Training video method and display

• US 5,681,223 A
• Filed: 08/20/1993
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steve Weinreich
• Original Assignee: Inventure Incorporated (Synopsys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weinreich, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aubrey, Beth
• Application Number:
  US08/109,506
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 472/61, 364/460, 364/410, 358/906, 600/921, 348/207, 348/239
• US Class Current: 472/61
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/06 Means for bringing about special optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 5/021 Mixing live action with images projected on translucent screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/18 involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

Method and display for training and other uses, which may be in the form of a special video, diorama, or print format. The preferred embodiment shows a bright visual image against a dark background. This invention is particularly useful in the Illusion Apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,312 and in an electronic system also disclosed.

Claims

1. An illusion apparatus for forming a composite image of a viewer as part of a display, said apparatus comprising:

a display comprising a bright image on a dark background;

image forming means for forming an image of the viewer and the environment immediately surrounding the viewer on the dark background of said display, whereby the bright image appears to be inserted into the environment surrounding the viewer.

2. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 which further comprises

display means for generating said display, wherein said display is an animated display wherein said bright image moves on said dark background.

3. The illusion apparatus of claim 2 wherein said display means comprises video storage means.

4. The illusion apparatus of claim 3 wherein said video storage means comprises a video tape.

5. The illusion apparatus of claim 3 wherein said image forming means comprises a luminance key adapted to be operatively connected to the output signal of a video camera and to the output signal of a video player adapted to receive and play said video storage means, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for operatively connecting said luminance key to the input of a television monitor, whereby the image of the viewer and its environment is keyed to the dark background of the display.

6. The illusion apparatus of claim 3 which further comprises means for left-right reversal of the formed image of the viewer.

7. The illusion apparatus of claim 6, further comprising luminance key, wherein the luminance key and left-right reversal means are operatively connected to each other and include means for sending the luminance keyed and left-right reversed image of the viewer and the display to a television monitor.

8. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image forming means comprises

a partially reflective, partially transparent convex mirror located between the viewer and the display for making an image of the viewer and its environment appear to interact with the display, said mirror being convex in the direction of the viewer so as to diminish the size of the formed image of the viewer whereby the bright image appears to be within the environment of the viewer.

9. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dark background comprises at least 50% of the display area.

10. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dark background comprises at least 50% of the perimeter of the display.

11. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a diorama.

12. The illusion apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a printed display.

13. The illusion apparatus of claim 3 wherein the bright image is of at least a first human.

14. The illusion apparatus of claim 13 wherein the display further comprises a second bright image which is of a human which is a right-left reversal of the first human.

15. A method for making a bright image of a display appear to be inserted within the environment of a viewer of the display, comprising the steps of:

providing a display comprising the bright image on a dark background, and

forming an image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment onto the dark background of the display, whereby the bright image appears to be within the environment of the viewer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the display is an animated video display which comprises transmitting a video image of the display to a television monitor, taking a video image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment, and transmitting the video image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment to the television monitor, whereby the video image of the bright image appears within the environment of the viewer on the television monitor.

17. The method of claim 16 which further comprises transmitting the video image of the display and the video image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment to a luminance keying device to insert the image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment onto the dark background of the display, and transmitting the signal from the luminance keying device to the television monitor.

18. The method of claim 16 which further comprises left-right reversing the image of the viewer.

19. Apparatus for forming an image of a viewer in a prerecorded video display comprising,

a prerecorded video display comprising a bright image on a dark background,

playing means for playing the prerecorded video display,

a luminance key,

first transmitting means for transmitting the video display from the playing means to the luminance key,

camera means for capturing the image of a viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment and transmitting the captured image,

reversing means for left-right reversing the viewer'"'"'s image,

said luminance key inserting the left-right reversed image into the dark background;

whereby displaying the resulting composite image on a video monitor will result in the bright image of the video display appearing to be inserted within the reversed environment of a viewer of the display.

20. A composite video for self-viewing comprising an image of a viewer and the environment surrounding the viewer inside of or on the surface of a display comprising a bright image on a dark background, the image of the viewer and the environment surrounding the viewer substantially covering the dark background, whereby the bright image appears to be inserted into the environment surrounding the viewer.

21. A video system useful for training a skill to a viewer thereof, said system comprising video storage means having stored therein a video display comprising a bright image of a trainer in motion corresponding to said skill on a dark background covering at least 50% of the area of the display, wherein the trainer addresses the dark background, and whereby insertion of an image of the viewer on the dark background enables the viewer to follow the motion of the trainer to thereby facilitate learning said skill.

22. The video system of claim 21 wherein the image of the trainer is left-right reversed.

23. The video system of claim 22 wherein the image of the trainer is produced by a camera elevated to the expected elevation of a viewer imaging device to be used at the time of viewing.

24. The video system of claim 21 further comprising image forming means for inserting an image of the viewer of the video display on the dark background of the display when the video display is displayed on a monitor.

25. The video system of claim 24 wherein the image forming means comprise a partially reflective, partially transparent convex mirror to be located between the viewer and the video display.

26. The video system of claim 24 wherein the image forming means comprises a video camera.

27. The video system of claim 26 further comprising a video storage means player for playing said video storage means and a luminance key for receiving the image of the viewer and the environment surrounding the viewer from the video camera and also for receiving the video display from the video storage means player, and means for left-right reversing the image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s environment, said luminance key causing the left-right reversed image of the viewer as well as the left-right reversed image of the environment surrounding the viewer to be inserted onto the dark background of the video display to thereby make it appear that the bright image of the trainer is present in the environment surrounding the viewer.

28. A video display for creating a real time illusion of a viewer thereof as part of the display comprising a bright image on a dark background wherein a portion of the bright image comprises a vignetted interrupted edge in the area of the dark background where the viewer'"'"'s image is expected to be inserted to thereby enhance the apparent interaction between the bright image and the viewer'"'"'s image to be inserted.

29. A prerecorded videotape for use with illusion apparatus for making a composite image of a viewer and the viewer'"'"'s surroundings appear to be part of the video display of the prerecorded videotape, said prerecorded videotape comprising an animated bright image moving on a dark background wherein the dark background comprises at least 50% of the area of the display and wherein said moving bright image addresses the dark background, whereby during playback of the videotape an image of the viewer and the viewer'"'"'s surroundings may be juxtaposed onto the dark background to make it appear that the bright image is present in the environment surrounding the viewer together with and addressing the viewer.

30. An illusion apparatus for forming a composite image of a viewer as part of a display, said apparatus comprising

a display comprising a bright image on a key background;

image forming means for forming an image of the viewer and the environment immediately surrounding the viewer on the key background of said display, wherein the bright image appears to be inserted into the environment surrounding the viewer.

31. The illusion apparatus of claim 30 wherein the key background is a chroma key background.

32. A video display comprising a real time left-right reversed image of the viewer of the display, wherein the real time reversed image is a component of a composite image.

33. The video display of claim 32 wherein said composite image comprises a key background and wherein said real time reversed image is keyed to said key background.

34. The video display of claim 33 wherein said background is a luminance key background.

35. The video display of claim 33 wherein said key background is a chroma key background.

36. The video display of claim 34 wherein said composite image further comprises a bright image on a dark background and wherein the bright image appears to be within the environment of the viewer of the video display.

37. The video display of claim 36 wherein said bright image represents a human.

38. The video display of claim 37 wherein the bright image representing a human is a left-right reversed image.

39. The video display of claim 38 wherein the bright image of the human comprises a demonstration of a physical skill.