Optical micro-projection system and projection method

• US 9,374,566 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kilcher, Lucio, Khechana, Faouzi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Application Number:
  US14/681,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/70, 353/101, 353/121, 353/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/26 wherein the transmitted pulses use a frequency-modulated or phase-modulated carrier wave, e.g. for pulse compression of received signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3188 Scale or resolution adjustment scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

An optical micro-projection system comprising the following components: at least one laser light source (200, 400, 402, 600); at least one movable mirror (102, 103, 203) for deviating light from said light source to allow generation of images on a projection surface (104, 301, 303, 306, 603); a self mixing module for measurement of the distance (604) between the projection source and a projection surface, said self mixing module comprising:—at least one photodiode (401, 601) for monitoring the light emission power of the laser light source;—an optical power variation counter for counting optical power variations (605); successive displacements of said mirror allowing the self mixing module providing successive projection distance measurements of a plurality of points of said projection surface. A projection method for optical micro-projection system and a distance measurement method are also provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a light source;

a MEMS mirror in optical communication with the light source, the MEMS mirror to deviate light from the light source to illuminate a projection surface;

a photodiode to receive light reflected by the projection surface;

a distance evaluator to;

determine a distance between the light source and the projection surface; and

detect a change in the determined distance; and

a light source adjuster to adjust the light source and the MEMS mirror based in part on the determined distance and the detected change in the determined distance to modify a property of a projected image on the projection surface.

2. The system of claim 1, the detected change in the determined distance based at least in part on a physical interaction of a user with a part of the system or the projection surface.

3. The system of claim 1, the distance evaluator to detect the change in the determined distance based on light deviated by the MEMS mirror and received by the photodiode.

4. The system of claim 1, the light source comprising a laser.

5. The system of claim 1, the distance evaluator to receive a first signal from the light source, the first signal to include an indication of an intensity of light emitted by the light source and receive a second signal from the photodiode, the second signal to include an indication of an intensity of light received by photodiode, the distance evaluator to determine the distance based on the first signal and the second signal.

6. The system of claim 1, the light source comprising the photodiode.

7. The system of claim 1, the light source emitting a modulated light at a visible wavelength, the MEMS mirror deviating the visible light to scan a visible image onto the projection surface, the photodiode to receive the visible light reflected by the projection surface.

8. The system of claim 1, the light source comprising:

a first light source to emit a modulated light at a visible wavelength; and

a second light source emit infrared light at an infrared wavelength,

the MEMS mirror to deviate the visible light and the infrared light onto the projection surface, the photodiode to receive the infrared light reflected by the projection surface.

9. The system of claim 1, the distance evaluator to:

determine a distance between the light source and a plurality of points on the projection surface; and

generate a projection distance map of the projection surface based on the plurality of determined distances.

10. The system of claim 1, the light source to emit a first light pattern to project an image onto the projection surface and to emit a second light pattern to project light onto the projection surface to measure a distance between the light source and the projection surface.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a MEMS mirror, light emitted from a light source;

deviating the received light onto a projection surface;

receiving light deviated by the MEMS mirror and receiving the reflected by the projection surface;

determining a distance between the light source and the projection surface based at least in part on the received deviated light the received reflected light;

detecting a change in the distance between the light source and the projection surface; and

adjusting at least one of the light source or the MEMS mirror to adjust a parameter of an image projected onto the projection surface by the light source.

12. The method of claim 11, the detected change in the determined distance based at least in part on a physical interaction of a user with a part of the system or the projection surface.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising detecting the change in the determined distance based on the received deviated light and the received reflected light.

14. The method of claim 11, the light source comprising a laser.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving a first signal from the light source, the first signal to include an indication of an intensity of light emitted by the light source;

receiving a second signal from a photodiode, the second signal to include an indication of an intensity of light received by photodiode; and

determining the distance between the light source and the projection surface based on the first signal and the second signal.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving modulated light at a visible wavelength;

receiving infrared light at an infrared wavelength;

deviating the visible light onto the projection surface to project an image onto the projection surface; and

deviating the infrared light onto the projection surface to determine the distance between the light source and the projection surface.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising:

determining the distance between the light source and a plurality of points on the projection surface; and

generating a projection distance map of the projection surface based on the plurality of determined distances.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising:

emitting a first light pattern to project an image onto the projection surface;

emitting a second light pattern to project light onto the projection surface to measure a distance between the light source and the projection surface.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a MEMS mirror in optical communication with a light source, the MEMS mirror to deviate light from the light source to illuminate a projection surface;

a photodiode to receive light reflected by the projection surface;

logic, at least a portion of which is in hardware, the logic to;

determine a distance between the light source and the projection surface; and

detect a change in the determined distance; and

a light source adjuster to adjust the light source and the MEMS mirror based in part on the determined distance and the detected change in the determined distance to modify a property of a projected image on the projection surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the detected change in the determined distance based at least in part on a physical interaction of a user with a part of the system or the projection surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, the logic to detect the change in the determined distance based on light deviated by the MEMS mirror and received by the photodiode.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, the logic to:

determine a distance between the light source and a plurality of points on the projection surface; and

generate a projection distance map of the projection surface based on the plurality of determined distances.