JP2017102473A - Projector and black level area setting method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projector capable of setting a black level area without using a camera, and a black level area setting method for the projector.SOLUTION: A projector 1 comprises: a projection optical system 14 projecting an image modulated by a liquid crystal light valve 23 on a projection surface S; a guide display section 13a disposing a plurality of guides at substantially the same intervals and displaying the plurality of guides on a projection image when projection images are projected from a plurality of projectors 1 including its own device with respect to the projection surface S such that parts of individual projection images overlap with one another; an input operation section 15 receiving position adjustment operation of each of the plurality of guides; and a black level area setting section 16a setting a black level area being a black level adjustment object area based on a position of each of the guides after the position adjustment operation by the input operation section 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention provides a black image for adjusting the black level of a non-overlapping part in order to eliminate black floating due to leaked light when a part of each projected image is projected from a plurality of projectors on the projection surface. The present invention relates to a projector capable of level adjustment and a black level region setting method for the projector.

  Patent Document 1 has been proposed as this type of projector. In Patent Document 1, a projected image is captured by a camera, and a black level region that is a black level adjustment target region is specified from the captured result.

JP 2009-5044 A (paragraphs [0081] to [0083] etc.)

  However, when a camera is used, the cost of the apparatus increases accordingly. In Patent Document 1, the setting of the black level region is limited to the range of the projected image. For this reason, when geometric correction is performed, a black level region cannot be set for the entire light modulation device, and black floating due to leakage light in a non-image forming region where an image is not formed cannot be solved. There is.

  In view of the above-described problems, a first object of the present invention is to provide a projector capable of setting a black level region without using a camera and a black level region setting method for the projector. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a projector capable of setting a black level region in the entire region of the light modulation device and a black level region setting method for the projector.

  The projector of the present invention adjusts the black level in order to eliminate the black floating in the overlapping area when the projection image is projected so that a part of each projection image overlaps from the plurality of projectors including the own apparatus on the projection surface. A projector that sets a black level region, which is a target region, includes a projection optical system that projects an image modulated by a light modulation device onto a projection surface, and an overlap assumption region that is assumed to be an overlap region in the content of the projection image. If set, a guide display unit that displays a plurality of guides arranged at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the assumed overlap region, an operation unit that receives a guide position adjustment operation, and a position adjustment operation by the operation unit And a black level area setting unit that sets a black level area based on the arrangement of the guides later.

  In the projector described above, the guide display unit, when an overlap assumption region that is assumed to be an overlap region is set in the content of the projected image, displays the guide in a position based on the overlap assumption region. And

  In the projector described above, the guide display unit displays a plurality of guides arranged at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the overlap assumption region.

  The method for setting the black level area of the projector according to the present invention eliminates the black floating in the overlapping area when a part of each projected image is projected from a plurality of projectors including the own apparatus on the projection plane. Therefore, in the projector black level area setting method for setting the black level area, which is the black level adjustment target area, when the overlap assumption area assumed to be the overlap area is set in the projected image content, Based on the guide display step for arranging and displaying a plurality of guides at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the overlap assumption region, the operation step for accepting the guide position adjustment operation, and the guide placement after the position adjustment operation, black And a black level region setting step for setting the level region.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, since the user sets the black level region by adjusting the position of the guide displayed on the projected image, the black level region can be set without using a camera. In addition, the black level can be obtained without performing complicated processing such as calculating the black level region from the projection conditions such as projector layout, projection surface shape, geometric correction, blending processing, etc. An area can be set. In other words, when overlapping projection is performed, the user can easily and accurately adjust the position of the guide according to the boundary between the overlapping region and the non-overlapping region while visually recognizing the projected image being projected. A black level region can be set. In addition, since a plurality of guides are arranged on the boundary line of the assumed overlapping area, the operation can be completed in a short time compared to the case where the guides are arranged from nothing. .

  In the projector described above, the operation unit can adjust the position of each guide for the entire region of the light modulation device.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to set the black level region in the entire region of the light modulation device even when geometric correction is performed. Normally, when geometric correction is performed, a blank area (blanking) occurs in order to reduce an image forming area corresponding to a projected image in the light modulation device. Although this blank area is set to black, when overlapping projection is performed, the blank area becomes an object of black floating due to leakage light. Therefore, by making it possible to set the black level region for the entire region of the light modulation device, not only the image formation region of the light modulation device but also the black floating due to the leaked light in the non-image formation region where no image is formed. Can be resolved.

  The above projector further includes a blending processing unit that performs a blending process for making the overlapping region inconspicuous, and the guide display unit performs the blending process in an initial state before the position adjustment operation when the blending process is performed. A plurality of guides are arranged on the boundary line of the blending area as the target area.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, since the blending process is generally performed on the overlapping area when overlapping projection is performed, the overlapping area is reduced by arranging a plurality of guides on the boundary line of the blending area. The processing to specify can be omitted.

