Reduced light sensitivity while viewing content

Abstract

To provide systems and methods for mitigating photosensitivity during display of content.SOLUTION: In a use environment 100, a content playout control system 102 includes a hardware processor 104 and a system memory 106 storing a software application 120. The hardware processor executes the software application to, while content is being displayed on a primary display 152 for viewing by a viewer, determine that a portion of the content that is about to be displayed on the primary display may trigger a photosensitivity reaction by the viewer, alert the viewer to urge the viewer to switch from viewing the content from the primary display to viewing the content from a secondary display 160, and display the portion of the content on the secondary display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Modern high-quality content in movies and other cinemas can provide stunning visual effects. Additionally, display features such as large, ultra-high definition display screens enhance the experience of viewers watching such content. Despite the many aesthetic benefits associated with modern high-resolution content production and display technologies, the rapidly changing visual effects and vivid colors enabled by these technologies can induce photosensitive reactions in some sensitive viewers under certain viewing conditions. Such photosensitive reactions can take the form of unpleasant dizziness, even severe spatial disorientation, vertigo, discomfort, headaches such as migraines, or any combination of these symptoms. Additionally, although relatively rare, photosensitive reactions can take the form of photosensitive seizures, including potentially life-threatening seizures, even in individuals who do not suffer from typical epilepsy. These photosensitive reactions are more prevalent in viewers under the age of 18 than in adults, putting younger viewers at greater risk if solutions are not adopted to mitigate the risk of experiencing photosensitive reactions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0002] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates a usage environment in which light sensitivity mitigation is performed while displaying content according to one implementation. [Diagram 2] FIGURE 2A illustrates an exemplary system that can provide mitigation of light sensitivity while content is displayed according to one implementation; FIGURE 2B illustrates an exemplary system that can provide mitigation of light sensitivity while content is displayed according to another implementation; and FIGURE 2C illustrates an exemplary system that can provide mitigation of light sensitivity while content is displayed according to yet another implementation. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates a more detailed example of a user system configured to provide light sensitivity mitigation while displaying content, according to one implementation. [Figure 4]1 is a flowchart illustrating an example method used by a system that can provide light sensitivity mitigation during display of content, according to one implementation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0003] The following description includes specific information regarding implementation forms in the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be implemented in a manner different from the manner specifically described herein. Each drawing and the accompanying detailed description of the present application are only intended to show representative implementation forms. Unless otherwise specified, the same or similar components are given the same or similar reference numerals throughout the drawings. Furthermore, the drawings and descriptions of the present application are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.

[0004] This application discloses a system and method for mitigating photosensitivity observed in viewers (hereinafter "viewers") during the display of content. As described above, despite the many aesthetic benefits associated with modern high-definition content production and display technologies, the rapidly changing visual effects and vivid colors enabled by these technologies may induce photosensitivity reactions in some sensitive viewers under certain viewing conditions. Such photosensitivity reactions may take the form of unpleasant dizziness, even severe spatial disorientation, discomfort, headaches such as migraines, or any combination of these symptoms. Furthermore, in relatively rare cases, photosensitivity reactions may take the form of photosensitive seizures, including potentially life-threatening seizures, even in individuals who do not suffer from typical epilepsy. These photosensitivity reactions are more prevalent in viewers under the age of 18 than in adults, putting younger viewers at greater risk if solutions are not implemented to mitigate the risk of experiencing photosensitivity reactions.

[0005] In summary, the photosensitivity mitigation solution of the present disclosure includes determining that a portion of content about to be displayed on a primary display may induce a photosensitivity reaction by a viewer while the content is being displayed on the primary display, and generating an alert prompting the viewer to temporarily view the content from a secondary display having a smaller screen size to change the field of view. The solution further includes displaying the potentially photosensitivity inducing portion of the content on the secondary display, and ceasing to display the content on the secondary display after the display of the portion of the content has ended, thereby advantageously signaling the viewer that it is safe to return to viewing the content from the primary display. For example, the alert to switch viewing of the content to the secondary display or the signal to return to viewing the content from the primary display may be a haptic effect, such as a buzz on the viewer's wrist. In one implementation, for example, the alert to switch viewing of the content to the secondary display and the signal to return to viewing the content from the primary display may be multiple short buzzes or audible beeps. In addition to the above, it is noted that the photosensitivity mitigation solutions of the present invention may be advantageously implemented as automated systems and methods.

[0006] As used herein, the terms "automation," "automated," and "automating" refer to systems and processes that do not require the participation of a human system operator. In some implementations, a system operator or administrator may review or adjust the performance of the automated system, but such human involvement is optional according to the automated methods described herein. Thus, the methods of the present application may be performed under the control of hardware processing components of the disclosed automated systems.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a use environment 100 in which light sensitivity mitigation is performed during display of content, according to one implementation. As shown in FIG. 1, the use environment 100 can include a content playout control system 102. The content playout control system 102 has a hardware processor 104 and a memory 106. The memory 106 is implemented as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium and stores software code 120 and a content database 110. As further shown in FIG. 1, the content database 110 includes content 154 being displayed on a primary display 152 by the content playout control system 102 and a content portion 112 of the content 154. The content portion 112 is a portion of the content 154 that is determined to be potentially light sensitivity inducing for a viewer of the content 154.

[0008] As further shown in FIG. 1, the primary display 152 is located within the content viewing environment 150. The content viewing environment 150 is used by viewers 156a and 156b, which have user systems 160a and 160b, respectively. In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 1, one or both of the user systems 160a and 160b may be able to communicate with the content playout control system 102 via the communications network 130 and the network communications link 132. As described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3, the user systems 160a and 160b each include at least a hardware processor, a system memory, a transceiver, and a display (the display provided by either one of the user systems 160a and 160b, hereinafter referred to as the "secondary display").

[0009] In some implementations, the content viewing environment 150 can take the form of an indoor venue. Such an indoor venue can include, for example, a movie theater or a home theater. Alternatively, in some implementations, the content viewing environment 150 can take the form of an outdoor venue, such as an outdoor sports arena or stadium, or a drive-in theater.

[0010] With respect to photosensitive reactions by viewers such as viewers 156a and 156b, it is noted that such reactions may be triggered by certain transitions in the images shown during the display of content 154 on primary display 152. These transitions may include light-dark contrasts. Thus, viewing bright content in content viewing environment 150 may increase the likelihood of a photosensitive reaction when content viewing environment 150 is dark or near dark. Other potential photosensitive reaction triggers include patterns of flashing lights, certain combinations of flashing colors, certain frequencies of flashing lights or colors, and moving patterns of flashing lights or colors. Additionally, when any of the above-mentioned visual effects are observed on a display having a large screen size, such as a projection screen in an entertainment venue such as a movie theater, or a large screen home theater display, such as a display having an eighty-five inch (85"), one hundred and twenty inch (120"), or one hundred and fifty inch (150") display screen, the likelihood that a photosensitive reaction may be triggered by the visual effect increases.

[0011] According to an exemplary implementation illustrated by FIG. 1 , one or both of the viewers 156a and 156b can utilize their respective user systems 160a and 160b to determine that the content portion 112 of the content 154 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitivity reaction by one or both of the viewers 156a and 156b while the content 154 is being displayed on the primary display 152. In a use case in which the content portion 112 is a potential trigger for both the viewers 156a and 156b, the user systems 160a and 160b are configured to generate an alert. The alert prompts the respective viewers 156a and 156b to temporarily view the content portion 112 of the content 154 from a secondary display provided or controlled by the respective user systems 160a and 160b and having a smaller screen size than the primary display 152.

[0012] It should be noted that the determination that the content portion 112 of the content 154 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be made for each of the viewers 156a and 156b individually and may be made based at least in part on the preferences of the viewers 156a and 156b, the user profiles of the viewers 156a and 156b, or the preferences and user profiles of the viewers 156a and 156b. Thus, in various use cases, depending on the content of the content portion 112, neither the viewers 156a nor 156b may be warned to temporarily view the content portion 112 from a secondary display, both viewers 156a and 156b may be so warned, or either viewers 156a and 156b may be so warned, but not both.

