A method for preparing digital image data from an analog image input by scanning, and reducing visibility of the scanning noise, may include estimating a visibility of scanning noise, and a number of scanning samples needed to reduce scanning noise to below a visible threshold. Related methods include scanning, by an analog-to-digital image scanner, an analog image for multiple iterations, resulting in digital image data for each of the iterations; calculating a noise statistic for individual pixels of digital image data across the iterations; determining true values of individual pixels of the digital image data based on the noise statistic for each of the individual pixels and generating scanner noise reduced digital image data wherein pixels are assigned their respective ones of the true values; and saving the scanner noise reduced digital image data in a computer memory.
Systems and computer-implemented methods are disclosed for providing social entertainment experiences in a moving vehicle via an apparatus that simulates human social behavior relevant to a journey undertaken by the vehicle, for displaying human-perceivable exterior communication on the moving vehicle to neighboring vehicles and/or pedestrians, and for providing a modular travel experience.
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/436 - Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or inside the home
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
A gesture-recognition (GR) device made to be held or worn by a user includes an electronic processor configured by program instructions in memory to recognize a gesture. The device or a cooperating system may match a gesture identifier to an action identifier for one or more target devices in a users environment, enabling control of the target devices by user movement of the GR device in three-dimensional space.
G06F 3/01 - Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
G06F 3/03 - Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
G06F 3/0346 - Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user; Accessories therefor with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
G06F 3/038 - Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
A method for real-time shadow rendering using cached shadow maps and deferred shading by a video processor of a game console or the like includes, for at least each key frame of video output, determining a viewpoint for a current key frame based on user input, filtering a texel of a frame-specific shadow map based on a dynamic mask wherein the texel is filtered, for a shadowed light, from a static shadow map and a dynamic shadow map or from the static shadow map only, based on the dynamic mask value for the texel, and rendering the current key frame based on the frame-specific shadow map and a deferred-shadow rendering algorithm. The method enables efficient rendering of thousands of shadowed lights in large environments by consumer-grade game consoles.
A method for simulating fluid surfaces in real-time in response to user input includes detecting interactive conditions triggering insertion of a heterogeneous mesh sequence in a 3D model sequence for rendering, fetching ones of the heterogenous mesh sequence from a computer memory, inserting the successive members in corresponding representations of the 3D model sequence in a computer memory, and rendering successive video frames from the representations of the 3D model sequence each including a successive member of the heterogenous mesh sequence. A related method for generating a compact heterogeneous mesh sequence for use in rendering corresponding frames of video includes generating a heterogenous mesh sequence modeling response of a fluid surface to physical forces, the heterogenous mesh sequence characterized by position values represented in computer memory by not less than 12 bytes for each vertex thereof, transforming the heterogenous mesh sequence into the compact heterogeneous mesh sequence, at least in part by quantizing the position values to not greater than four bytes, and storing the compact heterogeneous mesh sequence in a computer memory for use in real-time rendering.
A method for evaluating performance of a video game by a computing device. The method includes a harness application independent of devices execution context, and an agent application to simulate players actions.
Automatic assessment of clearance risks in media production includes accessing an electronic dataset for planning a media production that includes potential risk elements, and a database of electronic records each correlated prior or anticipated current risk elements. A processor identifies risk elements in the electronic dataset, at least in part by comparing the prior or anticipated risk elements to potential risk elements detected in the electronic dataset by the one or more processors and generates a set of risk assessment measures each signifying a level of risk for a corresponding one of the risk elements comprising a level of risk. The processor may save the set in a computer memory for use by a clearance team.
G06Q 10/06 - Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
G06Q 10/04 - Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem"
A computer-implemented method for peer-to-peer (P2P) networks for the delivery of media content held in the peer-to-peer network to a vehicle in a local subgroup of the P2P network, and for providing an automated process for P2P networks for transferring of physical articles or electronic data package between vehicles traveling different routes.
A computer-implemented method for providing electronics games for play by a group of users in two or more moving vehicles. The method includes maintaining data structures of media program data, user profile data and vehicle profile data, receiving user and vehicle state information, identifying a group of users based on contemporaneous presence in two or more vehicles or common participation in a game or other group experience for related trips at different times, and selecting, configuring or creating media program for play at media players. An apparatus or system is configured to perform the method, and related operations.
