PROJECTOR AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20090109350A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,573,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/759
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406

Abstract

A projector that includes: a light source; a light-on/off unit that turns on or off the light source; a recording medium reproduction unit that reproduces information recorded on a recording medium, and outputs a video signal; a video signal processing section that converts the video signal provided by the recording medium reproduction unit, and generates a projection-video-use video signal; a light modulation unit that modulates a light coming from the light source based on the video signal generated by the video signal processing section, and emits a resulting video light; a projection system that includes a projection lens, and magnifies and projects the video light coming from the light modulation unit; a lens cover that opens and closes the front of the projection lens; a lens cover open/close detection sensor that detects an open/close state of the lens cover; and a control section that at least controls operation of the light-on/off unit and that of the recording medium reproduction unit. In the projector, the control section turns off the light source, and interrupts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from open to close, and turns on the light source, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit in accordance with predetermined requirements when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from close to open.

Claims

1. A projector, comprising:

a light source;

a light-on/off unit that turns on or off the light source;

a recording medium reproduction unit that reproduces information recorded on a recording medium, and outputs a video signal;

a video signal processing section that converts the video signal provided by the recording medium reproduction unit, and generates a video signal for a projection video image;

a light modulation unit that modulates a light coming from the light source based on the video signal generated by the video signal processing section, and emits a resulting video light;

a projection system that includes a projection lens, and magnifies and projects the video light coming from the light modulation unit;

a lens cover that opens and closes the front of the projection lens;

a lens cover open/close detection sensor that detects an open/close state of the lens cover; and

a control section that controls operation of the light-on/off unit and that of the recording medium reproduction unit, wherein

the control section

turns off the light source, and interrupts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

turns on the light source, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit in accordance with predetermined requirements when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from close to open.

6. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

the control section

interrupts, by a pause, reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

cancels the pause when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit.

7. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

the recording medium reproduction unit has a reproduction resume function, and

the control section

stops reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

resumes reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

8. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

the control section

starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit with a lapse of predetermined time after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

9. The projector according to claim 1, further comprising

an imaging unit that captures a projection video image being a projection result by the projection system, wherein

the control section

turns on the light source after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the projection video image captured by the imaging unit shows an illumination of a predetermined value or higher.

15. The projector according to claim 6, further comprising

an imaging unit that captures a projection video image being a projection result by the projection system, wherein

the control section

increases the amount of the light of the light source after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the projection video image captured by the imaging unit shows an illumination of a predetermined value or higher.

2. A projector, comprising:

a recording medium reproduction unit that reproduces information recorded on a recording medium, and outputs a video signal;

a video signal processing section that converts the video signal provided by the recording medium reproduction unit, and generates a video signal for a projection video image;

a light modulation unit that modulates a light coming from a light source based on the video signal generated by the video signal processing section, and emits a resulting video light;

a projection system that includes a projection lens, and magnifies and projects the video light coming from the light modulation unit;

a lens cover that opens and closes the front of the projection lens;

a lens cover open/close detection sensor that detects an open/close state of the lens cover; and

a control section that controls operation of the recording medium reproduction unit, wherein

the control section

interrupts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit in accordance with predetermined requirements when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects a state change of the lens cover from close to open.

3. The projector according to claim 2, further comprising:

a light source; and

a light-on/off unit that turns on or off the light source, wherein

the control section

turns off the light source when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

turns on the light source when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

4. The projector according to claim 2, further comprising:

a light source; and

a light-on/off unit that controls an amount of a light of the light source, wherein

the control section

reduces the amount of the light of the light source when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

increases the amount of the light of the light source when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

5. The projector according to claim 2, wherein

the control section

makes, when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, the light modulation unit modulate the light from the light source in such a manner that an amount of the light from the projection system falls below a predetermined value, and

makes, when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, the light modulation unit modulate the light from the light source based on the video signal.

10. The projector according to claim 4, further comprising

an imaging unit that captures a projection video image being a projection result by the projection system, wherein

the control section

increases the amount of the light of the light source after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the projection video image captured by the imaging unit shows an illumination of a predetermined value or higher.

11. The projector according to claim 2, wherein

the control section

interrupts, by a pause, reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

cancels the pause when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit.

12. The projector according to claim 2, wherein

the recording medium reproduction unit has a reproduction resume function, and

the control section

stops reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from open to close, and

resumes reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

13. The projector according to claim 2r wherein

the control section

starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit with a lapse of predetermined time after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open.

14. The projector according to claim 3, further comprising

an imaging unit that captures a projection video image being a projection result by the projection system, wherein

the control section

turns on the light source after the lens cover open/close detection sensor detects the state change of the lens cover from close to open, and starts reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit when the projection video image captured by the imaging unit shows an illumination of a predetermined value or higher.

16. A method for controlling a projector including a recording medium reproduction unit that reproduces information recorded on a recording medium, and outputs a video signal, and a lens cover that opens and closes the front of a projection lens, and projecting a video light from the projection lens by modulating a light from a light source based on the video signal provided by the recording medium reproduction unit, the method comprising:

turning off the light source when a state change from open to close of the lens cover is detected, and interrupting reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit, and

turning on the light source when a state change from close to open of the lens cover is detected, and starting reproduction by the recording medium reproduction unit in accordance with predetermined requirements.