Projection system and control method

Abstract

A projection system and a control method. The projection system comprises an image control device and a projector. The image control device stores an application program and comprises a first communication port. The image control device is used for executing an application program to generate a control signal. The first communication port comprises at least one of a telex typewriting sequence (TTYS) port and a universal serial bus (USB) port, and the first communication port comprises at least one of a TTYS port and a universal serial bus (USB) port. The image control device transmits the control signal to the second communication port of the projector through the first communication port, so that the projector executes a function corresponding to the control signal. According to the projection device and the control method provided by the invention, the function of controlling the projector can be provided in the existing network television environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method, and more particularly to a projection system and a control method. Background Art

[0002] In the current commonly used network TV environment, generally only simple playback operation functions are available, and the system settings adjustment function for the external display or projector that plays the image cannot be adjusted. On the other hand, in developing applications with system settings functions in these network TV environments, it may be necessary to overcome strict system security permission authentication, or to bear high application maintenance costs. Therefore, in the existing network TV environment, if you want to develop an application that integrates the system settings function of a display or projector, you need to spend considerable resources in manpower or money.

[0003] The "background technology" section is only used to help understand the content of the present invention. Therefore, the content disclosed in the "background technology" section may contain some known technologies that are not known to those skilled in the art. The content disclosed in the "background technology" section does not mean that the content or the problems to be solved by one or more embodiments of the present invention have been known or recognized by those skilled in the art before the application of the present invention. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a projection system and a control method, which can provide a function of controlling a projector in an existing network television environment.

[0005] Other purposes and advantages of the present invention can be further understood from the technical features disclosed in the present invention.

[0006] To achieve one or part or all of the above purposes or other purposes, a projection system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image control device and a projector. The image control device includes a first processing module, an application program, and a first communication port. The first processing module is used to execute the application program and generate a control signal through the application program. The first processing module outputs the control signal through the first communication port. The projector includes a second processing module and a second communication port. 。 The projector is connected to the first communication port of the image control device through the second communication port. The second processing module receives the control signal through the second communication port and controls the projector according to the control signal so that the projector performs the function corresponding to the control signal. The first communication port includes at least one of a teletype serial (TTYS) port and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

[0007] To achieve one or part or all of the above purposes or other purposes, a control method of an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for controlling a projection system. The control method includes: executing an application program by a first processing module of an image control device of the projection system to generate a control signal, the first processing module of the image control device outputs the control signal through a first communication port of the image control device; and receiving the control signal by a second communication port in a projector of the projection system, the second processing module of the projector controls the projector according to the control signal, so that the projector performs a function corresponding to the control signal. The first communication port includes at least one of a teletype serial (TTYS) port and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

[0008] Based on the above, the present invention can transmit control signals between the image control device and the projector in a more convenient manner, thereby realizing the function of controlling the projector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a projection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a projection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a projection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5A FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5B FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a projection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a projection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Description of reference numerals:

[0020] 1, 2, 3, 6, 7: Projection system

[0021] 10, 20, 60: Image control device

[0022] 11.61: Projector

[0023] 22, 32, 62, 72: Relay module

[0024] 100: First storage unit

[0025] 101: First processing module

[0026] 102, 202, 602: First communication port

[0027] 103, 113, 204, 223, 224, 604, 614, 624: Ports

[0028] 110: Second storage unit

[0029] 111: Second processing module

[0030] 112, 612: Second communication port

[0031] 220: USB hub

[0032] 221, 621: Microcontroller

[0033] 222, 622: Third communication port

[0034] 625: USB Bridge

[0035] 626: Third storage unit

[0036] S40, S41, S50-S59, S80-S84, S90-S94: Steps

[0037] UD: USB device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The above-mentioned other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a projection system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The projection system 1 includes an image control device 10 and a projector 11. The image control device 10 includes a first processing module 101, an application program (App), and at least one first communication port 102. The first processing module 101 includes at least one processor for executing the application program and generating a control signal through the application program. The first processing module 101 outputs the control signal through at least one first communication port 102.

[0040] Specifically, the first communication port 102 in the image control device 10 may include a port 103, which may be at least one of a teletype serial (TTYS) port and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and the port 103 of the first communication port 102 is used for communication connection with the projector 11. In addition, the projector 11 includes a second processing module 111, at least one second communication port 112, and a second storage unit 110. The projector 11 is communicatively connected to the first communication port 102 of the image control device 10 through the second communication port 112, and the second processing module 111 receives the control signal through the second communication port 112, and controls the projector 11 according to the control signal, so that the projector 11 performs the function corresponding to the control signal. The second communication port 112 in the projector 11 may include a port 113, which may be at least one of an asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) port and a universal serial bus (USB) port, and the port 113 of the second communication port 112 is used to communicate with the port 113 of the first communication port 102 of the image control device 10. In this way, the image control device 10 and the projector 11 can transmit control signals through the ports 103 and 113 that are connected to each other, so as to realize the function of the image control device 10 controlling the projector 11 (such as system settings).

[0041] In this embodiment, the port in the first communication port 102 of the image control device 10 is a TTYS port 103, and the port in the second communication port 112 of the projector 11 is a UART port 113. The image control device 10 uses the TTYS port 103 of the first communication port 102 and the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 to transmit the control signal from the image control device 10 to the projector 11, so as to control the projector 11 (for example, the system setting of the projector). In other embodiments, the port in the first communication port 102 of the image control device 10 is a USB port, and the port in the second communication port 112 of the projector 11 is also a USB port. When the control signal is output from the image control device 10 via the USB port of the first communication port 102, the projector 11 receives the control signal via the USB port of the second communication port 112, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0042] In detail, the image control device 10 also includes a first storage unit 100. The first storage unit 100 stores an application program, which is, for example, an application program compatible with Google TV, Android TV, Apple TV or other similar network TV environments. The first processing module 101 can execute the application program by accessing the first storage unit 100 to control the projector 11 to play the corresponding projection screen. In addition, the user can also execute the application program by operating the image control device 10 to control the projector 11 (such as system settings). For example, when the user uses the projection system 1 to play a video, if the brightness of the projected image of the projector 11 is to be adjusted, the user can open and execute the application program accessed by the first processing module 101 by operating the image control device 10. Various system control menus can be provided in the application program, and the user can select the option of adjusting the brightness of the projection image by operating the menu of the application program. In this way, the first processing module 101 of the image control device 10 can encode the control signal generated in response to the user's operation in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), and output it from the TTYS port 103 in the first communication port 102 to be transmitted to the UART port 113 in the second communication port 112 of the projector 11. The second processing module 111 of the projector 11 includes at least one processor, such as a single chip system (SoC). In this embodiment, ASCII decoding can be compiled in the second processing module 111. After the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 of the projector 11 receives the control signal encoded in ASCII, the second processing module 111 translates the control signal, and changes the brightness of the projected image of the projector 11 according to the translated control signal.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first communication port 102 is, for example, a USB Type-C communication port. Specifically, it may be a full-function (DisplayPort Alt Mode) USB Type-C communication port. The TTYS port 103 for transmitting control signals may be located at the differential signal connection pins (Tx, Rx) in the USB Type-C communication port. However, in other embodiments, if a USB port is used as the port 103 for transmitting control signals, the USB port is located at the USB 2.0 interface pins in the USB Type-C communication port (i.e., the first communication port). In addition, the first communication port 102 may also be a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) communication port, a bus communication port, or other communication ports that can be used to transmit control signals.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first communication port 102 and the second communication port 112 can be communication ports of the same transmission specification. For example, the first communication port 102 and the second communication port 112 can both be USB Type-C communication ports, and the ports 103 and 113 can be located at the differential signal docking pins in the USB Type-C communication port. The image control device 10 and the projector 11 can use the differential signal docking pins in the male-female USB Type-C communication port as TTYS ports and UART ports to realize the transmission of control signals. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the image control device 10 and the projector 11 are directly connected to communicate with each other through the first communication port 102 and the second communication port 112 to transmit signals. However, in other embodiments, the image control device 10 and the projector 11 can also transmit signals through the first communication port 102 and the second communication port 112 in an indirect communication connection manner, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0045] In one embodiment, the first storage unit 100 and / or the second storage unit 110 may be, for example, any type of fixed or removable random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD) or similar elements or a combination of the above elements.

