Set-top box circuitry supporting 2D and 3D content reductions to accommodate viewing environment constraints
First Claim
1. Set top box circuitry supporting media delivery between one or more media content sources and a screen assembly, the screen assembly being part of a viewing environment having a viewing limitation, the set top box circuitry comprising:
- one or more media interfaces, each of the one or more media interfaces suitable for connection to at least one of the one or more media content sources;
a display device interface suitable for connection to the screen assembly;
a first of the one or more media interfaces being operable to receive first media content from a first of the one or more media content sources, the first media content having at least a first display requirement, the first media content being first three-dimensional media content; and
processing circuitry operable to process the first media content in a manner that is based at least in part upon information related to the viewing limitation to yield second media content having at least a second display requirement, the second display requirement being within the viewing limitation, the information related to the viewing limitation comprising one or more of;
a current viewing mode of the screen assembly,a current location and/or head orientation of a viewer of the screen assembly,a characteristic of a media content source from which the first media content is received, the media content source being an entity configured to transfer media content to the set top box circuitry,a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content is received from the media content source, anda characteristic of a channel over which the first media content is delivered to the screen assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Set-top box circuitry and methods of operating the same are described that support the delivery of media content between one or more media content sources and a screen assembly of a display system. The set-top box circuitry is configured to process media content having display requirements that exceed constraints associated with a viewing environment that includes the screen assembly to produce processed media content having display requirements that do not exceed the constraints. The set-top box circuitry may also be configured to obtain substitute media content that replaces requested media content when the requested media content has display requirements exceeding constraints associated with a media content source, a communication path from the media content source, and/or the viewing environment.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Set top box circuitry supporting media delivery between one or more media content sources and a screen assembly, the screen assembly being part of a viewing environment having a viewing limitation, the set top box circuitry comprising:
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one or more media interfaces, each of the one or more media interfaces suitable for connection to at least one of the one or more media content sources; a display device interface suitable for connection to the screen assembly; a first of the one or more media interfaces being operable to receive first media content from a first of the one or more media content sources, the first media content having at least a first display requirement, the first media content being first three-dimensional media content; and processing circuitry operable to process the first media content in a manner that is based at least in part upon information related to the viewing limitation to yield second media content having at least a second display requirement, the second display requirement being within the viewing limitation, the information related to the viewing limitation comprising one or more of; a current viewing mode of the screen assembly, a current location and/or head orientation of a viewer of the screen assembly, a characteristic of a media content source from which the first media content is received, the media content source being an entity configured to transfer media content to the set top box circuitry, a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content is received from the media content source, and a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content is delivered to the screen assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25)
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11. Set top box circuitry supporting media delivery between one or more media content sources and a screen assembly, the screen assembly being part of a viewing environment, the set top box circuitry comprising:
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a media interface that communicatively couples with at least one of the one or more media content sources to receive first media content therefrom, the first media content having at least a first display requirement; a screen interface suitable for connection to the screen assembly, the screen interface being part of the viewing environment, and the viewing environment having a first constraint; and processing circuitry that, based at least in part on information related to the first constraint, determines whether to deliver the first media content or to deliver a substitute version of the first media content, the delivery being via the screen interface to the screen assembly, the information related to the first constraint comprising one or more of; a viewing mode of the screen assembly, a current location and/or head orientation of a viewer of the screen assembly, a characteristic of a media content source from which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is received, the media content source being an entity configured to transfer the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content to the set top box circuitry, a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is received from the media content source, and a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is delivered to the screen assembly. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operation of set top box circuitry, comprising:
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receiving first media content via a media interface that is communicatively coupled to at least one media content source, the first media content comprising first three-dimensional media content and having at least a first display requirement; determining whether to deliver the first media content or a substitute version of the first media content to a screen assembly via a screen interface, the screen assembly and the screen interface being part of a viewing environment having a first constraint, where the determination is based at least in part on information related to the first constraint that comprises one or more of; a current viewing mode of the screen assembly, a current location and/or head orientation of a viewer of the screen assembly, a characteristic of a media content source from which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is received, the media content source being an entity configured to transfer the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content to the set top box circuitry, a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is received from the media content source, and a characteristic of a channel over which the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content is delivered to the screen assembly; and delivering either the first media content or the substitute version of the first media content to the screen assembly via the screen interface in accordance with the results of the determining step. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 26)
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Specification