IP Library Granted Patent US 10,457,199
Granted Patent B2
US 10,457,199 · App. 15/565,543 · Granted Oct 29, 2019

Image projection apparatus

Inventors: Yasuhiko Kunii (Kyoto, JP); Nobuyuki Kaku (Kyoto, JP); Toshinori Sugiyama (Kyoto, JP); Hiroyuki Nakamura (Kyoto, JP); Hiroshi Chiba (Kyoto, JP); Masahiro Kishigami (Kyoto, JP); Hiroyuki Kajikawa (Kyoto, JP); Chohei Ono (Kyoto, JP); Megumi Kurachi (Kyoto, JP); Noriaki Harada (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
B60Q1/38B60K31/0008B60K35/00B60Q1/04B60Q1/50B60Q1/503B60Q1/54G03B29/00H04N9/3141H04N9/3179H04N9/3185H04N9/3194B60K2370/179B60K2370/334B60K2370/5915B60K2370/797B60Q2300/45B60Q2400/50B60W2750/308
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,457,199
App. No.
15/565,543
Granted
Oct 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Information related to a vehicle can be displayed by projecting an image based on the information on a road surface or the like. An image projection apparatus that projects an image includes: an acquisition unit that acquires information to be displayed; and an image projection unit that projects the image based on the information to be displayed acquired by the acquisition unit.

Claims (36)

1. An image projection system that improves visibility of a projected images on a road surface adjacent to a vehicle, the system comprising:

a projector that projects images on to the road surface;

a first plurality of sensors that measure conditions outside of the vehicle, wherein the first plurality includes at least one sensor that acquires comparison images of the images projected by the projector on the road surface;

a second plurality of sensors that measure parameters of the vehicle;

a processor communicatively coupled to the first plurality of sensors, the second plurality of sensors and the projector, wherein the processor:

receives, from the first plurality of sensors, the comparison images,

receives, from the second plurality of sensors, the parameters of the vehicle determines a projection image based on the parameters of the vehicle,

calculates an amount of correction required for the projection image based on the comparison images,

on a condition that the amount of correction required is less than a threshold,

corrects the projection image by the correction amount to form a corrected image, and

controls the projector to project the corrected image on the road surface; and

on a condition that the amount of correction required it not less than the threshold,

controls the projector to not project the projection image on the road surface.

2. The image projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the corrected image is intended for a person outside the vehicle.

3. The image projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second plurality of sensors includes at least one speed sensor that detects a traveling speed of the vehicle, and

wherein the processor further determines whether or not projection is performed based on the traveling speed of the vehicle.

4. The image projection system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first plurality of sensors further include a distance sensor that detects an inter-vehicle distance, and

wherein the processor further determines whether or not projection is performed based on the inter-vehicle distance.

5. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is corrected to account for an unpaved road surface.

6. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is corrected to account for a shape of the road surface.

7. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is corrected to account for a reflectance of the road surface.

8. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is corrected to account for a width of the road surface.

9. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is corrected to account for a color of the road surface.

10. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

11. The image projection system according to claim 4 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

12. The image projection system according to claim 4 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

13. The image projection system according to claim 5 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

14. The image projection system according to claim 6 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

15. The image projection system according to claim 7 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

16. The image projection system according to claim 8 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

17. The image projection system according to claim 9 , wherein the corrected image is advertisement message.

18. The image projection system according to claim 10 , wherein the advertisement message is projected when the second plurality of sensors indicate that the vehicle is traveling at a speed less than a speed threshold.

19. The image projection system according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison images are of a lattice pattern projected by the projector on the road surface.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058666/0407 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058255/0579 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2017
From: KUNII, YASUHIKO; KAKU, NOBUYUKI; SUGIYAMA, TOSHINORI; NAKAMURA, HIROYUKI; CHIBA, HIROSHI; KISHIGAMI, MASAHIRO; KAJIKAWA, HIROYUKI; ONO, CHOHEI; KURACHI, MEGUMI; HARADA, NORIAKI
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 043926/0356 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2015-080901 · Apr 10, 2015 · national
JP 2015-213720 · Oct 30, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180118099A1 · May 3, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,198,538 US 12,686,330