  The above projector further includes a geometric correction unit that performs geometric correction for correcting distortion of the projected image, and the guide display unit varies the number of guides to be displayed according to the setting of the geometric correction. It is characterized by.

According to the configuration of the present invention, since geometric correction is often performed according to the state of the projection surface, the number of guides can be changed according to the setting of the geometric correction, so that the geometric correction is performed according to the state of the projection surface. An appropriate black level region can be set.
Geometric correction refers to point correction, bow correction, trapezoid correction, and the like.

  In the projector described above, the geometric correction unit includes, as geometric correction, point correction that corrects distortion of the projected image by adjusting the position of each intersection obtained by dividing the projected image in a grid pattern, and the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the projected image. At least one of arcuate correction for performing arcuate correction is possible, and the guide display unit varies the number of guides to be displayed according to at least one of the number of point correction intersections and the presence or absence of arcuate correction. It is characterized by that.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, when the point correction or the bow correction is performed, the shape of the boundary of the overlapped portion of the projected image is often complicated, so it is more appropriate to increase the number of guides. A black level region can be set. Further, when the number of intersections can be arbitrarily selected in the point correction, it is considered that the more complex the correction is performed, the larger the number of intersections. Therefore, it is preferable to increase the number of guides.

  In the projector described above, the guide display unit displays a guideline connecting the guides together with a plurality of guides, and the black level region setting unit is configured by the guideline after the position adjustment operation by the operation unit and the frame of the light modulation device. If the region does not become a closed region, the end of the guide line is extended to the frame of the light modulation device to form a plurality of closed regions, and one or more of the plurality of closed regions is set as a black level region It is characterized by setting.

According to the configuration of the present invention, since the end portion of the guide line is extended, the user does not necessarily need to adjust the position of the guide until the guide line reaches the frame of the light modulation device. For this reason, the operation time required for the position adjustment of the guide can be shortened.
In addition, it is preferable to set an area not including a blending area as one or more areas (black level areas) among a plurality of closed areas. According to this configuration, it is possible to save the user's trouble of specifying the black level region after adjusting the position of the guide.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the projector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of a blending process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a black level adjustment process. (A) is a figure which shows a black level adjustment screen, (b) is a figure which shows a color adjustment screen. (A) is a figure which shows the example of a guide display when a blending process is performed on the left side of a projection image, (b) is a figure which shows the projection state. Further, (c) is a diagram showing a guide display example when blending processing is performed on the upper side, the left side and the right side of the projected image, and (d) is a diagram showing a projection state thereof. (A) is a figure which shows the example of a guide display when trapezoid correction | amendment is performed, (b) is a figure which shows the example of a guide display when point correction | amendment is performed. It is a figure which shows selection operation of an object guide. (A) is a figure which shows the example of position adjustment in the image formation area of an object guide, (b) is a figure which shows the example of position adjustment in the non-image formation area of an object guide. (A) is a figure which shows an example of a fixed guideline (two non-intersection type), (b) is a figure which shows the state which set the black level area | region based on the fixed guideline, (c) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which black level adjustment is performed on the black level region. (A) is a figure which shows an example of a fixed guideline (one L shape substantially), (b) is a figure which shows the state which set the black level area | region based on the fixed guideline, (c) These are figures which show the state which performed black level adjustment with respect to the black level area | region. (A) is a figure which shows an example of a fixed guideline (double intersection type), (b) is a figure which shows the state which set the black level area | region based on the fixed guideline, (c), It is a figure which shows the state which performed black level adjustment with respect to the black level area | region.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the projector 1. As shown in the figure, the projector 1 includes an image signal input unit 11, an image processing unit 12, an OSD processing unit 13, a projection optical system 14, an input operation unit 15, and a control unit 16 that controls these components.

  The image signal input unit 11 inputs an image signal from an external device 2 such as a personal computer or a DVD player, or an external storage medium 3 such as a USB memory or a compact flash (registered trademark).

  The image processing unit 12 performs predetermined image processing on the image signal input by the image signal input unit 11 based on an image processing program stored in advance. In particular, in the present embodiment, it functions as a geometric correction unit 12a, a blending processing unit 12b, and a black level adjustment unit 12c. In addition to these, image processing includes image quality adjustment such as resolution conversion, sharpness adjustment, and luminance adjustment.

