초록 ▼

Systems and methods for adjusting a projection mirror of a rear projection device, that may be utilized to properly align an image projected by an image source within a desired projection area of the projection screen by adjusting the positional orientation of an image reflected by the adjustable pr

Systems and methods for adjusting a projection mirror of a rear projection device, that may be utilized to properly align an image projected by an image source within a desired projection area of the projection screen by adjusting the positional orientation of an image reflected by the adjustable projection mirror relative to a projection screen of the projection device based on one or more measured characteristics of light reflected by the projection mirror for projection onto the projection screen.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A rear projection device, comprising: an image source; a rear projection screen; an adjustable projection mirror; an actuator assembly physically coupled to said adjustable projection mirror; and one or more photosensors disposed on or adjacent said rear projection screen; wh

What is claimed is: 1. A rear projection device, comprising: an image source; a rear projection screen; an adjustable projection mirror; an actuator assembly physically coupled to said adjustable projection mirror; and one or more photosensors disposed on or adjacent said rear projection screen; wherein said image source, said actuator assembly and said one or more photosensors are configured to be electronically coupled to position correction and actuator control circuitry. 2. The rear projection device of claim 1, wherein said rear projection device further comprises said position correction and actuator control circuitry, said position correction and actuator control circuitry begin electronically coupled to said image source, said actuator assembly and said one or more photosensors. 3. The rear projection device of claim 2, wherein said image source comprises an array of image pixels, each of said image pixels being capable of selective activation; wherein said adjustable projection mirror is configured to reflect light emitted by said image pixels of said image pixel array for display on a rear surface of said rear projection screen; and wherein said one or more photosensors are disposed adjacent said rear projection screen, each of said one or more photosensors being in position to detect light emitted by an individual image pixel of said pixel array that is reflected by said adjustable projection mirror. 4. The rear projection device of claim 3, wherein said rear projection screen has a rectangular-shaped rear projection surface configured to display a rectangular-shaped image produced by said image source; and wherein said one or more photosensors comprise two photosensors disposed on opposite corners of said rectangular-shaped rear projection surface. 5. The rear projection device of claim 3, further comprising a fixed projection mirror configured to reflect light from said adjustable projection mirror onto said rear surface of said rear projection screen. 6. The rear projection device of claim 3, wherein said position correction and actuator control circuitry is configured to: control said actuator assembly to position said adjustable projection mirror in a first known position; control said image source to selectively activate individual image pixels of said image pixel array one image pixel at a time while said adjustable projection mirror is in its first known position; communicate with said one or more photosensors to sense the presence of said beam of light produced by a first one of said activated individual image pixels and reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in its first known position through a fixed projection mirror of said rear projection device onto said rear surface of said rear projection screen; control said actuator assembly to position said adjustable projection mirror in a second known position; control said image source to selectively activate individual image pixels of said image pixel array one image pixel at a time while said adjustable projection mirror is in its second known position; communicate with said one or more photosensors to sense the presence of said beam of light produced by a second one of said activated individual image pixels and reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in its first known position through said fixed projection mirror of said rear projection device onto said rear surface of said rear projection screen; determine a third position for said adjustable projection mirror based on the identity of said first activated image pixel relative to said first position of said adjustable mirror in combination with the identity of said second activated image pixel relative to said second position of said adjustable mirror; and control said actuator assembly to position said adjustable projection mirror in said third position. 7. The rear projection device of claim 1, wherein said position correction and actuator control circuitry is configured to execute an automatic image position adjustment algorithm. 8. A rear projection device, comprising: an image source; a rear projection screen; an adjustable projection mirror; an actuator assembly physically coupled to said adjustable projection mirror; and at least one measurement light source configured to emit at least one measurement light beam that is reflected by said adjustable projection mirror for display on a surface of said rear projection screen; wherein said measurement light source and said actuator assembly are configured to be electronically coupled to position correction and actuator control circuitry. 9. The rear projection device of claim 8, wherein said rear projection device further comprises said position correction and actuator control circuitry, said position correction and actuator control circuitry begin electronically coupled to said measurement light source and said actuator assembly. 10. The rear projection device of claim 9, wherein said image source comprises a DMD/DLP짰 image source; and wherein said measurement light source is configured to emit a measurement light beam to at least one of said pixels of said DMD/DLP짰 image source chip for reflection to said adjustable projection mirror, said adjustable projection mirror reflecting said measurement light beam for display on said rear projection screen. 