Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Maxell, Ltd.

Hitachi Media Electronics Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Maxwell, Ltd.

Mayumi Nagayoshi

Satoshi Ouchi

Seiji Murata

Hajime Inoue

Yoshiho Seo

Tadayoshi Kosaka

Tomoki Kobori

Kenichi Shimada

Kazuyoshi Yamazaki

Yasutaka Tsuru

Hidenao Kubota

Hiromitsu Mori

Shoji Yamamoto

Taku Hoshizawa

Makoto Hosaka

Hiroshi Iwasa

A luminance determining unit determines a luminance distribution of an exterior circumstantial image in a line-of-sight direction of a driver, and a luminance changing unit determines a bright region of this luminance distribution. Further, the luminance changing unit determines a luminance after the change in a peripheral region of this bright region. A virtual-image creating unit creates a virtual image based on the determined luminance, and a display processing unit displays this virtual image on a display unit. In this manner, since a display system displays the virtual image for use in increasing the luminance in periphery of the bright region, the feeling of the brightness for the driver can be moderated, and therefore, the visual recognition can be improved. That is, the display system can output the virtual image depending on the circumstances.

Display system and display method

A luminance determining unitdetermines a luminance distribution of an exterior circumstantial image in a line-of-sight direction of a driver, and a luminance changing unitdetermines a bright regionof this luminance distribution. Further, the luminance changing unitdetermines a luminance after the change in a peripheral regionof this bright region. A virtual-image creating unitA creates a virtual image based on the determined luminance, and a display processing unitdisplays this virtual image on a display unit. In this manner, since a display systemA displays the virtual image for use in increasing the luminance in periphery of the bright region, the feeling of the brightness for the drivercan be moderated, and therefore, the visual recognition can be improved. That is, the display systemA can output the virtual image depending on the circumstances.

A projector using coherent light as a light source includes: one or more coherent light sources emitting coherent light beams; a beam scanner which changes a direction of the coherent light beam; and a beam splitter which splits a beam into multiple segments and changes a phase of light of each split segment, the beam splitter being located in an optical path between the beam scanner and the coherent light source. This projector reduces speckle noises. The beam splitter includes a pair of transparent substrates; a plurality of parallel electrodes disposed on each surface of the pair of transparent substrates, the pair of the parallel electrodes being disposed in a perpendicular direction to each other. Voltages are applied to the respective electrodes at predetermined time intervals so as to produce different potentials in a liquid crystal sandwiched by the transparent substrates.

Laser projector with reduced speckle

To provide a back light unit that reduces an uneven brightness and has a spatially uniform brightness distribution. According to an aspect of the present invention, the back light unit comprises an LED and a light guide plate for guiding light from the LED to a liquid crystal panel side, wherein a recess is provided on the back surface side of the light guide plate, wherein a plurality of LEDs are housed in the recess, and wherein a light amount limiting member is provided at a position facing the recess on s light exit surface side of the light guide plate. The light amount limiting member is configured, for example, by applying an ink with a predetermined optical property to a transparent sheet.

Back light unit and display apparatus using the same

An optical unit includes a light source that emits light to be projected onto a screen, one or a plurality of optical elements that controls a spread of a beam of light from the light source to the screen, a combining element that combines the light emitted from the light source, and a scanning element. The light source outputs an optical beam that will generate an elliptically shaped beam spot on the screen, the beam spot having a major axis substantially perpendicular to a scanning direction, and the light source is driven with pulse width modulation (PWM) so that one driven pulse corresponds to one beam spot on the screen.

Optical unit

An optical information recording/reproducing apparatus, to apply holograms of an angle multiplex recording method therein includes: a light source to emit a light beam; a divider unit to divide the light beam into a signal beam and a reference light; an angle variable unit to change an angle of the reference light incident upon an optical information recording medium; a spatial light modulator unit to add information to the signal beam; an objective lens to irradiate the signal beam on the medium; an image pickup unit to detect a diffracted light generating from a recording region, when the reference light is irradiated on the medium; and an optical element to shape a form of light flux of the reference light, so that a light flux diameter of the reference light in a multiplex direction becomes larger than the light flux diameter of the reference light in a pitch direction.

Optical information recording/reproducing apparatus

A cross section of each divided light guiding plate is formed in a wedge shape, a step is formed at a portion of each divided light guiding plate where LEDs are arranged, and holes used for accommodating the LEDs are formed at the step. A plated face is formed on a lower face of each LED, and is coupled to a wiring substrate through solder. Each LED includes a light-emitting face, a lower frame, and an upper frame. The height of the lower frame of each LED is larger than the height of the upper frame, so that a lower end of the light-emitting face of each LED can be always located higher than a lower end of the divided light guiding plate.

