Diplay unit

Claim 2

A display unit according to claim 1, further including means (4, 8) for driving said light-emitting elements (6) individually at the same time, said driving means comprising a signal source (4) for generating a time sequential signal containing the pieces of information of the said picture elements, and a serial-parallel converter (8) connected between said signal source (4) and said light-emitting elements (6) for converting the time sequential signal to coincidental signals.

Claim 3

A display unit according to claim 1, further including means (L, Lz) for imaging the deflected light beams onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said light-to-light conversion element (SLM).

Claim 4

A display unit according to claim 3, wherein said imaging means comprises a zoom lens (Lz) capable of continuously varying the magnification of the image formed in said photoconductive layer (PCL).

Claim 5

A display unit according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting element array (REA) further includes a microlens array (7) overlying said linearly arranged light-emitting elements (6).

Claim 6

A display unit, comprising: (a) a plurality of light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂), each array being composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements (6) each corresponding to one of a same number of picture elements, said light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂) being disposed side by side with their light-emitting elements (6) laterally aligned with each other; (b) means for driving said light-emitting elements of each of said light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂) to emit beams of light simultaneously for a predetermined period of time in accordance with one of different rows of pieces of picture element information allotted to the corresponding picture elements; (c) means (PM) for deflecting the light beams emitted from each of said light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂); (d) means for supplying said different rows of pieces of picture element information to said light-emitting element arrays (REA₁, REA₂) while shifting the rows of pieces of picture element information successively in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the light beams caused by deflection by said deflecting means (PM), in synchronism with the deflection by said deflecting means (PM) and at intervals of said predetermined period of time; (e) a light-to-light conversion element (SLM) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams; and (f) means (L) for imaging the deflected light beams onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said light-to-light conversion element (SLM).

Claim 7

A display unit, comprising: (a) three parallel spaced light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ) provided for three primary colors, each array being composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements (6) corresponding to a same number of picture elements; (b) means for driving said light-emitting elements of each of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ) to emit beams of light simultaneously for a predetermined period of time in accordance with a corresponding one of three different rows of pieces of picture element information; (c) a first polygon mirror (PMr) for deflecting the light beams emitted from a first one of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ); (d) a second polygon mirror (PMg) for deflecting the light beams emitted from a second one of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ); (e) a third polygon mirror (PMb) for deflecting the light beams emitted from a third one of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ); (f) a first light-to-light conversion element (SLMr) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from said first light-emitting element array (REA r ); (g) a second light-to-light conversion element (SLMg) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from said second light-emitting element array (REA g ); (h) a third light-to-light conversion element (SLMb) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from said third light-emitting element array (REA b ); (i) a first lens (Lr) for imaging the light beams from said first light-emitting element array (REA r ) via said first polygon mirror (PMr) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said first light-to-light conversion element (SLMr); (j) a second lens (Lg) for imaging the light beams from said second light-emitting element array (REA g ) via said second polygon mirror (PMg) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said second light-to-light conversion element (SLMg); (k) a third lens (Lr) for imaging the light beams from said third light-emitting element array (REA b ) via said third polygon mirror (PMb) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said third light-to-light conversion element (SLMr); and (l) a three color separation and composition optical system (CSA) associated with said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) for combining colors of the respective images formed in said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) and reproducing them as a composite color image.

