Sony uses 3D trick to split screen for multiple viewers

End of arguments over TV channel?

By Patrick Goss

Sony has submitted patents that could take advantage of 3D televisions to enable people sat in the same room to see completely different things, potentially revolutionising local multiplayer gaming and ending arguments over who watches what on the television.

In what could just be a burst of genius from Sony, the company has submitted two separate patents (in PDF form), one of which deals with stereoscopic screen sharing and one which looks at 3D shutter glasses with mode switching based on orientation to the screen.

The first is a clever idea that takes advantage of the fact that stereoscopic 3D can essentially send out two pictures – which in the traditional use of 3D give each eye a different perspective.

Separate pictures

Sony’s idea would mean that the 3D glasses are used to give the separate pictures to multiple different sets of glasses – so you’d lose the 3D but one person could watch one picture and another a completely different one.

The repercussions of this are clear – local multiplayer could see players look at the same full-sized screen but get their own view, whilst with a bit of engineering you could potentially allow two people to watch completely different programs on the same screen.

So, if you have remote control issues, and you don’t mind having headphones on whilst your wife watches Britain’s Next Top Model and you are blasting through TF2 then this could be a major win.