Video capture system control using virtual cameras for augmented reality

• US 20110164116A1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Thiel, Aaron, Gay, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for integrating a virtual rendering system and a video capture system using flexible camera control to provide an augmented reality. There is provided a method for integrating a virtual rendering system and a video capture system for outputting a composite render to a display, the method comprising obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a virtual camera configuration of a virtual camera in a virtual environment, programming the video capture system using the virtual camera configuration to correspondingly control a robotic camera in a real environment, capturing a video capture feed using the robotic camera, obtaining a virtually rendered feed using the virtual camera, rendering the composite render by processing the feeds, and outputting the composite render to the display.

Claims

1. A method for integrating a virtual rendering system and a video capture system for outputting a composite render to a display, the method comprising:

obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a first virtual camera configuration of a first virtual camera in a virtual environment;

programming the video capture system using the first virtual camera configuration to correspondingly control a first robotic camera in a real environment;

capturing, from the video capture system, a first video capture feed of the real environment using the first robotic camera;

obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a first virtually rendered feed of the virtual environment using the first virtual camera;

rendering the composite render by processing the first video capture feed and the first virtually rendered feed; and

outputting the composite render to the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual camera configuration includes a first motion path of the first virtual camera in the virtual environment, and wherein the control of the first robotic camera uses the first motion path in the real environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first motion path includes a three-dimensional position with respect to time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first motion path includes a camera orientation or field of view with respect to time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual camera configuration includes camera lens parameters.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first motion path tracks a path of a virtual object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual ball of a virtual game.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual player of a virtual game.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the first motion path is based on a predetermined path.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising prior to the rendering of the composite render:

obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a second virtual camera configuration of a second virtual camera in the virtual environment;

programming the video capture system using the second virtual camera configuration to correspondingly control a second robotic camera in the real environment;

capturing, from the video capture system, a second video capture feed of the real environment using the second robotic camera; and

obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a second virtually rendered feed of the virtual environment using the second virtual camera;

wherein the rendering of the composite render further processes the second video capture feed and the second virtually rendered feed.

11. A rendering controller for outputting a composite render to a display, the rendering device comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain, from a virtual rendering system, a virtual camera configuration of a first virtual camera in a virtual environment;

program a video capture system using the virtual camera configuration to correspondingly control a first robotic camera in a real environment;

capture, from the video capture system, a first video capture feed of the real environment using the first robotic camera;

obtain, from the virtual rendering system, a first virtually rendered feed of the virtual environment using the first virtual camera;

render the composite render by processing the first video capture feed and the first virtually rendered feed; and

output the composite render to the display.

12. The rendering controller of claim 11, wherein the first virtual camera configuration includes a first motion path of the first virtual camera in the virtual environment, and wherein the control of the first robotic camera uses the first motion path in the real environment.

13. The rendering controller of claim 12, wherein the first motion path includes a three-dimensional position with respect to time.

14. The rendering controller of claim 12, wherein the first motion path includes a camera orientation or field of view with respect to time.

15. The rendering controller of claim 11, wherein the first virtual camera configuration includes camera lens parameters.

16. The rendering controller of claim 12, wherein the first motion path tracks a path of a virtual object.

17. The rendering controller of claim 16, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual ball of a virtual game.

18. The rendering controller of claim 16, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual player of a virtual game.

19. The rendering controller of claim 12, wherein the first motion path is based on a predetermined path.

20. The rendering controller of claim 11, wherein prior to the rendering of the composite render the processor is further configured to:

obtain, from the virtual rendering system, a second virtual camera configuration of a second virtual camera in the virtual environment;

program the video capture system using the second virtual camera configuration to correspondingly control a second robotic camera in the real environment;

capture, from the video capture system, a second video capture feed of the real environment using the second robotic camera; and

obtain, from the virtual rendering system, a second virtually rendered feed of the virtual environment using the second virtual camera;

wherein the processor is configured to render the composite render by further processing the second video capture feed and the second virtually rendered feed.