US 9,544,553 B2 · Projector, color wheel protection circuit, and color wheel protection method

Abstract

The invention provides a projector, a color wheel protection circuit, and a color wheel protection method. The projector includes a color wheel, a light source, a controller, and a protection circuit. The light source is controlled by a light source control signal to provide an illumination beam to the color wheel. The controller is used for providing the light source control signal to the light source. The protection circuit includes a resetting signal generator and a logic operator. The resetting signal generator is used for generating a resetting trigger signal according to the rotation speed of the color wheel, and generating a resetting output signal according to the resetting trigger signal. The logic operator is used for receiving the light source control signal and the resetting output signal, and resetting the light source control signal according to the resetting output signal.

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Drawings

Claims16

Dependent claims

A projector, comprising:

a color wheel;
a rotation speed detector, adapted to detect a rotation speed of the color wheel to generate a detection signal;
a controller, having a first input end for receiving the detection signal, and having a first output end for providing a first light source control signal;
a protection circuit, having a second input end, a third input end, and a second output end, wherein the second input end is electrically connected to the first input end of the controller and the rotation speed detector, the third input end is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller, and the protection circuit comprises:
a resetting signal generator, receiving the detection signal through the second input end, comprising a rotation speed judgement unit, and adapted to generate a resetting output signal according to the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit, wherein the rotation speed judgement unit is adapted to receive the detection signal through the second input end to judge the rotation speed of the color wheel;
and
a logic operator, having a first input, a second input and an output, receiving the first light source control signal transmitted from the first output end of the controller through the first input and the resetting output signal transmitted from the resetting signal generator through the second input, resetting the first light source control signal to a second light source control signal according to the resetting output signal, and outputting the second light source control signal through the output, wherein the first input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller through the third input end of the protection circuit, and the second input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the resetting signal generator;
and
a light source, controlled by the second light source control signal transmitted from the output of the logic operator to provide an illumination beam to the color wheel, wherein the light source is electrically connected to the output of the logic operator through the second output end of the protection circuit,
wherein when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is less than a predetermined speed, the resetting signal generator is adapted to make the resetting output signal transited to a second logic level from a first logic level,
wherein when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed, the resetting output signal is at the first logic level, and
wherein the second light source control signal is the same as the first light source control signal and the second light source control signal is adapted to turn on the light source when the resetting output signal is at the first logic level and when the controller outputs the first light source control signal to turn on the light source, wherein the logic operator is adapted to output the second light source control signal to turn off the light source when the resetting output signal is at the second logic level.

9 more elements

A color wheel protection circuit, comprising:

a resetting signal generator, receiving a detection signal from a rotation speed detector of a projector, comprising a rotation speed judgement unit, and adapted to generate a resetting output signal according to a rotation speed of a color wheel of the projector judged by the rotation speed judgement unit;
and
a logic operator, having a first input, a second input, and an output, receiving a first light source control signal transmitted from a first output end of a controller of the projector through the first input and the resetting output signal transmitted from the resetting signal generator through the second input, resetting the first light source control signal to a second light source control signal provided to a light source of the projector according to the resetting output signal, and outputting the second light source control signal through the output, wherein the first input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller, and the second input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the resetting signal generator,
wherein the rotation speed detector generates the detection signal according to the rotation speed of the color wheel, a first input end of the controller is adapted to receive the detection signal from the rotation speed detector, and the first output end of the controller is adapted to provide the first light source control signal,
wherein the color wheel protection circuit has a second input end, a third input end, and a second output end, the second input end is electrically connected to the first input end of the controller and the rotation speed detector, the third input end is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller, the rotation speed judgement unit is adapted to receive the detection signal through the second input end to judge the rotation speed of the color wheel, and the light source is electrically connected to the output of the logic operator through the second output end of the color wheel protection circuit, the first input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller through the third input end of the color wheel protection circuit,
wherein when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is less than a predetermined speed, the resetting signal generator is adapted to make the resetting output signal transited to a second logic level from a first logic level,
wherein when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed, the resetting output signal is at the first logic level, and
wherein the second light source control signal is the same as the first light source control signal and the second light source control signal is adapted to turn on the light source when the resetting output signal is at the first logic level and when the controller outputs the first light source control signal to turn on the light source, wherein the logic operator is adapted to output the second light source control signal to turn off the light source when the resetting output signal is at the second logic level.

