual image. ing. In the present embodiment, the vicinity of the center of the real image display unit 202 is enlarged. The reason why the display area is limited in this way is that the observation field angle is limited by the field frame of the light condensing member 400, and thus the apparent display observation area also becomes small. Actually, as shown in FIG. 6B, the display pattern (ghilmn) in the central portion of the display area of the real image display unit 202 is displayed on the display window 106 (viewing surface) with a virtual image enlarged and displayed. The observer can observe the region indicating i, l, m, and n. Here, since the size per character can be displayed larger than at the time of the short-eye relief, the character (or the enlargement ratio of the image) can be arbitrarily selected according to the user's eyesight and use conditions, and the visual recognition can be performed. Thus, it is possible to provide a virtual image display device having good operability and good usability.

By making the eye relief large in this way, it is possible to avoid discomfort and anxiety with respect to the eyepiece, and it is also possible to feel the surrounding environment relatively well. It is possible to monitor information on a vehicle and information such as a small display capacity, for example, a telephone number and a name from a distance. At this time, since other display areas are out of the field of view, it is preferable not to perform display from the viewpoint of power consumption reduction. Also, groups of people can see the same image.

Further, the magnification defined by the apparent display area seen from the display window 106 with respect to the display area of the real image display unit 202 is larger at the time of long eye relief than at the time of short eye relief. Improve visibility at the expected long eye relief,
It is possible to provide a portable information terminal capable of confirming information without bringing the eyes so close, and to realize a portable information terminal having excellent visibility in both cases of long eye relief and short eye relief. be able to.

By using the two visual modes as described above, it is possible to realize two display modes having different eye reliefs and a use method corresponding to the respective characteristics. For example, characters or images that were too small to be seen with the short eye relief can be enlarged with the long eye relief.

Although only two modes are described in the present embodiment, a plurality of modes can be provided by providing a plurality of fixing positions of the light-collecting member 400, and the position of the light-collecting member 400 can be steplessly changed. With an adjustable configuration, it is possible to provide an infinite number of modes.

Also, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the vicinity of the center of the real image display unit 202 can be enlarged and viewed at the time of long eye laying. However, when the user shifts his line of sight to the display window 106 and looks obliquely, Information near the end of the real image display unit 202 can also be viewed in an enlarged manner.

As described above, the fixing position of the light-collecting member 400 is changed so that the light-collecting member 400 and the real image display section 202 are changed.
Is variable, the display form of the image enlarged and displayed as a virtual image can be further changed. Thus, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use virtual image display device or electronic device that can change the display mode of the virtual image visually recognized by the user according to the purpose of use of the user.

The light condensing member 400 and the real image display section 202
Since the eye relief changes according to a change in the optical distance between the display and the display, a plurality of display forms having different eye reliefs and a use method corresponding to the characteristics of each display form can be realized. How the viewer views the virtual image display device (eg, looking in a peeping manner, looking at it from a distance, alone, or in large numbers)
The degree of freedom can be increased.

Further, the area of the image formed on the real image display section 202 which is enlarged and displayed as a virtual image changes in accordance with the change in the optical distance.

The light condensing member 400 and the real image display section 202
Real image display unit 202 according to a change in the optical distance between
The user can arbitrarily select an optimal display area in accordance with the use conditions by changing the area of the image formed on the outside which is enlarged and displayed as a virtual image. Virtual image display device can be provided.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment relating to mode switching will be described.

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are schematic diagrams showing modes of visual characteristics of the virtual image display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b) FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams each showing a display example in the virtual image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
8 (b) shows the case shown in FIG. 7 (b). 7A and 7B do not show the light guide member 300 or the like for convenience.

In FIG. 7, a real image display unit 202 and a light condensing member 400 (here, a function of enlarging an image displayed on the real image display unit 202 via a light guide member 300 (not shown) as a virtual image). (A single lens), and two modes, that is, a short eye relief whose eye relief is relatively short from about 10 mm to about 30 mm and an eye relief of about 30 mm Each of the long eye reliefs, in which the eyes are separated from the display window longer enough, is described.

In the present embodiment, the light condensing member 400 is fixed and not movable.
It is configured to always have a short eye relief. Then, the display window 106 is moved from the predetermined eye relief position.
8A, the entire pattern (abcd... Rst) displayed over the entire display area of the real image display unit 202 can be projected as a virtual image that is visually enlarged as shown in FIG. It has become.