Claim 8

A display unit, comprising: (a) three parallel spaced light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ) provided for three primary colors, each array being composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements (6) corresponding to a same number of picture elements; (b) means for driving said light-emitting elements of each of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ) to emit beams of light simultaneously for a predetermined period of time in accordance with a corresponding one of three different rows of pieces of picture element information; (c) means (GM) for deflecting the light beams emitted from said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ); (d) a first light-to-light conversion element (SLMr) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a first one (REA r ) of said light-emitting element arrays; (e) a second light-to-light conversion element (SLMg) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a second one (REA g ) of said light-emitting element arrays; (f) a third light-to-light conversion element (SLMb) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a third one (REA b ) of said light-emitting element arrays; (g) a first lens (Lr) for imaging the light beams from said first light-emitting element array (REA r ) via said deflecting means (GM) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said first light-to-light conversion element (SLMr); (h) a second lens (Lg) for imaging the light beams from said second light-emitting element array (REA g ) via said deflecting means (GM) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said second light-to-light conversion element (SLMg); (i) a third lens (Lr) for imaging the light beams from said third light-emitting element array (REA b ) via said deflecting means (GM) onto said photoconductive layer (PCL) of said third light-to-light conversion element (SLMr); and (j) a three color separation and composition optical system (CSA) associated with said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) for combining colors of the respective images formed in said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) and reproducing them as a composite color image.

Claim 9

A display unit according to claim 8, wherein said deflecting means comprises an oscillating mirror (GM).

Claim 10

A display unit according to claim 8, wherein said first, second and third light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (CSAr, CSAg, CSAb), and said first, second and third lenses (Lr, Lg, Lb) are disposed in separate curved planes.

Claim 11

A display unit according to claim 8, wherein said first, second and third light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ), said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (CSAr, CSAg, CSAb), and said first, second and third lenses (Lr, Lg, Lb) are disposed in separate flat planes, further including means for equalizing the length of optical paths between said first, second and third light-emitting element arrays (REA r , REA g , REA b ) and said photoconductive layers of the corresponding light-to-light conversion elements (SMLr, SMLg, SMLb).

Claim 12

A display unit according to claim 11, wherein said length equalizing means comprises a system of mirrors (M1-M4) disposed in at least one of said optical paths for bending the same.

Claim 13

A display unit, comprising: (a) a light-emitting element array (REA) composed of longitudinally aligned three groups of light-emitting elements (6), each group corresponding to one of three rows of picture elements of three primary colors and capable of emitting beams of light of one of three different wavelength regions; (b) means for driving said groups of light-emitting elements of said light-emitting element array (REA) to emit three groups of beams of light of different wavelengths, simultaneously for a predetermined period of time in accordance with the corresponding rows of pieces of picture element information; (c) means (GM) for deflecting the groups of light beams emitted from said light-emitting element array (REA), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element arrays (REA); (d) a first light-to-light conversion element (SLMr) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a first one of said groups of light-emitting elements; (e) a second light-to-light conversion element (SLMg) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a second one of said groups of light-emitting elements; (f) a third light-to-light conversion element (SLMb) including two electrodes (Et1, Et2) of opposite polarities and a photoconductive layer (PCL) and a photo-modulation layer (PML) disposed between said electrodes (Et1, Et2), said photoconductive layer (PCL) being capable of forming an image when scanned with the deflected light beams from a third one of said groups of light-emitting elements; (g) means (L) for imaging said groups of light beams from the corresponding groups of light-emitting elements via said deflecting means (GM) onto said photoconductive layers (PCL) of corresponding ones of said light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb); (h) a three color separation and composition optical system (CSA) associated with said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) for combining colors of the respective images formed in said first, second and third light-to-light conversion elements (SLMr, SLMg, SLMb) and reproducing them as a composite color image.

Claim 14

A display unit according to claim 13, wherein said deflecting means comprises an oscillating mirror (GM).

Claim 15

A display unit according to claim 13, wherein said imaging means comprises a zoom lens (Lz).

Claim 16

A display unit, comprising: (a) first means (10) for producing an optical image based on a time sequential signal; (b) second means (10; 42; 82) for producing an optical image based on an information recording medium (12; 30; 40; 50; 74); (c) at least one light-to-light conversion element (18; 32R, 32G, 32B; 70; 86) for storing said optical images optically written thereto and optically reproducing the stored images; and (d) means (14, 16; 46, 48; 52; 76; 80) for writing at least one of said optical image into said light-to-light conversion element (18; 32R, 32G, 32B; 70; 86).