  The geometric correction unit 12a performs geometric correction such as point correction, bow correction, and trapezoid correction in order to correct distortion of the projected image G. Here, the point correction is to correct a partial distortion when a plurality of projectors 1 are projected side by side, or to adjust the position of an overlapping portion. As a correction method, the user adjusts the position of each intersection obtained by dividing the projected image G in a grid shape, and performs correction based on the position adjustment result. When performing point correction, one of “3 × 3”, “5 × 5”, and “9 × 9” can be selected as the number of intersections (number of points). The bow correction is to finely adjust the distortion of the curved image due to the slack or shrinkage of the projection surface (screen). As a correction method, the user selects a correction target side from the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the projected image G, specifies a correction amount, and performs arc-shaped correction on the target side based on the correction amount. . The keystone correction is to adjust the distortion of the projected image G due to the deviation of the projection angle with respect to the projection plane. As the correction method, vertical trapezoidal correction, horizontal trapezoidal correction, or corner trapezoidal correction can be selected. Based on the correction amount specified by the user, angle correction of the target side (or target corner) can be performed. Perform position correction.

  The blending processing unit 12b performs processing to make the joints (overlapping portions) of the projected image G inconspicuous when a plurality of projectors 1 are projected side by side. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, among the projected images G1 to G4 projected from the four projectors 1, blending is performed on the overlapping portion of the projected image G3 and the projected image G4 (the right side of the projected image G3 and the left side of the projected image G4). The case where the process was performed is shown. When blending processing is performed, the user operates the input operation unit 15 to designate the range of the blending area 65 and further designate a blend curve (how to apply gradation). The blending processing unit 12b performs gradation processing on the blending area 65 in accordance with these specifications.

  The blending area 65 may be set in advance according to the image content, instead of being designated by the user in the projector 1. For example, a blending area 65 is set on the basis of the image content for multi-projection and the projection arrangement of each projector 1 by a PC (video card) which is a host device of a plurality of projectors 1, and the setting information is A configuration in which the content is provided in addition to the image content supplied to the projector 1 may also be used.

  Further, it is not always necessary to supply different image contents to each projector 1, and the same image contents may be supplied. In this case, in each projector 1, the user may perform settings such as enlargement / reduction and panning of the image content, and then specify the range of the blending area 65.

  The black level adjustment unit 12c adjusts the brightness and color of the non-overlapping part to prevent the overlapping part of the projected image G from becoming bright (hereinafter referred to as “black float”) when displaying a dark image. Perform correction processing. The black level adjustment (color adjustment) will be described later.

  The OSD processing unit 13 generates OSD (On-Screen Display) information such as a setting / operation screen and a message based on an instruction from the control unit 16, and superimposes it on an image signal input from the image processing unit 12. For example, a black level adjustment screen D1 and a color adjustment screen D2 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B), which will be described later, are also displayed by the OSD processing unit 13.

  The OSD processing unit 13 functions as a guide display unit 13a. The guide display unit 13a displays a guide 51 for setting the black level region Eb and a guideline 52 that connects the guides 51 with a straight line (see FIGS. 5 to 8). The position adjustment of the guide 51 will be described in detail later. The OSD processing unit 13 outputs the image signal input from the image processing unit 12 to the light valve driving unit 24 as it is when there is no command to superimpose the OSD image from the control unit 16.

  The projection optical system 14 projects an image on a projection surface S such as a screen. The light source unit 21, the light source drive unit 22, the liquid crystal light valve 23 (light modulation device), the light valve drive unit 24, and the projection lens 25. have.

  The light source unit 21 includes a light source lamp 21a composed of a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, or the like, and a reflector 21b that reflects light emitted from the light source lamp 21a in a substantially constant direction. The light emitted from the light source unit 21 is separated into red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color components by a light separation optical system (not shown), and then a liquid crystal light valve 23 (for each color) ( 23R, 23G, 23B). The light source driving unit 22 switches on and off the light source unit 21 based on a command from the control unit 16.

  The liquid crystal light valve 23 is configured by a liquid crystal panel in which liquid crystal is sealed between a pair of transparent substrates. The liquid crystal light valve 23 is formed with a rectangular pixel region 23a in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix. The light valve driving unit 24 controls the light transmittance of each pixel by applying a driving voltage corresponding to the image information to each pixel of the liquid crystal light valve 23 (pixel region 23a).

  With the above configuration, in the projection optical system 14, the light emitted from the light source unit 21 is modulated by passing through the pixel region 23 a of the liquid crystal light valve 23, and an image corresponding to the image signal is formed for each color light. . The formed images of the respective colors are combined for each pixel by a light combining optical system (not shown) (such as a dichroic prism) and projected onto the projection plane S by the projection lens 25.

  The input operation unit 15 is an operation means (for example, an operation panel) that receives an input operation from a user, and includes a plurality of operation keys. When the user operates various operation keys of the input operation unit 15, the input operation unit 15 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation content of the user to the control unit 16. In this embodiment, it is mainly used for position adjustment of the guide 51, operation of the OSD screen, and the like. A remote controller for performing remote operation may be used as the operation means. In this case, a signal light receiving unit that receives an operation signal (infrared ray) from the remote controller may be provided in the projector 1 main body.

