Apparatus and method for capturing the motion of a performer

• US 20060055706A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rearden Mova, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rearden Mova, LLC
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G., Cotter, Tim S., Speck, John, LaSalle, Greg, Pearce, Kenneth A.
• Application Number:
  US10/942,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20060055706A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning

Abstract

A method is described comprising: positioning a plurality of color-coded motion capture markers at a plurality of points on a performer'"'"'s body, wherein the color-coded motion capture markers are colored with at least two or more different colors; and tracking the color-coded motion capture markers during a motion capture session using two or more color cameras and a color-coded motion capture subsystem, the color-coded motion capture subsystem identifying each individual color-coded motion capture element based on its color and/or its relationship to the other color-coded motion capture markers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

positioning a plurality of color-coded motion capture markers at a plurality of points on a performer'"'"'s body, wherein the color-coded motion capture markers are colored with at least two or more different colors; and

tracking the color-coded motion capture markers during a motion capture session using two or more color cameras and a color-coded motion capture subsystem, the color-coded motion capture subsystem identifying each individual color-coded motion capture element based on its color and/or its relationship to the other color-coded motion capture markers.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein tracking further comprises:

performing a lookup within a database or table comprising color-coding data, the color coding data associating a particular color with each individual color-coded motion tracking element.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the color-coded motion capture markers are comprised of a retro-reflective material.

4. The method as in claim 2 further comprising:

tracking the color-coded motion capture markers based on a predefined spatial relationship between each of the color-coded motion capture markers.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

generating motion data describing the movement of the color-coded motion capture markers.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising:

providing the motion data to a graphics processing subsystem, the graphics processing subsystem using the motion data to generate a graphical representation of the movement of the performer during the motion capture session.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of color cameras positioned to capture light reflected off of a plurality of color-coded motion capture markers, each of the color-coded motion capture markers positioned at a different point on a performer'"'"'s body; and

a color-coded motion tracking subsystem to identify each of the color-coded motion capture markers based on the color of the light reflected off of each of the color-coded motion capture markers, and to generate motion data describing the motion of each of the color-coded motion capture markers.

8. The system as in claim 7 further comprising:

a graphics processing subsystem to interpret the motion data and responsively generate a graphical representation of the performer'"'"'s motion.

9. The system as in claim 7 wherein the number of colors used to color the color-coded motion capture markers is less than the total number of color-coded motion capture markers.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein the color-coded motion tracking subsystem identifies color-coded motion capture markers of the same color using a predefined spatial relationship between each of the color-coded motion tracking markers.

11. The system as in claim 8 further comprising:

a color display to display the graphical representation of the performer'"'"'s motion.

12. A system comprising:

camera means positioned to capture light reflected off of a plurality of color-coded motion capture markers, each of the color-coded motion capture markers positioned at a different point on a performer'"'"'s body; and

color-coded motion tracking means to identify each of the color-coded motion capture markers based on the color of the light reflected off of each of the color-coded motion capture markers, and to generate motion data describing the motion of each of the color-coded motion capture markers.

13. The system as in claim 12 further comprising:

graphics processing means to interpret the motion data and responsively generate a graphical representation of the performer'"'"'s motion.

14. The system as in claim 12 wherein the number of colors used to color the color-coded motion capture markers is less than the total number of color-coded motion capture markers.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein the color-coded motion tracking means identifies color-coded motion capture markers of the same color using a predefined spatial relationship between each of the color-coded motion tracking markers.

16. The system as in claim 13 further comprising:

a color display to display the graphical representation of the performer'"'"'s motion.