Methods and systems for presenting adjunct content during a presentation of a media content instance

• US 8,553,071 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/912,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 348563-565, 348/56, 348/46, 375/240.26
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional

Abstract

An exemplary method includes an adjunct content presentation system sequentially presenting a first main content image of a media content instance, a first adjunct content image comprising adjunct content having a pixel value greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value, a second adjunct content image comprising the adjunct content having a pixel value less than the predetermined neutral pixel value, and a second main content image of the media content instance. The pixel values of the adjunct content of the first and second adjunct content images are configured to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer not wearing active shutter three-dimensional viewing glasses during the sequential presentation of the first main content image, the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sequentially presenting, by an adjunct content presentation system, a first main content image of a media content instance, a first adjunct content image comprising adjunct content having a pixel value greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value, a second adjunct content image comprising the adjunct content having a pixel value less than the predetermined neutral pixel value, and a second main content image of the media content instance;

wherein the pixel values of the adjunct content of the first and second adjunct content images are configured to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer not wearing active shutter three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the sequential presentation of the first main content image, the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the pixel value of the adjunct content included in the first adjunct content image is substantially equal to one pixel value unit greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

the pixel value of the adjunct content included in the second adjunct content image is substantially equal to one pixel value unit less than the predetermined neutral pixel value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

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

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating, by the adjunct presentation system, perception of the adjunct content by an additional viewer wearing active shutter 3D viewing glasses by:

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

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first main content image and the first and second adjunct content images and open during the presentation of the second main content image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first lens comprises a left lens associated with a left eye of the additional viewer and the second lens comprises a right lens associated with a right eye of the additional viewer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first lens comprises a right lens associated with a right eye of the additional viewer and the second lens comprises a left lens associated with a left eye of the additional viewer.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sequentially presenting, by the adjunct content presentation system following the presentation of the second main content image, a third adjunct content image comprising additional adjunct content having a pixel value greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value and a fourth adjunct content image comprising the additional adjunct content having a pixel value less than the predetermine neutral pixel value;

directing, by the adjunct content presentation system, the first shutter to be closed during the presentation of the third and fourth adjunct content images; and

directing, by the adjunct content presentation system, the second shutter to be open during the presentation of the third adjunct content image and closed during the presentation of the fourth adjunct content image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating, by the adjunct presentation system, perception of the adjunct content by an additional viewer wearing active shutter 3D viewing glasses by:

directing a first shutter associated with a first lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be open during the presentation of the first main content image and closed during the presentation of the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image; and

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second main content images represent three-dimensional (“

3D”

) content, and wherein the method further comprises allowing, by the adjunct content presentation system, an additional viewer wearing active shutter 3D viewing glasses to view the 3D content without perceiving the adjunct content by;

directing a first shutter associated with a first lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be open during the presentation of the first main content image and closed during the presentation of the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image; and

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first main content image, the first adjunct content image, and the second adjunct content image and open during the presentation of the second main content image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first adjunct content image further comprises an image included in the first main content image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second adjunct content image further comprises an image included in the second main content image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequentially presenting comprises:

initiating a display of main content included in the first main content image within a first portion of a display screen;

initiating, while the main content included in the first main content image is displayed within the first portion of the display screen, a display of the adjunct content included in the first adjunct content image within a second portion of the display screen separate from the first portion by refreshing only the second portion of the display screen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sequentially presenting further comprises:

replacing the adjunct content displayed within the second portion of the display screen with the adjunct content included in the second adjunct content image by again refreshing only the second portion of the display screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sequentially presenting further comprises:

replacing the content displayed within the first portion of the display screen with content included in the second main content image and removing the adjunct content displayed within the second portion of the display screen by concurrently refreshing both the first and second portions of the display screen.

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

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel value of the adjunct content included in the first adjunct content image represents a brightness level of the adjunct content included in the first adjunct content image and the pixel value of the adjunct content included in the second adjunct content image represents a brightness level of the adjunct content included in the second adjunct content image.

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

18. A method comprising:

sequentially presenting, by an adjunct content presentation system, a first main content image of a media content instance, a first adjunct content image comprising adjunct content having a pixel value less than a predetermined neutral pixel value, a second adjunct content image comprising the adjunct content having a pixel value greater than the predetermined neutral pixel value, and a second main content image of the media content instance;

wherein the pixel values of the adjunct content of the first and second adjunct content images are configured to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer not wearing active shutter three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the sequential presentation of the first main content image, the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising facilitating, by the adjunct presentation system, perception of the adjunct content by an additional viewer wearing active shutter 3D viewing glasses by:

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

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first main content image and the first and second adjunct content images and open during the presentation of the second main content image.

20. The method of claim 18, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

21. A system comprising:

an adjunct content management facility configured to provide a first adjunct content image comprising adjunct content having a pixel value greater than a predetermined neutral pixel value and a second adjunct content image comprising the adjunct content having a pixel value less than the predetermined neutral pixel value; and

a presentation facility communicatively coupled to the adjunct content management facility and configured to sequentially present a first main content image of a media content instance, the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and a second main content image of the media content instance;

wherein the pixel values of the adjunct content of the first and second adjunct content images are configured to result in the adjunct content being substantially imperceptible to a viewer not wearing active shutter three-dimensional (“

3D”

) viewing glasses during the sequential presentation of the first main content image, the first adjunct content image, the second adjunct content image, and the second main content image.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the adjunct content management facility is further configured to facilitate perception of the adjunct content by an additional viewer wearing active shutter 3D viewing glasses by:

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

directing a second shutter associated with a second lens of the active shutter 3D viewing glasses worn by the additional viewer to be closed during the presentation of the first main content image and the first and second adjunct content images and open during the presentation of the second main content image.