Programmable light beam shape altering device using programmable micromirrors

• US 7,224,509 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Hewlett, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US10/373,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 359/291, 359/290, 359/298, 382/167, 382/254, 382/99, 382/181, 382/192, 382/164, 358/453, 358/448, 358/452, 348/135, 348/161, 348/169, 353/122, 353/15, 345/431, 345/611, 345/604, 345/589, 345/619, 345/419, 345/473, 345/501, 345/600, 362/282, 362/284, 362/294, 315/318, 315/316, 700/12, 700/19, 700/23, 710/18, 844/77.R, 844/832
• US Class Current: 359/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7458 the modulator being an array of deformable mirrors, e.g. digital micromirror device [DMD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A digital micromirror device (“DMD”) is used to alter the shape of light that is projected onto a stage. The DMD selectively reflects some light, thereby shaping the light that is projected onto the stage. The control for the alteration is controlled by an image. That image can be processed, thereby carrying out image processing effects on the shape of the light that is displayed. One preferred application follows the shape of the performer and illuminates the performer using a shape that adaptively follows the performer'"'"'s image. This results in a shadowless follow spot.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting a shape to be used as a shape for projecting a beam of light, and producing a control signal indicative thereof; and

using said control signal to control a digital light shape altering device which produces a projected beam having a shape that is based on said control signal.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said using comprises using said control signal to control a digital micromirror device.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising selecting an additional aspect of a beam of light, wherein said control signal is also indicative of said additional aspect, and said using comprises using said control signal to control said digital light shape altering device to produce said beam that is also indicative of said additional aspect.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein said selecting an additional aspect comprises selecting a rotation of the shape used for projecting the beam of light, said control signal at a specified time being indicative of said shape at that specified time during the rotation.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said using comprises using said control signal to control said digital light altering device to shape form a colored beam.

6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising image processing said shape to produce a control signal based on an image processed shape.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises processing an edge of a shape to form an effect on said edge of said beam of light.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein said effect comprises graying of an edge of said shape by a specified amount.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises changing an entire part of the shape to effect an effective perceived brightness of the projected beam.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises forming a stroboscopic effect on the projected beam.

11. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises processing said shape to rotate said shape.

12. A method as in claim 6, further comprising selecting a second shape, and wherein said image processing comprises morphing the beam of light from said shape to said second shape.

13. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises duty cycle processing said shape to duty cycle process the beam of light.

14. A method as in claim 6, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises stretching some part of an outline defined by said projected beam.

15. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises processing said image to change a position of said projected beam.

16. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises determining a new shape to be used in a display of a new projected beam, and selecting a speed with which a current beam will be changed to the new shape of the new projected beam.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein said speed comprises a rate at which the image will appear to move between the projected beam and the new projected beam.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising updating the shape at specified intervals, and changing the content of the beam shape by a specified amount, related to said rate, at each of said specified intervals.

20. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises cross fading between a first image shape used for projecting the beam, and a second image shape used for projecting the beam at another time.

21. A method as in claim 6, wherein said image processing comprises dynamically controlling the image shape to dynamically control the shape of the beam.

22. A method as in claim 1, wherein said selecting a shape comprises reading a digital file indicative of a selected shape from a memory, and converting said digital file into a map representing an array of pixels, said map having values for each of a plurality of pixels, which values represents states of said each pixel.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein said map includes multiple color values for each of said pixels of said array.

19. A method as in claim on 6, wherein said image processing comprises correlating the image against a reference.

24. A method comprising:

selecting an image to be used as a shape for a projection spot;

image processing said image to change some aspect of said image to produce an image processed image; and

producing an output signal indicative of a shape of said image processed image, said output signal in a format to control a digital light shape altering device.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein said producing comprises producing an output signal in a format to control a circuit containing a digital micromirror device.

26. A method as in claim 24, further comprising using said output signal to control said digital light shape altering device to produce a projection spot in a shape based on said image as modified by said image processing.

27. A method as in claim 24, further comprising using said output signal to control a circuit including a digital micromirror device, to produce a projection spot based on said basic image as modified by said image processing.

28. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises processing an edge of said image to form an effect on a shape of said projection spot.

29. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises processing an image to rotate a shape of said projection spot.

