3 MENU DISPLAY

• US 20100091012A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: He, Darwin, Li, Hong, Newton, Philip S.
• Application Number:
  US12/442,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091012A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/003 Aspects relating to the "2D+depth" image format

Abstract

A device and method of rendering visual information combine image information like video and secondary image information, like graphics. The image information and the secondary image information are processed for generating output information to be rendered in a three-dimensional space. The output information is arranged for display on a 3D stereoscopic display having a true display depth range (44). The processing includes detecting an image depth range of the image information, and detecting a secondary depth range of the secondary visual information. In the display depth range (44), a first sub-range (41) and second sub-range (43) are determined, which first sub-range and second sub-range are non-overlapping. The image depth range is accommodated in the first sub-range and the secondary depth range is accommodated in the second sub-range. Advantageously graphics and video are displayed in true 3D without video objects occluding graphical objects.

Claims

1. Method of rendering visual information, which method comprises receiving image information,

receiving secondary image information to be rendered in combination with the image information, and

processing the image information and the secondary image information for generating output information to be rendered in a three-dimensional space,

the output information being arranged for display on a 3D display (53) having a display depth range (44), and the processing comprising

detecting an image depth range of the image information,

detecting a secondary depth range of the secondary visual information,

determining, in the display depth range, a first sub-range (43) and second sub-range (41), which first sub-range and second sub-range are non-overlapping, and

accommodating the image depth range in the first sub-range and accommodating the secondary depth range in the second sub-range.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accommodating comprises compressing the image depth range to fit in the first sub-range, and/or compressing the secondary depth range to fit in the second sub-range.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output information includes image data and a depth map for positioning the image data along the depth dimension of the 3D display according to depth values, and the method comprises determining, in the depth map, a first sub-range of depth values and second sub-range of depth values as the first sub-range and the second sub-range.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving the secondary image information comprises receiving a trigger for generating graphical objects having a depth property when rendered, and the accommodating comprises adjusting generating the graphical objects to fit the depth property in the second sub-range.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises detecting a period in which no secondary information is to be rendered, and, in the detected period, accommodating the image depth range in the display depth range.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises filtering the image information, or filtering the secondary image information, for increasing a visual difference between the image information and the secondary image information.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises determining, in the display depth range, a third sub-range, which is non-overlapping with the first sub-range and second sub-range, for displaying additional image information, in a particular case the additional information being two dimensional information to be rendered on a plane in the third sub-range.

8. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the image information is video information and the secondary image information is graphics, and said compressing includes moving the video depth range backwards to make room for the second sub-range for rendering the graphics.

12. Computer program product for rendering visual information, which program is operative to cause a processor to perform the method as claimed in claim 8.

9. Device for rendering visual information, the device comprising input means (51) for

receiving image information, and

receiving secondary image information to be rendered in combination with the image information, and

processing means (52) for processing the image information and the secondary image information for generating output information (56) to be rendered in a three-dimensional space,

the processing means being arranged for

generating the output information for display on a 3D display (53) having a display depth range (44),

detecting an image depth range of the image information,

detecting a secondary depth range of the secondary visual information,

determining, in the display depth range, a first sub-range (43) and second sub-range (41), which first sub-range and second sub-range are non-overlapping, and

accommodating the image depth range in the first sub-range and accommodating the secondary depth range in the second sub-range.

10. Device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the input means (51) comprises an optical disc unit (58) for retrieving the image information from an optical disc.

11. Device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the device comprises the 3D display (53) for displaying the image information in combination with the secondary image information along the display depth range.