Patent ID: 8610761

Claim:
A computerized optical system for a projection of three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols onto one or a plurality of surfaces of a variety of different three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, comprising: (a) one or more computers including an operating system, one or a plurality of graphics cards that can support a three-dimensional graphics computer programming language, or a combination or hardware and software that performs an equivalent function, and one or a plurality of computer ports that are capable of outputting video signals which contain a representation of text, images, symbols, or a combination thereof; (b) one or a plurality of programs that can run on the operating systems, and that function separately or together in any suitable order to enable a user of the system to: (i) create or import three-dimensional surface data that defines a geometric configuration of one or a plurality of surfaces of the one or a plurality of three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, to be projected upon; (ii) create or import three-dimensional data that defines a geometric configuration of one or a plurality of text, images or symbols, or a combination thereof, to be projected upon the one or a plurality of surfaces of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof; (iii) correlate into one coordinate system one or a plurality of optical projectors, the surfaces of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, being projected upon, and the data of item (ii); (iv) calibrate optics of the one or the plurality of optical projectors concurrently with correlating the coordinate system, wherein the optics being calibrated comprises at least one of focal length, lens distortion, optical center, or scaling; and (v) display the data of item (ii) using the correlation determined in item (iii) onto the one or a plurality of surfaces of the one or a plurality of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof; (c) one or a plurality of data files containing: (i) three-dimensional surface data that defines a geometric configuration of one or a plurality of the surfaces of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, to be projected upon; (ii) three-dimensional data that defines a geometric configuration of the one or a plurality of text, images or symbols, or a combination thereof, to be projected upon the one or a plurality of surfaces of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof; and (d) one or a plurality of optical projectors operably connected with the computers, wherein the optical projectors function to project one or a plurality of the correlated three-dimensional text, images or symbols, or a combination thereof, originating from the computers, simultaneously or at different times, in a substantially or fully undistorted manner, onto the one or a plurality of the surfaces of the three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, in one or a plurality of different colors, or combination of colors.