Projector having inclination detection section for detecting inclination of projector enclosure and method for controlling the same

1. A projector comprising:

a light source;

a light modulator having an image formation area that is adapted to modulate light emitted from the light source to form an image;

a projection system that is adapted to project the image formed by the light modulator to display the image on a display surface;

an enclosure that holds at least the light modulator and the projection system;

an inclination detection section that is adapted to detect the inclination of the enclosure with respect to an axis along the optical axis of the projection system that serves as the axis of rotation; and

an image display control section that is adapted to form a reference line on the image formation area, the reference line having a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal line irrespective of the inclination of the enclosure,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to

change the inclination of the reference line with respect to the image formation area in accordance with the inclination of the enclosure detected by the inclination detection section in such a way that the reference line has the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal line, and

draw a first reference line on the image formation area to display the first reference line inclined on the display surface in accordance with the inclination of the enclosure and draw a second reference line as the reference line on the image formation area to display the second reference line uninclined or at a fixed inclination on the display surface irrespective of the inclination of the enclosure.

2. The projector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw a line extending along the outer shape of the image formation area as the first reference line.

3. The projector according to claim 2 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw lines corresponding to at least two opposing sides of the four sides of the outer shape of the image formation area as the first reference line.

4. The projector according to claim 3 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw four lines corresponding to the four sides of the outer shape of the image formation area as the first reference line.

5. The projector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw a straight line inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the enclosure by the same angle as the inclination of the enclosure as the second reference line based on the inclination of the enclosure detected by the inclination detection section in such a way that the second reference line displayed on the display surface is a horizontal line.

6. The projector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw a straight line inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the enclosure by the same angle as the inclination of the enclosure as the second reference line based on the inclination of the enclosure detected by the inclination detection section in such a way that the second reference line displayed on the display surface is a vertical line.

7. The projector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw the second reference line in such a way that the second reference line passes through the center of the image formation area.

8. The projector according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a communication section that is adapted to receive a remote operation signal issued from a remote operation apparatus; and

a storage section that stores identification information specific to the projector,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to draw the first reference line when the identification information is inputted from the remote operation apparatus.

9. The projector according to claim 8 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to cause the first reference line to blink.

10. The projector according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light modulator is so disposed that the optical axis of the projection system passes through the center of the image formation area.

11. The projector according to claim 1 ,

further comprising a connection section to be connected to a screw-in light bulb fixture,

wherein the axis of rotation along which the connection section is screwed into the light bulb fixture coincides with the optical axis of the projection system.

12. A method for controlling a projector including a light source, a light modulator having an image formation area that modulates light emitted from the light source to form an image, a projection system that projects the image formed by the light modulator to display the image on a display surface, and an enclosure that holds at least the light modulator and the projection system, the method comprising:

detecting the inclination of the enclosure with respect to an axis along the optical axis of the projection system that serves as the axis of rotation; and

forming a reference line on the image formation area, the reference line having a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal line irrespective of the inclination of the enclosure,

wherein in the forming of a reference line,

the inclination of the reference line with respect to the image formation area is changed in accordance with the inclination of the enclosure detected in the detecting of the inclination in such a way that the reference line has the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal line, and

a first reference line is drawn on the image formation area to display the first reference line inclined on the display surface in accordance with the inclination of the enclosure and a second reference line is drawn as the reference line on the image formation area to display the second reference line uninclined or at a fixed inclination on the display surface irrespective of the inclination of the enclosure.

13. A projector comprising:

a light source;

a light modulator having an image formation area that is adapted to modulate light emitted from the light source to form an image;

a projection system that is adapted to project the image formed by the light modulator to display the image on a display surface;

an enclosure that holds at least the light modulator and the projection system;

an inclination detection section that is adapted to detect the inclination of the enclosure with respect to an axis along the optical axis of the projection system that serves as the axis of rotation; and

an image display control section that is adapted to form a reference line on the image formation area, the reference line having a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal line irrespective of the inclination of the enclosure,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to

change the inclination of the reference line with respect to the image formation area in accordance with the inclination of the enclosure detected by the inclination detection section in such a way that the reference line has the predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal line, and

form two reference lines substantially parallel to each other as the reference line on the image formation area and differentiate a display state inside the two reference lines and a display state outside thereof from each other.

14. The projector according to claim 13 ,

wherein the image display control section is adapted to form, as the two reference lines, a reference line passing through a first point in the image formation area and a reference line passing through a second point so disposed that the first and second points are symmetrical with respect to the center of the image formation area.

15. The projector according to claim 13 , wherein the image display control section is adapted to form, as the two reference lines, a reference line passing through a first corner of the image formation area and a reference line passing through a second corner diagonally opposite to the first corner.