Animated document using an integrated projector

• US 9,285,660 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Haseltine, Eric C., Bassett, Katie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US14/024,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 353/28, 353/30, 353/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/30 adapted to collapse or fold, e.g. for portability
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/62 Translucent screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The embodiments presented herein describe integrating a projector in a book to display images or animations on one or more pages of the book. Specifically, the book may include a projector that is arranged in the form factor of the book. The book may also contain one or more mirrors that reflect an image from the projector onto a desired location on a page in the book. In one embodiment, the image is projected from the rear of the book onto a back side of the page that is opposite the front side of the page facing the user. So long as the material of the page is sufficiently translucent, the image projected on the back side of the page will be visible to the user looking at the front side of the page.

Claims

1. A document, comprising:

a front cover and a back cover;

at least one translucent page between the front and back covers and containing printed text; and

a projector mounted between the front and back covers, the projector is configured to transmit an image onto a rear side of the translucent page that is opposite a front side of the translucent page being viewed by a user, the translucent page being adapted to allow the image to pass through the translucent page and be displayed on the front side of the translucent page.

2. The document of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic storage portion encasing the projector, wherein the electronic storage portion is between the translucent page and one of the front cover and back cover.

3. The document of claim 2, wherein the projector is mounted in the electronic storage portion such that light is emitted from the projector in a first direction substantially parallel with one of the front and back covers, the electronic storage portion comprising a mirror oriented to, before the light strikes the rear side of the translucent page, redirect the light emitted from the projector in a second direction different from the first direction.

4. The document of claim 2, wherein the electronic storage portion includes a first surface facing the rear side of the translucent page and a second surface facing the back cover, the first surface including an aperture through which the image passes to reach the rear side of the translucent page and the second surface is connected to the back cover, and wherein the boundaries of the electronic storage portion are within the boundaries established by the front and back covers.

5. The document of claim 1, wherein the projector is configured to transmit the image through a plurality of pages before the image reaches the rear side of the translucent page.

6. The document of claim 1, further comprising a user interaction system for detecting input from the user, wherein the image transmitted by the projector is altered based on the detected user input.

7. The document of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing element configured to control the image emitted by the projector; and

a memory comprising media content, the media content defining a plurality of images to display on the translucent page.

8. The document of claim 1, wherein the projector is configured to project a series of distinct images onto the rear side of the translucent page that is opposite the front side of the translucent page being viewed by a user.

9. A system, comprising:

a document, comprising;

a front cover and a back cover,

at least one translucent page between the front and back covers and containing printed text,

a projector mounted between the front and back covers, the projector is configured to transmit an image onto a rear side of the translucent page that is opposite of a front side of the translucent page being viewed by a user, the translucent page being adapted to allow the image to pass through the translucent page and be displayed on the front side of the translucent page, and

a communication adapter; and

an external environmental altering device configured to receive an instruction via the communication adapter and alter a physical environment that includes the document.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein altering the physical environment includes altering at least one of the light, sound, or scent in the physical environment.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a computer network that facilitates communication between the communication adapter of the document and the environmental altering device, wherein the communication network receives the instructions from the communication adapter and forwards the instructions to the environmental altering device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the document transmits the instruction to the environmental altering device to synchronize a concept presented in the printed text of the translucent page with a characteristic of the physical environment.

13. A method for displaying an image on a translucent page of a document, the method comprising:

instructing a projector integrated into the document to emit the image, wherein the projector is mounted between a front cover and a back cover of the document; and

emitting the image from the projector onto a rear side of the translucent page of the document that is opposite a front side of the translucent page being viewed by a user such that the image passes through the translucent page and is displayed on the front side of the translucent page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the projector is encased in an electronic storage portion, the electronic storage portion is between the translucent page and one of the front cover and back cover.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the projector is mounted in the electronic storage portion such that light is emitted from the projector in a first direction substantially parallel with one of the front and back covers, the electronic storage portion comprising a mirror oriented to, before the light strikes the rear side of the translucent page, redirect the light emitted from the projector in a second direction different from the first direction.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the projector is configured to transmit the image through a plurality of pages before the image reaches the rear side of the translucent page.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting an interaction between the user and the document; and

altering the image based on the user interaction.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the projector emits an animation comprising the image, the method further comprising:

moving the animation to different locations on the translucent page.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting an instruction to an external environmental altering device configured change a physical environment that includes the document.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein altering the physical environment includes altering at least one of the light, sound, or scent in the physical environment.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the instruction synchronizes a concept presented in the printed text of the translucent page with a characteristic of the physical environment.