Projector device with theft prevention function and theft preventing method

• US 7,429,930 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Aoyanagi, Hisakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/337,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20060164242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 340/669, 340/539.13, 340/568.1, 340/568.8, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 340/539.15
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0213 System disabling if a separation threshold is exceeded disabling electrical appliances in case of unplugging G08B13/1409
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0236 Threshold setting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden

Abstract

X-direction double integrator 3 integrates twice an acceleration that is detected by x-direction acceleration sensor 1, estimating a traveled distance in an x direction. Y-direction double integrator 4 integrates twice an acceleration that is detected by y-direction acceleration sensor 2, estimating a traveled distance in a y direction. Detection boundary storage unit 5 stores a monitoring area. Detection boundary comparator 6 determines whether the projector device is positioned outside of the monitoring area or not based on the traveled distance in the x direction which is estimated by x-direction double integrator 3, the traveled distance in the y direction which is estimated by y-direction double integrator 4, and the monitoring area stored in detection boundary storage unit 5.

Claims

1. A projector device with a theft prevention function, comprising:

a position detecting unit that estimates a traveled distance of said projector device, determines if the estimated distance is greater than a predetermined distance, and detects a present position of the projector device;

an area input unit that receives a monitoring area;

an area storage unit that stores the monitoring area received by said area input unit;

a detecting unit that detects whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the present position of said projector device detected by said position detecting unit and the monitoring area stored by said area storage unit; and

a detecting process switcher that determines if the position detecting unit has determined if the estimated travel distance is greater than the predetermined detection distance and if the detected present position of the projector is outside of the monitoring area, the detecting process switcher determines that the projector device is stolen,

wherein when the estimated travel distance is greater than the predetermined detection distance and the detected present position of the projector is within the monitoring area, the detecting process switcher determines that the projector is not stolen.

2. A projector device according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring area includes an initial position of said projector device;

and

wherein said position detecting unit comprises;

an acceleration detecting unit that detects accelerations of said projector device in two different directions; and

a traveled distance estimating unit that estimates traveled distances respectively in said two different directions of said projector from said initial position, based on the accelerations detected by said acceleration detecting unit.

3. A projector device according to claim 1, wherein said area input unit comprises:

a boundary input unit that receives a boundary for specifying said monitoring area; and

a distance input unit that receives a distance as the radius of a circular area which serves as said monitoring area around said initial position at a center thereof.

4. A projector device according to claim 3, wherein said detecting unit comprises:

a boundary detecting unit that detects whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the boundary of the monitoring area received by said boundary input unit and the present position of said projector device detected by said position detecting unit;

a linear distance estimating unit that estimates a linear distance between the present position of said projector device detected by said position detecting unit and said initial

a distance detecting unit that detects whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the distance received by said distance input unit and the linear distance estimated by said linear distance estimating unit.

5. A projector device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm generating unit that generates an alarm when the detecting process switcher has determined the projector has been stolen.

6. A projector device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device function disabling unit that stops image projecting operation of said projector device when the detecting process switcher has determined the projector has been stolen.

7. A projector device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a battery including a chargeable battery; and

a power supply detecting unit that detects whether there is electric power supplied from a power cable;

wherein said battery supplies electric power to said position detecting unit, said detecting unit, and said alarm generating unit if said power supply detecting unit detects there is no electric power supplied from the power cable.

8. A projector device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a battery including a chargeable battery; and

a power supply detecting unit that detects whether there is electric power supplied from a power cable;

wherein said battery supplies electric power to said position detecting unit, said detecting unit, and said alarm generating unit if said power supply detecting unit detects there is no electric power supplied from the power cable.

9. A projector device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a battery power detecting unit that detects a voltage drop of said battery; and

a battery power turn-off detecting unit that stores information representative of no supply of electric power in said non-volatile memory when the voltage drop of said battery is detected by said battery power detecting unit, and outputting the information stored in said non-volatile memory when the electric power resumes being supplied from the power cable.

