IP Library Granted Patent US 10,972,697
Granted Patent B2
US 10,972,697 · App. 16/157,084 · Granted Apr 6, 2021

Projection system

Inventors: Thomas Perelli (Raleigh, NC); Cuong Huy Truong (Cary, NC); Matthew Ian Tucker (Durham, NC); Samuel Jackson Patterson (Raleigh, NC); Seth Doughton Rumsey (Durham, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
H04N5/7416G03B21/26G06F3/042H04N9/3173H04N9/3185
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,972,697
App. No.
16/157,084
Granted
Apr 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system can include a plank that includes an adjustable direction video projector; and circuitry operatively coupled to the adjustable direction video projector that selects one of a plurality of operational modes of the adjustable direction video projector and that adjusts a projection direction of the adjustable direction video projector responsive to selection of the one of the plurality of operational modes.

Claims (24)

1. A system comprising:

a plank that comprises a front side and a back side that define a depth, a top side and a bottom side that define parallel planes and a thickness, and an adjustable direction video projector, wherein the depth exceeds the thickness, and wherein the adjustable direction video projector is disposed at the front side and at least in part between the parallel planes; and

circuitry operatively coupled to the adjustable direction video projector that selects one of a plurality of operational modes of the adjustable direction video projector and that adjusts a projection direction of the adjustable direction video projector responsive to selection of the one of the plurality of operational modes, wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a back wall projection mode, wherein, in the back wall projection mode, the projection direction is directed at least in part between the parallel planes toward the back side of the plank for projection to a back wall surface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plank is a shelf plank.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plank is a furniture plank.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the furniture plank is a horizontal plank of at least one of a cabinet and a table.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plank comprises the circuitry.

6. The system of claim 1 comprising a speaker.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a plurality of different projection directions.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of different projection directions comprise a floor projection direction for projection of video onto a floor.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of different projection directions comprise a wall projection direction for projection of video onto a wall.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of different projection directions comprise a ceiling projection direction for projection of video onto a ceiling.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry operates to select one of the plurality of operational modes according to a schedule.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the schedule comprises times that comprise operational mode on times and operational mode off times.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the schedule comprises times that comprise at least one transition time that transitions from one of the plurality of operational modes to another one of the plurality of operational modes.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a floor projection mode, wherein, in the floor projection mode, the projection direction is directed outwardly away from the bottom side of the plank for projection to a floor surface parallel to the bottom side of the plank and wherein the back wall surface is orthogonal to the floor surface.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a ceiling projection mode that comprises an upward projection direction of the adjustable direction video projector with respect to gravity.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a wall projection mode that comprises a substantially horizontal projection direction of the adjustable direction video projector.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the adjustable direction video projector comprises a projection direction adjustment motor that is operatively coupled to the circuitry to adjust the projection direction.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise an emergency mode.

19. The system of claim 1 comprising a bioinformation detector wherein one of the plurality of operational modes is selected responsive to a signal from the bioinformation detector.

20. A method comprising:

in a system that comprises a plank and an adjustable direction video projector and that comprises circuitry operatively coupled to the adjustable direction video projector that selects one of a plurality of operational modes of the adjustable direction video projector and that adjusts a projection direction of the adjustable direction video projector responsive to selection of the one of the plurality of operational modes, wherein the plank comprises a front side and a back side that define a depth, a top side and a bottom side that define parallel planes and a thickness, wherein the depth exceeds the thickness, and wherein the adjustable direction video projector is disposed at the front side and at least in part between the parallel planes, selecting the one of the plurality of operational modes according to a schedule, wherein the plurality of operational modes comprise a back wall projection mode, wherein, in the back wall projection mode, the projection direction is directed at least in part between the parallel planes toward the back side of the plank for projection to a back wall surface; and

adjusting the projection direction responsive to the selecting of the one of the plurality of operational modes.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2022
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060638/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2018
From: PERELLI, THOMAS; TRUONG, CUONG HUY; TUCKER, MATTHEW IAN; PATTERSON, SAMUEL JACKSON; RUMSEY, SETH DOUGHTON
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 047127/0939 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,510,810