Ambient light effects and chrominance control in video files

• US 8,576,340 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Li, Adam, Farrell, Megan, Liu, Aixin, Nguyen, Djung
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/654,213
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 348/602, 348/603, 348/687, 345/204, 345/589, 345/207, 345/690, 345/102
• US Class Current: 348/602
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling ambient light effects associated with video content are provided. The method includes providing a receiving device configured to parse an incoming video file. The video file includes at least one track specifying at least one ambient light effect associated with at least one portion of the video file. The at least one track includes chrominance control data specifying at least one light color to be generated by the at least one lighting device. The method also includes parsing the video file at the receiving device to separate the track specifying the ambient light effect and the chrominance control data and sending a command to at least one lighting device to generate the ambient light effect specified in the track and the chrominance control data.

Claims

1. A method of producing an ambient light effect, the method comprising:

providing a receiving device configured to parse an incoming video file;

receiving the video file at the receiving device, the video file including at least one track specifying at least one ambient light effect associated with at least one portion of the video file, the at least one track including chrominance control data specifying at least one light color to be generated by at least one lighting device in communication with the receiving device;

parsing the video file at the receiving device to separate the at least one track specifying the at least one ambient light effect;

sending a command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting device specified in the at least one track to generate the at least one ambient light effect specified in the at least one track; and

causing the at least one lighting device specified in the at least one track and receiving the command to generate the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data when the at least one portion of the video file associated with the at least one ambient light effect is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving device can be selected from a television, set-top box, disc player, personal computer, laptop, tablet computer, and mobile phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one color specified by the chrominance control data is selected from red, green, blue, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the receiving device including at least one hardware component programmed to parse the video file to separate the at least one track specifying the chrominance control data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, specifying, in the at least one track, color intensity of the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the at least one lighting device including at least one hardware component programmed to interpret the chrominance control data received in the command from the receiving device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one hardware component causes the at least one lighting device to generate the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing the at least one lighting device with at least one software component programmed to interpret the chrominance control data received in the command from the receiving device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one software component causes the at least one lighting device to generate the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one track identifies the at least one lighting device for generating the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one track includes a predetermined time when the at least one light color based specified by the chrominance control data is to be generated by the at least one lighting device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one portion of the video file is a predetermined event in a video contained in the video file, the predetermined event being associated with the at least one ambient light effect.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending a command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting device includes sending the command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting devices via one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending a command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting device includes sending the command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting devices via a home automation system.

15. A system for controlling ambient light effects comprising:

a receiving device including at least one hardware component including a processor programmed to parse an incoming video file to separate at least one track specifying at least one ambient light effect associated with at least one portion of the video file;

at least one lighting device in communication with the receiving device;

wherein the at least one track includes chrominance control data specifying at least one light color to be generated by the at least one lighting device;

wherein the processor of the receiving device is programmed to send a command from the receiving device to the at least one lighting device to generate the at least one ambient light effect specified in the at least one track; and

wherein the at least one lighting device includes at least one hardware component adapted, after receiving the command from the receiving device, to generate the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data when the at least one portion of the video file associated with the at least one ambient light effect is displayed to a user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiving device is selected from one of television, set-top box, disc player, personal computer, laptop, tablet computer, and mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one color specified by the chrominance control data is selected from red, green, blue, or combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one track identifies the at least one lighting device for generating the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one portion of the video file is a predetermined event in a video contained in the video file, the predetermined event being associated with the at least one ambient light effect and the at least one light color specified by the chrominance control data.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the receiving device and the at least one lighting device are adapted to communicate directly and indirectly via one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.