Projector having a communication unit which communicates with at least one other projector different from the projector and multiple projection control method of the projector

There is provided a projector including a projection control unit which controls a projection of a background window and computes location information of at least one projection window projected on the background window, a performance sensing unit which senses an object performance on the background window and the at least one projection window, a communication unit which communicates with at least one other projector different from the projector, and an information control unit which controls an operation of each of the at least one other projector, the operation corresponding to the object performance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0098955, filed on Oct. 1, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following description relates to a projector and method of controlling multiple projections. More particularly, the description relates to a projector and a multiple projection control method of the projector which controls an object performance occurring on each projection window, projected by a plurality of other projectors, via a background window.

BACKGROUND

Currently, new types of input interfaces such as a virtual keyboard, a surface computer, and a multi-touching sensing, have been developed. Along with the development of such input interfaces, a user interface which projects a screen, via a projector, where the input interface is made available and enables a user to operate a computing performance on the screen has been being developed.

When such a user interface is implemented through a portable terminal, users may project each user interface screen via a user's portable terminal, and thereby may conveniently exchange information at any time and place. Accordingly, the development of a new technology which may embody information exchange among users via the user interface screen is needed.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, there is provided a projector and multiple projection control method of the projector which projects a background window, enables at least one other projector to project projection windows on the background window, thereby recognizing an object performance occurring on each of the projection windows through the background window, and control a corresponding operation of each of the at least one other projectors.

In another general aspect, a projector includes: a projection control unit which controls a projection of a background window and computes location information of at least one projection window projected on the background window; a performance sensing unit which senses an object performance on the background window and the at least one projection window; a communication unit which communicates with at least one other projector different from the projector; and an information control unit which controls an operation of each of the at least one other projector, the operation corresponding to the object performance.

In still another general aspect, a projector includes: a communication unit which receives projection window information from at least one other projector different from the projector; a projection control unit which controls a background window including a projection window corresponding to the projection window information to be projected on a predetermined location; a performance sensing unit which senses an object performance on the background window and each of the at least one projection window; and an information control unit which controls an operation of each of the at least one other projector, the operation corresponding to the object performance.

In yet another general aspect, a multiple projection control method includes: projecting a background window on a predetermined location; computing location information of at least one projection window projected on the background window; sensing an object performance on the background window and each of the at least one projection window; and controlling an operation of each projector, the operation corresponding to the object performance.

Other features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods and systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems and methods described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted to increase clarity and conciseness.

Terminologies used in the present specification are described below.

1) background window: A background window may refer to a screen projected by a projector according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the background window may be embodied as a transparent screen or a multi touch screen. Also, the background window may be embodied to sense a variety of operations occurring on another multi touch screen projected in a frame form on the background window.

2) projection window: A projection window may refer to a screen projected in a frame form on a background window according to an exemplary embodiment. The projection window may be embodied as a multi touch screen.

3) object: An object may refer to a software entity existing in a projection window. For example, the object may be embodied as a picture, music, telephone book, e-mail, and the like, and may be displayed as an icon on the projection window.

4) object performance: An object performance may refer to an object input of a user. For example, when the user desires to play a video by double-clicking the object on the projection window which is embodied as the multi touch screen using user's fingers, the double-click of the user may be the object performance. Also, when the user drags an object from a first projection window to a second projection window using the user's fingers, the dragging may be the object performance.

FIG. 1illustrates a configuration of an exemplary projector.

The projector100includes a projection control unit110, a performance sensing unit120, an information control unit130, and a communication unit140.

The projection control unit110controls a background window to be projected on a predetermined location. Specifically, when a user moves the projector100towards a particular direction, and inputs a projection command of the background window, the projection control unit110projects the background window to the particular direction.

After the background window is projected, at least one projection window may be projected on the background window in a frame form. The at least one projection window may be projected by at least one other projector different from the projector100, or may be projected by the projector100. Also, the projector100may project a background window including the at least one projection window. A projection type of the at least one projection window depending on each case described above is described in detail with reference toFIGS. 2 through 4.

FIG. 2illustrates projection windows221and231projected on a background window211according to an exemplary embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, at least one projector220and230, which are different from a projector210, may project each of the projection windows221and231on the background window211projected by the projector210. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 2, the first projector220may project the first projection window221on the background window211projected by the projector210, and the second projector230may project the second projection window231on the background window211.

