Patent Application
20150049011
Existing three-dimensional displays are designed to provide a three-dimensional image that is best viewed within a selected “optimal” viewing region. Due to the nature of three-dimensional images, viewing the three-dimensional image from outside of the optimal viewing region may cause physical strain to the viewer, such as headaches for example. Therefore, the viewer is often required to move his or her head into a selected position and to maintain the head position throughout the viewing, which can become uncomfortable. Current three-dimensional displays lack any awareness of a viewer's spatial relation to the display, such as the distance between viewer and display and a horizontal and/or vertical position of the viewer with respect to the display and therefore can not accommodate the viewer with respect to having a more pleasing experience.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts.
Many of these physical parameters of the display 102 may be dynamic and may be altered or changed upon receipt of a set of image-generation parameters at the display 102. In one embodiment, the physical parameter may be changed while the 3D content such as a 3D movie is being shown. Changing the physical parameters of the display 102 affects, among other things, the viewing distance z. For example, the size of the gap g between the display screen 202 and parallax barrier 204 affects the viewing distance z of the viewer 220. For a given intraocular distance of the left eye 222 and right eye 224 of the viewer 220, increasing the size of gap 206 may increase the viewing distance z from the display screen 202. Similarly, decreasing the size of gap 206 may decrease the viewing distance z from the display screen 202. As another example, moving the parallax barrier 204 along a left-right direction 225 moves the viewing location to the left and/or right of the display 102. In various embodiments, the physical parameter may be changed to adjust horizontal referencing
In another embodiment, the display may provide 3D content by alternately displaying the images of the right-eye pixels and the images of the left-eye pixels. Thus, the timing sequence may be a physical parameter that may be changed using the methods herein. In another embodiment the display may provide 3D content by the use of lenticular lenses. Thus, a pitch of the lenticular lenses and/or angle of incidence of image rays on the lenticular lenses may be a physical parameter that may be changed using the methods herein.
In one embodiment, the display 102 sets a physical parameter such as gap size g to a value that corresponds to a value of an image-generation parameter received at the display 102. The values of these image-generation parameters may be stored as metadata to the 3D content. In one embodiment, the values of the image-generation parameters may be selected via a viewer having access to an remote adjustment device 122, as discussed below with respect to
Returning to
The adjustment device 122 may be used at a location 124 that is remote from the display 102 to adjust the 3D content. In one embodiment, the location 124 substantially corresponds to a viewing location of the viewer 120. In an exemplary embodiment, the adjustment device 122 is a motion-sensitive device that is capable of measuring its own motion of physical movement within a three-dimensional space. In an exemplary embodiment, the motion of the adjustment device 122 is sensed or measured at the adjustment device 122 and the measured motion is converted to a signal that is transmitted from the remote adjustment device 122 to the control unit 104 via the receiver 112. The control unit 104 may determine a type of motion (e.g., rotation in an up-down direction, rotation in a left-right direction) performed at the adjustment device 122 and a degree or amount (e.g., 5 degrees, 10 degrees, etc.) of the determined type of motion. The determined type of motion may be used to select an image-generation parameter. The degree or amount of the motion may be used to alter a value of the selected image-generation parameter. As an illustrative example, a left-right rotation of the adjustment device 122 may select an image-generation parameter for gap size and a 20 degree rotation to the right may increase gap size by 2 millimeters while a 20 degree rotation to the left may decrease gap seize by 2 millimeters. In various embodiments, a pre-determined relation may be set up so that an amount by which the value of the image-generation parameter is altered corresponds to the amount of motion measured at the adjustment device 122. Thus the viewer 120 may use the adjustment device 122 to alter the physical parameters of the display 102 so that the “optimal” viewing location 130 coincidences with his/her viewing location 124. Also, the adjustment device may be used to adjust a parameter of the 3D content, such as focus, depth of field, etc., to a desired setting. When the viewer 120 is satisfied with a setting the viewer may end the adjustment process and the latest value of the image-generation parameter is stored as a selected value. In another embodiment, the display 102 may create 3D content by alternating in time the showing of left-eye pixels 208 and right-eye pixels 210. Thus, an image-generation parameter may be used to control a timing sequence of the left-eye pixels and the right-eye pixels 210.
In an illustrative embodiment, the processor 106 of control unit 104 alters a value of a selected image-generation parameter to correspond to a selected motion of the adjustment device 122. For example, a rotation of the adjustment device 122 along a left-right direction (e.g., rotation around the x-axis) may be used to adjust vertical displacement coordinates of the 3D content. Rotating the adjustment device 122 so that its tip 318 is sent to the right may increase the quality of the 3D content as viewed from a viewing location above a central axis (125,
While the processing unit 304 may measure a change in the relative orientation and/or position of the adjustment device 122, the processing unit 304 is generally unaware of its relative position or orientation of the adjustment device 122 with respect to the display 102 of
The adjustment device 122 may also include various selection devices (310, 312) such as buttons, switches, toggles, etc., that may be selected in order to activate and/or deactivate the adjustment device 122 with respect to measuring its own physical movement. The selection device 310 and 312 may be coupled to the processing unit 304. The state of the selection device may be used either an ON/OFF switch or to select an image-generation parameter. In one embodiment, the user holds the adjustment device 122 in a selected position, activates a selected selection device (i.e., top button 310) and moves the adjustment device in a selected motion. Pushing the top button 310 may indicate to the processing unit 304 to begin measuring the physical movement of the adjustment device 122. Releasing the button 310 may indicate to the processing unit 304 to stop measuring the physical movement of the adjustment device 122.
In another embodiment, the measured motion of the adjustment device may be applied to different image-generation parameters depending on which selection device is activated. Also, a physical motion in combination with activating a selection device therefor may be used to adjust one image-generation parameter, while a physical motion on without activating the selection device may be used to adjust another image-generation parameter. For example, by selecting the top button 310, a left-right motion of the adjustment device may be used to move an object into and out of a background. In this embodiment, this button may consider a selected 3D depth slider button. In the same example, by selecting bottom button 312, a left-right motion of the adjustment device may be used to select a 3D focus point of the 3D content.
In one aspect of the present invention, the image-generation parameters are dynamic interrupts that may be altered during a viewing of the 3D content rather than a static integer that is not changed.
In various embodiments, the DSP 602 or some other form of controller or central processing unit (CPU) operates to control the various components of the device 600 in accordance with embedded software or firmware stored in memory 604 or stored in memory contained within the DSP 602 itself. In addition to the embedded software or firmware, the DSP 602 may execute other applications stored in the memory 604 or made available via information media such as portable data storage media like the removable memory card 620 or via wired or wireless network communications. The application software may comprise a compiled set of machine-readable instructions that configure the DSP 602 to provide the desired functionality, or the application software may be high-level software instructions to be processed by an interpreter or compiler to indirectly configure the DSP 602.
The antenna and front end unit 606 may be provided to convert between wireless signals and electrical signals, enabling the device 600 to send and receive information from a cellular network or some other available wireless communications network or from a peer device 600. In an embodiment, the antenna and front end unit 606 may include multiple antennas to support receipt of signals from remote adjustment device 122. Likewise, the antenna and front-end unit 606 may include antenna tuning or impedance matching components, RF power amplifiers, or low noise amplifiers.
Note that in this diagram the radio access technology (RAT) RAT1 and RAT2 transceivers 654, 658, the IXRF 656, the IRSL 652 and Multi-RAT subsystem 650 are operably coupled to the RF transceiver 608 and analog baseband processing unit 610 and then also coupled to the antenna and front end 606 via the RF transceiver 608. As there may be multiple RAT transceivers, there will typically be multiple antennas or front ends 606 or RF transceivers 608, one for each RAT or band of operation.
The analog baseband processing unit 610 may provide various analog processing of inputs and outputs for the RF transceivers 608 and the speech interfaces (612, 614, 616). For example, the analog baseband processing unit 610 receives inputs from the microphone 612 and the headset 316 and provides outputs to the earpiece 614 and the headset 616. To that end, the analog baseband processing unit 610 may have ports for connecting to the built-in microphone 612 and the earpiece speaker 614 that enable the device 600 to be used as a cell phone. The analog baseband processing unit 610 may further include a port for connecting to a headset or other hands-free microphone and speaker configuration. The analog baseband processing unit 610 may provide digital-to-analog conversion in one signal direction and analog-to-digital conversion in the opposing signal direction. In various embodiments, at least some of the functionality of the analog baseband processing unit 610 may be provided by digital processing components, for example by the DSP 602 or by other central processing units.
The DSP 602 may perform modulation/demodulation, coding/decoding, interleaving/deinterleaving, spreading/despreading, inverse fast Fourier transforming (IFFT)/fast Fourier transforming (FFT), cyclic prefix appending/removal, and other signal processing functions associated with wireless communications. In an embodiment, for example in a code division multiple access (CDMA) technology application, for a transmitter function the DSP 602 may perform modulation, coding, interleaving, and spreading, and for a receiver function the DSP 602 may perform despreading, deinterleaving, decoding, and demodulation. In another embodiment, for example in an orthogonal frequency division multiplex access (OFDMA) technology application, for the transmitter function the DSP 602 may perform modulation, coding, interleaving, inverse fast Fourier transforming, and cyclic prefix appending, and for a receiver function the DSP 602 may perform cyclic prefix removal, fast Fourier transforming, deinterleaving, decoding, and demodulation. In other wireless technology applications, yet other signal processing functions and combinations of signal processing functions may be performed by the DSP 602.