Next, at the time of long eye relief, a correction member is inserted between the light condensing member 400 and the eye. In this state, by looking through the internal display window 106 from the position of the predetermined long eye relief, the real image display unit 20 is displayed.
The limited area out of the two display areas can be visually projected as an enlarged virtual image.
In the present embodiment, the vicinity of the center of the real image display unit 202 is enlarged. The display area is limited in this manner because the observation field angle is limited by the field frame of the light-collecting member, and the apparent display observation area is also reduced. Actually, FIG.
The display pattern (ghilmn) of the central portion of the display area of the real image display unit 202 is displayed on the display window 106 (viewing surface) by enlarging the virtual image as shown in FIG.
Can be observed by an observer. Here, the size per character can be displayed larger than at the time of the short eye relief.

The correction member 406 may be attached to a portable terminal device as an attachment, may be configured to be slidable substantially parallel to the display window 106, or provided with a liquid crystal lens in the display window. Every
It may be configured so that the voltage can be turned ON / OFF,
The light condensing member 400 may be constituted by a plurality of lenses, and the distance between the lenses may be varied. One of the plurality of lenses may be constituted by a liquid crystal lens. A flip member for covering may be provided, and a correction member 406 may be attached in advance to a portion facing the display window 106 when the flip member is closed.

With this configuration, it is possible to provide a portable information terminal having a plurality of visual modes and excellent visibility with a simpler configuration, and to increase the degree of freedom in viewing the virtual image display. Therefore, usability of the virtual image display device can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the correction member 406 is provided between the light condensing member 400 and the eyes.
It may be provided anywhere between 02 and the eyes.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment relating to mode switching will be described.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic diagrams showing modes of visual characteristics of the virtual image display device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 9A and 9B do not show the light guide member 300 and the like for convenience.

In FIG. 9, a real image display unit 202 and a light condensing member 400 (here, a function of enlarging an image projected on the real image display unit 202 via a light guide member 300 (not shown) as a virtual image). (Comprising a single lens) and a short eye relief and a long eye relief.

In the present embodiment, the eye relief is adjusted by making the entire image forming module 200 or the real image display unit 202 movable with respect to the light collecting member 400.

FIG. 9A shows a usage pattern in the short-eye relief state. When the image forming module 200 or the real image display unit 202 is brought closer to the condensing member 400, the real image display unit 202 is displayed. The displayed image is enlarged as a virtual image by the light condensing member 400 and the entire display screen of the real image display unit 202 is projected. At this time, the optical system is configured so that the image is observed while maintaining the distance between the uppermost part 400a of the light condensing means 400 and the surface of the eyeball of the observer, that is, the eye relief at a relatively short distance of 10 mm to 30 mm. It becomes.

FIG. 9B shows a use form in the long eye relief state. The basic optical system has the same configuration as that described with reference to FIG. As compared with the position where the part 202 is in the short eye relief, the distance from the light condensing means 400 is increased (away from the observer).
The eye relief is kept longer than 30 mm while being slightly moved in the direction, so that there is no fear that the observer's eyeball comes into contact with the light collecting means 400 or the display window 106, or the image is easily and quickly observed. It is configured with enough distance to be able to. Thus, the real image display unit 20
By moving the lens 2 away from the viewer, the image can be focused properly when viewed from the observer. Further, by setting the long eye relief, not a whole display image but a rather narrow portion can be observed in an enlarged manner.

Note that the slight movement of the real image display unit 202 in the direction away from the light condensing means 400 (away from the observer) means that the light guide member 300 is used in the example using the light guide member 300 described in the first embodiment. Is equivalent to moving the real image display unit 202 away from the
The slight movement in the direction approaching 00 (approaching the observer) is equivalent to the real image display unit 202 approaching the light guide member 300 in the example using the light guide member 300 described in the first embodiment. is there.

By shifting the real image display unit 202 away from the observer from the short eye relief state as described above, a long eye relief state is achieved, and a part of the display screen can be observed to fill the display window. By doing so, it is possible to provide an image that is easy for the user to see without changing conditions such as the shape and position of the display window and its surroundings, and it is possible to provide an easy-to-use virtual image display device.

Further, by changing the position of the real image display unit and changing the optical distance from the real image display unit 202 to the light condensing member 400, the optical distance is changed inside the casing of the virtual image display device 100. Operation can be completed, and a member (for example, the light condensing member 40
Since a change in shape such as 0) projection can be minimized, a virtual image display device that is easier to use can be provided. In addition, as compared with the case where the position of the light-condensing member 400 is changed, the protrusion of the member toward the user can be minimized or eliminated, so that the protrusion may accidentally hit the face during use. Can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the shape change of the virtual image display device to the outside can be eliminated, the degree of freedom of the configuration and design is improved.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment relating to mode switching will be described.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing modes of visual characteristics of the virtual image display device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 11A and 11B are both embodiments of the present invention. 11A is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the virtual image display device according to the embodiment, FIG. 11A shows the case shown in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 11B shows the case shown in FIG. 10A and 10B do not show the light guide member 300 or the like for convenience.

