Patent Application
20080043205
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, explain the invention. In the drawings,
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detailed description does not limit the invention.
Implementations consistent with principles of the invention may relate to adjusting the output of a projector based on the surface on which an image is projected by the projector. In one implementation, a camera may be used to calibrate the resulting color of the image projected onto the surface, resulting in true or at least improved color reproduction of the image.
A “device,” as the term is used herein, is to be broadly interpreted to include a radiotelephone; a personal communications system (PCS) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing, a facsimile, and data communications capabilities; a personal digital assistant (PDA) that can include a radiotelephone, pager, Internet/intranet access, web browser, organizer, calendar, a camera (e.g., video and/or still image camera), a sound recorder (e.g., a microphone), a Doppler receiver, and/or global positioning system (GPS) receiver; a laptop; a GPS device; a camera (e.g., video and/or still image camera); a sound recorder (e.g., a microphone); and any other computation or communication device capable of capturing images and projecting images, such as a personal computer, etc. In one implementation consistent with principles of the invention, a “device” may include a projector that includes or is associated with a camera.
User interface 330 may include mechanisms for inputting information to device 200 and/or for outputting information from device 200. Examples of input and output mechanisms might include a speaker (e.g., speaker 220) to receive electrical signals and output audio signals, a camera (e.g., camera 270) to receive image and/or video signals and output electrical signals, a projector (e.g., projector 280) to receive images and/or electrical signals and project those images, a microphone (e.g., microphone 260) to receive audio signals and output electrical signals, buttons (e.g., a joystick, control buttons 240 and/or keys of keypad 250) to permit data and control commands to be input into device 200, a display (e.g., display 230) to output visual information (e.g., information from camera 270), and/or a vibrator to cause device 200 to vibrate.
Communication interface 340 may include, for example, a transmitter that may convert baseband signals from processing logic 310 to radio frequency (RF) signals and/or a receiver that may convert RF signals to baseband signals. Alternatively, communication interface 340 may include a transceiver to perform functions of both a transmitter and a receiver. Communication interface 340 may connect to antenna assembly 350 for transmission and reception of the RF signals. In one implementation, for example, communication interface 340 may communicate with a network (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a telephone network, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an intranet, the Internet, or a combination of networks). Antenna assembly 350 may include one or more antennas to transmit and receive RF signals over the air. Antenna assembly 350 may receive RF signals from communication interface 340 and transmit them over the air and receive RF signals over the air and provide them to communication interface 340.
As will be described in detail below, device 200, consistent with principles of the invention, may perform certain operations relating to projecting images and adjusting an output of a projector based on a surface on which an image is projected by the projector. Device 200 may perform these operations in response to processing logic 310 executing software instructions of an application contained in a computer-readable medium, such as storage 320. A computer-readable medium may be defined as a physical or logical memory device and/or carrier wave.
The software instructions may be read into storage 320 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communication interface 340. The software instructions contained in storage 320 may cause processing logic 310 to perform processes that will be described later. Alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement processes consistent with principles of the invention. Thus, implementations consistent with principles of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.
Image processing module 410 may include software that receives an image and analyzes the image. For example, in some implementations consistent with principles of the invention, image processing module 410 may receive an image captured by camera 270 (e.g., in the form of a picture) and may analyze the color or intensity of the received image. In one implementation, image processing module 410 may compare the color or contrast of an image captured by camera 270 to another image stored in device 200 and being projected by projector 280. Image processing module 410 may forward image processing results to projector adaptation module 420.
Projector adaptation module 420 may include software that adjusts the colors or intensity of an image being projected by projector 280 (or other settings in projector 280) or to be projected by projector 280. For example, projector adaptation module 420 may receive the image processing results from image processing module 410 and may cause one or more colors to be added to and/or subtracted from an image that is being projected or is to be projected. Projector adaptation module 420 may also or alternatively cause an intensity of a projected image to be increased or decreased.
While the white image is being projected on the desired surface, device 200 may capture an image of the desired surface (block 520). For example, camera 270 may capture a picture of the desired surface. The captured picture may include the entire projection area. In some instances, camera 270 may capture a picture of less than the entire projection area (e.g., when the surface is of uniform color and texture). Camera 270 may capture the picture automatically (e.g., in response to projector projecting the white image) or in response to a user action (e.g., the user pressing a shutter release).
