Patent Application
20130083392
The field relates generally to optics and, more particularly to electro-optics, employing a mechanism for facilitating a universal and dynamic eyewear optical lens at an eyewear device.
A variety of Stereoscopic three-dimensional (3D) eyewear (e.g., 3D glasses) and their lack of interoperability are well-known. For example, for different types of 3D lenses are used for different media (e.g., televisions (TVs), movie screens, computer displays, etc.). Further, personal computer (PC) and consumer electronics (CE) devices use varying technologies, such as active shutter, active retarder, passive circular, linear or elliptical polarized, etc., and classically viewing angles of PC and monitor Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens have been 45/135 degree while for TV/CE displays have been 90 degree vertical. Today, these different technologies and/or viewing angles require different sets 3D glasses having various sets of technology/viewing angle-compatible lenses.
For example, currently, people use an active shutter 3D eyewear (e.g., 3DTV) for TV to watch a TV-based 3D movie, another active shutter 3D eyewear (e.g., 3DPC) to be used to watch something on a PC display, and yet another pair of eyewear of passive polarized glasses to watch passive or active retarder-based displays, etc. It is said that S3D eyewear are going through what is called “AC power brick syndrome” and it is expected that the world will soon be flooded with 3D eyewear for various different technologies, devices, and viewing angles, etc.
Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
Embodiments of the invention provide a mechanism for employing and facilitating a universal and dynamic eyewear optical lens. A method of embodiments of the invention includes monitoring wave patterns of waves being emitted from a first media device to a lens of an eyewear device, and detecting a change in the wave patterns. The wave pattern change may be caused when a new wave emitting from a second media device is detected. The method may further include dynamically adjusting the lens of the eyewear device to accept the new wave to facilitate viewing of contents being transmitted by the second media device.
Furthermore, a system or apparatus of embodiments of the invention may provide the mechanism and facilitate the aforementioned processes and other methods and processes described throughout the document. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus of the embodiments of the invention may include a first logic to perform the aforementioned monitoring, a second logic to perform the aforementioned detecting, a third logic to perform the aforementioned dynamic adjusting, and the like, such as other or the same set of logic to perform other processes and methods described in this document.
A method of embodiments of the invention may further include detecting repeated wave patterns being emitted from a first media device to an eyewear device, including a 3D eyewear device, and synchronizing the eyewear electro-optical lens precisely to the changes in the wave patterns. The method may further include a special optical lens stack that adapts to a variety of optical polarization patterns typically present on a variety of transmitting media devices (e.g., 3D media devices). The method may further include dynamically adjusting the synchronization and polarization of the lens of the eyewear to accept and/or adapt to new wave patterns to facilitate viewing of contents being transmitted by a second media device with a second type of optical polarization that is different than the first media device. In one embodiment, this intelligent tracking of wave patterns works with the universal optical stack to provide the intended results as discussed throughout this document.
In one embodiment, a universal lens is introduced that provides interoperability of a 3D eyewear, resulting in eliminating multiple eyewear and instead, needing only a single eyewear for all media devices, technologies, viewing angles, etc. This universal lens, in one embodiment, is generated by adding a layer (e.g., quarter wave plate) to the layer stack and having an algorithm to facilitate the lens, including the additional layer, to perform universally, such as combining or be compatible with various technologies like circular polarizers, active shutter, passive shutter, etc. This novel lens may then be installed in any number of eyewear frames and be used, as aforementioned, when watching any number and types of media devices and such.
In one embodiment, a front quarter wave plate 104 is added to the optical stack to provide universality to lens 100. The quarter wave plate 104 (e.g., retarder) may include an optical device to alter the polarization state of a light wave travelling through it. Further, the quarter wave plate 104 may work by shifting the phase between two perpendicular polarization components of the light wave. In one embodiment, the quarter wave plate 104 works with a microprocessor installed on the eyewear employing the lens 100 to detect, for example, media devices and varying technologies to universally adjust the lens 100 according to the changing media devices and technologies, etc. Further, any linearly polarized light which strikes the quarter wave plate 104 is divided into multiple components with various indices of refraction, such as converting linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light and vice versa upon detecting the changing media device. The detection may be performed using various sensors and at least one microprocessor employed by the eyewear.