A63F 13/80 - Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
A63F 13/45 - Controlling the progress of the video game
A63F 13/30 - Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
A smart media player configures interactive media customized for passengers temporarily sharing a common conveyance (e.g., an automobile or other vehicle), using programmed methods. The methods include identifying profile data for each of the passengers and trip data for the common conveyance. Then, the smart media player may select an interactive media title for the passengers as a group based on at least one of the profile data or the trip data, including one or more of a variety of games for playing with other passengers in the vehicle. The interactive media title may be configured for output by the smart media player while the passengers are sharing the common conveyance. The media player plays the interactive media title in the common conveyance enabled for interaction with the passengers during the period.
A63F 13/45 - Controlling the progress of the video game
A63F 13/79 - Game security or game management aspects involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
A63F 13/216 - Input arrangements for video game devices characterised by their sensors, purposes or types using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
A63F 13/30 - Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
11.
REAL-TIME ROUTE CONFIGURING OF ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT
A computer-implemented method for producing real-time media content customized for a travel event in a dynamic travel route between an origin and a destination of a connected vehicle. The method includes maintaining media production data, receiving information on a travel event including route information, producing media content based on the travel event and travel route information, and streaming the media content to connected cars and servers along the travel route.
Methods and apparatus for generating and configuring video content for surround screens include repurposing archive content and producing new content. Applications for the method include surround projection systems in cinemas, autonomous vehicles, home theaters, clubs, shops or other spaces for displaying content; and surround content for use with virtual reality headgear.
A method for converting a source video content constrained to a first color space to a video content constrained to a second color space using an artificial intelligence machine-learning algorithm based on a creative profile.
An improved video streaming method and system that reduces video stream playback dropouts when video data flow from a server is degraded or interrupted. Two adaptive bitrate video streams of the content are operated in parallel with video quality that can be adjusted independently. The first stream receives data blocks at a rate generally concurrent with the video playback. The second stream receives data blocks in advance of the playback point and these blocks are buffered. The best available block is used during playback. Buffered second stream blocks can be used to continue playback when the network connection is compromised or interrupted.
Methods and apparatus for personalizing a vehicle with a sensory output device include receiving, by one or more processors, a signal indicating an identity or passenger profile of a detected passenger in or boarding the vehicle, accessing preference data and geographic location data for the passenger, and selecting sensory content for delivery to the passenger in the vehicle based on the preference data and geographic location data. Methods and apparatus for producing video customized for a preference profile of a person or cohort include associating each of stored video clips with a set of characteristic parameters relating to user-perceivable characteristics, receiving user profile data relating to the person or cohort, selecting video clips from the data structure based at least partly on the user profile data, and automatically producing a video including the preferred video clips.
H04N 21/414 - Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
H04N 21/45 - Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
16.
PARTIAL FRAME REPLACEMENT ENABLING MULTIPLE VERSIONS IN AN INTEGRATED VIDEO PACKAGE
Multiple different versions of media content are contained in a single package of audio-video media content, using compression algorithms that reduce storage and bandwidth required for storing multiple full-resolution versions of the media. Portions of individual frames are replaced during playback so that only the pixels that differ between versions need to be stored.
H04N 21/2343 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
H04N 21/235 - Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
H04N 21/4402 - Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to MPEG-4 scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
H04N 21/435 - Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data or reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
H04N 21/8543 - Content authoring using a description language, e.g. MHEG [Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group] or XML [eXtensible Markup Language]
17.
CHARACTERIZING CONTENT FOR AUDIO-VIDEO DUBBING AND OTHER TRANSFORMATIONS
A computer-implemented method for transforming audio-video data includes automatically detecting substantially all discrete human-perceivable messages encoded in the audio-video data, determining a semantic encoding for each of the detected messages, assigning a time code to each of the encodings correlated to specific frames of the audio-video data, and recording a data structure relating each time code to a corresponding one of the semantic encodings in a recording medium. The method may further include converting extracted recorded vocal instances from the audio-video data into a text data, generating a dubbing list comprising the text data and the time code, assigning a set of annotations corresponding to the one or more vocal instances specifying one or more creative intents, generating the scripting data comprising the dubbing list and the set of annotations, and other optional operations. An apparatus may be programmed to perform the method by executable instructions for the foregoing operations.
