METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING 3D CONTENT

• US 20120019631A1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Bo-mi, PARK, Hyun-cheol, JEONG, Moon-sik, LEE, Sang-il, LEE, Hye-won, YEON, Su-iin
• Application Number:
  US13/187,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying an alternative object while reproducing three-dimensional (3D) content. The method includes reproducing the 3D content; during the reproducing of the 3D content, detecting an interrupt signal; determining a maximum depth value of the 3D content in response to detecting of the interrupt signal; adjusting a depth value of the 3D content according to the maximum depth value; and controlling a 3D content reproducing apparatus to display the alternative object corresponding to the interrupt signal, wherein the alternative object overlaps the 3D content of which the depth value is adjusted.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an alternative object while reproducing three-dimensional (3D) content, the method comprising:

reproducing the 3D content;

while reproducing the 3D content, detecting an interrupt signal;

determining a maximum depth value of the 3D content, in response to detecting the interrupt signal;

adjusting a depth value of the 3D content according to the maximum depth value; and

controlling a 3D content reproducing apparatus to display an alternative object corresponding to the interrupt signal,

wherein the alternative object overlaps the 3D content of which the depth value is adjusted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the maximum depth value of the 3D content comprises:

obtaining a depth value of each 3D object included in the 3D content; and

determining the maximum depth value from among the depth values of each 3D object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the depth value of the 3D content comprises adjusting a depth value of a 3D object having the determined maximum depth value to adjust the 3D object to be positioned on a screen surface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the 3D content includes a left image and a right image, and

wherein obtaining the depth value of the 3D object comprises comparing an outline of the left image and an outline of the right image.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

overlapping the alternative object on the left image and the right image; and

shifting at least one of the right image and the left image so that the alternative object is positioned on a screen surface.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the 3D content includes a two-dimensional (2D) image and depth map information corresponding to the 2D image, and

wherein obtaining the depth value of the 3D object comprises obtaining the depth value from the depth map information, and adjusting the depth map information so that the maximum depth value is identical to a depth value of a screen surface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alternative object overlaps the 3D content on the screen surface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the depth value comprises adjusting the depth value of at least one 3D object included in the 3D content in a −

Z-axis direction by a value equal to the maximum depth value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative object includes at least one of a Graphic User Interface (GUI) object, a message, a video telephone image, a subtitle, and caption data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the depth value comprises adjusting a depth value of a 3D object included in the 3D content according to the maximum depth value.

11. A method of displaying an alternative object while reproducing three-dimensional (3D) content, the method comprising:

reproducing the 3D content;

while reproducing the 3D content, detecting an interrupt signal;

obtaining a depth value of each 3D object included in the 3D content, in response to detecting the interrupt signal;

determining a target 3D object having a depth value that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; and

displaying an alternative object corresponding to the interrupt signal in a different position from the target 3D object, wherein the alternative object overlaps the 3D content.

13. An apparatus for displaying an alternative object while reproducing three-dimensional (3D) content, the apparatus comprising:

a depth value determining unit for obtaining depth values for each 3D object included in the 3D content;

a reproducing unit for reproducing the 3D content; and

a controller for, during the reproducing of the 3D content, detecting an interrupt signal, and for controlling the apparatus to display an alternative object corresponding to the interrupt signal, wherein the alternative object overlaps the 3D content.

12. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the alternative object comprises:

determining a position of the target 3D object; and

determining a position of the alternative object based on the position of the target 3D object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein depth value determining unit determines a maximum depth value from among the depth values of each 3D object included in the 3D content,

wherein apparatus further comprises a depth value adjusting unit for adjusting the depth values of each 3D object included in the 3D content, and

wherein the controller controls the depth value adjusting unit to adjust the depth values according to the maximum depth value, in response to the detecting of the interrupt signal, such that the alternative object overlaps the 3D content of which the depth values are adjusted.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the depth value adjusting unit adjusts the depth value of a 3D object having the determined maximum depth value so that the 3D object having the determined maximum depth value is positioned on a screen surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the depth value adjusting unit reduces the depth value of at least one 3D object included in the 3D content according to the maximum depth value.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alternative object comprises at least one of:

a Graphic User Interface (GUI) object;

a message;

a video telephone image;

a subtitle; and

caption data.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the 3D content comprises a left image and a right image, and

wherein the depth value determining unit obtains the depth value by comparing an outline of a 3D object in the left image and an outline of a 3D object the right image.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a determination unit for determining at least one target 3D object having a depth value that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value,

wherein the controller controls the apparatus to display the alternative object corresponding to the interrupt signal in a different position from a position of the target 3D object, in response to detecting the interrupt signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller determines a position of the alternative object based on a position of the target 3D object.