Projection System and Corresponding Method

• US 20110228175A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Nicoli, Ray L., Lashmet, David, Rosen, Andrew T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,506,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1639 the display being based on projection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability
• 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

An image projection system (103) includes an image projector (104) and an image orientation device (106). The image orientation device (106) can be configured to cause a reference line (110) associated with an image (108) to remain aligned in a predetermined orientation on a projection surface (109) regardless of projection system motion. A second image orientation device (206) can be included as well. The second image orientation device (206) can be configured to cause portions of an image (208) to move with projection system motion while a reference line (210) remains stable.

Claims

1. A projection system comprising:

an image projector; and

an image orientation device configured to cause a reference line associated with an image projected by the image projector to remain aligned in a predetermined orientation along a projection surface regardless of yaw, pitch, or roll corresponding to the image projector.

2. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the image orientation device comprises a gravity direction detector.

3. The projection system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined orientation is based upon a direction of gravity determined by the gravity direction detector.

4. The projection system of claim 3, wherein the reference line corresponds a landscape delimiter.

5. The projection system of claim 4, wherein the landscape delimiter comprises at least one of a horizon within the image or a three-dimensional object within the image.

6. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the image orientation device comprises one or more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a compass, or a CMOS imager.

7. The projection system of claim 1, wherein the reference line is user definable.

8. The projection system of claim 1, further comprising an image compensator configured to maintain a projection characteristic of the image on the projection surface as the projection system moves relative to the projection surface.

9. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projection characteristic comprises a rotational alignment.

10. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projection characteristic comprises an image size.

11. The projection system of claim 1, further comprising an aspect ratio generator configured to determine an aspect ratio of the image within which the reference line may be maintained by the image orientation device.

12. The projection system of claim 1, further comprising an augmentation compensator configured to enhance scene translation in response to changes in one or more of the yaw, the pitch, or the roll of the projection system.

13. The projection system of claim 12, wherein the augmentation compensator is configured to enhance scene translation by one of magnifying or reducing the one or more of the yaw, the pitch, or the roll of the projection system.

14. The projection system of claim 1, further comprising a processor, operable with the image orientation device, wherein the processor is configured to store an absolute reference corresponding to the reference line.

15. The projection system of claim 14, wherein the absolute reference comprises an initial projection alignment of the reference line.

16. A method of projecting an image from a projection device, comprising:

detecting a projection device orientation;

causing at least a reference line associated with the image to be presented relative to the projection device orientation so as to have a predetermined projection surface orientation; and

causing the reference line to remain in the predetermined projection surface orientation as the projection device orientation changes.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing one or more portions of the image not associated with the reference line to change orientation as the projection device orientation changes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the causing the one or more portions of the image not associated with the reference line to change orientation occurs only where at least a predetermined minimum amount of projection device orientation change is detected

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing an image characteristic to remain stable as the projection device orientation changes.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting an image size that is less than a maximum image size of the projection device.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising one of amplifying or reducing scene translation as the projection device orientation changes.

22. A projection system comprising:

an image projection device;

a first image orientation device configured to cause at least one portion of an image generated by the image projection device corresponding with a reference line associated with the image to remain aligned in a predetermined orientation during movement of the projection system; and

a second image orientation device configured to cause at least one other portion of the image to change orientation based at least in part on movement of the projection system.

23. The projection system of claim 22, wherein one or more of the at least one portion and the at least one other portion is user definable.

24. The projection system of claim 22, further comprising a gravity direction detector, wherein the predetermined orientation is based upon a direction of gravity detected by the gravity direction detector.

25. The projection system of claim 22, wherein the reference line corresponds to a subject matter line of the image.