The background window211may be embodied as a transparent screen with a base line of a predetermined color. The first projection window221and the second projection window231may be embodied as a screen having different colors, respectively, to be readily identifiable. For example, a border of the first projection window221may be embodied in a red color, and a border of the second projection window231may be embodied in a blue color.

In this instance, the first projector220and the second projector230may transmit its own color information of the projection window to the projector210. The projector210may identify a projector projecting a projection window on the background window211, based on the color information of each of the projection windows received from each of the first projector220and the second projector230.

As described above, the identification of the projection window may be embodied using the color information of the projection window and various visual information, for example, displaying a unique identification symbol on the projection window.

FIG. 3illustrates projection windows321and331projected on a background window311according to another exemplary embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a projector310receives each projection window information from at least one other projector320and330which are different from the projector310. For example, the projector310receives first projection window information from the first projector320, and receives second projection window information from the second projector330.

The projector310projects a background window311including a first projection window321based on the first projection window information and a second projection window331based on second projection window information. Specifically, the first projector320and the second projector330do not directly project each of the first projection window321and the second projection window331on the background window311, and the projector310receives the first projection window information and the second projection window information from the first projector320and the second projector330and may project the background window311where the first projection window321and the second projection window331are displayed based on the received information.

As described above, the background window311may be embodied as a transparent screen with a base line of a predetermined color. The first projection window321and the second projection window331may be embodied as a screen having various visual information, for example, a unique color, to be identified.

FIG. 4illustrates projection windows412and421projected on a background window411according to still another exemplary embodiment.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a projector410projects the background window411, and a first projector420projects a first projection window421on the background window411. In this instance, the background window411may be embodied to include a second projection window412. Specifically, the projector410may project the background window411including the second projection window412, and the first projector420may project the first projection window421on the background window411.

As described above, the background window411may be embodied as a transparent screen with a base line of a predetermined color. The first projection window421and the second projection window412may be embodied as a screen having various visual information, for example, a unique color, to be readily identifiable.

Referring again toFIG. 1, the projection control unit110computes location information of the at least one projection window projected on the background window. The projection control unit110may compute the location information of each of the at least one projection window using a coordinate plane corresponding to the background window. For example, when the background window is a rectangle having a width of 160 cm and a length of 90 cm, the background window may correspond to a coordinate plane having an x-axis ranging 0 to 160 and a y-axis ranging 0 to 90. A unit of the x-axis and y-axis of the coordinate plane may be set as arbitrary unit (AU) according to a determination of a designer of the system.

The projection control unit110recognizes the background window as the coordinate plane, and computes coordinates of each of the at least one projection window projected on the background window. The coordinates of each of the at least one projection window may be embodied as coordinates corresponding to four corners of each of the at least one projection window. For example, coordinates of the projection window in the coordinate plane may be embodied as (A, B, C, D)=((20, 60), (50, 60), (50, 40), (20, 40)).

Also, the location information of each of the at least one projection window may be embodied as a vector of four corners of each of the at least one projection window. In the example described above, the coordinates of the projection window may be embodied as (A, B, C, D), and each of A, B, C, and D may be embodied as a two-dimensional vector of each of the corners with respect to an origin of the coordinate plane.

In addition to the above described location information computation method using coordinates and vector, a variety of methods used in the related art to compute a location of projection window projected on the background window may be used.

The performance sensing unit120senses an object performance occurring due to user input, on the background window and the at least one projection window.

As described above, the object performance covers a movement and performance of an object through a user's multi touch sensing input, on the background window and the at least one projection window embodied as the multi touch screen. Also, the object performance includes a variety of performances of the object due to the user's multi touch sensing input, for example, a deletion, rotation, maximization, and minimization of the object as well as the movement and performance of the object.

The performance sensing unit120senses an object performance occurring on the background window. Specifically, the performance sensing unit120senses an object performance occurring on a projection window projected on the background window as well as the object performance occurring on the background window. An object movement between projection windows may be included in an embodiment of the object performance, which is described in detail with reference toFIG. 5.

