Image projection device including determining displayable region

1. An image projection apparatus having:

a light source for outputting visible laser light for displaying an image; and

a mirror section for reflecting and projecting the laser light having been output from the light source,

wherein the image projection apparatus displays the image with at least a portion of the projected laser light,

the image projection apparatus comprising:

a detection section for detecting at least a portion of the visible laser light returning from a projection direction of the laser light; and

a calculation section for determining an image displayable region based on the detected visible light, wherein,

the mirror section reflects at least a portion of the laser light returning from the projection direction of the laser light so as to be led into the detection section.

2. The image projection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a modulation section for generating a modulation signal with which to modulate the laser light in accordance with an image signal, wherein,

the light source outputs the laser light having been modulated in accordance with the modulation signal; and

the calculation section compares an intensity of the detected light against the modulation signal to determine the image displayable region.

3. The image projection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein,

for the image displayable region, the modulation section generates a modulation signal for causing an image which is in accordance with the image signal to be displayed; and

for a region other than the image displayable region, the modulation section generates a modulation signal for projecting laser light for detection purposes with which to detect an obstacle.

4. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, when the calculation section determines that image displaying is permissible in at least a part of the region other than the image displayable region, the modulation section generates a modulation signal for causing an image which is in accordance with the image signal to be displayed in the at least partial region determined as permitting image displaying.

5. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the laser light for detection purposes is projected in a dot pattern.

6. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein,

the mirror section displays an image by performing a two-dimensional scanning with the laser light;

the calculation section performs the process of determining an image displayable region for each scanning line; and

the modulation section allows a result of the determination process to be reflected on a modulation of the laser light corresponding to a subsequent scanning line.

7. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein,

the mirror section displays an image by performing a two-dimensional scanning with the laser light; and

the modulation section modulates the laser light corresponding to a scanning line at an uppermost end of an image frame based on the image displayable region determined when displaying an immediately previous image frame.

8. The image projection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a maximum radiation power of the laser light is a radiation power such that an energy that enters a human eye when the laser light scans the eye is equal to or less than a safe level which is defined by a safety standard.

9. The image projection apparatus of claim 5 , wherein,

a maximum radiation power of the laser light is a radiation power such that an energy that enters a human eye when the laser light scans the eye is equal to or less than a safe level which is defined by a safety standard; and

a radiation power of the laser light for detection purposes which is projected in the dot pattern is equal to or greater than a radiation power of the laser light for image displaying purposes.

10. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, at boot of the image projection apparatus, the light source projects the laser light for detection purposes before displaying a image.

11. The image projection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein,

the light source outputs laser light of each color of n primary colors (where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 3); and

the light source independently outputs the laser light of each color as the laser light for detection purposes.

12. The image projection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the calculation section determines the image displayable region based further on an intensity of light which is detected by the detection section in a blanking period during which the light source is not lit.

13. The image projection apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the blanking period is a horizontal blanking period.

14. The image projection apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the blanking period is a vertical blanking period.

15. An image projection apparatus having:

a light source for outputting laser light; and

a mirror section for reflecting and projecting the laser light having been output from the light source,

wherein the image projection apparatus displays an image with at least a portion of the projected laser light,

the image projection apparatus comprising:

a detection section for detecting at least a portion of the laser light returning from a projection direction of the laser light; and

a calculation section for determining an image displayable region based on the detected light, wherein,

the mirror section reflects at least a portion of the laser light returning from the projection direction of the laser light so as to be led into the detection section,

wherein, based on the detected light, the calculation section configured to measure a distance between a projection target onto which the laser light is projected and the image projection apparatus; and

based on the distance, the calculation section configured to detect a substantially planar region in the projection target, and determines the substantially planar region as the image displayable region.

16. The image projection apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the calculation section divides into a plurality of subregions a plane corresponding to the projection target as obtained based on the distance, and determines whether each subregion is substantially planar or not.

17. The image projection apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the calculation section calculates an imaginary plane within the subregion and determines the subregion to be substantially planar when a level of variance in distance between the imaginary plane and the projection target is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

18. The image projection apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a storing section for retaining position information of the projection target within a subregion determined to be substantially planar, wherein,

when a difference between a newly measured distance and the position information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the calculation section re-determines the subregion whose said difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value to be a non-planar region; and

the light source suspends image displaying in the subregion whose said difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

19. The image projection apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the calculation section groups those subregions which are determined to be substantially planar into a plurality of groups, such that, among the subregions which are determined to be substantially planar, subregions that are positioned coplanar are classified into one group, and displays an image in the subregions belonging to a group having a largest area.

20. The image projection apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a storing section for retaining position information of the projection target within a subregion determined to be substantially planar, wherein,

the position information is updated every time the distance is newly measured; and

the light source begins image displaying in the subregion determined to be substantially planar only if a position indicated by the position information remains unchanged for a predetermined period of time.

21. The image projection apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the calculation section calculates a profile of the projection target based on the distance, and removes, from the profile, rises and falls that are smaller than predetermined rises and falls.

22. The image projection apparatus of claim 15 , wherein,

the calculation section calculates a curvature of the projection target based on the distance; and

the light source does not perform image displaying in a region in which the curvature falls within a predetermined range.

23. The image projection apparatus of claim 22 , wherein,

the calculation section calculates a profile of the projection target based on the distance, and removes, from the profile, rises and falls that are smaller than predetermined rises and falls; and

the calculation section calculates a curvature of the projection target based on the profile.

24. The image projection apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a temperature measurement section for measuring a temperature of a surface of the projection target, wherein,

when the temperature in the image displayable region falls within a predetermined range, the light source suspends image displaying in a region in which the temperature falls within the predetermined range.

25. The image projection apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the temperature measurement section measures a temperature of the surface of the projection target in a period during which laser light to be output for measuring the distance is stopped.