Device 200 may determine whether an adjustment to projector 280 is needed (block 530). For example, in one implementation consistent with principles of the invention, device 200 may identify the projected white image in the picture and analyze the color of the projected white image in the captured picture. If the projected white image is completely white in the picture (or is within an acceptable threshold), device 200 may determine that no adjustment is necessary. If, on the other hand, the projected white image is not completely white in the picture (beyond an acceptable threshold), device 200 may determine that an adjustment is necessary.
If device 200 determines that an adjustment is needed (block 530), device 200 may adapt the color(s) with which projector 280 projects images so as to reflect the determined adjustment (block 540). For example, projector adaptation module 420 may add one or more colors to projected images and/or subtract one or more colors from projected images to achieve the desired result. Projector 280 may, in cooperation with projector adaptation module 420, project the desired image with the adjusted color(s) (block 550).
If, on the other hand, device 200 determines that no adjustment is needed (block 530), device 200 may project the desired image without color adjustments (block 560). In this way, the colors of projected images may be adjusted based on the color, spectral reflectance variation, etc. of the surface on which images are projected.
As an alternative to projecting the white image, in other implementations consistent with principles of the invention, device 200 may simply capture a picture of the desired surface (without an image projected thereon) and analyze the picture of the surface to determine whether a projector setting adjustment is needed. For example, if the picture depicts a green surface, device 200 may adjust the output of projector 280 based on the green surface. For example, device 200 may subtract green from projected images and/or add red and blue to projected images.
While the desired image is being projected on the desired surface, device 200 may capture the projected image (block 620). For example, camera 270 may capture a picture of the area of the desired surface on which the image is being projected. The captured picture may include the entire projection area. Camera 270 may capture the picture automatically (e.g., in response to projector projecting the desired image, at predetermined intervals, etc.) or in response to a user action (e.g., the user pressing a shutter release).
Device 200 may compare the color of the desired image with the color of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 (block 630). For example, image processing module 410 may receive the image that is being projected by projector 280 (e.g., from storage 320) and the image captured by camera 270 and may compare the colors of those images.
Device 200 may determine whether an adjustment to projector 280 is needed (block 640). If, for example, the color of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 substantially matches (e.g., within some threshold) the color of the desired image, device 200 may determine that no color adjustment is needed. Processing may then return to block 610 with projector 280 projecting a next desired image.
If, on the other hand, the color of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 does not substantially match (e.g., within some threshold) the color of the desired image, image processing module 410 may determine the proper color adjustment for projecting the desired image so that the color of the image as projected on the desired surface substantially matches the color of the desired image stored in storage 320 (block 650). For example, if the color of the captured image is greener than the color of the desired image, image processing module 410 may subtract out an amount of the color green from the desired image and/or add in an amount of the colors red and blue to the desired image to make the color of the projection of the desired image more substantially match the color of the desired image. Projector 280 may, in cooperation with projector adaptation module 420, project the desired image with the adjusted color(s) (block 660). Processing may then return to block 610 with projector 280 projecting a next desired image. In this way, color adjustments can be made in on-the-fly as images are projected. Moreover, if the surface on which images are projected changes, the processing described herein would adjust the colors of the projected images based on the new surface.
The following examples illustrate the processing described above in which a camera may be used to determine whether and how to adjust colors projected by a projector. In the first example 700, assume that a user of device 200 wants to project an image onto a surface 710, illustrated in
In the second example 800, assume that a user of device 200 wants to project an image of a white-colored face onto a surface 810, illustrated in
While the image is being projected on the desired surface, device 200 may capture the projected image and a portion of the area surrounding the projected image (block 920). For example, camera 270 may capture a picture of the projected image and the portion of the surrounding area. The captured picture may include the entire projection area. In some instances, camera 270 may capture a picture of less than the entire projection area (e.g., when the surface is of uniform color and texture). Camera 270 may capture the picture automatically (e.g., in response to projector projecting the desired image, at predetermined intervals, etc.) or in response to a user action (e.g., the user pressing a shutter release).
