SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRESENTING THREE-DIMENSIONAL CONTENT USING APERTURES

• US 20110187825A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Gohl, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 for displaying simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for presenting three-dimensional video content to one or more viewers. In an exemplary embodiment, a system comprises a display comprising a plurality of pixels, an opaque material interposed in a line-of-sight between the display and the viewer, and a processor coupled to the display. The opaque material comprises a plurality of apertures formed therein. The processor and the display are cooperatively configured to display right channel content on a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of the viewer through the apertures and display left channel content on a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the viewer through the apertures.

Claims

1. A system to present three-dimensional video content to a viewer, the system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

an aperture arrangement interposed in a line-of-sight between the display and the viewer, the aperture arrangement comprising a plurality of apertures; and

a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor and the display are cooperatively configured to;

display right channel content on a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of the viewer through the apertures; and

display left channel content on a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the viewer through the apertures.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

execute a first configuration scan procedure on the display;

receive a confirmation from the viewer during execution of the first configuration scan procedure; and

determine the first subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure when the confirmation is received.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to:

execute a second configuration scan procedure on the display;

receive a second confirmation from the viewer during execution of the second configuration scan procedure; and

determine the second subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure when the second confirmation is received.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

instruct the viewer to view the display with the right eye during execution of the first configuration scan procedure; and

instruct the viewer to view the display with the left eye during execution of the second configuration scan procedure.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to verify the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels are mutually exclusive.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a plurality of slots formed in an opaque material.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a plurality of transparent portions interposed between opaque portions of the aperture arrangement.

8. A system to present three-dimensional video content comprising a first plurality of frames corresponding to a first eye and a second plurality of frames corresponding to a second eye, the system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

an aperture arrangement disposed proximate the display; and

a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement;

determine a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the second eye through the aperture arrangement;

display the first plurality of frames on the first subset of pixels; and

display the second plurality of frames on the second subset of pixels.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine the first subset of pixels by:

executing a configuration scan procedure on the display; and

determining the first subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the configuration scan procedure when a confirmation is received.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor, the user interface being configured to provide the confirmation from a viewer to the processor, wherein:

the aperture arrangement is interposed in a line-of-sight between the viewer and the display; and

the processor is configured to instruct the viewer to view the display with the first eye during execution of the configuration scan procedure.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to execute the configuration scan procedure by sequentially activating combinations of the plurality of pixels of the display.

12. The system of claim 8, the first subset of pixels being aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement from a first viewing position and the second subset of the plurality of pixels being aligned with the second eye from the first viewing position, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a third subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement from a second viewing position;

determine a fourth subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the second eye through the aperture arrangement from the second viewing position;

display the first plurality of frames on the first and third subsets of pixels concurrently; and

display the second plurality of frames on the second and fourth subsets of pixels concurrently.

13. A method to present three-dimensional video content comprising a first plurality of frames corresponding to a first channel and a second plurality of frames corresponding to a second channel, the method comprising:

identifying a first subset of pixels of a display that are aligned with a first eye of a viewer through an aperture arrangement;

identifying a second subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a second eye of the viewer through the aperture arrangement;

displaying the first plurality of frames on the first subset of pixels; and

displaying the second plurality of frames on the second subset of pixels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the first subset of pixels comprises:

executing a configuration scan procedure on the display; and

determining the first subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the configuration scan procedure when a confirmation is received from the viewer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising instructing the viewer to view the display with the first eye during execution of the configuration scan procedure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

executing the configuration scan procedure comprises sequentially activating combinations of pixels of the display; and

instructing the viewer comprises instructing the viewer to provide the confirmation when the display appears brightest.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein executing the configuration scan procedure comprises sequentially activating combinations of pixels of the display.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

displaying the first plurality of frames comprises, for each frame of the first plurality of frames, mapping the respective frame onto the first subset of pixels; and

displaying the second plurality of frames comprises, for each frame of the second plurality of frames, mapping the respective frame onto the second subset of pixels.

19. The method of claim 13, the first plurality of frames corresponding to a right channel and the second plurality of frames corresponding to a left channel, the first subset of pixels being aligned with a right eye of the viewer and the second subset of pixels being aligned with a left eye of the viewer, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a third subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a right eye of a second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

identifying a fourth subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a left eye of the second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

concurrently displaying the first plurality of frames on the first and third subsets of pixels; and

concurrently displaying the second plurality of frames on the second and fourth subsets of pixels.

20. The method of claim 13, the first and second plurality of frames corresponding to first content, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a third subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a right eye of a second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

identifying a fourth subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a left eye of the second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

displaying a third plurality of frames corresponding to a right channel of second content on the third subset of pixels; and

displaying a fourth plurality of frames corresponding to a left channel of the second content on the fourth subset of pixels.