Abstract: A display device includes a light guide plate 2 having at least one incoming surface and a plurality of light sources (3-1 to 3-4) arranged to face any of the incoming surfaces. The light guide plate 2 has a plurality of prisms 11 that is arrayed along each pattern in a plurality of patterns (21 to 24) displayed on one surface 2b of the light guide plate and reflects light emitted from a light source corresponding to the pattern and entering the light guide plate through the incoming surface toward a direction within a prescribed range of angles with reference to a direction normal to the other surface 2c of the light guide plate. Each prism 11 is formed as a triangular pyramid groove in one surface of the light guide plate 2, and one of inclined surfaces of the triangular pyramid groove is formed as a reflective surface 11a that reflects light emitted from a light source corresponding to a pattern along which the prism is arrayed and entering the light guide plate.

Abstract: An optical structure, a light guide, and a display device can reduce an influence of diffraction and improve optical performance more than conventionally possible. A reflective pattern (10A) is an optical structure that changes a traveling direction of light and emits the light, the optical structure including: a reflective surface (20) formed of a flat surface and configured to change a traveling direction of light; and a both-end curved surface (30) formed adjacent to the reflective surface (20) and having a surface in a curved shape corresponding to a side surface of a cylinder.

Abstract: Provided is a display device that prevents generation of stray light and has excellent visibility. In a display device (1) that makes an image light ray enter from an end face of a light guide plate (14) and emits the image light ray, reflected or refracted by each of a plurality of emission structures (prisms 141) provided on the light guide plate, from a light exit surface (14c) of the light guide plate, a light reflection layer or a light absorption layer is formed on at least one optical surface among optical surfaces provided on the emission structure (the prism 141) except for an optical surface that reflects or refracts the image light ray.

Abstract: A display device configured for use as a backlight for a display panel that effects presentation via liquid crystals that produce a monochrome image. The display device includes a light guide plate; and a first and a second light source arranged at an edge of the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes: an emission surface; a cluster of first reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from the first light source thereby changing the optical path of the light and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to serve as the backlight; and a cluster of second reflective structures configured to reflect light incident thereon from a second light source thereby changing the optical path of the light and causing the light to exit from the emission surface to effect a predetermined display.

Abstract: An optical device includes: a light guide plate; a first light emission part provided in a first region of the light guide plate, the first light emission part having optical surfaces that cause the light incident thereon to exit from a first emission surface and a second emission surface opposite the first emission surface; and a second light emission part provided in a second region of the light guide plate, the second light emission part having optical surfaces that cause the light incident thereon to exit from the first emission surface and the second emission surface. The optical device configured to control the luminous flux from the first and second emission surfaces via the optical surfaces in the first and second light emission parts to thereby control how leaked light is perceived by an observer on the opposite side of the emission surface of the light guide plate.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light-guiding plate and light sources that each emit light to the light-guiding plate. The light-guiding plate has light convergence portions, the light substantially converges at or scatters from a convergence point or line, and an image is formed by a collection of the convergence points or lines, and a light convergence portion causes light to be emitted in directions in which the light substantially converges in or scatters from a range including a point located a first distance apart from the emission surface, and a second light convergence portion causes light to be emitted in directions in which the light substantially converges in or scatters from a range including a point located a second distance, which is longer than the first distance, apart from the emission surface, and the number of first light convergence portions is higher than the number of second light convergence portions.

Abstract: When an optical element is transparent, an observer is enabled to visually recognize a stereoscopic image having a stereoscopic effect. A display method for a stereoscopic image, using a display device provided with a transparent light guide plate, includes: emitting light to be recognized by the observer as a stereoscopic image (11) from an optical element; and displaying the stereoscopic image (11) on a stereoscopic image forming plane (P1) not parallel to an outgoing surface (21) of the optical element. In the display method, the observer is able to visually recognize a rear surface side of the display device through the optical element.

Abstract: An optical structure, a light guide, and a display device can reduce an influence of diffraction and improve optical performance more than conventionally possible. A reflective pattern (10A) is an optical structure that changes a traveling direction of light and emits the light, the optical structure including: a reflective surface (20) formed of a flat surface and configured to change a traveling direction of light; and a both-end curved surface (30) formed adjacent to the reflective surface (20) and having a surface in a curved shape corresponding to a side surface of a cylinder.

Abstract: A display device includes a transparent liquid crystal panel configured to allow an object arranged at the rear surface to be viewed from the front surface; a first polarizer arranged on at least one of the front surface and the rear surface of the transparent liquid crystal panel; a light source; a light guide element arranged at the other of the front surface and the rear surface of the transparent liquid crystal panel; a second polarizer arranged between the light guide element and the transparent liquid crystal panel, or between the light guide element and the light source and arranged to not block at least a portion of light transmitted through the light guide element via the object; and a controller.

