Capturing motion using quantum nanodot sensors

• US 7,767,967 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Gordon, Demian, Dobrin, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher; Constantine
• Application Number:
  US11/854,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 250/339.05
• US Class Current: 250/339.05
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• 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

Abstract

A quantum nanodot camera, including: a quantum nanodot camera sensor including: at least one visible pixel sensor configured to capture scenes including actors and/or objects in a visible band; and at least one IR pixel sensor configured to capture motions of at least one quantum nanodot (QD) marker tuned to emit a narrowband IR signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying a plurality of quantum nanodot (QD) markers to actors and/or objects performing within a capture volume;

capturing scenes within the capture volume including the actors and/or objects using at least one visible pixel sensor cell;

capturing motions of the plurality of QD markers tuned to emit narrowband IR signals, each QD marker of the plurality of QD markers individually tuned to emit an IR signal whose frequency bandwidth does not substantially overlap frequency bandwidths of IR signals emitted by other QD markers of the plurality of QD markers,

wherein said capturing motions is performed substantially simultaneously with said capturing scenes using at least one IR pixel sensor cell; and

integrating the scenes captured with the at least one visible pixel sensor cell with the motions of the actors and/or objects captured with the at least one IR pixel sensor cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying a plurality of QD markers comprises:

suspending QD markers in water-based ink; and

applying water-based ink on the actors and/or objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying a plurality of QD markers comprises:

suspending QD markers in paint; and

applying paint on the actors and/or objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein individually tuning each QD marker enables the plurality of QD markers to stay substantially invisible to the at least one visible pixel sensor cell but allows the actors and/or objects to be marked so that the at least one IR pixel sensor cell identifies different actors and/or objects.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

processing the integrated scenes and motions to replace and/or delete one or more of the actors and/or objects identified by the at least one IR pixel sensor cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the integrated and processed scenes and motions form frames of a motion picture.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the integrated and processed scenes and motions form frames of a video game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said processing is performed at a predetermined timing to generate the frames of marked scenes for a motion picture.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined timing is 24 frames per second.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each pixel sensor of the at least one IR pixel sensor includes an infra-red filter to pass the narrowband IR signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the infra-red filter is configured with a center wavelength at around 850 nm and a bandwidth of approximately 10 nm.

12. A method comprising:

applying water-based ink or paint having quantum nanodot (QD) markers to actors and/or objects performing within a capture volume;

capturing the actors and/or objects in a scene using visible sensors, and motions of the QD markers in the water-based ink or paint using IR sensors,

wherein each QD marker of the QD markers individually tuned to emit a narrowband IR signal whose frequency bandwidth does not substantially overlap frequency bandwidths of IR signals emitted by other QD markers of the QD markers so that each QD marker can identify and distinguish the actors and/or objects; and

integrating the captured scenes and the motions into frames of a motion picture.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

processing the frames to replace and/or delete one or more of the actors and/or objects identified and distinguished by the QD markers.