WO2024257586A1 - Show window - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a show window that has an effect of providing a video seemingly popping out directly from a wall and with which the ability to pull in customers can be expected to be enhanced.　The show window comprises: a window in a wall surface; and an aerial video display device provided to the inside of the window. The aerial video display device projects an aerial video on the outside of the window. The aerial video display device, which is formed from a to-be-projected body that constitutes a basis for the aerial video and a retro-transmissive optical plate that is interposed between the to-be-projected body and the window at a certain angle, is capable of projecting the aerial video through a transparent plate fitted into the window. In one embodiment, a darkening sheet for maximally suppressing reflection and scattering of light is provided to a space on the inside of the window at which the aerial video display device is provided.

Description

Shop window

The present invention relates to a show window that uses aerial images.

In recent years, interest in aerial image display devices has been growing. One of the reasons for this is the need for contactless solutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, they can be used in combination with sensors to replace touch panels. For example, at bank ATMs, supermarket self-checkouts, corporate reception desks, hotel check-ins, and other locations, an unspecified number of users operate the same touch panels. Such touch panels can become potential routes of infection. To avoid this risk, it becomes necessary to disinfect the touch panel every time a user changes, but such a procedure is quite time-consuming and difficult to carry out adequately.

A non-contact interface that uses an aerial image display device can be used just as easily as a conventional touch panel, and avoids the risk of infection without the hassle. For example, in Patent Document 1, since it is unhygienic for the surgeon to touch a pointing device such as a computer mouse during surgery, the surgeon operates a mouse on a non-contact remote pointer control device displayed using aerial imaging technology. An example of a special optical element that can be used with such aerial imaging technology is the optical imaging device described in Patent Document 2.

The way images float in empty space using aerial imaging technology is impactful in itself and helps create a futuristic atmosphere. For this reason, many applications beyond infection prevention measures are conceivable. For example, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 shows an example of using it to replace barriers at ticket gates in stations. Furthermore, when displayed as an aerial image, it floats above its surroundings, creating a sense of three-dimensionality that is highly entertaining, and it is expected that it will be applied to games and other applications.

JP 2018-147054 A International Publication No. WO 2009/131128 JP 2017-142370 A

It's true that when displayed as a mid-air image, it appears to float above its surroundings, but with conventional mid-air image display devices, it feels like it's being projected from the device, and it doesn't feel as natural or surprising.

The object of the present invention is to provide a show window that has the effect of projecting images directly from the wall, and is expected to attract more customers.

In order to solve the above problems, a show window according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a window on a wall and an aerial image display device installed inside the window, and the aerial image display device projects an aerial image onto the outside of the window.

In one embodiment, the aerial image display device is characterized by comprising a projection target that is the source of the aerial image, and a retro-transparent optical plate that is interposed between the projection target and the window at a certain angle.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, the space inside the window in which the aerial image display device is installed is characterized in that the inner surface is treated to suppress reflection and scattering of internal light.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, a transparent plate is fitted into the window, and the aerial image display device projects an aerial image through this transparent plate.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, the projection target is a display device that can freely display images.

The display window of the present invention can attract the attention of more passersby.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a show window according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a show window according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows an example in which a depth camera sensor 9 is provided at the bottom of the window frame. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a show window according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a drink can vending machine equipped with a show window according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a show window of the vending machine shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view for explaining the relative positions of the main components of the aerial image display device constituting the show window of the vending machine shown in FIG.

Below, an embodiment of a show window according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a show window 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. Here, the inside (right side) of wall W is the inside of a room, and the outside (left side) of wall W is the outside of the room, but wall W may be the exterior wall of a building, or a wall separating sections exclusively used by tenants inside a commercial building.

As shown in Figure 1, a window is provided in part of the wall W at a position about eye height from the floor F, with a glass plate G fitted into it. In addition, a hollow rectangular prism body 2 with an open left side is fixed to the wall W so as to cover the window with the glass plate G fitted into it from the inside. A closed rectangular prism body S is formed on the inside by this casing 2, wall W, and window.

Inside the space S, there is a tablet computer 4 installed horizontally on the bottom, and an optical plate 6 installed so that it faces both the tablet computer 4 and the glass plate G at an angle of 45 degrees. The display surface of the tablet computer 4 faces upwards, it is connected to a power source (not shown), and the content to be displayed on the show window 1 is always displayed on it. The tablet computer 4 and the optical plate 6 create an aerial image display device.

Optical plate 6 is a retrotransmissive optical element used in aerial imaging technology. A retrotransmissive optical plate is an optical element that has in-plane reflectivity and normal transparency for light rays incident on the plate surface.

For example, the optical plate 6 can be an optical imaging element (two-sided orthogonal reflector) described in JP 2011-175297 A. This optical imaging element is realized by arranging a large number of mutually orthogonal planar light reflecting sections at a fixed pitch. In addition, a structure such as a two-sided corner reflector in which reflective surfaces are formed on the side of a square-shaped hole as described in Japanese Patent No. 4900618 can also be used.

In other words, under certain conditions of incident light, the optical plate 6 reflects the incident light retrogradely in the direction of the panel plane without changing the component of the incident light perpendicular to the panel plane. As a result, the image on the display screen 5 of the tablet computer 4 is formed as a real image 5r at a position symmetrical with respect to the optical plate 6.

Therefore, the distance between the optical plate 6 and the display screen of the tablet computer 4 is equal to the distance between the optical plate 6 and the real image 5r, and in the arrangement shown, the real image 5r is displayed as if it were floating outside the window as a floating image. In this embodiment, because the tablet computer 4 is used, the floating image floating outside the window can be freely changed and moved.

The inside of the closed space S covered by the housing 2 is designed to minimize light reflection and scattering. For example, the entire inner wall surface is painted with a black pigment or covered with a blackout sheet.

In this embodiment, the entire inner wall surface of the closed space S covered by the housing 2 is covered with a dark sheet 8 having a visible light reflectance of 2% or less, preferably 0.5% or less. Such a dark sheet can be made by using a black resin such as lacquer or cashew oil, for example, and forming a fine uneven structure on its surface.

By doing this, almost no light other than the formed aerial image is visible, creating the effect of the image appearing to jump out directly from a blank wall. Preferably, the entire outside of the wall W is also painted black to maximize this effect.

In addition, by incorporating a depth camera sensor 9 equipped with an infrared LED and an infrared camera at the window frame position, it becomes possible to manually manipulate the aerial image focused outside the show window. For example, the aerial image can be moved or rotated, which is expected to attract people's interest. For example, Intel's Realsence (registered trademark) can be used as such a depth camera sensor 9.

In FIG. 1, the depth camera sensor 9 is located at the top of the window frame and is configured to irradiate infrared rays from above toward the operator's hands, but the depth camera sensor 9 may also be configured as shown in FIG. 2 to be located at the bottom of the window frame and irradiate infrared rays from below toward the operator's hands.

Next, with reference to Figure 3, a second embodiment of the show window according to the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the aerial image display device is integrally built into the inside of the window. In contrast, in the show window of the second embodiment, the aerial image display device is installed independently of the window, and its position can be freely changed. Therefore, a window that has been used as a show window can be used as a normal window that is not a show window, or any window can be used as a show window.

In other words, the window of the show window 10 in Example 2 does not have to be specially provided for use as a show window, but may be selected from general windows. A glass plate G is fitted into this window, and the aerial image display device 12 is installed inside it. In this example, a table 13 is placed against the wall with the window, and the aerial image display device 12 is placed on top of it.

The aerial image display device 12 has a tablet computer 14 installed inside, and an optical plate 16 is installed at an angle facing the window. The angle of the optical plate 16 to the horizontal plane is 90 degrees, and the display screen 15 of the tablet computer 14 is placed horizontally. As a result, the image on the display screen 15 of the tablet computer 14 is formed as a real image 15r through the window.

Since the distance between the real image 15r and the optical plate 16 is the same as the distance between the display screen 15 of the tablet computer 14 and the optical plate 16, the height of the table 13, the installation position of the aerial image display device 12, or the position of the tablet computer 14 is adjusted so that the real image 15r is formed in an appropriate position. If necessary, a height-adjustable pedestal or the like is installed on the table 13.

Increasing the distance between the display screen 15 of the tablet computer 14 and the optical plate 16 increases the distance between the real image 15r and the optical plate 16, but the viewing angle becomes narrower. By using a larger optical plate, it is possible to widen the viewing angle to some extent, so the distance between the display screen 15 of the tablet computer 14 and the optical plate 16, i.e., the distance between the real image 15r and the optical plate 16, can be increased to some extent.

In the figure, the power supply means for the tablet computer 14 is omitted, but a normal commercial power source is used. Also, as in the first embodiment, the optical plate 16 is a retro-transmissive optical element. According to this embodiment, any window can be easily turned into a show window using a general aerial image display device.

Also, as in the first embodiment, by incorporating a depth camera sensor 19 at the lower end of the optical plate 16, it becomes possible to manually manipulate the aerial image focused outside the show window. For example, the aerial image can be moved or rotated, which is expected to attract people's interest. Again, for example, Intel's Realsence (registered trademark) can be used as such a depth camera sensor 9.

