Live-Action Image Capture

• US 20090202114A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ubisoft Entertainment S.A.
• Original Assignee: Ubisoft Entertainment S.A.
• Inventors: Morin, Sebastien, Vimont, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US12/370,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20090202114A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/525 Changing parameters of virtual cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6692 using special effects, generally involving post-processing, e.g. blooming
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships

Abstract

A computer-implemented video capture process includes identifying and tracking a face in a plurality of real-time video frames on a first computing device, generating first face data representative of the identified and tracked face, and transmitting the first face data to a second computing device over a network for display of the face on an avatar body by the second computing device.

Claims

1. A corriputer-implemented video capture process, comprising:

identifying and tracking a face in a plurality of real-time video frames on a first computing device;

generating first face data representative of the identified and tracked face; and

transmitting the first face data to a second computing device over a network for display of the face on an avatar body by the second computing device in real time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the face comprises identifying a position and orientation of the face in successive video frames.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the face comprises identifying a plurality of salient points on the face and tracking frame-to-frame changes in positions of the salient points.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying changes in spacing between the salient points and recognizing the changes in space as forward or backward movement by the face.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating animated objects and moving the animated objects with tracked motion of the face.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a first-person view displayed by the first computing device based on motion by the face.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first face data comprises position and orientation data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first face data comprises three-dimensional points for a facial mask and image data from the video frames to be combined with the facial mask.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving second face data from the second computing device and displaying with the first computing device video information for the second face data in real time on an avatar body.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying on the first computing device video information for the first face data simultaneously with displaying with the first computing device video information for the second face data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein transmission of face data between the computing devices is conducted in a peer-to-peer arrangement.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving from a central server system game status information and displaying the game status information with the first computing device.

13. A recordable-medium having recorded thereon instructions, which when performed, cause a computing device to perform actions comprising:

identifying and tracking a face in a plurality of real-time video frames on a first computing device;

generating first face data representative of the identified and tracked face; and

transmitting the first face data to a second computing device over a network for display of the face on an avatar body by the second computing device.

14. The recordable medium of claim 13, wherein tracking the face comprises identifying a plurality of salient points on the face and tracking frame-to-frame changes in positions of the salient points.

15. The recordable medium of claim 14, wherein the medium further comprises instructions that when executed receive second face data from the second computing device and display with the first computing device video information for the second face data in real time on an avatar body.

16. A computer-implemented video game system, comprising:

a web cam connected to a first corriputing device and positioned to obtain video frame data of a face;

a face tracker to locate a first face in the video frame data and track the first face as it moves in successive video frames; and

a processor executing a game presentation module to cause generation of video for a second face from a remote computing device in near real time by the first computing device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the face tracker is programmed to trim the first face from the successive video frames and to block the transmission of non-face video information.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a codec configured to encode video frame data for the first face for transmission to the remote computing device, and to decode video frame data for the second face received from the remote computing device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a peer-to-peer application manager for routing the video frame data between the first computing device and the remote computing device.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising an engine to correlate video data for the first face with a three-dimensional mask associated with the first face.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of real-time servers configured to provide game status information to the first computing device and the remote computing device.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the game presentation module receives game status information from a remote coordinating server and generates data for a graphical representation of the game status information for display with the video of the second face.

23. A computer-implemented video game system, comprising:

a web cam positioned to obtain video frame data of a face; and

means for tracking the face in successive frames as the face moves and for providing data of the tracked face for use by a remote device.