Device 200 may determine whether an adjustment to projector 280 is needed (block 930). For example, in one implementation consistent with principles of the invention, device 200 may identify the lightest portion in the projected image (e.g., based on prior knowledge of contrast in the image that is being projected) and compare the intensity of this identified portion to the intensity of the surrounding area, which is illuminated by ambient light. If the contrast between the identified portion and the ambient illumination of the surrounding area is within an acceptable threshold, device 200 may determine that no adjustment is necessary. Device 200 may then continue projecting the desired image at the current intensity setting (block 940). In some instances, device 200 may actually reduce the projection intensity of projector 280 if the contrast is better than needed in order to save power.
If the contrast between the identified portion and the ambient illumination of the surrounding area is too small (beyond an acceptable threshold), device 200 may determine that an adjustment is necessary. If device 200 determines that an adjustment is needed (block 930), device 200 may adjust the projection intensity of projector 280 (block 950). For example, projector adaptation module 420 may increase an intensity setting of projected images to achieve the desired result. Projector 280 may, in cooperation with projector adaptation module 420, project the desired image at the increased intensity setting (block 960).
The above adjustment processing may be performed once (e.g., in response to projecting a first image via projector 280) or continually (e.g., at predetermined intervals, each time a different image is projected via projector 280, etc.).
The following example illustrates the processing described above with respect to
While the desired image is being projected on the desired surface, device 200 may capture the projected image (block 1120). For example, camera 270 may capture a picture of the area of the desired surface on which the image is being projected. The captured picture may include the entire projection area. Camera 270 may capture the picture automatically (e.g., in response to projector projecting the desired image, at predetermined intervals, etc.) or in response to a user action (e.g., the user pressing a shutter release).
Device 200 may compare the contrast of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 to the contrast of the desired image that is being projected by projector 280 (block 1130). For example, image processing module 410 may receive the image that is being projected by projector 280 (e.g., from storage 320) and the image captured by camera 270. Image processing module 410 may measure the contrast of the projected image and the desired image (e.g., by comparing the lightest and darkest portions in the images). Image processing module 410 may compare the measured contrast of the projected image to the contrast of the desired image.
Device 200 may determine whether an adjustment to projector 280 is needed (block 1140). If, for example, the contrast of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 substantially matches (e.g., within some threshold) the contrast of the desired image, device 200 may determine that no intensity adjustment is needed. Device 200 may then continue projecting the desired image at the current intensity setting (block 1150). In some instances, device 200 may actually reduce the projection intensity of projector 280 if the contrast is better than the contrast of the desired image in order to save power.
If, on the other hand, the contrast of the projected image that is captured by camera 270 does not substantially match (e.g., within some threshold) the contrast of the desired image, image processing module 410 may determine the proper intensity adjustment for projecting the desired image so that the contrast of the image as projected on the desired surface substantially matches the contrast of the desired image stored in storage 320 (block 1160). For example, if the contrast of the captured image is too low (e.g., because the ambient illumination is too high compared to the projected image), image processing module 410 may increase the intensity at which the desired image is projected to make the contrast of the projection of the desired image more substantially match the contrast of the desired image. Projector 280 may, in cooperation with projector adaptation module 420, project the desired image with the adjusted intensity (block 1170).
The above adjustment processing may be performed once (e.g., in response to projecting a first image via projector 280) or continually (e.g., at predetermined intervals, each time a different image is projected via projector 280, etc.).
The following example illustrates the processing described above with respect to
Implementations consistent with principles of the invention may relate to adjusting projector settings based on an image captured by a camera.
The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. For example, while two separate color adjustment processes are described above, in other implementations consistent with principles of the invention, the process described above in connection with
Moreover, it will be appreciated that the processing described in connection with
Moreover, it will be appreciated that as an alternative or in addition to adjusting the color and intensity output of projector 280, in other implementations consistent with principles of the invention, one or more other projector settings may be adjusted.
While series of acts have been described with regard to
It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in the this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that aspects of the invention, as described above, may be implemented in many different forms of software, firmware, and hardware in the implementations illustrated in the figures. The actual software code or specialized control hardware used to implement aspects consistent with principles of the invention is not limiting of the invention. Thus, the operation and behavior of the aspects were described without reference to the specific software code—it being understood that one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to design software and control hardware to implement the aspects based on the description herein.
No element, act, or instruction used in the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
