System and method for image projection mapping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11435656-B1
Application number	US-201916274324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A system including a drone having a projector to project an image from a projection origin. The drone also has a navigation unit to determine location information for the drone. A processor coupled to the drone includes a memory. Execution of programming by the processor configures the system to obtain a projection surface architecture for a projection surface. The projection surface architecture includes reference points that correspond to physical locations on the projection surface. Each reference point is associated with relationship data with respect to an architecture origin. The system also receives location information for the drone, adapts the relationship data responsive to change in the location information, adjusts the image using the adapted relationship data, and projects the adjusted image onto the projection surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a drone including a projector configured to project an image from a projection origin and a navigation unit configured to determine location information for the drone, the location information associated with the projection origin;
a processor coupled to the drone;
a memory accessible to the processor; and
programming in the memory, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the system to perform functions, including functions to:
obtain a projection surface architecture for a projection surface, the projection surface architecture including reference points that correspond to physical locations on the projection surface, each reference point associated with relationship data with respect to an architecture origin;
receive the location information for the drone from the navigation unit;
adapt the relationship data responsive to change in the location information with respect to the architecture origin;
adjust the image using the adapted relationship data; and
project the adjusted image by the projector from the projection origin onto the projection surface.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the relationship data is one of a distance between the projection origin and the architecture origin of each of the reference points, an orientation of the drone with respect to the architecture origin of each of the reference points, or combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the adaptation of the relationship data compensates for differences in the relationship data due to a difference between the location information and the architecture origin.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programming in the memory further includes functions for execution by the processor to:
identify the projection origin associated with the changed location information of the drone determined by the navigation unit as an origin position marker;
record the reference points as reference position markers for the projection surface with respect to the origin position marker; and
generate the projection surface architecture using the recorded reference points.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the drone further includes an imager coupled to the processor and the programming in the memory further includes functions to:
position the drone relative to the projection surface such that the projection origin is within a field of view of the imager; and
identify distinct areas on the projection surface as the reference points for the projection surface with the imager.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection surface comprises a first portion and a second portion and the processor is configured to project the adjusted image onto one of the first portion, the second portion, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the adjusted image includes an adjusted background image and an adjusted foreground image and wherein the adjusted background image is projected onto the first portion and the adjusted foreground image is projected onto the second portion.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection surface is a surface of one of a stationary object or a moving object.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is a continuous image.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is adjusted to prevent distortion on the image projected onto the projection surface due to movement of the drone.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the projection surface architecture is a map of the projection surface.

12. A system comprising:
a first drone including a projector configured to project a first image from a first projection origin and a first navigation unit configured to determine first location information for the first drone, wherein the first location information is associated with the first projection origin;
a second drone including a projector configured to project a second image from a second projection origin and a second navigation unit configured to determine second location information for the second drone, wherein the second image is different from the first image, wherein the second location information is associated with the second projection origin and is different from the first location information;
a processor coupled to the first drone and the second drone;
a memory accessible to the processor; and
programming in the memory, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the system to perform functions, including functions to:
obtain a projection surface architecture for a projection surface of an object, the projection surface architecture including a plurality of reference points that correspond to the physical locations on the projection surface of the object;
coordinate the first drone with the second drone;
project the first image onto a first portion of the projection surface of the object utilizing a first set of reference points among the plurality of reference points; and
project the second image onto a second portion of the projection surface of the object utilizing a second set of reference points among the plurality of reference points.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first image and the second image are projected simultaneously.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first image is projected at a first time and the second image is projected at a second time, wherein the first time is different from the second time.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of reference points correspond to physical locations on the projection surface,
wherein the first set of reference points among the plurality of reference points correspond to the physical locations on the first portion of the projection surface and the first set of reference points are associated with first relationship data with respect to a first architecture origin, wherein the first relationship data comprises one of a distance between the first projection origin and the first architecture origin of each of the first set of reference points, an orientation of the first drone with respect to the architecture origin of each of the first set of reference points or combinations thereof, and
wherein the second set of reference points among the plurality of reference points correspond to the physical locations on the second portion of the projection surface and the second set of reference points are associated with second relationship data with respect to a second architecture origin, wherein the second relationship data comprises one of a distance between the second projection origin and the second architecture origin of each of the second set of reference points, an orientation of the second drone with respect to the architecture origin of each of the second set of reference points or combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the object is one of a stationary object or a moving object.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the object is the stationary object and the processor is configured to:
receive a change in the first location information for the first drone from the first navigation unit of the first drone;
adapt the first relationship data responsive to change in the first location information with respect to the first projection origin;
adjust the first image using the adapted first relationship data; and
project the adjusted first image by the projector from the first projection origin onto the first portion of the projection surface.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the object is the moving object and the proc

Assignees

• Nielsen Simon Saito Haagen
• Conatser Zachary Collins
• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Nielsen Simon Saito Haagen
• Conatser Zachary Collins

Classifications

• G09F21/06

  by aeroplanes, airships, balloons, or kites · CPC title

• H04N9/3194

  including sensor feedback · CPC title

• H04N9/3185

  Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• G09F19/18

  involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds (projection apparatus per se G03B) · CPC title

• G03B29/00

  Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03) · CPC title