Methods and Systems for Presenting Adjunct Content During a Presentation of a Media Content Instance

• US 20120098945A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: McKiel, Frank A. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,760,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/40 Privacy aspects, i.e. devices showing different images to different viewers, the images not being viewpoints of the same scene

Abstract

An exemplary method includes an adjunct content presentation system including adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value, including the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a pixel value of a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to be less than the predetermined neutral pixel value, and presenting the first image, the second image, and the compensating image. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

including, by an adjunct content presentation system, adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value;

including, by the adjunct content presentation system, the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a pixel value of a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to be less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

presenting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the first image, the second image, and the compensating image;

wherein the pixel values of the first, second, and third groups of pixels are set to result in the adjunct content being perceptible to a viewer wearing three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image and substantially imperceptible to another viewer not wearing 3D viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the pixel value of the first group of pixels included in the first image and the pixel value of the second group of pixels included in the second image are both substantially equal to one pixel value unit greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the third group of pixels included in the compensating image is substantially equal to two pixel value units less than the predetermined neutral pixel value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises concurrently presenting the first image, the second image, and the compensating image in accordance with a passive polarized processing technique.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer comprise:

a first lens comprising a first type of polarizing filter configured to allow a first eye of the viewer to view only the first image and the compensating image; and

a second lens comprising a second type of polarizing filter configured to allow a second eye of the viewer to view only the second image and the compensating image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises sequentially presenting the first image, the second image, and the compensating image in accordance with an active shutter processing technique.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising permitting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the viewer to perceive the adjunct content by:

directing a first shutter associated with a first lens of the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer to be open during the presentation of the first image and the compensating image and closed during the presentation of the second image; and

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first image and open during the presentation of the compensating image and the second image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjunct content comprises at least one of subtitle content, text messaging content, and ticker tape content.

8. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

9. A method comprising:

including, by an adjunct content presentation system, adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be less than a predetermined neutral pixel value;

including, by the adjunct content presentation system, the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to have a pixel value greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

presenting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the first image, the second image, and the compensating image;

wherein the pixel values of the first, second, and third groups of pixels are set to result in the adjunct content being perceptible to a viewer wearing three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image and substantially imperceptible to another viewer not wearing 3D viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the pixel value of the first group of pixels included in the first image and the pixel value of the second group of pixels included in the second image are both substantially equal to one pixel value unit less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the third group of pixels included in the compensating image is substantially equal to two pixel value units greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the presenting comprises concurrently presenting the first image, the second image, and the compensating image in accordance with a passive polarized processing technique.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer comprise:

a first lens comprising a first type of polarizing filter configured to allow a first eye of the viewer to view only the first image and the compensating image; and

a second lens comprising a second type of polarizing filter configured to allow a second eye of the viewer to view only the second image and the compensating image.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the presenting comprises sequentially presenting the first image, the second image, and the compensating image in accordance with an active shutter processing technique.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising permitting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the viewer to perceive the adjunct content by:

directing a first shutter associated with a first lens of the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer to be open during the presentation of the first image and the compensating image and closed during the presentation of the second image; and

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first image and open during the presentation of the compensating image and the second image.

15. The method of claim 9, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

16. A method comprising:

including, by an adjunct content presentation system, adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value;

including, by the adjunct content presentation system, the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a pixel value of a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to be less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

presenting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the first image, the second image, and the compensating image;

wherein the pixel values of the first, second, and third groups of pixels are set to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer wearing three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image and perceptible to another viewer not wearing 3D viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the pixel value of the first group of pixels included in the first image and the pixel value of the second group of pixels included in the second image are both substantially equal to one pixel value unit greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the third group of pixels included in the compensating image is substantially equal to one pixel value unit less than the predetermined neutral pixel value.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the 3D viewing glasses worn by the viewer comprise:

a first lens comprising a first type of polarizing filter configured to allow a first eye of the viewer to view only the first image and the compensating image; and

a second lens comprising a second type of polarizing filter configured to allow a second eye of the viewer to view only the second image and the compensating image.

19. The method of claim 16, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

20. A method comprising:

including, by an adjunct content presentation system, adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be less than a predetermined neutral pixel value;

including, by the adjunct content presentation system, the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a pixel value of a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to be greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

presenting, by the adjunct content presentation system, the first image, the second image, and the compensating image;

wherein the pixel values of the first, second, and third groups of pixels are set to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer wearing three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image and perceptible to another viewer not wearing 3D viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the pixel value of the first group of pixels included in the first image and the pixel value of the second group of pixels included in the second image are both substantially equal to one pixel value unit less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the third group of pixels included in the compensating image is substantially equal to one pixel value unit greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value.

22. The method of claim 20, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

23. A system comprising:

an adjunct content management facility configured to

include adjunct content within a first image of a media content instance and a second image of the media content instance by setting a pixel value of a first group of pixels included in the first image and a pixel value of a second group of pixels included in the second image and corresponding to the first group of pixels to each be greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value, and

include the adjunct content within a compensating image by setting a pixel value of a third group of pixels included in the compensating image and corresponding to the first and second groups of pixels to be less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

a presentation facility communicatively coupled to the adjunct content management facility and configured to present the first image, the second image, and the compensating image;

wherein the pixel values of the first, second, and third groups of pixels are set to result in the adjunct content being perceptible to a viewer wearing three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image and substantially imperceptible to another viewer not wearing 3D viewing glasses during the presentation of the first image, the second image, and the compensating image.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the pixel value of the first group of pixels included in the first image and the pixel value of the second group of pixels included in the second image are both substantially equal to one pixel value unit greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the third group of pixels included in the compensating image is substantially equal to two pixel value units less than the predetermined neutral pixel value.