Abstract: 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.

Abstract: In an image projection device in which a projected image can be controlled or operated by gesture, the responsiveness (operability) and/or the usability are improved. The image projection device includes a sensor element to detect a gesture and a control section to generated an operation signal to control (for example, to scroll images or to feed image frames) a projected image projected according to a gesture detected by the sensor element, wherein the control section generates the operation signal when the sensor element detects a gesture in a first direction parallel to the projection surface of the projected image, and when the sensor element detects a gesture in a second direction perpendicular to the projection surface, the control section suspends generation of the operation signal.

Abstract: A laser projection/display apparatus includes a photosensor for detecting light amounts of laser lights, and an image processing unit that processes an image signal based on the detected light amounts, and supplies the image signal to a laser light source drive unit. The image processing unit obtains data for making the light amounts of the laser lights, which are detected by the photosensor, equal to respective values at a second luminance that is different from a first luminance, which is the luminance of the image currently being displayed, during a flyback period of the image signal. The image processing unit processes an image signal to be supplied to the laser light source drive unit based on the data when the image signal is projected and displayed with the second luminance.

Abstract: Two pieces of elliptic semi-sphere surfaces, each forming a pinhole at the zenith thereof and also forming a reflection mirror on an inside thereof are stuck onto each other, with facing the interior surfaces thereof, respectively. A light ray entering therein from one of the pinholes, after being reflected between the elliptic semi-sphere surfaces facing to each other, emits from the pinhole on opposite side at an angle plane symmetric to the incident angle. Disposing the elliptic semi-sphere surfaces facing to each other, aligning on a plane, by plural numbers thereof, there is built up a pinhole array. Plural numbers of light rays reflecting on and/or emitting from a display object, which is disposed on one side of the pinhole array, after passing through the plural numbers of pinholes of the pinhole array, form an image at a position plane symmetric thereto, on the opposite side of the pinhole array.

Abstract: A digital pen includes a light emitting element configured to emit a light ray of a specific wavelength region; a pen tip configured to emit the light ray on a writing surface; a sensor configured to output information indicative of whether the pen tip contacts the writing surface; a controller configured to detect if the pen tip contacts the writing surface based on the information from the sensor; and a holding mechanism configured to hold pressure applied onto the sensor to be constant, through an elastic force of an elastic body. The controller determines that the pen tip contacts the writing surface when the sensor is free from the pressure, thereby dissolving a problem of an uncomfortable feeling for a user, which is caused by the fact that the track written by the digital pen is not immediately reflected on a screen.

Abstract: An optical distance measuring apparatus including a light source, a variable mirror scanning the light on an object, a receiving device receiving light from the object, a detected signal amplifying unit detecting a light receiving signal obtained by the receiving device, an amplification control unit detecting a set target value of light sensitivity of the receiving device or sets the light sensitivity based on a light quantity of reflected light, and a distance calculation unit detecting a flight time of the ranging light from a light emitting signal and calculating a distance up to the object, wherein in a first scan period, the amplification control unit detects the set target value based on a light quantity of the reflected light, and in a second scan period, the amplification control unit sets sensitivity of the receiving device to the set target value and the distance calculation unit calculates the distance.

Abstract: A light irradiation device to display an image by light irradiation prevents easy perception of distortion occurring in the displayed image due to vibration of the device or movement of viewpoint. A random number is generated, and the refresh rate of the displayed image is distributed at random in correspondence with the random number. The light emission intensity is changed in correspondence with the refresh rate. When the number of lines is changed, the input video signal is subjected to scaling and a display is produced. The refresh rate is changed in correspondence with the frequency of the vibration detected with the vibration monitor.