Claim 17

A display unit according to claim 16, wherein said first means comprises a light-emitting element array (10) composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements drivable to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information containing in said time sequential signal, said information recording medium (12) being disposed over said light-emitting element array (10) and movable transversely across said light-emitting element array (10), said light-emitting element array (10) serving as said second means when said optical image based on said information recording medium (12) is to be written.

Claim 18

A display unit according to claim 17, wherein said writing means comprises a condenser lens (14) and a deflection mirror (16) disposed in an output optical path of said light-emitting element array (10) for projecting said optical images on said light-to-light conversion element (18).

Claim 19

A display unit according to claim 18, wherein said deflection mirror (16) is rotatable in synchronism with movement of said information recording medium (12).

Claim 20

A display unit according to claim 17, wherein the number of said light-to-light conversion element (32R, 32G, 32B) is three, said information recording medium (30) having three rows of images of three primary colors, each row of images of one of three primary color being written into a corresponding one of said three light-to-light conversion elements (32R, 32G, 32B), further including a color separation prism (34) disposed in an output optical path of each of said light-to-light conversion elements (32R, 32G, 32B).

Claim 21

A display unit according to claim 16, wherein said first means comprises a light-emitting element array (10) composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements drivable to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information containing in said time sequential signal, said second means comprising a light source (42) for illuminating said information recording medium (40) to read out an optical image therefrom.

Claim 22

A display unit according to claim 21, wherein said writing means comprised a condenser lens (14) and a deflection mirror (16) disposed in an output optical path of said light-emitting element array (10) for projecting said optical image produced from said light-emitting element array (10) onto said light-to-light conversion element.

Claim 23

A display unit according to claim 21, wherein said writing means includes an image forming lens (46) and a semi-transparent mirror (48) for directing said image read out from said information recording medium (40) onto said light-to-light conversion element.

Claim 24

A display unit according to claim 21, wherein said information recording medium (40) stores image information in the form of an electric charge image, said second means further including a reproducing head (44) for converting the electric charge image into an optical image.

Claim 25

A display unit according to claim 23, wherein said writing means further including a color separation prism (52) disposed between said image forming lens (46) and said semi-transparent mirror (48).

Claim 26

A display unit according to claim 16, wherein said second means includes a mask (60) for shielding a part of said information recording medium (40) to clip a portion of an optical image produced from said information recording medium (40).

Claim 27

A display unit according to claim 23, wherein said light-to-light conversion element (70) includes a color separation filter (72) having a number successive groups of fine stripe-like filter elements, each filter element group having three filter elements of three primary colors, said information recording medium (74) having images of three primary colors.

Claim 28

A display unit according to claim 16, wherein said light-to-light conversion element (86) is of the transmission type, said first means comprising a light-emitting element array (10) composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements drivable to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information containing in said time sequential signal, said information recording medium (12) being disposed over said light-emitting element array (10) and movable transversely across said light-emitting element array (10), said light-emitting element array (10) serving as said second means when said optical image based on said information recording medium (12) is to be written, said writing means comprising a condenser lens (14), a deflection mirror (16) and a beam splitter (80) disposed in an output optical path of said light-emitting element array (10) for projecting said optical images on said light-to-light conversion element (18).

Claim 29

A display unit, comprising: (a) a light-emitting element array (120) composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements (119) each corresponding to one of a same number of picture elements; (b) means (150) for driving said light-emitting elements (119) to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information allotted to the corresponding picture elements; (c) means (121; 122) for deflecting the light beams emitted from said light-emitting elements (119), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element array (120); (d) a light-to-light conversion element (101) including at least a photoconductive layer (112) and a photo-modulation layer (113); (e) a color separation filter (F2, F3) disposed on a read-out side of said light-to-light conversion element (101) and having a number of groups of stripe-like filter elements, each group having at least three filter elements of different wavelength ranges corresponding to a desired color separation; and (f) means (125a, 125b; 126a - 126f; 131, 132) for controlling the relative position between said light-emitting element array (120) and said light-to-light conversion element (101) so as to image the deflected light beams onto said photoconductive layer (112) in compliance with said desired color separation.

