Image projection system and calibration data calculation method

• US 20050206856A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Kensuke
• Application Number:
  US11/031,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206856A1
• 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: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607
• 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 image projection system that projects a plurality of images on a screen to form a single image includes a plurality of projection units each including a plurality of light sources, a light source selection unit that selects at least one of the light sources and a display unit that is illuminated by the at least one light source selected by the light source selection unit, images that are displayed on the display units of the projection units being formed on the basis of different image data, a combination selection unit that selects a combination of the light sources that are selected by the light source selection unit, from among a plurality of predetermined combinations of the light sources included in the projection units, a storage unit that stores, in accordance with the plurality of predetermined combinations of the light sources, a plurality of calibration data that are used for adjusting illumination light amounts of the light sources and/or the images that are displayed by the display units, and a control unit that adjusts the illumination light amounts of the light sources and/or the images that are displayed by the display units, using the calibration data that corresponds to the combination of the light sources selected by the combination selection unit.

Claims

1. An image projection system that projects a plurality of images on a screen to form a single image, comprising:

a plurality of projection units each including a plurality of light sources, a light source selection unit that selects at least one of the light sources and a display unit that is illuminated by said at least one light source selected by the light source selection unit, images that are displayed on the display units of the projection units being formed on the basis of different image data;

a combination selection unit that selects a combination of the light sources that are selected by the light source selection unit, from among a plurality of predetermined combinations of the light sources included in the projection units;

a storage unit that stores, in accordance with the plurality of predetermined combinations of the light sources, a plurality of calibration data that are used for adjusting illumination light amounts of the light sources and/or the images that are displayed by the display units; and

a control unit that adjusts the illumination light amounts of the light sources and/or the images that are displayed by the display units, using the calibration data that corresponds to the combination of the light sources selected by the combination selection unit.

2. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein each of the projection units is composed of a single projector that includes the display unit and a plurality of the light sources, and a single image is projected on the screen from the single projector.

3. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein each of the projection units is composed of a plurality of projectors each including one said light source, and

the plurality of projectors, which are included in each of the projection units, are configured such that images, which are based on common image data, are projected on the screen at substantially the same position on the screen.

4. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein when two or more of the light sources can normally be turned on in each of the projection units, each of the light source selection units selects two or more light sources.

5. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where one of the light sources, which are selected by the light source selection unit in a given one of the projection units, fails to normally operate, the control unit adjusts the image using the calibration data that corresponds to a combination of light sources, which is not selected by the combination selection unit.

6. The image projection system according to claim 5, wherein the light source selection unit in the projection unit, which is other than said given one of the projection units, does not select the light source that has light emission characteristics closest to light emission characteristics of the light source that fails to normally operate.

7. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined combinations of light sources include all combinations in which at least one of the light sources is turned on in each of the projection units.

8. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined combinations of light sources include only combinations in which the number of light sources, which are turned on, is equal between the projection units.

9. The image projection system according to claim 8, wherein the storage unit stores the calibration data such that the images that are projected on the screen by the projection units are recognized by a viewer as images with a substantially equal luminance.

10. The image projection system according to claim 9, wherein the storage unit stores the calibration data such that the number of light sources, which are turned on, is inversely proportional to the illumination light amount of each light source that is turned on.

11. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the light source is composed of a lamp light source, and the control unit adjusts at least the image that is displayed by the display unit.

12. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the light source is composed of an LED light source, and the control unit adjusts at least the illumination light amount of the LED light source.

13. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of projection units are arranged such that the images that are projected by the projection units are located adjacent to each other on the screen.

14. The image projection system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of projection units are arranged such that the images that are located adjacent to each other on the screen partly overlap each other.

15. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of projection units are arranged such that the images that are projected on the screen by the projection units are shifted by half of a pixel pitch from each other.

16. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the calibration data includes color correction data and/or geometric correction data of the images that are projected on the screen by the projection units.

17. A calibration data calculation method in the image projection system according to claim 1, comprising:

displaying a calibration pattern image by the display unit;

turning on the light sources in accordance with each of the predetermined combinations of light sources;

acquiring information relating to colors and/or geometry of the calibration pattern image that is projected on the screen by the projection unit in accordance with each of the predetermined combinations of light sources; and

calculating the calibration data in accordance with each of the predetermined combinations of light sources on the basis of the acquired information.

18. A calibration data calculation method in the image projection system according to claim 1, comprising:

displaying a calibration pattern image by the display unit;

turning on the light sources in accordance with each of specified combinations of light sources, in which the number of light sources to be turned on in each of the projection units is one;

acquiring information relating to colors and/or geometry of the calibration pattern image that is projected on the screen by the projection unit in accordance with each of the specified combinations of light sources;

calculating the calibration data in accordance with each of the specified combinations of light sources on the basis of the acquired information; and

calculating, using the calculated calibration data, calibration data with respect to the predetermined combinations other than the specified combinations.