[0046] In one embodiment, the first processing module 101 and / or the second processing module 111 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose micro control unit (MCU), microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), programmable controller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), graphics processing unit (GPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuit, state machine, processor based on Advanced RISC Machine (ARM), or other similar elements or combinations of the above elements. Alternatively, the first processing module 101 and / or the second processing module 111 may be a hardware circuit implemented by hardware description language (HDL) or any other digital circuit design method known to those skilled in the art.

[0047] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a projection system 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The projection system 2 includes an image control device 20 , a projector 11 and a relay module 22 . Figure 2 The projection system 2 is similar to Figure 1 The projection system 1 is shown in FIG. 1 , so the same elements use the same symbols and are not described in detail here. Specifically, Figure 1 The image control device 10 in Figure 2 The image control device 20 is replaced by the image control device 20 , and a relay module 22 is further provided between the image control device 20 and the projector 11 , so that control signals can be transmitted between the image control device 20 and the projector 11 through the relay module 22 .

[0048] The first communication port 202 of the image control device 20 includes not only the TTYS port 103 but also the USB port 204. On the other hand, the relay module 22 includes a USB hub 220, a microcontroller 221 and a third communication port 222. The third communication port 222 includes a UART port 223 and a USB port 224, which are respectively connected to the TTYS port 103 and the USB port 204 of the first communication port 202. Specifically, the third communication port 222 can be a USB Type-C communication port as described above. The first processing module 101 of the image control device 20 transmits the control signal encoded in ASCII from the TTYS port 103 of the first communication port 202 to the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 of the relay module 22, and then provides it to the microcontroller 221 of the relay module 22. The microcontroller 221 can translate the control signal and transmit it to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 of the projector 11. At this time, the second processing module 111 of the projector 11 does not need to have the ASCII translation function, but directly enables the projector 11 to execute the corresponding function according to the control signal translated by the microcontroller 221 of the relay module 22 .

[0049] On the other hand, the USB hub 220 of the relay module 22 is connected to the USB device UD, and the USB hub 220 is communicatively connected to the USB port 204 of the first communication port 202 of the image control device 20 via the USB port 224 of the third communication port 222. In one embodiment, the USB device UD may be an input device provided to the user for operation, such as a mouse or a keyboard. The user may control the USB device UD to provide input signals to the image control device 20, so as to operate the application executed by the image control device 20. After receiving the input signal for operating the application, the first processing module 101 of the image control device 20 may generate a corresponding control signal, and provide it to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 of the projector 11 via the TTYS port 103 of the first communication port 202, the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 of the relay module 22, and the microcontroller 221, so as to enable the projector 11 to perform related functions. In other embodiments, the USB device UD may also receive control signals from the image control device 20. For example, the USB device UD can be a camera, and the image control device 20 outputs a control signal to the relay module 22 through the USB port 204 of the first communication port 202, and transmits the control signal to the USB device UD via the USB hub 220, so that the USB device UD performs an operation corresponding to the control signal (e.g., taking a photo). That is, the image control device 20 and the USB device UD can respectively perform two-way signal communication through the USB port 204 of the first communication port 202 and the USB port 224 of the third communication port 222.

[0050] In detail, the relay module 22 added to the projection system 2 and located between the image control device 20 and the projector 11 can be, for example, a bridge device. In addition to being used to couple the TTYS port 103 in the first communication port 202 to the UART port 113 of the projector 11, the relay module 11 can also be used to couple the USB port 204 in the first communication port 202 to the USB hub 220, so as to perform bidirectional transmission of input signals or control signals.

[0051] In addition, in this embodiment, the USB port 204 and the TTYS port 103 in the first communication port 202 of the image control device 20 are integrated into the same communication port 202 (for example, a USB Type-C communication port), but in other embodiments, the USB port 204 and the TTYS port 103 can also exist in different communication ports to perform bidirectional transmission of control signals and input signals, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Similarly, the third communication port 222 of the relay module 22 is also the same, and will not be described in detail here.

