Content generation apparatus and method
A content generation system including an image generation unit operable to generate one or more images of a virtual environment for display at a first display device, and an image transmission unit operable to transmit generated images of the virtual environment to each of the first display device and the second display device, where the or each image displayed at one of the first display device and the second display device is a subset of the or each image displayed at the other of the first display device and the second display device, and where the viewpoint of the display device displaying a subset of the or each image is operable to modify the displayed field of view independently of the field of view displayed at the other display device.
1. A content generation system comprising:
an image generation unit operable to generate one or more images of a virtual environment for display at a first display device and a second display device; and
an image transmission unit operable to transmit generated images of the virtual environment to each of the first display device and the second display device,
wherein when a given image among the one or more images is displayed at one of the first display device and the second display device, a subset of the given image is displayed at the other of the first display device and the second display device, and
wherein the viewpoint of the display device displaying the subset is operable to modify the displayed field of view independently of the field of view displayed at the other display device.
2. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the first display device is a head-mountable display device.
3. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the second display device is one of a head-mountable display device, a mobile device, a handheld games console, a monitor, and a television.
4. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the second display device is operable to select a viewpoint for display in dependence upon a viewer input and/or motion tracking of the viewer.
5. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the second display device is operable to display images using a different aspect ratio to that of images displayed by the first display device.
6. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the image generation unit is operable to generate the one or more images in dependence upon a viewpoint in the virtual environment associated with a user of the first display device.
7. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the image transmission unit is operable to transmit fewer images to the second display device than to the first display device.
8. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the image transmission unit is operable to transmit generated images to two or more additional display devices.
9. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the image generation unit is operable to generate low-resolution and high-resolution versions of the same images; and
the image transmission unit is operable to transmit the high-resolution images to the first display device and the low-resolution images to the second display device.
10. A content generation system according to claim 9 , wherein the resolution of the low-resolution images is selected in dependence upon the display properties of the second display device.
11. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the image generation unit is operable to generate reduced-size versions of the one or more first images; and
the image transmission unit is operable to transmit the reduced-size images to the second display device.
12. A content generation system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the image generation unit is operable to generate one or more stereoscopic image pairs; and
the image transmission unit is operable to transmit a single image of a generated stereoscopic image pair to the second display device.
13. A content generation method comprising:
generating one or more images of a virtual environment for display at a first display device and a second display device; and
transmitting generated images of the virtual environment to each of the first display device and the second display device,
wherein when a given image among the one or more images is displayed at one of the first display device and the second display device, a subset of the given image is displayed at the other of the first display device and the second display device, and
wherein the viewpoint of the display device displaying the subset is operable to modify the displayed field of view independently of the field of view displayed at the other display device.
14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising:
generating one or more images of a virtual environment for display at a first display device and a second display device; and
transmitting generated images of the virtual environment to each of the first display device and the second display device,
wherein when a given image among the one or more images is displayed at one of the first display device and the second display device, a subset of the given image is displayed at the other of the first display device and the second display device, and
wherein the viewpoint of the display device displaying the subset is operable to modify the displayed field of view independently of the field of view displayed at the other display device.