Projection system with multi-surface projection screen

• US 9,329,679 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haskin, Menashe, Bowen, James Samuel, Shepard, Deborah M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/593,270
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 345/5, 345156-184, 345 11- 13, 345/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2461 Projection of a two-dimensional real image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1639 the display being based on projection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1645 the display being suitable to be used in combination with an external overhead projector
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/02 Composition of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/02 Addressing, scanning or driving the display screen or processing steps related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• 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 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT

Abstract

A projection and camera system projects content onto a passive, multi-surface projection screen. When a first surface of the screen is oriented to receive the projected images, the system detects this first surface and projects content associated with that surface of the screen. When a second surface is oriented to receive the projected images, the system detects this change from the first surface to the second surface and projects different content associated with the second surface. In this manner, to switch between different content or different applications, the user merely needs to turn the screen over.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a projection screen to present images projected thereon, the projection screen having at least a first surface and a second surface;

a projection system comprising;

a memory;

a processor;

a projector;

a surface detection component to;

determine a first rate at which the projection screen is adjusted such that the first surface is oriented towards the projector; and

determine a second rate at which the projection screen is adjusted such that the second surface is oriented towards the projector, the second rate being different from the first rate; and

the projector to;

project one or more first images onto the first surface of the projection screen based at least in part on the first rate; and

project one or more second images onto the second surface of the projection screen based at least in part on the second rate, wherein the one or more first images projected onto the first surface present first content and the one or more second images projected onto the second surface present second content different from the first content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection screen comprises a handheld, passive projection screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the projection screen differs from the second surface of the projection screen.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface of the projection screen are at least one of different colors, different finishes, or different shapes.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection screen comprises an electronic component to provide data indicative of a position or an orientation of the projection screen.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the surface detection component is configured to communicate with the electronic component of the projection screen to determine whether the first surface or the second surface of the projection screen is oriented toward the projector.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera to capture one or more images of the projection screen; and

the surface detection component is configured to determine whether the first surface or the second surface of the projection screen is oriented toward the projector based at least in part on at least one of the one or more first images or the one or more second images.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection screen comprises at least three surfaces.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first content is a first application and the second content is a second application different from the first application.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the surface detection component is configured to detect a rotation of the projection screen from the first surface to the second surface, and in response to detecting the rotation of the projection screen from the first surface to the second surface, the projector changes from projecting the one or more first images onto the first surface to projecting the one or more second images onto the second surface.

11. A system comprising:

a projection screen having at least a first surface and a second surface; and

a projection system to;

detect a first rate at which a position of the projection screen is adjusted such that the first surface is oriented towards the projection system;

based at least partly on the first rate, project one or more first images onto the first surface of the projection screen;

detect a second rate at which the projection is adjusted such that the second surface is oriented towards the projection system, the second rate being different from the first rate; and

project one or more second images onto the second surface of the projection screen based at least in part on the second rate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection screen comprises a passive display screen.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection screen comprises at least three surfaces.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first surface and the second surface of the projection screen are at least one of different surface types, different colors, different shapes, or different finishes.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection system comprises a camera to optically detect which of the first surface or the second surface of the projection screen is oriented toward the projection system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection system is configured to detect when a user turns the projection screen to change which of the first surface or the second surface is oriented toward the projection system, and in response, to switch between projecting the one or more first images onto the first surface and the one or more second images onto the second surface depending upon which of the first surface or the second surface is oriented toward the projection system.

17. A projection system comprising:

a projector;

a surface detection component to;

detect a first rate at which a projection screen is adjusted such that a first surface of the projection screen is oriented towards the projector; and

detect a second rate at which the projection screen is adjusted such that a second surface of the projection screen is oriented towards the projector; and

the projector to;

project one or more first images onto the first surface of the projection screen based at least in part on the first rate; and

project one or more second images onto the second surface of the projection screen based at least in part on the second rate.

18. The projection system of claim 17, wherein the one or more first images correspond to a first application and the one or more second images correspond to a second application different from the first application.

19. The projection system of claim 17, further comprising:

a camera to capture one or more images of the projection screen; and

the surface detection component is configured to determine whether the first surface or the second surface of the projection screen is oriented toward the projector based at least in part on at least one of the one or more first images or the one or more second images.

20. The projection system of claim 17, wherein the surface detection component detects a rotation of the projection screen from the first surface to the second surface, and in response to detecting the rotation of the projection screen from the first surface to the second surface, the projector changes from projecting the one or more first images onto the first surface to projecting the one or more second images onto the second surface.

21. A method comprising:

projecting, from a projector, one or more first images onto a first surface of a projection screen;

determining a rate at which the projection screen is moved in a first direction relative to the projector to expose a second surface to the projector; and

projecting, from the projector and based at least partly on the rate, one or more second images onto the second surface of the projection screen.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more first images projected onto the first surface present first content and the one or more second images projected onto the second surface present second content different from the first content.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more first images projected onto the first surface present a first application and the one or more second images projected onto the second surface present a second application different from the first application.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining comprises optically sensing which of the first surface or the second surface is exposed.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the first surface is different than the second surface, and the determining comprises detecting which of the first surface or the second surface is exposed based at least in part on a difference between the first surface and the second surface.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the projection screen comprises an electronic component to provide data indicative of position or orientation of the projection screen, and the determining comprises detecting which of the first surface or the second surface is exposed based at least in part on the data from the electronic component.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining that the projection screen is moved to expose a third surface to the projector; and

projecting, from the projector, one or more third images onto the third surface of the projection screen.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining that the projection screen is moved from the second surface of the projection screen to expose the first surface to the projection screen; and

projecting, from the projector, the one or more first images onto the first surface of the projection screen.