Projector control

• US 20050219467A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miyasaka, Akira, Nomizo, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,304 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

Abstract

To automatically adjust the quality of a projection image commensurate with the performance in-time deterioration and aging of projector component parts in an image projection system, each projector detects an integrated service time of its own light-source lamp and a service time and temperature of a liquid-crystal panel, and sends a detection result thereof to a control unit in compliance with a request from the control unit. These parameter values are parameter values having an effect upon the quality of a projection image and varying with time. The control unit copes with the projectors depending upon the detection result received from the projectors, to set predetermined control data for use in image-quality adjustment and send the control data respectively to the projectors. Each projector controls the driving to its light-source lamp and liquid-crystal panel, depending upon the control data received from the control unit.

Claims

1. An image projection system, comprising:

a control unit; and

a projector to project an image, the projector including;

a parameter transmitting section to send, to the control unit, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon a quality of the image projected and varying with time;

a control data receiving section to receive, from the control unit, predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality; and

a control section to carry out predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data;

the control unit to control the projector, the control unit including;

a parameter receiving section to receive the predetermined parameter value from the projector;

a control data setting section to set the control data depending upon the parameter value; and

a control data transmitting section to transmit the control data to the projector.

2. The image projection system according to claim 1, the image quality including at least one of brightness and contrast ratio of the image.

3. The image projection system according to claim 1, the projector further comprising:

an image processing section to perform a predetermined image processing on input image data;

a liquid-crystal panel to form an image depending upon the image data on which the image processing has been performed; and

a light-source lamp for use in projecting the formed image,

the parameter transmitting section sending the parameter value to at least one of the liquid-crystal panel and the light-source lamp,

the control section effecting the control by controlling driving to at least one of the image processing section and the light-source lamp, depending upon the control data.

4. The image projection system according to claim 3, the predetermined parameter value including at least one of a service time of liquid crystal panel, a temperature of liquid-crystal panel, a service time of light-source lamp and a temperature of light-source lamp.

5. The image projection system according to claim 3, the image processing section having a plurality of lookup tables for use in the image processing and capable of carrying out the image processing by selecting at least one of the plurality of lookup tables,

the control data including data to select the lookup table.

6. The image projection system according to claim 3, the control data including data to adjust a drive power to the light-source lamp.

7. The image projection system according to claim 1, the image projection system having the projectors in plurality,

the control data setting section setting the respective ones of control data corresponding to the projectors,

the control data transmitting section sending the respective ones of control data to corresponding ones of the projectors.

8. The image projection system according to claim 7, the control data setting section setting the control data such that the images projected by the projectors become equal in image quality one to another.

9. The image projection system according to claim 7, the control unit further comprising:

a request signal transmitting section to send, to each of the projectors, a request signal to request to send the predetermined parameter value,

each of the projectors further having a request signal receiving section to receive the request signal,

the parameter transmitting section sending the predetermined parameter value upon receiving the request signal.

10. The image projection system according to claim 9, the request signal transmitting section further sending the request signal at a predetermined time interval.

11. A control unit to control a projector for projecting an image, comprising:

a parameter receiving section to receive from the projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

a control data setting section to set predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at the projector, depending upon the predetermined parameter value; and

a transmitting section to send the control data to the projector.

12. A projector to project an image, comprising:

a parameter transmitting section to send, to a predetermined control unit, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

a control data receiving section to receive predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality from the control unit; and

a control section to effect predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data.

13. A projector to project an image, comprising:

a parameter receiving section to receive, from another projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

a control data setting section to set predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at least at one of the other projector and the relevant projector, depending upon the predetermined parameter value received from the other projector and the parameter value of the relevant projector;

a control section to effect predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data corresponding to the relevant projector; and

a control data transmitting section to send a corresponding one of the control data to the other projector.

14. A method of controlling an image projection system having a projector to project an image and a control unit to control the projector, comprising:

(a) sending, to the control unit, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon a quality of the image projected and varying with time, in the projector;

(b) receiving the predetermined parameter value from the projector, in the control unit;

(c) setting predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at the projector depending upon the predetermined parameter value, in the control unit;

(d) sending the control data to the projector, in the control unit;

(e) receiving the control data from the control unit, in the projector; and

(f) effecting predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data, in the projector.

15. A method of controlling a control unit to control a projector to project an image, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, from the projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon a quality of the image projected and varying with time;

(b) setting predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at the projector depending upon the predetermined parameter value; and

(c) sending the control data to the projector.

16. A method of controlling a projector to project an image, comprising:

(a) sending, to a predetermined control unit, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon a quality of the image projected and varying with time;

(b) receiving predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality from the control unit;

(c) controlling the image quality depending upon the control data.

17. A method of controlling a projector to project an image, comprising:

(a) receiving, from another projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon a quality of the image projected and varying with time;

(b) setting predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at least at one of the other projector and a relevant projector, depending upon the predetermined parameter value received from the other projector and the predetermined parameter value of the relevant projector;

(c) effecting predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data corresponding to the relevant projector; and

(d) sending a corresponding one of the control data to the other projector.

18. A computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program to control a control unit for controlling a projector to project an image, the computer program comprising instructions to:

receive, from the projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

set predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at the projector depending upon the predetermined parameter value; and

send the control data to the projector.

19. A computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program to control a projector to project an image, the computer program comprising instructions to:

send, to a predetermined control unit, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

receive predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality from the control unit; and

effect predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data.

20. A computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program to control a projector to project an image, the computer program comprising instructions to:

receive, from another projector, a predetermined parameter value having an effect upon an image quality of the image projected and varying with time;

set predetermined control data for use in adjusting the image quality at least at one of the other projector and a relevant projector, depending upon the predetermined parameter value received from the other projector and the predetermined parameter value of the relevant projector;

effect predetermined control to adjust the image quality depending upon the control data corresponding to the relevant projector; and

send a corresponding one of the control data to the other projector.