Apparatus and method for presenting media content

• US 10,567,742 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Robert, Carter, Sharon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Findley, Christopher G
• Application Number:
  US15/685,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/359 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 for two or more viewers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, controller and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the controller, facilitate performance of operations that include receiving a media content including three-dimensional image content for presentation on a display device. A presence is determined of a viewer within a line-of-sight of the display device, wherein the viewer is without a viewing apparatus that facilitates viewing of the three-dimensional image content. The media content is adapted to include two-dimensional image content, based on the determining of the presence of the viewer within the line-of-sight and without the viewing apparatus. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A media processor, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

obtaining a three-dimensional content version of media content;

capturing an image of a viewing area of a display;

determining whether one or more of a plurality of viewers is not wearing a functioning viewing apparatus, wherein the determining is based on analyzing the image using image recognition techniques and is based on the one or more of the plurality of viewers being located at a distance from the display greater than a predetermined distance threshold;

converting the three-dimensional content version of the media content into a two-dimensional content version of the media content in response to a determination that the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus; and

providing the two-dimensional content version of the media content to the display.

2. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional content version includes a left image and right image pairing.

3. The media processor of claim 2, wherein the converting the three-dimensional content version of the media content into a two-dimensional content version of media content comprises replacing one image of the left image and right image pairing with another image of the left image and right image pairing.

4. The media processor of claim 1, wherein operations comprise generating the three-dimensional content version by providing different polarizations of alternating horizontal rows of the display.

5. The media processor of claim 4, wherein the converting the three-dimensional content version of the media content into a two-dimensional content version of media content comprises providing one polarization to every horizontal row of the display.

6. The media processor of claim 1, wherein a portable communication device comprises the media processor.

7. The media processor of claim 1, wherein a portable communication device comprises the display.

8. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus further comprises determining whether the viewing apparatus is in an unobscured line of sight with the display.

9. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the determination that the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus comprises detecting that the viewing apparatus is not in operation.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

generating a three-dimensional content version of media content;

capturing an image of a viewing area of a display;

determining whether one or more of a plurality of viewers is not wearing a functioning viewing apparatus, wherein the determining is based on analyzing the image using image recognition techniques and is based on the one or more of the plurality of viewers being located at a distance from the display greater than a predetermined distance threshold;

generating a two-dimensional content version of the media content from the three-dimensional content version of the media content in response to a determination that the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus; and

providing the two-dimensional content version of the media content to the display, wherein a mobile device comprises the display.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional content version includes a left image and right image pairing, wherein the generating of the two-dimensional content version of the media content comprises replacing one image of the left image and right image pairing with another image of the left image and right image pairing.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein generating of the three-dimensional content version comprises generating the three-dimensional content version by providing different polarizations of alternating horizontal rows of the display, wherein the generating the two-dimensional content version of the media content comprises providing one polarization to every horizontal row of the display.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a mobile device comprises the processing system.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the determining whether the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus further comprises determining whether the functioning viewing apparatus is in an unobscured line of sight with the display.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the determination that a viewer of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the functioning viewing apparatus comprises detecting that the viewing apparatus is not in operation.

16. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a three-dimensional content version of media content, wherein a video game console comprises the processing system;

receiving, by the processing system, an image of a viewing area of a display;

determining, by the processing system, whether one or more of a plurality of viewers is not wearing an operating viewing apparatus, wherein the determining is based on analyzing the image using image recognition techniques and is based on the one or more of the plurality of viewers being located at a distance from the display greater than a predetermined distance threshold;

generating, by the processing system, a two-dimensional content version of the media content from the three-dimensional content version of the media content in response to a determination that the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the operating viewing apparatus; and

providing, by the processing system, the two-dimensional content version of the media content to the display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the three-dimensional content version includes a left image and right image pairing, wherein the generating of the two-dimensional content version of the media content comprises replacing, by the processing system, one image of the left image and right image pairing with another image of the left image and right image pairing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the three-dimensional content version is generated by providing different polarizations of alternating horizontal rows of the display, wherein the generating the two-dimensional content version of the media content comprises providing one polarization to every horizontal row of the display.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining whether the one or more of the plurality of viewers is not wearing the operating viewing apparatus further comprises determining whether the operating viewing apparatus is in an unobscured line of sight with the display.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the video game console comprises the display.