Liquid crystal display device, backlight and LED

A beam light source of an image display device which displays an image on a screen by scanning an optical beam in a two-dimensional direction in which the beam light source includes a light source that emits a diffuse light modulated according to an image signal, and an optical element that shapes the light emitted from the light source to the optical beam. The optical beam has an elliptically shaped beam spot on the screen in which a major axis of the beam spot is substantially perpendicular to a scanning direction. A horizontal spot size of the optical beam on an exit surface of the optical element is at least or equal to a horizontal spot size of the optical beam on the screen, and the horizontal spot size of the optical beam on the screen is no greater than a horizontal pixel pitch displayed on the screen.

A plurality of backlight blocks are aligned, each block includes light sources and a unit light guide plate for guiding light from the light sources to the side of a liquid crystal panel, unit diffusion patterns are formed in a zigzag alignment on the unit light guide plate and another diffusion pattern is formed on the back of the unit light guide plate. One side of the unit light guide plate is defined as a light entrance surface and LEDs as the light sources are aligned along the light entrance surface to satisfy p&#x2267;a&#x2267;c where a indicates the size of the unit diffusion pattern in a direction orthogonal to an exit optical axis of the LEDs, c indicates the size of an LED emission surface in the direction of alignment of the LEDs, and p indicates the pitch of alignment of the light sources.

Image display apparatus and backlight apparatus used therefor

A backlight unit of thin-type comprises: at least one or more light source(s); plural numbers of light guide plates, each of which is configured to guide and irradiate the light of the light source(s) to a side of a liquid crystal panel; and a chassis, on which the light source(s) and the light guide plates are fixed, thereby being constructed by aligning the light guide plates, wherein the following conditions are satisfied:mm&#x3e;h,&#xb0;&#x2266;&#x3b8;&#x2266;&#xb0; when assuming that a distance from an irradiation surface of the backlight unit to the light guide plate is 'h', and that an angle indicative of a half-value light intensity of a light emitting from a light emission surface of the light guide plate, thereby providing a video of high picture quality, and there is also provided a video display apparatus applying the same therein.

Backlight unit and video display apparatus applying the same therein

Disclosed is an optical unit for an image display device, the unit including: one or a plurality of light sources; one or a plurality of optical elements that control a spread of light; a combining element that combines the beams of light emitted from the light sources; and a scanning element, wherein the light from each of the light sources generates an elliptical beam spot on a screen and the spot has a major axis substantially perpendicular to a scanning direction, the result is that the unit is simple in structure, inexpensive, compact, lightweight, and capable of providing high-resolution image quality, thus providing the display device reduced dimensionally and in weight. Such an image display device using the optical unit is also disclosed.

A direct type backlight unit used in a liquid crystal display device is provided which can suppress lowering of luminance at an electrode portion of a linear light source. A reflecting plate is formed on a side wall of a box-shaped reflector close to an end of a linear light source. The reflector reflects light beams from the linear light source to be guided toward a liquid crystal panel. The reflecting plate on the side wall has at least two inclined surfaces. The inclined surfaces may have a stepped shape or a convex ridge shape. According to this arrangement, it is possible to reduce or eliminate decrease of the luminance level at ends of an effective display area of a liquid crystal panel.

Liquid crystal display device comprising reflecting portions for reflecting light beams and focusing them on circumferences of electrode portions of linear light sources

An image display apparatus includes: a plurality of light sources for emitting light; an optical uniformizing portion for uniformizing light emitted from the plurality of light sources; a total reflection portion disposed above the plurality of light sources, the total reflection portion totally reflecting light from the optical uniformizing portion; an optical guide portion for guiding light totally reflected at the total reflection portion; an optical diffusion unit for diffusing light from the total reflection portion and outputting the diffused light; an optical parallelizing unit for parallelizing light from the optical diffusion unit; and a liquid crystal panel for modulating light from the optical parallelizing unit into an optical image in accordance with an image signal and displaying the optical image.

Image display apparatus

An image display apparatus includes a backlight unit including a plurality of light sources arranged in a flat, a reflecting portion for reflecting light from the light sources, a diffuser for diffusing the light from the light sources and the light reflected from the reflecting portion, and a chassis for maintaining or supporting the light sources, the reflecting portion and the diffuser; and a liquid crystal display unit which receives the light diffused by the diffuser of the backlight unit. Concave portions are formed in the chassis at positions corresponding to electrodes of the plurality of light sources, positions corresponding to light-emitting portions of the light sources are arranged in a flat, and a circuit for driving the liquid crystal display unit is provided on a rear surface of a planar portion of the chassis. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a thin lightweight backlight with high luminance and high luminance uniformity.

Growing community of inventors

Chofu, Japan

Mayumi Nagayoshi