Information processing apparatus including a mirror configured to reflect an image and a projector and an image capturing unit arranged below the mirror

• US 10,013,068 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takuya, Nakatsu, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hermann, Kirk
• Application Number:
  US14/872,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a projection unit that projects an image, a projection mirror that reflects an image projected by the projection unit towards a projection surface, an image capturing unit that captures an image of a subject placed on the projection surface, and an image capturing mirror that is arranged in an image capturing optical path from the subject to the image capturing unit in order to capture an image of the subject placed on the projection surface. The projection unit and the image capturing unit are arranged below the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a projector configured to project an image;

a projection mirror configured to reflect an image projected by the projector towards a projection surface;

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject placed on the projection surface;

an image capturing mirror configured to be arranged in an image capturing optical path from the subject to the image capturing unit in order to capture an image of the subject placed on the projection surface using the image capturing unit; and

a frame configured to support a side surface of the projector such that the lower portion of the projector is distanced from other parts of the information processing apparatus,

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged below the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror, and

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are provided at opposite sides of the frame to each other.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sum of an optical path length of a light beam, which travels along an optical axis of the image capturing unit, from the image capturing unit to the projection surface is longer than a sum of an optical path length of a light beam, which travels along an optical axis of the projector, from the projector to the projection surface.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror are the same reflection mirror.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a detection sensor configured to detect motion of a detection target in a vicinity of the projection surface via the reflection mirror,

wherein an area, in a direction that is parallel to an optical axis of the image capturing unit, of the reflection mirror to be used by the detection sensor is included in a total area that is formed by integrating (a) an area of the reflection mirror used by the image capturing unit and (b) an area of the reflection mirror used by the projector.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an area of the reflection mirror used by the projector and an area of the reflection mirror used by the image capturing unit at least partially overlap.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a detection sensor configured to detect motion of a detection target in a vicinity of the projection surface via the reflection mirror,

wherein letting a direction that an optical axis of the image capturing unit faces when the optical axis is projected onto the projection surface is a first direction, and a direction that is orthogonal to the first direction be a second direction, and

wherein the detection sensor, when viewed in the second direction, is arranged in a virtual triangle that is formed by joining an optical path on an image capturing unit side of luminous flux from the projector, an optical path on a projector side of luminous flux from the image capturing unit, and the projection surface.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reflection mirror is arranged in an upper portion of the information processing apparatus, and

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged at positions that are below the reflection mirror relative to the information processing apparatus.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an optical axis of the projector and an optical axis of the image capturing unit are directed toward the reflection mirror, and

wherein light that travels along the optical axis of the projector and the optical axis of the image capturing unit are reflected by the reflection mirror so as to be directed downward.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projector is arranged at a position nearer to the projection surface than the image capturing unit is.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection surface is arranged below the information processing apparatus.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection sensor configured to detect motion of a detection target in a vicinity of the projection surface,

wherein the detection sensor and the projector are provided on opposite sides of the frame to each other.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the detection sensor emits infrared light and detects motion of the detection target by receiving infrared light reflected by the detection target.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit also serves as a detection sensor that detects motion of a detection subject in a vicinity of the projection surface.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a projector configured to project an image;

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject placed on the projection surface;

a reflection mirror (a) configured to reflect an image projected by the projector towards a projection surface and (b) configured to be arranged in an image capturing optical path from the subject to the image capturing unit, in order to capture, using the image capturing unit, an image of the subject placed on the projection surface; and

a detection sensor configured to detect, via the reflection mirror, motion of a detection target in a vicinity of the projection surface,

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged below the reflection mirror, and

wherein, where a direction that an optical axis of the image capturing unit faces when the optical axis is projected onto the projection surface is a first direction, and a direction that is orthogonal to the first direction is a second direction, the detection sensor, when viewed in the second direction, is arranged in a virtual triangle that is formed by joining (a) an optical path on an image capturing unit side of luminous flux from the projector, (b) an optical path on a projector side of luminous flux from the image capturing unit, and (c) the projection surface.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an area, in a direction that is parallel to an optical axis of the image capturing unit, of the reflection mirror to be used by the detection sensor is included in a total area that is formed by integrating (a) an area of the reflection mirror used by the image capturing unit and (b) an area of the reflection mirror used by the projector.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the projector is arranged at a position nearer to the projection surface than the image capturing unit is.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reflection mirror is arranged in an upper portion of the information processing apparatus, and

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged at positions that are below the reflection mirror relative to the information processing apparatus.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an optical axis of the projector and an optical axis of the image capturing unit are directed toward the reflection mirror, and

wherein light that travels along the optical axis of the projector and the optical axis of the image capturing unit are reflected by the reflection mirror so as to be directed downward.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the projection surface is arranged below the information processing apparatus.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a frame configured to support the reflection mirror,

wherein the image capturing unit and the projector are provided at opposite sides of the frame to each other.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a frame configured to support the reflection mirror,

wherein the detection sensor and the projector are provided at opposite sides of the frame to each other.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detection sensor emits infrared light and detects motion of the detection target by receiving infrared light reflected by the detection target.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an area of the reflection mirror used by the projector and an area of the reflection mirror used by the image capturing unit at least partially overlap.

24. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a projector configured to project an image;

a projection mirror configured to reflect an image projected by the projector towards a projection surface, wherein the projector are arranged below the projection mirror;

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject placed on the projection surface;

an image capturing mirror configured to be arranged in an image capturing optical path from the subject to the image capturing unit in order to capture an image of the subject placed on the projection surface using the image capturing unit, wherein the image capturing unit are arranged below the image capturing mirror; and

a wall member that has a flat surface portion,

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged to oppose each other, sandwiching the flat surface portion of the wall member.

25. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a projector configured to project an image;

a projection mirror configured to reflect an image projected by the projector towards a projection surface;

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject placed on the projection surface; and

an image capturing mirror configured to be arranged in an image capturing optical path from the subject to the image capturing unit in order to capture an image of the subject placed on the projection surface using the image capturing unit,

wherein the projector and the image capturing unit are arranged below the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror, and

wherein the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror are independent mirrors and the projection mirror and the image capturing mirror are arranged at different positions respectively.

26. The information processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a sum of an optical path length of a light beam, which travels along an optical axis of the image capturing unit, from the image capturing unit to the projection surface is longer than a sum of an optical path length of a light beam, which travels along an optical axis of the projector, from the projector to the projection surface.

27. The information processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the projector is arranged at a position nearer to the projection surface than the image capturing unit is.

28. The information processing apparatus according to claim 25, comprising a frame configured to support the projector,

wherein the image capturing unit and the projector are provided at opposite sides of the frame to each other.

29. The information processing apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a detection sensor configured to detect motion of a detection target in a vicinity of the projection surface,

wherein the detection sensor and the projector are provided at opposite sides of the frame to each other.

30. The information processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the image capturing unit also serves as a detection sensor that detects motion of a detection subject in a vicinity of the projection surface.