Auto-stereoscopic display control

Abstract

An apparatus, a method and a non-transitory computer readable medium is provided. The apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: detecting bending of a flexible auto-stereoscopic display; and adjusting a parallax barrier arrangement of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display in dependence upon the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:   detecting bending of a flexible auto-stereoscopic display; and   adjusting a parallax barrier arrangement of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display in dependence upon the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement depends upon where the flexible auto-stereoscopic display is bent. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement depends upon the extent to which the flexible auto-stereoscopic display is bent. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the parallax barrier arrangement is configured to provide a plurality of opaque regions defining a plurality of slits, and adjusting the parallax barrier arrangement comprises adjusting at least one characteristic of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one or more positions of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one or more widths of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the positions of a viewer's eyes are determined using at least one image captured by one or more image sensors, and the parallax barrier arrangement is adjusted in dependence upon the determined positions. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement changes which pixels of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display are viewable by one or both eyes of a viewer. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: change how auto-stereoscopic image content is displayed by pixels of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display, in accordance with adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause: an output to be provided to a viewer, following the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display, which is associated with a switch from the flexible auto-stereoscopic display displaying a stereoscopic image to the flexible auto-stereoscopic display displaying a non-stereoscopic image. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause: the flexible auto-stereoscopic display to change from displaying a stereoscopic image to displaying a non-stereoscopic image, in dependence upon the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the flexible auto-stereoscopic display which includes a display panel and the parallax barrier arrangement. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 detecting bending of a flexible auto-stereoscopic display; and   adjusting a parallax barrier arrangement of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display in dependence upon the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display.   
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the parallax barrier arrangement is configured to provide a plurality of opaque regions defining a plurality of slits, and adjusting the parallax barrier arrangement comprises adjusting at least one characteristic of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one or more positions of the opaque regions and/or one or more widths of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 changing how auto-stereoscopic image content is displayed by pixels of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display, in accordance with adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when performed by at least one processor, cause at least the following to be performed:
 detecting bending of a flexible auto-stereoscopic display; and   adjusting a parallax barrier arrangement of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display in dependence upon the bending of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the parallax barrier arrangement is configured to provide a plurality of opaque regions defining a plurality of slits, and adjusting the parallax barrier arrangement comprises adjusting at least one characteristic of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one or more positions of the opaque regions and/or one or more widths of the opaque regions. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising: changing how auto-stereoscopic image content is displayed by pixels of the flexible auto-stereoscopic display, in accordance with adjustment of the parallax barrier arrangement.