Compact projection system and associated device

Optics: image projectors – Housing

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C353S079000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06637896

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to projection systems and, more particularly, relates to compact projection systems for portable devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Projectors have been used in rooms to display images for many years. Slide projectors and projection televisions are examples of large-scale projection systems. These projection technologies, however, are unsuitable for compact portable applications.
Miniature optics using a series of lenses and mirrors have been proposed for virtual image viewers on telephones handsets for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,073,034, 5,867,795 and 5,048,077. These systems provide a personal image viewable by the telephone user through an eye hole or eye piece. These systems can cause user eyestrain over long periods of time. These systems are incapable of presenting large amounts of screen data at once without scrolling an image. These systems are incapable of use by a group of people such as for demonstration purposes at a meeting.
What is needed is a large screen projection system, for use with a portable electronic device, to present to groups of people or allow large amounts of data to be presented without user eyestrain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A compact real-image projection apparatus is used for a portable device. An optical projector emits light capable of forming an image. A collapsible screen has a collapsed surface area no larger than substantially the surface area of a side of the portable device and an expanded surface area capable of receiving the light emitted from the optical projector. A retractable connecting member is coupled between the screen and the optical projector and has at least a stowed position and an extended position. The extended position is configured to hold the screen and the optical projector relative to one another such that the light emitted from the optical projector forms a real image on the screen. The collapsible screen can be unfolding or rolling, for example. In two alternative embodiments, collapsible screen can be either reflective or transmissive for viewing from either the front or the back of the optical projector. The collapsible screen can have multiple layers with a Fresnel surface and be a gain screen that concentrates reflected or transmitted light in a viewing zone.
The details of the preferred embodiments of the invention may be readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:


REFERENCES:
patent: 4572632 (1986-02-01), Bodier et al.
patent: 4629299 (1986-12-01), Okano et al.
patent: 4640597 (1987-02-01), Okano et al.
patent: 4810086 (1989-03-01), Tachibana et al.
patent: 5048077 (1991-09-01), Wells et al.
patent: 5235362 (1993-08-01), Kronbauer
patent: 5491507 (1996-02-01), Umezawa et al.
patent: 5510862 (1996-04-01), Lieberman et al.
patent: 5568963 (1996-10-01), Bennett et al.
patent: 5642927 (1997-07-01), Booth et al.
patent: 5663816 (1997-09-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5728998 (1998-03-01), Novis et al.
patent: 5867795 (1999-02-01), Novis et al.
patent: 5886735 (1999-03-01), Bullister
patent: 5949643 (1999-09-01), Batio
patent: 5970418 (1999-10-01), Budd et al.
patent: 5986634 (1999-11-01), Alioshin et al.
patent: 6023254 (2000-02-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 6073033 (2000-06-01), Campo
patent: 6073034 (2000-06-01), Jacobsen et al.
patent: 6085112 (2000-07-01), Kleinschmidt et al.
patent: 6179426 (2001-01-01), Rodriguez, Jr. et al.
patent: 6184943 (2001-02-01), Sellers
patent: 6219183 (2001-04-01), Doany
patent: 6334687 (2002-01-01), Chino et al.
patent: 6489934 (2002-12-01), Klausner
patent: 2001/0017604 (2001-08-01), Jacobsen et al.
patent: 0 888 005 (1998-12-01), None
patent: WO 02/05518 (2002-01-01), None

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Compact projection system and associated device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Compact projection system and associated device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Compact projection system and associated device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3139101

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.