[0052] In one embodiment, the microcontroller 221 may be implemented using the same or similar components as the first processing module 101 and / or the second processing module 111 , which will not be described in detail herein.

[0053] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a projection system 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The projection system 3 includes an image control device 20 , a projector 11 and a relay module 32 . Figure 3 The projection system 3 is similar to Figure 2 The projection system 2 is a projection system 2, so the same elements use the same symbols and are not described in detail here. Specifically, Figure 2 The relay module 22 in Figure 3 The UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 is replaced by the relay module 32, so that the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 is directly connected to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112. In other words, in this embodiment, the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 provides a wiring connection or a function of transferring control signals between the TTYS port 103 of the image control device 20 and the UART port 113 of the projector 11, so that the control signal sent by the first processing module 101 of the image control device 20 can be provided to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 from the TTYS port 103 of the first communication port 102 via the communication connection of the third communication port 222 of the relay module 32.

[0054] In this embodiment, the relay module 32 receives the input signal generated in response to the user operating the USB device UD, and the image control device 20 generates a corresponding control signal based on the input signal. The first processing module 101 of the image control device 20 can provide the control signal to the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 of the relay module 32 through the TTYS port 103 of the first communication port 202, and then provide it to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 of the projector 11.

[0055] In this embodiment, since the UART port 223 of the third communication port 222 of the relay module 32 is directly connected to the UART port 113 of the second communication port 112 of the projector 11, after the projector 11 receives the control signal, the ASCII-encoded control signal can be translated in the second processing module 111 of the projector 11, and the projector 11 then performs the corresponding operation.

[0056] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The control method can be Figure 1 to Figure 3 Any one of the projection systems 1 to 3 is used for execution. Figure 4 The control method includes steps S40 and S41.

[0057] In step S40, the first processing module of the image control device of the projection system executes the application to generate a control signal. The first processing module of the image control device outputs the control signal through at least one first communication port of the image control device. In detail, the application executed by the image control device can provide a variety of functions for controlling the projector (such as system settings). The user can select the control item to be performed by operating the application, so that the first processing module of the image control device generates a control signal corresponding to the selected control item and provides the control signal to the projector.

[0058] In step S41, a control signal is received via at least one second communication port of a projector of the projection system, and a second processing module of the projector controls the projector according to the control signal so that the projector performs a function corresponding to the control signal.

[0059] In one embodiment, the projection system establishes a control signal transmission channel through a specific port between the first communication port and the second communication port. For example, when the first communication port of the image control device is a USB Type-C communication port, the differential signal docking pin in the USB Type-C communication port can be used as a TTYS port to establish a control signal transmission channel with the UART port in the second communication port of the projector. In this way, the project of controlling the projector by the image control device can be expanded in the projection system.

[0060] In some embodiments, the projection system further includes a relay module coupled between the image control device and the projector. The relay module includes a third communication port, which is communicatively connected to the first communication port of the image control device. The third communication port can provide the control signal transmitted by the first communication port to the second communication port of the projector through wiring.

[0061] Figure 5A FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5A The control method can be Figure 1 to Figure 3 Any one of the projection systems 1 to 3 is used for execution. Figure 5A The control method includes steps S50 to S54.

[0062] Steps S50 and S51 may be executed by the image control device. In step S50, the first processing module of the image control device may receive an input signal generated in response to a user operation by executing an application program, thereby generating a corresponding control signal. In some embodiments, the first processing module of the image control device may generate a control signal having a first encoding format (e.g., decimal) according to the input signal input by the user by, for example, searching a first lookup table. The first lookup table may be stored in a storage medium such as Figure 1 to Figure 3 Then, in step S51, the image control device can use the differential signal connection pin in the first communication port as a TTYS port to transmit the control signal.

[0063] Steps S52 and S53 may be performed by a relay module. In step S52, the relay module may receive the control signal and translate or forward it. In some embodiments, when the relay module translates the control signal, the microcontroller in the relay module may, for example, translate the control signal from a first encoding form (e.g., decimal) to a second encoding form (e.g., hexadecimal). In some embodiments, when the relay module forwards the control signal, the relay module may connect the UART port of the third communication port to the UART port of the second communication port of the projector by routing. Therefore, in step S53, the relay module may transmit the processed control signal to the projector.

