Apparatus, systems and methods for synchronization of 3-D shutter glasses to one of a plurality of presentation devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654769-B2
Application number	US-201514673592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2010
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Three dimensional (3-D) program content viewing system in a media environment with different media presentation devices detects a first synchronization signal transmitted from a first synchronization signal source, wherein the first synchronization signal is associated with first 3-D program content and includes a first signal identifier. The system detects a second synchronization signal transmitted from a second synchronization signal source, wherein the second synchronization signal is associated with second 3-D program content and includes a second signal identifier. The system then receives a selection of one of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal and discriminates between the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal based upon the first signal identifier and the second signal identifier. The system then controls a left lens and a right lens of 3-D shutter glasses in accordance with the selected one of the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method that enables selected viewing of different three dimensional (3-D) program content presented on a plurality of media presentation devices, the method comprising:
receiving a specification at a synchronization signal source,
wherein the specification corresponds to one of a first one of the plurality of media presentation devices and a second one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
wherein the specification is associated with a first unique synchronization signal identifier that uniquely identifies a first synchronization signal that controls synchronization of first 3-D program content being presented by the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
wherein the specification is associated with a second unique synchronization signal identifier that uniquely identifies a second synchronization signal that controls synchronization of second 3-D program content being presented by the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices;

receiving at the synchronization signal source, when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, first synchronization timing information associated with the first 3-D program content, wherein the first synchronization timing information is configured to control a left lens and a right lens of a pair of 3-D shutter glasses to enable viewing of the first 3-D program content presented by the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices;
receiving at the synchronization signal source, when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices, second synchronization timing information associated with the second 3-D program content, wherein the second synchronization timing information is configured to control the left lens and the right lens of the pair of 3-D shutter glasses to enable viewing of the second 3-D program content presented by the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices;
generating, at the synchronization signal source, a synchronization signal comprising a first portion with the synchronization timing information and a second portion with a unique synchronization signal identifier,
wherein the first portion of the synchronization signal is the first synchronization timing information and the second portion of the synchronization signal is the first unique synchronization signal identifier when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
wherein the first portion of the synchronization signal is the second synchronization timing information and the second portion of the synchronization signal is the second unique synchronization signal identifier when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices; and

transmitting the synchronization signal from the synchronization signal source to the 3-D shutter glasses,
wherein the left lens and the right lens of the 3-D shutter glasses are controllable by the first synchronization timing information when the 3-D shutter glasses are configured to operate based upon the first unique synchronization signal identifier, and
wherein the left lens and the right lens of the 3-D shutter glasses are controllable by the second synchronization timing information when the 3-D shutter glasses are configured to operate based upon the second unique synchronization signal identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the specification at the synchronization signal source comprises:
receiving a source signal comprising the first unique synchronization signal identifier and the first synchronization timing information when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
receiving the source signal comprising the second unique synchronization signal identifier and the second synchronization timing information when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving the first unique synchronization signal identifier from a memory of the synchronization signal source when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices; and
retrieving the second unique synchronization signal identifier from the memory of the synchronization signal source when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a wireless signal transmitted by a remote control,
wherein the received wireless signal includes information corresponding to the first unique synchronization signal identifier when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
wherein the received wireless signal includes information corresponding to the second unique synchronization signal identifier when the specification is for the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
retrieving the first unique synchronization signal identifier from a plurality of synchronization signal identifiers stored in a memory of the synchronization signal source when the specification is for the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices; and
associating the first unique synchronization signal identifier with the first 3-D program content.

6. A three dimensional (3-D) program content synchronization system, comprising:
a controller that generates a selection signal for a pair of 3-D shutter glasses,
wherein the selection signal corresponds to a user specification selecting at least one of first 3-D program content presented by a first one of a plurality of media presentation devices or second 3-D program content presented by a second one of the plurality of media presentation devices,
wherein the selection signal includes at least one of a first unique synchronization signal identifier when the first 3-D program content is selected and a second unique synchronization signal identifier when the second 3-D program content is selected,
wherein the first unique synchronization signal identifier uniquely identifies a first synchronization signal transmitted from a first synchronization signal source that controls synchronization of the first 3-D program content being presented by the first one of the plurality of media presentation devices, and
wherein the second unique synchronization signal identifier uniquely identifies a second synchronization signal transmitted from a second synchronization signal source that controls synchronization of the second 3-D program content being presented by the second one of the plurality of media presentation devices;

a first synchronization signal source configured to wirelessly transmit the first synchronization signal associated with first 3-D program content presented by a first media presentation device, wherein the first synchronization signal includes the first unique synchronization signal identifier; and
a second synchronization signal source configured to concurrently wirelessly transmit the second synchronization signal associated with second 3-D program content presented by the second media presentation device, wherein the second synchronization signal includes the second unique synchronization signal identifier,
wherein at least one pair of 3-D shutter glasses are configured to detect the first synchronization signal and the second synchronization signal, are configured to discriminate between the detected f

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Richardson Jon
• Strong Stephen
• Holley Eric
• Tuck Frederick
• Turpin Grant

Classifications

• H04N13/341

  using temporal multiplexing · CPC title

• H04N13/398 Primary

  Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N13/0438

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0497 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic