Image projection system and method

• US 20060103811A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, William J., May, Gregory J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• 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

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a projection subsystem to project an image-containing beam, and an image adjustment element. The image adjustment element is to cause adjustment of the image-containing beam in response to a detection of relative movement of the apparatus with respect to a reference object. A method includes determining whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected, in an embodiment. When substantial relative movement has been detected, the method further includes producing control inputs, and altering operation of one or more image adjustment elements and/or altering image data in response to the control inputs, in an embodiment.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a projection subsystem to project an image-containing beam, resulting in a projected image; and

an image adjustment element to cause adjustment of the image-containing beam in response to a detection of relative movement between the apparatus and a reference object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a relative movement detector to detect the relative movement between the apparatus and the reference object, and further to produce movement information indicating the relative movement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference object includes the projected image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a relative movement detector to detect the relative movement, and further to produce movement information indicating the relative movement; and

a controller to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information, to control operations of the image adjustment element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a lens movement mechanism to move one or more lenses of the projection subsystem in response to the control inputs.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a coherent light modulator to output an image based on the control inputs.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a mirror movement mechanism to move one or more mirrors in response to the control inputs.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a modulator movement mechanism to move one or more modulators in response to the control inputs.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

an image data alteration element to modify image data in response to the control inputs.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for receiving one or more batteries to enable the apparatus to be used in a portable device.

12. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the lens movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for moving one or more lenses in one or more directions.

11. A projection system comprising:

at least one projection lens to receive light and to project an image-containing beam defined by image data;

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information; and

a lens movement mechanism, operatively coupled to the at least one projection lens, to move one or more of the at least one projection lens in response to the movement information.

13. The projection system of claim 11, wherein the lens movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for pivoting or rotating one or more lenses along one or more axes.

14. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection based on the control inputs, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system.

15. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system, based on the control inputs.

16. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection based on the control inputs, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system, based on the control inputs.

17. A projection system comprising:

a modulator to receive light and image data, and further to produce an internal image-containing beam in accordance with the image data;

at least one mirror, to receive and reflect the internal image-containing beam, resulting in a reflected beam;

at least one projection lens to receive the reflected beam, and to produce an external image-containing beam;

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information; and

a mirror movement mechanism, operatively coupled to the at least one mirror, to move one or more of the at least one mirror in response to the movement information.

18. The projection system of claim 17, wherein the mirror movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for moving one or more mirrors in one or more directions.

19. The projection system of claim 17, wherein the mirror movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for pivoting one or more mirrors along one or more axes.

20. A projection system comprising:

a modulator to receive light and image data, and further to produce an internal image-containing beam in accordance with the image data;

at least one projection lens to produce an external image-containing beam;

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information; and

a modulator movement mechanism, operatively coupled to the modulator, to move the modulator in response to the movement information.

21. The projection system of claim 20, wherein the modulator includes a digital mirror device modulator.

22. The projection system of claim 20, wherein the modulator includes a liquid crystal device modulator.

23. A projection system comprising:

a projection subsystem to receive light and image data, and to project an image-containing beam defined by the image data;

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement and to produce movement information; and

an imaging pipeline, operatively coupled to the projection subsystem, and which includes an image data alteration element that alters the image data, in response to the movement information, prior to providing the image data to the projection subsystem.

24. The projection system of claim 23, wherein the image data alteration element is to adjust the image data by digitally shifting the image data.

25. The projection system of claim 23, the imaging pipeline further comprises:

a color processing element; and

an image shaping element.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a movement detector to determine whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected;

an image adjustment controller to produce control inputs when the substantial relative movement has been detected; and

an image adjustment element to adjust an image-containing beam, which results in a projected image, in response to the control inputs.

27. A method comprising:

determining whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected;

when the substantial relative movement has been detected, producing control inputs; and

altering operation of one or more image adjustment elements in response to the control inputs.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein determining comprises:

sensing whether the projection system has experienced the substantial relative movement with respect to a projected image.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein determining comprises:

sensing whether the projection system has experienced the substantial relative movement with respect to a projection surface.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein altering operation comprises:

moving one or more lenses of a projection subsystem in response to the control inputs.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein altering operation comprises:

altering operation of one or more coherent light modulators in response to the control inputs.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein altering operation comprises:

moving one or more mirrors in response to the control inputs.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein altering operation comprises:

moving one or more modulators in response to the control inputs.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein altering operation comprises:

modifying image data in response to the control inputs.

35. A computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon to perform a method, which when executed result in:

determining whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected;

when the substantial relative movement has been detected, producing control inputs; and

altering operation of one or more image adjustment elements in response to the control inputs.