Projection system, image processing apparatus, and correction method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818377-B2
Application number	US-201514592732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A projection system includes projection units collectively projecting an image as a whole on a projection area; a generation unit generating correction images including correction points which are used for detecting distortions of projection images based on designated relationships; and a compensation coefficient calculation unit calculating compensation coefficients, based on correction captured images acquired from the correction images on the projection area. Further, margin parts are generated in the correction images in a manner so that parts defining the correction points in the correction images are projected within the projection area while the parts defining correction points in the correction images corresponding to the projection units that are next to each other are overlapped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projection system comprising:
a plurality of projectors configured to collectively project an image as a whole on a projection area;
memory storing computer-readable instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,
generate correction images including respective correction points which are used for detecting distortions of projection images, which are projected by the respective projectors, based on designated relationships between the projection images of the projectors and the projection area,
calculate compensation coefficients, which correspond to the projectors, based on one or more correction captured images that are acquired by capturing the correction images projected on the projection area,
generate margin parts in the correction images, which correspond to the projectors that project the projection images in outer areas of the projection area, in a manner so that parts defining the correction points in the correction images are projected within the projection area while the parts defining correction points in the correction images corresponding to the projectors that are next to each other are overlapped,
detect an overlapped area between the projection images of the projectors next to each other, one of the projectors being a target projector, and
calculate blending coefficients that are used to adjust an overlap between the projection image of the target projector and the projection image of the projector next to the target projector.

2. The projection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to generate positioning markers in peripheral areas of the parts defining the correction points in the correction images of the projectors that project the projection images in corner areas of the projection area, the positioning markers defining reference points that are used as marks in positioning to the corner areas of the projection area.

3. The projection system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to
define a projection target area, to which the image as a whole is collectively projected by the projectors, based on plural reference points which correspond to all corners of the projection area, the reference points being extracted from the one or more correction captured images, and
calculate the compensation coefficients, which correspond to the projectors, based on the reference points.

4. The projection system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,
receive moving instructions to move the reference points defining the projection target area while the image as a whole is projected on the projection target area, and
recalculate the compensation coefficients, which correspond to the projectors, based on the reference points that have been updated in response to the moving instructions.

5. The projection system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a user interface,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,
change adjustment amounts, with a granularity of plural steps, relative to initial positions of four-corner reference points defining the projection target area, based on input from the user interface, and
wherein the adjustment amounts refer to values on an integrated coordinate system where the correction points of the projectors are integrated, and are scaled by using coordinates of the reference points in the integrated coordinate system and coordinates of the positioning markers on coordinate systems of the projectors.

6. The projection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the designated relationships between the projection images of the projectors and the projection area include installation conditions of the projectors and shape characteristics of the projection area, and
wherein the installation conditions of the projectors include a number of installed projectors, an arrangement manner of the projection images of the projectors, and an aspect ratio of the projection images of the projectors, and the shape characteristics of the projection area include an aspect ratio of the projection area.

7. The projection system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,
acquire projective transformation from the projection target area to the image as a whole based on coordinates of the reference points defining the projection target area and coordinates of corners if the image as a whole,
convert coordinates of the correction points of the projectors into a coordinate system of the image as a whole based on the projective transformation, the correction points being extracted from the correction captured images, and
calculate geometric compensation coefficients that provide the projection images projected by the projectors by associating coordinate systems of the projectors with a coordinate system of the image as a whole based on relationships between the correction points on the coordinates of the projectors and the extracted correction points.

8. The projection system according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to generate intermediate images of the projectors from the image as a whole based on the geometric compensation coefficients, and calculate final projection images of the projectors from the intermediate images based on the blending coefficients.

9. The projection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the designated relationships between the projection images of the projectors and the projection area include relative positional information of the projection area relative to the projection images projected from the projectors.

10. The projection system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to,
output initial correction images, which include area designation markers which are to be positioned at a periphery of the projection area, to the projectors that project the images in peripheral areas of the projection area, and
receive moving instructions to move the area designation markers,
wherein the relative positional information of the projection area is acquired in response to the moving instructions to move the area designation markers.

11. The projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to control the projectors to simultaneously output images in which figure patterns defining lattice points are written on a background having brightness greater than or equal to a predetermined value to the respective projectors in the case of initial installations of the projectors.

12. The projection system according to claim 1 , the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configu

Assignees

• Ishikawa Masaaki
• Uchiyama Yukinaka
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishikawa Masaaki
• Uchiyama Yukinaka

Classifications

• G09G2340/12

  Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels · 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

• G09G2320/0285

  using tables for spatial correction of display data · CPC title

• G09G2320/08

  Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal · CPC title