Three-dimensional display system with adaptation based on viewing reference of viewer(s)

• US 8,922,545 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Seshadri, Nambirajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US12/982,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 345/6, 345/418, 345/419, 349/15, 359/626, 362/97.1
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/24 using apertured or refractive resolving means on screens or between screen and eye
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/00 Stereoscopic video systems; Multi-view video systems; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/312 the parallax barriers being placed behind the display panel, e.g. between backlight and spatial light modulator [SLM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/315 the parallax barriers being time-variant
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 : Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 : for displaying simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/359 : Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/361 : Reproducing mixed stereoscopic images; Reproducing mixed monoscopic and stereoscopic images, e.g. a stereoscopic image overlay window on a monoscopic image background
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 : using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 : for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/403 : the images being monoscopic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 : the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 : additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 : Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

A display system that presents three-dimensional content to a viewer is described herein. The display system includes a screen assembly having one or more adaptable display characteristics relating to the presentation of three-dimensional content, first circuitry that at least assists in producing reference information corresponding to at least one aspect of a viewing reference of the viewer, and second circuitry that causes modification of at least one of the one or more adaptable display characteristics, the modification corresponding at least in part to the reference information. The viewing reference of the viewer may comprise one or more of a location of the viewer relative to the screen assembly, a head orientation (tilt and/or rotation) of the viewer, and a point of gaze of the viewer. The first circuitry may comprise, for example, viewer-located circuitry and/or other circuitry that is communicatively connected to the second circuitry for providing the referencing information thereto.

Claims

1. Processing circuitry that at least assists in the delivery of a three-dimensional presentation for a first viewer via a screen assembly, the first viewer having a first viewing reference, the processing circuitry comprising:

first circuitry that at least assists in producing first reference data corresponding to at least one aspect of the first viewing reference of the first viewer;

second circuitry connected to the first circuitry that delivers a first control signal, the first control signal relating at least in part to the first reference data; and

third circuitry that at least assists in producing second reference data corresponding to at least one aspect of a second viewing reference of a second viewer;

the second circuitry being further connected to the third circuitry and configured to deliver the first control signal and a second control signal to cause the modification of the adaptable display characteristic of the screen assembly, the second control signal relating at least in part to the second reference data.

2. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises:

a transmitter operable to transmit a location tracking signal, and

at least two spatially-dispersed receivers operable to receive the location tracking signal, and

triangulation circuitry operable to determine a location of the first viewer relative to the screen assembly based on characteristics of the received versions of the location tracking signal, the determined location of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

3. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises:

at least two spatially-dispersed transmitters operable to transmit corresponding location tracking signals; and

at least one receiver operable to receive the location tracking signals; and

triangulation circuitry operable to determine a location of the first viewer relative to the screen assembly based on signals characteristics of the received location tracking signals, the determined location of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

4. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises:

at least one magnetic field source; and

at least one magnetic field sensor;

wherein the magnetic field source(s) and magnetic field sensor(s) are operable in conjunction to generate information for tracking the location of the first viewer relative to the screen assembly, the tracked location of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

5. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises:

at least one infrared (IR) transmitter; and

at least one IR receiver,

wherein the IR transmitter(s) and the IR receiver(s) are operable in conjunction to generate information for tracking the location of the first viewer relative to the screen assembly, the tracked location of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

6. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises at least one camera operable to capture images used for producing the first reference data.

7. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises at least one sensor for determining a head orientation of the first viewer, the determined head orientation of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

8. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises at least one sensor for tracking an eye movement of the first viewer, the tracked eye movement of the first viewer comprising at least a portion of the first reference data.

9. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises viewer-located circuitry and includes one or more speakers operable to deliver audio content associated with video content displayed on the screen assembly and viewable by the first viewer.

10. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises viewer-located circuitry and includes a microphone operable to receive a voice command from the first viewer;

wherein the second circuitry further delivers a second control signal to cause a modification of an adaptable display characteristic of the screen assembly, the second control signal relating at least in part to the voice command.

11. The processing circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises viewer-located circuitry and includes lenses that controlling how video content that is rendered to the screen assembly is perceived by the first viewer.