In one embodiment, the quarter wave plate 104 may work with liquid crystal layer 110 to determine the type of media device and the technology being used by the media device. For example, when the lens 100 is in active mode, the liquid crystal layer 110 may be active, while the quarter wave plate 104 may sleep. In contrast, when the liquid crystal layer 110 is inactive, the wave plate 104 searches for 3D and performs its tasks. Finally, the two layers 104, 110 may work together to perform other tasks, such as working with holographic images.
In one embodiment, a number of sensors (e.g., infrared sensors, photo sensors, electrical sensors, etc.) may be employed on the eyewear to sense (e.g., sniff) the waves to detect a wave pattern and any changes to the wave pattern. Upon detecting a change in the wave pattern, that change is communicated to the processor from where it is communicated to the lens stack of the lens 100. For example, if the wave pattern has changed from a computer screen to a large movie screen, the change is the ultimately communicated to the lens stack of the lens 100 so that the wave plate 104 and liquid crystal layer 110 can accordingly adjust the lens 100. Examples of currently available 3D glasses include Sony® 3D Tdg-br100 glasses, LG® Cinema 3D glasses, Samsung® SSG-3100GB 3D Active glasses, etc.
In one embodiment, an intelligent tracking system for wave pattern tracking is employed and facilitated with the universal lens stack 100 for tracking repeated or repeating wave patterns being emitted from a first media device (e.g., television screen), such as media device 120, to a 3D eyewear are detected, and the 3D eyewear electro-optical lens 100 is synchronized precisely to the detected changes in the wave patterns. Further, a special optical lens stack, such as lens stack 100, is provided that adapts to a variety of optical polarization patterns typically present on a variety of transmitting 3D media devices. In one embodiment, synchronization and polarization of the lens 100 of the 3D eyewear is dynamically adjusted to accept and/or adapt to new or newly detected repeated wave patterns to facilitate viewing of contents being transmitted by a second media device (e.g., cinema screen) with a second type of optical polarization that is different than the first media device 120.
In one embodiment, universal mechanism 230 includes a number of components (e.g., software modules), such as a wave pattern monitor/detector 232 working with one or more sensors 220 to monitor the air for waves (e.g., photo waves, audio and/or video waves, electromechanical waves, etc.) and their pattern. While monitoring, the monitor/detector 232 may detect a change in the wave pattern. Such a change is then processed and analyzed by a processing module 234. Based on the processing and analysis of the change, a set of instructions may be generated by an instruction generator 236. These instructions are then communicated, using a communication module 238, to a lens stack of the lens of the eyewear 200 to dynamically adjust according to the change and universally accept the wave to provide the user a universal, seamless, and continues use of the eyewear 200 despite the change (e.g., media device change, technology change, viewing angle change, etc.).
In one embodiment, the universal mechanism 230 facilitates the universal lens stack of
In one embodiment, as aforementioned with reference to
In one embodiment, the eyewear 200 may further include other components 230, such as a camera, an audio recording device, additional sensors, etc., to capture pictures, record audio, generate holographic images, and the like. Embodiments of the invention are not limited to the eyewear 200 illustrated here and that any number of features can be added or removed from the eyewear 200 to continually maintain universality and staying compatible with changing technologies.
In one embodiment, repeated or repeating wave patterns being emitted from a first media device to a 3D eyewear 200 are detected, and the 3D eyewear electro-optical lens 100 is synchronized precisely to the detected changes in the wave patterns. Further, a special optical lens stack is provided that adapts to a variety of optical polarization patterns typically present on a variety of transmitting 3D media devices. In one embodiment, synchronization and polarization of the lens 100 of the 3D eyewear 200 is dynamically adjusted to accept and/or adapt to new or newly detected repeated wave patterns to facilitate viewing of contents being transmitted by a second media device with a second type of optical polarization that is different than the first media device.
Method 400 starts at block 405 with one or more sensors (e.g., infrared sensors, photo sensors, electrical sensors, etc.) employed on an eyewear sensing or monitoring the air for waves and wave patterns. The waves may include photo waves, infrared waves, audio and/or video waves, etc., being communicated to or from one or more media devices (e.g., TVs, computer devices, movie screens) that are to be seen on the screens of the media devices. At block 410, a determination is made as to whether one or more sensors have detected a change in the wave pattern. If a wave pattern change is not detected, the process continues with monitoring of the wave patterns at block 405. If, however, a change in wave pattern is detected, the change and related information is communicated to the processor at block 415.
