Moving screen image assembler

A device for modifying source image frames to create modified image frames and for projecting the modified image frames onto a geometrically changing viewable surface is presented. The device may include a viewable surface image sampler for outputting surface image frames each including surface image pixels that reflect the geometrically changing viewable surface and a comparator in circuit with the surface image sampler. The comparator may be configured for identifying a number and a location of the surface image pixels of one or more of the surface image frames and for identifying a number and a location of source image pixels in one or more of the source image frames. The comparator may be further configured to thereafter compare the number and the location of the surface image pixels with the number and the location of the source image pixels to determine a number and a location of target pixels. An image modification device may be interconnected with the comparator and configured to receive the target pixels and to reconfigure the one or more source image frames to one or more modified image frames that are reconfigured to fit the target pixels and thereby fit the geometrically changing viewable surface. At least one projector may be configured to project the one or more modified image frames onto the geometrically changing viewable surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject matter described herein relates generally to image processing and, more particularly, to devices and methods for varying a geometry of an image.

2. Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,404 to Smith describes a technique for resizing a digital video image, extending over a given number of source pixels, to meet a different number of target pixels. This technique requires expressing point brightness energy associated with each source pixel as an area that spans two source pixel intervals, each area span having a shape proportional to the energy distribution of the source pixel with time. Creating for each target pixel a sample aperture of a duration which is a function of the resizing factor, sampling the area spans with each sample aperture to provide, for each target pixel, a set of coefficients, where each coefficient represents the proportion of an area span which is within the sample aperture. Thereafter, scaling, with its associated coefficient, the amount of point brightness energy for each source pixel whose area span appears within any given sample aperture.

While the above described technique is employable for resizing a source image when a given number of source pixels and a given number of target pixels are provided, no suitable device or method of identifying various source pixels and various target pixels is available as is desired when it is necessary to project a source image onto a geometrically changing surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a device for modifying source image frames to create modified image frames and for projecting the modified image frames onto a geometrically changing viewable surface is presented. The device may comprise a viewable surface image sampler for outputting surface image frames each comprising surface image pixels that reflect the geometrically changing viewable surface and a comparator in circuit with the surface image sampler. The comparator may be configured for identifying a number and a location of the surface image pixels of one or more of the surface image frames and for identifying a number and a location of source image pixels in one or more of the source image frames. The comparator may be further configured to thereafter compare the number and the location of the surface image pixels with the number and the location of the source image pixels to determine a number and a location of target pixels. An image modification device may be interconnected with the comparator and configured to receive the target pixels and to reconfigure the one or more source image frames to one or more modified image frames that are reconfigured to fit the target pixels and thereby fit the geometrically changing viewable surface. At least one projector may be configured to project the one or more modified image frames onto the geometrically changing viewable surface.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for modifying source image frames to create modified image frames and for projecting the modified image frames onto a geometrically changing viewable surface comprises generating surface image frames each comprising surface image pixels that reflect the geometrically changing viewable surface; identifying a number and a location of surface image pixels of one or more of the surface image frames; identifying a number and a location of source image pixels of one or more the source image frames; comparing the number and the location of surface image pixels with the number and location of source image pixels to determine a number and a location of target pixels; reconfiguring the one or more source image frames to one or more modified image frames that are sized to fit the target pixels and thereby fit the geometrically changing viewable surface; and projecting the one or more modified image frames onto the geometrically changing viewable surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One embodiment of the present invention concerns a device and a method for projecting a source image onto a geometrically changing viewing surface. In this embodiment, an image of the viewing surface is captured and compared with a source image to determine a number and a location of target pixels and the source image is modified and then projected onto the geometrically changing viewing surface in a corrected fashion.

Referring now toFIG. 1, a device for modifying a source image8in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated generally at10. In this embodiment, the device10comprises an image sampler12, a comparator14, a device for image modification16and one or more projectors18that project a modified image20.

The source image8may be generated by any number of electronic components including a live camera feed or recorded video such as that from a digital video disc (DVD) player or a video cassette recorder (VCR) player and may be input to the device for image modification16via a known wireless or wired connection9.

The image sampler12comprises, in one embodiment, a known video camera that provides a frame by frame output that is at least about thirty frames per second. The output of the image sampler12comprises surface image frames17, that each, in turn, comprise surface image pixels that reflect a viewable surface19of a movable/moving object21. The output of the image sampler12may be conducted via a known wireless or wired connection22which may be connected in circuit with a modification device23that includes an optical distortion correction routine24. The optical distortion correction routine24functions in a known manner to reduce distortion in the output from the image sampler12. Output from the optical distortion correction routine24may be conducted to the comparator14via a connection25. It will be understood that the term “connection” as used in the disclosure hereof shall be broadly construed to refer, for example, to a physical connection for hardware or to an interface for a software and/or a firmware program that provides interfacing between any of the components/routines described herein.

