Projection system and method
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorJames Reichert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are provided for projecting a three dimensional image. A projection system may include a holding tank for storing a reservoir containing a projection medium and a projector including a plurality of valves for projecting the medium from the holding tank. The projection system may also include an illumination device for illuminating the projected medium and a receiving mechanism for receiving the projection medium after illumination. The projection system may also include imaging data computation apparatus for computing layered imaging data, communication and control tools for communicating the layered imaging data to the projector in order to control valves for dispersing the projection medium, and an illumination control unit that controls an illumination device for illuminated the dispersed medium.
Claims18
A projection system for projecting a three-dimensional object within a defined volume, the projection system comprising:
- a holding tank for storing a reservoir containing a projection medium;
- a projector including a plurality of valves for projecting the projection medium from the holding tank;
- an image data computation module for calculating cross-sections for the three-dimensional object;
- a projection communication and control module for communicating the calculated cross-sections for the three-dimensional object to the projector in order to control the valves, wherein the valves are micro-valves that are opened and closed based on the calculated cross-sections and projection medium is forced from the holding tank through the open valves;
- an illumination device for illuminating the projection medium for a fixed time period, wherein the projected medium forms the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object is viewable circumferentially;
- and
- a receiving mechanism for receiving the projection medium after illumination.
A projection system for projecting a three-dimensional object within a defined volume, the projection system including:
- imaging data computation apparatus for computing imaging data by calculating cross-sections for the three-dimensional object and overlaying a grid on the calculated cross-sections, wherein the number of rows and columns in the grid corresponds to the number of grids and columns of valves in a projector;
- communication tools for communicating the imaging data to the projector that disperses a projection medium by opening or closing the valves based on the communicated imaging data, wherein the valves are micro-valves and projection medium is forced from the holding tank through the open valves;
- and
- an illumination control unit that controls an illumination device for illuminating the dispersed medium, wherein the projection medium forms the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object is viewable circumferentially.
A method for projecting a three-dimensional object within a defined volume, the method comprising:
- storing imaging data for an image as a plurality of layers of imaging data;
- communicating a layer of imaging data to a projector having valves that projects a projection medium based upon the communicated imaging data, wherein the valves are micro-valves that are opened and closed based on calculated cross-sections and projection medium is forced from the holding tank through the open valves;
- and
- controlling an illumination source to illuminate the projection medium, wherein the projection medium forms the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object is viewable circumferentially.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.