System and method for automated projector lamp management

• US 20060238722A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Jayaram, Subramanian, Layton, Jeffrey S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,377,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/85
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2086 Security or safety means in lamp houses
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

An information handling system projector tracks lamp usage to generate a lamp order form for order of a replacement lamp when lamp usage is a predetermined usage. The lamp order form is automatically generated and displayed to include lamp usage and projector identification information so that a user need not manually input that information into an order form. A network module of the projector supports queries for lamp usage from a lamp management module running on an information handling system. A projector processor interfaced with the network module reads the lamp usage and projector identification information from firmware of the projector and provides the lamp usage and projector identification information to the lamp management module for automatic generation of the lamp order form display.

Claims

1. A system for managing replacement of an information handling system projector lamp, the system comprising:

memory disposed in the projector and operable to store lamp usage information and projector identification information;

a projector processor disposed in the projector and interfaced with the memory, the projector processor operable to retrieve the lamp usage information and projector identification information;

a network module disposed in the projector and interfaced with the projector processor, the network module operable to communicate with a network; and

a lamp management module interfaced with the projector processor and the network module, the lamp management module operable to apply the lamp usage information and the projector identification to generate a display having a lamp order if the lamp has a predetermined usage.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a display generator disposed in the projector and interfaced with the lamp management module, the display generator operable to generate an image for display by the projector; and

a lamp assembly disposed in the projector and operable to illuminate the image of the display generator to display the image from the projector;

wherein the lamp management module displays the lamp order with the display generator.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a lamp order site interfaced with the lamp management module through the network, the lamp order site operable to accept a lamp order placed with the lamp order form through the network.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an information handling system interfaced with the network module, the lamp management module running on the information handling system and communicating with the projector processor through the network.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a display interfaced with the information handling system and operable to display the order form.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a lamp order module running on the information handling system and operable to place an order for a lamp through the network with the order form.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the projector identification information comprises a lamp part number.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the lamp management module determines a lamp part number from the projector identification information.

9. A method for managing replacement of information handling system projector lamps, the method comprising:

determining that lamp usage of a projector lamp is a predetermined usage associated with lamp end-of-life;

automatically collecting lamp order information;

preparing a lamp order form having the lamp order information; and

displaying the lamp order form for ordering a replacement lamp.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining that lamp usage of a projector lamp is a predetermined usage further comprises:

querying from an information handling system through a network to the projector for the lamp usage;

reading the lamp usage from firmware of the projector with a scalar of the projector; and

returning the lamp usage through the network to the information handling system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

reading projector identification information from firmware of the projector with the scalar of the projector; and

returning the projector identification through the network to the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the network comprises a wireless local area network.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein displaying the lamp order form further comprises presenting the lamp order form at an information handling system display.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein displaying the lamp order form further comprises presenting the lamp order form from the projector.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

initiating a lamp order with the order form; and

communicating the lamp order form through the Internet to a lamp order site.

16. An information handling system projector comprising:

a housing;

a network module disposed in the housing and operable to communicate with a network;

a projector processor disposed in the housing and interfaced with the network module, the projector processor operable to coordinate communication of display information from the network for display by the projector;

a display generator disposed in the housing and interfaced with the projector processor, the display generator operable to generate an image from the display information;

a lamp assembly disposed in the housing and operable to illuminate the display generator to project the image from the housing;

firmware disposed in the housing and interfaced with the projector processor and operable to store lamp usage information; and

a lamp management module operable to read the lamp usage information and generate a lamp order form for display if the lamp has a predetermined usage.

17. The information handling system projector of claim 16 wherein the firmware is further operable to store projector identification information and the lamp management module is further operable to read the projector identification information and generate the lamp order with the projector identification information included.

18. The information handling system projector of claim 16 wherein the lamp management module comprises firmware instructions running on the projector processor.

19. The information handling system projector of claim 16 wherein the lamp management module comprises software instructions running on an information handling system interfaced with the network module.

20. The information handling system of claim 16 wherein the network module is further operable to communicate the lamp order form through the network to a lamp order site.