The comparator14, in one embodiment a digital comparator, functions to compare on a pixel by pixel basis a surface image frame17with a source image frame8at a rate of approximately at least thirty frames per second. This is to provide an indication of the difference in number of available pixels and relative location of each pixel.

The comparator14may also function to identify a number and location of surface image pixels that reflect the surface image19out of the total number of pixels that make up the surface image frame17. This may be accomplished by having identifiable indicators15such as marks or sensors on the surface image19. The comparator14looks for these locations and generates a number and a location of target pixels. Optionally, in another embodiment and rather than indicators15a surface image recognition program, based on, e.g., available facial image recognition programs may be employed to generate a number and location of target pixels. Once the target pixels are identified, the comparator14may then bound the surface image pixels using a bounding routine and thereafter determine a number and location of target pixels. The comparator14then outputs the number and the location of target pixels to the device for image modification16via a connection26. Also, it will be appreciated that the total available area27that may be projected by the projectors18may also be considered to be a bound area by the comparator in determining the number and location of target pixels. Further, the number and location of source image pixels may be identified by using either a routine to determine those via, e.g., viewer input, described below, or fixed coordinates29.

In an optional embodiment, viewer input28may be provided via a wired or wireless connection30to the comparator14from any suitable device such as a key pad (not shown). Viewer input28, may, e.g., function to narrow the number and location of source pixels of the source image that is compared with the surface image pixels as described above. In one particular example, a viewer (not shown) may choose only a square31for projection onto the viewable surface19.

The device for image modification16comprises, in one embodiment, an image modification routine32and an image modifier34communicating via a connection36. The image modification routine32running on a processor (not shown) and functions to perform the calculations necessary to modify the image as determined by the comparator14and where available, predictive analysis as described below and outputs data describing the necessary modifications to the source image8.

The image modifier34, receives the output data from the image modification routine32and functions to reconfigure the source image8to fit within the target pixels and thereby create a modified image20. The image modifier34may comprise a separate processor (also not shown), or the same processor described above, that is configured to carry out a technique that may comprise that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,404 to Smith, incorporated herein to the extent necessary to make and use the present invention, for resizing an image to fit within a number of target pixels. The image modifier34may receive the source image8, whether or not there is a choice of a preferred number and a location of source pixels in the source image8and the number and the location of target pixels to create the modified image20.

In another optional embodiment, a predictive analysis routine shown at38may be used to increase an efficiency of the comparator14. The predictive analysis routine may be carried out on a separate processor or the one described above and is provided for predicting changes in the number and location of surface image pixels from one surface image frame17to another. This is advantageous for predicting movement of the viewable surface19and thereby reducing analysis by the digital comparator14. Output from the comparator14is input via a connection40to the predictive analysis routine, and output comprising a number and a location of surface image pixels is conducted to the image modification routine via a connection42.

Projector18may comprise any suitable device for projecting an image such as that sold under the trademark CP2000 by the Christie Corporation of Cypress, Calif. Where multiple projectors18are provided each receive and project a modified image20from an optional blender44in circuit with the image modifier34via a connection46.

It will be appreciated that in various optional embodiments of the present invention, each of the components within the modification device23may comprise hardware, separate or integrated software routines or firmware running on a single processor, or some combination thereof.

Turning now toFIG. 2, this figure illustrates a viewer48that is viewing a source image50.FIG. 3shows an example of a geometrically dynamic viewing surface52, in this case, a flag waving in wind.FIG. 4shows a simple projection of the source image54onto the viewing surface52absent operation of the device10andFIG. 5shows a projection of a modified image56using the device10for a viewer48.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown generally at100inFIG. 6. In this embodiment, a method of modifying source image frames to create modified image frames and for projecting the modified image frames onto a geometrically changing viewable surface, comprises, as shown at110, generating surface image frames that each comprise surface image pixels that reflect the geometrically changing viewable surface. Next, as shown at112, a number and a location of surface image pixels of one or more of the surface image frames may be identified. Further, as provided at114, a number and a location of source image pixels of one or more the source image frames is identified. Thereafter, as illustrated at116, the number and the location of surface image pixels may be compared with the number and location of the source image pixels to determine a number and a location of modified target pixels. Next, configuring of the one or more source image frames, shown at118, as one or more modified image frames is carried out to fit the target pixels and thereby fit the geometrically changing viewable surface. Thereafter, as provided at120, the one or more modified image frames may be projected onto the geometrically changing viewable surface.

Technical effects of the herein described systems and methods include determining a number and a location of target pixels so that a source image may be reconfigured as a modified image that fits within this number and location of target pixels. Other technical effects include projecting the modified image and receiving viewer input.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these herein disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover all of the various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.