H04N 21/43 - Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronizing decoder's clock; Client middleware
G11B 27/02 - Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
18.
MATCHING MOUTH SHAPE AND MOVEMENT IN DIGITAL VIDEO TO ALTERNATIVE AUDIO
A method for matching mouth shape and movement in digital video to alternative audio includes deriving a sequence of facial poses including mouth shapes for an actor from a source digital video. Each pose in the sequence of facial poses corresponds to a middle position of each audio sample. The method further includes generating an animated face mesh based on the sequence of facial poses and the source digital video, transferring tracked expressions from the animated face mesh or the target video to the source video, and generating a rough output video that includes transfers of the tracked expressions. The method further includes generating a finished video at least in part by refining the rough video using a parametric autoencoder trained on mouth shapes in the animated face mesh or the target video. One or more computers may perform the operations of the method.
A method for transforming extended video data for display in virtual reality processes digital extended video data for display on a center screen and two auxiliary screens of a real extended video cinema. The method includes accessing, by a computer executing a rendering application, data that defines virtual screens including a center screen and auxiliary screens, wherein tangent lines to each of the auxiliary screens at their respective centers of area intersect with a tangent line to the center screen at its center of area at equal angles in a range of 75 to 105 degrees. The method includes preparing virtual extended video data at least in part by rendering the digital extended video on corresponding ones of the virtual screens; and saving the virtual extended video data in a computer memory. A corresponding playback method and apparatus display the processed data in virtual reality.
A digital still image is processed using motion-adding algorithms that are provided with an original still image and a set of motionizing parameters. Output of the motion-adding algorithms include a motionized digital image suitable for display by any digital image display device. The motionized digital image may be used in place of a still image in any context that a still image would be used, for example, in an ebook, e-zine, digital graphic novel, website, picture or poster, or user interface.
A method and apparatus for controlling a social robot includes operating an electronic output device based on social interactions between the social robot and a user. The social robot utilizes an algorithm or other logical solution process to infer a user mental state, for example a mood or desire, based on observation of the social interaction. Based on the inferred mental state, the social robot causes an action of the electronic output device to be selected. Actions may include, for example, playing a selected video clip, brewing a cup of coffee, or adjusting window blinds.
A method and apparatus for controlling a social robot includes providing a set of quantitative personality trait values, also called a "personality profile" to a decision engine of the social robot. The personality profile is derived from a character portrayal in a fictional work, dramatic performance, or by a real-life person (any one of these sometime referred to herein as a "source character"). The decision engine controls social responses of the social robot to environmental stimuli, based in part on the set of personality trait values. The social robot thereby behaves in a manner consistent with the personality profile for the profiled source character.
A computer-implemented method in conjunction with mixed reality gear (e.g., a headset) includes imaging a real scene encompassing a user wearing a mixed reality output apparatus. The method includes determining data describing a real context of the real scene, based on the imaging; for example, identifying or classifying objects, lighting, sound or persons in the scene. The method includes selecting a set of content including content enabling rendering of at least one virtual object from a content library, based on the data describing a real context, using various selection algorithms. The method include rendering the virtual object in the mixed reality session by the mixed reality output apparatus, optionally based on the data describing a real context ("context parameters"). An apparatus is configured to perform the method using hardware, firmware, and/or software.
An apparatus for generating a 3D presentation is described wherein the 3D presentation (that could include a 3D movie, a VR (virtual reality) and/or an AR. (augmented reality) content) from original 3D content including original audio and visual components, forming a plurality of scenes, each scene being associated with a respective environment or environments having respective audio characteristics. The original audio components in at least some of the scenes are modified by the apparatus to conform with or compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the respective scene and/or the environment of the location where the presentation is taking place.
