Virtual reality presentation

• US 7,084,874 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kurzweil Ainetworks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Ainetworks Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurzweil, Raymond C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US10/028,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20020105521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/957, 345/956, 345/757, 345/756, 345/706, 345/419
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/956 Language driven animation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/957 Actor

Abstract

A real-time virtual presentation method is provided. The method includes capturing motion of a user, capturing audio of the user, transforming the audio of the user into audio of an opposite gender of the user and animating a character with the motion and transformed audio in real-time.

Claims

1. A virtual reality presentation method comprising:

capturing motion of a user, the user having a gender;

capturing audio of the users the user being in a presentation environment comprising music in addition to the user'"'"'s speech;

capturing the presentation environment comprising music in addition to the user'"'"'s speech;

transforming the audio of the user to a gender different from the gender of the user;

animating a character with the motion and transformed audio in real-time;

rendering the character animated with the captured motion of the user on an output display device;

mixing the transformed audio of the user with the captured presentation environment, including the music by generating a linear sum of combined voice and environment including the music; and

rendering the transformed audio of the user in the environment including music with the audio being of the different gender of the user through speakers.

2. The method of claim 1 in which capturing motion comprises:

attaching multiple motion tracking sensors to areas of the user to track the user'"'"'s movements; and

transmitting signals representing the movements from the sensors to a computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 in which capturing audio comprises attaching a microphone to the user.

4. The method of claim 3 in which the microphone is a wireless microphone.

5. The method of claim 1 in which transforming the audio comprises:

altering pitch characteristics of the audio of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 in which animating comprises:

applying the motion to a three dimensional (3-D) model; and

combining the transformed audio to the 3-D model.

7. A virtual reality presentation method comprising:

generating a three-dimensional (3-D) model of a character;

capturing motion of a user in real-time;

capturing audio of the user in real-time;

capturing the presentation environment comprising music in addition to the user'"'"'s audio;

modifying the audio of the user to render the audio in a gender that is different from the gender of the user;

animating in real-time the 3-D model with the motion of the user; and

rendering the 3-D character animated with the captured motion of the user; and

rendering the modified audio of the user in the environment including music through speakers with the transformed audio of the user on an output display device.

8. The method of claim 7 in which capturing motion comprises:

attaching multiple motion tracking sensors to areas of the user to track the user'"'"'s movements; and

transmitting signals representing the movements, from the sensors to a computer system.

9. The method of claim 7 in which capturing audio comprises attaching a microphone to the user.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the microphone is a wireless microphone.

11. The method of claim 7 in which modifying comprises altering pitch characteristics of the audio of the user.