Interactive projector system with cooling system

Abstract

Interactive projector system (1) comprising: - a housing (2); - a projector (13); - a set of heat sensitive electronic modules (19), such as one or more data processing units (19A, 19B). The housing has a separation wall (23) separating the housing into a first vented compartment (4) and a second vented compartment (41). The projector is mounted in the first vented compartment and the electronic modules are mounted in the second vented compartment. The housing (2) further comprises an exhaust channel (34) and a channel wall (25) between the first vented compartment (40) and the exhaust channel. The channel wall comprises a channel opening (35) between the first vented compartment and the exhaust channel (34).

Description

[0001] INTERACTIVE PROJECTOR SYSTEM

[0002] The invention relates to an interactive projector system. In addition to a projector, such systems also contain a number of electronic modules, such as one or more cameras, sensors and a data processing unit, to provide the possibility of interactive use. In short, the projector projects an image, detected by the camera. The camera and sensors observe how a user interacts with the projected image. Based on signals from the camera and sensors, the data processing unit controls the projector to adjust the projected image in response to the user's actions. Projectors displaying interactive images on horizontal surfaces, such as a floor or a table, can for example be used with therapeutic treatment of people suffering from dementia or intellectual disability.

[0003] Examples of interactive projector systems are disclosed in US 2023 / 0121040 A1 and WO 2023 / 121458. Heat sensitive parts, such as the data processing unit are mounted in the same housing as the heat generating projector.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide a projector system in which the heat sensitive modules, in particular the data processing unit, are better protected against heat generated by the projector.

[0005] The object of the invention is achieved with an interactive projector system comprising a housing, a projector and one or more electronic modules, such as a data processing unit and optionally one or more daughter boards. The housing has a separation wall separating the housing into a first and a second vented compartment. The projector is mounted in the first vented compartment and the one or more electronic modules are mounted in the second vented compartment. The housing further comprises an exhaust channel and a channel wall between the first vented compartment and the exhaust channel with a channel opening to the first vented compartment. This way, the ventilation flow cooling the projector bypasses the heat sensitive electronic modules. The modules are effectively shielded from heat generated by the projector, which is separately vented via the exhaust channel.

[0006] In a specific embodiment, the projector has an air outlet connecting to the channel opening in the channel wall. The used projector can be a regular type projector, commercially available as a stand-alone end product, such as the BenQ® LW600st projector or similar projectors. Such projectors have a housing of their own and an active ventilation, in particular for the lamp. This active ventilation includes an internal air pump or fan, an air inlet, e.g., at the front and / or bottom side, and an air outlet, typically in one of the side walls. By connecting the air outlet of the projector to the channel opening of the exhaust channel, efficient use is made of the active ventilation system of the projector to discharge heat from the projector system as a whole. In a specific example, the projector is mounted with its side wall against the channel wall, the air outlet of the projector being aligned with the vent opening in the channel wall. In a more specific embodiment, the projector’s air outlet is left fully open through the vent opening in the duct wall, e.g., having the same size, shape and orientation.

[0007] In a specific embodiment, the interactive projector system further has a projector wall exposing a lens of the projector, and an opposite exhaust side wall with a first exhaust opening in communication with the exhaust channel, and a second exhaust opening in communication with the second vented compartment. In many cases, the interactive projector system will be a ceiling mounted system projecting downward onto a horizontal surface such as a floor or table top. In that position the projector wall will be at the lower side of the interactive projector system, and the exhaust side wall will be the top side. Alternatively, the interactive projector system can be used for projection onto a non-horizontal surface such as a wall. In that position the projector wall will be at the front side of the interactive projector system, and the exhaust side wall will be the rear side.

[0008] The projector wall may for example comprise openings for the projector lens, and one or more openings for camera’s and / or sensors.

[0009] In a specific embodiment, the interactive projector system may have a circumferential air inlet gap between the projector wall and a side wall of the housing. With such an arrangement, air is drawn in from all sides and is efficiently distributed over the interior of the housing.

[0010] The projector wall can for example be mounted to, and spaced from, a grid plate extending over the full rear side. Air passing the circumferential air gap will subsequently pass the grid, before entering the first or second vented compartment.

