Video display system with an oscillating projector screen

• US 7,740,359 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Smoot, Lanny S., Schnuckle, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US11/837,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 353/7, 353/9, 353/10, 353/15, 353/46, 353/79, 353/94, 353/97, 353/121, 353/28, 353/30, 353/69, 353/101, 353/122, 359/475, 359/476, 359/477, 359/462, 348/51, 348/42, 472/60, 472/119
• US Class Current: 353/79
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/562 Screens moving during projection G03B21/58 - G03B21/62 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 25/02 with interposed lenticular or line screen

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying images from a video projector. The apparatus includes a virtual projector screen assembly with an elongate screen element, such as a rod, that is mounted at one end to a base. The base is adapted for pivoting about its axis, arid a driver mechanism pivots the, base at high frequencies. During operation, the screen element oscillates between two edge positions with images projected from the projector being displayed on a side of the screen element facing or proximate to the projector. The two edge positions can be thought of as intersecting at the base and define a sweep angle (e.g., the angular difference between the two outer travel points of the screen element that is typically less than about 90 degrees). The driver may include a motor with an oscillating output shaft that pivots the base such as with a belt attached to the base.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying projected images, comprising:

a projector projecting images; and

a virtual projector screen assembly comprising an elongate screen element mounted to a base configured for pivoting about its axis and a driver pivoting the base, wherein the screen element oscillates between two edge positions and during the oscillation the projected images are displayed on a side of the screen element proximate to the projector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two edge positions intersect at the base to define a sweep angle that is less than about 90 degrees.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the driver of the virtual projector screen assembly comprises a motor with an oscillating output member pivoting the base and wherein the rate of oscillation of the output member is adjustable with a control signal, whereby the oscillation of the screen element is adjustable.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control signal for the motor defines a value of the sweep angle, whereby a size of a virtual projector screen provided by the screen element is set by altering the sweep angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen element is a rod with a diameter of less than about 1 inch and a length of less than about 6 feet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display side of the screen element is white and an adjacent portion is black.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional projector projecting additional images onto a side of the screen element opposite the display side.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the additional images comprise another view of the projected images displayed on the display side of the screen element.

9. A virtual projector screen system for displaying images projected from a projector, comprising:

a rod with a side facing, the projector to display the projected images, the display side extending between first and second ends of the rod; and

a base with an oscillating;

portion, wherein the first end of the rod is rigidly attached to the oscillating portion such that the second end of the rod moves between two outer edge positions defining a sweep angle there between.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a motor with an output shaft oscillating between two angular positions and a drive element connecting the output shaft to the oscillating portion of the base.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the oscillating portion of the base comprises a structural member pivotable about a central axis parallel to the output shaft and the drive element comprises a belt.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the rod has a length less than about 6 feet and an outer diameter of less than about 0.5 inches.

29. The system of claim 9, wherein the sweep angle is less than about 90 degrees.

13. A system for displaying video images on a virtual or hidden projector screen, comprising:

a video projector projecting a stream of video images;

an elongate screen element positioned in the stream of video images; and

means mechanically linked to the screen element for oscillating of the screen element between two edge positions.

14. The system of claim 13, the driving means comprising a base to which one end of the screen element is rigidly mounted, wherein the base pivots about a central axis between two angular positions, and a motor driven by a control signal to alter output direction of an output shaft linked to the base at a frequency that defines the oscillating of the base between the two angular positions, whereby the attached screen element is driven to oscillate between the two edge positions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the motor is controlled by a sine wave generator and the sine wave generator is adjustable to provide the control signal to select me frequency, whereby the oscillating of the base and attached screen element is adjustable.

16. The system of claim 14, the driving means further comprising a spring attached to the base resonating the pivoting of the base about its axis.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the screen element comprises a rod with a diameter of less than about 0.5 inches and a length of less than about 6 feet, the rod comprising a white display face proximate to the projector to display the video images.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein screen element is suspended from the oscillating means and is flexible, whereby the screen element is oscillated to form two or more virtual screens to receive the stream of video images.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a management system selectively providing control signals to the projector and the oscillating means to concurrently operate the projector and the oscillating means.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control signals transmitted to the oscillating means define a sweep angle between the two edge positions.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising an additional video projector projecting an additional stream of video images, wherein the additional stream contacts a different portion of the screen element than the stream of the video images from the video projector.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the stream of video images comprises light with a polarization and wherein the screen element comprises a coating, selected to maintain the polarization of the light.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the stream of video images comprises light having a wavelength outside the visible spectrum and wherein the screen element comprises a surface comprising material that emits light in the visible spectrum when stimulated by the light of the stream of video images.

24. The system of claim 13, further comprising a shutter positioned between the video projector and the screen element to block at least a portion of the stream of video images and to pass a portion of the stream of video images through a slit, whereby blow-by light is lessened in the system, wherein the shutter is linked to the oscillating means to oscillate with the screen element.

25. The system of claim 13, further comprising a shutter positioned between the projector and the screen element and including an elongate slit for filtering the stream of video images and further comprising a reflective element positioned between the projector and the shutter, wherein the reflective element oscillates about an axis through an angle substantially equivalent to the sweep angle.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the filtered stream of video images is transmitted toward the screen element substantially in a plane containing the two edge positions of the screen element to strike a side of the screen element.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the screen element and the reflective element are oscillated at substantially equivalent oscillation rates.

28. The system of claim 13, further comprising an additional video projector projecting an additional stream of video images toward the screen element wherein the stream of video images and the additional Stream of video images comprises light with polarized at substantially right angles and wherein the screen element comprises a polarization maintaining material.