Lighting equipment and image projector

• US 9,568,184 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kasuga, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US14/365,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0056 Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/145 Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2053 Intensity control of illuminating light controlled by video signal processing H04N5/74 or H04N9/31
• 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: G03B 31/00 Associated working of cameras or projectors with sound-recording or sound-reproducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera

Abstract

An lighting equipment having an illumination capability and an image projection capability includes a light source unit (110) that functions as a light source for illumination and a light source for image projection, an image formation unit (120) that modulates light from the light source unit based on image information for illumination or image information for image projection to form an image, a projection unit including a lens (130) that projects the image formed by the image formation unit on a projection surface, a control unit (170) that controls the light source and the image projection unit, and a connection unit (200) electrically connectable to an existing lighting equipment attachment member (300).

Claims

1. A lighting equipment having an illumination capability and an image projection capability, the lighting equipment comprising:

a light source unit that functions as a light source for illumination and a light source for image projection;

an image projection unit including an image formation unit that modulates light from the light source unit based on image information for illumination or image information for image projection to form an image and a lens that projects the image formed by the image formation unit on a projection surface;

a control unit that controls the light source and the image projection unit; and

a connection unit electrically connectable to a lighting equipment attachment member,

wherein when a first instruction is issued, the control unit makes focus adjustment of the lens based on a distance to the projection surface and performs the image projection capability,

when a second instruction is issued, the control unit makes focus adjustment of the lens so as to illuminate an area larger than a projection range in which the image is projected by the image projection capability and performs the illumination capability.

2. The lighting equipment according to claim 1,

wherein when the light source functions as the light source for illumination and an image projection instruction from a user is detected, the control unit controls the image projection unit to project an image.

3. The lighting equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a distance measurement unit capable of measuring the distance to the projection surface.

4. The lighting equipment according to claim 3,

wherein the lens is expandable when a voltage is applied thereto to change the focal length thereof, and

the control unit adjusts the focal length of the lens by applying a voltage according to the distance to the projection surface that is measured by the distance measurement unit.

5. The lighting equipment according to claim 1,

further comprising an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of an instruction action performed by a user,

wherein the control unit performs control corresponding to the instruction action performed by the user based on captured image data outputted from the imaging unit.

6. The lighting equipment according to claim 1,

further comprising an audio output unit capable of outputting audio.

7. The lighting equipment according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit has a function of acquiring image information corresponding to an image to be projected over a network.

8. The lighting equipment according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit has a function of projecting a selection screen that allows a user to select the type of image to be projected.