Method and apparatus for wireless image transmission to a projector

• US 7,180,475 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Slobodin, David Elliott, Hoeye, Rob, Olson, Jorell A., Long, Paul, Girardelli, Marques Ronald, Duffy, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/877,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 345/2.3, 715730-736, 455/3.06, 709/225
• US Class Current: 345/2.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/008 Vector quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00103 specially adapted for radio transmission, e.g. via satellites H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4177 encoding document change data, e.g. form drop out data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided in which a digital image is transmitted to a presentation projector resource over a wireless transmission medium using a reduced amount of transmission bandwidth by transmitting a subset of the digital image data. The subset image data may be a delta subset that represents those areas of the image that have changed since the previous transmission. The subset image data may also be a scalable vector graphics representation of the subset of the digital image. Header data is provided to further describe the subset image data. A projector discovery logic selects a suitable projector resource based on the order or signal strength of the discovery replies. A wireless image transmission session is established with the selected projector resource during which the projector is unavailable to other devices. The subset image data may be compressed and transmission coordinated with the projector resource so that the data is sent only when it is ready to be received. A wireless to digital visual interface (DVI) graphics engine decompresses and renders the image for output to a DVI connector receptacle. The rendered image is projected by the projector resource in accordance with the associated header data so that the exact image that appears on the image generation device also appears on the projected display.

Claims

1. A method for transmission of an image comprising:

generating a subset image data; and

transmitting the subset image data to a projector to project an updated image using the subset image data, wherein transmitting the subset image data to the projector comprises;

discovering the projector via a wireless transmission medium;

establishing a wireless transmission session with the projector; and

obtaining permission from the projector to send the subset image data; and

, wherein discovering comprises;

sending a discovery request to a plurality of projectors accessible over the wireless transmission medium;

receiving a discovery reply from at least one of the plurality of projectors; and

selecting a projector from the at least one projector based on a characteristic of the discovery reply.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is a signal strength of the discovery reply, the selected projector having the discovery reply with the strongest signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is an order of the discovery reply, the selected projector having sent the earliest discovery reply as compared to the discovery replies sent by the plurality of projectors.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having stored thereon executable instructions to cause a computer to perform generating a subset image data; and

transmitting the subset image data to a projector to project an updated image using the subset image data, wherein the instructions for transmitting the subset image data to the projector comprises further instructions for;

discovering the projector via a wireless transmission medium;

establishing a wireless transmission session with the projector; and

obtaining permission from the projector to send the subset image data; and

, wherein the instructions for discovering comprises further instructions for;

sending a discovery request to a plurality of projectors accessible over the wireless transmission medium;

receiving a discovery reply from at least one of the plurality of projectors; and

selecting a projector from the at least one projector based on a characteristic of the discovery reply.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is a signal strength of the discovery reply, the selected projector having the discovery reply with the strongest signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is an order of the discovery reply, the selected projector having sent the earliest discovery reply as compared to the discovery replies sent by the plurality of projectors.

7. A method for transmitting an image to a projector over a wireless transmission medium comprising:

sending a discovery request to a plurality of projectors accessible over the wireless transmission medium;

receiving a discovery reply from at least one of the plurality of projectors; and

selecting a projector from the at least one of the plurality of projectors based on a characteristic of the discovery reply.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the characteristic is a signal strength of the discovery reply, the selected projector having the discovery reply with the strongest signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the characteristic is an order of the discovery reply, the selected projector having sent the earliest discovery reply as compared to the discovery replies sent by the plurality of projectors.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising performing the sending, receiving, and selecting automatically in response to a single user action.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the projector is based on a manual selection made by a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the manual selection is performed by clicking on a projector icon representing the selected projector.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having stored thereon executable instructions to cause a computer to perform sending a discovery request to a plurality of projectors accessible over the wireless transmission medium;

receiving a discovery reply from at least one of the plurality of projectors; and

selecting a projector from the at least one of the plurality of projectors based on a characteristic of the discovery reply.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions for selecting a projector select the projector that sent the discovery reply having the characteristic of the strongest signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions for selecting a projector select the projector that sent the discovery reply having the characteristic of the earliest reply as compared to the discovery replies sent by the plurality of projectors.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions for sending, receiving, and selecting are performed automatically in response to a single user action.