Mechanical system on computer with rotational projector and Realsense™ camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140721-B2
Application number	US-201615199987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to a mechanical system on computer with rotational projector and RealSense™ camera are described. In an embodiment, a device includes three portions: a first portion to comprise a projector; a second portion to comprise a camera; and a third portion to comprise one or more computing system components. At least the first and second portions are rotationally engaged to allow for independent rotation of the first portion and the second portion. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first portion to comprise a projector;
a second portion to comprise a camera; and
a third portion to comprise one or more computing system components,
wherein at least the first portion and the second portion are to be rotationally engaged to allow for independent rotation of the first portion and the second portion, wherein two or more stepping motors are to cause rotation of the projector and the camera along a horizontal axis or a vertical axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising logic to determine a projection surface based at least in part on images of a surrounding area to be captured by the camera, wherein the logic is to cause adjustment to a location of the projector to cause projection of an image by the projector towards the determined projection surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the logic is to determine the projection surface based at least in part on analysis of one or more of: one or more projection surface characteristics, distance between the projection surface and the projector, presence of obstructions on a light path between the projector and the projection surface, and presence of objects or writing on the projection surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third portions are to be stacked with the second portion to be located between the first portion and the third portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera is to comprise a Real Sense™ camera.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are allowed to rotate along the same axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more stepping motors are to cause the rotation via engagement of two or more gears, wherein each of the two or more gears is to be coupled between one of the two or more stepping motors and a carrier for the camera or a carrier for the projector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a hollow tube to carry one or more wires between one or more of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion, wherein the hollow tube is to be disposed in a central location of the first, second, and third portions to allow for relative rotation of the first portion and the second portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a reference disk having an open slot, wherein rotation of the projector or the camera is to be detected at a photo interrupter sensor based at least in part on an open slot in a reference disk, wherein the reference disk is to rotate with the camera or the projector along the vertical axis or the horizontal axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more stops to limit the rotation of the first portion or the second portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a battery to supply electrical power to one or more of: the projector, the camera, and the one or more computing system components.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third portion is to be stationary while the first portion or the second portion are rotated.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing system components are to be selected from a group comprising: one or more processor cores, one or more graphics processing units, memory, projector driver circuitry, a battery, a wired or wireless communication device, a speaker, a microphone, a power supply or converter, solar cells, and one or more input buttons.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is to have a substantially cylindrical shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are to communicate via wireless or wired signals.

16. A method comprising:
capturing images, at a camera, of a surrounding area;
determining a projection surface based at least in part on the captured images;
causing adjustment to a location of a projector to cause projection of an image by the projector towards the determined projection surface,
wherein a device with a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion is to comprise the projector in the first portion, the camera in the second portion, and one or more computing system components in the third portion, wherein at least the first portion and the second portion are to be rotationally engaged to allow for independent rotation of the first portion and the second portion, wherein two or more stepping motors cause rotation of the projector and the camera along a horizontal axis or a vertical axis.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the projection surface is to be performed based at least in part on analysis of one or more of: one or more projection surface characteristics, distance between the projection surface and the projector, presence of obstructions on a light path between the projector and the projection surface, and presence of objects or writing on the projection surface.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising detecting rotation of the camera or the projector at a photo interrupter sensor based at least in part on an open slot in a reference disk, wherein the reference disk rotates with the camera or the projector along the vertical axis or the horizontal axis.

19. One or more computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on at least one a processor configure the at least one processor to perform one or more operations to:
capture images, at a camera, of a surrounding area;
determine a projection surface based at least in part on the captured images;
cause adjustment to a location of a projector to cause projection of an image by the projector towards the determined projection surface,
wherein a device with a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion is to comprise the projector in the first portion, the camera in the second portion, and one or more computing system components in the third portion, wherein at least the first portion and the second portion are to be rotationally engaged to allow for independent rotation of the first portion and the second portion, wherein two or more stepping motors are to cause rotation of the projector and the camera along a horizontal axis or a vertical axis.

20. The one or more computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the at least one processor configure the at least one processor to perform one or more operations to cause determination of the projection surface based at least in part on analysis of one or more of: one or more projection surface characteristics, distance between the projection surface and the projector, presence of obstructions on a light path between the projector and the projection surface, and presence of objects or writing on the projection surface.

21. The one or more computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed on the at least one processor configure the at least one processor to perform one or more operations to cause detection of rotation of the camera or the projector at a photo interrupter sensor based at least in part on an open slot in a reference disk, wherein the reference disk rotates with the camera or the projector along the vertical axis or the horizontal axis.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Tsai Simon
• Ku Jeff
• Sung Gavin
• Zagacki Paul M
• Liu Tim
• Wang Ivan By
• Hamlin Christopher J

Classifications

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N23/51 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• G06T7/80

  Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration · CPC title

• G06T7/40

  Analysis of texture (depth or shape recovery from texture G06T7/529) · CPC title

• H04N5/332

  Electricity · mapped topic