1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector and a related image forming method, and more specifically, to a projector capable of serving a plurality of image sources and a related image forming method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The operation theory of projectors is similar to that of devices for displaying slides or transparencies; i.e. in both of the above-mentioned devices a high brightness/luminance light bulb is utilized as a light source, and the content to be displayed is projected on a white display curtain or a wall. In addition, because a projector provides several different image transmission interfaces, the projector can receive data transmitted by digital or analogue image sources, such as a computer or a television, and project the transmitted images on a white display curtain or a wall, enlarging the image scale and therefore enabling many people to see them. For this reason, projectors are usually utilized in large-scale meetings or home theaters. Modern projectors have become portable, and both size and price have been reduced, therefore giving them great potential in the current market.
Projectors in the current market are generally only capable of receiving images from a single image source. Even if a projector capable of connecting to different image sources simultaneously is utilized, only one image transmitted from one single image source can be displayed at any one time, meaning the user needs to control the projector to switch to different image sources to allow the different images to be seen. Different images at the same time still cannot be seen, however. To enable the user to see images from different image sources at the same time, it is necessary to utilize an external integrating system to integrate images from different image sources into a single image, to transmit the single integrated image to the projector and then to project the single integrated image.
One of the objectives of the claimed invention is therefore to provide a projector for displaying a plurality of images from a plurality of image sources and an image forming method thereof.
According to the claimed invention, a projector for projecting an image is disclosed. The projector comprises: a memory device comprising a plurality of memory blocks for storing a plurality of image data corresponding to different image sources respectively; an integrating module coupled to the memory device for selectively reading the plurality of image data from the memory device, and for integrating at least two image data read from the memory device into an image data stored in the memory device corresponding to the image; and a projecting module for projecting the image.
According to the claimed invention, a projector is disclosed. The projector comprises: a transceiving module for receiving a first image data and a second image data; an integrating module for integrating the first image data and the second image data into an image data corresponding to an image according to a first combination; and a projecting module for projecting the image.
Furthermore, according to the claimed invention, an image forming method applied in a projector for projecting an image is disclosed. The image forming method comprises: providing a memory device and storing a plurality of image data into a plurality of memory blocks in the memory device, wherein the plurality of image data correspond to a plurality of image sources respectively; selectively reading the plurality of image data from the memory device, and integrating at least two image data read from the memory device into an image data stored in the memory device corresponding to the image; and projecting the image.
Therefore, the claimed invention utilizes an integrating module to integrate a plurality of image data corresponding to different image sources into a single image to simultaneously display the plurality of image data and to adjust the relative positions and sizes of the plurality of image data according to different combinations.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
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In addition, the control module 190 is utilized for receiving a control signal triggered by pressing a panel board of the projector, or a control signal transmitted by a remote control, and for controlling the transceiving module 120, the integrating module 140 and the projecting module 180 according to the received control signal. A user can control the memory management unit 140 to adjust memory blocks corresponding to different image sources according to the transmitted control signal, in order to further adjust the relative positions and sizes of the plurality of sub-images corresponding to different image sources. The user also can utilize the control signal to inform the transceiving module 120 to suspend processing of an image data of a specific image source. Alternatively, the user can end a connection with a specific image source, selectively control the sub-image corresponding to the image source to remain in the final image, or utilize the control signal to adjust the task setting of the projecting module 180, such as a focal length or a size of the projected image.
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After the switch unit 290 receives a control signal, the switch unit 290 can provide another combination CFG2 for the integrating module 240. If the combination CFG2 shows that the two display ratios are ½ and ½ respectively, the integrating module 240 scales the mage data D1, D2 according to the display ratios ½ and ½ to generate a projected image 50. Please refer to
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Step 302: Start.
Step 304: Be ready for receiving a package.
Step 306: End all services? If yes, proceed to step 330; otherwise, proceed to step 308.
Step 308: Has the package been received? If yes, proceed to step 310; otherwise, go back to step 306.
Step 310: Read image data from the received package and determine the image source.
Step 312: End the connection? If yes, proceed to step 314; otherwise, proceed to step 316.
Step 314: Remove the connection record from the registration table; go back to step 306.
Step 316: Has the package been transmitted from a new image source? If yes, proceed to step 320; otherwise, proceed to step 318;
Step 318: Search for a memory block corresponding to the image source in a memory device; proceed to step 324.
Step 320: Perform a three-way handshaking operation on the image source to establish a connection with the image source.
Step 322: Allocate a memory block for the image source after the connection has been successfully established.
Step 324: Scale the image data and write the scaled image data into the memory block.
Step 326: Read the memory device to form image data required by the whole image.
Step 328: Project the image; proceed back to step 306.
Step 330: End.
When the projector is powered on, the projector receives the package using the transceiving module, and then reads the image data and the information about the image source from the package. Next, the analyzing unit establishes a connection with the image source and informs the memory management unit to allocate a memory block for the image source. If the connection with the image source has been established, the scaling unit will scale the image data and write the scaled image data into the memory block. Finally, the projecting module can project the complete integrated image according to the integrated image data.
In contrast with the related art, the projector and the related image forming method according to the present invention utilize an integrating module to integrate a plurality of image data of different image sources into an image data stored in the memory device corresponding to an image, and generates a projected image according to the integrated image data to achieve a goal of simultaneously displaying a plurality of images from different image sources.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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93138950 A | Dec 2004 | TW | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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7486337 | Bian | Feb 2009 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1476242 | Feb 2004 | CN |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060242265 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |