Selective mono/stereo visual displays
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.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor,
a first two-dimensional (2D) graphical content, a second 2D graphical content,
a first three-dimensional (3D) graphical content, and a second 3D graphical content;
rendering, with the mono perspective, a first mono surface from the first 2D graphical content or the first 3D graphical content and a second mono surface from the second 2D graphical content or the second 3D graphical content;
rendering, with the mono perspective, a first left surface from the first 2D graphical content and
a first right surface from the first 2D graphical content;
rendering, with the left stereo perspective, a second left surface from the first 3D graphical content;
rendering, with the right stereo perspective, a second right surface from the first 3D graphical content;
compositing the first mono surface and the second mono surface;
compositing the first left surface and the second left surface;
compositing the first right surface and the second right surface;
merging the first mono surface and the second mono surface to form a mono image;
merging the first left surface and the second left surface to form a left image, wherein the left image comprises the mono perspective and the left stereo perspective;
merging the first right surface and the second right surface to form a right image, wherein the right image comprises the mono perspective and the right stereo perspective;
outputting the left image to a left stereo display coupled to the processor;
outputting the right image to a right stereo display coupled to the processor to form a 3D content in conjunction with the left stereo display; and
outputting the mono image to the left stereo display and the right stereo display to form a 2D content.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2D content is from a first content source and the 3D content is from a second content source separate from the first content source.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the 2D content displayed by the left stereo display and the right stereo display is also displayed by the mono display.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the left stereo display and the right stereo display together display at least a portion of the 3D content in a window and at least a portion of the 2D content outside the window.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising instantiating, on the processor, a mono controller responsive to mono controller input delivered thereto.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the mono controller input invokes changing content of the mono image.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the mono controller input invokes changing 3D content of the mono image.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the mono controller input comprises touch screen input.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising instantiating, on the processor, a stereo controller responsive to stereo controller input delivered thereto.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the stereo controller input invokes changing content of the mono image.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the stereo controller input invokes changing 3D content of the mono image.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein rendering at least one of the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface further comprises rendering by at least one of a mono controller, a stereo controller, or a further data entity in communication with at least one of the mono controller and the stereo controller.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein compositing at least one of the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface further comprises composting by at least one of a mono controller, a stereo controller, or a further data entity in communication with at least one of the mono controller and the stereo controller.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein merging at least one of the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface further comprises merging by at least one of a mono controller, a stereo controller, or a further data entity in communication with at least one of the mono controller and the stereo controller.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
rendering the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface comprises a stereo controller calling a mono controller to render;
compositing the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface comprises the stereo controller calling the mono controller to composite; and
merging the first mono surface, the second mono surface, the first left surface, the second left surface, the first right surface, or the second right surface comprises the stereo controller calling the mono controller to merge.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the stereo controller calling the mono controller to composite comprises at least one of:
the stereo controller defining a virtual display for compositing by the mono controller;
the stereo controller calling a composite function within the mono controller;
the stereo controller activating executable instructions for compositing in the mono controller; and
the stereo controller copying and executing executable instructions for compositing from the mono controller.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the stereo controller calling the mono controller to merge comprises at least one of:
the stereo controller defining a virtual display for merging by the mono controller;
the stereo controller calling a merge function within the mono controller;
the stereo controller activating executable instructions for merging in the mono controller; and
the stereo controller copying and executing executable instructions for merging from the mono controller.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor is disposed in a mobile device.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor is disposed in at least one of a smart phone and a head mounted display.