  The control unit 16 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and performs overall control of the projector 1 by inputting and outputting signals to and from each unit. The control unit 16 functions as a black level area setting unit 16a. The black level area setting unit 16a sets the black level area Eb based on the arrangement of the guide 51 whose position is adjusted by the user (see FIGS. 9 to 11). The setting of the black level region Eb will also be described in detail later.

  The control unit 16 also issues a processing command for the geometric correction unit 12a, the blending processing unit 12b and the black level adjustment unit 12c, and a display command for the guide display unit 13a. Therefore, these units in the claims are realized by the control unit 16 and the image processing unit 12 or the control unit 16 and the OSD processing unit 13 cooperating.

  Next, the flow of black level adjustment processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the screen display of FIG. In FIG. 3, a solid line frame indicates the operation of the projector 1, and a dotted line frame indicates a user operation. Further, it is assumed that the blending process is performed and the blending area 65 is determined before this process. Note that even if processing is performed so that black level adjustment is performed on areas that have not been blended, black floating areas may remain due to factors such as geometric correction. This processing for adjusting the black level by setting Eb (increasing the luminance of a portion where black does not float) is useful.

  When the black level adjustment is instructed by the user, the projector 1 (control unit 16) displays the black level adjustment screen D1 by OSD (S01). As shown in FIG. 4A, the black level adjustment screen D1 includes an area correction button 31, a color adjustment button 32, and an initialization button 33. When the area correction button 31 is selected, an area correction process is performed, and when the color adjustment button 32 is selected, a color adjustment process is performed. When the initialization button 33 is selected, the area correction value and the color adjustment value are initialized. Here, it is assumed that the area correction button 31 is first selected (S02).

  When the area correction button 31 is selected on the black level adjustment screen D1, a plurality of guides 51 and guide lines 52 connecting the guides 51 are formed on the boundary line of the blending region 65 in the pixel region 23a of the liquid crystal light valve 23 ( Initial state display). At this time, on the projection surface S, the guide 51 and the guideline 52 are superimposed and displayed on the projection image G (black raster image) (S03). While viewing the projection plane S, the user selects the target guide 51d to be position-adjusted and performs its position adjustment operation (S04). However, when the overlapping area of the blending area 65 and the projected image G completely coincides, the position adjustment operation is not necessary. When the user's position adjustment operation is confirmed, the projector 1 sets the black level region Eb based on the arrangement of the guideline 52 at the time of confirmation (S05). As described above, S02 to S05 are the flow of area correction processing.

  After the area correction process, the projector 1 displays the black level adjustment screen D1 (see FIG. 4A) again (S06). Here, it is assumed that the color adjustment button 32 is selected (S07). When the color adjustment button 32 is selected, the color adjustment screen D2 is OSD-displayed (S08). As shown in FIG. 4B, the color adjustment screen D2 includes a brightness correction gauge 41, a color correction (green-red) gauge 42, and a color correction (blue-yellow) gauge 43. When the user performs brightness and color adjustment operations using these, and further performs a confirmation operation (S09), the projector 1 adjusts the black level for the black level region Eb (brightness and color adjustment for black). (S10).

  Specifically, when an operation is performed on the brightness correction gauge 41 on the color adjustment screen D2, the black level of the black level region Eb is adjusted. Further, when an operation is performed on the color correction (green-red) gauge 42, the color is adjusted between green and red in the black level region Eb. Further, when an operation is performed on the color correction (blue-yellow) gauge 43, the color is adjusted between blue and yellow in the black level region Eb. The steps S07 to S10 are the color adjustment process.

  In the blending process executed before the black level adjustment process, when the setting of the blending area 65 is changed, the settings (area correction value and color adjustment value) of the black level adjustment process are canceled (initialized). Is done. Further, when initialized (when the initialization button 33 is selected or when the setting of the blending area 65 is changed), the color adjustment button 32 is displayed on the black level adjustment screen D1 in FIG. , Cannot be selected (grayed out). That is, the color adjustment button 32 can be selected only when the black level region Eb is set.

  Hereinafter, details of the area correction processing (setting of the black level region Eb) will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, the guide display (display of the initial state after the area correction button 31 is pressed) will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5C show guide display examples when geometric correction is not performed.

  As shown in both figures, the guide display is not superimposed on the image input from the external device 2, but is superimposed on the black raster image. The reason why the black raster image is displayed is to make it easy to visually confirm the black floating portion (bright portion) and the non-black floating portion (dark portion) of the projection image G. Further, during the guide display, a black raster image is displayed in a state where the black level is not adjusted so as not to hinder the range designation operation of the black level region Eb. Although only one projector 1 is mentioned in the figure, during the range designation operation of the black level region Eb, the other projectors 1 that are projected in an overlapping manner on the projection surface S are similarly black. It is preferable to display a raster image.