FIG. 5is a diagram illustrating an object performance with respect to an object movement among projection windows according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 5, it is illustrated that a projector510projects a background window511, a first projector520projects a first projection window521on the background window511, and a second projector530projects a second projection window531on the background window511. Also, the first projection window521includes a first object522.

When a user drags the first object522from the first projection window521to a second projection window531through a multi touch sensing, the projector510senses an object performance with respect to the movement of the first object522. Specifically, a performance sensing unit120included in the projector510may sense the object performance.

The projector510may sense the object performance through a movement of a user's fingers. Specifically, since the background window511, the first projection window521, and the second projection window531are embodied as a multi touch screen, the projector510may sense the object performance by sensing the movement of the user's fingers in contact with the background window511.

In this instance, while the first object522is located on the first projection window521, the projector510and the first projector520may sense the object performance. Also, while the first object522is located in the background window511excluding the first projection window521and the second projection window531, the projector510may sense the object performance. Also, while the first object522is located in the second projection window531, the projector510and the second projector530may sense the object performance.

As described above, the object performance with respect to the movement of the first object522may be sensed by the projector510via the background window511. Accordingly, the projector510may sense that the object performance is the movement from the first projection window521to the second projection window531.

Also, the object performance may be embodied to include the movement from a projection window to another projection window (1:1 movement) as described above, as well as a movement from a projection window to a plurality of other projection windows (1:N movement), and a movement from a plurality of projection windows to another projection window (N:1 movement).

Also, the object performance may be embodied to include a variety of operations of the object such as a copy, performance, and deletion of the object as well as the movement of the object.

Referring again toFIG. 1, a network connection among the projector100and at least one other projector may be available via the communication unit140. For this, the communication unit140may be embodied to include a local area communication module such as a Bluetooth module, Zigbee module, Ultra Wideband (UWB) module, and the like.

The information control unit130controls an operation of each of the at least one other projector. The operation corresponds to the object performance sensed by the performance sensing unit120. For example, as described with reference toFIG. 5, when the object performance is the movement of the first object522from the first projection window521to the second projection window531, the information control unit130controls the first projector520to transmit data corresponding to the first object522to the second projector530.

As described above, the information control unit130may control an operation of the at least one other projector, connected via the communication unit140, in order to embody an operation corresponding to the object performance sensed by the performance sensing unit120.

As described above, the performance sensing unit120may sense the object performance occurring on the background window as well as a projection window performance.

The projection window performance refers to a performance inputted by the user with respect to the at least one projection window projected on the background window. Various embodiments of the projection window performance are described in detail with reference toFIGS. 6 through 10.

FIG. 6illustrates a projection window performance when two projection windows are overlapped according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 6, it is illustrated that a projector610projects a background window611, a first projector620projects a first projection window621on the background window611, and a second projector630projects a second projection window631on the background window611.

In this instance, as illustrated inFIG. 6, the first projection window621and the second projection window631may be projected to overlap an area as large as a predetermined area632. As described above, location information of the first projection window621and the second projection window631is computed by a projection control unit110, and thus the projector610may sense that the first projection window621and the second projection window631may be projected to be overlapped in the predetermined area632via a performance sensing unit120.

In this case, an information control unit120of the projector610may control the second projector630to inactivate the overlapped predetermined area632and project the second projection window631. Specifically, the information control unit120may control the second projector630to project the second projection window631excluding the overlapped predetermined area632. In this instance, the first projection window621is in an active mode where an object is performed or contact of user's fingers is sensed. The second projection window631is in a sleep mode where the object is not performed or the contact of user's fingers is not sensed.

Also, the information control unit120may control the first projector620to inactivate the overlapped predetermined area632and project the first projection window621. Specifically, the information control unit120may control the first projector620to project the first projection window621excluding the overlapped predetermined area632. In this instance, the second projection window631is in the active mode where the object is performed or contact of user's fingers is sensed. The first projection window621is in the sleep mode where the object is not performed or the contact of user's fingers is not sensed.

FIG. 7illustrates a projection window performance when a projection window is unobstructed by a background window according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 7, it is illustrated that a projector710projects a background window711, a first projector720projects a first projection window721and722, and a second projector730projects a second projection window731and732.

