System and method for determining placement of a virtual object according to a real-time performance

• US 8,375,311 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Gay, Michael, Zigmont, Michael, Hess, Robert, Bailey, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US12/383,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications
• 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

Abstract

There is presented a system for determining a placement of a virtual object in a performance space according to a performance by a real-time performer. The disclosed system comprises a projection module including a polarizing filter, the projection module configured to generate a polarized visible image corresponding to the virtual object. The system includes a surface for displaying the polarized visible image to the real-time performer. The system also includes a detection module for detecting inputs to the surface, wherein the inputs are provided by the real-time performer based on a location of the polarized visible image on the surface. The system further comprises a mapping module configured for mapping a location of each input to the surface to a corresponding point in the performance space, for the placement of the virtual object in the performance space according to the locations of inputs to the surface by the real-time performer.

Claims

1. A system for determining a placement of a virtual object in a performance space according to a performance by a real-time performer, the system comprising:

a projection module including a polarizing filter, the projection module configured to generate a polarized visible image corresponding to the virtual object;

a surface for displaying the polarized visible image, the surface viewable by the real-time performer;

a detection module for detecting touch inputs to the surface, wherein the touch inputs are provided by the real-time performer based on a location of the polarized visible image on the surface; and

a mapping module configured for mapping a location of each of the touch inputs to the surface to a corresponding point in the performance space, for the placement of the virtual object in the performance space according to the locations of the touch inputs to the surface by the real-time performer;

a reverse-polarizing filter, the reverse-polarizing filter configured to reverse-polarize images of the performance by the real-time performer and the polarized visible image displayed on the surface to produce reverse-polarized images; and

wherein the reverse-polarizing filter is further configured to block the polarized visible image from a viewer of the performance.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recording module including the reverse-polarizing filter, wherein the recording module is configured to record the reverse-polarized images.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the surface comprises a transparent panel situated between the real-time performer and the recording module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the real-time performer is a human performer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object comprises a moving object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual environment for the performance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarized visible image comprises a graphical image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarized visible image comprises a video clip.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rendering module configured to render the virtual object into the performance space according to the locations of the touch inputs to the surface by the real-time performer that are provided by the mapping module.

10. A method for determining a placement of a virtual object in a performance space according to a performance by a real-time performer, the method comprising:

polarizing a visible image corresponding to the virtual object to produce a polarized visible image;

displaying the polarized visible image on a surface viewable by the real-time performer;

detecting touch inputs to the surface, wherein the touch inputs are provided by the real-time performer based on a location of the polarized visible image on the surface; and

mapping a location of each of the touch inputs to the surface to a corresponding point in the performance space, for the placement of the virtual object in the performance space according to the locations of the touch inputs to the surface by the real-time performer;

reverse-polarizing images of the performance by the real-time performer and the polarized visible image displayed on the surface to produce reverse-polarized images, wherein the reverse-polarized images block the polarized visible image from a viewer of the performance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

recording the reverse-polarized images.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the surface comprises a transparent panel situated between the real-time performer and a recording module configured to do the recording.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the real-time performer is a human performer.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual object comprises a moving object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the virtual object comprises a virtual environment corresponding to the performance space.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the polarized visible image comprises a graphical image.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the polarized visible image comprises a video clip.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising rendering the virtual object into the performance space according to the locations of the touch inputs to the surface by the real-time performer that are provided by the mapping.