Image projector with display modes

• US 7,901,084 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Willey, Stephen R., Rothaar, Bruce, Montague, Thomas W., Sprague, Randall B., Veeraraghavan, V. G., Lewis, John R., Freeman, Mark, Niesten, Maarten, Wiklof, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOWARD, RYAN D
• Application Number:
  US11/592,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20070195294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/70, 353/46, 353/48, 353/50, 353/101, 353/82, 353/122, 353/49, 353/34
• US Class Current: 353/49
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/145 Housing details, e.g. position adjustments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/30 adapted to collapse or fold, e.g. for portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

A portable video projector includes facility to direct a projected image field along an axis in an alignment corresponding to the state of an optical element.

Claims

1. A handheld portable projector system comprising:

a body;

a projection display engine operable to generate a first image and a second image, wherein the projection display engine is contained substantially within the body, and wherein the first image and the second image are generated from an electronic signal selected from at least one of an image for display and a video data stream;

an optical element aligned to receive the first image from the projection display engine and operable to project the first image along one of a plurality of projection paths on a surface remote from the handheld portable projector; and

an image projection aperture adapted to project the second image simultaneously with the first image, wherein the second image is projected along an axis different than any of the plurality of projection paths, and wherein the axis of the second image is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the plurality of projection paths.

2. The portable projector system of claim 1 wherein the optical element is operable to project the first image from the projection display engine along one of a plurality of projection paths.

3. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second optical element; and

a telescoping portion operable to vary an optical path length between the optical element and the second optical element.

4. The portable projector system of claim 3 wherein the optical element is coupled to the body.

5. The portable projector system of claim 3 wherein the optical element is coupled to the telescoping portion.

6. The portable projector system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the optical element and the second optical element is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a prism, a total-internal-reflectance (TIR) relay, an optical fiber, a light pipe, a lens, an exit pupil expander, a diffractive element, a micro lens array, and a photonic crystal.

7. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising, coupled to the body, at least one selected from the group consisting of a magnet, a hook, an eye, a lapel pin, a hand grip, a lanyard, a fastener, a fastener hole, and a tripod mount.

8. The portable projector system of claim 1, wherein the image projection aperture is coupled to the body.

9. The portable projector system of claim 1, wherein the image projection aperture is coupled to the optical element.

10. The portable projector system of claim 1 wherein a difference between the plurality of projection paths includes image rotation.

11. The portable projector system of claim 1 wherein a difference between the plurality of projection paths includes image rotation and further comprising:

a detector operable to automatically detect a preferred image rotation.

12. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second optical element; and

a telescoping portion operable to vary an optical path length between the optical element and the second optical element; and

wherein

the variable optical path length is adapted to reduce the optical energy density in an external optical path.

13. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more wireless interfaces operable to do at least one selected from the list consisting of receiving the image for display, receiving the video data stream, receiving an operational command, transmitting an image, transmitting a video data stream, and transmitting an operational command.

14. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising:

an optical element state sensor configured to determine the state of the optical element.

15. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising:

a body configuration sensor adapted to determining at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of telescoping portion extension, an internal optical path length, a mounting apparatus state, and a body orientation.

16. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface.

17. The portable projector system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface including at least one selected from the group consisting of a power condition selector, a display mode selector, a slide advance selector, a power switch, a momentary projection switch, and a standby switch.

18. The portable projection system of claim 1 further comprising an ambient environment sensor.

19. The portable projection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller operable to drive the projection display engine; and

an ambient environment sensor coupled to the controller and operable to convey information about the ambient environment to the controller; and

wherein the controller is operable to select at least one display parameter responsive to the information about the ambient environment.

20. The handheld portable projector system of claim 1, wherein the first image is the same as the second image.

21. The handheld portable projector system of claim 1, wherein the first image is different than the second image.

22. The handheld portable projector system of claim 1, wherein the second image includes a control field, wherein the handheld portable projector system is adapted to optically receive input from the control field.

23. The handheld portable projector system of claim 22, wherein the input received by the handheld portable projector is the selection of an image attribute.

24. The handheld portable projector system of claim 22, wherein the input received by the handheld portable projector via the second image modifies the first image.

25. In a handheld portable projector, a method of projecting at least one image, comprising:

providing a body;

a projection display engine contained substantially within the body, generating a first image and a second image from an electronic signal selected from at least one of an image for display and a video data stream;

an optical element projecting the first image along one of a plurality of projection paths on a surface remote from the handheld portable projector; and

an image projection aperture simultaneously projecting a second image along an axis different from any of the plurality of projection paths, wherein the axis of the second image is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the plurality of projection paths.

26. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein projecting the first image comprises projecting the first image along an axis in an alignment corresponding to the state of the optical element.

27. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein projecting the first image comprises the optical element projecting the first image from the projection display engine along the one of a plurality of projection paths.

28. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

providing a second optical element; and

a telescoping portion varying the optical path length between the optical element and the second optical element.

29. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 28, wherein at least one of the optical element and the second optical element is selected from the group consisting of a mirror, a prism, a total-internal-reflectance (TIR) relay, an optical fiber, a light pipe, a lens, an exit pupil expander, a diffractive element, a micro lens array, and a photonic crystal.

30. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein the image projection aperture is coupled to the body.

31. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein the image projection aperture is coupled to the optical element.

32. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein a difference between the plurality of projection paths includes image rotation.

33. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein a difference between the plurality of projection paths includes image rotation and further comprising:

automatically detecting a preferred image rotation.

34. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

providing a second optical element; and

a telescoping portion varying an optical path length between the optical element and the second optical element; and

wherein

the variable optical path length reducing the optical energy density in an external optical path.

35. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

one or more wireless interfaces operable to do at least one selected from the list consisting of receiving the image for display, receiving the video data stream, receiving an operational command, transmitting an image, transmitting a video data stream, and transmitting an operational command.

36. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

an optical element state sensor determining the state of the optical element.

37. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

a body configuration sensor determining at least one selected from the group consisting of an amount of telescoping portion extension, an internal optical path length, a mounting apparatus state, and a body orientation.

38. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, further comprising:

a controller driving the projection display engine; and

an ambient environment sensor coupled to the controller and conveying information about the ambient environment to the controller; and

wherein the controller selecting at least one display parameter responsive to the information about the ambient environment.

39. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein the first image is the same as the second image.

40. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein the first image is different than the second image.

41. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 25, wherein the second image includes a control field, and wherein the handheld portable projector system optically receiving input from the control field.

42. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 41, wherein receiving input by the handheld portable projector comprises selecting an image attribute.

43. The method for projecting at least one image of claim 41, wherein receiving input by the handheld portable projector via the second image comprises modifying the first image.