Method, system and computer program product for providing group interactivity with entertainment experiences

• US 8,416,985 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company), The Walt Disney Company
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Martin, Ernest L., Stepniewicz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Wenpeng
• Application Number:
  US11/959,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 725/35, 715/744, 700/245
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method system for providing group interactivity. The system includes a module that determines a size of an audience in an image provided by an image acquisition device and a module that controls interaction in a small audience environment. In addition, the system includes a module that controls interaction in a large audience environment. The present invention can also be viewed as a method for providing group interactivity. The method operates by determining size of an audience in a image, interacting in a small audience environment and interacting in a large audience environment.

Claims

1. A system for providing group interactivity, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory device;

means for capturing an image;

means for determining size of an audience in the image;

means for interacting in a small audience environment; and

means for interacting in a large audience environment;

wherein the small audience environment interacting means further comprising means for calibrating operation of the group interactivity using a template image;

wherein the calibrating means further comprising means for computing at least one threshold value for the template image; and

wherein the at least one threshold value is optimally set at a value just below a point where a significant amount of noise is detected.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the small audience environment interacting means further comprising means for calculating a net position value of each of a plurality of pixels within the image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the net position value calculating means further comprises means for summing a position vector of each of the plurality of pixels and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the net position value calculating means further comprises means for weighting each of the plurality of pixels by a difference value and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the small audience environment interacting means further comprising means for calculating a vector value for the plurality of pixels within the image.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vector value calculating means further comprises means for translating the plurality of pixels into a one-dimensional component corresponding to a control axis for the image.

7. A system for providing group interactivity, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory device;

a module that determines a size of an audience in an image provided by an image acquisition device;

a module that controls interaction in a small audience environment;

a module that controls interaction in a large audience environment;

a module that calibrates operation of the group interactivity using a template image; and

a module that computes at least one threshold value for the template image, wherein the at least one threshold value is optimally set at a value just below a point where a significant amount of noise is detected.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a module that calculates a net position value of each of the plurality of pixels within the image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the net position value calculate module further comprises a module for summing a position vector of each of the plurality of pixels and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the net position value calculate module further comprises a module for weighting each of the plurality of pixels by a difference value and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising module that calculates a vector value for the plurality of pixels within the image for translating the plurality of pixels into a one-dimensional component corresponding to a control axis for the image.

12. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

determining size of an audience in a image;

interacting in a small audience environment;

interacting in a large audience environment; and

calibrating operation of the group interactivity using a template image that further comprises computing at least one threshold value for the template image, wherein the at least one threshold value is optimally set at a value just below a point where a significant amount of noise is detected.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising calculating a net position value of each of the plurality of pixels within the image.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising summing a position vector of each of the plurality of pixels and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising weighting each of the plurality of pixels by a difference value and dividing by a total number of pixels considered.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising calculating a vector value for the plurality of pixels within the image for translating the plurality of pixels into a one-dimensional component corresponding to a control axis for the image.