Method and apparatus for selective mono/stereo visual display

Abstract

To enhance a mono-output-only controller such as a mobile OS to support selective mono/stereo/mixed output, a stereo controller is instantiated in communication with the mono controller. The stereo controller coordinates stereo output, but calls and adapts functions already present in the mono controller for creating surface and image buffers, rendering, compositing, and/or merging. For content designated for 2D display, left and right surfaces are rendered from a mono perspective; for content designated for 3D display, left and right surfaces are rendered from left and right stereo perspectives, respectively. Some, all, or none of available content may be delivered to a stereo display in 3D, with a remainder delivered in 2D, and with comparable content still delivered in 2D to the mono display. The stereo controller is an add-on; the mono controller need not be replaced, removed, deactivated, or modified, facilitating transparency and backward compatibility.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A machine-implement method, comprising:
 establishing a mono controller on a processor;   establishing a stereo controller on said processor in communication with said mono controller;   disposing a mono display in communication with said mono controller;   disposing left and right stereo displays in communication with said stereo controller;   disposing at least one graphical content source in communication with said mono controller;   at least one of said mono controller and said stereo controller establishing a mono perspective;   said stereo controller establishing a stereo configuration;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a left stereo perspective and a right stereo perspective;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a dimensionality status of each of said at least one graphical content sources in communication with said mono controller;   said mono controller establishing a mono surface buffer;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a left surface buffer compatible with said mono controller;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a right surface buffer compatible with said mono controller;   said mono controller establishing a mono image buffer;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a left image buffer compatible with said mono controller;   said stereo controller invoking establishing of a right image buffer compatible with said mono controller;   for each of said content sources, said mono controller rendering a mono surface therefrom from said mono perspective into said mono surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 2D status, said stereo controller invoking rendering of a left surface therefrom with said mono perspective into said left surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 3D status, said stereo controller invoking rendering of a left surface therefrom with said left stereo perspective into said left surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 2D status, said stereo controller invoking rendering of a right surface therefrom with said mono perspective into said right surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 3D status, said stereo controller invoking rendering of a right surface therefrom with said right stereo perspective into said right surface buffer;   said mono controller compositing said mono surfaces in said mono surface buffer;   said stereo controller invoking compositing of said left surfaces in said left surface buffer;   said stereo controller invoking compositing of said right surfaces in said right surface buffer;   said mono controller merging said mono surfaces to a mono image in said mono image buffer;   said stereo controller invoking merging of said left surfaces to a left image into said left image buffer;   said stereo controller invoking merging of said right surfaces to a right image into said right image buffer;   said mono controller outputting said mono image to said mono display; and   said stereo controller outputting said left image to said left stereo display, and said right image to said right stereo display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said stereo display exhibits 2D content from said content sources in 2D in conjunction with 3D content from said content sources in 3D.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said content exhibited by said stereo display substantially corresponds with said content exhibited by said mono display.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said stereo display exhibits at least a portion of said 3D content in a window, with at least a portion of said 2D content outside said window.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said mono controller is responsive to mono controller input delivered thereto.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said mono controller input invokes changing content of said mono image.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said mono controller input invokes changing 3D content of said mono image.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said mono controller input comprises touch screen input.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said stereo controller is responsive to stereo controller input delivered thereto.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said stereo controller input invokes changing content of said mono image.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said stereo controller input invokes changing 3D content of said mono image.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said stereo controller input comprises free space manual input.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 invoking rendering comprises at least one of said mono controller rendering, said stereo controller rendering, and a further data entity in communication with at least one of said mono controller and said stereo controller rendering.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 invoking compositing comprises at least one of said mono controller compositing, said stereo controller compositing, and a further data entity in communication with at least one of said mono controller and said stereo controller compositing.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 invoking merging comprises at least one of said mono controller merging, said stereo controller merging, and a further data entity in communication with at least one of said mono controller and said stereo controller merging.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 invoking rendering comprises said stereo controller calling said mono controller to render;   invoking compositing comprises said stereo controller calling said mono controller to composite; and   invoking merging comprises said stereo controller calling said mono controller to merge.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said stereo controller calling said mono controller to render comprises at least one of:
