Continuous Image Calibration for Projected Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image projection systems on complex, non-planar surfaces require manual calibration and frequent maintenance, leading to misalignment issues during operation, especially in applications with movement like flight simulators.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using registration devices like cameras to continuously calibrate images by detecting fiducial and reference markers, calculating geometric transformations, and applying image warps to maintain seamless displays on non-planar surfaces during normal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual calibration is performed once in a time period from daily to yearly, then the calibration process is simple and requires minimal resources, but the images become misaligned during operation due to movement and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously captures images of the screen during operation, detects fiducial markers and reference markers, compares their positions, and automatically adjusts the projected images to maintain alignment. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures images remain aligned despite movement or vibration, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by automating the calibration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration system performs self-calibration during normal operation without requiring external intervention. The registration device automatically detects marker positions, calculates geometric transformations, and applies image warps to correct alignment issues, allowing the system to maintain itself continuously during operation rather than requiring periodic manual calibration.
2Measurement precision
If separate maintenance or alignment sequence is required, then the calibration can be performed thoroughly, but it interrupts normal operation and requires additional time
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration process is integrated into the normal operation of the display system, allowing continuous calibration without interruption. The system performs calibration repeatedly or continually during image display, ensuring both high calibration accuracy and uninterrupted productivity by eliminating the need for separate maintenance sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for calibration by pre-defining fiducial markers on the screen and incorporating reference markers into the projected images before calibration begins. This preliminary setup enables the calibration process to proceed smoothly and accurately during operation without requiring interruption or additional preparation time.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple projectors are used to create seamless images, then the coverage area increases, but alignment issues occur when projectors move due to vibration or motion platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the positions of fiducial markers and reference markers from multiple projectors, detects any misalignment caused by movement or vibration, and automatically adjusts each projector's output in real-time. This feedback mechanism maintains reliable alignment across the entire display coverage area even when projectors are mounted on motion platforms or subjected to vibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration system is designed to be dynamic, continuously adapting to changes in projector positions caused by vibration or motion. Rather than relying on static calibration, the system performs repeated calibrations during operation, allowing multiple projectors to maintain seamless alignment despite dynamic environmental conditions.
4Reliability
If fiducial markers are defined on the screen and reference markers are added to projected images, then continuous alignment can be achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs all calibration operations including detecting fiducial markers, detecting reference markers, calculating mappings, and applying image warps without external intervention. This automation justifies the added complexity by eliminating the need for manual calibration procedures and ensuring continuous alignment stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiducial markers on the screen and reference markers in the projected images serve as intermediaries that facilitate the calibration process. These markers enable the registration device to accurately detect and measure alignment without directly interacting with the complex projection system, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining alignment stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous alignment and blending of images on complex surfaces, preventing misalignment due to movement and reducing the need for separate calibration processes, ensuring accurate and stable image projection during operation.
Implementation Method 1
detecting, by a registration device, such as a camera, the plurality of fiducial markers in an image of the screen
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and apparatus to continuously calibrate images displayed on a screen or surface by one or more projection devices during display of the images are disclosed. The systems, methods and apparatus comprise defining a plurality of fiducial markers on the screen, detecting, by a registration device, such as a camera, the plurality of fiducial markers in an image of the screen, adding a plurality of reference markers to an image displayed on the screen, detecting, by the registration device, the plurality of reference markers in the displayed image, determining a mapping between positions of the reference markers on the screen to positions of the reference markers in the displayed images, calculating an image warp based on the mapping and a layout of the images to be displayed and applying the image warp to images from an image generator to produce geometrically corrected images for display on the screen.