Projecting an image of a real object

• US 9,560,281 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Short, David Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Fosselman, Joel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHUIYAN, FAYEZ A
• Application Number:
  US15/149,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• 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: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/19594 using a television camera or a still video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• 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 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

In some examples, a projection capture system comprises a controller, a camera operatively connected to the controller for capturing images of an object on a work surface of a workspace, a projector operatively connected to the controller, and a mirror above the projector to reflect light from the projector onto the work surface. The camera is located higher than the projector, and the controller is to control the camera to capture an image of a real object on the work surface, and control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface.

Claims

1. A projection capture system, comprising:

a controller;

a camera operatively connected to the controller for capturing images of an object on a work surface of a workspace;

a projector operatively connected to the controller; and

a mirror above the projector to reflect light from the projector onto the work surface, wherein the camera is located higher than the projector,

the controller to;

control the camera to capture an image of a real object on the work surface, and

control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface.

2. The projection capture system of claim 1, wherein the controller is to control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface as a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object.

3. The projection capture system of claim 2, wherein the controller is to control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface at the same position occupied by the real object when the image of the real object was captured by the camera.

4. The projection capture system of claim 1, wherein the controller, the camera, the projector, and the mirror are housed together as a single portable unit.

5. The projection capture system of claim 1, wherein the projector is a light source for the camera during capture of the images by the camera.

6. The projection capture system of claim 5, wherein the controller is to control the projector to produce a time sequencing of different color light that is synchronized with a video frame rate of the camera during capture of video images by the camera.

7. The projection capture system of claim 1, wherein the mirror is to simulate a projector position above the work surface.

8. The projection capture system of claim 7, wherein the simulating of the projector position causes a folding effect where the projector is folded over a reflecting surface of the mirror to project a same light path onto work surface as if the projector were provided above the mirror.

9. The projection capture system of claim 1, wherein the controller is to:

control the camera and the projector to capture an image of the image of the real object as the image of the real object is being altered in the workspace including the work surface, and

project the altered image of the real object into the workspace.

10. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution:

cause a camera to capture an image of a real object on a work surface in a first workspace of a projection capture device including the camera and a projector; and

cause the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface, wherein the causing of the projecting of the image of the real object onto the work surface comprises causing the projector to project the image of the real object to a mirror located above the projector, the mirror to reflect the image of the real object into the first workspace, and the camera located higher than the projector.

11. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the projector is a light source for the camera during capture of the image of the real object by the camera, and wherein the instructions when executed cause a time sequencing of different color light produced by the projector to be synchronized with a video frame rate of the camera during the capture of the image of the real object by the camera.

12. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, the image of the real object is projected onto the work surface at the same position occupied by the real object when the image of the real object was captured.

13. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions upon execution cause simultaneous projecting of-the image of the real object into a plurality of workspaces including the first workspace.

14. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions upon execution cause a controller to:

receive information relating to altering of the image of the real object in the first workspace; and

cause each of multiple projectors to project the altered image of the real object simultaneously into each respective workspace of a plurality of workspaces.

15. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10, wherein the mirror is to simulate a projector position above the work surface.

16. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 15, wherein the simulating of the projector position causes a folding effect where the projector is folded over a reflecting surface of the mirror to project a same light path onto work surface as if the projector were provided above the mirror.

17. A method comprising:

capturing, by a camera, a digital image of a real object on a work surface in a first workspace; and

projecting, by a projector, the image of the real object to a mirror located above the projector, the mirror reflecting the image of the real object onto the work surface, wherein the camera is located higher than the projector.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

causing, by a controller, simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into multiple workspaces including the first workspace;

receiving, by the controller, an altered object image as altered in one of the multiple workspaces; and

causing, by the controller, simultaneous projecting of the altered object image into the multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein projecting the image of the real object into the multiple workspaces comprises projecting the image of the real object as a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the mirror is to simulate a projector position above the work surface.