 said stereo controller defining a virtual display for rendering by said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller calling a render function within said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller activating executable instructions for rendering in said mono controller; and 
 said stereo controller copying and executing executable instructions for rendering from said mono controller. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said stereo controller calling said mono controller to composite comprises at least one of:
 said stereo controller defining a virtual display for compositing by said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller calling a composite function within said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller activating executable instructions for compositing in said mono controller; and 
 said stereo controller copying and executing executable instructions for compositing from said mono controller. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 said stereo controller calling said mono controller to merge comprises at least one of:
 said stereo controller defining a virtual display for merging by said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller calling a merge function within said mono controller; 
 said stereo controller activating executable instructions for merging in said mono controller; and 
 said stereo controller copying and executing executable instructions for merging from said mono controller. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said processor is disposed in a mobile device.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said processor is disposed in at least one of a smart phone and a head mounted display.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said mono controller comprises a mobile operating system.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said graphical content source comprises at least one of a 2D interface, a 2D model, a 2D icon, a 2D menu, a 2D meter, 2D augmented reality information, 2D virtual reality information, a 3D interface, a 3D model, a 3D icon, a 3D menu, a 3D meter, 3D augmented reality information, and 3D virtual reality information.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 establishing said stereo controller on said processor does not alter said mono controller.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said stereo controller does not interfere with an operation of said mono controller.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor;   at least one graphical content source in communication with said processor;   a mono display in communication with said processor;   left and right stereo displays in communication with said processor;   a mono controller comprising executable instructions instantiated on said processor, said mono controller comprising:
 a graphical content communicator adapted to dispose said at least one graphical content source in communication with said mono controller; 
 a mono perspective establisher adapted to establish a mono perspective; 
 a mono surface buffer establisher adapted to establish a mono surface buffer comprising at least one mono surface; 
 a mono image buffer establisher adapted to establish a mono image buffer; 
 a mono surface renderer adapted to render said graphical content sources to said mono surface buffer from said mono perspective; 
 a mono surface compositor adapted to composite said at least one mono surface; 
 a mono image merger adapted to merge said at least one mono surface to a mono image in said mono image buffer; 
 a mono outputter adapted to output said mono image to said mono display; 
   a stereo controller comprising executable instructions instantiated on said processor, said stereo controller comprising:
 a mono controller communicator adapted to communicate with said mono controller; 
 a perspective invoker adapted to invoke establishing of a left and right stereo perspectives; 
 a surface buffer invoker adapted to invoke establishing of left and right surface buffers comprising at least one left and right surface respectively, said left and right surface buffers being compatible with said mono surface buffer; 
 an image buffer invoker adapted to invoke establishing of left and right image buffers compatible with said mono image buffer; 
 a surface renderer invoker adapted to invoke rendering of said graphical content sources from said mono perspective to said left and right surface buffers for said graphical content sources exhibiting 2D graphical content, and to invoke rendering of said graphical content sources from said left and right perspectives to said left and right stereo surface buffers respectively for said graphical content sources exhibiting 3D graphical content; 
 a surface compositor invoker adapted to invoke compositing of said at least one left and right surfaces in said left and right surface buffers respectively; 
 an image merger invoker adapted to invoke merging of said at least one left and right surfaces to a left image in said left image buffer and a right image in said right image buffer respectively; and 
 a stereo outputter adapted to output said left image to said left stereo display and said right image to said right stereo display. 
   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , comprising:
 a body, said processor and said left and right stereo displays being disposed on said body;   wherein said body is adapted to be worn on a head of a wearer, such that when said body is worn said left and right stereo displays are disposed substantially in front of, substantially facing toward, and proximate eyes of said wearer so as to enable stereo output thereto.   