  FIG. 5A shows an example of a guide display when blending processing is performed on the left side of the projected image G. The projection state assumed at this time is as shown in FIG. That is, when the projected images G1 and G2 are projected in the horizontal direction, the left side region of the shaded projection image G2 is set as the blending region 65. For this reason, the projector 1 that projects the projection image G2 displays the guide 51 and the guideline 52 on the left side (end of the blending region 65) where the blending process is effective in the pixel region 23a of the liquid crystal light valve 23.

  At this time, the guide 51 and the guideline 52 are displayed in white. The guide line 52 is a straight line in the pixel region 23a. Further, the guides 51 are arranged at substantially equal intervals with respect to the guide line 52, and the number thereof varies according to the setting of geometric correction. For example, in the example of the figure, for one guideline 52, a total of five guides 51 between two ends are shown, but when point correction or bow correction is performed, Since the projection surface S is not a flat surface and the shape of the overlapped portion of the projection image G is assumed to be complicated (= the shape of the black level region Eb is complicated), the number of guides is increased from the reference number. Is preferred. When performing point correction, the number of intersection points can be selected from “3 × 3”, “5 × 5”, and “9 × 9”, but the number of guides increases as the number of intersection points increases. It is preferable. In addition, since the trapezoid correction is generally performed when the projection surface S is a flat surface, the number of guides may be reduced from the reference number when the trapezoid correction is performed.

  On the other hand, FIG. 5C shows an example of guide display when blending processing is performed on the upper side, the left side, and the right side of the projected image G. The projection state assumed at this time is as shown in FIG. In other words, when the projection images G1 to G6 are multi-projected as shown in the figure, the upper, left and right areas of the projected image G5 displayed as shaded areas are set as the blending area 65. Therefore, the projector 1 that projects the projection image G5 displays the guide 51 and the guideline 52 on the upper side, the left side, and the right side (ends inside the blending region 65) where the blending process is effective in the pixel region 23a.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B show a guide display example (display example of an initial state after the area correction button 31 is pressed) when geometric correction is performed. FIG. 6A shows a case where keystone correction is performed and blending processing is performed on the left and right sides of the projected image G. FIG. 6B shows an example of guide display when the point correction is performed and the blending process is performed on the left side and the right side of the projection image G. When geometric correction is performed as described above, the non-image forming area 62 is generated because the image forming area 61 (the area where an image corresponding to the projected image G is formed) is reduced in the pixel area 23a. In this case, since the guide 51 and the guideline 52 are displayed on the boundary line of the blending area 65 in the image forming area 61, the display is within the range of the image forming area 61. Even when geometric correction is performed, the guideline 52 is a straight line in the pixel region 23a.

  Next, the position adjustment of the guide 51 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5G, the user uses the up / down / left / right keys provided in the input operation unit 15 to select the target guide 51 d to be subjected to position adjustment. The guide 51t in the temporarily selected state before the selection confirming operation is displayed in a different color (for example, orange) from the other guides 51, and enters the confirmed state when the Enter key is pressed (becomes the target guide 51d. g)). The target guide 51d is displayed with an orange double frame, for example. In addition, when the Esc key is pressed, the target guide 51d returns to the temporary selection state (see FIG. 5F).

  FIG. 8A shows an example of position adjustment of the target guide 51d within the image forming area 61, and FIG. 8B shows an example of position adjustment of the target guide 51d within the non-image forming area 62. FIG. 4B shows a case where keystone correction is performed. In either case, the target guide 51d moves by one pixel by pressing the up / down / left / right key of the input operation unit 15. If any of the up / down / left / right keys is continuously pressed, the target guide 51d moves in proportion to the pressing time (auto-repeat). However, the positional relationship of the guide 51 on the guide line 52 is not changed by the movement of the target guide 51d. Further, the adjacent guides 51 cannot move closer than a predetermined length (for example, 9 pixels).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the target guide 51d can be moved into the non-image forming area 62. In this case, the guideline 52 is extended with the movement of the target guide 51d. As described above, the target guide 51d is movable in the entire pixel region 23a. The user arranges the respective guides 51 on the boundary between the portion that is blacked on the projection surface S and the portion that is not blackened by the above operation. When the position adjustment operation of the guide 51 is finished, a confirmation operation (for example, pressing the Enter key) is performed, and the guide display is finished. In the case of FIG. 5B, a black raster image is displayed in the image forming area 61, and the non-image forming area 62 is black by blanking. Alternatively, the entire pixel area 23a may be a black raster image, and the image forming area 61 and the non-image forming area 62 may be color-coded, for example, black and gray.

