Interactive projector system and method

• US 9,235,292 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth J. Huebner
• Original Assignee: Kenneth J. Huebner
• Inventors: Huebner, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US14/162,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20140198079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 353/28, 353/30, 353/46, 353/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386

Abstract

An interactive image projecting device that projects an image onto a display surface and controls the projected image based upon movement of the image projecting device or the detection of another image. The image projecting device includes a projector that generates an image from a control unit. The device includes a position indicating emitter that generates a position indicator and an image sensor that is operable to detect the position indicator from either the device including the image sensor or a position indicator from another device. Based upon the sensed position indicator from another device, the control unit operates to modify the image projected from the device such that the image from a first device can interact with an image from a second device. The first and second devices each have a wireless transceiver such that the devices can communicate with each other during operation.

Claims

1. A first image projecting device of handheld size, comprising:

a control unit;

a projector operable to project a first image;

a position indicating emitter operable to project a first position indicator on a display surface;

a wireless transceiver operable to transmit a first message; and

an image sensor operable to view the display surface and detect a second position indicator from a second image projecting device,

wherein the control unit modifies the first image projected by the projector based upon the detected second position indicator from the second image projecting device.

2. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a rotation angle of the detected second position indicator from the second image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image projected by the projector based upon the rotation angle of the second position indicator from the second image projecting device.

3. The first image projecting device of claim 1 further comprising a speaker and a sound synthesizer controlled by the control unit, wherein audible sound is generated based upon the detected second position indicator from the second image projecting device.

4. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a device ID having a unique identifier.

5. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises image dimensions of the first image.

6. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an object type.

7. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an object activity.

8. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises description of an object presented in the first image.

9. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a description of a character presented in the first image.

10. The first image projecting device of claim 1, Wherein the control unit determines that a second image projected by the second image projecting device is in the vicinity of the first image projected by the first image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image based upon the second image being in the vicinity of the first image.

11. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that a second image projected by the second image projecting device has collided with the first image projected by the first image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image based upon the collision of the first image and the second image.

12. The first image projecting device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver receives a second message from the second image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image based upon the received second message.

13. The first image projecting device of claim 12 wherein the second message comprises a description of an object presented in the second image.

14. The first image projecting device of claim 12, wherein the second message comprises a description of a character presented in the second image.

15. A method of integrating the operation of a first image projecting device and a second image projecting device, the method comprising:

generating a first image from a first projector of the first image projecting device;

generating a position indicator from a position indicating emitter of the first image projecting device;

transmitting a message from a first wireless transceiver of the first image projecting device;

operating an image sensor of the second image projecting device to detect the position indicator; and

modifying a second image from a second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the detected position indicator.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining the position of the position indicator by the second image projecting device;

determining the location of the first image by the second image projecting device based upon the position of the position indicator; and

modifying the second image from the second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the determined location of the first image.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a collision between the first image and the second image by the second image projecting device; and

modifying the second image from the second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the determined collision between the first image and the second image.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving the message by a second wireless transceiver of the second image projecting device;

modifying the second image from the second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the message received.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the message comprises a device ID having a unique identifier.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the message comprises image dimensions of the first image.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the message comprises a description of an object presented in the first image.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

detecting the description of the object presented in the first image by the second image. projectig device; and

modifying the second image from the second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the description of the object presented in the first image.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the message comprises an object type.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the message comprises a description of a character presented in the first image.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

detecting the description of the character presented in the first image by the second image projecting device; and

modifying the second image from the second projector of the second image projecting device based upon the description of the character presented in the first image.

26. A first image projecting device of handheld size, comprising:

a control unit;

a projector operable to project a first image controlled by the control unit;

a position indicating emitter operable to project a first position indicator on a display surface;

an image sensor operable to view the display surface and detect a second position indicator from a second image projecting device; and

a wireless transceiver operable to receive a message from the second image projecting device,

wherein the control unit modifies the first image projected by the projector based upon the detected second position indicator and the message received from the second image projecting device.

27. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises a device ID having a unique identifier.

28. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises image dimensions of the first image.

29. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises an image rotation angle.

30. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises an object type.

31. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises an object activity.

32. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the message comprises character attribute information.

33. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the control unit determines the position of the second position indicator from the second image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image projected by the projector based upon the position of the second position indicator and the message received from the second image projecting device.

34. The first image projecting device of claim 26, wherein the control unit determines the rotation angle of the second position indicator from the second image projecting device, and wherein the control unit modifies the first image projected by the projector based upon the rotation angle of the second position indicator and the message received from the second image projecting device.

35. The first image projecting device of claim 26 further comprising a speaker and sound synthesizer controlled by the control unit, wherein audible sound is generated based upon the detected second position indicator and the message received from the second image projecting device.