Digital planetarium apparatus

Abstract

A digital planetarium apparatus includes an original image generator, an intermediate image generator, and a fish-eye lens. The original image generator is formed of two video projectors and generates semicircular images in display devices inside the respective video projectors. The intermediate image generator optically focuses the two semicircular images generated by the original image generator to thereby generate a circular image. The fish-eye lens projects the circular image generated by the intermediate image generator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline structure example of an entire digital planetarium according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of control configuration of the digital planetarium apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing outline optical construction of a first type digital planetarium apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an original plate image of one of video projectors in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an optical construction diagram of a first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an optical construction diagram of a second embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an optical construction diagram of a third embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing schematic optical construction of a second type digital planetarium apparatus;

FIG. 9 is an optical construction diagram of a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an optical construction diagram of a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an optical construction diagram of a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing schematic optical construction of a third type digital planetarium apparatus;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a construction example of a single-plate type system of a TIR prism;

FIG. 14 is an optical construction diagram showing change in an optical path when the prism to the video projectors are slightly shifted to the fish-eye lens side in the third embodiment; and

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a T area in FIG. 14.

Claims

1. A digital planetarium apparatus comprising: an original image generator which is formed of two video projectors and which generates semicircular images in display devices inside the respective video projectors; an intermediate image generator which optically focuses the two semicircular images generated by the original image generator to thereby generate a circular image; and a fish-eye lens which projects the circular image generated by the intermediate image generator.

2. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate image generator includes: a first relay lens which optically focuses the semicircular image generated in the display device inside one of the video projectors; and a second relay lens which optically focuses the semicircular image generated in the display device inside another of the video projectors, and wherein optical axes of the relay lenses shift from centers of the respective display devices.

3. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optical axes of the first and second relay lenses and an optical axis of the fish-eye lens match with each other.

4. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate image generator includes: a first relay lens which optically focuses the semicircular image generated in the display device inside one of the video projectors; and a second relay lens which optically focuses the semicircular image generated in the display device inside another of the video projectors, and wherein optical axes of the relay lenses match with centers of the respective display devices.

5. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in order that the semicircular image formed by the first relay lens and the semicircular image formed by the second relay lens are synthesized into a planar shape, the intermediate image generator inclines the display devices inside the video projectors with respect to the optical axes of the respective relay lenses.

6. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate image generator has, at or near position where the semicircular images are focused by the first and second relay lenses, a field lens, a mirror, or a prism.

7. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fish-eye lens is substantially telecentric to a circular image side.

8. The digital planetarium apparatus according to any one of claim 1, wherein the first and second relay lenses are substantially telecentric to an intermediate image side.

9. A digital planetarium apparatus comprising: an original image generator which is formed of two video projectors and which generates semicircular images in display devices inside the respective video projectors;a fish-eye lens which is formed of, in order from an enlargement side, a front lens group and a rear lens group and which projects the two semicircular images generated by the original image generator; andan image synthesizer which synthesizes optical paths of the two semicircular images between the front lens group and the rear lens group so that the two semicircular images are so focused as to be linked together as one circular image.

10. The digital planetarium apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image synthesizer is a polarization beam splitter, wherein the rear lens group is formed of a first rear lens group located on one video projector side and a second rear lens group located on another video projector side, and wherein there are further provided: a first polarization conversion element which unifies light from one of the video projectors into P-polarized light so that P-polarized light is emitted from the first rear lens group and a second polarization conversion element which unifies light from another of the video projectors into S-polarized light so that S-polarized light is emitted from the second rear lens group.

11. A dome picture apparatus comprising: an original image generator which is formed of two video projectors and which generates semicircular images in display devices inside the respective video projectors; an intermediate image generator which optically focuses the two semicircular images generated by the original image generator to thereby generate a circular image; and a fish-eye lens which project, on a dome screen, the circular image generated by the intermediate image generator.

12. A dome picture apparatus comprising: an original image generator which is formed of two video projectors and which generates semicircular images in display devices inside the respective video projectors; a fish-eye lens which is formed of, in order from an enlargement side, a front lens group and a rear lens group and which projects on a dome screen the two semicircular images generated by the original image generator; and an image synthesizer which synthesizes optical paths of the two semicircular images between the front lens group and the rear lens group so that the two semicircular images are so focused as to be linked together as one circular image.