11. The rear projection device of claim 10, wherein said DMD/DLP짰 image source comprises four corner pixels; wherein said at least one measurement light source comprises at least three laser diodes configured to emit a measurement light beam to each of three corner pixels of said four corner pixels of said DMD/DLP짰 image source chip for reflection to said adjustable projection mirror, said adjustable projection mirror reflecting said at least three measurement light beams for display on said rear projection screen. 12. The rear projection device of claim 10, further comprising a fixed projection mirror configured to reflect said measurement light beam from said adjustable projection mirror onto a rear surface of said rear projection screen. 13. The rear projection device of claim 9, wherein said position correction and actuator control circuitry is configured to: control said measurement light source to emit said measurement light beam while said adjustable projection mirror is in a first position; measure a length of said measurement light beam that is reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in said first position for display on a surface of said rear projection screen; compare said measured measurement light beam value to a pre-determined light beam length to determine a difference between said measurement light beam value and said pre-determined light beam length; determine a second position for said adjustable projection mirror based on said difference between said measurement light beam value and said pre-determined light beam length; and control said actuator assembly to position said adjustable projection mirror in said second position. 14. The rear projection device of claim 8, wherein said position correction and actuator control circuitry is configured to execute an automatic image position adjustment algorithm. 15. A projection mirror adjustment method, comprising moving an adjustable projection mirror of a rear projection device based on one or more measured characteristics of light projected onto a rear surface of a projection screen of said rear projection device through said adjustable projection mirror. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said one or more measured characteristics comprise at least one of the light path length of said light reflected by said adjustable projection mirror for projection onto said rear surface of said projection screen, the presence of said projected light at a given point on the rear projection surface of the projection screen, or a combination thereof. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising using an automatic image position adjustment algorithm to move said adjustable projection mirror of said rear projection device based on said one or more measured characteristics of light reflected by said adjustable projection mirror for projection onto said rear surface of a projection screen of said rear projection device. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said rear projection device comprises an image source having an array of image pixels; and wherein said method comprises: positioning said adjustable projection mirror in a first known position; selectively activating individual image pixels of said image pixel array one image pixel at a time while said adjustable projection mirror is in its first known position; sensing the presence of said beam of light produced by a first one of said activated individual image pixels and reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in its first known position through a fixed projection mirror of said rear projection device onto said rear surface of said projection screen; positioning said adjustable projection mirror in a second known position; selectively activating individual image pixels of said image pixel array one image pixel at a time while said adjustable projection mirror is in its second known position; sensing the presence of said beam of light produced by a second one of said activated individual image pixels and reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in its first known position through said fixed projection mirror of said rear projection device onto said rear surface of said projection screen; determining a third position for said adjustable projection mirror based on the identity of said first activated image pixel relative to said first position of said adjustable mirror in combination with the identity of said second activated image pixel relative to said second position of said adjustable mirror; and positioning said adjustable projection mirror in said third position. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the presence of said beam of light produced by said first one of said activated individual image pixels is sensed by a first photosensor disposed at a first location on or adjacent said projection screen; and wherein the presence of said beam of light produced by said second one of said activated individual image pixels is sensed by a second photosensor disposed at a second location on or adjacent said projection screen. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein said rear projection device comprises an image source having an array of image pixels, and a measurement light source; and wherein said method comprises: producing at least three individual measurement light beams corresponding to each of at least three of said four corner image pixel positions of said array of said image source, each of said individual light beams being reflected by said adjustable projection mirror while in a first position through a fixed projection mirror to four corresponding and separate positions on said rear surface of said projection screen; measuring the light path length of each of said at least three individual measurement light beams; comparing said measured light path lengths of each of said at least three individual measurement light beams to corresponding pre-determined light path lengths for each of said four corner image pixel positions; and moving said adjustable mirror to a second position, said second position being determined based on the difference between measured light path lengths of each of said at least three individual measurement light beams and its corresponding pre-determined light path length.