Abstract:
A television for presenting video content in 3D has a video display controlled by a processor to present video content in a video plane and a user interface (UI) in a graphics plane. The processor receives input indicating a viewer desire to virtually move the UI up or back along a z-axis that is perpendicular to the video plane and responsive to the input change the location of the UI on the z-axis. This may done by altering image disparity produced to create a 3D effect.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to establishing the z-axis location of a graphics presentation in a three dimensional (3D) video display. 
       II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    3D video such as 3D television is a fast growing technical field. Currently, 3D video is established by presenting two simultaneous views of the same video content marginally offset from each other on the horizontal (“x”) axis. The offset may be thought of as a horizontal disparity. The larger the display, the larger the possible horizontal disparity, with a larger disparity producing a more pronounced 3D effect. Viewing a 3D display from a close distance also makes the 3D effect more pronounced than viewing the display from afar. 
         [0003]    Because video viewers expect control enhancements such as user interfaces, menus, and the like to carry over to 3D from 2D, 3D video presentation devices must provide, in addition to 3D content, the capability to overlay graphics onto the video content. As mentioned above, however, screen size differences and viewing location differences change the 3D effect and hence there is not an optimal positioning of the graphics in the “z” dimension, i.e., the new, third dimension toward and away from the surface of the display. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, a video display device includes a processor and a video display controlled by the processor. The video display defines a display plane and a z-axis perpendicular to the display plane. The device also includes a user input device communicating with the processor to send user selection signals to the processor. The processor executes logic which includes, responsive to a viewer selection of a user interface (UI), presenting a UI in a graphics plane of the video display device. Responsive to a first command from the user input device, the processor causes the UI to appear to move in a first direction along the z-axis, whereas responsive to a second command from the user input device, the processor causes the UI to appear to move in a second, opposite direction along the z-axis. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments the first direction is toward a viewer of the display and the second direction is away from a viewer of the display. The first command thus may be a “move up” command and the second command may be a “move back” command. 
         [0006]    In example implementations, in response to the first command the processor increases a disparity between two identical images along an x-axis defined by the display. In response to the second command the processor decreases the disparity. The images defining the disparity may be video content images presented in a video plane of the device, or UI images presented in a graphics plane of the device. In any case, the first and second commands can cause the processor to cause the UI to appear to move incrementally in that the UI moves a fraction of a total distance available for movement of the UI along the z-axis responsive to a single command. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, a television for presenting video content in 3D has a video display controlled by a processor to present video content in a video plane and a user interface (UI) in a graphics plane. The processor receives input indicating a viewer desire to virtually move the UI up or back along a z-axis that is perpendicular to the video plane and responsive to the input change the location of the UI on the z-axis. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, an apparatus has a video display, a processor configured to receive user input signals, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions to cause the processor to present a user input (UI) pane on the display overlaid on 3D video content. The UI pane presents a “move up” indicator and a “move back” indicator. The indicators are selectable by a viewer manipulating a user input device to thereby generate the user input signals. Responsive to the user input signals, the processor causes the UI pane to appear to change position with respect to a z-axis defined by the display. 
         [0009]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with present principles; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a screen shot of an example user interface (UI) in the graphics plane overlaid on 3D video content; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart of example logic for moving the UI along the z-axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the display. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a three dimensional (3D) video display device  12  such as a TV, game player, camera, personal digital assistant, laptop computer, personal computer (PC), etc. includes a housing  14  bearing a digital processor  16 . The processor  16  can control a visual display  18  and an audible display such as one or more speakers. The processor  16  may access a media player module such that the device  12  has media decoding capability. 
         [0014]    To undertake present principles, the processor  16  may access one or more computer readable storage media  20  such as but not limited to RAM-based storage, a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or flash memory or disk storage. Software code implementing present logic executable by the device  12  may be stored on one of the memories shown to undertake present principles. 
         [0015]    The processor  16  can receive user input signals from various input devices, including a wireless remote control (RC)  22 , a point and click device such as a mouse, a keypad, etc. A TV tuner  24  may be provided in some implementations particularly when the device is embodied by a TV to receive TV signals from a TV broadcast signal source  26  such as a set-top box, satellite receiver, cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. The TV tuner  24  may be implemented in a set top box separately housed from the TV and communicating therewith. In other embodiments, no TV tuner may be provided. Signals from the tuner  24  are sent to the processor  16  for presentation on the display  18  and speakers. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a network interface  28  such as a wired and/or wireless modem may also be provided to enable the processor  16  to communicate with content servers  30  on the Internet (only one server  30  shown in  FIG. 1  for clarity). The server  30  has a processor  32  and a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium  34  such as disk-based and/or solid state storage. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  also illustrates the three spatial axes defined by the display  18 . As shown, the x-axis is defined by the left-to-right (width) dimension of the display, the y-axis is defined by the up-to-down (height) dimension of the display, and the z-axis is perpendicular to the plane of the display  18 . 
