Method and apparatus for conserving power in a laser projection display

• US 20050141069A1
• Filed: 05/31/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Ron, Yavid, Dmitriy, Stern, Miklos, Wittenberg, Carl, Wood, Frederick F., Tan, Chinh, Nambudiri, Narayan, Dvorkis, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,425,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/196.100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided to controllably reduce power of a laser projection display (LPD). Light is scanned from a laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon, and power used by the laser is reduced used while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a laser, comprising:

scanning light from a laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon; and

reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises identifying at least one region of the viewing surface that is being illuminated at a level below a preselected setpoint, and reducing power used by the laser while scanning the identified region.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface that contains a line drawing.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface that contains text.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein scanning light from a laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon further comprises scanning light from a plurality of lasers onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reducing power to at least one of the plurality of lasers.

8. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein scanning light from a laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon further comprises scanning light from a plurality of different color lasers onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon.

9. A method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reducing power to at least one of the plurality of lasers.

10. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises controlling the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon.

11. A method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein controlling the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon further comprises reducing the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon.

12. An apparatus for controlling a laser, comprising:

means for scanning light from a laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon; and

means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

13. An apparatus for controlling a laser, comprising:

at least one laser;

a controller adapted to scan light from the laser onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon; and

means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

14. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for identifying at least one region of the viewing surface that is being illuminated at a level below a preselected setpoint, and means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning the identified region.

15. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.

16. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 15, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface that contains a line drawing.

17. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 15, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for reversing video while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface that contains text.

18. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a second laser and wherein the controller is further adapted scan light from the first and second lasers onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon.

19. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 18, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for reducing power to at least one of the plurality of lasers.

20. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 18, wherein the first and second lasers each project light of a different color.

21. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 20, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises reducing power to at least one of the first and second lasers.

22. A method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein means for reducing power used by the laser while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface further comprises means for controlling the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon.

23. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 22, wherein means for controlling the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon further comprises means for reducing the rate at which light is scanned from the laser onto the viewing surface to produce the image thereon.

24. A method for controlling a laser projection device, comprising:

scanning light from a plurality of lasers onto a viewing surface to produce an image thereon, wherein each laser produces light of a different color; and

reducing power used by at least on of the plurality of lasers while scanning at least a portion of the viewing surface.