Projection type image display apparatus

• US 7,144,117 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa Jan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KONG, ANDREW D
• Application Number:
  US10/943,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 353/42, 353 85- 87, 353/121, 353/122, 353/70, 353/37, 353/50, 348/744, 348/739
• US Class Current: 353/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

A projection type image display apparatus including a scanning mirror and a projection lens adapted to project an image on an image-displaying screen by scanning with a laser beam, and a detector adapted to detect the presence or absence of an intruding object between the projection means and the screen, wherein detection by the detector is conducted relative to a position preceding the laser beam in the scan direction of the laser beam.

Claims

1. A projection type image display apparatus comprising:

projection means for projecting an image on an image-displaying screen by scanning with a laser beam, and

detection means for detecting with a detection beam the presence or absence of an intruding object between said projection means and said screen, wherein detection by the detection means is conducted relative to a position preceding said laser beam in the scan direction of said laser beam,

wherein in said projection means, said scanning with said laser beam is conducted by a mirror surface turned around an axis, and said detection beam is radiated onto said mirror surface at an angle different from the incidence angle of said laser beam onto said mirror surface.

2. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detection means radiates said detection beam invisible to the human eyes and receives and detects said reflected detection beam to thereby detect the presence or absence of said intruding object.

3. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detection means is capable of measuring the distance to said intruding object by said detection beam.

4. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said laser beam is projected from said projection means onto said screen in the state of a laser beam modulated in one-dimensional direction, and said scanning is conducted in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of said beam.

5. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detection means has a part of an image display region of said screen as a detection region.

6. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said detection means has a region in the exterior of an image display region of said screen as a detection region.

7. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the irradiation with said detection beam is conducted by said projection means.

8. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said detection means comprises a beam detecting portion for receiving and detecting said detection beam, and said beam detecting portion is comprised of a one-dimensional image pickup device.

9. A projection type image display apparatus comprising:

projection means for projecting an image on an image-displaying screen by scanning with a laser beam, and

detection means for detecting with a detection beam while scanning with said laser beam the presence or absence of an intruding object between said projection means and said screen, wherein detection by the detection means is conducted relative to a position preceding said laser beam in the scan direction of said laser beam, and

wherein said laser beam is projected from said projection means onto said screen in the state of a laser beam modulated in one-dimensional direction, and said scanning is conducted in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of said laser beam.

10. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said detection means radiates a detection beam invisible to the human eyes and receives and detects said reflected detection beam to thereby detect the presence or absence of said intruding object.

11. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said detection means is capable of measuring the distance to said intruding object by said detection beam.

12. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein in said projection means, said scanning with said laser beam is conducted by a mirror surface turned around an axis, and said detection beam is radiated onto said mirror surface at an angle different from the incidence angle of said laser beam onto said mirror surface.

13. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said detection means has a part of an image display region of said screen as a detection region.

14. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said detection means has a region in the exterior of an image display region of said screen as a detection region.

15. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the irradiation with said detection beam is conducted by said projection means.

16. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said detection means comprises a beam detecting portion for receiving and detecting said detection beam, and said beam detecting portion is comprised of a one-dimensional image pickup device.

17. The projection type image display apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein said detection means comprises a beam detecting portion for receiving and detecting said detection beam, and said beam detecting portion is comprised of a one-dimensional image pickup device.