[0013] The content 154 may be or may include, for example, video without accompanying sound, or audio-video (AV) content, such as movies, television (TV) program content, or video games, or other content. In some use cases where the content 154 includes AV content, a determination may be made that the content portion 112 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction based on the sound included as part of the content 154. Alternatively, in some implementations, a determination may be made that the content portion 112 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction based on a photosensitivity testing algorithm executed by the user systems 160a and 160b on the content 154 stored as a copy on each of the user systems 160a and 160b. As another alternative, a determination may be made that the content portion 112 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction based on receiving wireless data signals from the content playout control system 102 via the communications network 130 and the network communications link 132. It should be noted that while in FIG. 1, the user systems 160a and 160b are shown in wireless communication with the content playout control system 102, that representation is merely exemplary. In some alternative implementations, one or both of the user systems 160a and 160b may be communicatively coupled to the content playout control system via a wired connection, such as by being “plugged in” to a respective theater seat used by each of the viewers 156a and 156b. Thus, in some implementations, a determination that the content portion 112 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be made based on receiving a data signal from the content playout control system 102 via the wired connection.Furthermore, it should be noted that in various use cases, any combination of the modalities described above for determining that the content portion 112 to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be employed.

[0014] It should be noted that the communications network 130 may be a packet-switched network, such as the Internet. Alternatively, the communications network 130 may be another type of wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or any type of private or limited distribution network. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the communications network 130 may support local area broadcast methods, such as User Datagram Protocol (UDP) or Bluetooth™. Furthermore, in some implementations, the communications network 130 may be a high-speed network suitable for high performance computing (HPC), such as a 10GigE network or an Infiniband™ network.

[0015] 2A, 2B, and 2C, which illustrate certain illustrative examples of user systems that can mitigate light sensitivity during display of content. As shown in FIG. 2A, in some implementations, the user system 260a can take the form of a handheld device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer. These handheld devices include a secondary display 266a integrated with the user system 260a. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2B, in some implementations, the user system 260b can take the form of a wearable device, such as a smart watch, for example. The wearable device includes a secondary display 266b integrated with the user system 260b. As another alternative, as shown by reference to FIG. 2C in combination with FIG. 1, in some implementations, the user system 260c can be configured to communicate with a secondary device 261 separate from the user system 260c and cause a secondary display 266c of the secondary device 261 to display the content portion 112 for a viewer utilizing the user system 260c and the secondary device 261.

[0016] Any of the user systems 260a, 260b, and 260c may generally correspond to one or both of the user systems 160a and 160b of FIG. 1. Thus, according to the present disclosure, the user systems 160a and 160b may share any of the characteristics of the user systems 260a, 260b, or 260c, and vice versa. That is, the user systems 160a and 160b may include a secondary display for displaying the content portion 112, the secondary display being integrated with the user systems 160a and 160b. Alternatively, the user systems 160a and 160b may communicate with a secondary device 261 that includes a secondary display for displaying the content portion 112, the secondary display being separate from the user systems 160a and 160b.

[0017] 3 illustrates another exemplary implementation of a user system that can mitigate light sensitivity during display of content. According to the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 3, a user system 360 is interactively connected to a content playout control system 302 via a network communication link 332.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the user system 360 includes a hardware processor 374 and a system memory 376. The system memory 376 is implemented as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that stores the software application 314. As further shown in FIG. 1, in some implementations, the system memory 376 can optionally store a content database 378 that includes one or both of the content 354 and the content portion 312. The content portion 312 is a portion of the content 354 that is determined to be a potential light sensitivity trigger for a viewer of the content 354. In addition, the user system 360 includes a transceiver 362 and a display 366, and may further include one or more cameras 364 (hereinafter, “cameras 364”), one or more position / location sensors 368 (hereinafter, “P / L sensors 368”), one or more haptic actuators 370 (hereinafter, “haptic actuators 370”), one or more microphones 338 (hereinafter, “microphones 338”), or a combination thereof. The software application 314 may generate an alert 316 .

[0019] It should be noted that in implementations where the content 354 and / or the content portions 312 of the content 354 are stored locally on the user system 360, the content 354 and the content portions 312 are stored securely, such as by encryption. Additionally, in implementations where the content 354 and / or the content portions 312 are displayed on the user system 360, the content 354 and the content portions 312 are displayed securely, such as in accordance with digital rights management. It should be further noted that in some implementations, the content 354 and / or the content portions 312 can be geolocation locked to ensure that viewing of the content 354 and the content portions 312 is limited to approved venues, such as movie theaters.

[0020] As further shown in FIG. 3, the content playout control system 302 includes a hardware processor 304 and a memory 306. The memory 306 is implemented as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium and stores the software code 320a, the content 354, and a content database 310 including the content portions 312 of the content 354. The content portions 312 are portions of the content 354 that have been determined to be potential light sensitivity triggers for a viewer. The network communication link 332 and the content playout control system 302 generally correspond to the network communication link 132 and the content playout control system 102, respectively. The content playout control system 302 includes the hardware processor 304, the memory 306, and a content database 310 including the content 354 and the content portions 312. The content playout control system 102 includes the hardware processor 104, the memory 106 that stores the software code 120, and the content database 110 including the content 154 and the content portions 112. Thus, in accordance with this disclosure, the network communication link 132 and the content playout control system 102 may share any of the characteristics possessed by the respective network communication link 332 and content playout control system 302, and vice versa.

[0021] User system 360 may generally correspond to any of user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c in Figures 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C. Thus, user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c may share any of the characteristics provided by user system 360 according to the present disclosure, and vice versa. That is, in addition to the characteristics of the user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c described above, the user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c may each include a hardware processor 374, a system memory 376 that stores a software application 314 and optionally a content database 378 that includes one or both of the content 354 and the content portions 312, a transceiver 362, and may further include a camera 364, a P / L sensor 368”, a haptic actuator 370, and a microphone 338.

[0022] For conceptual clarity, the application 314 and the optional content database 378 are described herein as being stored in the system memory 376 of the user system 360, but more generally, the system memory 376 may take the form of any computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The term "computer-readable non-transitory storage medium" as used herein refers to any medium, except for carrier waves or other transitory signals that provide instructions to the hardware processor 374 of the user system 360. Thus, the computer-readable non-transitory storage medium may represent various types of media, such as, for example, volatile media and non-volatile media. Volatile media may include dynamic memory, such as dynamic random access memory (dynamic RAM). Non-volatile memory may include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or electrostatic storage devices. Common forms of computer-readable non-transitory storage media may include, for example, optical disks, such as DVDs, RAM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), and flash memory.

[0023] The hardware processor 374 of the user system 360 may include multiple hardware processing units, such as, for example, one or more central processing units, one or more graphics processing units, one or more tensor processing units, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), custom hardware for machine learning training or machine learning inference, and an API server. The terms "central processing unit" (CPU), "graphics processing unit" (GPU), and "tensor processing unit" (TPU) used in this application are defined to have their customary meaning in the art. That is, the CPU includes an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that performs arithmetic and logical operations for the use environment 100, and a control unit (CU) that retrieves programs such as software applications 314 from the system memory 376. On the other hand, a GPU may be implemented to reduce the processing overhead of the CPU by performing processing tasks such as computationally intensive graphics. A TPU is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) configured specifically for AI processing such as machine learning.

[0024] The transceiver 362 of the user system 360 may be implemented as any suitable wireless communication unit. For example, the transceiver 362 may be implemented as a fourth generation (4G) wireless transceiver or as a 5G wireless transceiver. Additionally or alternatively, the transceiver 362 may be configured to communicate using one or more of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX™), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), and 60 GHz wireless communication methods.

[0025] The camera 364 may include one or more still image cameras, one or more video cameras, or one or more still image cameras or one or more video cameras. Further, in some implementations, the camera 364 may represent an array of still image cameras, an array of video cameras, or an array of both configured to generate a panoramic image.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, in some implementations, secondary display 266a / 266b can take the form of a display integrated with user system 260a / 260b / 360. Alternatively, as shown by Figure 2C, in some implementations, secondary display 266c can be configured as a feature of secondary device 261 and can be configured separately from user system 260c. To the extent that user system 360 corresponds to any of user systems 260a / 260b / 260c, display 366 of user system 360 (hereinafter "secondary display 366") generally corresponds to display 266a / 266b / 266c and thus can be integrated with user system 360 or can be separate from user system 360, as shown in Figure 3. It should be noted that secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 may be implemented as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a quantum dot (QD) display, or any other suitable display screen that performs the physical conversion of signals to light.

[0027] The P / L sensor 368 may include, for example, one or more accelerometers, and / or gyroscopes, and / or GPS receivers, and / or magnetometers. In some implementations, the P / L sensor 368 may be implemented as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), as known in the art. The microphone 338 may include one or more electret condenser microphones or other microelectromechanical system (MEM) microphones. The haptic actuator 370 may include one or more features configured to generate a mechanical effect, such as, for example, a vibration or an inductive force.

[0028] 3, the software application 314 is received from the content playout control system 302 or a third party vendor of the software application 314 via the network communication link 332 and placed in the system memory 376 of the user system 360. Alternatively, the software application 314 may be transferred to the system memory 376 from a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium external to the user system 360, such as a flash drive. The software application 314 is transferred, such as by being downloaded, via the network communication link 132 / 332. Once transferred, the software application 314 may be persistently stored in the system memory 376 and executed locally on the user system 360 by the hardware processor 374.

[0029] The functionality of the software application 314 is further described with reference to Figure 4 in combination with Figures 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3. Figure 4 shows a flowchart 480 illustrating an exemplary method used by the system to mitigate light sensitivity during display of content, according to one implementation. It should be noted that certain details and characteristics of the method outlined in Figure 4 have been left out of the flowchart 480 so as not to obscure the discussion of the inventive characteristics in this application.

[0030] 4 in conjunction with FIGs. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3, a method outlined by a flowchart 480 includes, while content 154 / 354 is being displayed on a primary display 152 for viewing by a viewer, determining that a portion of the content 154 / 354, i.e., the content portion 112 / 312 being displayed on the primary display 152, may elicit a photosensitivity reaction by the viewer (operation 481). As discussed above, the content 154 / 354 may be or include, for example, video without accompanying sound, or AV content such as movies, TV program content, or video games, or other content.

[0031] The determination that the content portion 112 / 312 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 induces a photosensitivity reaction can be based on data previously received from the content playout control system 102 / 302. By way of example, in some implementations, the content playout control system 102 can possess the results of a photosensitivity testing algorithm when a photosensitivity test is performed on the content 154 / 354 by a third party provider of photosensitivity testing, by the hardware processor 104 / 304 of the content playout control system 102 / 302, or by the owner or distributor of the content 154 / 354. In these use cases, these photosensitivity results can be synchronized with the timeline and audio track of the content 154 / 354. In that case, one or more of a frame number, timestamp, or audio segment substantially aligned with the start of the content portion 112 / 312 may be transmitted to the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 before the display of the content 154 / 354 begins on the primary display 152. Thus, in some use cases where the content 154 / 354 includes AV content, a determination that the content portion 112 / 312 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be made based on audio included as part of the content 154 / 354 and may be made based on audio received by the microphone 338 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360.

[0032] Synchronization may be performed by the digital cinema package (DCP) itself if it contains sign language assistance or other subtitles and broadcasts its time code on the local network for reception by the user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360. Another method for synchronization is to have one or both of the viewers, i.e., viewers 156a and 156b, wear headsets with cameras pointed at the primary display 152 that can be matched to the time code. As yet another alternative, the viewer may manually press "start" on a timer on the user systems 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 and an alert may be generated based on the elapsed time.

[0033] Alternatively, in some implementations, the determination that the content portion 112 / 312 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitivity reaction may be made based on the same or another photosensitivity testing algorithm performed by the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 on a copy of the content 154 / 354 stored on the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360. Note that in implementations in which a copy of the content 154 / 354 is stored on the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360, the copy may include a watermark or other digital symbol to limit unauthorized copying or use of the content 154 / 354.

[0034] As another alternative, the determination that the content portion 112 / 312 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be made based on receiving a wireless data signal from the content playout control system 102 / 302 via the communications network 130 and the network communications link 132 / 332 immediately prior to the display of the content portion 112 / 312 on the primary display 152. However, as noted above, in some implementations, one or both of the user systems 160a and 160b may be communicatively connected to the content playout control system 102 / 302 via a wired connection, such as by being "plugged in" to each theater seat in which the viewers 156a and 156b are seated, respectively. Thus, in some implementations, the determination that the content portion 112 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction may be made based on receiving a data signal from the content playout control system 102 / 302 via a wired connection. Additionally, it should be noted that various use cases may employ any combination of the procedures described above for determining whether a content portion 112 / 312 about to be displayed on the primary display 152 may induce a photosensitive reaction.