Abstract: A virtual image display device includes: an image projection device that projects an image light; a diverging element on which the image light emitted from the image projection device is incident, spreading the image light out over a range of a predetermined angle; and a light branching element that reflects the image light emitted from the diverging element, while transmitting the incident light from the surface other than the reflecting surface. The image light from the image projection device is formed into an image on the diverging element. A virtual image of the image formed on the diverging element is generated on an extension line in the opposite direction to the emission direction of the image light reflected from the light branching element. Further, an optical axis converting element is provided to convert the optical axis of the image light emitted from the image projection device, into a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A laser projection display device includes: a laser light source drive unit; an attribute amount detection unit for detecting the attribute amount of a picture signal; a light sensor for measuring the light amounts of the laser light sources; and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperatures of the laser light sources. The laser projection display device is configured so that the current vs. light amount output characteristics of the laser light sources with a threshold current and current gain as a parameter are corrected in accordance with the load amount of the picture signal per frame if the change of the attribute amount exceeds a predefined amount; the light sources are driven at a predefined timing of the vertical blanking interval; controls the threshold currents and current gains in accordance with the light amounts; and the threshold currents and current gains are corrected on the basis of the measured temperatures.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A beam scanning type display apparatus includes a reflection angle variable mirror that scans a beam light, at least two light detectors disposed at a predetermined distance in a beam scanning direction of the mirror that detects a light amount of screen reflection light, a distortion correction calculation unit that obtains a drive correction value of the mirror by calculating an irradiation distance and a screen inclination, from a light amount of a reflection light detected by the light detectors at two different scanning timings and an inclination angle of the mirror at this time, and a mirror driving unit that controls an inclination angle of the mirror by the drive correction value. A drive correction value of the mirror driving unit is obtained at a plurality of timings of a scanning period of beam light, and beam light is scanned at the corrected inclination angle of the mirror.

Abstract: A laser beam display device includes: a dimming setting input unit into which any one of the dimming values of plural dimming steps are input; a first dimming processing unit having plural dimming LUTs that store dimming amounts regarding the respective dimming steps with the corresponding gradation levels as indexes; a second dimming processing unit having one gain LUT that holds gains regarding the respective dimming steps and a multiplier that creates the indexes for the respective diming LUTs by multiplying a video signal by the gains; and a light source drive unit that drives a laser diode on the basis of reference results obtained by referring to the dimming LUTs of the first dimming processing unit. The luminance of the emission beam of the laser diode, which corresponds to the video signal, is dimmed in accordance with a dimming setting input from the dimming setting input unit.

Abstract: A laser projector for scanning a laser beam output by a multimode laser light source and displaying an image includes a laser driving unit to drive the multimode laser light source so that two-dimensional output patterns of a shape of the laser beam are different in each display frame. The laser driving unit applies to the multimode laser light source a driving waveform pattern which has the same product of an output intensity and output time of a laser light source during a display time of one dot and which includes an output intensity and output time different in each display frame.

Abstract: A scanning type projector two-dimensionally projecting a laser beam and generating an image according to the present invention comprises: a light source having a light intensity corresponding to a pixel of the image and emitting a laser beam having an elliptical beam; a collimator lens collimating a laser beam emitted from the light source without converting the same into focused light; a beam contracting/shaping element that reduces a luminous beam width in a predetermined direction of the laser beam emitted from the collimator lens; a condensing lens that converts a laser beam emitted from the beam contracting/shaping element into focused light corresponding to a projection distance; and a two-dimensional scanning unit configured to two-dimensionally scan and project a laser beam emitted from the condensing lens.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A display device (1) including a surface discharge type plasma display panel (2) performs an addressing operation, a sustain operation and a reset operation. In the addressing operation, address discharge of an opposed discharge form with the second electrode (Y) used as a cathode is generated between the second electrode (Y) and a third electrode (A) in a cell to be energized or in a cell not to be energized. In the reset operation, an obtuse wave pulse (Pr1) having a negative polarity is applied to the second electrode (Y) so as to generate charge adjustment discharge starting from discharge of the opposed discharge form with the second electrode (Y) used as a cathode between the second electrode (Y) and the third electrode (A).

Abstract: A technique for achieving both discharge voltage reduction and discharge stabilization in a PDP and the like is provided. This PDP manufacturing method includes, for a structure of a front plate structure (11) to be exposed to a discharge space (30) to be filled with a discharge gas, a step of forming a first layer (4) having an effect of discharge protective layer on a dielectric layer (3), a step of forming a second layer (5) for protecting the first layer on the first layer, and a step of forming a third layer (6) of a powder for discharge stabilization to be exposed to the discharge space (30), the steps being performed in vacuum manufacturing process. And, the structure is made such that a surface of the first layer is exposed to the discharge space (30) by a step of removing the second layer by an aging discharge in the discharge space (30).