  During the area correction process, the number of guides 51 to be displayed can be arbitrarily changed by a user operation. For example, when the number of guides is increased, the guides 51 are added to the guideline 52 on average, but the shape of the guideline 52 is not updated (does not change). On the contrary, when the number of guides is reduced, the guides 51 are thinned out on the average with respect to the guideline 52, and the shape of the guideline 52 is updated accordingly.

  Next, the setting of the black level region Eb after the position adjustment operation of the guide 51 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 shows a case where the keystone correction is performed, the blending process is performed on the left side and the right side, and the guideline 52 is determined in the state of FIG. In FIG. 9A, two regions surrounded by a dotted line indicate a blending region 65 that is a subject of blending processing. That is, the left side and the right side of the figure are overlapping areas with other projected images G. Reference numeral 52 d indicates a guideline 52 (hereinafter referred to as “determined guideline 52 d”) determined by the position adjustment operation of the guide 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the projector (control unit 16) closes the area constituted by the guide line 52 and the frame of the pixel area 23a when the end of the guide line 52 does not reach the frame of the pixel area 23a. In the case where the region does not become a region), the end of the guide line 52 is extended to the frame of the pixel region 23a. Reference numeral 52e denotes an extended portion of the guideline 52 (hereinafter referred to as “extension guideline 52e”). Thus, by adding the extension guideline 52e to the fixed guideline 52d, three closed regions are formed in the pixel region 23a shown in FIG. Among these, a region not including the blending region 65 (or a region including a small proportion of the blending region 65) shown in FIG. 5A is set as the black level region Eb. That is, an area that does not overlap with the other projected images G among the three closed areas is set as the black level area Eb. As shown in FIG. 6C, for the set black level region Eb, the black level is increased (black is made brighter) based on the setting of the color adjustment screen D2 shown in FIG. Black level adjustment is performed.

  Subsequently, FIG. 10 shows a case where trapezoidal correction is performed, blending processing is performed on the left side and the lower side, and the guideline 52 is confirmed in the state of FIG. Show. In this example as well, the end of the guideline 52 does not reach the frame of the pixel region 23a, so that the end of the guideline 52 is extended to the frame of the pixel region 23a as shown in FIG. In this way, by adding the extension guideline 52e to the fixed guideline 52d, two closed regions are formed in this example. Of these, the region not including the blending region 65 shown in FIG. Set as the black level region Eb. Further, the black level adjustment is performed on the set black level region Eb as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, FIG. 11 shows a case where trapezoidal correction is performed, blending processing is performed on the left side and right side, and the guideline 52 is confirmed in the state of FIG. . In this example as well, the end of the guideline 52 does not reach the frame of the pixel region 23a, so that the end of the guideline 52 is extended to the frame of the pixel region 23a as shown in FIG. Due to this extension, four closed regions are formed in this example, but two regions that do not include the blending region 65 shown in FIG. 4A are set as the black level region Eb. Black level adjustment is performed on the two set black level regions Eb as shown in FIG. Thus, depending on the position adjustment operation result of the guide 51, a plurality of black level regions Eb may be set at the same time.

  As in the example of FIG. 11, when a plurality of black level regions Eb are set at the same time, the user may be able to select which region is determined as the black level region Eb. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which only one region having the largest area among the plurality of black level regions Eb is determined as the black level region Eb.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, since the user provides a user interface for setting the black level region Eb, the black level region Eb can be set without using a camera. That is, the user can easily and accurately adjust the position of the guide 51 in accordance with the boundary between the overlapping region and the non-overlapping region while visually recognizing the projected image G (black raster image) that is actually projected. A black level region Eb can be set. In addition, since the plurality of guides 51 are arranged on the boundary line of the blending area 65 using the blending process result, the process of specifying the overlapping area can be omitted. Further, as compared with the case where the guide 51 is arranged from a state where there is nothing, it is possible to shorten the time required until the arrangement of the guide 51 is confirmed.

  Further, since the position of the guide 51 can be adjusted for the entire area of the pixel area 23a, a black level area can be set for the entire pixel area 23a even when geometric correction is performed. Thereby, not only the image forming area 61 of the pixel area 23a but also the black floating due to the leaked light of the non-image forming area 62 can be eliminated. Further, since the number of guides 51 to be displayed is varied according to the setting of geometric correction, the black level region Eb can be set more accurately (appropriately).

  Further, since the extension process of the guideline 52 is performed when setting the black level region Eb, the user does not necessarily need to adjust the position of the guide 51 until the guideline 52 reaches the frame of the pixel region 23a. For this reason, the operation time required for the position adjustment of the guide can be shortened. In addition, since a region that does not include the blending region 65 among the plurality of closed regions is set as the black level region, it is possible to save the user from selecting the black level region Eb after adjusting the position of the guide.