[0011] In a specific embodiment, the separation wall has one edge mounted to the grid plate and an opposite edge mounted to the exhaust wall, e.g., between the exhaust opening for the second vented compartment and the exhaust vent opening of the exhaust channel. The channel wall with the channel opening can for example be a folded part of the separation wall, e.g., under right angles with the separation wall.

[0012] The separation wall can for example be tilted at a tilting angle of about 10 - about 15 degrees, e.g., about 13 degrees. This angle eliminates the offset of the projector in order to obtain a projected image directly below the multimedia device.

[0013] In a further embodiment, the exhaust channel comprises a vent grid in a side wall of the housing opposite the channel opening in the channel wall and the air outlet of the projector. With such an arrangement, part of the air flow can be discharged directly via the vent grid.

[0014] The interactive projector system can for example include one or more camera’s, one or more sensors, such as one or more infrared sensors and / or one or more motion sensors, loudspeakers and the like. Optionally, the housing can include further facilities, such as a power module.

[0015] The above aspects can be combined at will, as far as technically feasible.

[0016] The present disclosure also relates to an interactive projector system comprising a housing, a projector within the housing and a set of electronic modules, such as one or more data processing units, the interactive projector system further having a projector wall exposing a lens of the projector and having a circumferential air inlet gap between the projector wall and a side wall of the housing, optionally in combination with any aspect disclosed above.

[0017] The invention will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing an exemplary embodiment.

[0018] Figure 1 : shows an exemplary embodiment of an interactive projector system in perspective view;

[0019] Figure 2: shows the interactive projector system of Figure 1 horizontally;

[0020] Figure 3: shows the interactive projector system of Figure 1 in exploded view;

[0021] Figure 4: shows an inner frame of the interactive projector system of Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 5A: shows a front view of the interactive projector system of Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 5B: shows a cross section along line A-A in Figure 5A;

[0024] Figure 6A: shows a front view of the interactive projector system of Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 6B: shows a cross section along line C-C in Figure 6A; Figure 6C: shows a cross section along line D-D in Figure 6A;

[0026] Figure 7A: shows a flow through a first compartment of the interactive projector system of Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 7B: shows the flow of Figure 7A from a different viewpoint;

[0028] Figure 8: shows a flow through a second compartment of the interactive projector system of Figure 1 .

[0029] Figure 1 shows an interactive projector system 1 for projecting images on a horizontal surface, such as a table top in a way that allows interaction between the projected image and a user by changing the projected image in response to a user’s actions. The interactive projector system 1 comprises a housing 2 with a circumferential side wall 3, an exhaust side wall 4 (see Figure 1 ) and a projector wall 5 (see Figure 2).

[0030] The interactive projector system 1 further comprises a handle 6 mounted to the exhaust side wall 4. This handle 6 can be used to mount the interactive projector system 1 to a ceiling, for example using a ceiling mount as disclosed in EP 3 961 081 A1 . Other mounting systems can also be used.

[0031] The circumferential side wall 3 is made of two symmetrically shaped and arranged side wall plates 7, both having a flat middle section 7A defining the longer side walls of the housing 2, and two end sections 7B bent to form rounded corner edges 7C. The end sections 7B of one side wall plate 7 are aligned and coplanar with the end sections 7B of the other side wall plate 7, with a gap 8 between the edges 9 of the respective end sections 7B. This way, the end sections 7B define the short side walls of the housing 2. The edges 9 of the end sections 7B have recessed midsections 9B defining a vent opening 10 in the circumferential wall 3.

[0032] The projector wall 5 has a lens opening 11 for a lens 12 of a projector 13 mounted within the housing 2 (see Figure 3), a camera opening 14 for a camera (not shown) and two openings 15 for sensors (not shown), such as an infrared sensor. A circumferential air gap 16 spaces the circumferential edge of the projector wall 5 from the lower edge of the circumferential wall 3 of the housing 2. Four mounting blocks 17 or clips mount the projector wall 5 to the circumferential wall 3.

