Methods and systems for projecting images

• US 20090059173A1
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Azor, Frank C., Casparian, Mark A., Rego, Reginald I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/20
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/00 Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor devices for changing pictures G03B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image

Abstract

Methods and systems for projecting images that may be implemented to provide the ability for a user of an information handling system to view a selected projected image privately, while allowing other projected images to be publicly viewable to other users who cannot see the privately-projected image. With appropriate intervening polarization, a user may be allowed to view the projected private image and any projected publicly viewable images, and the private image and publicly viewable images may be optionally simultaneously projected if so desired.

Claims

1. A method of projecting images, comprising:

providing at least first and second image projection assemblies, said first image projection assembly being positioned relative to said second projection assembly to allow said first image projection assembly to project an image beam that at least partially overlaps with an image beam projected by said second image projection assembly on a projection surface;

providing an information handling system coupled to each of said first and second image projection assemblies, said information handling system comprising at least one processor configured to process an image file and to selectably provide image data from said image file for projection by either of one of said first or second image projection assemblies onto said projection surface;

processing a first image file with said information handling system for projection of a first image from said image file;

selectably projecting said first image from said first image file using said second image projection assembly or only using said first image projection assembly based on at least one of a file-characteristic of said first image file, a user input, or a combination thereof;

wherein an image projected onto said projection surface by said second image projection assembly is visible without further polarization; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen comprises one or more portions of light that are polarized relative to background light projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen such that said image is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first output polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens and no input polarizer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first output polarizing layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source and no input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first input polarizing layer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of software, firmware or a combination thereof, said software or firmware being configured to execute on said at least one processor of said information handling system and to select said projection of said first image using said second image projection assembly or only using said first image projection assembly based on identification of said file characteristic of said image file, said user input, or a combination thereof;

and executing said software or firmware on a processor of said information handling system to identify said file characteristic of said first image file, said user input, or a combination thereof, and to selectably project said first image from said first image file using said second image projection assembly or only using said first image projection assembly based on said file characteristic of said first image file, said user input, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selectably projecting said first image from said first image file comprises projecting said first image only using said first image projection assembly based on a file characteristic of said first image file, said file characteristic comprising a first file attribute.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising processing said first image file with said information handling system to provide said first image file with said first file attribute in response to a user input, prior to processing said first image file with said information handling system for projection of said first image from said first image file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selectably projecting said first image from said first image file comprises projecting said first image only using said first image projection assembly based on a user input to said information handling system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of selectably projecting said first image from said first image file further comprises first projecting said first image using said second image projection assembly;

and then projecting said first image only using said first image projection assembly based on a real time user input provided to said information handling system while said first image is projected on said second image projection assembly.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selectably projecting said first image comprises selectably projecting said first image only using said first image projection assembly based on at least one of a file characteristic of said first image file, a user input, or a combination thereof;

and wherein said method further comprises;

processing a second image file with said information handling system for projection of a second image from said second image file; and

selectably projecting said second image from said second image file using said second image projection assembly based on at least one of a file characteristic of said second image file, a user input, or a combination thereof;

wherein said first image is simultaneously projected using said first image projection assembly while said second image is projected using said second image projection assembly, each of said first image and said second images being simultaneously visible when cross polarized relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light, and only said second image being visible without further polarization.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first image is different from said second image;

and wherein at least a portion of said first image and at least a portion of said second image substantially completely overlap with each other when viewed from said at least one viewing location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a polarizer medium for a user positioned at at least one viewing location within a front or rear projection viewing area of said projection surface;

said polarizer medium being configured to cross-polarize said image projected using said first image projection assembly relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light so that said image displayed using said first image projection assembly is visible to said user at said at least one viewing location.

12. A method of projecting images, comprising:

providing at least first and second image projection assemblies, said first image projection assembly being positioned relative to said second projection assembly to allow said first image projection assembly to project an image that at least partially overlaps with an image projected by said second image projection assembly on a projection surface;

projecting an image onto said projection surface using at least one of said first or second image projection assemblies;

wherein an image projected onto said projection surface using said second image projection assembly is visible without further polarization; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen comprises one or more portions of light that are polarized relative to background light projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen such that said image is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first output polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens and no input polarizer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first output polarizing layer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source and no input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first input polarizing layer.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing at least one of software, firmware or a combination thereof, said software or firmware being configured to execute on at least one processor of an information handling system;

and executing said software or firmware on at least one processor of said information handling system to selectably display said image on at least one of said first or second image projection assemblies.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of projecting comprises simultaneously projecting a first image onto said projection surface using said first image projection assembly and a second image onto said projection surface using said second image projection assembly, each of said first image and said second images being simultaneously visible at at least one viewing location within a viewing area of said projection surface when cross polarized relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light, and only said second image being visible at said at least one viewing location without further polarization.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said first image is different from said second image.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of said first image and at least a portion of said second image substantially completely overlap with each other when viewed from said at least one viewing location.

19. A projection system, comprising:

at least first and second image projection assemblies, said first image projection assembly being positioned relative to said second projection assembly to allow said first image projection assembly to project an image that at least partially overlaps with an image projected by said second image projection assembly on a projection surface;

wherein an image projected onto said projection surface by said second image projection assembly is visible without further polarization; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen comprises one or more portions of light that are polarized relative to background light projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen such that said image is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization of said one or more portions of light.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first output polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens and no input polarizer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first output polarizing layer.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said first image projection assembly comprises a first projection light source and a first projection lens with a first liquid crystal display (LCD) light modulator positioned therebetween;

wherein said first image projection assembly further comprises a first input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection light source and not input polarizer layer positioned between said first LCD light modulator and said first projection lens; and

wherein an image projected by said first image projection assembly onto said projection screen is only visible when it is cross polarized relative to the polarization imparted by said first input polarizing layer.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a rear projection screen, and wherein each of said at least first and second image projection assemblies are configured for projecting images onto a first surface of said rear projection screen that faces said first and second projection assemblies, said images being visible at at least one viewing location within a viewing area of a second side -of said rear projection screen that is disposed opposite said first surface of said rear projection screen and that faces away from said first and second image projection assemblies.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said first image projection assembly is positioned relative to said second projection assembly such that at least a portion of said image projected by said first image projection assembly on said projection surface substantially completely overlaps a portion of said image projected by said second image projection assembly on said projection surface.