Abstract:
A projector with a color sensor module is provided. The projector includes a light source providing a light, a prism device refracting the light, a reflecting device reflecting the light refracted by the prism device, an optical lens receiving the light reflected by the reflecting device and forming a first light path between the optical lens and the reflecting device, and a color sensor module disposed on a second light path and comprising a light inlet receiving the light reflected toward the second light path by the reflecting device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a projector, and more particular to a industrial projector having a function for sensing light. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows of a conventional light path of an industrial DLP projector. The projector  1  has a light source  10 , a TIR Prism  11 , a DMD  12 , and a optical lens  13 .  FIG. 1  shows an interior light marching between those elements. 
     For achieving the function of light projection, after the light L being emitted by the light source  10 , the light L is refracted by the first prism  111  toward the DMD  12 , and then refracted by the second prism  112  toward the optical lens  13 . Finally, the light L is projected by the optical lens  13 . 
     Such a conventional projector as the projector  1  shown in  FIG. 1  has no color sensor device therein for sensing/detecting the light L. Therefore, the projector  1  is unable to sense the intensity and color of the light L and unable to adjust the light projection. The function of light projection of the projector  1  is limited and cannot achieve the various demands of the market. 
     According to the above description, a novel sensing projector is provided, and the present invention is able to overcome the mentioned drawbacks in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the applicant provides a projector having a light sensing function achieved by adding a color sensor device into a conventional projector. The color sensor device senses the light which is about to be projected. The intensity or color of the light can be adjusted according to the demands of a user. Furthermore, the heat dissipation and the stray light reduction are considerable to the structure of the color sensor device. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a projector with a color sensor module is provided. The projector includes a light source providing a light; a prism device refracting the light, a reflecting device reflecting the light refracted by the prism device, an optical lens receiving the light reflected by the reflecting device and forming a first light path between the optical lens and the reflecting device, and a color sensor module disposed on a second light path and comprising a light inlet receiving the light reflected toward the second light path by the reflecting device. 
     Preferably, the prism device is a total internal reflection (TIR) prism having at least one prism. 
     Preferably, the reflecting device is a digital micromirror device comprising plural micromirrors. 
     Preferably, the optical lens projects an image formed by the reflected light. 
     Preferably, the light inlet and the second light path have respective sectional areas, and the sectional area of the inlet is smaller than that of the second light path. 
     Preferably, the color sensor further comprises: a metal shell having the light inlet, a neutral density filter disposed on the light inlet and filtering the light passing through the inlet, and a color sensor disposed inside the metal shell, receiving the light filtered by the neutral filter and adjusting a intensity and a color of a projection from the projector by measuring the light filtered by the neutral filter. 
     Preferably, the neutral filter has a normal, and the light on the second light path and the normal have an included angle larger than zero degree and smaller than 90 degrees. 
     Preferably, the projector further comprising an outer metal cover connected to the metal shell. 
     Preferably, the outer metal cover and the metal shell are made of an aluminum-containing material. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a projector with a color sensor module is provided. The projector includes a light source providing a light; a first unit refracting the light, a second unit reflecting the light refracted by the first unit, an third unit receiving the light reflected by the second unit and forming a first light path between the third unit and the second unit, and a color sensor module disposed on a second light path and measuring the light reflected to the second light path by the second unit. 
     Preferably, the first unit is a TIR prism having at least one prism. 
     Preferably, the second unit is a digital micromirror device comprises plural micromirrors. 
     Preferably, the third unit is an optical lens projects an image formed by the reflected light. 
     Preferably, the color sensor measures the light while the digital micromirror device is acting. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, a color sensor device for a projector projecting a projection is provided. The color sensor device includes an outer shell with a light opening receiving a light existing in the projector, a light filter disposed on the light opening and filtering the received light, and a sensor unit disposed inside the outer shell and sensing and adjusting at least one of a intensity and a color of the projection. 
     Preferably, the outer shell is a metal shell and the projector comprises an outer metal cover joining the metal shell. 
     Preferably, the outer metal cover and the metal shell are made of an aluminum-containing material. 
     Preferably, the light opening and the received light have respective sectional areas, and the sectional area of the light opening is smaller than that of the received light. 
     Preferably, the light filter is a neutral density filter having a normal, and the light and the normal have an included angle larger than zero degree and smaller than 90 degrees. 
     Preferably, the sensor unit is a color sensor sensing and adjusting at least one of the intensity and the color of the received light via measuring the light filtered by the light filter. 