[0033] Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the interactive projector system 1 to show the internals. These include an inner frame 18, the projector 13 mounted to the inner frame 18 and electronic modules 19 supporting the interactive functionality of the interactive projector system 1 . These electronic modules 19 include for example a data processing unit 19A, and optionally a daughter board 19B. The interactive projector system 1 may further include one or more camera’s such as an RGB camera and / or IR camera (not shown), a motion sensor (not shown), and loudspeakers 20.

[0034] Figure 4 shows the inner frame 18 separately. It includes an exhaust plate 21 , a grid plate 22 parallel to the exhaust plate 21 , an inclined separation wall 23 between the exhaust plate 21 and the grid plate 22, a side wall 24 extending between the grid plate 22 and the exhaust plate 21 , and a channel wall 25 extending from the grid plate 22, the channel wall 25 being parallel and opposite to the side wall 24.

[0035] The exhaust side wall 4 of the interactive projector system 1 is formed by the exhaust plate 21 of the inner frame 18 and a matching cover plate 26 with the same outline. The exhaust plate 21 and the cover plate 26 have aligned openings, forming a first exhaust opening 27 and a second exhaust opening 28 of the exhaust side wall 4. The cover plate 26 further has a passage 29 for the handle 6.

[0036] The side wall 24 of the inner frame 18 is provided with cable passages and further openings 30. Between this frame side wall 24 and the adjacent bent end sections 7B of the side wall plates 7 is a chamber 31 , e.g., for a power module 32 (see in particular Figures 6B and 7B).

[0037] The channel wall 25 extends from the grid plate 22 to an exhaust chamber 33 leading to the first exhaust grid opening 27 in the exhaust side wall 4. An exhaust channel 34 is formed between the channel wall 25 and the adjacent bent end sections 7B of the side wall plates 7. The exhaust channel 34 leads to the exhaust chamber 33. The channel wall 25 comprises a channel inlet 35.

[0038] The inner frame 18 further comprises two oppositely arranged grid strips 36 parallel and opposite to the frame side wall 24 and the channel wall 25, respectively. These grid strips 36 bridge the vent opening 10 between the adjacent end sections 7B of the side wall plates 7, so as to provide a ventilation grid.

[0039] The grid plate 22 comprises a grid plate lens opening 37, grid plate openings 38 for the camera, and openings 39 for the loudspeakers 20. The projector wall 5 is mounted to the inner frame 18 in line with the grid plate 22, such that it is surrounded by the circumferential air gap 16, preferably of substantially even width, and with the lens opening 11 being aligned with the grid plate lens opening 37 and the grid plate openings 38 for the camera and the sensors being aligned with the corresponding openings 11 , 14, 15 in the projector wall 5.

[0040] In side view, the inclined separation wall 23 is inclined at an angle of 13 degrees with the vertical when the interactive projector system is in the upright position, i.e. , during normal operation with the projector lens 12 being directed downward.

[0041] The inclined separation wall 23 separates the interior of the housing 2 into two separately vented compartments: a first vented compartment 40 with the projector 13, and a second vented compartment 41 with one or more of the electronic modules 19, including the data processing unit 19A and the daughterboard 19B (see in particular Figure 5B). The second exhaust opening 28 of the exhaust side wall 4 communicates with the second vented compartment 41 . The second vented compartment 41 also comprises an air pump 42 connecting to the second exhaust opening 28 in the exhaust side wall 4.

[0042] The projector 13 comprises an air inlet 43 (Figure 7B), an air outlet 44, and an internal projector fan (not shown) that draws in air to generate an airflow from the air inlet 43 to the air outlet to cool the internal parts of the projector 13, especially the lamp, which is the main heat source of the projector 13. The projector 13 fits between the frame side wall 24 and the channel wall 25 and is mounted to the inner frame 18 against one side of the inclined separation wall 23 with the projector lens 12 pointing downward in line with the lens openings 11 , in the grid plate 22 and the projector wall 5. The channel inlet 35 has a shape, size and orientation matching those of the air outlet 44 of the projector 13. The air outlet 44 of the projector 13 is directly connected to the channel inlet 35, so when the projector 13 is powered, it blows the ventilation air directly into the exhaust channel 34.

