Systems and methods for presenting three-dimensional content using apertures

• US 8,704,877 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Gohl, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIKESKA, NEIL R
• Application Number:
  US12/697,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/204, 345/419, 348/47, 348/51, 348/54, 348/59, 348/E13.001, 348/E13.02, 348/E13.021, 348/E13.025, 348/E13.028, 348/E13.03, 359/463, 359/464
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 for displaying simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for presenting three-dimensional video content to one or more viewers. In an exemplary embodiment, a system comprises a display comprising a plurality of pixels, an opaque material interposed in a line-of-sight between the display and the viewer, and a processor coupled to the display. The opaque material comprises a plurality of apertures formed therein. The processor and the display are cooperatively configured to display right channel content on a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of the viewer through the apertures and display left channel content on a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the viewer through the apertures.

Claims

1. A system to present three-dimensional video content to a viewer, the system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

an aperture arrangement interposed in a line-of-sight between the display and the viewer, the aperture arrangement comprising a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures comprising a plurality of physical openings in an opaque material; and

a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor and the display are cooperatively configured to;

determine a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of the viewer through the aperture arrangement by executing a first configuration scan procedure, the first configuration scan procedure comprising a first sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on the display and viewed by the viewer using only the right eye;

determine a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the viewer through the aperture arrangement by executing a second configuration scan procedure, the second configuration scan procedure comprising a second sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on the display and viewed by the viewer using only the left eye, wherein the first subset and the second subset are mutually exclusive;

display right channel content on the first subset of the plurality of pixels; and

display left channel content on the second subset of the plurality of pixels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a confirmation from the viewer during execution of the first configuration scan procedure; and

determine the first subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure when the confirmation is received.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a second confirmation from the viewer during execution of the second configuration scan procedure; and

determine the second subset of pixels based on a state of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure when the second confirmation is received.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

instruct the viewer to view the display with the right eye during execution of the first configuration scan procedure; and

instruct the viewer to view the display with the left eye during execution of the second configuration scan procedure.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to verify the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels are mutually exclusive.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to remove common pixels from the first subset and the second subset if the first subset and the second subset overlap.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

provide, on the display, instructions to the viewer to view the display with the right eye during execution of the first configuration scan procedure and provide confirmation using a user interface when the display is perceived to be at its brightest during execution of the first configuration scan procedure;

sequentially activate different combinations of columns of the plurality of pixels of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure;

receive a first confirmation from the viewer via the user interface during execution of the first configuration scan procedure;

maintain, as the first subset of pixels, a first combination of columns of the plurality of pixels corresponding to a first state of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure when the first confirmation is received;

provide, on the display, instructions to the viewer to view the display with the left eye during execution of the second configuration scan procedure and provide confirmation using the user interface when the display is perceived to be at its brightest during execution of the second configuration scan procedure;

sequentially activate different combinations of columns of the plurality of pixels of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure;

receive a second confirmation from the viewer via the user interface during execution of the second configuration scan procedure; and

maintain, as the second subset of pixels, a second combination of columns of the plurality of pixels corresponding to a second state of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure when the second confirmation is received.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a third subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a right eye of a second viewer through the aperture arrangement by executing a third configuration scan procedure, the third configuration scan procedure comprising a third sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on the display and viewed by the second viewer using only the right eye;

determine a fourth subset of the plurality of pixels that are viewable by a left eye of the second viewer through the aperture arrangement by executing a fourth configuration scan procedure, the fourth configuration scan procedure comprising a fourth sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on the display and viewed by the second viewer using only the left eye, wherein the third subset and the fourth subset are mutually exclusive;

display the right channel content on the first subset of the plurality of pixels and the third subset of the plurality of pixels; and

display the left channel content on the second subset of the plurality of pixels and the fourth subset of the plurality of pixels.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first subset, the second subset, the third subset, and the fourth subset are mutually exclusive.

