Battery Sensor For 3D Glasses

Abstract

A viewing system for viewing video displays having the appearance of a three dimensional image.

1 . A system for providing three dimensional video images, comprising:
 a pair of glasses comprising a first lens having a first liquid crystal shutter and a second lens having a second liquid crystal shutter, the liquid crystal shutters having a liquid crystal and an opening time of less than one millisecond,   a control circuit that alternately opens the first and second liquid crystal shutters,   wherein the liquid crystal orientation is held at a point of maximum light transmission until the control circuit closes the shutter, and   a low battery indicator comprising:   a battery operably coupled to the control circuit,   a sensor capable of determining an amount of power remaining in the battery,   a controller adapted to determine whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   an indicator to signal a viewer if the glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises opening and closing the left and right liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is longer than three hours. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the low battery indicator operates for at least three days after determining the amount of power remaining in the battery is not sufficient for the pair of glasses to operate longer than the predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller adapted to determine the amount of power remaining in the battery measures time by a number of synchronization pulses. 
     
     
         6 . A method for providing a three dimensional video image, the method comprising:
 having a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter,   opening the first liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the first liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a first period of time,   closing the first liquid crystal shutter and then opening the second liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the second liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a second period of time,   wherein the first period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a first eye of a viewer and the second period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a second eye of the viewer,   sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery,   determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is longer than three hours. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time comprises indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses for at least three days after determining the amount of power remaining in the battery is not sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than the predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising determining the amount of power remaining in the battery comprises measuring a number of synchronization pulses transmitted to the three dimensional viewing glasses. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program installed on a machine readable medium for providing a three dimensional video image to a user of 3D glasses having first and second liquid crystal shutters, the computer program comprising:
 opening the first liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the first liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a first period of time,   closing the first liquid crystal shutter and then opening the second liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the second liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a second period of time,   wherein the first period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a first eye of a viewer and the second period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a second eye of the viewer,   sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery,   determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is longer than three hours. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program according to  claim 11 , wherein indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time comprises indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time for at least three days after determining the amount of power remaining in the battery is not sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than the predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program according to  claim 11 , further comprising determining the amount of power remaining in the battery by measuring a number of synchronization pulses transmitted to the three dimensional viewing glasses. 
     
     
         16 . A system for providing a three dimensional video image, the method comprising:
 means for having a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter,   means for opening the first liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   means for holding the first liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a first period of time,   means for closing the first liquid crystal shutter and then opening the second liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   means for holding the second liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a second period of time,   wherein the first period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a first eye of a viewer and the second period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a second eye of the viewer,   means for sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery,   means for determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   means for indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the low-battery signal comprises means for opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is longer than three hours. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising means for indicating a low battery power for at least three days after determining the amount of power remaining in the battery is not sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than the predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising means for determining the amount of power remaining in the battery by measuring time by a number of synchronization pulses. 
     
     
         21 . A system for providing three dimensional video images, comprising:
 a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first lens having a first liquid crystal shutter and a second lens having a second liquid crystal shutter,   a control circuit for controlling the operation of the first and second liquid crystal shutters,   a battery operably coupled to the control circuit, and   a signal sensor operably coupled to the control circuit,   wherein the control circuit is adapted to determine whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time as a function of a number of external signals detected by the signal sensor and operate the first and second liquid crystal shutters to provide a visual indication of the amount of power remaining in the battery.   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the visual indication comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         23 . A method for providing a three dimensional video image, the method comprising:
 having a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter,   sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery by determining a number of external signals transmitted to the three dimensional viewing glasses,   determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the low-battery signal comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         25 . A computer program stored in a memory device for use in operating a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter providing a three dimensional video image, the program comprising:
 sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery of the three dimensional viewing glasses by determining a number of external signals transmitted to the three dimensional viewing glasses,   determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time.   
     
     
         26 . The computer program of  claim 25 , wherein the low-battery signal comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
         27 . A method for providing a three dimensional video image, the method comprising:
 having a pair of three dimensional viewing glasses comprising a first liquid crystal shutter and a second liquid crystal shutter,   opening the first liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the first liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a first period of time,   closing the first liquid crystal shutter and then opening the second liquid crystal shutter in less than one millisecond,   holding the second liquid crystal shutter at a point of maximum light transmission for a second period of time,   wherein the first period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a first eye of a viewer and the second period of time corresponds to the presentation of an image for a second eye of the viewer,   sensing an amount of power remaining in a battery,   determining whether the amount of power remaining in the battery is sufficient for the pair of three dimensional viewing glasses to operate longer than a predetermined time, and   indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time;   wherein indicating a low-battery signal to a viewer if the three dimensional viewing glasses will not operate longer than the predetermined time comprises opening and closing the first and second liquid crystal shutters at a predetermined rate, and   wherein determining the amount of power remaining in the battery comprises measuring a number of synchronization pulses transmitted to the three dimensional viewing glasses.