PORTABLE PROJECTOR AND IMAGE PROJECTING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130241820A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KEH, Yong-Chan, Lee, Jung-Kee, Kim, Sung-Won, Lee, Dong-Hi
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• 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: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

A portable projector includes a projector module for projecting image data, an infrared ray output unit which outputs an infrared ray to a projected image data area, a camera unit which photographs the projected image data area, a coordinate value calculator which calculates a coordinate value corresponding to each coordinate value of the photographed projected image data area, and a controller which determines whether there is a pen or a finger input in the projected image data area according to the calculated coordinate value and performing a control for updating the image data by using an input coordinate value corresponding to the input when there is input by the one of the pen and the finger.

Claims

1. A portable projector comprising:

a projector module for projecting image data;

an infrared ray output unit which outputs an infrared ray to a projected image data area;

a camera unit which photographs the projected image data area;

a coordinate value calculator which calculates a coordinate value corresponding to each coordinate value of the photographed projected image data area; and

a controller which determines whether there is a pen or a finger input in the projected image data area according to the calculated coordinate value and performs a control for updating the image data by using an input coordinate value corresponding to the input when there is the input by the one of the pen and the finger.

2. The portable projector of claim 1, further comprising a mirror unit which reflects the image data projected from the projector module at an angle according to a curvature to project the image data.

3. The portable projector of claim 2, wherein the curvature enables the projected image data to be reflected onto a floor.

4. The portable projector of claim 1, wherein the controller determines, when there is a coordinate value that is greater than a first threshold among the calculated coordinate values, the corresponding coordinate value as a pen input coordinate value, and determines, when there is a coordinate value that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the corresponding coordinate value as a finger input coordinate value.

5. The portable projector of claim 1, further comprising a projector transceiver which receives the image data from an external terminal and transmits the input coordinate value and an image data update request to the external terminal according to a control of the controller.

6. The portable projector of claim 5, wherein, when the external terminal receives the input coordinate value and the image data update request, the external terminal performs image processing corresponding to the input coordinate value to update the image data and provides the updated image data.

7. A method of projecting image data by a portable projector, the method comprising:

projecting image data and outputting an infrared ray to a projected image data area;

photographing the projected image data area;

calculating a coordinate value corresponding to each coordinate value of the photographed projected image data area;

determining whether there is a pen or a finger input in the projected image data area according to the calculated coordinate value; and

updating the image data by using an input coordinate value when the input is determined.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising projecting the updated image data.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the input coordinate value and an image data update request signal to an external terminal; and

receiving the updated image data from the external terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether there is the input by the one of the pen and the finger comprises determining, when there is a coordinate value that is greater than a first threshold among the calculated coordinate values, the corresponding coordinate value as a pen input coordinate value, and determining, when there is a coordinate value that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the corresponding coordinate value as a finger input coordinate value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, when each coordinate value has 8 bit YUV image data, Y is a 255 level as the first threshold and Y is a 128 level as the second threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising stopping output of the infrared ray to the projected image data area when the input coordinate value is determined as the pen input coordinate value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, after stopping output of the infrared ray, restarting output of the infrared ray to the projected image data area when there is no coordinate value that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold.