Lamp Control Patents (Class 353/85)
  • Patent number: 8911095
    Abstract: A discharge lamp driving device includes: a direct-current power supply section (a power supply section) that controls a current of power to be supplied to a discharge lamp from input power, and outputs the current; a voltage detecting section that detects a lamp voltage (a drive voltage) of the discharge lamp; and a control section that controls a modulation factor of a lamp current (a drive current) on which amplitude modulation has been performed, the lamp current (the drive current) which is supplied to the discharge lamp from the direct-current power supply section (the power supply section), in accordance with the detected lamp voltage (drive voltage) of the discharge lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keishi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8911092
    Abstract: An illuminating device for emitting light onto a light modulating element that forms an image in accordance with a modulation signal and irradiates a target to be illuminated with light, the illuminating device includes a substrate on which equal to or more than two phosphors that emit light with exciting light are formed in a band-like form along a predetermined direction, equal to or more than two light collecting units that are arranged for the respective equal to or more than two phosphors, and collect light components emitted from the respective equal to or more than two phosphors, and a driving unit that drives the substrate in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Fujita, Tatsuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8905553
    Abstract: A method of detecting a scanning angle range of a laser beam of a laser projector is provided. First, a photo sensor is disposed between first and second positions on a projection mirror. Then, a laser beam emitted from the laser projector scans back and forth between the first and second positions, so that the photo sensor receives the laser beam sequentially at first and second scanning time points to generate first and second sensing signals, respectively. If an actual time interval between the first and second sensing signals conforms to an expected time interval, an actual scanning angle range of the laser beam is determined as normal. If the actual time interval does not conform to the expected time interval, the actual scanning angle range of the laser beam is determined as abnormal and the laser projector stops emitting the laser beam. A laser projector is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Tse Lin, Kai-Wen Cheng
  • Patent number: 8905554
    Abstract: An illumination unit includes a plurality of light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device configured to emit light from a light emission region including a single or a plurality of light-emitting spots. The solid-state light-emitting device includes a single chip or a plurality of chips each emitting light beam. Three or more of the light-emitting spots are provided within the whole light sources, to allow the whole light sources to emit light beams in two or more wavelength bands different from one another. Two or more of the plurality of the light sources include respective light-emitting spots which emit light in the same wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Miura
  • Publication number: 20140354961
    Abstract: A discharge lamp driver includes a discharge lamp drive unit that supplies a drive current to the discharge lamp, and a control unit that controls the discharge lamp drive unit according to a drive current waveform, wherein the drive current waveform has a mixed frequency drive period including a unit drive period containing a first drive period in which a first drive current is supplied to the discharge lamp and a second drive period provided immediately after the first drive period, in which a second drive current is supplied to the discharge lamp, the first drive current is a half-period alternating current having a frequency higher than 10 Hz and not higher than 300 Hz, the second drive current is an alternating current having a frequency higher than 1000 Hz, and a length of the second drive period is equal to or longer than a length of the first drive period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi SUZUKI, Shun SATO
  • Publication number: 20140354962
    Abstract: A protection method and a protection system against the high-intensity light of a projector include steps of providing a projector which can project, or can be stopped from projection, an projection image onto a screen. A detecting device detects if there is a moving body between the protection system and the screen. A control device controls the protection system to stop the projection of images when a moving body between the protection system and the screen is detected. The control device controls the protection system to return to the normal projection of images when the detecting device detects that the moving body has moved away from the detecting area of the protection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: YI-ZHONG SHEU
  • Publication number: 20140347266
    Abstract: An lighting equipment having an illumination capability and an image projection capability includes a light source unit (110) that functions as a light source for illumination and a light source for image projection, an image formation unit (120) that modulates light from the light source unit based on image information for illumination or image information for image projection to form an image, a projection unit including a lens (130) that projects the image formed by the image formation unit on a projection surface, a control unit (170) that controls the light source and the image projection unit, and a connection unit (200) electrically connectable to an existing lighting equipment attachment member (300).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kasuga
  • Patent number: 8894218
    Abstract: A projector comprising: a discharge lamp; a discharge lamp drive unit that drives the discharge lamp by supplying drive power to the discharge lamp; and a control unit that has a first mode and a second mode as operation modes and controls the discharge lamp drive unit according to the operation modes, wherein the control unit controls the discharge lamp drive unit to supply first power as the drive power to the discharge lamp when the operation mode is the first mode, and controls the discharge lamp drive unit to supply the drive power to the discharge lamp while changing the drive power in a range equal to or less than second power smaller than the first power and equal to or more than third power smaller than the second power when the operation mode is the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsuke Hino
  • Patent number: 8894213
    Abstract: A solid-state light source unit emits excitation light. Fluorescent material layer is formed on each side of a glass substrate of a fluorescent plate so as to interpose a reflective film therebetween. The first optical system optically guides, to a rod integrator, red and blue LED light, and green fluorescence that is generated by excitation occurring when blue laser light emitted from the solid-state light source unit is applied to the fluorescent material layer on one surface of the fluorescent plate, and that is emitted in the ?X direction. The second optical system optically guides, to the rod integrator, red and blue LED light, and green fluorescence that is generated by excitation occurring when blue laser light emitted from the solid-state light source unit is applied to the fluorescent material layer on the other surface of the fluorescent plate, and that is emitted in the +X direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Sugiyama, Hiroshi Kitano
  • Publication number: 20140340655
    Abstract: A projector having at least one laser diode which is designed to emit light, having a laser control device which is designed to control the at least one laser diode, having a first controllable resonant mirror which is designed to reflect the light that is emitted by the laser diode, and having a control device which is designed to control the orientation of the first controllable resonant mirror. The control device is further designed to reduce the power supply to the laser diode and to the laser control device in a first configuration of a power-saving mode of the projector, and to further control the orientation of the first controllable resonant mirror at a resonant frequency of the first controllable resonant mirror. Moreover, a corresponding method is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph DELFS, Frank FISCHER, Marcellino GEMELLI, Alexander EHLERT, Daniel KREYE, Mathias SCHMAUKE
  • Publication number: 20140340656
    Abstract: Various embodiments relates to a DLP (digital light processing) projector for projecting at least one image on a projection surface. A discharge lamp is driven by a current waveform having at least one first region, to which a first frequency is assigned, and a second region, to which a second frequency is assigned, wherein the first region is established by a first commutation and a following second commutation, wherein the second region is established by the region between the second commutation and a following first commutation, wherein further commutations can occur within the second region, wherein a modulation factor is defined by the ratio of second frequency to first frequency, wherein the modulation factor is at least 3. A method for projecting at least one image is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: OSRAM GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Mueller, Norbert Magg
  • Patent number: 8888299
    Abstract: A light source device includes a discharge lamp that has a first electrode and a second electrode opposed to each other in a hollow portion in which a discharge medium is enclosed and a driving device that supplies a driving voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode. The driving voltage is applied to the discharge medium through the first electrode and the second electrode such that the discharge medium emits light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Suzuki, Satoshi Kito
  • Patent number: 8888298
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling a projector. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for controlling a projector that enables a projector to operate even when the temperature of the ambient air exceeds a predetermined temperature, and prevents the operation of the projector from being forcibly terminated even when the inside of the projector overheats beyond a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Soo Park
  • Patent number: 8888300
    Abstract: An illumination unit includes a plurality of light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device configured to emit light from a light emission region including a single or a plurality of light-emitting spots. The solid-state light-emitting device includes a single chip or a plurality of chips each emitting light beam. Three or more of the light-emitting spots are provided within the whole light sources, to allow the whole light sources to emit light beams in two or more wavelength bands different from one another. Two or more of the plurality of the light sources include respective light-emitting spots which emit light in the same wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Miura
  • Patent number: 8882278
    Abstract: A reprojection system which allows a projection to be displayed onto a display screen, and reprojected by that display screen. The display is received on the surface that itself displays, and it is then redisplayed on the surface. The redisplay can be at the same size or at a different size as the original projection. Preferably the redisplay is at the same relative intensity but a brighter actual intensity than the original display. The information is can be received and redisplayed in a number of different ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Harris Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Scott C. Harris
  • Patent number: 8882275
    Abstract: In a light source device, in each division of an image frame, two or more of the color lights X, Y and Z (e.g., red, green and blue) can be projected simultaneously. Each of the color lights X, Y and Z is divided into two in terms of time so that synthesized light of one group of division color lights enters a first spatial modulation element. Synthesized light of another group of division color lights enters a second spatial modulation element, whereby gradation of each color light in each of the first and second spatial modulation elements is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Sugitani, Kiyoyuki Kabuki, Yoshihiro Horikawa, Yoshio Okazaki
  • Patent number: 8876300
    Abstract: An image projecting apparatus for projecting an image includes a light source, a light emitting port, an emitting unit, and a control unit. The emitting unit causes the light emitted from the light source to be emitted from the light emitting port in such a manner that an emission direction of the light emitted from the light emitting port is variable. The control unit controls the light source and the emitting unit to switch between a first projection mode and a second projection mode. When the image projecting apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the emission direction is a front direction of the light emitting port or obliquely upward with respect to the horizontal plane in the first projection mode, and the emission direction is obliquely downward with respect to the horizontal plane in the second projection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ueno, Yasushi Kitamura, Jouji Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 8872985
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide for a modular video projector system having a light engine module and an optical engine module. The light engine module can provide narrow-band laser light to the optical engine module which modulates the laser light according to video signals received from a video processing engine. Some embodiments provide for an optical engine module having a sub-pixel generator configured to display video or images at a resolution of at least four times greater than a resolution of modulating elements within the optical engine module. Systems and methods for reducing speckle are presented in conjunction with the modular video projector system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: RED.COM, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Jannard, Stuart J. English, Gregory Alan Prior, Edmund Sandberg, Ryan Newham
  • Patent number: 8870393
    Abstract: An image projection apparatus that can perform a wall color correction and an ambient light correction obtains a wall color correction parameter by projecting a calibration image for the wall color correction and then obtains an ambient light correction parameter by projecting a calibration image for the ambient light correction, which has been subjected to the wall color correction using the wall color correction parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiro Kawahara
  • Patent number: 8870387
    Abstract: A light source control device and a light source control method each capable of preventing the scroll noise from occurring without being affected by the characteristics of a light modulation device, and a projector equipped with the light source control device are provided. The light source device includes a duty determination section adapted to determine a duty ratio, and a drive control section adapted to perform drive control of a plurality of solid-state light sources by generating a PWM signal having the duty ratio determined by the duty ratio determination section, and adapted to make a phase with which at least one of the solid-state light sources is driven different from a phase with which another of the solid-state light sources is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Toyooka, Kazuhisa Mizusako
  • Patent number: 8864318
    Abstract: A projector includes: a discharge lamp; a discharge lamp drive section which supplies an electric power to the discharge lamp; and a control section which controls the discharge lamp drive section, wherein a period interposed between the switching timings which are temporally adjacent to each other starts in a first period and ends in a second period, wherein the control section controls, on the basis of a correlation pattern which indicates the correlation between a first electric power and a second electric power, the discharge lamp drive section to supply the first electric power to the discharge lamp in the first period and to supply the second electric power to the discharge lamp in the second period, and wherein the correlation pattern includes a pattern in which as the second electric power is decreased, the ratio of the first electric power to the second electric power is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Terashima, Tatsuhiko Nobori, Shunsuke Hino
  • Patent number: 8860891
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing the effective contrast ratio and brightness yields for digital light valve image projectors using a variable luminance control mechanism (VLCM), associated with the projector optics, for modifying the light output and provide a correction thereto; and an adaptive luminance control module (ALCM) for receiving signals from the video input board, the adaptive luminance control module producing a signal on a VLCM bus connecting the variable luminance control mechanism and the adaptive luminance control module, the signal causing the variable luminance control mechanism to change the luminance of the light output and provide a corrected video signal for the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventors: Eddie E. Allen, Thomas D. Strade, Christopher Coley
  • Patent number: 8858000
    Abstract: A projector includes a light source that emits excitation light, a fluorescent body that converts the excitation light into fluorescence, a liquid crystal optical modulation device that modulates light output from the fluorescent body, an optical sensor that detects at least one of the excitation light passing through the fluorescent body and the fluorescence converted by the fluorescent body, and a control device that controls at least one of the light source and the liquid crystal optical modulation device based on a detection result of the optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahide Tsuda, Osamu Saito, Kenichi Shioiri, Shigehiro Yanase
  • Patent number: 8857996
    Abstract: An illumination optical system include a first lens array including multiple lens cells that split a light beam emitted from a light source into multiple light beams, a second lens array including lens cells that the light beams split by the lens cells of the first lens array are incident thereon, and an optical element configured to illuminate an image display element by superposing light beams emerging from the second lens array on the image display element. At least one of the first lens array and the second lens array includes at least two lens cells each having a curved surface that is formed so as to be continuous with a curved surface of an adjacent lens cell, the at least two lens cells being decentered, and at least two lens cells of the first lens array have different radii of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehito Kawasumi
  • Publication number: 20140293245
    Abstract: A projector includes a first dimming control that adjusts brightness of a projected light and a second dimming control that adjusts the brightness of the projected light separately from the first dimming control. When the brightness of the projected light is adjusted by combining the first dimming control and the second dimming control, one of the first dimming control or the second dimming control controls a direction of decreasing the brightness of the projected light before the other of the first dimming control or the second dimming control controls a direction of increasing the brightness of the projected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Tani
  • Patent number: 8845111
    Abstract: The lens shifting device includes: first plate through which video light passes; second plate connected to first plate via elastic member and having projection lens attached to a position into which the video light that passed through first plate enters; slider disposed to project from second plate and housed in first plate to be movable in a predetermined direction; and guide shaft attached to first plate in the state of being engaged with slider and rotated to move the second plate. Elastic member is disposed between first plate and second plate to connect first plate and second plate in the state of generating an elastic contraction force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunitaka Furuichi, Takayuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8840250
    Abstract: An augmented reality environment allows interaction between virtual and real objects. Various surfaces within the environment such as walls, tables, countertop, chairs, floor, ceiling, and so forth may be used as projection surfaces. Qualified projection surfaces are determined, and an initial projection surface is selected for use from these. This selection may take into account user preferences, user orientation, types of image to be projected, and so forth. Other qualified projection surfaces may have visual indicators projected thereon, indicating relative suitability for use as a projection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Rawles LLC
    Inventors: Ning Yao, William Spencer Worley, III, Edward Dietz Crump
  • Patent number: 8840255
    Abstract: A scanning laser projector includes a scanning mirror that moves in a sinusoidal motion on at least one axis. Pixels are displayed by modulating a laser beam that is reflected by the scanning mirror. Pixels are generated using light pulses of different duty cycles based on the position and/or angular velocity of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert James Jackson
  • Patent number: 8833944
    Abstract: A red image is displayed on liquid crystal panel (111) by lighting red light source (101) for a predetermined period. A green image is displayed on liquid crystal panel (112) by lighting green light source (102) for the predetermined period. A green image is displayed on liquid crystal panel (113) by lighting green light source (103) for the first of first and second periods provided by dividing the predetermined period with a predetermined ratio. A blue image is displayed on liquid crystal panel (113) by lighting blue light source (104) for the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 8833945
    Abstract: The present speckle reduction device comprises an optical element intended to be passed through by the coherent light beam to be treated. It also includes means able to cause heating of the said optical element; and a cooling element coupled to the said optical element so as to be able to cool the latter. A control module is configured to control the heating means and the cooling element so as to create thermal perturbations in the optical element, causing corresponding variations in the refractive index of the said optical element. The optical element is a piezoelectric crystal which is excited in a specific deformation mode causing its heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hassan Moussa
  • Publication number: 20140253884
    Abstract: This projector includes a laser beam generation portion, an image projection portion including a scanning portion and projecting an image on a projection area, a beam receiving portion receiving a laser beam reflected by a detection object through a lens, a control portion, and a position adjustment portion adjusting relative positions of the beam receiving portion and the lens in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the laser beam received by the beam receiving portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohei KUKI
  • Publication number: 20140253883
    Abstract: A projector includes a projection portion projecting an image on a screen by scanning a laser beam emitted from a laser beam generation portion, a light detecting portion detecting at least the laser beam reflected by a detection object, and a control portion configured to perform control of accepting an apparatus operation on the basis of a detection result of the laser beam reflected by the detection object obtained by the light detecting portion and control of detecting the breakage of the screen on the basis of a detection result of the laser beam reflected by the screen obtained by the light detecting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji AKAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20140247432
    Abstract: A light source device includes a plurality of light emitting devices connected in series, an open-circuit failure detecting section, a failure detection and maintenance section, and a short-circuiting section connected in parallel to at least one light emitting device among the plurality of light emitting devices. The open-circuit failure detecting section detects an open-circuit failure of the light emitting device connected in parallel. The failure detection and maintenance section shifts to, when the open-circuit failure detecting section detects the open-circuit failure, a circuit state during the open-circuit failure and maintains the circuit state to which the failure detection and maintenance section shifts. The short-circuiting section short-circuits, when the failure detection and maintenance section maintains the circuit state during the open-circuit failure, both ends of the light emitting device in which the open-circuit failure is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigehiro YANASE
  • Publication number: 20140240681
    Abstract: This projector includes a laser beam generation portion, an image projection portion including a scanning portion and projecting an image on a projection area, a beam receiving portion receiving the laser beam reflected by a detection object and a control portion detecting an operation performed on the projected image with the detection object on the basis of the moving state of the detection object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro IZUKAWA, Ken NISHIOKA, Atsuhiko CHIKAOKA
  • Patent number: 8814365
    Abstract: An optical device includes: a light synthesis prism that synthesizes incident light beams which are incident to a plurality of incidence surfaces and outputs the synthesized light beams; a light modulation unit that includes an optical compensation element and a reflective light modulation device; and a fixing member that fixes a reflective polarization element and the light modulation unit to the light synthesis prism so as to correspond to one of the incidence surfaces, wherein the light modulation unit includes a light blocking member that blocks light from reaching the light modulation unit and limits light with which the optical compensation element and the reflective light modulation device are irradiated, to light passing an aperture portion; and a heat insulating member that comes into contact with the light blocking member and the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Iwane, Yoshihisa Aikoh, Hideki Yamamoto, Keisuke Homma
  • Patent number: 8814366
    Abstract: A light source apparatus is provided comprising: a plurality of light sources shining light of different wavelength bands and different luminous intensity distributions; groups of collective lenses collecting light from the light sources; a light guiding device adapted to distribute uniformly the illuminance of the light collected from the light sources; a light guiding optical system collecting the light collected from the light sources to the same optical axis to illuminate the light on to an entrance port of the light guiding device; a diffuse plate wheel disposed at the entrance port of the light guiding device and comprising a plurality of segments of different coefficients of diffusion which are arranged in a circumferential direction; a motor for rotating the diffuse plate wheel; and a light source control device which controls the rotation of the diffuse plate wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Sato
  • Publication number: 20140232996
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source device which has a plurality of light emission regions including a first light emission region and a second light emission region, and is able to adjust the amount of light emitted from each of the plurality of light emission regions, a light source control device which controls the light source device such that, in a first period, the amount of light emitted from the first light emission region is different from the amount of light emitted from other light emission regions among the plurality of light emission regions, and in a second period, the amount of light emitted from the second light emission region is different from the amount of light emitted from the second light emission region in the first period, and an illumination optical system which superimposes light from the plurality of light emission regions in an illumination region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi OKAMOTO, Akira EGAWA
  • Patent number: 8807765
    Abstract: A lighting system (100) includes at least one controllable light source (125) configured to provide a light having at least one attribute; an image renderer (135) configured to render at least one image; and a system controller (110) configured to select the image in corresponding to the selected attribute. The system controller (110) may be configured to receive at least one script associated with different light attributes such as different light intensity or brightness levels, and to change the image in response to changes of the light attribute in accordance with the script.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Markus Gerardus Leonardus Maria van Doorn
  • Patent number: 8807754
    Abstract: A projector adapted to switch between a right-eye image and a left-eye image at predetermined timings to output the right-eye image and the left-eye image alternately, includes: a discharge lamp; a discharge lamp drive section adapted to supply the discharge lamp with a drive current for driving the discharge lamp; and a control section adapted to control the discharge lamp drive section, wherein a period between the switching timings temporally adjacent to each other starts with a first period and ends with a second period, and the control section performs a second period alternating-current control process for controlling the discharge lamp drive section so that an absolute value of the drive current becomes relatively small in the first period, and becomes relatively large in the second period, and an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp as the drive current in the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Terashima, Takeshi Takezawa
  • Patent number: 8807764
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for turning off a projector. The method and apparatus identify a condition to the effect that the projector should not be powered on, identify a condition to the effect that the power draw of the projector is above a threshold value, and instruct the projector to turn off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Horsfall, Andrew David Steers
  • Publication number: 20140226135
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a light source apparatus includes a discharge lamp with a pair of electrodes and a driving unit that supplies a driving current to the pair of electrodes. The driving unit includes an AC supplier that supplies an alternating current to the pair of electrodes and a DC supplier that supplies a direct current to the pair of electrodes. The AC supplier is configured to alternately repeat an AC supply section in which the alternating current is supplied and an AC stop section in which the supply of the alternating current is stopped. The DC supplier is configured to supply the direct current during a period corresponding to the AC stop section. A frequency of the direct current is not lower than 10 Hz and not higher than 1 kHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Suzuki, Satoshi Kito
  • Patent number: 8801193
    Abstract: An image display device including a laser light source device that includes: laser elements of different output wavelengths; a pulse signal generating unit that generates pulse signals based on a video signal; a laser driving unit that drives the laser elements in synchronization with the pulse signals; an optical combining system that combines laser beams, outputs a combined laser beam, and retrieves part of the combined laser beam; a light amount measuring unit that measures a light amount of a retrieved laser beam; and a light amount adjusting unit that causes the laser driving unit to individually adjust a light amount for the each laser element based on a measurement value, wherein the pulse signal generating unit operates in a light amount measuring mode so that emission timings would not coincide one another, and the light amount measuring unit individually measures a light amount of the each laser element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Chihara
