Image display method, image display apparatus, light scattering means, and image display program

• US 20060017890A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Inazumi, Mitsuhiro
• Application Number:
  US11/184,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017890A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/69
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• 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 display method of the exemplary embodiments, in which a projection image projected from an image projection device is scattered by a light scattering device, thereby displaying a display image on the light scattering device, the image display method includes: projecting a control image, which is used to correct the display image to be projected onto the light scattering device, from the image projection device toward the light scattering device; detecting the control image by a plurality of photodetection devices disposed outside an effective image display region on the light scattering device; generating an image correction signal, based on control image detection signals from the photodetection devices; and projecting onto the light scattering device the projection image corrected based on the image correction signal. A correction parameter, having accurately reflected thereon a distortion of the projection image, can be detected with accuracy, and a reduction in display image quality is discouraged or prevented from occurring due to the presence of the photodetection device.

Claims

1. An image display method in which a projection image projected from an image projection device is scattered by a light scattering device, thereby displaying a display image on the light scattering device, the method comprising:

projecting a control image, which is used to correct the display image to be projected onto the light scattering device, from the image projection device toward the light scattering device;

detecting the control image by a plurality of photodetection devices disposed outside an effective image display region on the light scattering device;

generating an image correction signal, based on control image detection signals from the photodetection devices; and

projecting onto the light scattering device the projection image corrected based on the image correction signal.

2. The image display method according to claim 1, further including disposing the photodetection devices along the peripheral edge of the effective image display region.

3. The image display method according to claim 1, further including disposing the photodetection devices in a plane with the light scattering device.

4. The image display method according to claim 1, the control image being a longitudinal linear image extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral linear image extending in a lateral direction, the method further including:

scanning the longitudinal linear image along the lateral direction of the light scattering device, and scanning the lateral linear image along the longitudinal direction of the light scattering device.

5. The image display method according to claim 1, further including projecting the control image, which is a frame-like image, outside the effective image display region.

6. The image display method according to claim 5, further including simultaneously projecting the control image and the display image.

7. The image display method according to claim 5, the detecting the control image, including periodically changing the size of the control image by a predetermined reference signal, and synchronously detecting and amplifying the control image detection signals and the predetermined reference signal, thereby amplifying only a component synchronous with the reference signal out of the control image detection signals, thus detecting the control image.

8. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image input device to input display image data on a display image to be projected;

an image projection device that projects a projection image in response to the display image data inputted to the image input device; and

a light scattering device that displays the display image by scattering the projection image projected from the image projection device;

a control image generation device that generates control image data on a control image that is used to correct the display image to be projected;

a plurality of photodetection devices that are disposed outside an effective image display region on the light scattering device;

an image correction signal generation device that generates an image correction signal, based on control image detection signals from the photodetection devices; and

an image correction device that corrects the display image to be projected onto the light scattering device, based on the image correction signal.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 8, the image projection device including a plurality of image projection devices,

the image correction device having a function of correcting the display image projected by the individual image projection devices.

10. A light scattering device for use in the image display apparatus according to claim 8, the light scattering device comprising:

a plurality of photodetection devices outside the effective image display region.

11. An image display program embodied on a recording medium, the program for use with an image display apparatus, in which a projection image projected from an image projection device scattered by a light scattering device, displays a display image on the light scattering device, the program comprising:

a program for projecting a control image, which is used to correct the display image to be projected onto the light scattering device, from the image projection device toward the light scattering device;

a program for detecting the control image by a plurality of photodetection devices disposed outside an effective image display region on the light scattering device;

a program for generating an image correction signal, based on control image detection signals from the photodetection devices; and

a program for projecting onto the light scattering device the projection image corrected based on the image correction signal.