  In the above embodiment, the black level adjustment process is performed after the blending process. However, the blending process may not be required. In this case, for example, when an overlap assumption region that is assumed to be an overlap region is set in the content of the projection image G, a plurality of guides 51 are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the overlap assumption region. What is necessary is just to show (guide display part 13a). Further, even when the overlap assumption region is not set in the content of the projection image G, if the portion of the pixel region 23a (on which side) the overlap region can be assumed by the arrangement of the projector 1 or the like, the projector 1 ( Specifically, the control unit 16) may uniquely determine the overlap assumption region and place and display a plurality of guides 51 on the boundary line of the overlap assumption region. For example, a range of a predetermined number of pixels from the end of the pixel region 23 a on the overlap assumption region side (upper, lower, left, right) is defined as the overlap assumption region, and a plurality of guides 51 are arranged in a straight line at each position. It is possible. If the deviation amount between the set overlap assumption region and the actual black level region is known in advance, a plurality of guides 51 are arranged at positions moved by the deviation amount from the boundary line of the overlap assumption region. It may be displayed. Further, when an overlapping area can be assumed, one or more areas that do not include the overlapping area may be set as the black level area Eb after a plurality of closed areas are formed by the fixed guideline 52d and the extension guideline 52e. If an overlapping area cannot be assumed, the user may select which area is set as the black level area Eb after a plurality of closed areas are formed. According to this configuration, the black level adjustment process can be performed even when the blending process is not performed. In consideration of the case where the overlapping area in the pixel area 23a is not known in advance (cannot be assumed), a user interface for specifying the range of the overlapping area may be provided.

  Further, as a modification of the present invention, the blending area 65 may be set. Also in this case, the plurality of guides 51 are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the overlapping area of the projection images G projected from the plurality of projectors 1. Further, after a plurality of closed regions are formed by the fixed guideline 52d and the extension guideline 52e, the user selects which region is set as the blending region 65. According to this configuration, a more appropriate range can be set as the blending region 65 without using a camera.

  In the above embodiment, as the guide line 52, the adjacent guides 51 are connected by a straight line, but may be connected by a curve (a spline curve or the like). Further, as a geometric correction, when the bow correction is performed, the guides 51 are connected by a curve, and otherwise, the guides 51 are connected by a straight line. You may change the kind of line which connects.

  In the above embodiment, the light source unit 21 uses the discharge type light source lamp 21a. However, a solid light source such as a laser or LED may be used.

  In this embodiment, the transmissive liquid crystal display method is adopted as the display method of the projector 1, but the display principle such as the reflective liquid crystal display method, the DLP (Digital Light Processing) (registered trademark) method, etc. is not questioned. Absent. Further, the present invention may be applied to a rear projector that is integrally provided with a transmissive screen.

  Moreover, you may provide each function (each process) of the projector 1 shown in said embodiment as a program. The program may be provided by being stored in various recording media (CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.). That is, a program for causing a computer to function as each component of the projector 1 and a recording medium on which the program is recorded are also included in the scope of the rights of the present invention. In addition, the apparatus configuration and processing steps of the projector 1 can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Projector 11 ... Image signal input part 12 ... Image processing part 12a ... Geometric correction part 12b ... Blending processing part 12c ... Black level adjustment part 13 ... OSD processing part 13a ... Guide display part 14 ... Imaging optical system 15 ... Input operation Unit 16 ... Control unit 16a ... Black level region setting unit 21 ... Light source unit 21a ... Light source lamp 21b ... Reflector 22 ... Light source drive unit 23 ... Liquid crystal light valve 23a ... Pixel region 24 ... Light valve drive unit 25 ... Projection lens 51 ... Guide 52 ... Guidelines 61 ... Image formation area 62 ... Non-image formation area 65 ... Blending area D1 ... Black level adjustment screen D2 ... Color adjustment screen Eb ... Black level area G ... Projected image S ... Projection surface

