Display device with 3D shutter control unit

• US 8,310,527 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ko, Heinrich Shih, Paik, Jae Won, Zalewski, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US12/503,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 348 52- 56, 348/564, 348/588
• US Class Current: 348/55
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes

Abstract

A system for providing respective video signals to at least two viewers is disclosed. The system includes a control unit; and a display connected to the control unit. The control unit is operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal and an image from a second video signal, to synchronize a first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the second video signal image is displayed, and to synchronize a second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the first video signal image is displayed. In this way only the first video signal image is provided to a first viewer using the first shuttered filter and only the second video signal image is provided to a second viewer using the second shuttered filter.

Claims

1. A frame;

first and second shuttered filters attached to the frame, wherein each shuttered filter is configured to selectively prevent a viewer from seeing through the filter in response to a signal from a controller, wherein the first and second shuttered filters are operable in synchronization with alternate display on a common monitor of an image corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, wherein the first and second shuttered filters are synchronized to the monitor such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed and the second shuttered filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein first and second shuttered filters are further synchronized with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters and alternate display of one or more images from a different scene on the common monitor, wherein display of the one or more images from the different scene is time multiplexed with the alternate display of the images corresponding to the left and right perspectives; and

a tracker attached to the frame and configured to sense an orientation of the one or more shuttered filters relative to a video screen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more shuttered filters include a first shuttered filter and a second shuttered filter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first and second shuttered filters and the frame are configured as a pair of glasses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tracker includes one or more photo detectors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the one or more photo detectors include first and second photo detectors in a spaced-apart configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tracker includes a camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more audio speakers attached to the frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the one or more audio speakers include first and second audio speakers configured to provide sounds respectively to a listener'"'"'s left and right ears.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more shuttered filters include one or more LCD shutters.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless antenna coupled to the one or more shuttered filters and/or the tracker.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless receiver connected to the frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising one or more speakers connected to the frame and operably coupled to the wireless receiver wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive an audio feed and couple the audio feed to the speakers.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmitter connected to the frame and coupled to the tracker.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit information characterizing the orientation of the apparatus to a control unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the one or more shutter filters relative to the video screen, wherein the control unit is configured to enable shuttering of the one or more filters in response to a signal indicating that the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the video screen and wherein the control unit is configured to disable the shuttering in response to a signal indicating that the shuttered filter apparatus is facing away from the video screen.

15. A video system comprising:

a shuttered filter apparatus having a frame, first and second shuttered filters attached to the frame, and a tracker attached to the frame and configured to sense an orientation of the one or more shuttered filters relative to a video screen; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize shuttering of the first and second shuttered filters in synchronization with alternate display on a common monitor of an image corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, wherein the first and second shuttered filters are synchronized to the monitor such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed and the second shuttered filter is shuttered when the right perspective images displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein the control unit is further operable to synchronize shuttering of the first and second shuttered filters with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters and alternate display of one or more images from a different scene on the common monitor, wherein display of the one or more images from the different scene is time multiplexed with the alternate display of the images corresponding to the left and right perspectives wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the one or more shutter filters relative to the video screen such that shuttering of the first or second filter is enabled when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the video screen and wherein the shuttering is disabled when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing away from the video screen.