Projector and lamp information management method used for the same

• US 20030214638A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Viewtechnology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okada, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,802,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/87
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection

Abstract

This invention provides a projector capable of correctly informing a user of replacement time of a lamp and significantly improving performance and operation reliability.

A storage circuit is mounted in a detachable lamp unit for accommodating a lamp, and information on the lamp and so on are stored in the storage circuit. If the switch of a projector proper is turned on, a main circuit reads lamp operating time up to the last time from the storage circuit, and compares the read operating time to replacement time of the lamp stored in advance so that the light is emitted from the lamp if the operating time is less, and display for prompting the lamp replacement is performed if the operating time is more, and the light is emitted from the lamp thereafter. If the switch of the projector proper is turned off, the main circuit adds the operating time of this time to the operating time of the lamp up to the last time read from the storage circuit on turning on the switch and writes it to the storage circuit.

Claims

1. A projector having:

an optical engine for generating an image with optical means utilizing light of a light source and an electronic device driven by an electrical signal; and

a projection lens for enlarging and projecting a generated image thereof, wherein;

a unit construction having said light source mounted therein and removable from a projector proper and storage means placed in said unit construction for storing electrical information are provided.

2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein memory contents of said storage means are operating time of said lamp.

3. The projector according to claim 1, wherein memory contents of said storage means are at least one of a type and a serial number of said lamp.

4. The projector according to claim 1, wherein memory contents of said storage means are light emission characteristics of said lamp.

5. A lamp information management method of a projector having:

an optical engine for generating an image with optical means utilizing light of a light source and an electronic device driven by an electrical signal; and

a projection lens for enlarging and projecting a generated image thereof, wherein;

storage means is placed in a unit construction having said light source mounted therein and removable from a projector proper; and

a step of having electrical information on said lamp stored by the storage means is included.

6. The lamp information management method according to claim 5, wherein operating time of said lamp is stored by said storage means.

7. The lamp information management method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of a type and a serial number of said lamp is stored by said storage means.

8. The lamp information management method according to claim 5, wherein light emission characteristics of said lamp are stored by said storage means.

9. The lamp information management method according to claim 6, wherein there are the included steps of:

reading the operating time of said lamp up to the last time from said storage circuit;

comparing the read time to preset replacement time of said lamp;

if the operating time of said lamp is less than the replacement time of said lamp, emitting light from said lamp;

if the operating time of said lamp is equal to or more than the replacement time of said lamp, performing display for prompting lamp replacement; and

after performing the display, emitting the light from said lamp.

10. The lamp information management method according to claim 7, wherein there are the included steps of:

reading at least one of the type and serial number of said lamp from said storage circuit;

comparing the read type or serial number of said lamp to a preset type or serial number of said lamp;

if the lamp is in compliance as a result of the comparison, emitting the light from said lamp; and

if the lamp is not in compliance as a result of the comparison, performing display for prompting warning and/or caution and emitting no light from said lamp.

11. The lamp information management method according to claim 8, wherein there are the included steps of:

reading the light emission characteristics of said lamp from said storage circuit; and

correcting coloration of a projected image based on the read light emission characteristics.

12. The lamp information management method according to claim 8, wherein there are the included steps of:

reading the light emission characteristics of said lamp from said storage circuit; and

providing an instruction to increase power of said lamp based on brightness information included in the read light emission characteristics.