The change is processed by the process at block 420. In processing the change, the processor generates one or more instructions. The instructions are then communicated to various layers of lens stack of the lens of the eyewear at block 425. The instructions received at the lens stack are processed by the various layers, such as a quarter wave plate or a liquid crystal layer, etc., to adjust according to the change in the wave pattern at block 430. The change in the wave pattern may relate to a user having the eyewear going from a room having a computer device to a room with a TV to a room with a movie screen, etc. At block 435, the lens stack is dynamically adjusted to the change in the wave pattern to universally ready the lens of the eyewear to the new form of wave pattern which may be due to a detecting another media device, video technology, viewing angle, or the like.
The one or more processors 501 execute instructions in order to perform whatever software routines the computing system implements. The instructions frequently involve some sort of operation performed upon data. Both data and instructions are stored in system memory 503 and cache 504. Cache 504 is typically designed to have shorter latency times than system memory 503. For example, cache 504 might be integrated onto the same silicon chip(s) as the processor(s) and/or constructed with faster static RAM (SRAM) cells whilst system memory 503 might be constructed with slower dynamic RAM (DRAM) cells. By tending to store more frequently used instructions and data in the cache 504 as opposed to the system memory 503, the overall performance efficiency of the computing system improves.
System memory 503 is deliberately made available to other components within the computing system. For example, the data received from various interfaces to the computing system (e.g., keyboard and mouse, printer port, Local Area Network (LAN) port, modem port, etc.) or retrieved from an internal storage element of the computer system (e.g., hard disk drive) are often temporarily queued into system memory 503 prior to their being operated upon by the one or more processor(s) 501 in the implementation of a software program. Similarly, data that a software program determines should be sent from the computing system to an outside entity through one of the computing system interfaces, or stored into an internal storage element, is often temporarily queued in system memory 503 prior to its being transmitted or stored.
The ICH 505 is responsible for ensuring that such data is properly passed between the system memory 503 and its appropriate corresponding computing system interface (and internal storage device if the computing system is so designed). The MCH 502 is responsible for managing the various contending requests for system memory 503 accesses amongst the processor(s) 501, interfaces and internal storage elements that may proximately arise in time with respect to one another.
One or more I/O devices 508 are also implemented in a typical computing system. I/O devices generally are responsible for transferring data to and/or from the computing system (e.g., a networking adapter); or, for large scale non-volatile storage within the computing system (e.g., hard disk drive). ICH 505 has bi-directional point-to-point links between itself and the observed I/O devices 508.
Portions of various embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computer program product, which may include a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform a process according to the embodiments of the present invention. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), and magneto-optical disks, ROM, RAM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnet or optical cards, flash memory, or other type of media/machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.
Now referring to
A locking and synchronization mechanism 662 on the receiver side 652 may then lock the media wave patter based on the emitter ID and perform real-time synchronization with the transmitter side 602. The locking and synchronization mechanism 662 may be part of the universal mechanism 230 and more particularly of one or more of its components 232-238. A lens driver 672 and glasses control 674 communicate the relevant information (e.g., media wave pattern, emission ID, etc.) to the lenses 100 (so they may perform their task, such as adjust to receive 3D wave patterns from a media device) of the lens-based visual device, such as the visual device 200 (e.g., 3D glasses) of
The techniques shown in the figures can be implemented using code and data stored and executed on one or more electronic devices (e.g., an end station, a network element). Such electronic devices store and communicate (internally and/or with other electronic devices over a network) code and data using computer-readable media, such as non-transitory computer-readable storage media (e.g., magnetic disks; optical disks; random access memory; read only memory; flash memory devices; phase-change memory) and transitory computer-readable transmission media (e.g., electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals—such as carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals). In addition, such electronic devices typically include a set of one or more processors coupled to one or more other components, such as one or more storage devices (non-transitory machine-readable storage media), user input/output devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touchscreen, and/or a display), and network connections. The coupling of the set of processors and other components is typically through one or more busses and bridges (also termed as bus controllers). Thus, the storage device of a given electronic device typically stores code and/or data for execution on the set of one or more processors of that electronic device. Of course, one or more parts of an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using different combinations of software, firmware, and/or hardware.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The Specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