[0035] The operation 481 may be performed by a software application 314. The software application 314 is executed by a hardware processor 374 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360. As noted above, in various implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 may comprise, for example, one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a wearable device such as a smart watch.

[0036] 4 in combination with FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3, in some implementations, the flowchart 480 may further include obtaining the content portion 112 / 312 (operation 482). Note that operation 482 is optional because in some implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 may receive the content portion 112 / 312 as part of a wireless data signal received from the content playout control system 102 / 302 in operation 481. However, in other implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360 may actively obtain the content portion 112 / 312 from the content database 110 / 310 of the content playout control system 102 / 302. Alternatively, in implementations where a copy of the content 154 / 354 is stored on the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360, the content portion 312 may be retrieved from a content database 378 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360. If the method outlined by the flowchart 480 includes an operation 482, the operation 482 may be performed by the software application 314. The software application 314 is executed by a hardware processor 374 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360.

[0037] 4 in combination with Figures 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3, the flowchart 480 further includes generating an alert 316 prompting the viewer to switch from viewing the content 154 / 354 from the primary display 152 to viewing the content 154 / 354 from the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 (operation 483). The alert 316 can take the form of, for example, a buzz, vibration, or directed force generated by a haptic actuator 370 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360. Alternatively, the alert 316 can take the form of a flashing light or other visual cue displayed on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366, or an audio alert output by the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260b / 260c / 360. The alert 316 can be generated by a software application 314 in operation 483. The software application 314 is executed by a hardware processor 374 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360.

[0038] 4 in combination with FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 3, the flowchart 480 further includes displaying the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 (operation 484). Note that the performance of operation 484 may result in the content portion 112 / 312 being displayed in real time, i.e., the content portion 112 / 312 being displayed on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 simultaneously with the content portion 112 / 312 being displayed on the primary display 152. However, in some use cases, such as, for example, in-home use, the display of the content 154 / 354 on the primary display 152 may be temporarily suspended during the display of the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366. Regardless of whether the display of the content 154 / 354 on the primary display 152 is temporarily interrupted during the display of the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366, operation 484 is performed with substantially no latency to the display of the content 154 / 354 on the primary display 152, thereby providing an uninterrupted viewing experience when switching between viewing the primary display 152 and the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366.

[0039] As described above with reference to FIG. 2A, in some implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 360 may take the form of a handheld device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer. These handheld devices include a secondary display 266a / 366 integrated with the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 360. Alternatively, as described above with reference to FIG. 2B, in some implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260b / 360 may take the form of a wearable device, such as, for example, a smart watch. The wearable device includes a secondary display 266b / 366 integrated with the user system 160a / 160b / 260b / 360. As another alternative, as described above with reference to FIG. 2C, in some implementations, the user system 160a / 160b / 260b / 360 may be configured to communicate with the secondary device 261 and cause the display content portion 112 / 312 to be displayed on a secondary display 266c of the secondary device 261 separate from the user system 160a / 160b / 260b / 360.

[0040] Also, as mentioned above, the primary display 152 may be a display having a larger screen size, such as, for example, a projection screen at an entertainment venue such as a movie theater, or even a large screen home theater display having, for example, an 85", 120", or 150" display. In contrast, the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366, in the form of a smartphone, tablet computer, or wearable device, may be a display having a smaller screen size compared to the primary display 152, thereby advantageously reducing the likelihood of causing a photosensitivity reaction in a viewer of the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366.

[0041] In some implementations, the content portion 112 / 312 may be identical when displayed on the primary display 152 and the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366. In these implementations, the smaller size of the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 compared to the primary display 152 reduces the likelihood of triggering a photosensitivity reaction in viewers of the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366. However, in some implementations, the content portion 112 / 312 may be modified to reduce the triggering effect. For example, instead of the fast blinking frequency of the content portion 112 / 312 when shown on the primary display 152, the content portion 112 / 312 shown on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 may be shown on a smaller screen as well as have its blinking frequency reduced. In operation 484, displaying the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 may be performed by a software application 314. The software application 314 may be executed by a hardware processor 374 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260c / 360.