[0043] The inclined separation wall 23 provides two separate ventilation flows: a first flow P through the first vented compartment 40 containing the projector 13, and a second flow E through the second vented compartment 41 containing the data processing unit 19A and the daughter board 19B. This is shown in Figure 5B which is a cross section of the interactive projector system 1 along line A-A in Figure 5A. The first flow P is also shown in Figure 6B, which is a longitudinal cross section along line C-C in Figure 6A. Figures 7 and 8 show the first flow P in perspective views from different sides and Figure 9 shows the second flow E in perspective view. The first flow P is generated by the internal fan of the projector 13, drawing ambient air via the circumferential air gap 16 at the projector side, and subsequently through the grid plate 22 into the first vented compartment and via the air inlet of the projector 13 into the interior of the projector 13, and then via the air outlet of the projector 13 into the exhaust channel 34. Here, part of the first flow P will leave the housing 2 via the vent opening 10, while the main part of the first flow P goes on via the exhaust chamber 33 through the first exhaust opening 27 in the exhaust side wall 4. Thus, the first flow P effectively discharges heat from the projector 13 while bypassing heat sensitive modules, such as the data processing unit 19A and daughterboard 19B.

[0044] The second flow E is also shown in Figure 6C, which is a longitudinal cross section along line D-D in Figure 6A. The second flow E is generated by the air pump 42 in the second vented compartment 41 , by drawing ambient air via the circumferential air gap 16 at the lower side, and the grid plate 22 into the second vented compartment 41 along the data processing unit 19A and the daughter board 19B, and subsequently through the air pump 42 and the second exhaust opening 28 in the exhaust side wall 4.

[0045] The terms "upward", "downward", "below", "above", and the like relate to the embodiment as oriented in the drawings, i.e. , with the handle 6 at the top side and the projector lens 12 at the lower side, which corresponds to the position of the system during normal operation.

[0046] The disclosure is not restricted to the above described embodiment which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims

8CLAIMS1 . Interactive projector system (1 ) comprising:- a housing (2);- a projector (13);- a set of electronic modules (19), such as one or more data processing units (19A, 19B), wherein the housing has a separation wall (23) separating the housing into a first vented compartment (4) and a second vented compartment (41 ), wherein the projector is mounted in the first vented compartment and one or more of the electronic modules are mounted in the second vented compartment, wherein the housing (2) further comprises an exhaust channel (34) and a channel wall (25) between the first vented compartment (40) and the exhaust channel, the channel wall comprising a channel opening (35) between the first vented compartment and the exhaust channel (34).

2. Interactive projector system according to claim 1 , wherein the projector (13) has an air outlet (44) connecting to the channel opening (35) in the channel wall (25).

3. Interactive projector system according to claim 2, wherein the projector (13) is mounted with the air outlet (44) against the channel opening (35) in the channel wall (25), the projector’s air outlet being left open through the vent opening in the duct wall, e.g., having the same size, shape and / or orientation as the channel opening (35).

4. Interactive projector system according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, having a projector wall (5) exposing a lens of the projector (13), and an opposite exhaust side wall (4) with a first exhaust opening (27) in communication with the first vented compartment (40) and a second exhaust opening (28) in communication with the second vented compartment (41 ).

5. Interactive projector system according to claim 4, further comprising a circumferential air inlet gap (16) between the projector wall (5) and a circumferential side wall (3) of the housing (2).

96. Interactive projector system according to claim 5, comprising a grid plate (22) mounted parallel to, and spaced from the projector wall (5), between the projector wall (5) on the one hand and the first and second vented compartments (40, 41 ) on the other hand.

7. Interactive projector system according to claim 6, wherein the separation wall (23) has one edge connecting to the grid plate (22) and an opposite edge connecting to the exhaust side wall (4) between the first exhaust opening (27) for the first vented compartment (40) and the second exhaust opening (28) for the second vented compartment (41 ).

8. Interactive projector system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the exhaust channel (34) comprises a vent opening (10) opposite to the channel opening (25), e.g., in the circumferential side wall (3) of the housing (2).

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