Personal interactive overhead projection inflight entertainment system
View Patent ↗In a personal interactive overhead projection IFE system, an overhead projector associated with a passenger's seat projects video onto a passive substrate attached to the seat. The passive substrate may be a tray table or a dedicated video projection screen. The passenger sitting in the seat controls the projected video by positioning his or her finger or making hand gestures proximate the passive substrate. An overhead camera records the hand actions. An overhead processor interprets the hand actions and controls the projected video based on the hand actions. The system provides highly desirable personal and interactive features while obviating the need for seatback video display units or passenger control units.
1. A personal interactive overhead projection inflight entertainment system, comprising:
a seat-mounted tray table adjustable between a non-deployed position and a multiple of deployed positions;
an overhead projector configured to project video onto the tray table in any of the deployed positions;
an overhead camera configured to record the tray table in any of the deployed positions; and
an overhead processor configured to determine from a recording made by the overhead camera current deployed position data for the tray table and further determine, using the current deployed position data, a distortion to be applied to video projection images which improves visual quality of the video projection images as displayed on the tray table, whereupon the distortion is applied to the video projection images and the video projection images are projected by the overhead projector onto the tray table.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a passenger controls the video projection images at least in part by hand actions at designated areas of the video projection images proximate the tray table.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the overhead processor is further configured to interpret the hand actions and control the video projection images based at least in part on the hand actions.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the overhead camera is further configured to record the hand actions.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the overhead camera comprises a visible spectrum camera.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the overhead camera comprises an infrared camera.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the overhead projector doubles as an overhead reading light.
8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a switch configured to allow a passenger to transition the overhead projector between an overhead video projection function and an overhead reading light function.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the overhead processor is further configured to determine a size for the video projection images using the current deployed position data.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the overhead processor is further configured to determine the size using visual cues from the recorded image regarding cabin lighting.
11. The system of claim wherein the tray table is equipped with a cover.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tray table is equipped with side flaps.
13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an overhead audio interface configured to output synchronous audio for the projected video.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the overhead projector comprises a multiple of overhead projectors.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the overhead processor is further configured to polarize output of each of the overhead projectors to orthogonal polarization for three dimensional viewing.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deployed positions comprise a horizontal position and a tilted position.
17. A method for providing personal interactive overhead projection inflight entertainment, comprising:
providing a seat-mounted tray table adjustable between a non-deployed position and a multiple of deployed positions;
providing an overhead projector positioned to project video onto the tray table in any of the deployed positions;
providing an overhead camera positioned to record the tray table in any of the deployed positions;
recording, by the overhead camera, the tray table;
determining, by an overhead processor, from a recording made by the overhead camera, current deployed position data for the tray table;
determining, by the overhead processor, using the current deployed position data, a distortion to be applied to video projection images which improves visual quality of the video projection images as displayed on the tray table;
causing, by the overhead processor, the distortion to be applied to the video projection images; and
projecting, by the overhead projector, the video projection images onto the tray table.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the multiple of deployed positions comprise a horizontal position and a tilted position.
19. A method for providing personal interactive overhead projection inflight entertainment, comprising:
providing a seat-mounted tray table adjustable between a non-deployed position and a multiple of deployed positions;
providing an overhead projector positioned to project video onto the tray table in any of the deployed positions;
providing an overhead camera positioned to record the tray table in any of the deployed positions;
recording, by the overhead camera, the tray table;
determining, by an overhead processor, from a recording made by the overhead camera, current deployed position data for the tray table including distance data and tilt angle data;
determining, by the overhead processor, using the current deployed position data, a distortion to be applied to video projection images which improves visual quality of the video projection images as displayed on the tray table;
causing, by the overhead processor, the distortion to be applied to the video projection images; and
projecting, by the overhead projector, the video projection images onto the tray table.