[0064] Step S54 may be executed by the projector. In step S54, the projector may receive the control signal through the UART port on the second communication port and execute a corresponding function (eg, system setting).

[0065] In some embodiments, when the projection system does not include a relay module or the relay module does not include a microcontroller, Figure 5AThe control method in the embodiment can omit steps S52 and S53, that is, in step S51, after the image control device sends a control signal, it directly connects to step S54, and the projector receives the control signal. In one embodiment, when the projector receives the control signal directly from the image control device, or the control signal received by the projector is only forwarded by the relay module but not translated, the second processing module in the projector can translate the control signal into a second encoding form (for example, hexadecimal) by searching the second lookup table stored in the projector and then execute the corresponding function. The second lookup table can be stored in a Figure 1 to Figure 3 The second storage unit 110 of the projector.

[0066] Figure 5B FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5B The control method can be Figure 1 to Figure 3 Any one of the projection systems 1 to 3 is used for execution. Figure 5B The control method includes steps S55 to S59.

[0067] In the projection system, in addition to the transmission of the control signal initiated by the image control device, the transmission of the control signal can also be initiated by the projector to achieve two-way communication between the image control device and the projector. In detail, step S55 can be executed by the projector. In step S55, the projector can receive a first control signal (i.e., an input signal) generated in response to a user operation. For example, the user can select a function to be performed (such as auto focus) by operating the remote control of the projector, or a button on the projector, or an on screen display (OSD) displayed by the projector. In this way, the second processing module of the projector can send a first control signal corresponding to the user's instruction to perform auto focus through the second communication port.

[0068] Steps S56 and S57 may be performed by the relay module. In step S56, the relay module may receive the first control signal and translate or forward it. In one embodiment, when the relay module translates the first control signal, the microcontroller in the relay module may, for example, translate the first control signal from a second coding form (e.g., hexadecimal) to a first coding form (e.g., decimal). In one embodiment, when the relay module forwards the first control signal, the relay module may connect the UART port of the second communication port of the projector to the TTYS port of the first communication port of the image control device by routing. Therefore, in step S57, the relay module may transmit the processed first control signal to the image control device.

[0069] Steps S58 and S59 can be executed by the image control device. In step S58, the image control device can receive the first control signal from the TTYS port of the first communication port. Since in this embodiment, the operation indicated by the user is to perform auto focus, the first processing module of the image control device can open the application corresponding to the auto focus or execute the corresponding function in the application accordingly. In order to perform auto focus, the first processing module can open the camera in the image control device (not shown). Figure 1 to Figure 3 In step S59, the first processing module of the image control device can generate a corresponding second control signal according to the calculated focal length adjustment range. In one embodiment, Figure 5B The control method can then execute Figure 5A That is, after step S59, steps S51 to S54 can be executed successively. Specifically, in this embodiment, the projection system accepts user control to perform system settings such as automatic focus adjustment. Therefore, after the image control device calculates the focus adjustment amount, the corresponding second control signal can be provided to the projector through steps S51 to S54, so that the projector receives and executes the second control signal to adjust the focus of the corresponding amount to complete the automatic focus operation specified by the user.

[0070] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a projection system 6 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The projection system 6 includes an image control device 60 , a projector 61 and a relay module 62 . Figure 6 The projection system 6 is similar to Figure 1The projection system 1 of FIG. 1 is a projection system 1 of FIG. 1 , so the same elements use the same symbols and are not described in detail here. In this embodiment, the port 604 in the first communication port 602 of the image control device 60 is a USB port, and the port 614 in the second communication port 612 of the projector 11 can also be a USB port. In addition, the relay module 62 is coupled between the image control device 60 and the projector 61. Specifically, the image control device 60 includes a first storage unit 100, the projector 61 includes a second storage unit 110, and the relay module 62 includes a third communication port 622, a USB bridge 625, a microcontroller 621, and a third storage unit 626. The relay module 62 is communicatively connected to the USB port 604 of the first communication port 602 of the image control device 60 via the USB port 624 of the third communication port 622. The USB bridge 625 is used to receive control signals from the image control device 60 and transmitted via the USB port 604 of the first communication port 602 and the USB port 624 of the third communication port 622, and transmit the control signals to the USB port 614 of the second communication port 612 of the projector 61 in a forwarding manner. In addition, the microcontroller 621 is connected between the USB bridge 625 and the projector 61, and the control signals are forwarded to the projector 61 in sequence via the USB port 604 of the first communication port 602 of the image control device 60, the USB port 624 of the third communication port 622 of the relay module 62, the USB bridge 625, the microcontroller 621, and the USB port 614 of the second communication port 612 of the projector 61.

