GEOMETRICALLY AWARE PROJECTOR

• US 20040184010A1
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trivale Technologies, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Raskar, Ramesh, van Baar, Jeroen, Beardsley, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,811,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/94
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/153 using elastic snapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/80 Geometric correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An apparatus for projecting an output image on a display surface includes a processing unit. The processing unit includes a microprocessor, a memory and an I/O interface connected by buses. A projector sub-system coupled to the processing unit is for displaying output images on the display surface. A camera sub-system coupled to the processing unit is for acquiring input images reflecting a geometry of the display surface. The camera sub-system is in a fixed physical relationship to the projector sub-system. Internal sensors coupled to the processing unit are for determining an orientation of the projector sub-system and the camera sub-system with respect to the display surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for projecting an output image on a display surface, comprising:

a processing unit including a microprocessor, a memory and an I/O interface connected by buses;

a projector sub-system coupled to the processing unit and configured to display output images on the display surface; and

a camera sub-system coupled to the processing unit and configured to acquire input images reflecting a geometry of the display surface, the camera sub-system being in a fixed physical relationship to the projector sub-system; and

internal sensors coupled to the processing unit and configured to determine an orientation of the projector sub-system and the camera sub-system with respect to the display surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a network sub-system coupled to the processing unit and configured to communicate with other computing devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the processing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

means for warping the output images to conform to a quadric surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the other computing device is identical to the apparatus of claim 1.

6. The apparatus of claim further comprising:

means for projecting a structured pattern onto the display surface;

means for acquiring a first input image of the structured pattern;

means for generating, from the first input image, a mesh of the structured pattern in a coordinate frame of the projector sub-system;

means for determining coordinate of a texture in the coordinate frame of the projector sub-system;

means for updating the coordinates of the texture according to the display surface;

means for mapping the texture to the mesh; and

means for rendering the textured mesh on the display surface.