Universal stereographic trigger peripheral for electronic equipment

• US 20070139769A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeCusatis, Casimer, Trifilo, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,167,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/478
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• 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 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A universal hardware adapter for conversion of video game platform USB signals to standard stereoscopic personal computer connection signals.

Claims

1. In an apparatus comprising an output for transmitting 2D video data and 3D video data, a method for activating 3D output of the apparatus comprising the steps of:

coupling a peripheral device to a system bus of the apparatus via a system bus compatible cable;

the peripheral device transmitting over the bus to an operating system of the apparatus a request to transmit to the output multiple image stream 3D video data; and

the apparatus transmitting the multiple image stream 3D video data to the output in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

the peripheral device transmitting over the bus to an operating system of the apparatus a request to access a video subsystem of the apparatus for monitoring a status of page flip signals; and

after accessing the video subsystem, the peripheral device transmitting pulses to at least one output of the peripheral device representing the page flip signals detected in response to monitoring the status of the page flip signals.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

coupling an input of a stereographic projection apparatus to the output of the apparatus;

receiving at the stereographic projection apparatus input the multiple image stream 3D video data, each of the image streams containing a plurality of frames;

the stereo projection apparatus projecting the image data toward a viewable screen, wherein the projecting step comprises alternating between the image streams;

the stereo projection apparatus filtering frames projected from a first one of the image streams through a first type filter; and

the stereo projection apparatus filtering frames projected from a second one of the image streams through a second type filter.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

coupling another input of the stereographic projection apparatus to the output of the peripheral device; and

wherein the step of filtering frames projected from a first one of the image streams comprises receiving the page flip signals from the peripheral device that correspond to the first one of the image streams and the step of filtering frames projected from a second one of the image streams comprises receiving the page flip signals from the peripheral device that correspond to the second one of the image streams for synchronizing the steps of filtering frames.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of filtering frames from the first one of the image streams comprises polarizing the frames at a first polarization angle, and the step of filtering frames from the second one of the image streams comprises polarizing the frames at a second polarization angle.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the steps of filtering frames comprise activating a filter mechanism synchronized with the page flip signals that alternately disposes the first type filter and the second type filter in a path of the projected image data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said activating a filter mechanism comprises rotating a polarization filter wheel in the path of the projected image data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system bus is USB compliant and the peripheral device comprises a USB compatible driver that is recognized by USB compliant apparatuses.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the multiple image stream 3D video data to the output in response to the request occurs only after recognizing the peripheral device as one that is authorized to activate said 3D capability of the apparatus.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, the program storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method steps of claim 1.

10. A peripheral device comprising:

a cable capable of coupling to a system port of a video box which permits access to an internal system bus of the video box for system compatible peripheral devices, wherein the video box includes a video output for outputting 2D image data and 3D image data;

a driver compatible with the system bus for accessing a video subsystem of the video box over the system bus and for inspecting a status of page flip signals in the video subsystem; and

an output for outputting sync signals representing an equivalent status of the page flip signals.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the driver accesses the video subsystem for activating output of the 3D image data.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the output is designed for coupling to a stereographic projection apparatus.

13. The device of claim 10, further comprising an output port compatible with the system port of the video box for replacing access to the system bus of the video box occupied by the cable of the peripheral.

14. A 3D video generation system comprising:

a video box including a system bus, a system port, and a video output for outputting 2D image data and 3D image data, and which permits access to the system bus of the video box for system compatible peripheral devices;

a driver compatible with the system bus for accessing a video subsystem of the video box over the system bus and for inspecting a status of page flip signals in the video subsystem;

a peripheral device compatible with the system bus and having a cable capable of coupling to the system port of the video box and an output for outputting sync signals representing an equivalent status of the page flip signals; and

a stereographic projection apparatus including an input for coupling to the output of the peripheral device for receiving the sync signals.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the stereographic projection apparatus further includes an input for coupling to the video output of the video box for receiving the 3D image data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the 3D image data includes a plurality of image streams and the stereographic projection apparatus includes a light source projecting system for alternately projecting images from each of the plurality of image streams.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the stereographic projection apparatus further includes an alternating polarizing filter for separately filtering images from each of the image streams at different polarization angles.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alternating polarizing filter comprises a rotating filter wheel and wherein the stereographic projection apparatus synchronizes rotation of the filter wheel with said alternately projecting images from each of the plurality of image streams in response to receiving the sync signals.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the video box and the peripheral device each include means for authorizing specified system communications between them and for authorizing access to the video subsystem page flip signal status.