         [0018]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , 3D video content is presented on the display  18  by presenting two identical images  36 ,  38  of the content simultaneously which are offset from each other horizontally (along the x-axis) by a disparity “δ”. Other methods for establishing 3D video may be used. 
         [0019]    Also, a user input pane  40  is presented on the display overlaid on the 3D video content as shown. The UI pane  40  is presented in the graphics plane of the device  12 . In the example shown the UI pane  40  is in 3D, although in some embodiments it could be presented in 2D. When the UI pane  40  is in 3D it is presented by presenting two identical images  40   a ,  40   b  which have an x-axis disparity “δ1” between them as shown and in accordance with principles discussed above. 
         [0020]    In any case, the example UI shown in the pane  40  is for illustration a simple UI for enabling a viewer to select video input from between the TV tuner  24  and the network interface  28  but it is to be understood that the particular function of the UI in the pane  40  may vary and is not limiting. 
         [0021]    As also shown in  FIG. 2 , one method for enabling a viewer to indicate whether to (virtually) move the UI pane  40  along the z-axis is the presentation in the UI pane  40  of a “move up” arrow  42  and a “move back” arrow  44 , both of which may be labeled as such if desired as shown. A viewer may manipulate the RC  22  to move a cursor over the desired arrow  42 ,  44  and then select the desired movement by, e.g., clicking on a key of the RC  22 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, a single key click corresponds to an incremental unit of movement. Thus, if a “0” position correlates to the most distant (virtual) position along the z-axis and a “1” position correlates to the closest (virtual) position along the z-axis, a default location along the z-axis for the UI pane  40  might be at 0.5 and a single click can move the graphics plane forward (or back) by an increment of 0.05. The viewer can move the UI pane  40  in greater increments of distance along the z-axis by entering as many clicks as desired on the RC  22 . 
         [0023]    Additionally or in lieu of (virtually) moving the UI pane  40  along the z-axis by means of the above-described arrows, the RC  22  may be provided with “move up” and “move back” keys which, when toggled, send commands to the processor  16  to respectively cause the processor to move the UI pane  40  up or back along the z-axis. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates example logic which may be executed by the processor  16  responsive to the above-described structure. Commencing at block  46 , responsive to a viewer selection of a user interface as indicated by, e.g., a signal from the RC  22 , the processor  16  presents the UI pane  40  in the graphics plane of the display device  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . At block  48  the processor receives a “move up” or “move back” command as described above and in response alters the disparity “δ” of either the video content images  36 ,  38  or, if the UI pane  40  is presented in 3D, the disparity “δ1” between the two images  40   a ,  40   b  of the UI presented in the graphics plane. Thus, responsive to a “move back” command consisting of a single click in the preceding example, the processor  16  reduces, by 5%, the disparity between the two images by moving one of the images closer to the other along the x-axis by an amount of 5% of the total range of disparity or less preferably by moving both images toward each other by an amount of 2.5% of the total range of disparity. Similarly, responsive to a “move up” command consisting of a single click in the preceding example, the processor  16  increase, by 5%, the disparity between the two images by moving one of the images away from the other along the x-axis by an amount of 5% of the total range of disparity or less preferably by moving both images away each other by an amount of 2.5% of the total range of disparity. Additional clicks cause the processor to decrease (or increase) the disparity responsive to the user input. 
         [0025]    As an alternative to adjusting the disparity, the processor  16  can, responsive to a user “move back” command discussed above, increase the alpha blending of one of the two content images  36 ,  38 . As understood herein, this reduces the 3D effect while graphics are being shown, alleviating eye strain while trying to view graphics in a 3D display. 
         [0026]    Yet another way to reduce eye strain when viewing graphics in a 3D display is to increase the width of the UI pane  40  (i.e., in the x-dimension). The border area of the UI pane  40  may have an opacity gradient, so the transition is made as smooth as possible. 
         [0027]    While the particular ESTABLISHING Z-AXIS LOCATION OF GRAPHICS PLANE IN 3D VIDEO DISPLAY is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.