The projector of the present invention adjusts the black level in order to eliminate the black floating in the overlapping area when the projection image is projected so that a part of each projection image overlaps from the plurality of projectors including the own apparatus on the projection surface. A projector that sets a black level region that is a target region, a projection optical system that projects an image modulated by a light modulation device onto a projection surface, and a geometry that performs geometric correction to correct distortion of the projected image A correction unit, a guide display unit that displays a number of guides corresponding to the geometric correction setting on the projected image, an operation unit that receives a guide position adjustment operation, and a guide arrangement after the position adjustment operation by the operation unit And a black level area setting unit for setting a black level area.
In the projector described above, the guide display unit, when an overlap assumption region that is assumed to be an overlap region is set in the content of the projected image, displays the guide in a position based on the overlap assumption region. And
In the projector described above, the operation unit can adjust the position of the guide for the entire region of the light modulation device.
The above projector further includes a blending processing unit that performs a blending process for making the overlapping region inconspicuous, and the guide display unit performs the blending process in an initial state before the position adjustment operation when the blending process is performed. A plurality of guides are arranged on the boundary line of the blending area as the target area.
In the projector described above, the geometric correction unit includes, as geometric correction, point correction that corrects distortion of the projected image by adjusting the position of each intersection obtained by dividing the projected image in a grid pattern, and the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the projected image. At least one of arcuate correction for performing arcuate correction is possible, and the guide display unit varies the number of guides to be displayed according to at least one of the number of point correction intersections and the presence or absence of arcuate correction. It is characterized by that.
In the projector described above, when displaying a plurality of guides, the guide display unit displays a guideline connecting the guides, and the black level region setting unit is determined by the guideline after the position adjustment operation by the operation unit and the frame of the light modulation device. If the configured area does not become a closed area, the end of the guide line is extended to the frame of the light modulation device to form a plurality of closed areas, and one or more of the plurality of closed areas are black. It is set as a level area.
The method for setting the black level area of the projector according to the present invention eliminates the black floating in the overlapping area when a part of each projected image is projected from a plurality of projectors including the own apparatus on the projection plane. Therefore, there is provided a black level region setting method for a projector that sets a black level region that is a black level adjustment target region, a geometric correction step for performing geometric correction for correcting distortion of the projected image, In addition, a black level region is set based on a guide display step for displaying the number of guides corresponding to the setting of the geometric correction, an operation step for receiving the guide position adjustment operation, and the guide arrangement after the position adjustment operation. And a black level region setting step.
The following configuration may be used.
The projector of the present invention adjusts the black level in order to eliminate the black floating in the overlapping area when the projection image is projected so that a part of each projection image overlaps from the plurality of projectors including the own apparatus on the projection surface. A projector that sets a black level region, which is a target region, includes a projection optical system that projects an image modulated by a light modulation device onto a projection surface, and an overlap assumption region that is assumed to be an overlap region in the content of the projection image. If set, a guide display unit that displays a plurality of guides arranged at substantially equal intervals on the boundary line of the assumed overlap region, an operation unit that receives a guide position adjustment operation, and a position adjustment operation by the operation unit And a black level area setting unit that sets a black level area based on the arrangement of the guides later.

Claims (7)

When projecting from the multiple projectors, including the projector itself, so that some of the projected images overlap, the black level, which is the black level adjustment target area, is eliminated in order to eliminate the black float in the overlapping area. A projector for setting an area,
A projection optical system that projects an image modulated by a light modulation device onto the projection plane;
A guide display unit configured to display a plurality of guides arranged at substantially equal intervals on a boundary line of the overlap assumption region when the overlap assumption region assumed to be the overlap region is set in the content of the projection image; ,
An operation unit for receiving a position adjustment operation of the guide;
A projector comprising: a black level region setting unit configured to set the black level region based on a guide arrangement after a position adjustment operation by the operation unit.   The projector according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is capable of adjusting a position of each guide for the entire area of the light modulation device. A blending processing unit for performing a blending process for making the overlapping region inconspicuous;
When the blending process is performed, the guide display unit arranges the plurality of guides on a boundary line of a blending area that is a target area of the blending process in an initial state before the position adjustment operation. The projector according to claim 1 or 2. A geometric correction unit for performing geometric correction for correcting distortion of the projected image;
The projector according to claim 1, wherein the guide display unit varies the number of the guides to be displayed according to the setting of the geometric correction. The geometric correction unit includes, as the geometric correction, point correction that corrects distortion of the projected image by adjusting the position of each intersection obtained by dividing the projected image in a grid pattern, and the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the projected image. And at least one of arcuate corrections for arcuate corrections is possible,
5. The projector according to claim 4, wherein the guide display unit varies the number of the guides to be displayed according to at least one of the number of intersections of the point correction and the presence or absence of the bow correction. The guide display unit displays a guideline connecting guides together with the plurality of guides,
The black level region setting unit, when the region formed by the guideline after the position adjustment operation by the operation unit and the frame of the light modulation device is not a closed region, the end portion of the guideline of the light modulation device 6. A plurality of closed areas are formed by extending to a frame, and one or more areas among the plurality of closed areas are set as the black level area. Projector. When projecting from the multiple projectors, including the projector itself, so that some of the projected images overlap, the black level, which is the black level adjustment target area, is eliminated in order to eliminate the black float in the overlapping area. A method for setting a black level area of a projector for setting an area,
A guide display step of displaying a plurality of guides arranged at substantially equal intervals on a boundary line of the overlap assumption region when the overlap assumption region assumed to be the overlap region is set in the content of the projection image; ,
An operation step for receiving a position adjustment operation of the guide;
A black level area setting method for a projector, comprising: performing a black level area setting step for setting the black level area based on a guide arrangement after a position adjustment operation.

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