USING QUANTUM NANODOTS IN MOTION PICTURES OR VIDEO GAMES

• US 20080012939A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: DOBRIN, BRUCE
• Granted Patent: US 7,629,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/139
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A quantum nanodot processing system, comprising: at least one image capture camera configured to capture scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and at least one marker capture camera configured to capture motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one quantum nanodot (QD) marker, wherein the at least one marker capture camera is tuned to capture narrowband IR signals emitted by the at least one QD marker.

Claims

1. A quantum nanodot processing system, comprising:

at least one image capture camera configured to capture scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and

at least one marker capture camera configured to capture motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one quantum nanodot (QD) marker,

wherein said at least one marker capture camera is tuned to capture narrowband IR signals emitted by the at least one QD marker.

2. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one image capture camera and said at least one marker capture camera are configured as a single camera unit providing a dual capability of capturing the scenes in the visible band and the narrowband IR signals emitted by the at least one QD marker.

3. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, further comprising

a processor configured to control said at least one image capture camera and said at least one marker capture camera at a predetermined timing to generate frames of marked scenes.

4. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined timing is 24 frames per second.

5. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 3, wherein said processor further includes

a control module configured to trigger said at least one image capture camera and said at least one marker capture camera to perform capture at the predetermined timing, and to receive data from said at least one image capture camera and said at least one marker capture camera.

6. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 5, wherein the received data includes the scenes captured from said at least one image capture camera and the motions of said at least one QD marker captured in narrowband IR signals by said at least one marker capture camera.

7. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 6, wherein said processor further includes

an integration module configured to receive commands from said control module to collate, reconcile, and to integrate the scenes captured from said at least one image capture camera and the motions of said at least one QD marker captured by said at least one marker capture camera.

8. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 7, wherein said processor further includes

a generator module configured to receive the integrated scenes from said integration module, said generator module operating to generate scenes marked with hidden marks using the integrated scenes,

wherein the scenes marked with hidden marks are processed so that the actors and/or objects are later replaced, deleted, or inserted from the scenes.

9. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, further comprising

at least one illumination source to excite said at least one QD marker with light in the visible band.

10. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one QD marker is configured as electroluminescent devices.

11. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one image capture camera includes

a filter tuned to receive light in the visible band of approximately 300 nm in width but to reject signals in all other bands.

12. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marker capture camera includes

a filter tuned to receive signals of approximately 5 to 10 nm in width in the narrowband IR but to reject signals in all other bands.

13. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 12, wherein said filter is positioned between a focal plane and lens of said at least one marker capture camera.

14. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one marker capture camera is configured as at least one machine vision camera.

15. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one QD marker is added to temporary tattoo material and applied to the actors and/or objects.

16. The quantum nanodot processing system of claim 1, wherein each QD marker of said at least one QD marker is designed with a unique pattern.

17. A method of processing quantum nanodots used as markers, the method comprising:

capturing scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and

capturing motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one QD marker tuned to emit narrowband IR signals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said capturing scenes in a visible band includes

using at least one image capture camera tuned to the visible band.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said capturing motions includes

using at least one marker capture camera tuned to capture the narrowband IR signals.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising

controlling the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera at a predetermined timing to generate frames of marked scenes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said controlling further includes:

triggering the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera to perform capture at the predetermined timing; and

receiving data from the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said receiving data includes:

receiving the scenes captured from the at least one image capture camera; and

receiving the motions of the at least one QD marker captured in narrowband IR signals by the at least one marker capture camera.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving commands to collate, reconcile, and integrate the scenes and the motions; and

generating scenes marked with hidden marks using the integrated scenes.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising

processing the scenes marked with hidden marks so that the actors and/or objects are later replaced, deleted, or inserted from the scenes.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising

illuminating the at least one QD marker with light in the visible band.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising

configuring the at least one QD marker as self illuminating electroluminescent devices.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein each QD marker of the at least one QD marker is designed with a unique pattern.

28. An apparatus for processing quantum nanodots used as markers, the apparatus comprising:

means for capturing scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and

means for capturing motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one QD marker tuned to emit narrowband IR signals.

29. A computer program, stored in a computer-readable storage medium, for processing quantum nanodots used as markers, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

capture scenes including actors and/or objects using at least one image capture camera tuned to the visible band; and

capture motions of the actors and/or objects applied with at least one QD marker tuned to emit narrowband IR signals using at least one marker capture camera tuned to capture the narrowband IR signals.

30. The computer program of claim 29, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to

control the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera at a predetermined timing to generate frames of marked scenes.

31. The computer program of claim 30, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

trigger the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera to perform capture at a predetermined timing; and

receive data from the at least one image capture camera and the at least one marker capture camera.

32. The computer program of claim 31, wherein the received data includes

the scenes captured by the at least one image capture camera and the motions of the at least one QD marker captured in narrowband IR signals by the at least one marker capture camera.

33. The computer program of claim 32, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

receive commands to collate, reconcile, and integrate the scenes and the motions; and

generate scenes marked with hidden marks using the integrated scenes.

34. The computer program of claim 33, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

process the scenes marked with hidden marks so that the actors and/or objects are later replaced, deleted, or inserted from the scenes.