Image projecting light bulb

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9405175-B2
Application number	US-201414504560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Jan 17, 2013
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A display system that includes a projector light bulb. The system includes a light fixture with a conventional light bulb socket. A projector light bulb is provided with a socket adapter for mating electrically with the light bulb socket. A projector such as a pico projector is fit into the socket adapter or to mate with this adapter to be powered by the light bulb socket via the adapter. In lamp-type implementations, the projector is used to project onto a lamp shade-shaped rear projection screen or through a translucent shade and also upon surfaces of the ceiling or objects above the projector light bulb. A light conditioning or directing assembly may be provided that directs a portion of the projected light onto the projection screen (or shade) and another portion up onto the ceiling so as to concurrently focus on two or more surfaces at two or more focal distances.

First claim

We claim:

1. A video projector, comprising:
a lamp assembly including a light bulb socket and a harp adapted to support lamp shades;
a bulb adapter adapted for electrical connection within the light bulb socket of a lighting the lamp assembly;
a projector powered by the light bulb socket via the bulb adapter to project light including video imagery; and
a lens assembly receiving the projected light and directing the projected light onto a projection surface,
wherein the lens assembly comprises a first lens for focusing a first portion of the projected light on a portion of the projection surface at a first focal distance and further comprises a second lens for focusing a second portion of the projected light, concurrently with the focusing of the first portion by the first lens, on a portion of the projection surface at a second focal distance greater than the first focal distance.

2. A video projection system, comprising:
a lamp assembly including a light bulb socket and a harp adapted to support lamp shades;
a projector;
a light bulb socket adapter electrically coupled to the projector and adapted for insertion into the light bulb socket, whereby the projector is electrically powered via the light bulb socket of the lamp assembly to project light comprising a stream of video images;
a light projection screen supported upon the harp and providing a projection surface facing the projector, wherein, when the projector is operated to output the projected light, the projection surface is illuminated to create a display; and
a lens assembly with a reflective surface receiving a first portion of the projected light and directing the first portion onto the projection surface and further with a lens receiving a second portion of the projected light and directing the second portion onto a different projection surface concurrent with the directing of the first portion by the reflective surface.

3. The video projection system of claim 2 , wherein a source of the stream of video images is a handheld device in wireless communication with a wireless transceiver included with the projector and wherein the handheld device is one of a tablet, a smartphone, a notebook, a computing pad, a video game controller, and an electronic book.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a lens proximate to the projector to focus the projected light onto the projection surface.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first and second portions are focused at two differing focal distances.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Garlington Joseph O'Brien
• Strong Brent David

Classifications

• F21S8/04

  intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures (F21S8/02 takes precedence; {details of ceiling bases F21V21/03}) · CPC title

• G03B21/12 Primary

  adapted for projection of either still pictures or motion pictures (prolonged exhibition of single frame G03B21/38) · CPC title

• F21S6/002

  Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting · CPC title

• G09F27/005 Primary

  Signs associated with a sensor · CPC title

• G03B21/10

  Projectors with built-in or built-on screen · CPC title