Image projection system with adjustable cursor brightness

• US 8,292,439 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US12/554,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,143 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/31, 353/38, 353/42, 353/46, 353/69, 353/70, 353/98, 353/99, 353/122, 348/468, 348/744, 348/760, 348/E09.025, 359/726, 359/872, 359/385, 359/237, 359/223.1, 359/225.1, 359/224.1, 345/39, 345/46, 345/82, 345/83, 345/152, 700/259
• US Class Current: 353/99
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833

Abstract

An image projection system is disclosed. The system comprises a projector, a user input device and a computing device. The micro-mirror based projector projects an image including a cursor on a display plane. The present invention discloses various embodiments for the system and method of adjusting the brightness of the cursor to improve effects of a presentation. According to one embodiment, the brightness of the cursor is adjusted by modifying the on/off time ratio of the mirrors by which the cursor is formed. According to another embodiment, the projector comprises a first and a second micro-mirror array. The second array is dedicated for projecting the cursor image. The brightness of the cursor may be adjusted by changing the number of micro-mirrors by which the cursor is formed from the second array.

Claims

1. An image projection system comprising:

(a) a projector including a first micro-mirror array and a second micro-mirror array on a single micro-chip; and

(b) an input device

wherein said first micro-mirror array is used for projecting an image on a display plane and said second micro-mirror array is used exclusively for projecting a cursor image overlapping the image.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said projector further comprising a light source and a communication unit.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said communication unit conforms to a standard including an IEEE 1394 type of connector or a Universal Serial Bus type of connector.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said communication unit conforms to a standard or a combination of standards from the following group:

(a) ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4 and its amendments);

(b) Bluetooth (IEEE 802.11 b and its amendments); and

(c) WiFi (IEEE 802.11 and its amendments).

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cursor image further comprising a plurality of pixels formed from reflected light beams by a group of micro-mirrors selected from the second micro-mirror array.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein brightness of the cursor image is adjusted by adding or reducing number of selected micro-mirrors from the second micro-mirror array by the projector.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system further comprising a computing device.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said computing device further comprising a user interface for receiving the user'"'"'s inputs for adjusting the brightness of the cursor image through the user input device.

9. A method of adjusting brightness of a cursor image on a display plane of a projection system comprising a projector including a first micro-mirror array and a second micro-mirror array, a user input device and a computing device, the method comprising:

(a) connecting the user input device to the projector;

(b) displaying a plurality of user selectable items including brightness of the cursor image;

(c) receiving the user'"'"'s selection through the input device; and

(d) adjusting the brightness of the cursor image by changing the number of selected micro-mirrors from the second micro-mirror array by which the reflected light beams form pixels of the cursor image,

wherein said first micro-mirror array and said second micro-mirror array are on a single micro-chip,

wherein said second micro-mirror array is used for projecting the cursor image exclusively.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said method further comprising connecting the user input device to the projector through the computing device.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said first micro-mirror array is used for projecting an image based upon a data file transmitted from the computing device.

12. A method of projecting an image and a cursor image on a display plane comprising:

(a) displaying the image on the display plane by a first micro-mirror array;

(b) displaying the cursor image overlapping the image on the display plane by a second micro-mirror array; and

(c) adjusting by a controller brightness of the cursor image by adjusting number of micro-mirrors selected from said second micro-mirror array,

wherein said first micro-mirror array and said second micro-mirror array are on a single micro-chip,

wherein said second micro-mirror array is used for projecting the cursor image exclusively.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprising determining by the controller a on/off time ratio for each of the selected micro mirrors in said second micro-mirror array to meet brightness requirements based on the user'"'"'s inputs from the input device.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprising determining a coordinate of the cursor image on the display plane based upon the user'"'"'s inputs from the input device.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprising receiving the user'"'"'s inputs by displaying a plurality of user'"'"'s selectable items for the cursor'"'"'s characteristics on the display plane at a setup phase of projector operation.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said cursor'"'"'s characteristics further including a shape of the cursor image.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said cursor'"'"'s characteristics further including a color of the cursor image.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said cursor'"'"'s characteristics further including a size of the cursor image.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprising connecting the input device to the projector through a wireless communication link.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprising connecting the projector to a computing device.