Projector and projection method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11170733-B2
Application number	US-202016986284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2020
Priority date	Aug 15, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A projector and a projection method are provided. The projector is coupled to a display card and includes a light source, a light valve, a projection lens, and a processor. The light source provides an illumination beam. The light valve converts the illumination beam into an image beam. The projection lens projects the image beam to the outside of the projector to form an imaged image. The processor receives an input image signal from the display card, and generates a control signal corresponding to the input image signal according to a refresh rate of the input image signal. When the refresh rate is greater than a threshold, the imaged image has a first resolution. When the refresh rate is less than the threshold, the light valve performs a pixel shifting operation, so that the imaged image has a second resolution. The first resolution is less than the second resolution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projector, coupled to a display card, the projector comprising a light source, a light valve, a projection lens, and a processor, wherein
the light source is configured to provide an illumination beam;
the light valve is provided on a transmission path of the illumination beam and configured to convert the illumination beam into an image beam according to a control signal;
the projection lens is provided on a transmission path of the image beam, and configured to project the image beam to the outside of the projector to form an imaged image; and
the processor is coupled to the light valve, receives an input image signal from the display card, and generates the control signal corresponding to the input image signal according to a refresh rate of the input image signal, wherein
when the refresh rate is greater than a threshold, the imaged image has a first resolution; and
when the refresh rate is less than the threshold, the light valve performs a pixel shifting operation, so that the imaged image has a second resolution,
and the first resolution is less than the second resolution.

2. The projector according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel shifting operation comprises dividing each frame of the input image signal into a plurality of sub-frames, and the plurality of sub-frames are projected with a displacement shift by half a pixel such that the imaged image has the second resolution.

3. The projector according to claim 2 , wherein when the imaged image has the first resolution or the second resolution, the imaged image is projected with a same light valve refresh rate.

4. The projector according to claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a buffer, and when the refresh rate is greater than the threshold and the refresh rate is greater than a predetermined rate, the processor obtains, from the buffer of the projector, a latest frame of the input image signal received from the display card, and transmits the latest frame to the light valve.

5. The projector according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage device, wherein the storage device is coupled to the processor for storing identification data, and the identification data comprises at least a high-definition mode and a high-refresh-rate mode.

6. The projector according to claim 1 , wherein the identification data is extended display identification data.

7. A projection method, applicable to a projector, the projector being coupled to a display card, the projector comprising a light source, a light valve, a projection lens, and a processor, the processor being coupled to the light valve, the projection method comprising:
providing, by the light source, an illumination beam;
converting the illumination beam into an image beam according to a control signal by providing the light valve on a transmission path of the illumination beam;
projecting the image beam to the outside of the projector to form an imaged image by providing the projection lens on a transmission path of the image beam; and
receiving, by the processor, an input image signal from the display card, and generating, by the processor, the control signal corresponding to the input image signal according to a refresh rate of the input image signal, wherein
when the refresh rate is greater than a threshold, the imaged image has a first resolution; and
when the refresh rate is less than the threshold, the light valve performs a pixel shifting operation, so that the imaged image has a second resolution, and the first resolution is less than the second resolution.

8. The projection method according to claim 7 , wherein the pixel shifting operation comprises dividing each frame of the input image signal into a plurality of sub-frames, and the plurality of sub-frames are projected with a displacement shift by half a pixel such that the imaged image has the second resolution.

9. The projection method according to claim 8 , wherein when the imaged image has the first resolution or the second resolution, the imaged image is projected with a same light valve refresh rate.

10. The projection method according to claim 7 , wherein the processor comprises a buffer, and the projection method comprises: when the refresh rate is greater than the threshold and the refresh rate is greater than a predetermined rate, obtaining, by the processor from the buffer of the projector, a latest frame of the input image signal received from the display card, and transmitting the latest frame to the light valve.

11. The projection method according to claim 7 , wherein the projector further comprises a storage device which is coupled to the processor, and the projection method comprises: storing, by the storage device, identification data, and the identification data comprises at least a high-definition mode and a high-refresh rate mode.

12. The projection method according to claim 7 , wherein the identification data is extended display identification data.

Assignees

• Coretronic Corp

Inventors

• Chang Hsin-Yueh
• Chen Li-Ming

Classifications

• H04N7/0132

  the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal being multiplied by a positive integer, e.g. for flicker reduction · CPC title

• G09G2340/0435

  Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream · CPC title

• H04N5/74

  Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor · CPC title

• G09G2340/0407

  Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas · CPC title

• G09G5/005 Primary

  Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal · CPC title