5 more elements

A color wheel protection method, adapted for a projector comprising a color wheel, a rotation speed detector, a controller, a protection circuit, and a light source, the color wheel protection method comprising:

generating a detection signal by the rotation speed detector according to a rotation speed of the color wheel;
providing a first light source control signal by the controller, wherein the control has a first input end for receiving the detection signal and a first output end for providing the first light source control signal;
generating a resetting output signal by a resetting signal generator of the protection circuit according to the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by a rotation speed judgement unit of the resetting signal generator, wherein the protection circuit has a second input end, a third input end, and a second output end, the second input end is electrically connected to the first input end of the controller and the rotation speed detector, the third input end is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller, and the rotation speed judgement unit is adapted to receive the detection signal through the second input end to judge the rotation speed of the color wheel;
resetting the first light source control signal from the controller to a second light source control signal provided to the light source by a logic operator of the protection circuit according to the resetting output signal, wherein the logic operator has a first input, a second input, and an output, the first light source control signal transmitted from the first output end of the controller is received by the logic operator through the first input, the resetting output signal transmitted from the resetting signal generator is received by the logic operator through the second input, and the logic operator outputs the second light source control signal through the output, wherein the first input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the first output end of the controller through the third input end of the protection circuit, and the second input of the logic operator is electrically connected to the resetting signal generator;
and
controlling the light source by the second light source control signal transmitted from the output of the logic operator to provide an illumination beam to the color wheel, wherein the light source is electrically connected to the output of the logic operator through the second output end of the protection circuit,
wherein a step of generating the resetting output signal by the resetting signal generator of the protection circuit according to the rotation speed of the color wheel comprises:
when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is less than a predetermined speed, the resetting output signal is transited to a second logic level from a first logic level, and when the rotation speed of the color wheel judged by the rotation speed judgement unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed, the resetting output signal is at the first logic level,
and
wherein the second light source control signal is the same as the first light source control signal and the second light source control signal is adapted to turn on the light source when the resetting output signal is at the first logic level and when the controller outputs the first light source control signal to turn on the light source, wherein the second light source control signal is outputted to the light source to turn off the light source when the resetting output signal is at the second logic level.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description3,527 words

Summary883 words

#This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201310027594.0, filed on Jan. 24, 2013. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

#The invention generally relates to a protection circuit of imaging device and a protection method thereof, and more particularly, to a projector, a color wheel protection circuit, and a color wheel protection method.

#Today's digital light processing-based projector (DLP-based projector) adopts a time sequencing type color wheel with color-mixing method; that is a red frame, a green frame and a blue frame are sequentially projected on a screen to form a color frame through mixing colors. In order to enhance the projecting capacity of the projector, the illumination luminance of the light source of the projector needs to be advanced, which, however, increases the output power of the light source when advancing the illumination luminance of the light source of the projector, i.e., the heat produced by the light source is increased as well. The color wheel of the projector is directly irradiated by the illumination beam of the light source, so that with the increased illumination luminance of the light source, the color wheel suffers more heat so as to increase the burning opportunity of the color wheel. Accordingly, how the color wheel avoids burning under the circumstance of increasing illumination luminance of the light source has become a subject of the design of the projector.

Brief description of the drawings6 figures

#FIG. 1 is a schematic system diagram of a projector according to an embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic system diagram of a projector according to another embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 3 is a diagram of driving signals according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description2,540 words

#It is to be understood that other embodiment may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings.

#Referring to FIG. 1, in the embodiment, a projector 100 includes a controller 110, a protection circuit 120, a light source 130, and a color wheel 140. The protection circuit 120 includes a resetting signal generator 121 and a logic operator 123. The controller 110 provides a light source control signal LTC1 to the logic operator 123. The resetting signal generator 121 generates a resetting output signal SRO according to the rotation speed of the color wheel 140. The logic operator 123 receives the light source control signal LTC1 and the resetting output signal SRO, and resets the light source control signal LTC1 according to the resetting output signal SRO. In more details, the light source 130 is controlled by a light source control signal LTC2 to provide an illumination beam BL to the color wheel 140. That is, the logic operator 123 resets the light source control signal LTC1 according to the light source control signal LTC1 and the resetting output signal SRO and generates the light source control signal LTC2 so that whether the light source 130 providing the illumination beam BL or not may be controlled.

#Furthermore, the resetting signal generator 121 is used to judge whether or not the operation of the color wheel 140 is normal according to the rotation speed of the color wheel 140 and thereby decide the logic level of the resetting trigger signal. Then, the resetting signal generator 121 decides the logic level of the resetting output signal SRO according to the logic level and the pulse width of the resetting trigger signal. Then, the logic operator 123 decides whether or not to reset the light source control signal LTC1 through the resetting output signal SRO so that whether the light source 130 providing the illumination beam BL or not may be further controlled.

Facts

Application

14/162,767Filed 24 Jan 2014

Priority

CN 2013 1 002759424 Jan 2013

Published

US 2014/0204346 A124 Jul 2014

Granted

10 Jan 2017

Term ends

19 Jun 2034

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 146 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

H04N 9/3114
For displaying the colours sequentially, e.g. by using sequentially activated light sources: by using a sequential colour filter producing one…
H04N 9/3194
Testing thereof: including sensor feedback
H04N
Pictorial communication

Timeline

24 Jan 2013Priority claimedCN 2013 1 0027594
24 Jan 2014Application filedUS 14/162,767
28 Jan 2014Assigned to Coretronic Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
24 Jul 2014PublishedUS 2014/0204346 A1
10 Jan 2017GrantedUS 9,544,553 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
19 Jun 2034Term endsEstimated, includes 146 days of adjustment

Projector, color wheel protection circuit, and color wheel protection method

Life of this patent

Projector, color wheel protection circuit, and color wheel protection method

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims16

Description3,527 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description3,527 words