Multi-projection image display device

• US 6,695,451 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Haruo, Yamasaki, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): DOWLING, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US09/581,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/94, 353/97, 353/122, 348/745, 348/806, 348/840, 345/629, 345/634, 345/1.1, 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 353/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/12 Picture reproducers H04N9/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026

Abstract

A multi-projection image display device using a plurality of image projectors to form one picture on a screen, in which images projected from the projectors are smoothly connected with one another, so that seams of the images do not appear conspicuously. The image display device has projectors and a screen laid out in such a manner that maximum image projection ranges of the respective projectors overlap the adjacent ranges. An image signal control unit for processing an image signal supplied from an external image input has, therein, a member for cutting out a partial image area dealt with by each projector, an image converting member for performing geometric transformation and local color correction of the partial image, and an arithmetic control member for controlling the image converting member on the basis of image information inputted from a screen state monitor camera. With this structure, smoothing of the seams between the images may be realized simply by image signal processing, and precise adjustment of the optical system of the projectors becomes unnecessary.

Claims

1. A multi-projection image display device for forming more than one display on a screen, comprising:

image projectors for projecting images on said screen; and

data converters for performing at least geometric transformation and color display characteristic transformation according to the characteristics of said projectors and said screen.

2. The multi-projection image display device of claim 1, further comprising means for photographing images projected on said screen and, an arithmetic control unit for controlling said data converters so that positions on said screen are correlated with coordinates in the coordinate system representing pixel positions of the respective projected images from said image projectors according to image information based on shots made by said photographing means.

3. An image projection method for projecting images on a screen by a plurality of projectors, comprising the steps of:

cutting out or generating an image signal for a partial image to be dealt with by each projector from the image signal supplied to the projector; and

correcting the image signal to perform geometric transformation for the image to be projected.

4. An image projection method for projecting images on a screen by a plurality of projectors, comprising the steps of:

cutting out or generating an image signal for a partial image to be dealt with by each projector from the image signal supplied to the projector;

monitoring the image on the screen; and

correcting the image signal to perform geometric transformation for the image to be projected according to the monitored image.

5. A multi-projection image display device for forming more than one display on a screen, comprising:

image projectors for projecting images on the screen; and

data converters for transforming at least a geometric characteristic of the image according to at least one of the characteristics of the projectors and the screen.

6. A multi-projection image display device for forming more than one display on a screen, comprising:

image projectors for projecting images on the screen;

a monitor camera for monitoring the image on the screen; and

data converter for transforming at least a geometric characteristic of the image according to the monitored image.