APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20120030727A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• 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: MALIK, DALE
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/178 Metadata, e.g. disparity information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to receive two-dimensional image content comprising a plurality of images, identify an object in a first image of the plurality of images, identify the object in a second image of the plurality of images, determine a perspective angle difference between the first and second images, generate a third image using the first and second images when the perspective angle difference satisfies a three-dimensional angle threshold, generate three-dimensional image content using the first image and the third image, and provide the three-dimensional image content to a display device operably coupled with the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A set top box, comprising a controller to:

receive two-dimensional image content comprising a plurality of images;

identify an object in a first image of the plurality of images;

identify the object in a second image of the plurality of images;

determine a perspective angle difference between the first and second images;

generate a third image using the first and second images when the perspective angle difference satisfies a three-dimensional angle threshold;

generate three-dimensional image content using the first image and the third image; and

provide the three-dimensional image content to a display device operably coupled with the set top box.

2. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional angle threshold is adjustable.

3. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional angle threshold is adjusted based on at least one presentation parameter of the display device.

4. The set top box of claim 3, wherein the controller is operable to detect the at least one presentation parameter of the display device without user intervention.

5. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to present an option for adjusting the three-dimensional image content and wherein the three-dimensional angle threshold is adjusted based on a selection of the option.

6. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional image content is moving images, and wherein the controller is operable to identify the object from a character depicted in the moving images without user intervention.

7. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to generate the three-dimensional image content by using the first and third images in alternating-frame sequencing.

8. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to generate the three-dimensional image content by using the first and third images in polarization imaging.

9. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to detect a viewing apparatus that is configured for viewing of the three-dimensional image content.

10. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to superimpose the first and third images to generate the three-dimensional image content.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium operating in a media processor, the storage medium comprising computer instructions to:

receive two-dimensional image content comprising a plurality of images;

generate three-dimensional image content using first and second images of the plurality of images;

adjust a depth perspective of the three-dimensional image content; and

provide the three-dimensional image content having the adjusted depth perspective to a display device operably coupled with the media processor.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to adjust the depth perspective based on at least one of a presentation parameter of the display device and a type of media content.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to:

adjust the depth perspective based on at least one presentation parameter of the display device; and

detect the at least one presentation parameter of the display device without user intervention.

14. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to:

present an option for adjusting the depth perspective; and

adjust the depth perspective based on a selection of the option.

15. The storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to:

identify an object in the first image of the plurality of images;

identify the object in the second image of the plurality of images;

determine a perspective difference between the first and second images;

generate the three-dimensional image content using the first and second images when the perspective difference satisfies a three-dimensional angle threshold.

16. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the media processor is one of a set top box and a gaming console.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, comprising computer instructions to determine the perspective difference based on a type of camera shot.

18. A method comprising:

receiving two-dimensional image content comprising a plurality of images;

determining a perspective difference between a first image and a second image of the plurality of images;

generating three-dimensional image content using the first and second images when the perspective difference satisfies a three-dimensional perspective threshold; and

providing the three-dimensional image content to a display device operably coupled to one of a set top box and a gaming console.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the perspective difference is determined based on a coordinate system shared by the first and second images.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the three-dimensional image content is generated using the first and second images without any additional imaging data.