System and method for operating photo-addressable ePaper environment

• US 7,699,476 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Foote, Jonathan, Thione, Giovanni L., Denoue, Laurent, Hilbert, David M., Rieffel, Eleanor G., Wilcox, Lynn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Sultan
• Application Number:
  US11/524,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 359/443, 359/452, 359/454, 359/459, 353/30, 353/31, 353/69, 353/70, 353/85, 353/121, 353/122
• US Class Current: 353/122
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/006 using LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP

Abstract

A system for providing a dynamic audio-visual environment using an eSurface situated in a room environment; a projector situated for projecting images onto the eSurface; a camera situated to picture the room environment; a central processor coupled to the eSurface, the projector and the camera. The processor receives pictures from the camera for detecting the location of the eSurface; and controls the projector to aim its projection beam onto the eSurface. The eSurface is a sheet-like surface having the property of accepting optically projected image when powered, and retaining the projected image after the power is turned off.

Claims

1. A system for providing a dynamic audio-visual environment, comprising:

a plurality of eSurfaces situated in a room environment;

a projector situated for projecting images onto each eSurface;

a camera situated to picture the room environment;

a central processor coupled to all eSurfaces situated in the room environment, said projector and said camera;

said processor receiving pictures from said camera for detecting location of all eSurfaces situated in the room environment; and

controlling said projector to aim projection beam of said projector onto each eSurface; and

,

wherein each eSurface comprises a sheet-like surface having the property of accepting optically projected image when powered, and retaining the projected image after the power is turned off.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor determines the location of the eSurface by:

turning the eSurface white;

instructing the camera to take a first picture of the room environment while the eSurface is turned white;

turning the eSurface black;

instructing the camera to take a second picture of the room environment while the eSurface is turned black;

analyzing the difference between the first picture and second picture.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor turns the eSurface white by applying to the eSurface a first electrical pulse and wherein the processor turns the eSurface black by applying to the eSurface a second electrical pulse.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor writes an image onto said eSurface by:

energizing the eSurface;

controlling the projector to project an image onto the eSurface while the eSurface is energized;

turning off the eSurface;

controlling the projector to cease projection of the image after the eSurface has been turned off.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface enables users to control operation of the eSurface, the projector, and the camera.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said graphical user interface enables users to select image to be projected onto a selected eSurface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said graphical user interface enables users to select image to be protected onto a selected eSurface by dragging the image onto the image of the selected eSurface.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising memory for storing pictures taken by the camera and images projected by the projector.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor determines the location of the eSurface by:

projecting a first image onto the eSurface;

instructing the camera to take a first picture of the room environment while the eSurface displays said first image;

displaying a second image on the eSurface;

instructing the camera to take a second picture of the room environment while the eSurface displays said second image;

analyzing the difference between the first picture and second picture.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one of said first image and second image is a blank black image.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein one of said first image and second image is a blank white image.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein one of said first image and second image is a calibration image.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein said first procedure comprises:

projecting a first image onto the eSurface;

instructing the camera to take a first picture of the room environment while the eSurface displays said first image;

displaying a second image on the eSurface;

instructing the camera to take a second picture of the room environment while the eSurface displays said second image;

analyzing the difference between the first picture and second picture.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one of said first image and second image is a calibration image.

14. A method for operating a meeting room having a plurality of eSurfaces, a camera and a projector situated therein, comprising:

performing a first procedure to determine coordinates of each eSurface within the room;

aiming the projector towards each eSurface;

performing a second procedure to write an image onto each eSurface;

wherein each eSurface comprises a sheet-like surface having the property of accepting optically projected image when powered, and retaining the projected image after the power is turned off.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first procedure comprises:

turning the eSurface white;

instructing the camera to take a first picture of the room while the eSurface is turned white;

turning the eSurface black;

instructing the camera to take a second picture of the room while the eSurface is turned black;

analyzing the difference between the first picture and second picture.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said second procedure comprises:

energizing the eSurface;

controlling the projector to project an image onto the eSurface while the eSurface is energized;

turning off the eSurface;

controlling the projector to cease projection of the image after the eSurface has been turned off.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein turning the eSurface white comprises:

energizing the eSurface;

controlling the projector to project a blank image onto the eSurface while the eSurface is energized;

turning off the eSurface;

controlling the projector to cease projection of the image after the eSurface has been turned off.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein turning the eSurface black comprises:

energizing the eSurface;

darkening the room while the eSurface is energized;

turning off the eSurface.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein turning the eSurface white comprises applying to the eSurface a first electrical pulse and wherein turning the eSurface black comprises applying to the eSurface a second electrical pulse.