PROJECTION CAPTURE SYSTEM, PROGRAMMING AND METHOD

• US 20140139717A1
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Short, David Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 9,369,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• 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

In one example, a projection capture system includes: a controller; a workspace camera operatively connected to the controller for capturing still images and video images of an object in a workspace; and a projector operatively connected to the controller. The controller is configured to control the workspace camera and the projector to capture an image of a real object in the workspace and to project the object image into the workspace. In another example, a workspace collaboration method includes: capturing a digital image of a real object in a first workspace; simultaneously projecting the object image into multiple workspaces including the first workspace; capturing a digital image of an altered object image as it is being altered in one of the workspaces; and simultaneously projecting the altered object image into multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

Claims

1. A projection capture system, comprising:

a controller;

a workspace camera operatively connected to the controller for capturing still images and video images of an object in a workspace;

a projector operatively connected to the controller; and

the controller configured to control the workspace camera and the projector to capture an image of a real object in the workspace and to project the object image into the workspace.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the projector to project the object image into the workspace as a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the projector to project the object image into the workspace at the same position occupied by the real object when the object image was captured.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller, the camera, the projector are housed together as a single portable unit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an object recognition device operatively connected to the controller for distinguishing a real object in the workspace from an object image projected into the workspace.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the camera and the projector to capture an image of the object image as the object image is being altered in the workspace and to project the altered object image into the workspace.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an input/output operatively connected to the controller through which digital information may be received from and sent to a device external to the projection capture device; and

a video conferencing camera, a microphone, and a speaker each operatively connected to the input/output for sending video and audio information to an external device and for receiving video and audio information from an external device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller, the cameras, the projector, the input/output, the microphone, and the speaker are housed together as a single portable unit.

9. A processor executable medium including programming thereon that when executed:

causes a camera to capture an image of a real object in a first workspace; and

causes a projector to project the object image into the first workspace as a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object.

10. The medium of claim 9, including programming that when executed causes the projector to project the object image into the first workspace at the same position occupied by the real object when the object image was captured.

11. The medium of claim 9, including programming thereon that when executed causes each of multiple projectors to project the object image simultaneously into each of respective multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

12. The medium of claim 11, including programming thereon that when executed:

allows altering the object image in one or more of the multiple workspaces; and

causes each of multiple projectors to project an altered object image simultaneously into each of the respective multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

13. A workspace collaboration method, comprising:

capturing a digital image of a real object in a first workspace;

simultaneously projecting the object image into multiple workspaces including the first workspace;

capturing a digital image of an altered object image as it is being altered in one of the workspaces; and

simultaneously projecting the altered object image into multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein simultaneously projecting the object image into multiple workspaces includes projecting the object image into the first workspace on to the real object.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein projecting the object image into multiple workspaces comprises projecting the image of a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object into the multiple workspaces.