The DSP 602 may communicate with a wireless network via the analog baseband processing unit 610 or communicate with the remote adjustment device 122. In some embodiments, the communication may provide Internet connectivity, enabling a user to gain access to content on the Internet and to send and receive e-mail or text messages. The input/output interface 618 interconnects the DSP 602 and various memories and interfaces. The memory 604 and the removable memory card 620 may provide software and data to configure the operation of the DSP 602. Among the interfaces may be the USB interface 622 and the short range wireless communication sub-system 624. The USB interface 622 may be used to charge the device 600 and may also enable the device 600 to function as a peripheral device to exchange information with a personal computer or other computer system. The short range wireless communication sub-system 624 may include an infrared port, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless interface, or any other short range wireless communication sub-system, which may enable the device 600 to communicate wirelessly with other nearby client nodes and access nodes. The short-range wireless communication Sub-system 624 may also include suitable RF Transceiver, Antenna and Front End subsystems.
The keypad 628 couples to the DSP 602 via the I/O interface (“Bus”) 618 to provide one mechanism for the user to make selections, enter information, and otherwise provide input to the device 600. The keyboard 628 may be a full or reduced alphanumeric keyboard such as QWERTY, DVORAK, AZERTY and sequential types, or a traditional numeric keypad with alphabet letters associated with a telephone keypad. The input keys may likewise include a track wheel, track pad, an exit or escape key, a trackball, and other navigational or functional keys, which may be inwardly depressed to provide further input function. Another input mechanism may be the LCD 630, which may include touch screen capability and also display text and/or graphics to the user. The LCD controller 632 couples the DSP 602 to the LCD 630.
The CCD camera 634, if equipped, enables the device 600 to make digital pictures. The DSP 602 communicates with the CCD camera 634 via the camera controller 636. In another embodiment, a camera operating according to a technology other than Charge Coupled Device cameras may be employed. The GPS sensor 638 is coupled to the DSP 602 to decode global positioning system signals or other navigational signals, thereby enabling the device 600 to determine its position. The GPS sensor 638 may be coupled to an antenna and front end (not shown) suitable for its band of operation. Various other peripherals may also be included to provide additional functions, such as radio and television reception.
In various embodiments, the device 600 comprises a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) transceiver 654 and a second RAT transceiver 658. As shown in
In various embodiments, a network node acting as a server comprises a first communication link corresponding to data to/from the first RAT and a second communication link corresponding to data to/from the second RAT.
As described herein, a viewer may affect his or her viewing of 3D content. The viewer may view the 3D content generated by a display device having a first setting of an image-generation parameter, perform a physical movement of the adjustment device in space to change the setting of the physical parameter from the first setting to a second setting, and view the 3D content as it is generated by the display device using the second setting.
Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling displayed three-dimensional visual content includes: receiving a signal from a user operated adjustment device, the signal being generated by a physical movement of the adjustment device by the user, wherein the signal corresponds to a desired adjustment of the displayed three-dimensional content; adjusting a value of an image-generation parameter of the three-dimensional visual content corresponding to the signal received from the adjustment device; and changing a physical parameter of a display device that displays the three-dimensional visual content, based on the adjusted value of the image-generation parameter, so as to implement the desired adjustment of the displayed three-dimensional visual content.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for displaying three-dimensional visual content includes: a three-dimensional display device; a control unit in communication with the display device; and a user-operated adjustment device configured to generate a signal by a physical movement of the adjustment device by the user, wherein the signal corresponds to a desired adjustment of displayed three-dimensional content by the three-dimensional display device; wherein the control unit is configured to: receive the signal from the adjustment device; adjust a value of an image-generation parameter of the three-dimensional visual content corresponding to the signal; and change a physical parameter of the display device, based on the adjusted value of the image-generation parameter, so as to implement the desired adjustment of the displayed three-dimensional content.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of viewing three-dimensional visual content includes: generating the three-dimensional visual content at a display device using a first setting of a physical parameter of the display; moving an adjustment device in space to alter the physical parameter of the display from the first setting to a second setting; and viewing the three-dimensional visual content generated using the second setting of the physical parameter of the display.
It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are provided below, the disclosed systems and/or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented.
Also, techniques, systems, subsystems and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as coupled or directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through some interface, device, or intermediate component, whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.
