Masking screen responsive to viewpoint

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processor;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processor;
• wherein the processor executes program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby:
• determines horizontal viewing angles for each of a plurality of viewers of a display screen as a function of outer edge visual boundary lines projecting from left and right outer edges of the display screen to different respective viewing locations of the viewers;
• determines locations of intersections of the outer edge visual boundary lines that define the horizontal viewing angle of a first viewer of the plurality of viewers with the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the horizontal viewing angles of others of the plurality of viewers;
• determines a masking screen width dimension and spatial location for the first viewer as a line that extends from a first of the determined intersection locations that is located on one of the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the viewing angle of the first viewer and is closest to the first viewer with respect to all others of the determined intersection locations, to a point on a remaining other of the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the viewing angle of the first viewer that is outside of the viewing angles of any remaining others of the plurality of viewers;
• and
• in response to determining that a portion of a multimedia content displayed on the display screen to the plurality of viewers contains objectionable content relative to the first viewer, projects a masking screen within the horizontal viewing angle of the protected viewer at the determined spatial location and having the determined width dimension for a duration of a presentment of the objectionable content portion of the multimedia content on the display screen, the projected masking screen thereby obscuring a view of the protected viewer of the objectionable content without obscuring views of remaining others of the plurality of viewers of the objectionable content.

A computer program product for the generation of a masking screen with spatial location and size dimensions selected to avoid obstructing the viewpoint of other viewers, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for execution by a processor that cause the processor to:
• determine horizontal viewing angles for each of a plurality of viewers of a display screen as a function of outer edge visual boundary lines projecting from left and right outer edges of the display screen to different respective viewing locations of the viewers;
• determine locations of intersections of the outer edge visual boundary lines that define the horizontal viewing angle of a first viewer of the plurality of viewers with the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the horizontal viewing angles of others of the plurality of viewers;
• determine a masking screen width dimension and spatial location for the first viewer as a line that extends from a first of the determined intersection locations that is located on one of the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the viewing angle of the first viewer and is closest to the first viewer with respect to all others of the determined intersection locations, to a point on a remaining other of the outer edge visual boundary lines defining the viewing angle of the first viewer that is outside of the viewing angles of any remaining others of the plurality of viewers;
• and
• in response to determining that a portion of a multimedia content displayed on the display screen to the plurality of viewers contains objectionable content relative to the first viewer, project a masking screen within the horizontal viewing angle of the protected viewer at the determined spatial location and having the determined width dimension for a duration of a presentment of the objectionable content portion of the multimedia content on the display screen, the projected masking screen thereby obscuring a view of the protected viewer of the objectionable content without obscuring views of remaining others of the plurality of viewers of the objectionable content.