Next, a third embodiment of the show window according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 4. Here, application to a vending machine for drink cans is shown. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a vending machine equipped with a show window according to the third embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the show window of the vending machine shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view for explaining the relative positions of the main components of the aerial image display device that constitutes the show window of the vending machine shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vending machine 20 comprises a rectangular parallelepiped main body 22, a display window 24 provided on the entire front of the main body 22, a product outlet 26 provided below the display window 24, and a payment machine 28 provided to the right of the display window 24. Although not shown, the inside of the main body 22 is provided with a storage rack for storing drink cans and an ejection mechanism for ejecting stored drink cans to the product outlet 26.

As shown in FIG. 5, the show window 24 is made up of a transparent resin plate 32 that is fitted into the main body 22 to form a window, a housing 34 that is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with an open left side and is fixed to the inner surface of the main body 22 so as to form a closed space S inside the transparent resin plate 32, a drink can sample 36 installed on the bottom surface of the housing 34, an optical plate 38 installed so as to face both the transparent resin plate 32 and the sample 36 at an angle of 45 degrees, and an LED light 40 that illuminates the sample 36 from above. As with Example 1, the optical plate 38 uses a structure such as a two-sided orthogonal reflector or two-sided corner reflector capable of retrotransmission.

When the sample 36 is illuminated by the LED illumination 40, the reflected light passes retrograde through the optical plate 38 to form a real image 36r on the outside of the transparent resin plate 32, as in Example 1. In addition, an operation button 37 is provided on the left side of the sample 36, and this operation button 37 is also illuminated by the LED illumination 40, and the reflected light forms a real image 37r below the real image 36r of the sample 36.

Furthermore, a motion sensor 42 consisting of an infrared LED and an infrared camera is provided below the transparent resin plate 32, and can detect the movement of the user's finger near the real image 37r of the operation button 37. When a gesture by the user to press the real image 37r of the operation button 37 is detected, the drink can is determined to have been selected, and the product is delivered to the product outlet 26. Therefore, a non-contact interface is implemented.

Sample 36 and its real image 36r are plane symmetrical with respect to optical plate 38. Therefore, in order for real image 36r to be seen as an image of a drink can, sample 36 must be placed so that its inner concave surface faces upwards, as shown in Figure 6. In other words, to project a three-dimensional image, the concave-convex relationship between the visible aerial image and the subject (projection target) is reversed. The image (design) of the outside of the drink can is printed as is on the inner concave surface of sample 36.

Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the entire inner wall surface of the closed space S covered by the housing 34 is covered with a black sheet 37 having a visible light reflectance of 2% or less, preferably 0.5% or less. Such a black sheet can be made, for example, by using a black resin such as lacquer or cashew oil and forming a fine uneven structure on its surface. In this way, almost no light other than the focused aerial image is visible, and the effect of the image jumping out directly from a blank wall can be expected.

The show window of the present invention is expected to have the effect of images jumping out directly from the wall. People passing by the show window will be caught by the unexpected image floating in the air, which will stop their eyes. This can be expected to have a promotional effect on products.

The above describes the aerial image display device according to the present invention based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and if possible, the techniques described in each embodiment may be combined, or known techniques may be combined.

For example, in the above embodiment 1, a tablet computer is used as an example of the projection target on which the aerial image is generated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a liquid crystal display connected to a normal personal computer may also be used.

In addition, in the above Example 3, a drink can sample serving as a projection target is illuminated from above and shines by reflecting the illuminated light, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the drink can sample could be made of milky white resin that transmits light, and a pattern or the like could be printed on the surface of this resin. Light could be shone on the resin surface from below to make it shine, and that light could then be projected to form an image.

Reference Signs List 1, 10 Show window 2 Housing 4, 14 Tablet computer 5, 15 Display screen 5r, 15r Real image 6, 16 Optical plate 8 Blackout sheet 9, 19 Depth camera sensor 12 Aerial image display device 13 Table 20 Vending machine 22 Vending machine body 24 Show window 26 Product removal outlet 28 Payment machine 32 Transparent resin plate 34 Housing 36 Sample 36r Sample real image 37 Blackout sheet 37 Operation button 37r Operation button real image 38 Optical plate 40 Lighting 42 Motion sensor F Floor G Glass plate W Wall

Claims (5)

A show window that is made up of a window on a wall and an aerial image display device installed inside the window, the aerial image display device projecting an aerial image onto the outside of the window. The show window according to claim 1, characterized in that the aerial image display device is composed of a projection target that is the source of the aerial image, and a retro-transparent optical plate that is interposed at a certain angle between the projection target and the window. The show window according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner surface of the space inside the window in which the aerial image display device is installed is treated to suppress reflection and scattering of internal light. The show window according to claim 3, characterized in that a transparent plate is fitted into the window, and the aerial image display device projects an aerial image through this transparent plate. The show window according to claim 4, characterized in that the projection target is a display device that can freely display images.

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