G10L 19/008 - Multichannel audio signal coding or decoding using interchannel correlation to reduce redundancy, e.g. joint-stereo, intensity-coding or matrixing
Methods, apparatus and systems for geometric matching of virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) output contemporaneously with video output formatted for display on a 2D screen include a determination of value sets that when used in image processing cause an off-screen angular field of view of the at least one of the AR output object or the VR output object to have a fixed relationship to at least one of the angular field of view of the onscreen object or of the 2D screen. The AR/VR output object is outputted to an AR/VR display device and the user experience is improved by the geometric matching between objects observed on the AR/VR display device and corresponding objects appearing on the 2D screen.
An entertainment system provides data to a common screen (e.g., cinema screen) and personal immersive reality devices. For example, a cinematic data distribution server communicates with multiple immersive output devices each configured for providing immersive output (e.g., a virtual reality output) based on a data signal. Each of the multiple immersive output devices is present within eyesight of a common display screen. The server configures the data signal based on digital cinematic master data that includes immersive reality data. The server transmits the data signal to the multiple immersive output devices contemporaneously with each other, and optionally contemporaneously with providing a coordinated audio-video signal for output via a the common display screen and shared audio system.
An augmented reality (AR) output device or virtual reality (VR) output device is worn by a user, and includes one or more sensors positioned to detect actions performed by a user of the immersive output device. A processor provides a data signal configured for the AR or VR output device, causing the immersive output device to provide AR output or VR output via a stereographic display device. The data signal encodes audio-video data. The processor controls a pace of scripted events defined by a narrative in the one of the AR output or the VR output, based on output from the one or more sensors indicating actions performed by a user of the AR or VR output device. The audio-video data may be packaged in a non-transitory computer-readable medium with additional content that is coordinated with the defined narrative and is configured for providing an alternative output, such as 2D video output or the stereoscopic 3D output.
A portal device for a video game includes a pad with different zones that can be illuminated by selectable colors, a toy sensor (e.g., an RFID tag sensor) associated with each zone, a controller and a communications port for communicating with a video game process executing on a game machine. The colors of each zone can be configured to one or a combination of three primary colors during game play, based on the game process. The portal device reacts to placement of tagged toys on zones and the color of the zones during play, and provides sensor data to the game process. The game process controls the game state in part based on data from the portal device and in part on other user input.
A63F 13/30 - Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
A63F 13/33 - Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers using wide area network [WAN] connections
G06K 17/00 - Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups , e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
Video conversion technology, in which a first stream of video content is accessed and multiple, different layers are extracted from the first stream of the video content. Each of the multiple, different layers are separately processed to convert the multiple, different layers into modified layers that each have a higher resolution. The modified layers are reassembled into a second stream of the video content that has a higher resolution than the first stream of the video content.
G09G 5/02 - Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators characterised by the way in which colour is displayed
30.
TRANSFORMING AUDIO CONTENT FOR SUBJECTIVE FIDELITY
A method or apparatus for delivering audio programming such as music to listeners may include identifying, capturing and applying a listeners audio perception characteristics (sometimes referred to as the listeners Personal Waveform Profile) to transform audio content so that the listener perceives the content similarly to how the content would be perceived by a different listener. An audio testing tool may be implemented as software application to identify and capture respective listeners Personal Waveform Profiles. A signal processor may operate an algorithm processing source audio content using the respective listeners Personal Waveform Profiles to provide audio output based on a difference between different profiles.
An apparatus generating audio cues for content indicative of the position of audio objects within the content comprising: an audio processor receiving raw audio tracks for said content and information indicative of the positions of at least some of said audio tracks within frames of said content, said audio processor generating corresponding audio parameters; an authoring tool receiving said audio parameters and generating encoding coefficients, said audio parameters including audio cue of the position of audio objects corresponding to said tracks in at least one spatial dimension; and a first audio/video encoder receiving an input and encoding said input into an audio visual content having visual objects and audio objects, said audio objects being disposed at location corresponding to said one spatial position, said encoder using said encoding coefficients for said encoding.
