Image projection apparatus, control method, control program, and storage medium

An image projection apparatus, comprising:

• a light source;
• a projected image outputting unit having multiple mirrors arranged in a matrix pattern, to which radiating light emitted from the light source is directed while controlling an angle of a light reflection face of each of the mirrors;
• a control unit having a processing circuit, to control the angle of the light reflection face of each of the mirrors of the projected image outputting unit using time division half-toning control based on image data of an image projected by the projected image outputting unit and control parameters used for the time division half-toning control;
• and
• an image capturing device to capture the image projected by the projected image outputting unit,
• wherein the control unit instructs the projected image outputting unit to project a test pattern image for image adjustment,
• wherein when the control unit detects a false contour in the test pattern image based on image data of the projected test pattern image captured by the image capturing device, the control unit corrects the control parameters for the time division half-toning control based on detection of the false contour to suppress occurrence of the false contour,
• wherein the projected image outputting unit includes a rotatable color wheel,
• the color wheel having a filter composed of three colors corresponding to three primary colors and disposed along a circumferential direction of the color wheel,
• wherein the control unit rotates the color wheel of the projected image outputting unit to pass the light emitted from the light source through the filter having three colors sequentially, and radiates lights of the three primary colors to the mirrors sequentially to project a test pattern image of color image,
• wherein the control unit detects a false contour by analyzing saturation change at pixels corresponding to the three primary colors included in image data of the projected test pattern image captured by the image capturing device,
• wherein when a false contour is detected at the pixels corresponding to the three primary colors, the control unit corrects rotation timing of the color wheel,
• wherein the control unit rotates the color wheel for a plurality of times to project a plurality of image frames for one test pattern,
• wherein the control unit identifies a hue area having a false contour by analyzing a difference in the number of pixels among the plurality of frames of the projected test pattern image captured by the image capturing device;
• wherein the control unit corrects the control parameters for gamma (γ) property for the hue area having the false contour.

A method of projecting an image using an image projection apparatus having a light source and multiple mirrors arranged in a matrix pattern, to which radiating light emitted from the light source is directed while controlling an angle of a light reflection face of each of the mirrors,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• projecting a test pattern image for image adjustment;
• capturing a projected image of the test pattern image;
• detecting a false contour in the test pattern image based on image data of the captured test pattern image;
• controlling the angle of light reflection face of each of the mirrors using time division half-toning control based on image data of a projected test pattern image and a control parameters used for the time division half-toning control;
• and
• correcting the control parameters used for the time division half-toning control upon detecting the false contour to suppress occurrence of the false contour,
• wherein when the false contour is detected by the detecting, the controlling instructs the projecting to project an image by enlarging a portion of the false contour.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute a method of projecting an image using an image projection apparatus having a light source and multiple mirrors arranged in a matrix pattern, to which radiating light emitted from the light source is directed while controlling an angle of a light reflection face of each of the mirrors,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• projecting a test pattern image for image adjustment;
• capturing a projected image of the test pattern image;
• detecting a false contour in the test pattern image based on image data of the captured test pattern image;
• controlling the angle of light reflection face of each of the mirrors using a time division half-toning control based on image data of a projected test pattern image and a control parameters used for the time division half-toning control;
• and
• correcting the control parameters used for the time division half-toning control upon detecting the false contour to suppress occurrence of the false contour,
• wherein when the false contour is detected by the detecting, the controlling instructs the projecting to project an image by enlarging a portion of the false contour.