FIG. 10A shows a usage pattern in the short eye relief state. The entire display screen (at) displayed on the real image display unit 202 is enlarged as a virtual image by the light condensing member 400. As shown in FIG. 11A, a virtual image can be observed from the display window 106. At this time, the eye relief has an optical system configured to observe an image while keeping a relatively short distance of 10 mm to 30 mm.

FIG. 10B shows a usage form in a long eye relief state, in which the light condensing means 400 is slightly tilted about the rotation axis, and the eye relief is kept longer than 30 mm. Thus, the possibility that the eyeball of the observer comes into contact with the light collecting means 400 or the display window 106 can be almost eliminated. Alternatively, the displayed image can be observed with a sufficient distance to easily and quickly observe the image. Further, by using a long eye relief, a rather narrow portion (fghklm) shown in FIG. 11B is observed instead of the entire display image on the real image display unit 202, and the display is limited to this portion. Will be used. The image that can be displayed can be arbitrarily adjusted by changing the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the light condensing unit 400.

As described above, the display screen can be observed in the long eye relief state by slightly tilting the lens from the short eye relief state and popping up, so that the observation mode can be set with a relatively simple configuration. Can be changed, and the light collecting member 4
00, the user can visually recognize the virtual image display device 100 from outside the central axis of the light guided from the real image display unit 202, so that the real image display unit 2 is displayed.
In the display area No. 02, an end area deviating from the center can be enlarged and displayed. By making the inclination direction of the light condensing member 400 variable, it is possible to cover the entire real image display unit 202 with a plurality of enlarged end regions.
A virtual image display device with excellent visibility can be provided.

[0132]

As is clear from the above embodiments, the following effects are recognized according to the present invention.

Since the display area, enlargement ratio, eye relief, and the like can be arbitrarily changed by the user, it is possible to provide an electronic device with good visibility and good usability.

Further, by using a virtual image display device using an enlargement optical system which is formed relatively thin in the direction of the observation line of sight, an electronic apparatus equipped with the virtual image display device can be made small and light, particularly thin. In addition to the small size, light weight and thinness, usability and portability can be significantly improved,
The degree of freedom in configuration and design can be increased.

Further, since the power consumption is suppressed,
The battery can be used for a long time by using the storage battery, and the burden of replacement and preparation of a spare storage battery can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portable information terminal equipped with a virtual image display according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portable information terminal equipped with the virtual image display according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of a portable information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of image display of the portable information terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.

5A is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of the virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example on a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example on a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of the virtual image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of the virtual image display device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

8A is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example in a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example in a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9A is a schematic diagram illustrating a visual characteristic mode of a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram illustrating a visual characteristic mode of the virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10A is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing a visual characteristic mode of the virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11A is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example on a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram illustrating a display example on a virtual image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a conventional virtual image display device.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a conventional virtual image display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 50 housing 100 virtual image display device 101 microphone 102 speaker 103 operation unit 104 display unit 105 antenna 106 display window 110 transmission unit 111 reception unit 112 control unit 113 amplification unit 114 binarization circuit unit 115 decoder circuit unit 116 conversion circuit unit 117 display Unit drive circuit unit 118 Real image display unit 200 Image forming module 201 Backlight device 202 Real image display unit 203 Housing 204 Image processing circuit 205 Backlight power supply 300 Light guide member 301 First surface 301a Incident unit 301b Reflector 301c Emitting unit 302 First internal reflection surface 303 Second internal reflection surface 400 Light collecting member 401 Lens 402 Lens 403 Housing 404 Eye point 406 Correction member

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kazuyuki Nakajima 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kazuma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5G435 AA01 AA03 AA17 AA18 BB12 BB15 BB17 DD02 DD04 FF02 FF03 FF08 GG02 GG03 GG05 GG08 GG41 LL07 5K023 AA07 BB03 DD06 HH01 HH06 5K067 BB04 BB21 FF23 FF31 GG01 GG11 KK17

Claims (32)

