IP Library Granted Patent US 12,445,581
Granted Patent B2
US 12,445,581 · App. 18/112,098 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Projector device and method for controlling the same

Inventors: Jiman Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Sehyeok Park (Suwon-si, KR); Sungwon Seo (Suwon-si, KR); Seongwoon Jung (Suwon-si, KR); Mirae Shin (Suwon-si, KR); Sangmin Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04N9/3147H04N9/3185
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,445,581
App. No.
18/112,098
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a projector device and a method for controlling the same. A master projector device according to an embodiment may obtain first sensing information through a visible light sensor, obtain second sensing information through an invisible light sensor, generate a positional relationship with a slave projector device based on the first sensing information and the second sensing information, and control a positional relationship of the slave projector device based on the generated positional relationship and a coordinate value of an invisible indicator identified by the invisible light sensor while projecting an image stored in a memory to a projection surface.

Claims (42)

1. A master projector device, comprising:

a visible light sensor configured to detect a visible light wavelength band;

an invisible light sensor configured to detect an invisible light wavelength band;

at least one transceiver configured to communicate with a slave projector device;

a memory including a program including at least one instruction; and

at least one processor electrically connected with the visible light sensor, the invisible light sensor, the at least one transceiver, and the memory and configured to execute the at least one instruction of the program, wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain first sensing information obtained through the visible light sensor,

obtain second sensing information through the invisible light sensor,

generate a positional relationship with the slave projector device based on the first sensing information and the second sensing information, and

control a projection direction and projection range of the slave projector device based on the generated positional relationship and the second sensing information identified by the invisible light sensor while projecting an image stored in the memory to a projection surface.

2. The master projector device of claim 1 , further comprising a projector and an emitter,

wherein the projector is configured to project a visible light band image to a first projection area, and the emitter is configured to emit an invisible band invisible indicator to be included in the first projection area.

3. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to;

project a visible indicator to the first projection area using the projector and control the slave projector device to project a visible indicator to the second projection area,

generate first relationship information based on positions of visible indicators identified by the visible light sensor in the first projection area and the second projection area, and

generate second relationship information by associating a position of the invisible indicator identified by the invisible light sensor to the first relationship information in at least one of the first projection area or the second projection area, and

wherein the second relationship information is configured as at least a portion of the positional relationship.

4. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein a field of view of the projector is set to be smaller than a field of view of the visible light sensor.

5. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein a field of view of the projector is set to be smaller than a field of view of the invisible light sensor.

6. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the emitter is configured to emit light in a wavelength band of at least one of ultraviolet, near ultraviolet, infrared, and near infrared light.

7. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the first sensing information includes a coordinate value regarding a plurality of visible indicators projected by the projector.

8. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the second sensing information includes a coordinate value regarding a plurality of invisible indicators projected by the emitter.

9. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to: identify an overlap area included in the first projection area using the visible light sensor; and change a grayscale in the overlap area in gradations.

10. The master projector device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to: identify an overlap area included in the first projection area using the visible light sensor; change a grayscale in a filling area including the overlap area into a specified grayscale value, and change grayscales in at least two areas adjacent to the overlap area in gradations outward.

11. A master projector device, comprising:

a projector configured to output a visible indicator and an image;

an emitter configured to emit an invisible indicator;

a visible light sensor configured to identify the visible indicator;

an invisible light sensor configured to identify the invisible indicator;

at least one transceiver configured to communicate with a slave projector device;

a memory including a program including at least one instruction; and

at least one processor electrically connected with the projector, the emitter, the visible light sensor, the invisible light sensor, the at least one transceiver, and the memory and configured to execute the at least one instruction of the program, wherein the processor is configured to;

identify the invisible indicator emitted to at least a partial area of a projection surface corresponding to a second field of view through the invisible light sensor having the second field of view while projecting an image stored in the memory to the projector having a first field of view, and

control a projection direction and projection range of the slave projector device based on a coordinate value of the identified invisible indicators.

12. The master projector device of claim 11 , wherein the first field of view of the projector is set to be smaller than a third field of view of the visible light sensor.

13. The master projector device of claim 11 , wherein the first field of view of the projector is set to be smaller than the second field of view of the invisible light sensor.

14. The master projector device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:

project a visible indicator to the first projection area using the projector and control the slave projector device to project a visible indicator to the second projection area,

generate first relationship information based on positions of visible indicators identified by the visible light sensor in the first projection area and the second projection area, and

generate second relationship information by associating a position of the invisible indicator identified by the invisible light sensor to the first relationship information in at least one of the first projection area or the second projection area, and

wherein the second relationship information is configured as at least a portion of the positional relationship.

15. The master projector device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to control the master projector to output only the invisible indicator, or the visible indicator and the invisible indicator, while outputting the image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2023
From: KIM, JIMAN; PARK, SEHYEOK; SEO, SUNGWON; JUNG, SEONGWOON; SHIN, MIRAE; LEE, SANGMIN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062754/0342 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0064961 · May 26, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0097993 · Aug 5, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023001292 · Jan 27, 2023
Related Publication 20230388463A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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