Method, apparatus, and manufacture for a tracking camera or detector with fast asynchronous triggering

• US 9,581,883 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerard Dirk Smits
• Original Assignee: Gerard Dirk Smits
• Inventors: Smits, Gerard Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sultan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US14/218,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20140284457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/147 Optical correction of image distortions, e.g. keystone
• 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 9/3164 using multiple light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability
• 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

An image projection device for displaying an image onto a remote surface. The image projection device employs a scanner to project image beams of visible light and tracer beams of light onto a remote surface to form a display of the image. The device also employs a light detector to sense at least the reflections of light from the tracer beam pulses incident on the remote surface. The device employs the sensed tracer beam light pulses to predict the trajectory of subsequent image beam light pulses and tracer beam light pulses that form a display of the image on the remote surface in a pseudo random pattern. The trajectory of the projected image beam light pulses can be predicted so that the image is displayed from a point of view that can be selected by, or automatically adjusted for, a viewer of the displayed image.

Claims

1. A system for projecting one or more images onto one or more surfaces, comprising:

a plurality of differently colored light sources;

one or more sensors; and

a memory that stores at least instructions;

a processor device that executes the instructions that perform actions, comprising;

employing the colored light sources to project the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces;

employing the one or more sensors to determine an area of focus for a user viewing the one or more images projected onto the one or more surfaces;

updating the one or more images based on the area of focus and one or more adjustments to one or more colors and their corresponding intensities for the colored light sources; and

employing the adjusted colored light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the area of focus for the user.

2. The system of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a position of the user relative to a centerline of projection; and

updating the one or more images based on the position of the user relative to the centerline of projection.

3. The system of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a perspective for a field of view of the user; and

updating the one or more images based on the perspective for the field of view of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of differently colored light sources, the one or more sensors, the memory and the processor device is mountable on one or more of a head of the user or a body of the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises one or more detectors and the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more detectors to detect one or more reflected images from the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images; and

updating the one or more images based on the one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images.

6. The system of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a distance between the user and the one or more surfaces;

determining a perceived distance between the user and the one or more images based on the distance between the user and the one or more surfaces and a determined imaginary distance between the one or more images and the one or more surfaces; and

updating the one or more images based on the perceived distance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein employing the one or more light sources to project the one or more images further comprises:

employing a scanner and the colored light sources to project a pseudorandom scanline onto the one or more surfaces;

employing one or more detectors to determine one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces based on the one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline; and

modulating the colored light sources based on the one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline to be projected onto the one or more surfaces.

8. A method for projecting one or more images onto one or more surfaces, comprising:

employing a plurality of differently colored light sources to project the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces;

employing one or more sensors to determine an area of focus for a user viewing the one or more images projected onto the one or more surfaces;

updating the one or more images based on the area of focus and one or more adjustments to one or more colors and their corresponding intensities for the colored light sources; and

employing the adjusted colored light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the area of focus for the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a position of the user relative to a centerline of projection; and

updating the one or more images based on the position of the user relative to the centerline of projection.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a perspective for a field of view of the user; and

updating the one or more images based on the perspective for the field of view of the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of differently colored light sources, the one or more sensors, the memory and the processor device is mountable on one or more of a head of the user or a body of the user.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

employing one or more detectors to detect one or more reflected images from the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images; and

updating the one or more images based on the one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a distance between the user and the one or more surfaces;

determining a perceived distance between the user and the one or more images based on the distance between the user and the one or more surfaces and a determined imaginary distance between the one or more images and the one or more surfaces; and

updating the one or more images based on the perceived distance.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein employing the colored light sources to project the one or more images further comprises:

employing a scanner and the colored light sources to project a pseudorandom scanline onto the one or more surfaces;

employing one or more detectors to determine one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces based on the one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline; and

modulating the colored light sources based on the one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline to be projected onto the one or more surfaces.

15. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for projecting one or more images onto one or more surfaces, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor device performs actions, comprising:

employing a plurality of differently colored light sources to project the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces;

employing one or more sensors to determine an area of focus for a user viewing the one or more images projected onto the one or more surfaces;

updating the one or more images based on the area of focus and one or more adjustments to one or more colors and their corresponding intensities for the colored light sources; and

employing the adjusted colored light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the area of focus for the user.

16. The media of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a position of the user relative to a centerline of projection; and

updating the one or more images based on the position of the user relative to the centerline of projection.

17. The media of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a perspective for a field of view of the user; and

updating the one or more images based on the perspective for the field of view of the user.

18. The media of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

employing one or more detectors to detect one or more reflected images from the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images; and

updating the one or more images based on the one or more differences between the one or more images and the one or more reflected images.

19. The media of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

employing the one or more sensors to determine a distance between the user and the one or more surfaces;

determining a perceived distance between the user and the one or more images based on the distance between the user and the one or more surfaces and a determined imaginary distance between the one or more images and the one or more surfaces; and

updating the one or more images based on the perceived distance.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein employing the colored light sources to project the one or more images further comprises:

employing a scanner and the colored light sources to project a pseudorandom scanline onto the one or more surfaces;

employing one or more detectors to determine one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces;

determining one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline projected onto the one or more surfaces based on the one or more positions of the pseudorandom scanline; and

modulating the colored light sources based on the one or more next positions of the pseudorandom scanline to be projected onto the one or more surfaces.