A system and method described herein provide stereoscopic video using standard DVD video data combined with enhancement data In various embodiments, the enhancement data may be stored on the same DVD as the standard video, or provided via downloading and/or for streaming to a stereoscopic DVD player When stored on the DVD, the enhancement data is provided in various forms, including MPEG (-1 or -2) program stream level, or the MPEG elementary stream level In one embodiment, the enhancement data consists of a difference signal between left- and right-eye images taken on a pixel-by-pixel basis The present invention also pertains to an optical disc player with a standard digital port, such as a USB port, coupled to an external storage, such as a thumb drive, coupled to a standard digital port such as a USB port.
Pirated copies of various types of media are analyzed to detect various artifacts that may be missing from the originals. These artifacts are then used to identify and trace pirated copies for forensic studies. The artifacts may include global artifacts that are present throughout media, or could be local or special artifacts that are present only in a small portion of the media. Moreover the artifacts can be at least one of an audio event, a visual event, a visual watermark or an audio watermark.
H04L 9/32 - Arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system
A content media such as a disc is disclosed having a portion with content in one format and a second portion with information in a second format. Typically, the first format may not be compatible with some (usually early) disc players. If a user inserts the disc into an incompatible disc player, the disc player reads the information from the second portion and generates a message to that effect to the user. The message may be a voice message, a text message, an image, etc. In an alternate embodiment, a disc with content in two formats is provided on a disc and the player either plays one of the two formats depending on a default setting, or plays one of the formats in response to a selection by the user.
An apparatus for processing data and content includes at least one drive and a player (that may be implemented by software). At least some of the content is protected using a content scrambling scheme such as audio or video watermarking. The drive and player cooperate to operate in a lockable mode wherein if protected content is provided to the drive, the drive and player are interlocked so that the content is presented by the player only in accordance with consistent with protection scheme being used, and cannot be presented by any other player. Moreover, in the locked mode, protected content may not be accepted from any other drive. The drive and player are switched to an unlocked mode by presenting to the drive unprotected content.
H04L 9/32 - Arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system
G06F 12/14 - Protection against unauthorised use of memory
An optical disc (10) used for storing content includes a theft control area (12) selected to render the disc (10) unreadable. The disc (10) must be exposed to radiation of a specific wavelength before it can be read by a regular device. The theft control area (12) may include an are that contains data that instructs the device not to read the disc (10). This area includes a coating that changes its optical characteristics when exposed to the radiation. The material could be radiochromic or thermochromic. Alternatively, the theft control area includes RFID device (42) that includes an element that is radiation sensitive. In this embodiment when the disc (40) is irradiated, the element changes its electrical characteristics.
G03B 27/32 - Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera
G11B 5/84 - Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing record carriers
G11B 7/00 - Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power; Record carriers therefor
Blotches may be identified and processed to reduce or eliminate the blotch. The blotch may be in just one of several separations and multiple separations may be used, for example, to identify the blotch. An implementation (i) compares a first component image of an image with a first component image of a reference image, (ii) compares a second component image of the image with a second component image of the reference image, and (iii) determines based on these comparisons whether the first component image of the image includes a blotch. Multiple image separations also, or alternatively, may be used, for example, to modify the blotch, as well as to evaluate whether a modification is beneficial.
A system that includes a server that is configured to be coupled to the Internet, a monitor, and a video appliance that is coupled to the monitor and configured to be coupled to the Internet. The server stores a media element, and the monitor is configured to display a copy of the media element. The server is configured to transmit the copy of the media element to the video appliance via the Internet. The video appliance is configured to receive the copy of the media element, and to prompt the monitor to display the copy of the media element for viewing by a user.
A method for simulating motion of cloth or other flexible membranes corrects surface-to-surface intersection involving a membrane. The method may be applied at time intervals of a conventional motion simulation for computer-generated animation. When a collision is detected, a function for a line of intersection between intersecting surfaces is parameterized in terms of vertices of the membrane model. The function is differentiated, and a correction factor is applied to the dynamic simulation in proportion to the value of the partial derivative for respected ones of the intersected vertices. The correction factor may be smoothed over a number of vertices in the vicinity of the intersected vertices.
patents
