3D shutter glasses with mode switching based on orientation to display device

• US 8,325,223 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• 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: Ko, Heinrich Shih, Paik, Jae Won, Zalewski, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US12/503,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20100177174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 348/56, 348/55
• US Class Current: 348/55
• 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

A shuttered filter apparatus comprises a frame, one or more shuttered filters attached to the frame, and a tracker attached to the frame. Each shuttered filter is configured to selectively prevent a viewer from seeing through the filter in response to a signal from a controller. The tracker is configured to sense an orientation of the one or more shuttered filters relative to a video screen. The controller may use a signal from the tracker indicative of an orientation of the shutter filter(s) relative to enable shuttering when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing toward the video screen and disable shuttering when the shuttered filter apparatus is facing away from the video screen.

Claims

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

a control unit; and

a display connected to said control unit;

wherein the control unit is operable to control the display to alternately display an image from a first video signal and an image from a second video signal, to synchronize a first shuttered filter to the display such that the first filter is shuttered when the second video signal image is displayed, and to synchronize a second shuttered filter to the display such that the second filter is shuttered when the first video signal image is displayed, wherein the first and second video signals correspond to left and right perspectives of a three-dimensional scene viewed by a first viewer, wherein the control unit is further operable to time multiplex display of the first and second video signal images on the display with display of images from a third video signal and to synchronize the display of the images from the third video signal with operation of a third shuttered filter such that the third shuttered filter is shuttered when the first or second video image is displayed and the first and second shuttered filters are shuttered when the third video signal image is displayed thereby providing only the first and second video signal images to a first viewer using said first and second shuttered filters and providing only the third video signal image to a third viewer using said third shuttered filter.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

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

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second video signals are signals providing the first viewer with a first player'"'"'s perspective of a video game and the third video signal is a signal providing the second viewer with a second player'"'"'s perspective of the video game.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize a fourth shuttered filter to said display such that a three-dimensional perspective of the video game is provided to the second viewer using alternating display of first, second, third, and fourth video signal images synchronized with shuttering of said first, second, third and fourth shuttered filters.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize the first and second shuttered filters to a first television program and to synchronize the third shuttered filter to a second television program whereby the first television program is presented to the first viewer while the second television program is presented to the second viewer.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize a fourth shuttered filter to said display such that the first or second television program, or a video or a perspective of a video game is provided to a third viewer using said fourth shuttered filter.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize the first and second shuttered filters to left and right perspectives of a video game and to synchronize the third shuttered filter to a television program whereby the left and right perspectives of the video game is presented to the first viewer while the television program is presented to the second viewer.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize a fourth shuttered filter to said display such that the perspective of the television program or the video game, or a video recording or a different video game or television program is provided to a third viewer using said fourth shuttered filter.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize the first and second shuttered filters to left and right perspectives of a first video game and to synchronize the third shuttered filter to a perspective of a second video game whereby the left and right perspectives of the first video game are presented to the first viewer while the perspective of the second video game is presented to the second viewer.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the control unit is operable to synchronize a fourth shuttered filter to said display such that the perspective of the first or second video game, or a video recording or a television program is provided to a third viewer using said fourth shuttered filter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable in response to a signal indicative of an orientation of the first or second shutter filter relative to the video screen, wherein the control unit is configured to enable shuttering of the first or second shuttered filter in response to a signal indicating that the first or second shuttered filter is facing toward the display and wherein the control unit is configured to disable the shuttering in response to a signal indicating that the first or second shuttered filter is facing away from the display.