STEREOSCOPIC SCREEN SHARING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20100177172A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary, Paik, Jae Won, Ko, Heinrich Shih
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods of providing respective video signals to at least two viewers using a common display are disclosed. An image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene are alternately displayed with the display. A first shuttered filter is synchronized to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed and a second shuttered filter is synchronized to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images. In addition, display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display is synchronized with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing respective video signals to a common display and being connectable to the display, a first shuttered filter, and a second shuttered filter, the apparatus comprising:

a control unit operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, to synchronize the first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed, and to synchronize the second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein the control unit is further configured to synchronize display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of the left and right perspective images on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view the same 3D video presentation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the video presentation is a video game being played by the two or more viewers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include first player'"'"'s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player'"'"'s 3D perspective of the video game.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control unit is further operable to transmit an audio signal associated with the first or second video signals to one or more speakers associated with the first and second shuttered filters and to provide an audio signal associated with the additional video signal to an additional speaker associated with the additional shuttered filter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the first, second or additional shutter filter relative to the display such that shuttering of the first, second or additional filter is enabled when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the display and wherein the shuttering is disabled when the first second or additional shuttered filter is facing away from the display.

10. A system for providing respective video signals to at least two viewers, comprising:

a control unit;

a display connected to the control unit;

first and second shuttered filter units connected to the control unit, wherein the first shuttered filter unit has first and second shuttered filters, wherein the second shuttered filter unit has one or more additional shuttered filters;

wherein the control unit is operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene, to synchronize the first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed, and to synchronize the second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images, wherein the control unit is further configured to synchronize display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of the one or more additional shuttered filters.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a first audio unit coupled to said first shuttered filter unit and a second audio unit coupled to the second shuttered filter unit, and wherein said control unit is further operable to control said first audio unit to provide sounds associated with the first video signal to the first viewer and to control said second audio unit to provide sounds associated with the second video signal to the second viewer.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein each of said first shuttered filter and said second shuttered filter includes an associated LCD shutter glass.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein said first shuttered filter unit includes a first pair of LCD shutter glasses, and said second shuttered filter includes a second pair of LCD shutter glasses.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a first headphone unit coupled to said first set of LCD shutter glasses and a second headphone unit coupled to said second set of LCD shutter glasses, and wherein said control unit is further operable to control said first headphone unit to provide sounds associated with the first video signal to the first viewer and to control said second headphone unit to provide sounds associated with the second video signal to the second viewer.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of the left and right perspective images on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view the same 3D video presentation.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the video presentation is a video game being played by the two or more viewers.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a first player'"'"'s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player'"'"'s 3D perspective of the video game.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.

20. The system of claim 10 wherein the wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.

21. The system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further operable to transmit an audio signal associated with the first or second video signals to one or more speakers associated with the first shuttered filter unit and to provide an audio signal associated with the additional video signal to an additional speaker associated with the additional shuttered filter unit.

22. The system of claim 10, wherein the first shuttered filter unit and the second shuttered filter unit are each connected to the control unit using a wireless connection.

23. The system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the first or second shuttered filter unit relative to the display such that shuttering of the first or second shuttered filter unit is enabled when the first or second shuttered filter unit is facing toward the display and wherein the shuttering is disabled when the first or second shuttered filter unit is facing away from the display.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the first or second shuttered filter unit includes a tracker attached configured to sense an orientation of the first or second shuttered filter unit relative to the display.

25. A method of providing respective video signals to at least two viewers using a common display, the method comprising:

alternately displaying with the display an image from a first video signal corresponding to a left perspective of a scene and an image from a second video signal corresponding to a right perspective of the scene;

synchronizing a first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the left perspective image is displayed;

synchronizing a second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the right perspective image is displayed, thereby alternately providing left and right perspective images for perception as a 3D images; and

synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal on the display with shuttering of one or more additional shuttered filters.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising coupling a first audio signal to one or more speakers associated with the first and second shuttered filters, wherein the first audio signal is associated with the scene corresponding to the first or second video signals;

and

coupling one or more additional audio signals to one or more speakers associated with the one or more additional shuttered filters, wherein the one or more additional audio signals are associated with the additional video signal.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal includes synchronizing display of left and right perspective images from one or more additional video signals on the display with shuttering of one or more additional pairs of shuttered filters, whereby two or more viewers may view two or more different 3D video presentations.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include first player'"'"'s 3D perspective of a video game and a second player'"'"'s 3D perspective of the video game.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the two or more different 3D video presentations include a 3D video recording and a 3D video game.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein synchronizing display of one or more images from an additional video signal includes synchronizing the display of the left and right perspective images with display of 2D images from the additional video signal on the display with shuttering of an additional shuttered filter, whereby a first viewer can view a 3D video presentation while a second viewer views a 2D video presentation.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving a signal indicative of an orientation of the first or second or additional shuttered filter relative to the display and enabling shuttering of the first, second or additional shuttered filter when the first, second or additional shuttered filter is facing toward the display and disabling shuttering of the first, second or additional shuttered filter when the first, second or additional shuttered filter is facing away from the display.