Apparatus for adapting a presentation of media content according to a position of a viewing apparatus

• US 9,830,680 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meuninck, Troy C., Bedingfield, Sr., James Carlton, Brown, William A., DeLorme, David Brux, Morris, Nadia
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US14/681,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 for two or more viewers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/405 the images being stereoscopic or three dimensional
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions to detect a first position of a viewing apparatus, wherein the viewing apparatus enables viewing of media programs, obtain a media program in a first viewing perspective that conforms to the first position, present the media program with the first viewing perspective for viewing by way of the viewing apparatus, and transmit to the viewing apparatus a first audio signal corresponding to the first viewing perspective. The storage medium can also have computer instructions to detect that the viewing apparatus has moved to a second position, obtain the media program in a second viewing perspective according to the second position, and present the media program with the second viewing perspective for viewing by way of the viewing apparatus. Other embodiments are disclosed and contemplated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a first media program in a first viewing perspective that is based on a first position of a first viewing apparatus;

obtaining, by the processing system, a second media program in a second viewing perspective that is based on a second position of a second viewing apparatus;

detecting, by the processing system, whether the first viewing apparatus has moved to a third position based on third position information transmitted to the system by the first viewing apparatus;

obtaining, by the processing system, the first media program in a third viewing perspective that is based on the third position;

obtaining, by the processing system, a third recorded audio signal that has been recorded at a viewing perspective in accordance with the third viewing perspective;

directing, by the processing system, a presentation device to present the first media program in the third viewing perspective;

transmitting, by the processing system, to the first viewing apparatus the third recorded audio signal;

determining, by the processing system, whether the second media program is available in a fifth viewing perspective, wherein a fourth viewing perspective of the second media program is derivable from a combination of the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program;

interpolating, by the processing system, the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program to generate the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program;

obtaining, by the processing system, the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program that is generated; and

directing, by the processing system, the presentation device to present the second media program in the fourth viewing perspective.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning, by the processing system, a first viewing apparatus to a first periodic time slot;

assigning, by the processing system, a second viewing apparatus to a second periodic time slot;

directing, by the processing system, a presentation device to present the first media program during the first periodic time slot; and

directing, by the processing system, the presentation device to present the second media program during the second periodic time slot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first viewing apparatus enables viewing of the first media program during the first periodic time slot while preventing a viewing of the second media program during the second periodic time slot, and wherein the second viewing apparatus enables viewing of the first media program during the second periodic time slot while preventing a viewing of the second media program during the first periodic time slot.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processing system, a first infrared light signal to the first viewing apparatus;

receiving, by the processing system, first position information from the first viewing apparatus, wherein the first position information is determined by the first viewing apparatus by capturing the first infrared light signal;

transmitting, by the processing system, a second infrared light signal to the second viewing apparatus; and

receiving, by the processing system, second position information from the second viewing apparatus, wherein the second position information is determined by the second viewing apparatus by capturing the second infrared light signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the system, a request from the second viewing apparatus for changing from the second viewing perspective to a fourth viewing perspective, wherein the request is generated by the second viewing apparatus responsive to a speech command received by the second viewing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media program and the second media program each include a plurality of viewing perspectives, and further comprising obtaining, by the processing system, the first viewing perspective and the second viewing perspective from the plurality of viewing perspectives included in each of the first media program and the second media program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processing system, the third position to a media system remote from the system, wherein the media system has access to a plurality of viewing perspectives; and

receiving, by the processing system, from the media system the first media program in the third viewing perspective without receiving other viewing perspectives of the plurality of viewing perspectives responsive to transmitting the third position to the media system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processing system, the first position and the second position to a media system remote from the system, wherein the media system has access to a plurality of recorded audio perspectives;

receiving, by the processing system, from the media system a first recorded audio signal in the first viewing perspective without receiving other recorded audio perspectives of the plurality of recorded audio perspectives; and

receiving, by the processing system, from the media system a second recorded audio signal in the second viewing perspective without receiving other recorded audio perspectives of the plurality of recorded audio perspectives.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processing system, the third position to the media system; and

receiving, by the processing system, from the media system the third recorded audio signal in the third viewing perspective without receiving other recorded audio perspectives of the plurality of recorded audio perspectives.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by a system, a change in position of each of the first viewing apparatus and the second viewing apparatus via an imaging sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first viewing apparatus and the second viewing apparatus each comprise a location detector, and wherein each of the first viewing apparatus and the second viewing apparatus is operable to inform the system of the first position and the second position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media program and the second media program each comprise multi-dimensional images, wherein the system corresponds to a set-top box, and wherein each of the first viewing apparatus and the second viewing apparatus are selected from a group consisting of:

shutter glasses;

polarized glasses; and

a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media program and the second media program comprise a single instance of media content viewed in different viewing perspectives by the first viewing apparatus and the second viewing apparatus, and wherein the first viewing perspective and the second viewing perspective correspond to two of a plurality of viewing angles of images associated with the first media program and the second media program.

14. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

obtaining a first media program in a first viewing perspective that is based on a first position of a first viewing apparatus;

obtaining a second media program in a second viewing perspective that is based on a second position of a second viewing apparatus;

detecting whether the first viewing apparatus has moved to a third position based on third position information transmitted to the system by the first viewing apparatus;

obtaining the first media program in a third viewing perspective that is based on the third position;

obtaining a third recorded audio signal that has been recorded at a viewing perspective in accordance with the third viewing perspective;

directing a presentation device to present the first media program in the third viewing perspective;

transmitting to the first viewing apparatus the third recorded audio signal;

determining whether the second media program is available in a fifth viewing perspective, wherein a fourth viewing perspective of the second media program is derivable from a combination of the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program;

interpolating the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program to generate the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program;

obtaining the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program that is generated; and

directing the presentation device to present the second media program in the fourth viewing perspective.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

assigning a first viewing apparatus to a first periodic time slot;

assigning a second viewing apparatus to a second periodic time slot;

directing a presentation device to present the first media program during the first periodic time slot; and

directing the presentation device to present the second media program during the second periodic time slot.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first viewing apparatus enables viewing of the first media program during the first periodic time slot while preventing a viewing of the second media program during the second periodic time slot, and wherein the second viewing apparatus enables viewing of the first media program during the second periodic time slot while preventing a viewing of the second media program during the first periodic time slot.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a first infrared light signal to the first viewing apparatus;

receiving first position information from the first viewing apparatus, wherein the first position information is determined by the first viewing apparatus by capturing the first infrared light signal;

transmitting a second infrared light signal to the second viewing apparatus; and

receiving second position information from the second viewing apparatus, wherein the second position information is determined by the second viewing apparatus by capturing the second infrared light signal.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a request from the second viewing apparatus for changing from the second viewing perspective to a fourth viewing perspective, wherein the request is generated by the second viewing apparatus responsive to a speech command received by the second viewing apparatus.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

obtaining a first media program in a first viewing perspective that is based on a first position of a first viewing apparatus;

obtaining a second media program in a second viewing perspective that is based on a second position of a second viewing apparatus;

detecting whether the first viewing apparatus has moved to a third position based on third position information transmitted to the system by the first viewing apparatus;

obtaining the first media program in a third viewing perspective that is based on the third position;

obtaining a third recorded audio signal that has been recorded at a viewing perspective in accordance with the third viewing perspective;

directing a presentation device to present the first media program in the third viewing perspective;

transmitting to the first viewing apparatus the third recorded audio signal;

determining whether the second media program is available in a fifth viewing perspective, wherein a fourth viewing perspective of the second media program is derivable from a combination of the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program;

interpolating the second viewing perspective of the second media program and the fifth viewing perspective of the second media program to generate the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program;

obtaining the fourth viewing perspective of the second media program that is generated; and

directing the presentation device to present the second media program in the fourth viewing perspective.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first media program and the second media program each include a plurality of viewing perspectives, and wherein the operations further comprise obtaining the first viewing perspective and the second viewing perspective from the plurality of viewing perspectives included in each of the first media program and the second media program.