     
     
         28 . A machine-implement method, comprising:
 instantiating a mobile operating system on a processor of a mobile electronic device;   instantiating a stereo controller on said processor in communication with said mobile operating system;   disposing a mono display in communication with said mono controller;   disposing left and right stereo displays in communication with said stereo controller;   disposing at least one graphical content source in communication with said mobile operating system;   said mobile operating system defining a mono perspective;   said stereo controller defining a stereo configuration;   said stereo controller defining left and right stereo perspectives;   said stereo controller querying said mobile operating system for a dimensionality status of each of said at least one graphical content sources in communication with said mobile operating system;   said mono controller defining a mono surface buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to define a left surface buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to define a right surface buffer;   said mobile operating system defining a mono image buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to define a left image buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to define a right image buffer;   for each of said content sources, said mobile operating system rendering a mono surface therefrom with said mono perspective into said mono surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 2D status, said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to render a left surface therefrom with said mono perspective into said left surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 3D status, said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to render a left surface therefrom with said left perspective into said left surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 2D status, said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to render a right surface therefrom with said mono perspective into said right surface buffer;   for each of said content sources having a 3D status, said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to render a right surface therefrom with said right perspective into said right surface buffer;   said mobile operating system compositing said mono surfaces in said mono surface buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to composite said left surfaces in said left surface buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to composite said right surfaces in said right surface buffer;   said mobile operating system merging said mono surfaces to a mono image in said mono image buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to merge said left surfaces to a left image in said left image buffer;   said stereo controller calling said mobile operating system to merge said right surfaces to a right image in said right image buffer;   said mobile operating system outputting said mono image to said mono display;   said stereo controller outputting said left image to said left stereo display; and   said stereo controller outputting said right image to said right stereo display.   
     
     
         29 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for establishing a mono controller on a processor;   means for establishing a stereo controller on said processor in communication with said mono controller;   means for disposing a mono display in communication with said mono controller;   means for disposing left and right stereo displays in communication with said stereo controller;   means for disposing at least one graphical content source in communication with said mono controller;   means in at least one of said mono and said stereo controller for establishing a mono perspective;   means in said stereo controller for establishing a stereo configuration;   means in said stereo controller for invoking establishing of a left stereo perspective and a right stereo perspective;   means in said stereo controller for invoking establishing of a dimensionality status of each of said at least one graphical content sources in communication with said mono controller;   means in said mono controller for establishing a mono surface buffer;   means in said stereo controller for invoking establishing of a left surface buffer compatible with said mono controller;   means in said stereo controller for invoking establishing of a right surface buffer compatible with said mono controller;   means in said mono controller for establishing a mono image buffer;   means in said stereo controller invoking for establishing of a left image buffer compatible with said mono controller;   means in said stereo controller for invoking establishing of a right image buffer compatible with said mono controller;   means in said mono controller for rendering a mono surface with said mono perspective into said mono surface buffer for each of said content sources;   means in said stereo controller for invoking rendering of a left surface with said mono perspective into said left surface buffer for each of said content sources having a 2D status;   means in said stereo controller for invoking rendering of a left surface with said left perspective into said left surface buffer for each of said content sources having a 3D status;   means in said stereo controller for invoking rendering of a right surface with said mono perspective into said right surface buffer for each of said content sources having a 2D status;   means in said stereo controller for invoking rendering of a right surface with said right perspective into said right surface buffer for each of said content sources having a 3D status;   means in said mono controller for compositing said mono surfaces in said mono surface buffer;   means in said stereo controller for invoking compositing of said left surfaces in said left surface buffer;   means in said stereo controller for invoking compositing of said right surfaces in said right surface buffer;   means in said mono controller for merging said mono surfaces to a mono image into said mono image buffer;   means in said stereo controller for invoking merging of said left surfaces to a left image into said left image buffer;   means in said stereo controller for invoking merging of said right surfaces to a right image into said right image buffer;   means in said mono controller for outputting said mono image to said mono display; and   means in said stereo controller for outputting said left image to said left stereo display, and said right image to said right stereo display.