Claim 30

A display unit according to claim 28, wherein said color separation filter (F3) is disposed in a read-out optical path and spaced from said light-to-light conversion element (101).

Claim 31

A display unit according to claim 29 or 30, wherein said color separation filter (F2, F3) have a color separation pattern distorted to cancel out a distortion generated in an image forming optical system when an optical image is written into said light-to-light conversion system (101).

Claim 32

A display unit, comprising: (a) a light-emitting element array (120) composed of a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements (119) each corresponding to one of a same number of picture elements; (b) means (150) for driving said light-emitting elements (119) to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information allotted to the corresponding picture elements; (c) means (121, 122) for deflecting the light beams emitted from said light-emitting elements (119), simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element array (120); (d) a light-to-light conversion element (101) including at least a photoconductive layer (112) and a photo-modulation layer (113), said light-to-light conversion element (101) further including a dielectric mirror layer (114) having a number of strip-like portions separated into at least three different wavelength regions corresponding to a desired color separation; (e) means (125a, 125b; 126a - 126f; 131, 132) for controlling the relative position between said light-emitting element array (120) and said light-to-light conversion element (101; 102; 103) so as to image the deflected light beams onto said photoconductive layer (112) in compliance with said desired color separation; (f) a light source (k1) for producing reading light to read out an image from said light-to-light conversion element (101); and (g) a projection optical system (128, L3) for directing reading light from said light source (k1) onto said light-to-light conversion element (101) and projecting reflected light coming from said dielectric mirror layer (114), onto a screen (129).

Claim 33

A display unit, comprising: (a) a first color separation filter (F1) composed of plural types of first filter elements capable of transmitting beams of light having at least three different wavelength regions; (b) a second color separation filter (F2) composed of plural types of second filter elements capable of transmitting beams of light having different wavelength regions, the number of types of second filter elements being the same as that of said first filter element, each type of said second filter elements being paired with a corresponding one of the types of said first filter elements; (c) a light-to-light conversion elements (102; 103) having at least a photoconductive layer (112) and a photo-modulation layer (113); (d) a light-emitting element array (120) including a plurality of light-emitting elements capable of emitting beams of light of at least three different wavelength regions corresponding to those of said first color separation filter elements (F1); (e) means (150) for driving said light-emitting elements (119) so as to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information allotted to corresponding ones of a plurality of picture elements; (f) means (121) for deflecting the light beams emitted from the respective light-emitting elements (119) in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said light-emitting element array (120); (g) means (L1) for imaging the deflected light beams onto said photoconductive layer (112) of said light-to-light conversion element (102; 103); (h) a light source (K1) for producing reading light; and (i) a projection optical system (128, L3) for directing the reading light from said light source (K1) to said light-to-light conversion element (102; 103) and projecting beams of modulated light from said photo-modulation layer (113) to a screen (129) to display an image on enlarged scale, (j) said photoconductive layer (112) and said photo-modulation layer (113) being disposed between said first and second color separation filters (F1, F2), with paired groups of first and second filter elements held in confrontation to one another.

Claim 34

A display unit according to claim 33, wherein said second color separation filter (F1) is replaced with a dielectric mirror layer (114'), said dielectric mirror layer (114') having a plurality of types of dielectric mirror films equal in number to the number of types of said first fastener elements and capable of transmitting beams of light having the same number of different wavelength regions as said first filter elements, said dielectric mirror layer (114') being laminated between said photoconductive layer (112) and said photo-modulation layer (113).

Claim 35

A display unit according to claim 33, wherein said second filter (F3) is disposed in an optical path of read-out light extending between said light-to-light conversion element (101) and said screen (129).

Claim 36

A display unit according to claim 35, wherein said second filter (F3) is disposed on said screen (129).