Abstract: Provided is a display device that prevents generation of stray light and has excellent visibility. In a display device (1) that makes an image light ray enter from an end face of a light guide plate (14) and emits the image light ray, reflected or refracted by each of a plurality of emission structures (prisms 141) provided on the light guide plate, from a light exit surface (14c) of the light guide plate, a light reflection layer or a light absorption layer is formed on at least one optical surface among optical surfaces provided on the emission structure (the prism 141) except for an optical surface that reflects or refracts the image light ray.

Abstract: A stereoscopic display device includes an image display device to display, for each imaging point inside a space region, an image of an object to be projected to the space region at the relevant imaging point in a block corresponding to the relevant imaging point on a display region, a lens to direct light beams given out from the respective blocks to mutually different directions, a light guide plate having first deflectors provided in any of an emission surface and a surface opposed to the emission surface, each of the first deflectors directing the light beams entering the light guide plate to mutually different directions to emit the light beams from the emission surface, and a second deflector configured to direct, for each of the first deflectors, the light beam from each of the blocks emitted from the emission surface through the first deflector to the corresponding imaging point.

Abstract: To make a displayed image clear. A display device emits image light reflected by a plurality of prisms (141) provided in a light guide plate (14) from a light exit surface (14c). The prism (141) has a reflective surface (141a) that reflects and emits the image light. The reflective surface (141a) is formed in a curved shape in a thickness direction of the light guide plate (14).

Abstract: A vehicle light emitting device provided to a vehicle and configured to emit light toward outside the vehicle includes a light source; a light guide plate including a light emitting surface and configured to direct light entering from the light source so that the light exits from the light emitting surface and forms an image in a space; and a lighting controller configured to control the emissions state of the light source in accordance with an operation of the vehicle.

Abstract: An input device includes: a movement detector that detects a user movement; and an image projector that forms a zone image in a space to present a region where the movement detector detects movement; and the image projector includes a first light source; and a first light guide plate which includes a light emitting surface and directs light entering from the first light source so that the light exits from the light emitting surface and forms an image in a space.

Abstract: An optical device includes one or more light sources and a light-guiding plate that guides light emitted from the light sources in a plane parallel to an emission surface that emits light. The light-guiding plate has light convergence portions that receive guided light and each have optical surfaces that cause light to be emitted from the emission surface in directions in which the light substantially converges at or scatters from one convergence point. The convergence points for the light convergence portions are different from each other. An image is formed on an emission surface side by a collection of the convergence points. First light convergence portions positioned differently from each other along a light-guiding direction of the light-guiding plate cause light to be emitted from the emission surface in different directions in which the light substantially converges at or scatters from the same first convergence point among the convergence points.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light guide plate configured to guide light entering therein, and cause said light to exit from an emission surface thereof and thereby form an image in a space; a group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a narrow view direction taken as greater than or equal to 0° and less than a first angle relative to a reference plane that is orthogonal to the emission surface and parallel to a side surface of the light guide plate; and a group of wide-view optical-path deflectors configured to form an image in a space within a wide view direction taken as greater than or equal to the first angle and less than 90° relative to the reference plane. The group of narrow-view optical-path deflectors and the group of wide-view optical-path deflectors have different image forming conditions.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light-guiding plate that guides light in a plane parallel to an emission surface that emits light, and a sensor for detecting an object located on an emission surface side using light that passes through a back surface opposite to the emission surface and through the emission surface. The light-guiding plate has light convergence portions that receive light guided by the light-guiding plate and each have optical surfaces that cause light to be emitted from the emission surface in directions in which the light substantially converges at or scatters from one convergence point or one convergence line in a space, and the convergence points or the convergence lines for the light convergence portions are different from each other, and an image is formed in the space on the emission surface side by a collection of the convergence points or the convergence lines.

Abstract: An end face inspection apparatus which inspects an end face of an test object, and includes optical system causing an image acquisition unit to form an image of an end face of a held test object, focusing degree changing means for changing a distance between the end face of the test object and a focal position of the optical system, and a control unit processing image data acquired in the image acquisition unit. The end face inspection apparatus acquires a series of image data which is output from the image acquisition unit at a preset time interval while the distance between the end face of the test object and the focal position of the optical system is changed, determines whether or not each piece of the image data is focused, and selects focused image data as image data for end face inspection.

Abstract: An optical device includes a planar-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms a planar image of a predetermined shape in a space, and an outline-image forming unit configured to emit light that forms an outline image with a light intensity different from the light intensity of the planar image at the outer-edge region of the planar image.

Abstract: A display device for head-up display forms an image with a view of an object from above in a vertical direction in a space outside the display device for an image which presents an object with a vertical direction. The object includes a reference surface that is a reference of the vertical direction. The display device forms the image so that an observer has a view from the upper part of the reference surface.