Image projection system and method

• US 7,213,926 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: May, Gregory J., Allen, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C.
• Application Number:
  US10/987,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/122, 353/100, 359/554
• US Class Current: 353/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• 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

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a projection subsystem to project an image-containing beam, and an image adjustment element. The image adjustment element is to cause adjustment of the image-containing beam in response to a detection of relative movement of the apparatus with respect to a reference object. A method includes determining whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected, in an embodiment. When substantial relative movement has been detected, the method further includes producing control inputs, and altering operation of one or more image adjustment elements and/or altering image data in response to the control inputs, in an embodiment.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a projection subsystem to project an image-containing beam, resulting in a projected image;

an image adjustment element to cause adjustment of the image-containing beam in response to a detection of relative movement between the apparatus and a reference object;

a relative movement detector to detect the relative movement, and further to produce movement information indicating the relative movement; and

a controller to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information, to control operations of the image adjustment element that includes a mirror movement mechanism to move one or more mirrors in response to the control inputs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a relative movement detector to detect the relative movement between the apparatus and the reference object, and further to produce movement information indicating the relative movement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference object includes the projected image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a lens movement mechanism to move one or more lenses of the projection subsystem in response to the control inputs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a coherent light modulator to output an image based on the control inputs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

a modulator movement mechanism to move one or more modulators in response to the control inputs.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image adjustment element comprises:

an image data alteration element to modify image data in response to the control inputs.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for receiving one or more batteries to enable the apparatus to is be used in a portable device.

9. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement between the projection system and a reference object and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection based on the control inputs, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system.

10. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement between the is projection system and a reference object and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system, based on the control inputs.

11. A projection system comprising:

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement between the projection system and a reference object and to produce movement information;

a controller, operatively coupled to the movement detector, to produce control inputs, in response to the movement information;

an imaging pipeline to prepare image data for projection based on the control inputs, resulting in modified image data;

one or more coherent light sources to output one or more coherent light beams having time-varying intensities, based on the modified image data; and

a coherent light modulator to scan the one or more coherent light beams out of the projection system, based on the control inputs.

12. A projection system comprising:

a modulator to receive light and image data, and further to produce an internal image-containing beam in accordance with the image data;

at least one mirror, to receive and reflect the internal image-containing beam, resulting in a reflected beam;

at least one projection lens to receive the reflected beam, and to produce an external image-containing beam;

a relative movement detector to detect relative movement between the projection system and a reference object and to produce movement information; and

a mirror movement mechanism, operatively coupled to the at least one mirror, to move one or more of the at least one mirror in response to the movement information.

13. The projection system of claim 12, wherein the mirror movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for moving one or more mirrors in one or more directions.

14. The projection system of claim 12, wherein the mirror movement mechanism comprises:

a mechanism for pivoting one or more mirrors along one or more axes.

15. A method comprising:

determining whether substantial relative movement of a projection system has been detected;

when the substantial relative movement has been detected, producing control inputs; and

altering operation of one or more image adjustment elements in response to the control inputs wherein the altering operation includes moving one or more mirrors in response to the control inputs.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining comprises:

sensing whether the projection system has experienced the substantial relative movement with respect to a projected image.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining comprises:

sensing whether the projection system has experienced the substantial relative movement with respect to a projection surface.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein altering operation comprises:

moving one or more lenses of a projection subsystem in response to the control inputs.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein altering operation comprises:

altering operation of one or more coherent light modulators in response to the control inputs.