  • Patent number: 8801194
    Abstract: A projector for projecting an image light including: a laser light source for emitting a laser beam; a light modulator for modulating the laser beam to generate the image light; a projection portion for projecting the image light; a detector for detecting a fixation degree of the projector; and a controller for controlling the power of the image light on the basis of the fixation degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nakayama, Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Shinichi Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8801192
    Abstract: A light source module and a projector using the same are provided. The light source module includes a monochromatic light source emitting a monochromatic light, a rotating wheel having a light transmitting area and a wavelength transforming area, a filter wheel rotating at a same rotation speed with the rotating wheel, and a dichroic mirror disposed between the rotating wheel and the filter wheel. The wavelength transforming area is coated with a first wavelength transforming material capable of transforming the first color light into a second color light. The filter wheel has a first color filter area and a second color filter area respectively corresponding to the light transmitting area and the wavelength transforming area. The dichroic mirror reflects the first color light to the rotating wheel and allows the second color light to transmit therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventors: Hsiu-Tsu Wang, Yung-Yu Chiang
  • Patent number: 8803447
    Abstract: A light source control device controlling a light source that emits light corresponding to supplied current and a color wheel having a plurality of color segments that converts the light emitted from the light source, the light source control device includes: a current generation circuit, which supplies current to the light source, based on a control signal for controlling an amount of the light of the light source; and a control circuit unit, which stores a plurality of modulation factors corresponding to the plurality of color segments and has a plurality of calculation units corresponding to the plurality of color segments, and which operates the calculation unit corresponding to the segment in synchronization with each segment to thus calculate control information of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20140218696
    Abstract: A light source drive device includes a supply unit that supplies a high-frequency first drive signal and a second drive signal whose frequency is lower than a frequency of the first drive signal to a discharge lamp which has a pair of electrodes, and a control unit that controls the supply unit so that the second drive signal is supplied during a second period after the first drive signal is supplied during a first period and the second period is lengthened as a voltage between the pair of electrodes is increased. It is preferable that the second period be longer than two minutes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20140218697
    Abstract: A light source drive device includes a supply unit that supplies a high-frequency first drive signal and a second drive signal whose frequency is lower than a frequency of the first drive signal to a discharge lamp which has a pair of electrodes, and a control unit that controls the supply unit so that the first drive signal and the second drive signal of fixed durations are alternately supplied and that controls the supply unit so that the first drive signal is supplied in a case where a voltage between the pair of electrodes is below a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 8794768
    Abstract: A projection display device including: an image projection section configured to project an image toward a projection surface; an imaging section configured to shoot the image projected on the projection surface; a location specifying section configured to specify a location of a position indication light based on a shot image by the imaging section; and a display control section configured to set a projection range of the image to a range including an image area corresponding to the location specified by the location specifying section, and to alter the projection range of the image in accordance with the set projection range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takaaki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8794765
    Abstract: A projection unit projects the optical image formed by the optical image formation unit toward a projection target. A temperature detection unit detects a temperature of each type of the semiconductor light emitting elements during light emission. A measurement unit measures an intensity of light from each type of the semiconductor light emitting elements during light emission. A light emission control unit (a) corrects a measurement result from the measurement unit using a detection result from the temperature detection unit and (b) controls the light emission intensity for each of the semiconductor light emitting elements based on the corrected measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Shibasaki, Hiroki Masuda
  • Patent number: 8789952
    Abstract: An image processing device generates image data of a projection image displayed on a screen having a color obtained by correcting a color of original data representing an image to be displayed so that the projection image has a desired color. The image processing device includes a storage section adapted to store a spectral reflectivity of the screen, a designation section adapted to designate a type of an outside light in an installation environment of the screen, a correction light determination section adapted to determine a correction light using a spectral distribution of the reflected light obtained based on the spectral reflectivity and a spectral distribution of the outside light, and a color correction section adapted to generate the image data using the original data and data of a spectral distribution of the correction light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Okamoto, Masashi Kanai, Satoshi Kinoshita