Portable projector and image projecting method thereof

• US 9,105,211 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Keh, Yong-Chan, Kim, Sung-Won, Lee, Dong-Hi, Lee, Jung-Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): Agustin, Peter Vincent
• Application Number:
  US13/800,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

A portable projector includes a projector module for projecting image data, an infrared ray output unit which outputs an infrared ray to a projected image data area, a camera unit which photographs the projected image data area, a coordinate value calculator which calculates a coordinate value corresponding to each coordinate value of the photographed projected image data area, and a controller which determines whether there is a pen or a finger input in the projected image data area according to the calculated coordinate value and performing a control for updating the image data by using an input coordinate value corresponding to the input when there is input by the one of the pen and the finger.

Claims

1. A portable projector comprising:

a projector module for projecting image data;

an infrared ray output unit which outputs an infrared ray to a projected image data area;

an infrared ray camera which receives infrared light from the projected image data area; and

a controller which determines whether there is a pen input or a finger input based on a value of the infrared light of each coordinate corresponding to the projected image data area.

2. The portable projector of claim 1, further comprising a mirror unit which reflects the image data projected from the projector module at an angle according to a curvature to project the image data.

3. The portable projector of claim 2, wherein the curvature enables the projected image data to be reflected onto a floor.

4. The portable projector of claim 1, wherein the controller determines, when there is a coordinate value that is greater than a first threshold among values of the infrared light of the each coordinate, the corresponding value of the infrared light as a value of the infrared light of a pen input coordinate, and determines, when there is a coordinate value that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the corresponding value of the infrared light as a value of the infrared light of a finger input coordinate.

5. The portable projector of claim 1, further comprising a projector transceiver which receives the image data from an external terminal and transmits a value of the infrared light of an input coordinate according to the pen input or the finger input and an image data update request to the external terminal according to a control of the controller when there is the input by the one of the pen and the finger.

6. The portable projector of claim 1, wherein the controller further performs a control for updating the image data by using a value of the infrared light of an input coordinate corresponding to the determining whether there is the pen input or the finger input, when the input is determined.

7. A method of projecting image data by a portable projector, the method comprising:

projecting image data and outputting an infrared ray to a projected image data area;

receiving infrared light from the projected image data area; and

determining whether there is a pen input or a finger input based on a value of the infrared light of each coordinate corresponding to the projected image data area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating the image data by using a value of the infrared light of an input coordinate corresponding to the determining whether there is the pen input or the finger input, when the input is determined; and

projecting the updated image data.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a value of the infrared light of an input coordinate according to the pen input or the finger input and an image data update request signal to an external terminal; and

receiving the updated image data from the external terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether there is the pen or the finger input comprises determining, when there is a value of the infrared light that is greater than a first threshold among the values of the infrared light of each of the coordinates, the corresponding value of the infrared light as a value of the infrared light of a pen input coordinate, and determining, when there is a value of the infrared light that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than a second threshold, the corresponding value of the infrared light as a value of the infrared light of a finger input coordinate.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising stopping output of the infrared ray to the projected image data area when the input coordinate value is determined as the value of the infrared light of the pen input coordinate.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after stopping output of the infrared ray, restarting output of the infrared ray to the projected image data area when there is no value of the infrared light of a coordinate that is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold.