Defining a bounding box for projected images

• US 20090091714A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Aufranc, Richard, Stephens, Bruce A., Way, Olan
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/70
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• 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

A system for defining a bounding box include one or more image projectors; one or more optical beam generators; a display surface; a computing element; and a digital image sensor. The digital image sensor is configured to sense a location of image orientation indicators generated by the optical beam generators. The computing element is configured to communicate with the digital image sensor to determine a bounding box defined by the locations of the image orientation indicators and to control the one or more image projectors to project an image in, and corresponding to, the bounding box on the display surface.

Claims

1. A system for defining a bounding box, said system comprising:

one or more image projectors;

one or more optical beam generators;

a display surface;

a computing element; and

a digital image sensor;

wherein said digital image sensor is configured to sense a location of image orientation indicators generated by said optical beam generators; and

wherein said computing element is configured to communicate with said digital image sensor to determine a bounding box defined by said locations of said image orientation indicators and to control said one or more image projectors to project an image in, and corresponding to, said bounding box on said display surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical beam generators are laser pointers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical beam generators project visible lines.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing element is configured to correct said projected image for keystoning.

5. The system of claim 1, said one or more optical beam generators comprise four optical beam generators.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising multiple image projectors, wherein said computing element tiles images from said multiple image projectors into said bounding box on said display surface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing element displays said bounding box to a user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said computing element comprises a user interfaced with which said user can adjust said bounding box.

9. A method of defining a bounding box for an image projected from a projector, comprising:

projecting one or more image orientation indicators from one or more optical beam generators;

sensing a position of said projected image orientation indicators;

determining a bounding box defining a desired configuration for projecting said image from said detected positions; and

projecting said image according to said bounding box.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of projecting one or more image orientation indicators further comprises projecting four simultaneous image orientation indicators from four distinct optical beam generators.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said image orientation indicators are located at the corners of said bounding box.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said steps of projecting and sensing image orientation indicators are repeated four times, each time projecting and sensing an image orientation indicator at a different corner of said bounding box.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

displaying four corner markers;

allowing a user to move said corner markers;

sensing a new position of said corner markers;

determining a new bounding box for projecting said image based on said new position of said corner markers; and

projecting said image according to said new bounding box.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said corner markers are projected onto said display surface by said one or more image projectors.

15. The method of claim 13, where said corner markers are moved through the use of a user interface disposed on a computing element.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying information associated with said bounding box.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said information comprises an aspect ratio of said bounding box.

18. The method of claim 9, displaying said bounding box to a user.

19. A method of defining a bounding box for an image projected from a projector, comprising:

adjusting an image sensing device such that one or more borders of an image captured by said image sensing device coincide with one or more sides of a desired bounding box;

displaying said captured image in a software application located on a computing element;

manipulating one or more overlaid lines on said captured image to complete said desired bounding box;

determining an optimal configuration for projecting said image based on said completed bounding box; and

projecting said image according to said optimal configuration.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying information associated with said bounding box in said software application.