30. A method as in claim 24, further comprising selecting a second image, and wherein said image processing comprises morphing a shape of said projection shape from a shape of said image to a shape of said second image.

31. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises duty cycle processing the projection spot.

32. A method as in claim 31, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises changing the entire image to effect an effective perceived brightness of the projection spot.

33. A method as in claim 31, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises forming a stroboscopic effect on the projection spot.

34. A method as in claim 24, wherein said effect comprises graying of an edge of said shape of said projection spot by a specified amount.

35. A method as in claim 24, wherein said duty cycle processing comprises stretching some part of an outline defined by said shape.

36. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises processing said image to change a position of said projection spot.

37. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises determining a new image to be used as a display of a new projected beam shape, and selecting a speed with which a current beam shape will be changed to the new projected beam shape.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein said speed comprises a rate at which the image will appear to move between the projected beam shape and the new projected beam shape.

39. A method as in claim 38, further comprising updating the shape at specified intervals, and changing the content of the shape by a specified amount, related to said rate, at each of said specified intervals.

41. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises cross fading between a first image shape used for projecting the beam, and a second image shape used for projecting the beam.

42. A method as in claim 24, wherein said image processing comprises dynamically controlling the image shape to dynamically control the shape of the beam.

43. A method as in claim 24, wherein said selecting a shape comprises reading a digital file indicative of a selected shape from a memory, and converting said digital file into a map representing an array of pixels, said map having a value for each of a plurality of pixels, which value represents a state of said each pixel.

44. A method as in claim 43, wherein said map includes multiple color values for each of said pixels of said array.

40. A method as in claim on 24, wherein said image processing comprises correlating the image against a reference.

45. A method, comprising:

reading a first electronic file indicative of a beam shape, for a beam of light, from a memory;

forming a map from said electronic file, said map indicative of states of an array of pixels of size x by y to form said beam shape; and

outputting said map.

46. A method as in claim 45, further comprising using said map to control a digital light shape altering device.

47. A method as in claim 45, further comprising using said map to control a digital Micro mirror device.

48. A method as in claim 45, wherein said reading comprises reading a compressed electronic file, and said forming a map comprises forming said map using an uncompressed version of said first electronic file.

49. A method as in claim 48, wherein said forming a map comprises converting said first electronic file to a second format different than said first format.

50. A method as in claim 49, wherein said second format comprises a bit map format, where each of a plurality of pixels is represented by a plurality of bits.

51. A method as in claim 49, further comprising carrying out image processing on said first electronic file to form and image processed file, and using said image processed file to form said map.

52. A method as in claim 51, wherein said image processing comprises processing an edge of an image represented by said first electronic file to form an effect on said edge of said image.

53. A method as in claim 51, wherein said image processing comprises processing an image represented by said first electronic file to rotate said image.

54. A method as in claim 51, further comprising selecting a second shape, and wherein said image processing comprises morphing from said beam shape to said second shape.

55. A method as in claim 51, wherein said image processing comprises duty cycle processing the image represented by said first electronic file.

56. A method as in claim 51, wherein said image processing comprises cross fading between a first image shape used for projecting the beam, and a second image shape used for projecting the beam.

57. A method as in claim 51, wherein said image processing comprises dynamically controlling the image shape to dynamically control the shape of the beam.

58. A method as in claim 45, wherein said reading comprises reading a digital file indicative of a selected shape from a memory, and converting said digital file into a map representing an array of pixels, said map having a value for each of a plurality of pixels, which value represents a state of said each pixel.

59. A method as in claim 58, wherein said map includes multiple color values for each of said pixels of said array.

60. A method, comprising:

selecting a basic Aperture shape from a memory;

converting said basic Aperture shape to a plurality of states, each representing a state of a pixel of an array; and

producing an output signal indicative thereof.

61. A method as in claim 60, further comprising using said output signal to control a digital light shape altering device.

62. A method as in claim 60, further comprising using said output signal to control a digital Micromirror device.

63. A method as in claim 60, further comprising changing said Aperture shape according to an image processing operation.

64. A method as in claim 60, wherein said selecting a shape comprises reading a digital file indicative of a selecting shape from a memory, and converting said digital file into a map representing an array of pixels, said map having a value for each of a plurality of pixels, which value represents a state of said each pixel.