Three-dimensional image display device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention is made in view of such circumstances.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple-structured three-dimensional image display device capable of obtaining a three-dimensional image with use of holograms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional image display device in which a displayed holographic image is observable from any direction in a range of 360 degrees.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a three-dimensional image display device which comprises: a holographic plate having a plurality of holograms divided in correspondence with rotational angles, the holographic plate being exposed so that when the light is irradiated, each of the holograms forms a point image at a different position in a depth direction of the holographic plate; drive means for rotating the holographic plate; light irradiating means including a plurality of light sources arranged in a substantially straight line so that the light sources are disposed at substantially equal distances from the holographic plate; and control means for controlling the drive means and lighting operation of the plurality of light sources of the light irradiating means in accordance with a signal indicative of a three-dimensional image to be displayed so as to control lighting of a plurality of point images formed in a three-dimensional space.
According to the present invention, by controlling the lighting timing of the respective light sources of the light irradiating means in accordance with the rotational angle of the hologram, control of coordinates in an x direction perpendicular to a depth direction of the holographic plate (in a z direction) and to a direction of arrangement of the light sources (in a y direction) is carried out, by controlling lighting operations of the plurality of light sources, control of coordinates in the y direction is carried out, and by selectively controlling the plurality of holograms by controlling the drive means, control of coordinates in the z direction is carried out, to thereby reproduce a plurality of point images in the three-dimensional space in accordance with the image signal