[0042] In some implementations, the method outlined by the flowchart 480 may end with operation 484. However, in other implementations, as shown by FIG. 4, the flowchart 480 may further include ceasing to display the content 154 / 354 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 after displaying the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 (operation 485). As described above, ceasing to display the content 154 / 354 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 after displaying the content portion 112 / 312 is complete signals to the viewer that it is safe to return to viewing the content 154 / 354 from the primary display 152. In operation 485, ceasing to display the content 154 / 354 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 after displaying the content portion 112 / 312 on the secondary display 266a / 266b / 266c / 366 may be performed by the software application 314. The software application 314 may be executed by a hardware processor 374 of the user system 160a / 160b / 260a / 260b / 260b / 260c / 360.

[0043] With respect to the method outlined by flowchart 480, it should be noted that in various implementations, operations 481, 483, and 484, or operations 481, 483, 484, and 485, or operations 481, 482, 483, and 484 (hereinafter, "operations 481-484, or operations 481-484 and 485") may be performed by an automated process that may omit human participation.

[0044] Accordingly, the present application discloses a system and method for providing light sensitivity mitigation for a viewer during the display of content. The light sensitivity mitigation solution of the present invention is state of the art and determines, while content is being displayed on a primary display, that a portion of the content about to be displayed on the primary display will induce a photosensitivity reaction by the viewer, and generates an alert to prompt the viewer to temporarily view the content from a secondary display having a smaller screen size. The solution further includes displaying the potentially photosensitivity inducing portion of the content on the secondary display, and ceasing to display the content on the secondary display after the display of the content portion has ended, thereby advantageously signaling to the viewer that it is safe to return to viewing the content from the primary display.

[0045] From the above description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that various techniques can be used to realize the inventive concept without departing from the scope of the invention. Moreover, while the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The described exemplary embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific exemplary embodiments described herein, but that many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hardware processor; a system memory for storing software applications; In a system comprising: The hardware processor executes the software application to determining, while content is being displayed on a primary display for viewing by a viewer, that a portion on a timeline of the content about to be displayed on the primary display may elicit a photosensitivity reaction by the viewer; generating an alert for the viewer to switch from viewing the content on the primary display to viewing the content on a secondary display; and displaying the portion of the content on the secondary display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary display has a screen size smaller than that of the primary display.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the portion of the content to be displayed on the primary display may induce the photosensitive reaction is made based on received audio.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determination that the portion of the content to be displayed on the primary display may induce the photosensitive reaction is made based on a data signal received over a wireless or wired connection.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute the software application to retrieve the portion of the content from a content database stored in the system memory.

6. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute the software application to display the portion of the content on the secondary display and then cease displaying the content on the secondary display.

7. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute the software application to obtain the portion of the content from a playout control system that is displaying the content on the primary display.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises at least one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a wearable device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the secondary display is integrated with the system.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary display is separate from the system.

11. 1. A method for use by a system having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software application, comprising: determining, while content is being displayed on a primary display for viewing by a viewer, that a portion of a timeline of the content to be displayed on the primary display by the software application executed by the hardware processor may elicit a photosensitivity reaction by the viewer; generating, by the software application executed by the hardware processor, an alert for the viewer to switch from viewing the content on the primary display to viewing the content on a secondary display; and displaying the portion of the content on the secondary display by the software application executed by the hardware processor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the secondary display has a screen size smaller than that of the primary display.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining that the portion of the content to be displayed on the primary display may elicit the photosensitive reaction is based on received audio.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the portion of the content to be displayed on the primary display may induce the photosensitive reaction is based on a data signal received over a wireless or wired connection.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising retrieving the portion of the content from a content database stored in the system memory.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising ceasing to display the content on the secondary display after displaying the portion of the content on the secondary display.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising obtaining the portion of the content from a playout control system that is displaying the content on the primary display. method.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the system comprises at least one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a wearable device.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the secondary display is integrated with the system.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the secondary display is separate from the system.

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