[Claims] A real image display unit for displaying an image; image enlargement means for optically enlarging an image formed by the real image display unit as a virtual image; and light from the real image display unit to the image enlargement means. A virtual image display device comprising: a light guiding unit; and an optical distance from the real image display unit to the image enlarging unit is variable. 2. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein an eye relief changes according to a change in an optical distance. 3. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein an area of the image formed on the real image display portion, which is enlarged and displayed outside as a virtual image, changes according to a change in the optical distance. 4. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein an enlargement ratio of a virtual image viewed from the outside with respect to an image formed on the real image display unit changes according to a change in an optical distance. 5. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein an optical distance from the real image display unit to the enlarged image display unit is changed by changing a position of the real image display unit. 6. The virtual image display according to claim 1, wherein an optical distance from said real image display section to said image enlargement display section is changed by changing a position of at least a part of said image enlargement section. apparatus. 7. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis distance from the real image display section to the converging point by the image enlarging means is larger than three times the thickness of the light guide member. 8. A real image display for displaying an image, first image enlarging means for optically enlarging an image formed by the real image display as a first virtual image, and A light guiding unit for guiding light to the first image enlarging unit; and a second unit capable of enlarging at least a part of an image displayed on the real image display unit as a second virtual image further enlarged than the first virtual image. A virtual image display device comprising: 9. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the second image enlarging means can select whether to display the first virtual image or the second virtual image to the outside. 10. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein a first eye relief for displaying a first virtual image is different from a second eye relief for displaying a second virtual image. 11. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the first eye relief is longer than the second eye relief. 12. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein a space is formed between the real image display section and the light guide means. 13. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein a space is formed between the light guiding means and the image enlarging means. 14. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the light guiding means has at least three or more reflecting surfaces. 15. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the light from the real image display section is reflected by the light guiding means at least three times and guided to the image enlarging means. 16. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the light guiding means is formed by an optical prism. 17. An optical prism having a triangular prism shape.
17. The virtual image display device according to any one of items 16 to 16. 18. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein three side surfaces of the triangular prism are reflecting surfaces. 19. The virtual image display device according to claim 8, wherein the surface on which the light from the real image forming unit is incident and the surface on which the light is emitted to the image enlarging means are the same side surface. 20. A real image display unit, image enlargement means for optically enlarging an image formed by the real image display unit as a virtual image, and the real image display unit is provided in non-contact with the real image display unit. An optical prism that guides light to image enlargement means, the optical prism is a substantially flat incident surface on which light from the real image display unit is incident, and a light beam that enters the optical prism from the real image display unit. A first internal reflection surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the reflecting prism; a second internal reflection surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the prism reflecting light from the first internal reflecting surface; A third internal reflection surface formed of a flat or curved surface inside the prism for reflecting light reflected by the internal reflection surface, and a substantially flat surface for emitting light from the third internal reflection surface to the image enlarging means. With an exit surface consisting of And by, the virtual image display apparatus. 21. The virtual image display device according to claim 20, wherein said image enlarging means is made of a dielectric member having a positive refractive power and disposed in close proximity to the exit surface of said optical prism in a non-contact manner. . 22. The virtual image display device according to claim 21, wherein said dielectric member having a positive refractive power comprises a convex lens, an aspheric optical lens, a Fresnel lens, or a hologram lens. 23. The virtual image display according to claim 20, wherein said second internal reflection surface of said optical prism is formed on the same plane as said entrance plane and exit plane. apparatus. 24. Conversion means for converting at least one of a data signal and a voice signal into a transmission signal or converting a reception signal into at least one of a data signal and a voice signal, and an antenna for transmitting and receiving the transmission signal and the reception signal. 24. A speaker according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein a speaker that converts the audio signal converted by the conversion unit into sound, a microphone that converts the audio signal into an electric signal, and a data signal that is converted by the conversion unit are displayed. An electronic apparatus comprising: the virtual image display device according to claim 1; and control means for controlling each unit. 25. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the virtual image display device is housed in a housing of the electronic device. 26. The electronic device according to claim 25, wherein a display window is provided in a housing of the electronic device, and a virtual image formed by the virtual image display device is displayed through the window. 27. The display device according to claim 24, wherein the display window is arranged at a position deviating from a longitudinal center line of the electronic device, and a microphone is provided on the opposite side of the display window with respect to the center line. Electronic equipment. 28. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the longitudinal direction of the electronic device is not parallel to the longitudinal direction of the virtual image display device. 29. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the longitudinal direction of the electronic device and the longitudinal direction of the virtual image display device are substantially perpendicular. 30. The electronic device housing holds the image enlarging means of the virtual image display device in a protruding and retractable manner.
30. The electronic device according to any one of items 4 to 29. 31. The arrangement position of a real image display portion of a virtual image display device changes in a housing of an electronic device.
Electronic equipment according to any one of the above. 32. The electronic apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a display unit separately from the virtual image display device.