Correcting for image distortion in image projectors

• US 7,130,095 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wood, Frederick F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US11/165,739
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 359/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• 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 9/3185 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

Abstract

An arrangement for, and a method of, correcting for image distortion in an image projection system include making the scan lines of the projected image all of the same length by adjusting the amplitude of a drive signal used to sweep a laser beam to form each scan line of the image.

Claims

1. An arrangement for correcting distortion of an image projected on a projection surface, comprising:

a) a laser for emitting a laser beam;

b) a scanner including a first scan mirror for sweeping the laser beam along a first scan direction to form a scan line on the projection surface, and a second scan mirror for sweeping the scan line along a second scan direction generally orthogonal to the first scan direction to form a raster pattern of scan lines on the projection surface, the scan lines having different lengths along the first scan direction due to different distances traveled by the laser beam between the second scan mirror and the projection surface, each scan line having a number of pixels along the first scan direction;

c) a drive circuit for driving the first scan mirror with a drive signal having an amplitude;

d) a feedback circuit for determining the amplitude of the drive signal for each scan line; and

e) a controller for causing selected pixels to be illuminated, and rendered visible, by the laser beam to produce the image, and for adjusting the amplitude of the drive signal for each scan line to produce the scan lines of the image with the same length, thereby correcting for image distortion.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, and additional lasers for emitting respective laser beams of different wavelengths, and an optical assembly for co-linearly arranging all of the laser beams into a composite beam directed at the first scan mirror.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is operative for oscillating the first scan mirror in opposite circumferential directions over a first scan angle, and wherein the controller is operative for adjusting the first scan angle as the amplitude of the drive signal is adjusted.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a microprocessor and a look-up table in which values of the amplitude of the drive signal are stored.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, and a user input interface with the microprocessor for manually adjusting the lengths of the scan lines to remove the image distortion.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the projection surface is a planar screen.

7. A method of correcting distortion of an image projected on a projection surface, comprising the steps of:

a) emitting a laser beam;

b) sweeping the laser beam with a first scan mirror along a first scan direction to form a scan line on the projection surface, and sweeping the scan line with a second scan mirror along a second scan direction generally orthogonal to the first scan direction to form a raster pattern of scan lines on the projection surface, the scan lines having different lengths along the first scan direction due to different distances traveled by the laser beam between the second scan mirror and the projection surface, each scan line having a number of pixels along the first scan direction;

c) driving the first scan mirror with a drive signal having an amplitude;

d) determining the amplitude of the drive signal for each scan line; and

e) causing selected pixels to be illuminated, and rendered visible, by the laser beam to produce the image, and adjusting the amplitude of the drive signal for each scan line to produce the scan lines of the image with the same length, thereby correcting for image distortion.

8. The method of claim 7, and emitting respective laser beams of different wavelengths, and co-linearly arranging all of the laser beams into a composite beam directed at the first scan mirror.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the driving step includes oscillating the first scan mirror in opposite circumferential directions over a first scan angle, and wherein the adjusting step is performed by adjusting the first scan angle as the amplitude of the drive signal is adjusted.

10. The method of claim 7, and storing values of the amplitude of the drive signal in a look-up table.

11. The method of claim 10, and manually adjusting the lengths of the scan lines to remove the image distortion.