System and method for projection

• US 7,670,006 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VKB, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VKB, Inc.
• Inventors: Lieberman, Klony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling; William C.
• Application Number:
  US11/360,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/70
• US Class Current: 353/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• 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

A pattern projector including a source of light to be projected, a spatial light modulator arranged in a spatial light modulator plane, the spatial light modulator receiving the light from the source of light and being configured to pass the light therethrough in a first pattern and projection optics receiving the light from the spatial light modulator and being operative to project a desired second pattern onto a projection surface lying in a projection surface plane which is angled with respect to the spatial light modulator plane, the first pattern being a distortion of the desired second pattern configured such that keystone distortions resulting from the difference in angular orientations of the spatial light modulator plane and the projection surface plane are compensated.

Claims

1. A pattern projector comprising:

a source of light to be projected;

a spatial light modulator arranged in a spatial light modulator plane, said spatial light modulator receiving said light from said source of light and being configured to pass said light therethrough in a first pattern; and

projection optics receiving said light from said spatial light modulator and being operative to project a desired second pattern onto a projection surface lying in a projection surface plane which is angled with respect to said spatial light modulator plane,

said first pattern being a distortion of said desired second pattern configured such that keystone distortions resulting from the difference in angular orientations of said spatial light modulator plane and said projection surface plane are compensated, and

said spatial light modulator comprising a matrix LCD and including a plurality of pixels, different ones of said plurality of pixels of said spatial light modulator having at least one of different sizes and different shapes.

2. A pattern projector according to claim 1 and also comprising a collimator interposed between said source of light and said spatial light modulator, said collimator being operative to distribute said light from said source of light across said spatial light modulator in a non-uniform distribution such that light distribution in said desired second pattern has uniformity greater than said non-uniform distribution.

3. A pattern projector according to claim 1 and wherein said spatial light modulator plane is angled with respect to said projection optics such that said desired second pattern is focused to a generally uniform extent.

4. A pattern projector comprising:

a source of light to be projected;

a spatial light modulator arranged in a spatial light modulator plane, said spatial light modulator receiving said light from said source of light and being configured to pass said light therethrough in a first pattern; and

projection optics receiving said light from said spatial light modulator and being operative to project a desired second pattern onto a projection surface lying in a projection surface plane which is angled with respect to said spatial light modulator plane,

said first pattern being a distortion of said desired second pattern configured such that keystone distortions resulting from the difference in angular orientations of said spatial light modulator plane and said projection surface plane are compensated, and

said spatial light modulator comprising a segmented LCD including a plurality of segments, different ones of said plurality of segments of said spatial light modulator having at least one of different sizes and different shapes.

5. A pattern projector according to claim 4 and also comprising a collimator interposed between said source of light and said spatial light modulator, said collimator being operative to distribute said light from said source of light across said spatial light modulator in a non-uniform distribution such that light distribution in said desired second pattern has uniformity greater than said non-uniform distribution.

6. A pattern projector according to claim 4 and wherein said spatial light modulator plane is angled with respect to said projection optics such that said desired second pattern is focused to a generally uniform extent.

7. A method for projecting a pattern comprising:

providing a source of light to be projected;

arranging a spatial light modulator, in a spatial light modulator plane, to receive said light from said source of light, said spatial light modulator being configured to pass said light therethrough in a first pattern; and

using projection optics for receiving said light from said spatial light modulator and for projecting a desired second pattern onto a projection surface lying in a projection surface plane which is angled with respect to said spatial light modulator plane,

said first pattern being a distortion of said desired second pattern configured such that keystone distortions resulting from the difference in angular orientations of said spatial light modulator plane and said projection surface plane are compensated, and

said arranging said spatial light modulator including providing a spatial light modulator including a plurality of pixels, different ones of said plurality of pixels having at least one of different sizes and different shapes.

8. A method for projecting a pattern according to claim 7 and also comprising providing a collimator interposed between said source of light and said spatial light modulator, and utilizing said collimator to distribute said light from said source of light across said spatial light modulator in a non-uniform distribution such that light distribution in said desired second pattern has uniformity greater than said non-uniform distribution.

9. A method for projecting a pattern according to claim 7 and wherein said arranging said spatial light modulator includes angling said spatial light modulator plane with respect to said projection optics such that said desired second pattern is focused to a generally uniform extent.

10. A method for projecting a pattern comprising:

providing a source of light to be projected;

arranging a spatial light modulator, in a spatial light modulator plane, to receive said light from said source of light, said spatial light modulator being configured to pass said light therethrough in a first pattern; and

using projection optics for receiving said light from said spatial light modulator and for projecting a desired second pattern onto a projection surface lying in a projection surface plane which is angled with respect to said spatial light modulator plane,

said first pattern being a distortion of said desired second pattern configured such that keystone distortions resulting from the difference in angular orientations of said spatial light modulator plane and said projection surface plane are compensated, and

said arranging said spatial light modulator including providing a segmented LCD including a plurality of segments, different ones of said plurality of segments having at least one of different sizes and different shapes.

11. A method for projecting a pattern according to claim 10 and also comprising providing a collimator interposed between said source of light and said spatial light modulator, and utilizing said collimator to distribute said light from said source of light across said spatial light modulator in a non-uniform distribution such that light distribution in said desired second pattern has uniformity greater than said non-uniform distribution.

12. A method for projecting a pattern according to claim 10 and wherein said arranging said spatial light modulator includes angling said spatial light modulator plane with respect to said projection optics such that said desired second pattern is focused to a generally uniform extent.