Projector system and camera system

• US 20050068501A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Nonaka, Osamu, Sato, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3176 wherein the projection device is incorporated in a camera details of cameras adapted for combination with a projector not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B17/54

Abstract

A projector system of this invention includes a camera and a projector. The projector includes a projection image forming unit which forms an image to be projected to a projection surface and a projecting lens. When photographic information in photographing a projection image and distance information to the projection surface are input, a display control unit controls the focal length of the projecting lens in accordance with the photographic information and switches the size of the image formed by the projection image forming unit at the variable control limit of the focal length.

Claims

1. A projector system which includes a projector, the projector including a projection image forming unit which forms an image to be projected to a projection surface and a projecting lens, comprising:

an input unit which inputs photographic information in photographing a projection image and distance information to the projection surface; and

an image switching unit which switches a size of the image formed by the projection image forming unit, in accordance with the photographic information and the distance information.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit which controls the projection image in projecting an object to the same size as a size of the object in accordance with a focal length of a photographic optical system in photographing the object, a signal depending on an object distance, and a signal depending on the distance to the projection surface.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein letting y_c be a size of an image pickup element in a predetermined direction in photographing the object, f_c be a focal length of a photographic lens in photographing the object, L_c be the object distance, and L_p be the distance to the photographed image projection surface, the control unit determines one of a focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object and an effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit in accordance with y_c, f_c, L_c, and L_p.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object is given by f_p=f_c(L_p/L_c)·

(y_p/y_c).

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit is given by y_p=y_c(L_c/L_p)·

(f_p/f_c).

6. A camera system comprising:

a camera having an image pickup element which forms an image of an object through a photographic lens; and

a projector,

the projector comprising a projection image forming unit which forms the image from the image pickup element as a projection image to be projected to a projection surface;

a projecting lens which has a variable focal length;

an input unit which inputs photographic information in photographing the projection image and distance information to the projection surface; and

a switching unit which switches a size of the projection image formed by the projection image forming unit when the variable focal length of the projecting lens is controlled in accordance with the photographic information and the distance information, and the variable focal length exceeds a variable range.

7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising a control unit which controls the projection image in projecting an object to the same size as a size of the object in accordance with a focal length of the photographic lens in photographing the object, a signal depending on an object distance, and a signal depending on the distance to the projection surface.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein letting y_c be a size of an image pickup element in a predetermined direction in photographing the object, f_c be a focal length of a photographic lens in photographing the object, L_c be the object distance, and L_p be the distance to the photographed image projection surface, the control unit determines one of a focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object and an effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit in accordance with y_c, f_c, L_c, and L_p.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object is given by f_p=f_c(L_p/L_c)·

(y_p/y_c).

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit is given by y_p=y_c(L_c/L_p)·

(f_p/f_c).

11. A camera system comprising:

an image pickup element which forms an image of an object through a photographic lens;

a projection image forming unit which forms the image from the image pickup element as a projection image to be projected to a projection surface;

a projecting lens which has a variable focal length;

an input unit which inputs photographic information in photographing the projection image and distance information to the projection surface; and

a control unit which controls to switch a size of the projection image formed by the projection image forming unit when the variable focal length of the projecting lens is controlled in accordance with the photographic information and the distance information, and the variable focal length exceeds a variable range.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the projection image in projecting an object to the same size as a size of the object in accordance with a focal length of the photographic lens in photographing the object, a signal depending on an object distance, and a signal depending on the distance to the projection surface.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein letting y_c be a size of an image pickup element in a predetermined direction in photographing the object, f_c be a focal length of a photographic lens in photographing the object, L_c be the object distance, and L_p be the distance to the photographed image projection surface, the control unit determines one of a focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object and an effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit in accordance with y_c, f_c, L_c, and L_p.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the focal length f_p of the projecting lens in projecting the object is given by f_p=f_c(L_p/L_c)·

(y_p/y_c).

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the effective portion y_p of the projection image forming unit is given by y_p=y_c(L_c/L_p)·

(f_p/f_c).

16. A projector system comprising:

a projector which forms an image and projects the image to a projection surface;

a projection surface detection unit which detects a state of the projection surface; and

a control unit which controls to switch the image to be projected, in accordance with the state of the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit.

17. A system according to claim 16, further comprising

a color determination unit which determines a change in color on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

an image switching unit which reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the color determination unit to have no change in color.

18. A system according to claim 17, which further comprises a camera which can be connected to the projector and senses the image to be projected, and

in which the projection surface detection unit includes an image pickup element which is in the camera and senses an object, and a distance detection circuit which detects a distance to the object, and the projector can project the image photographed by the camera to the projection surface.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the image switching unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photography by the camera.

20. A system according to claim 16, further comprising

a uniform portion determination unit which determines a change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

an image switching unit which reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the uniform portion determination unit to have no change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface.

21. A system according to claim 20, which further comprises a camera which can be connected to the projector and senses the image to be projected, and

in which the projection surface detection unit includes an image pickup element which is in the camera and senses an object, and a distance detection circuit which detects a distance to the object, and

the projector can project the image photographed by the camera to the projection surface.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the image switching unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photography by the camera.

23. A system according to claim 16, further comprising

a color determination unit which determines a change in color on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit,

a uniform portion determination unit which determines a change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

an image switching unit which reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the color determination unit to have no change in color and a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the uniform portion determination unit to have no change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface.

24. A system according to claim 23, which further comprises a camera which can be connected to the projector and senses the image to be projected, and

in which the projection surface detection unit includes an image pickup element which is in the camera and senses an object, and a distance detection circuit which detects a distance to the object, and

the projector can project the image photographed by the camera to the projection surface.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the image switching unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photography by the camera.

26. A projector system comprising:

an image pickup element which senses an object;

a projection image forming unit which forms the image from the image pickup element as a projection image to be projected to a projection surface;

a projection surface detection unit which detects a state of the projection surface; and

a control unit which controls to switch the image to be projected in accordance with the state of the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit.

27. A system according to claim 26, further comprising a color determination unit which determines a change in color on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

in which the control unit reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the color determination unit to have no change in color.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the control unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photographing an object.

29. A system according to claim 26, further comprising a uniform portion determination unit which determines a change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

in which the control unit reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the uniform portion determination unit to have no change in three-dimensional pattern.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the control unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photographing an object.

31. A system according to claim 26, further comprising a color determination unit which determines a change in color on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

a uniform portion determination unit which determines a change in three-dimensional pattern on the projection surface detected by the projection surface detection unit, and

in which the control unit reduces the image and projects the image to a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the color determination unit to have no change in color and a portion on the projection surface which is determined by the uniform portion determination unit to have no change in three-dimensional pattern.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the control unit switches the image to be projected on the basis of information of vertical and horizontal directions in photographing an object.