10. A projector device with a theft prevention function, comprising:

position detecting means for detecting a present position of the projector device;

area input means for receiving a monitoring area;

area storage means for storing the monitoring area received by said area input means;

detecting means for detecting whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the present position of said projector device detected by said position detecting means and the monitoring area stored by said area storage means;

a detecting process switcher that determines if the detecting means has determined if the projector device is outside the monitoring area and if the detected present position of the projector is outside of the monitoring area, the detecting process switcher recognizes that the projector is stolen,

wherein when the detected present position of the projector is within the monitoring area, the detecting process switcher determines that the projector is not stolen.

19. The projector device of claim 10, further comprising a theft detection unit configured to require an input of a password if the detected present position of the projector device is outside of the monitoring area.

11. A theft prevention method for being performed by a projector device, comprising:

detecting a present position of the projector device;

receiving a monitoring area;

storing the monitoring area received in said receiving of the monitoring area;

detecting whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the present position of said projector device detected in said detecting of the present position of the projector and the monitoring area stored in said storing of the monitoring area;

detecting whether there is electric power supplied from a power cable; and

supplying electric power from a battery of the projector device to said position detecting unit, said detecting unit, and said alarm generating unit if said detecting of the electric power detects there is no electric power supplied from the power cable;

detecting a voltage drop of said battery; and

storing information representative of no supply of electric power in non-volatile memory when the voltage drop of said battery is detected in said detecting of the voltage drop, and outputting the information stored in said non-volatile memory when the electric power resumes being supplied from the power cable.

12. A theft prevention method according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring area includes an initial position of said projector device;

and

wherein said detecting of the present position of the projector device comprises;

detecting accelerations of said projector device in two different directions; and

estimating traveled distances respectively in said two different directions of said projector from said initial position, based on the accelerations detected in said detecting of the accelerations of the projector device.

13. A theft prevention method according to claim 11, wherein said receiving of the monitoring area comprises:

receiving a boundary for specifying said monitoring area; and

receiving a distance as the radius of a circular area which serves as said monitoring area around said initial position at a center thereof.

14. A theft prevention method according to claim 13, wherein said detecting of whether the projector device is positioned outside the monitoring area comprises:

detecting whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the boundary of the monitoring area received in said receiving of the boundary and the present position of said projector device detected in said detecting of the present position of the projector;

estimating a linear distance between the present position of said projector device detected in said detecting of the present position of the projector and said initial position; and

detecting whether said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area based on the distance received in said receiving of the distance and the linear distance estimated is said estimating of the linear distance.

15. A theft prevention method according to claim 11, further comprising:

generating an alarm when said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area.

16. A theft prevention method according to claim 11, further comprising:

stopping image projecting operation of said projector device when said projector device is positioned outside said monitoring area.

17. A theft prevention method according to claim 15, wherein said projector device includes a battery including a chargeable battery, a position detecting unit that executes said detecting of the present position of the projector, a detecting unit that executes said detecting of whether the projector device is positioned outside the monitoring area, and an alarm generating unit that executes said generating of the alarm, said theft prevention method further comprising:

detecting whether there is electric power supplied from a power cable; and

supplying electric power from said battery to said position detecting unit, said detecting unit, and said alarm generating unit if said detecting whether there is electric power detects there is no electric power supplied from the power cable.

18. A theft prevention method according to claim 16, wherein said projector device includes a battery including a chargeable battery, a position detecting unit that executes said detecting of the present position of the projector, a detecting unit that executes said detecting of whether the projector device is positioned outside the monitoring area, and an alarm generating unit that executes said generating of the alarm, said theft prevention method further comprising:

detecting whether there is electric power supplied from a power cable; and

supplying electric power from said battery to said position detecting unit, said detecting unit, and said alarm generating unit if said detecting whether there is electric power supplied from the power cable detects there is no electric power supplied from the power cable.