# US 8,705,946 B2 · 3D authoring tool ensuring no buffer underrun upon jumps > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,705,946 B2 - Document ID: US8705946B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/298,599 - Filed: 2011-11-17 - Published: 2012-05-24 - Granted: 2014-04-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-11-19 - Assignees: Sony Corporation; Sony Pictures Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Yoshikazu Takashima; Michael Thompson - Inventors: Yoshikazu Takashima; Michael Thompson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8705946B2 ## CPC - G11B 27/3027: {used signal is digitally coded} - G11B 20/10: Digital recording or reproducing - G11B 20/10527: {Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements (G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence)} - G11B 27/105: {of operating discs} - H04N 13/189: Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals - G11B 2020/1062: {Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers} - G11B 2020/10814: {involving specific measures to prevent a buffer underrun} - G11B 2020/10925: {involving an inter-layer jump, i.e. changing from one recording layer to another} - G11B 2020/10944: {Real-time recording or reproducing, e.g. for ensuring seamless playback of AV data} - G11B 2220/235: Multilayer discs, i.e. multiple recording layers accessed from the same side - G11B 2220/2541: Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs - H04N 13/161: Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components (for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided to implement a technique for providing 3D content, such as on optical media like Blu-ray® discs. In one implementation, a 3D authoring tool executing on a computer system manages how to construct an image for replication where the image handles jumps without buffer underruns, the jumps caused by layer switching or by moving from or to branches in a multi-branch story line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of preparing a 3D media stream such that long jumps do not result in buffer underruns, comprising: a) receiving a 3D media stream; b) dividing the 3D media stream into a set of base view blocks and dependent view blocks, each pair of base view block and associated dependent view block constituting a 3D block; c) for a first base view block, employing at least a local bit rate in a calculation to determine if a long jump during 2D playback may be made to a second base view block without the occurrence of a buffer underrun; d) for a first 3D block, employing at least a local bit rate in a calculation to determine if a long jump during 3D playback may be made to a second 3D block without the occurrence of a buffer underrun; e) if a long jump may be made to the second base view block and 3D block without the occurrence of a buffer underrun, then configuring the media stream to allow long jumps following the first base view block; and f) creating a file system image or master disc image from the divided and configured media stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring includes setting a jump capability flag at the first base view block. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein each block has a temporal beginning and a temporal end, and wherein the setting includes setting the jump capability flag at the temporal end of the first block. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the local bit rate is an average bit rate of a block. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising for a first dependent view block, using at least a local bit rate to determine if a long jump may be made to another block without the occurrence of a buffer underrun, and if so, then setting a jump capability flag following the first dependent view block. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the employing further comprises employing a jump distance in the calculation to determine if a long jump can be made to a second block without the occurrence of a buffer underrun. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each base view block has a minimum size requirement, and wherein the 3D media stream has a beginning base view block and an ending base view block, and wherein the ending base view block has an extent that is as large as possible while maintaining the minimum size requirement for the base view blocks that precede it. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the ending base view block has an extent that is larger than that of the base view blocks that precede it in the 3D media stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the average local bit rate of the base view blocks is between two and four times the average local bit rate of the dependent view blocks. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the file system image or master disc image for a Blu-ray Disc®. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the local bit rate is employed in a calculation of a minimum block size, and if a given base view block size is greater than the minimum block size, and if a given 3D block size is greater than the minimum block size, then allowing a long jump at the given base view and 3D block. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the long jump is associated with a media layer jump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of jump capability flags are set at locations where long jumps may be made without the occurrence of buffer underruns, and wherein the creating includes selecting a layer break from among the jump capability flag locations, the layer break selected to keep a layer size less than a maximum layer size. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the selecting further comprises selecting the layer break such that layers created thereby have a layer size within a predetermined range of sizes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of jump capability flags are set at locations where long jumps may be made without the occurrence of buffer underruns, and wherein the long jump is associated with a multi-story branching point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the set of base view blocks and dependent view blocks are further organized into story chapters, at least one story chapter divided into a plurality of branches, and further comprising: a) subdividing at least one branch into two or more groups of base and dependent view blocks; and b) interleaving at least one group of base and dependent view blocks associated with one branch into a point between two groups of base and dependent view blocks associated with another branch, the point chosen at the location of a jump capability flag, and where a jump distance associated with the long jump is less than a maximum jump distance. ### Claim 17 The method of 16, wherein the maximum jump distance is between 320000 sectors and 640000 sectors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for causing a computing device to perform the method of claim 1.