Streaming and rendering of 3-dimensional video by internet protocol streams

• US 9,813,754 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Francisco, Mark David
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Leron
• Application Number:
  US13/613,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 348 51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device

Abstract

Transmitting and receiving 3D video content via an Internet protocol (IP) stream are described. 3D video content may be transmitted in a single IP stream and adjusted by a device associated with a display for rendering the 3D video content in a desired manner. 3D content also may be transmitted in a plurality of IP streams and a device associated with a display for rendering the 3D content may determine which of the plurality of IP streams to decode based upon a mode of operation of the device. A device receiving 3D video content may be configured to adjust the appearance of the content displayed on a display associated with the device. Such adjusting of the appearance may include moving the position of the rendered 3D video content within the display, positioning in band and/or out of band content in front of, behind, or within the rendered 3D video content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first Internet protocol (IP) stream, of a plurality of IP streams, based upon a first mode of operation of an output device;

decoding first 3D video content in the first IP stream;

outputting the first 3D video content for display on the output device;

receiving a user request to adjust the first 3D video content;

determining a second IP stream, of the plurality of IP streams, based upon a second mode of operation of the output device and the received user request;

decoding second 3D video content in the second IP stream, the second 3D video content being an adjusted version of the first 3D video content; and

outputting the second 3D video content for display on the output device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation and second mode of operation of the output device are configurations for outputting 3D video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation of the output device is based upon a type of 3D video content viewing headgear associated with the output device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request to adjust the first 3D video content is a request to convert the first 3D video content to 2D video content and the second 3D video content represents the first 3D video content converted to 2D.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second 3D video content comprises captioning.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising outputting the captioning for display on the output device in a 2D window.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising positioning the captioning in front of the second 3D video content.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation comprises a mode of operation for converting a 3D video content to 2D, a mode of operation for outputting a polarized display, a mode of operation for outputting a display with 3D synchronization and signaling for an active shutter headgear, a mode of operation for outputting a display of content in 2D+depth, or an anaglyph mode of operation.

8. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method of:

determining a first Internet protocol (IP) stream, of a plurality of IP streams, based upon a first mode of operation of an output device;

decoding first 3D video content in the first IP stream;

outputting the first 3D video content for display on the output device;

receiving a user request to adjust the first 3D video content;

determining a second IP stream, of the plurality of IP streams, based upon a second mode of operation of the output device and the received user request;

decoding second 3D video content in the second IP stream, the second 3D video content being an adjusted version of the first 3D video content; and

outputting the second 3D video content for display on the output device.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation of the output device are configurations for outputting 3D video content.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the first mode of operation of the output device is based upon a type of 3D video content viewable headgear associated with the output device.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the user request to adjust the first 3D video content is a request to convert the first 3D video content to 2D video content and the second 3D video content represents the first 3D video content converted to 2D.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the second 3D video content comprises captioning.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform outputting the captioning for display on the output device in a 2D window.

14. A method comprising:

determining, based upon a first mode of operation of an output device, a first Internet protocol (IP) stream of a plurality of IP streams;

decoding first 3D video content in the first IP stream;

outputting the first 3D video content to the output device;

receiving a user request to adjust the first 3D video content;

determining, based upon the user request, a second IP stream of the plurality of IP streams;

decoding second 3D video content in the second IP stream, the second 3D video content being an adjusted version of the first 3D video content; and

outputting the second 3D video content to the output device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the first mode of operation of the output device based upon capabilities of the output device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second 3D video content comprises the first 3D video content converted to 2D video content.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein determining, based upon the user request, the second IP stream of the plurality of IP streams comprises selecting an IP stream corresponding to the user request in the plurality of IP streams.

17. A method comprising:

determining a first Internet protocol (IP) stream, of a plurality of IP streams, from which to decode first 3D video content based upon a first mode of operation of an output device;

outputting the first 3D video content to the output device;

receiving a user request to adjust the first 3D video content;

determining, in response to the received user request, a second IP stream, of the plurality of IP streams, from which to decode second 3D video content based upon a second mode of operation of the output device, wherein the second mode of operation is an auto-stereo mode of operation; and

outputting the second 3D video content to the output device, wherein the second 3D video content is the first 3D video content adjusted to a 2D+depth.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation of the output device based upon capabilities of the output device.