[0071] In terms of operation, the image control device 60 and the projector 61 can be operated as master devices at the same time, and the relay module 62 is regarded as a medium to read and write instructions to realize the transmission of control signals. For example, the first storage unit 100 of the image control device 60 is used to store the first data, and the projector 61 can access the first data through the USB bridge 625. Or, the second storage unit 110 in the projector 61 is used to store the second data, and the image control device 60 can access the second data through the USB bridge 625. In detail, the write instruction of the control signal (or the first data in the first storage unit 100) sent by the image control device 60 can carry the address information related to the third storage unit 626 in the relay module 62 to specify that the control signal is stored in the third storage unit 626 of the relay module 62. The relay module 62 can receive the write instruction through the USB port 624 in the third communication port 622 and store the control signal in the storage unit 626. On the other hand, the second processing module 111 of the projector 61 can issue a read command, which can also carry address information related to the third storage unit 626 in the relay module 62, so as to read the control signal stored in the relay module 62. The relay module 62 can provide the control signal to the USB port 614 of the second communication port 612 of the projector 61, so that the projector 61 receives the control signal (or the first data in the first storage unit 100) and performs a corresponding function according to the control signal. The reverse method of sending the control signal (or the second data in the second storage unit 110) by the projector 61 is similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0072] In addition, in this embodiment, although the second communication port 612 of the projector 61 has only one USB port, in other embodiments, the second communication port may also be provided with a USB port and a UART port (for example, Figure 1 The USB port and the UART port of the second communication port can be integrated into the same communication port (such as a USB Type-C communication port) as the first communication port and the third communication port, or can exist in different communication ports separately, but is not limited thereto.

[0073] In one embodiment, the third storage unit 626 may be implemented using the same or similar elements as the first storage unit 100 and / or the second storage unit 110 , which will not be described in detail herein.

[0074] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a projection system 7 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 The projection system 7 is similar to Figure 6 Therefore, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and are not described in detail herein. Figure 6 The projection system 6 and Figure 7 The difference between the projection system 7 and the Figure 7 In the projection system 7, no microcontroller is provided on the path for transmitting control signals between the third communication port 622 of the relay module 72 and the second communication port 612 of the projector 61. Specifically, when a microcontroller is provided on the path for transmitting control signals between the third communication port 622 and the second communication port 612 (e.g. Figure 6 In the embodiment), the relay module can pre-process the control signal provided by the image control device 60 to reduce the amount of calculation of the second processing module 111 of the projector 61. However, in the embodiment, the microcontroller can also be omitted in the path of the third communication port 622 and the second communication port 612 to transmit the control signal. In this way, the relay module 72 only writes, accesses and transfers the control signal, and does not perform signal pre-processing operations. Correspondingly, the second processing module 111 in the projector 61 can perform necessary signal pre-processing operations after receiving the control signal.

[0075] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 The control method can be Figure 6 , Figure 7 The process is performed by any one of the projection systems 6 or 7. Figure 8 The control method includes steps S80 to S84.

[0076] Steps S80 and S81 can be executed by the image control device. In step S80, the first processing module of the image control device can receive the input signal generated in response to the user's operation by executing the application program to generate a corresponding control signal. Then, in step S81, the image control device can issue a write instruction containing the control signal through the USB port in the first communication port to transmit the control signal to the relay module.

[0077] Step S82 may be executed by the relay module. In step S82, the relay module may receive a write instruction from the third communication port, and write the control signal into the third storage unit in the relay module according to the address information carried in the write instruction.