6. A system to present three-dimensional video content comprising a first plurality of frames corresponding to a first eye and a second plurality of frames corresponding to a second eye, the system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

an aperture arrangement disposed proximate the display, the aperture arrangement comprising a plurality of physical openings in an opaque material; and

a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor is configured to;

execute a first configuration scan procedure for the first eye by sequentially activating different combinations of columns of the plurality of pixels of the display;

determine a first subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement based on a state of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure when a first confirmation is received;

execute a second configuration scan procedure for the second eye by sequentially activating different combinations of columns of the plurality of pixels of the display;

determine a second subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the second eye through the aperture arrangement based on a state of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure when a second confirmation is received, wherein the second subset and the first subset are mutually exclusive;

display the first plurality of frames on the first subset of pixels; and

display the second plurality of frames on the second subset of pixels.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor, the user interface being configured to provide the first confirmation and the second confirmation from a viewer to the processor, wherein:

the aperture arrangement is interposed in a line-of-sight between the viewer and the display; and

the processor is configured to;

instruct the viewer to view the display with the first eye during execution of the first configuration scan procedure; and

instruct the viewer to view the display with the first eye during execution of the second configuration scan procedure.

8. The system of claim 6, the first subset of pixels being aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement from a first viewing position and the second subset of the plurality of pixels being aligned with the second eye from the first viewing position, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a third subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the first eye through the aperture arrangement from a second viewing position;

determine a fourth subset of the plurality of pixels that are aligned with the second eye through the aperture arrangement from the second viewing position;

display the first plurality of frames on the first and third subsets of pixels concurrently; and

display the second plurality of frames on the second and fourth subsets of pixels concurrently.

9. A method to present three-dimensional video content comprising a first plurality of frames corresponding to a first channel and a second plurality of frames corresponding to a second channel, the method comprising:

executing a first configuration scan procedure comprising a first sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on a display;

identifying a first subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a first eye of a viewer through an aperture arrangement based on a state of the display during execution of the first configuration scan procedure when a first confirmation is received from the viewer, wherein the aperture arrangement comprises a plurality of physical openings in an opaque material;

executing a second configuration scan procedure comprising a second sequence of different combinations of columns of pixels activated on the display;

identifying a second subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a second eye of the viewer through the aperture arrangement based on a state of the display during execution of the second configuration scan procedure when a second confirmation is received from the viewer, wherein the first subset and the second subset are mutually exclusive;

displaying the first plurality of frames on the first subset of pixels; and

displaying the second plurality of frames on the second subset of pixels.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising instructing the viewer to view the display with the first eye during execution of the first configuration scan procedure.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

executing the first configuration scan procedure comprises sequentially activating the different combinations of columns of pixels of the display; and

instructing the viewer comprises instructing the viewer to provide the confirmation when the display appears brightest.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the first configuration scan procedure comprises sequentially activating the different combinations of columns of pixels of the display.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

displaying the first plurality of frames comprises, for each frame of the first plurality of frames, mapping the respective frame onto the first subset of pixels; and

displaying the second plurality of frames comprises, for each frame of the second plurality of frames, mapping the respective frame onto the second subset of pixels.

14. The method of claim 9, the first plurality of frames corresponding to a right channel and the second plurality of frames corresponding to a left channel, the first subset of pixels being aligned with a right eye of the viewer and the second subset of pixels being aligned with a left eye of the viewer, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a third subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a right eye of a second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

identifying a fourth subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a left eye of the second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

concurrently displaying the first plurality of frames on the first and third subsets of pixels; and

concurrently displaying the second plurality of frames on the second and fourth subsets of pixels.

15. The method of claim 9, the first and second plurality of frames corresponding to first content, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a third subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a right eye of a second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

identifying a fourth subset of pixels of the display that are aligned with a left eye of the second viewer through the aperture arrangement;

displaying a third plurality of frames corresponding to a right channel of second content on the third subset of pixels; and

displaying a fourth plurality of frames corresponding to a left channel of the second content on the fourth subset of pixels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first subset, the second subset, the third subset, and the fourth subset are mutually exclusive.