Stereoscopic Playback Device Alternating Image Plane Writes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Stereoscopic playback devices face issues with inconsistency between left and right images due to 'tearing' caused by incomplete frame rendering, leading to visual discomfort and hindering commercialization, as existing methods require costly and inflexible parallel processing of image planes.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a playback device that alternates writing processes between left and right image planes, ensuring both planes are written to a similar extent by the time a frame period arrives, minimizing inconsistency and maintaining flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If parallel processing is used to write both left and right image planes simultaneously, then rendering completion speed is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering completion speedVSAvoidhardware complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by alternating between writing to the left image plane and the right image plane in a time-division multiplexed manner. Instead of simultaneous parallel writing, the system periodically switches between the two planes, writing a certain number of lines to one plane before switching to the other. This periodic alternation ensures both planes progress to a similar extent by frame period arrival, minimizing tearing inconsistency without requiring complex parallel processing hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Productivity

If parallel processing is used to write both left and right image planes simultaneously, then rendering completion speed is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering completion speedVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by alternating between writing to the left image plane and the right image plane in a time-division multiplexed manner. Instead of simultaneous parallel writing, the system periodically switches between the two planes, writing a certain number of lines to one plane before switching to the other. This periodic alternation ensures both planes progress to a similar extent by frame period arrival, minimizing tearing inconsistency without requiring complex parallel processing hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Device complexity

If alternate writing is used between left and right image planes, then device complexity is reduced, but rendering completion speed may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehardware complexityVSAvoidrendering completion speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by alternating between writing to the left image plane and the right image plane in a time-division multiplexed manner. Instead of simultaneous parallel writing, the system periodically switches between the two planes, writing a certain number of lines to one plane before switching to the other. This periodic alternation ensures both planes progress to a similar extent by frame period arrival, minimizing tearing inconsistency without requiring complex parallel processing hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making the writing process adaptive to the frame period timing. The system dynamically adjusts the number of lines written to each plane before switching, ensuring that both planes reach a similar completion state by the time the frame period arrives. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the alternate writing process to maintain rendering efficiency while using simpler hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Productivity

If incomplete frame rendering occurs, then productivity is maintained, but image consistency deteriorates causing visual discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering throughputVSAvoidimage consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by alternating between writing to the left image plane and the right image plane in a time-division multiplexed manner. Instead of simultaneous parallel writing, the system periodically switches between the two planes, writing a certain number of lines to one plane before switching to the other. This periodic alternation ensures both planes progress to a similar extent by frame period arrival, minimizing tearing inconsistency without requiring complex parallel processing hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP2400772B1Playback device, playback method, and program
Publication Date: 2016.04.13 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2400772B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2400772B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2400772B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A playback time axis of a video stream is composed of a plurality of frame periods. To overlay a rendered image with a stereoscopic video image to be displayed in the i-th frame period, a process of writing to a left-view plan memory and a process of writing to a right-view plane memory both need to be completed before the start of the i-th frame period. To simultaneously request the two rendering processes, the argument of an application interface includes a pair of specifications, one specifying writing to the left-view plane memory and the other specifying writing to the right-view plane memory.