[0078] Steps S83 and S84 can be executed by the projector. In step S83, the second processing module of the projector can send a read command to the relay module through the USB port of the second communication port to read the control signal stored in the third storage unit of the relay module. In some embodiments, the relay module can pre-process the control signal or forward it to transmit the control signal to the projector. Finally, in step S84, the second processing module of the projector can execute the corresponding function according to the read control signal.

[0079] Fig. 9FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 The control method can be Figure 6 , Figure 7 The process is performed by any one of the projection systems 6 or 7. Figure 8 The control method includes steps S90 to S94.

[0080] Steps S90 and S91 may be performed by the projector. In step S90, the second processing module of the projector may receive an input signal generated in response to a user's operation to generate a corresponding control signal. Then, in step S91, the projector may issue a write instruction containing a control signal via the USB port in the second communication port to transmit the control signal to the relay module.

[0081] Step S92 may be executed by the relay module. In step S92, the relay module may receive the write instruction and write the control signal into the third storage unit in the relay module according to the address information carried in the write instruction.

[0082] Steps S93 and S94 can be executed by the image control device. In step S93, the first processing module of the image control device can send a read command to the relay module through the USB port in the first communication port to read the control signal stored in the third storage unit of the relay module. Finally, in step S94, the first processing module of the image control device can execute a corresponding function according to the read control signal.

[0083] For example, Fig. 9 The control method can also be applied to the above paragraph, where the user controls the auto focus by operating the projector. Specifically, after the user operates the projector to instruct the auto focus, the projection system can instruct the image control device to start the application corresponding to the auto focus or execute the corresponding function in the application by executing steps S90 to S94. Therefore, after the image control device has completed the relevant operations and calculated the focal length adjustment amount of the projector, it can continue to execute Figure 8 The control method provides a control signal including a focus adjustment amount to the projector through steps S80-S84, so that the projector receives and executes the control signal to adjust the focus by a corresponding amount to complete the automatic focusing operation specified by the user.

[0084] In summary, the projection system and control method of the present invention can transmit control signals through at least one of the TTYS port or the USB port in the image control device, thereby realizing the function of controlling the projector (such as system settings) in a simpler way.

[0085] However, the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it cannot be used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. That is, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and the content of the invention of the present invention are still within the scope of the patent of the present invention. In addition, any embodiment or claim of the present invention does not need to achieve all the purposes, advantages or features disclosed by the present invention. In addition, the abstract and title (invention name) are only used to assist in the retrieval of patent documents, and are not used to limit the scope of rights of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. mentioned in this specification or claims are only used to name the name of the element or distinguish different embodiments or scopes, and are not used to limit the upper or lower limit on the number of elements.

Claims

1. A projection system, characterized in that: The projection system comprises an image control device and a projector, wherein: The image control device comprises a first processing module, an application program and at least one first communication port, the first processing module is used to execute the application program and generate a control signal through the application program, and the first processing module outputs the control signal through the at least one first communication port; and The projector includes a second processing module and at least one second communication port. The projector is communicatively connected to the at least one first communication port of the image control device through the at least one second communication port. The second processing module receives the control signal through the at least one second communication port and controls the projector according to the control signal so that the projector performs a function corresponding to the control signal. The at least one first communication port includes at least one of a teletype serial (TTYS) port and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

2. The projection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one first communication port is a USB Type-C communication port or a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) communication port.

3. The projection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the at least one first communication port is a USB Type-C communication port, the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port is located at the differential signal connection pin in the USB Type-C communication port, and the USB port of the at least one first communication port is located at the USB 2.0 interface pin in the USB Type-C communication port.

4. The projection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one second communication port includes at least one of an asynchronous transceiver (UART) port and a universal serial bus (USB) port. When the control signal is output from the image control device via the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port, the projector receives the control signal via the UART port of the at least one second communication port. When the control signal is output from the image control device via the USB port of the at least one first communication port, the projector receives the control signal via the USB port of the at least one second communication port.

5. The projection system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The projection system further includes a relay module, which includes at least one third communication port. The relay module is communicatively connected to the at least one first communication port of the image control device via a UART port of the at least one third communication port. The first processing module of the image control device is used to transmit the control signal to the relay module via the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port and the UART port of the at least one third communication port, wherein the relay module also includes a microcontroller for translating the control signal. After being translated by the microcontroller, the control signal is transmitted to the projector via the UART port of the at least one second communication port.

