Automated wireless three-dimensional (3D) video conferencing via a tunerless television device

An apparatus for automated wireless three-dimensional (3D) video conferencing comprising:

• a wireless communication interface;
• a camera interface module;
• a first and a second video camera;
• a 3D video offload processing module operatively coupled to the camera interface module;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• automatically establish, via the wireless communication interface, a 3D video conference with a wireless device capable of 3D video conferencing, where the 3D video conference is automatically established by:
• receiving, at the tunerless television device, a text message from the wireless device;
• determining whether the text message is from a user within a contact list associated with the tunerless television device that is authorized for automated 3D video conferencing;
• and
• automatically establishing the 3D video conference in response to determining that the text message is from the user within the contact list associated with the tunerless television device that is authorized for automated 3D video conferencing;
• receive, via the camera interface module, a first and a second two-dimensional (2D) video stream from the first and the second video camera;
• create, via the 3D video offload processing module, a merged 3D video stream from the first 2D video stream and the second 2D video stream, where a computation that produces the 3D video stream is carried out in a user space application or a hardware module;
• and
• send the merged 3D video stream to the wireless device via the wireless communication interface.