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

• US 10,962,867 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2019
• Issued: 03/30/2021
• 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): Iacoletti, Michelle M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US16/435,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20200133106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• 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:

one or more light sources;

one or more sensors;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

one or more processor devices that execute the instructions that perform actions, comprising;

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

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

updating a viewing angle of the one or more perspectives of the one or more images based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user and one or more adjustments to corresponding intensities of the one or more light sources; and

employing the one or more updated intensity adjustments to the light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for image distortion due to a tilt of the one or more surfaces.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for one or more of angles, wrinkles, or irregularities of the one or more surfaces.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the actions of determining the vantage point of the area of focus for the user, further comprises:

employing a device that is configured to attach the one or more sensors to a head of the user to detect the vantage point.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more other light sources to project non-visible light ahead of the projection of the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces; and

wherein the updating of the viewing angle of the one or more perspectives is based on one or more reflections of the non-visible light from the one or more surfaces.

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

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

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

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the actions further comprise:

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.

8. A method for projecting one or more images onto one or more surfaces, wherein one or more processor execute instructions to perform actions, comprising:

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

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

updating a viewing angle of the one or more perspectives of the one or more images based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user and one or more adjustments to corresponding intensities of the one or more light sources; and

employing the one or more updated intensity adjustments to the light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for image distortion due to a tilt of the one or more surfaces.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for one or more of angles, wrinkles, or irregularities of the one or more surfaces.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the actions of determining the vantage point of the area of focus for the user, further comprises:

employing a device that is configured to attach the one or more sensors to a head of the user to detect the vantage point.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

one or more other light sources to project non-visible light ahead of the projection of the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces; and

wherein the updating of the viewing angle of the one or more perspectives is based on one or more reflections of the non-visible light from the one or more surfaces.

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

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

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

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the actions further comprise:

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.

15. A processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for projecting one or more images onto one or more surfaces using an apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes one or more light sources, one or more sensors, a memory that stores at least the instructions, and one or more processor device that execute the instructions to perform actions, comprising:

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

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

updating a viewing angle of the one or more perspectives of the one or more images based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user and one or more adjustments to corresponding intensities of the one or more light sources; and

employing the one or more updated intensity adjustments to the light sources to project the one or more updated images onto the one or more surfaces based on the determined vantage point of the area of focus for the user.

16. The processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage of claim 15, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for image distortion due to a tilt of the one or more surfaces.

17. The processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage of claim 15, wherein the actions of updating, further comprises:

adjusting the one or more perspectives of the one or more images to compensate for one or more of angles, wrinkles, or irregularities of the one or more surfaces.

18. The processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage of claim 15, wherein the actions of determining the vantage point of the area of focus for the user, further comprises:

employing a device that is configured to attach the one or more sensors to a head of the user to detect the vantage point.

19. The processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage of claim 15, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

one or more other light sources to project non-visible light ahead of the projection of the one or more images onto the one or more surfaces; and

wherein the updating of the viewing angle of the one or more perspectives is based on one or more reflections of the non-visible light from the one or more surfaces.

20. The processor readable computer readable non-transitory storage of claim 15, wherein the actions of employing the one or more light sources to project the one or more images further comprises:

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

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