     The above contents and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional light path of an industrial DLP projector; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a light path of a projector with a color sensor module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an arrangement of a color sensor module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic exterior view of the projector with a color sensor module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purposes of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which shows a schematic view of a light path of a projector with a color sensor module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , the projector  2  is constructed of a light source  20 , a TIR prism  21 , a DMD  22 , an optical lens  23 , and a color sensor module  3 . Furthermore in  FIG. 2 , a control unit  5  electrically connects to the color sensor module  3  and the DMD  22 . 
     The function of light projection of the present invention is identical to the conventional one. After the light L emitted by the light source  10 , the light L is refracted by the first prism  211  toward the DMD  22 , and then refracted by the second prism  212  toward the optical lens  23 . Finally, the light L is projected by the optical lens  13 . However, for the purpose of sensing the intensity and the color of the light L and adjusting the light projection, the present invention includes a color sensor module  3  disposed on a second light path which is beyond the first light path appeared between the DMD  22  and the optical lens  23 . The color sensor module  3  senses the intensity and the color of the light L between the DMD  22  and the optical lens  23 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the surface of the DMD  22  is constructed of a plurality of micromirrors  220 , so, when the DMD  22  is in off-state, the light L from the first prism  211  is reflected to the color sensor module  3  on the second light path in an extremely short time. The color sensor module  3  senses the intensity and the color of the light L′ and creates a data thereof. Then the projection output is adjusted based on the data. Therefore, the status of the light L′ represents that of the light L in a specific ratio. For example, if the data shows that the light L′ is too bright, the color sensor module  3  informs the control unit  5  to Dim the light reflected from the DMD  22 , and vice versa. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which shows a schematic view of an arrangement of a color sensor module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The color sensor module  3  is constructed of an outer shell (a metal shell, for example)  30 , a neutral density filter (ND filter)  32 , and a color sensor  33 . The outer shell  30  has a light inlet  31  and the ND filter  32  is disposed across the light inlet  31  for filtering the light L′ therethrough. The intensity and the color of the light L′ filtered by the ND filter  32  are measured by the color sensor  33  for creating the data of the intensity and the color of the light L′. The light output by the projector  2  is adjusted based on the data. 
     Because the light L′ hits the color sensor module  3  and will cause high temperature rise of color sensor module  3 , the color sensor module  3  has several structural improvements for processing the light L′ and improving the heat dissipation effects. First of all, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the outer shell  30  of the color sensor module  3  is connected to the outer metal cover  24  of the projector  2  and is made of a metal material. Because the outer metal cover  24  and the outer shell  30  are made from high heat dissipation factor material, such as aluminum, the structural connecting relationship can obviously increases the heat dissipation efficiency of the color sensor module  3 . 
     Moreover, for reducing the amount of the light L′ projected to the color sensor module  3 , the sectional area of the light inlet  31  is smaller than the sectional area of the light L′ for obtaining a portion of the amount of the light L′. The arrow and the dot-line are just for representing the direction of the light L′. In practice, the section area of the light L′ is larger than that of the light inlet  31 . 
     Finally, for increasing the filtering efficiency of the ND filter  32  in filtering the light L′, the present invention has a special design for the projection angle of the light L′ projecting through the ND filter  32 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , according to the design of the outer shell  30 , the degree α between a normal N of the ND filter  32  and the light L′ on the second light path is larger than zero degree and smaller than 90 degrees. Therefore, the light L′ is not projected into the ND filter  32  in a right angle and the amount of the light L′ projected onto the color sensor module  3  is reduced. So, the temperature rise of the color sensor module  3  is decreased. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is a schematic exterior view of the projector with color sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The projector  4  is upside-down of that of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the projector  4  includes a TIR prism  41 , a DMD  42 , an optical lens  43 , and a color sensor  46 . Besides, a light shade  44  is further disposed adjacent to the color sensor  46 . 
     According to  FIG. 4 , the light L′ reflected by the DMD  42  passes through the through hole  441  on the light shade  44  at first, and then into the light inlet  45 . Finally, the light L′ is sensed and analyzed by the color sensor  46  for adjusting the intensity and the color of the light which is to be about to be projected by the optical lens  43  by the projector  4 . 
     According to all descriptions mentioned above, the present invention is to add a color sensor in the conventional projector. The color sensor senses the original light projection off light. The intensity and the color of the light projected by the projector are adjusted according to the results from the color sensor. Furthermore, several designs for assisting heat dissipation and light shading are provided to increase the high temperature tolerance of the color sensor. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.