# US 12,003,898 B2 · Projector and projection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,898 B2 - Document ID: US12003898B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/954,328 - Filed: 2022-09-28 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-29 - Assignees: Coretronic Corporation - Applicants: Coretronic Corporation - Inventors: Chun-Chieh Wang; Fan-Chieh Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003898B2 ## CPC - H04N 9/3185: {Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14)} - G01S 7/4865: Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak (peak detection in noise, signal conditioning G01S7/487) - G01S 7/4915: Time delay measurement, e.g. operational details for pixel components (signal extraction and conditioning G01S7/493); Phase measurement - G01S 17/08: for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - G06T 5/80: Geometric correction - G06T 7/60: Analysis of geometric attributes - G06V 10/247: {by affine transforms, e.g. correction due to perspective effects; Quadrilaterals, e.g. trapezoids} - G06V 30/1607: {Correcting image deformation, e.g. trapezoidal deformation caused by perspective} - H04N 9/3147: {Multi-projection systems (video walls G06F3/1446)} - H04N 9/317: {Convergence or focusing systems (electronic adjustment of convergence H04N9/3185; convergence or focusing arrangements for cathode ray tubes H04N9/28; means for automatic focusing of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/53)} - H04N 9/3194: {including sensor feedback} - G06T 2207/30168: Image quality inspection - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A projector and a projection method are provided. The projector includes a control device, a projection optical engine, a distance sensing device, and an image capturing device. The projection optical engine projects a first projection image to a projection surface according to first image data. The distance sensing device senses multiple distance parameters of a projection area. The image capturing device captures the first projection image to obtain a first captured image. The control device performs a keystone correction operation and a leveling correction operation on the first image data. The projection optical engine projects a second projection image to the projection surface according to the corrected first image data. The control device obtains a second captured image including the second projection image through the image capturing device, and analyzes the second captured image to project current projection image size information in the second projection image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A projector, comprising: a control device, configured to output first image data; a projection optical engine, coupled to the control device, configured to receive the first image data to project a first projection image to a projection surface according to the first image data; a distance sensing device, coupled to the control device, configured to sense a plurality of distance parameters of a projection area, wherein the first projection image is displayed in the projection area; and an image capturing device, coupled to the control device, configured to capture the first projection image to obtain a first captured image, wherein the control device is configured to perform at least one of a keystone correction operation and a leveling correction operation on the first image data according to at least one of the distance parameters and the first captured image, and the projection optical engine projects a second projection image to the projection surface according to corrected first image data, wherein the control device obtains a second captured image comprising the second projection image through the image capturing device, and analyzes the second captured image to project current projection image size information in the second projection image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device comprises: an image processor, coupled to the projection optical engine; and a microcontroller, coupled to the distance sensing device, the image capturing device, and the image processor, configured to generate a correction signal according to at least one of the distance parameters and the first captured image and configured to output the correction signal to the image processor, so that the image processor performs at least one of the keystone correction operation and the leveling correction operation on the first image data according to the correction signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The projector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to analyze the second captured image to generate the current projection image size information, the control device outputs the current projection image size information to the projection optical engine, so that the projection optical engine displays the current projection image size information in the second projection image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keystone correction operation comprises performing keystone correction on the first image data in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The projector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control device obtains at least one of a first inclination angle in the vertical direction and a second inclination angle in the horizontal direction between the projector and the projection surface according to at least one of the distance parameters and the first captured image, and performs the keystone correction operation on the first image data according to at least one of the first inclination angle and the second inclination angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sensing range of the distance sensing device on the projection surface covers the projection area, and the control device determines whether the projection surface is even in the projection area according to the distance parameters, so as to determine whether to perform the leveling correction operation on the first image data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first projection image comprises a plurality of reference patterns arranged periodically, and wherein the control device is configured to analyze an interval change between the reference patterns to determine whether to perform the leveling correction operation on the first image data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance sensing device comprises: an infrared light source, coupled to the control device, configured to emit a plurality of infrared rays toward at least one image area of the first projection image on the projection surface; and at least one time of flight ranging sensor, coupled to the control device, configured to sense a plurality of reflected infrared rays reflected by the projection surface to output the distance parameters to the control device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to determine whether the second projection image is clear to output focal length correction data to the projection optical engine, and the projection optical engine automatically adjusts a focal length. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projector is an ultra-short throw projector. ### Claim 11 A projection method, comprising: outputting first image data by a control device; receiving the first image data by a projection optical engine, so as to project a first projection image to a projection surface according to the first image data; sensing a plurality of distance parameters of a projection area by a distance sensing device, wherein the first projection image is displayed in the projection area; capturing the first projection image to obtain a first captured image by an image capturing device; performing at least one of a keystone correction operation and a leveling correction operation on the first image data by the control device according to at least one of the plurality of distance parameters and the first captured image; projecting a second projection image to the projection surface by the projection optical engine according to corrected first image data; and obtaining a second captured image comprising the second projection image by the image capturing device, and analyzing the second captured image by the control device to project current projection image size information in the second projection image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control device further comprises a microcontroller and an image processor, and performing at least one of the keystone correction operation and the leveling correction operation on the first image data by the control device according to at least one of the plurality of distance parameters and the first captured image comprises: generating a correction signal by the microcontroller according to the distance parameters and the first captured image, and outputting the correction signal to the image processor; performing the keystone correction operation and the leveling correction operation on the first image data by the image processor according to the correction signal; and providing the corrected first image data to the projection optical engine by the image processor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The projection method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: analyzing the second captured image by the microcontroller to generate the current projection image size information and outputting the current projection image size information to the projection optical engine; and displaying the current projection image size information in the second projection image by the projection optical engine. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the keystone correction operation comprises performing keystone correction on the first image data in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The projection method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the keystone correction operation comprises: obtaining at least one of a first inclination angle in the vertical direction and a second inclination angle in the horizontal direction between the projector and the projection surface by the control device according to at least one of the distance parameters and the first captured image; and performing the keystone correction operation on the image data according to at least one of the first inclination angle and the second inclination angle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a sensing range of the distance sensing device on the projection surface covers the projection area, and the leveling correction operation comprises: determining whether the projection surface is even in the projection area by the control device according to the distance parameters, so as to determine whether to perform the leveling correction operation on the first image data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first projection image comprises a plurality of reference patterns arranged periodically, and the leveling correction operation comprises: analyzing an interval change between the reference patterns by the control device to determine whether to perform the leveling correction operation on the first image data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the distance sensing device comprises an infrared light source and at least one time of flight ranging sensor, and sensing the distance parameters of the projection area by the distance sensing device comprises: emitting a plurality of infrared rays toward at least one image area of the first projection image on the projection surface by the infrared light source; and sensing a plurality of reflected infrared rays reflected by the projection surface by the at least one time of flight ranging sensor, so as to output the distance parameters to the control device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: determining whether the second projection image is clear by the control device to output focal length correction data to the projection optical engine, so that the projection optical engine automatically adjusts a focal length. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The projection method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the projector is an ultra-short throw projector.