Integrated front projection system with distortion correction and associated method

Patent 6520646 Issued on February 18, 2003. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 22, 2020. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Application

No. 746808 filed on 12/22/2000

US Classes:

353/69, DISTORTION COMPENSATION353/70For projection axis inclined to screen

Examiners

Primary: Dowling, William C.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Florczak; Yen Tong, Ho; Nestor F.

Foreign Patent References

1226687 CN 08/13/1999
197 12 244 DE 10/13/1998
0 773 678 EP. 05/13/1997
0 825 480 EP. 02/13/1998
0 837 351 EP 04/13/1998
0 837 351 EP 12/13/1998
1 018 842 EP 07/13/2012
05297465 JP 11/13/1993
11331737 JP 11/13/1999
2000206452 JP 07/13/2012
WO 00/33564 WO. 06/13/2012
01 43961 WO. 06/13/2012

International Class

G03B 021/14

Abstract

A front projection system and associated method are disclosed that correct distortion for a front projector device. The front projector device is characterized by off-axis optics and a throw-to-screen diagonal ratio of at most 1 which generate distortion including pincushion, keystone and anamorphic distortion components. Further, the projection device has an electronic distortion correction component operable to pre-distort an image prior to projection in order to correct for the pincushion, keystone and anamorphic distortion components of the projector device. Further, an associated method is also disclosed for correcting distortion generated in a projection system by a combination of optical and electronic correction. The method comprises setting a limit on the amount of image information that is acceptable to lose through the optical components, and selecting an optical solution is comprising optics having inherent distortion within the set limit. Then, an electronic correction component is selected that is operable to pre-distort an image to correct for remaining distortion not corrected by the optics of the optical solution.