Projection system manager

• US 10,114,512 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Suggs, Bradley Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Lopez, Jose Soto
• Application Number:
  US15/025,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20160239154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An example system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a projector unit to project an image on to a projector display area on a touch sensitive mat, an all-in-one computer attachable to the projector unit, and a camera communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer, the camera having a lens with a field of view wider than the projector display area. The touch sensitive mat is communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a support structure including a base, an upright member extending upward from the base, and a cantilevered top extending outward from the upright member;

a projector unit attachable to the upright member;

an all-in-one computer attachable to the projector unit; and

a touch sensitive mat communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer via electrical contacts on a rear side of the touch sensitive mat engaged with corresponding electrical leads on the base that are held together by adjacent magnets, wherein the touch sensitive mat generates an electrical signal in response to detecting a touch input;

wherein the projector unit is to project an image upward to reflect off the mirror and on to a projector display area on the touch sensitive mat; and

wherein the cantilevered top includes a fold mirror, and a camera communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer, the camera having a lens with a field of view wider than the projector display area, wherein the camera detects a touch motion outside of the projector display area and within the touch sensitive mat that the image is projected onto, and thereby allows extended area interactions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises an infrared camera which forms an image using infrared radiation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a visible camera.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch motion may be exerted by the user without interfering with the image displayed on the projector display area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch motion provides additional functionality connected to operation of the all-in-one computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch action is interpreted by identifying a function associated with the touch action.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered top includes a plurality of cameras, at least one camera of which is used for depth detection in areas including outside of the projector display area, and at least two cameras of which are used for stereoscopic stylus tracking in areas including outside of the projector display area.

8. A system, comprising:

a projector unit to project an image on to a projector display area on a touch sensitive mat that generates an electrical signal in response to detecting a touch input;

an all-in-one computer attachable to the projector unit, wherein the touch sensitive mat is coupled to a base of the all-in-one computer via electrical contacts on a rear side of the touch sensitive mat engaged with corresponding electrical leads on the base that are held together by adjacent magnets; and

a camera communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer, the camera having a lens with a field of view wider than the projector display area, wherein the camera captures a touch motion performed by a user in an area outside of the projector display area and within the touch sensitive mat that the image is projected onto, the touch motion being associated with a command,

wherein the touch sensitive mat is communicatively coupled to the all-in-one computer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the touch sensitive mat is wider than the projector display area.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the command comprises a function for managing the projector display area.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the all-in-one computer is to cause the camera to scan a physical object on the touch sensitive mat and to cause the projector unit to project the scanned image back on to the projector display area.

12. A method of managing a projection system, comprising:

detecting a touch motion in an area outside a projection display area having an image that is projected onto a touch sensitive mat and within a touch sensitive surface of the touch sensitive mat via a camera that has a lens with a field of view that is wider than the projection display area, wherein the touch sensitive mat generates an electrical signal in response to detecting a touch input over an electrical contact on a rear side of the touch sensitive mat that is engaged with corresponding electrical leads on a base of an all-in-one computer that is held together by adjacent magnets;

identifying a command associated with the touch motion via as the all-in-one computer that is communicatively coupled to the touch sensitive mat and the camera; and

processing the command without interfering with an image being displayed on the projection display area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the touch motion in the area outside the projection display area further comprises detecting a stylus that includes an infrared (IR) retro-reflector and capturing movement of the stylus based on the infrared (IR) retro-reflector.