In this instance, as illustrated inFIG. 7, the first projection window721and722may be projected to have as large an area unobstructed by the background window711as a first area722, and the second projection window731and732may be projected to have as large an area unobstructed by the background window711as a second area732.

The projector710compares first projection window information, received from the first projector720, to location information of the first projection window721, projected on the background window711, and thereby may recognize that the first area722is projected to have an area unobstructed by the background window711, which may be applicable with respect to the second projection window731and732in the same way. In this case, the projector710may be operated to sense an object performance occurring on the first projection window721and the second projection window731projected on the background window711. Also, the first projector720and the second projector730may be operated to control an object performance occurring in the first area722and the second area732.

FIG. 8illustrates a projection window performance with respect to a parallel movement of a projection window according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 8, it is illustrated that a projector810projects a background window811, and a first projector820projects a first projection window821. In this instance, a projection window performance where a parallel movement of the first projection window821is performed from a first area822to a second area823through a user's multi touch sensing input may occur.

In this case, a performance sensing unit120of the projector810senses the projection window performance, and a projection control unit110computes location information about the second area823where the first projection window821is parallelly moved. An information control unit130may control the first projector820to project the first projection window821on the second area823based on the computed location information.

FIG. 9illustrates a projection window performance with respect to a rotational movement of a projection window according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 9, it is illustrated that a projector910projects a background window911, and a first projector920projects a first projection window921. In this instance, a projection window performance where a rotational movement of the first projection window921is performed from a first area922to a second area923through a user's multi touch sensing input may occur.

In this case, a performance sensing unit120of the projector910senses the projection window performance, and a projection control unit110computes location information about the second area923where the first projection window921is rotated. An information control unit130may control the first projector920to project the first projection window921on the second area923based on the computed location information.

FIG. 10illustrates a projection window performance with respect to a maximization of a projection window according to an exemplary embodiment.

InFIG. 10, it is illustrated that a projector1010projects a background window1011, a first projector1020projects a first projection window1021, and a second projector1030projects a second projection window1031. In this instance, a projection window performance where a maximization of the first projection window1021to the background window1011may be performed through a user's multi touch sensing input may occur.

In this case, a performance sensing unit120of the projector1010senses the projection window performance, and a projection control unit110computes size information of the background window1011using location information of the background window1011. An information control unit130transmits the size information to the first projector1020, and thereby may control the first projector1020to project the first projection window1021having the same size as the background window1011on the background window1011. In this instance, the projector1010may control the second projection window1031to be minimized and displayed on a bottom area1040of the background window1011.

FIG. 11illustrates an exemplary multiple projection control method of a projector.

In operation1111, the projector projects a background window on a predetermined location. The background window and a projection window may be embodied as multi touch screens.

In operation1112, the projector computes location information of at least one projection window projected on the background window. In this instance, the at least one projection window may be projected by at least one other projector different from the projector. Also, the at least one projection window may be projected by receiving projection window information from the at least one other projector and including the at least one projection window in the background window. The at least one projection window may be embodied as the multi touch screen. The projector sets the background window as a coordinate plane, computes coordinates or vector of each of the at least one projection window with respect to the coordinate plane, and thereby may compute location information of the at least one projection window.

In operation1113, the projector senses an object performance occurring on the at least one projection window and the background window or a projection window performance. The object is a software entity included in the at least one projection window.

The object performance covers a movement of an object on the background window and each of the at least one projection window and a performance of the object on the at least one projection window through a user's multi touch sensing input. Also, the projection window performance includes a parallel movement, rotational movement, maximization, minimization, and overlapping with another projection window of each of the at least one projection window with respect to the background window.

In operation1114, the projector controls an operation of each projector. The operation corresponds to the object performance. For example, when an object performance where an object of a first projection window moves to a second projection window through the user's input is sensed, the projector may control data corresponding to the object of the first projection window to be transmitted from a first projector to a second projector.

Although a multiple projection control method has been described with reference toFIG. 11, it is apparent to those skilled in the related art that a multiple projection control method may be embodied to include all multiple projection control operations of the projector described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 10.

According to certain embodiments described above, there is provided a projector and multiple projection control method of the projector which projects a background window, enables at least one other projector to project projection windows on the background window, thereby recognizing an object performance occurring on each of the projection windows through the background window, and control a corresponding operation of each of the at least one other projectors.