6. The projection system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The relay module also includes a USB hub for connecting at least one USB device. The USB hub is communicatively connected to the at least one first communication port of the image control device via a USB port of the at least one third communication port. The image control device outputs the control signal to the relay module via the USB port of the at least one first communication port, and the control signal is transmitted to the USB device via the USB hub, so that the at least one USB device performs an operation corresponding to the control signal.

7. The projection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The projection system further includes a relay module, which includes at least one third communication port and a USB bridge. The at least one second communication port includes a USB port. The relay module is communicatively connected to the at least one first communication port of the image control device via the USB port of the at least one third communication port. The USB bridge is used to receive the control signal from the image control device and transmitted via the USB port of the at least one first communication port and the USB port of the at least one third communication port, and transmit the control signal to the USB port of the at least one second communication port of the projector in a forwarding manner.

8. The projection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The image control device further includes a first storage unit for storing first data, and the projector accesses the first data through the USB bridge.

9. The projection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The projector further includes a second storage unit for storing second data, and the image control device accesses the second data through the USB bridge.

10. The projection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The relay module also includes a microcontroller, which is connected between the USB bridge and the projector. The control signal is sequentially transferred to the projector via the USB port of the at least one first communication port, the USB port of the at least one third communication port, the USB bridge, the microcontroller, and the USB port of the at least one second communication port.

11. A control method for controlling a projection system, characterized in that: The control method comprises: The first processing module of the image control device of the projection system executes an application program to generate a control signal, and the first processing module of the image control device outputs the control signal through at least one first communication port of the image control device; and The control signal is received by at least one second communication port of the projector of the projection system, and the second processing module of the projector controls the projector according to the control signal so that the projector performs a function corresponding to the control signal. The at least one first communication port includes at least one of a teletype serial (TTYS) port and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

12. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The at least one first communication port is a USB Type-C communication port or a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) communication port.

13. The control method according to claim 12, characterized in that: When the at least one first communication port is a USB Type-C communication port, the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port is located at the differential signal connection pin in the USB Type-C communication port, and the USB port of the at least one first communication port is located at the USB 2.0 interface pin in the USB Type-C communication port.

14. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The at least one second communication port includes at least one of an asynchronous transceiver (UART) port and a universal serial bus (USB) port. When the control signal is output from the image control device via the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port, the projector receives the control signal via the UART port of the at least one second communication port. When the control signal is output from the image control device via the USB port of the at least one first communication port, the projector receives the control signal via the USB interface of the at least one second communication port.

15. The control method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The projection system further includes a relay module, which includes at least one third communication port. The control signal is transmitted to the relay module through the TTYS port of the at least one first communication port and the UART port of the at least one third communication port by the first processing module of the image control device. The microcontroller of the relay module translates the control signal and transmits the control signal to the projector through the UART port of the at least one second communication port.

16. The control method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The relay module also includes a USB hub for connecting at least one USB device. The control method also includes outputting the control signal through the USB port of the at least one first communication port, and transmitting the control signal to the at least one USB device through a USB port of the at least one third communication port and the USB hub in the relay module, so that the at least one USB device performs an operation corresponding to the control signal.

17. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The projection system further includes a relay module, the relay module includes at least one third communication port and a USB bridge, the at least one second communication port includes a USB port, and the control method further includes: receiving the control signal from the image control device and transmitted via the USB port of the at least one first communication port and the USB port of the at least one third communication port by the USB bridge of the relay module, and transmitting the control signal to the projector through the USB port of the at least one second communication port in a forwarding manner.

18. The control method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The control method further includes: the projector accesses the first data in the first storage unit of the image control device via the USB bridge.

19. The control method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The image control device accesses the second data of the second storage unit of the projector via the USB bridge.

20. The control method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The relay module also includes a microcontroller, and the control signal is sequentially transferred to the projector via the USB port of the at least one first communication port, the USB port of the at least one third communication port, the USB bridge, the microcontroller, and the USB port of the at least one second communication port.

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