PROJECTOR DEVICE AND PROJECTING METHOD

• US 20120182307A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kitamura, Yasushi, Yoshikawa, Jouji, Ueno, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/14 Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3197 using light modulating optical valves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/77 Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase circuits for matrixing H04N9/67

Abstract

According to an aspect, a projector device includes an image projecting unit and a control unit. The image projecting unit projects an image. The control unit acquires brightness information of regions included in a projection surface on which the image projecting unit can project the image, and causes the image projecting unit to project, based on the brightness information of the regions, the image on a low-brightness region, among the regions, whose brightness is lower than that of another region.

Claims

1. A projector device comprising:

an image projecting unit for projecting an image; and

a control unit for acquiring brightness information of regions included in a projection surface on which the image projecting unit can project the image, and for

causing the image projecting unit to project, based on the brightness information of the regions, the image on a low-brightness region, among the regions, whose brightness is lower than that of another region.

2. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit dose cause the image projecting unit not to project the image when the low-brightness region is smaller than a given area.

3. The projector device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit determines a region whose brightness is lowest among those of the regions, as the low-brightness region.

4. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines a region whose area is largest among those of the regions whose brightness is lower than a reference brightness, as the low-brightness region.

5. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the image projecting unit projects the image with reference to a preset reference projection direction, and

the control unit determines a region with the least shift from the reference projection direction among the regions whose brightness is lower than a reference brightness, as the low-brightness region.

6. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein, when the low-brightness region is moved during image projection,

the control unit moves a region on which the image is projected in accordance with the movement of the low-brightness region.

7. The projector device according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying unit for notifying, if the low-brightness region lies outside of the projection surface, an instruction to move the projection surface to include the low-brightness region.

8. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit changes, in accordance with a shape of the low-brightness region, at least one of direction in which the image is projected, size of the image to be projected, and shape of the image to be projected.

9. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit causes an interruption in the image projection by the image projecting unit to acquire the brightness information of the regions included in the projection surface during the interruption.

10. The projector device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit acquires the brightness information of the regions included in the projection surface before a start of image projection by the image projecting unit.

15. The projector device according to claim 1, further comprising an image taking unit for acquiring an image of the projection surface, wherein

the control unit acquires, based on the image of the projection surface acquired by the image taking unit, the brightness information of regions included in the projection surface.

11. A projector device comprising:

an image projecting unit for projecting an image; and

a control unit for acquiring information about a region of shadow projected on a projection surface on which the image projecting unit can project the image, and for

the control unit projects causing the image projecting unit to project the image on the region of shadow based on the information about the region of shadow.

12. The projector device according to claim 11, wherein, if the information is acquired indicating that there are two or more regions of shadow,

the control unit causes the image projecting unit to project the image on the largest region of shadow.

13. The projector device according to claim 11, wherein, when the region of shadow is moved during image projection,

the control unit moves a region on which the image is projected in accordance with the movement of the region of shadow.

14. The projector device according to claim 11, wherein

the control unit acquires information indicative of a position of a light source and acquires, based on a relation between the position of the light source and a position of the projector device, the information about the region of shadow projected on the projection surface.

16. A projecting method executed by a projector device including an image projecting unit and an information acquiring unit, the projecting method comprising:

acquiring brightness information of regions included in a projection surface on which the image projecting unit can project an image by the information acquiring unit; and

projecting, based on the brightness information of the regions, the image on a low-brightness region, among the regions, whose brightness is lower than that of another region, by the image projecting unit.