Image projection system and image projection apparatus

• US 9,774,835 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yanazume, Shinsuke, Baba, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duley, Janese
• Application Number:
  US14/608,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• 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 image projection system includes a first image projection apparatus and a second image projection apparatus; each of detecting units that is arranged on the first image projection apparatus and detects whether the second image projection apparatus is in contact with or adjacent to the first image projection apparatus; a specifying unit that specifies a positional relationship between the first image projection apparatus and the second image projection apparatus based on detection results; a dividing unit that divides content data into pieces of divided content data corresponding to the respective image projection apparatuses on the basis of the positional relationship; and a projecting unit that projects a first projection image based on a piece of the divided content data corresponding to the first image projection apparatus on a projected object, and interconnects the first projection image to a second projection image projected by the second image projection apparatus.

Claims

1. An image projection system comprising:

a plurality of image projection apparatuses including a first image projection apparatus and a second image projection apparatus;

a plurality of sensors, each of which is arranged on one of at least two outer surfaces of a housing of the first image projection apparatus and detects whether the second image projection apparatus is in contact with or adjacent to the one of the outer surfaces of the first image projection apparatus;

processing circuitry configured to

specify a positional relationship between the first image projection apparatus and the second image projection apparatus in accordance with which one of the outer surfaces of the first image projection apparatus a respective one of the sensors, which has detected contact or adjacency with the second image projection apparatus, is provided on, wherein the processing circuitry determines that the second image projection apparatus is adjacent to or in contact with the first image projection apparatus at a particular side of the housing and is facing a same surface at a same direction depending on which sensor, among the plurality of sensors, detects the second image projection apparatus;

divide content data into pieces of divided content data corresponding to the respective image projection apparatuses on the basis of the positional relationship; and

control projection of a first projection image based on a piece of the divided content data corresponding to the first image projection apparatus on a projected object, and interconnect the first projection image to a second projection image projected by the second image projection apparatus.

2. The image projection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the second image projection apparatuses, wherein

each of the sensors, when detecting that any one of the second image projection apparatuses is in contact with or adjacent to the outer surface on which a respective one of the sensors is provided, generates direction information indicating a position of the first image projection apparatus relative to the one of the second image projection apparatuses, and receives information indicating the positional relationship from the second image projection apparatus that is in contact with or adjacent to a predetermined outer surface of the first image projection apparatus,

the processing circuitry specifies the positional relationship of the first image projection apparatus based on the direction information generated by each of the sensors and based on the information indicating the positional relationship received by each of the sensors, and

each of the sensors transmits information indicating the positional relationship specified by the processing circuitry to the second image projection apparatus in contact with or adjacent to the outer surface other than the predetermined outer surface.

3. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein

the processing circuitry determines whether each of the image projection apparatuses serves as a host or a client based on the positional relationship,

the image projection apparatus serving as the host includes the processing circuitry, and

the image projection system further comprises:

a communication interface that transmits a piece of the divided content data divided by the processing circuitry to the image projection apparatus serving as the client.

4. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein

the processing circuitry determines whether each of the image projection apparatuses serves as a host or a client based on the positional relationship,

each of the image projection apparatus serving as the host and the image projection apparatus serving as the client includes the processing circuitry, and

the image projection system further comprises:

a communication interface that transmits the content data from the image projection apparatus serving as the host to the image projection apparatus serving as the client.

5. The image projection system according to claim 3, wherein

the communication interface causes the image projection apparatus serving as the host to acquire setting information for determining an attribute of an image from outside, and causes the image projection apparatus serving as the host to transmit the setting information to the image projection apparatus serving as the client, and

the processing circuitry changes an attribute of an image to be projected, on the basis of the setting information.

6. The image projection system according to claim 3, wherein

the communication interface causes the image projection apparatus serving as the host to acquire time information from outside, and transmits the time information from the image projection apparatus serving as the host to the image projection apparatus serving as the client, and

the processing circuitry adjusts a timing to project the first projection image, on the basis of the time information.

7. The image projection system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect an inter-device distance, which is a distance between the image projection apparatuses that each of the sensors has detected as being in contact with or adjacent to each other, wherein

the processing circuitry divides the content data based on the inter-device distance and the positional relationship.

8. The image projection system according to claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry controls projection of an image for displaying a warning when the detected inter-device distance is a distance in which the first projection image is not interconnectable to the second projection image.

9. The image projection system according to claim 4,

wherein each of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect an inter-device distance, which is a distance between the image projection apparatuses that each of the sensors has detected as being in contact with or adjacent to each other, wherein

when the detected inter-device distance is a distance in which the first projection image is interconnectable to the second projection image, the processing circuitry controls projection of the first projection image based on a piece of the divided content data that the processing circuitry has divided based on the inter-device distance and the positional relationship, and

when the detected inter-device distance is a distance in which the first projection image is not interconnectable to the second projection image, the processing circuitry controls projection of an image based on the content data.

10. The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein each of the first projection image and the second projection image includes a mark image for position adjustment to interconnect the first projection image and the second projection image.

11. An image projection apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of sensors, each of which is arranged on one of at least two of outer surfaces of the housing and detects whether any one of other image projection apparatuses is in contact with or adjacent to the one of the outer surfaces of the image projection apparatus;

processing circuitry configured to

specify positional relationships of the image projection apparatus and the other image projection apparatuses in accordance with which one of the outer surfaces of the image projection apparatus a respective one of the sensors, which has detected contact or adjacency with the other image projection apparatuses, is provided on and determines whether the image projection apparatus serves as a host or a client on the basis of the positional relationships, wherein the processing circuitry determines that another image projection apparatus is adjacent to or in contact with the image projection apparatus at a particular side of the housing and is facing a same surface at a same direction depending on which sensor, among the plurality of sensors, detects the other image projection apparatus, and

divide, when it is determined that the image projection apparatus serves as the host, content data into pieces of divided content data corresponding to the respective image projection apparatuses on the basis of the positional relationship; and

a communication interface that, when the processing circuitry determines that the image projection apparatus serves as the host, transmits a piece of the divided content data to a corresponding one of the other image projection apparatuses,

wherein the processing circuitry projects a first projection image based on a piece of the divided content data on a projected object, and interconnects the first projection image to second projection images projected by the other image projection apparatuses.

12. A method implemented by an image projection system that includes a plurality of image projection apparatuses, including a first image projection apparatus and a second image projection apparatus, and a plurality of sensors, each of which is arranged on one of at least two outer surfaces of a housing of the first image projection apparatus and detects whether the second image projection apparatus is in contact with or adjacent to the one of the outer surfaces of the first image projection apparatus, the method comprising:

specifying, by processing circuitry, a positional relationship between the first image projection apparatus and the second image projection apparatus in accordance with which one of the outer surfaces of the first image projection apparatus a respective one of the sensors, which has detected contact or adjacency with the second image projection apparatus, is provided on, wherein the processing circuitry determines that the second image projection apparatus is adjacent to or in contact with the first image projection apparatus at a particular side of the housing and is facing a same surface at a same direction depending on which sensor, among the plurality of sensors, detects the second image projecting apparatus;

dividing, by the processing circuitry, content data into pieces of divided content data corresponding to the respective image projection apparatuses on the basis of the positional relationship; and

controlling, by the processing circuitry, projection of a first projection image based on a piece of the divided content data corresponding to the first image projection apparatus on a projected object, and interconnects the first projection image to a second projection image projected by the second image projection apparatus.