Projector, lamp lighting circuit and lamp lighting control method

• US 6,891,338 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubo, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet Thi
• Application Number:
  US10/422,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20030227765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/307, 315/224, 315/312, 315/316, 315/324, 315/314, 315/311, 315/65, 315/53
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling

Abstract

A lamp lighting device is arranged such that the optimum specifications of discharge lamps that may be mounted are integrated or entered in advance into a control circuit and the type of a discharge lamp mounted is manually or automatically presented to a microcomputer. This allows any of the discharge lamps to be driven under the optimum conditions at all times. As a result, lamp makers and lamp power can be selected relatively freely, making it possible to select discharge lamps by purpose. Furthermore, the cost, color, outgoing luminous flux and noise caused by a cooling fan can be set to user'"'"'s better likings.

Claims

1. A projector which uses as a light source a selected one of a plurality of types of discharge lamps having different specifications, comprising:

a lamp socket on which a selected discharge lamp is mounted;

an identification unit by which type information of the discharge lamp mounted on the lamp socket is identified;

a lamp lighting unit which is provided with a plurality of control sequences by lamp type to allow each discharge lamp to be lit according to specifications that conform to its type and lights the discharge lamp mounted on the lamp socket according to a control sequence that conforms to its type; and

a control unit which instructs the lamp lighting unit to select a control sequence corresponding to the type information identified by the identification unit.

2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

each of the control sequences includes at least one of the lighting frequency or power at steady lighting time, the rash current value and its duration at the start of lighting, the power application time up to the steady lighting, and the controlled value of the frequency.

3. The projector according to claim 1, wherein

the identification unit is provided in the lamp socket and automatically identifies type information marked on a discharge lamp when it is mounted.

4. The projector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fan driving unit which drives a fan to cool a heated unit including the discharge lamp; and

wherein

the control unit controls the driving state of the fan driving unit on the basis of the lamp information.

5. The projector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video signal processing unit which adjusts a video signal to be projected; and

a display unit which displays a video signal output from the video signal processing unit on a penetrative screen as a video image and projects the video image on the penetrative screen by using light rays from the discharge lamp; and

wherein

the control unit controls the quantities of adjustment of the video signal in the video signal processing unit on the basis of the type information.

6. The projector according to claim 5, wherein

the control unit controls at least the quantities of adjustment of the colors of the video image displayed on the transparent screen according to the lamp information.

7. A control method for use with a projector adapted to selectively use as a light source a plurality of types of discharge lamps having different specifications, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of control sequences by lamp type to allow a discharge lamp to be lit according to specifications that conform to its type;

identifying type information of a discharge lamp when it is mounted;

selecting a control sequence corresponding to the type information entered from the plurality of control sequences; and

lighting the discharge lamp mounted according to the selected control sequence.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein

each of the control sequences includes at least one of the lighting frequency or power at steady lighting time, the rash current value and its duration at the start of lighting, the power application time up to the steady lighting, and the controlled value of the frequency.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein

in the step of identifying type information automatically identifies type information marked on the discharge lamp when it is mounted.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

controlling the driven state of a fan to cool a heated unit including the discharge lamp on the basis of the type information.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a video image on a display screen of a penetrative display device;

projecting the video image on the display screen by using light rays from the discharge lamp; and

adjusting a video signal applied to the penetrative display device on the basis of the type information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein,

in the step of adjusting a video signal, the video signal is adjusted to adjust at least the color of the video image displayed on the display screen.

13. A projector which uses as a light source a selected one of a plurality of types of discharge lamps having different specifications, comprising:

a lamp socket on which a selected discharge lamp is mounted;

identification means for identifying type information of the discharge lamp mounted on the lamp socket;

lamp lighting means, provided with a plurality of control sequences by lamp type to allow each discharge lamp to be lit according to specifications that conform to its type, for lighting a discharge lamp mounted on the lamp socket according to a control sequence that conforms to its type; and

control means for instructing the lamp lighting means to turn on or off the discharge lamp mounted and select a control sequence corresponding to the type information identified through the identification means.

14. The projector according to claim 13, wherein

each of the control sequences includes at least one of the lighting frequency or power at steady lighting time, the rash current value and its duration at the start of lighting, the power application time up to the steady lighting, and the controlled value of the frequency.

15. The projector according to claim 13, wherein

the identification means is provided in the lamp socket and automatically identifies type information marked on a discharge lamp when it is mounted.

16. The projector according to claim 13, further comprising:

fan driving means for driving a fan to cool a heated unit including the discharge lamp; and

wherein

the control means controls the driving state of the fan driving unit on the basis of the lamp information.

17. The projector according to claim 13, further comprising:

video signal processing means for adjusting a video signal to be projected; and

display means for displaying a video signal output from the video signal processing means on a transmissive screen as a video image and projecting the video image on the transmissive screen by using light rays from the discharge lamp; and

wherein

the control means controls the quantities of adjustment of the video signal in the video signal processing unit on the basis of the lamp information.

18. The projector according to claim 17, wherein

the control means controls at least the quantities of adjustment of the colors of the video image displayed on the transparent screen according to the lamp information.