Interactive guest image capture using video wall/floor/ceiling displays for selections of background scenes, and selection/distribution of customized

• US 9,214,032 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freeze Frame, LLC
• Original Assignee: Freeze Frame, LLC
• Inventors: David, Clifford R
• Primary Examiner(s): Tseng, Charles
• Application Number:
  US14/136,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/275 Generation of keying signals

Abstract

Systems and methods for creating and distributing professional quality pictorial souvenirs giving the illusion that guests of a facility were imaged at other locations, including making initial arrangements with guests, showing selections of background scene images at video displays and flashing chroma key images interspersed with frames of the scene images, taking key guest images in synch with the flashed key images, extracting guest image content from the key guest images and merging into selecting scene images, showing initial merges images for guest selection and providing souvenir portfolios that include merged images to guests or designees after making financial arrangements, including for payment to third parties for copyright content included in the souvenirs and with advertisers for promotional material included in the souvenirs.

Claims

1. A method of creating and distributing professional quality pictorial souvenirs giving the illusion that guests at a facility were imaged at other locations, comprising:

interacting with the guests to initiate transactions and provide guest information to a computer system;

supplying chroma key images and background scene video images to a video display surface at a location where guests pose for imaging against the video surface;

taking key guest images at the location in synch with chroma key images flashing on the video display surface at times interspersed with frames or fields of the background scene images;

computer-processing with said computer system the key guest images to extract guest image content;

computer-merging with said computer system the extracted guest image content into the background scene images to form merged images;

generating preview versions of the merged images;

responding to guest interaction to select some or all of the preview merged images; and

assembling customized souvenir portfolios that include merged images related to the selected preview images, charging guests for the souvenirs portfolios, and delivering the souvenir portfolios to the guests or designees thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the taking of key guest images comprises taking plural key guest images of the same guest, each taken while the video display surface is showing respective different chroma key images.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the taking of plural key guest images comprises flashing the respective different chroma key images in rapid succession on the video display surface.

4. The method of claim 2 in which the image-processing comprises comparing guest images extracted from the plural key guest images and selecting for merging a guest image that meets selected image quality criteria.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the image quality criteria include differences between color content in the extracted images and chroma key images.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the taking of key guest image comprises concurrently taking images from plural cameras having respective perspectives.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the merging comprises merging extracted images into background scene images that comprise video clips including zooming in and/or out.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the image processing comprises using pattern recognition to generate a metric related to the number of people in the extracted customer image, and the charging of customers for the pictorial souvenirs comprises adjusting charges in relation to the metric.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising including at least a part of the video display surface in a floor on which a guest stands.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising including the video display surface in more than one wall surrounding a guest.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising projecting the least some of the background scene images on the video display surface.

12. The method of claim 1 including showing of background scene images on one or more electronic screens comprising said video display surface.

13. The method of claim 1 in which the interacting with guests is via smartphones.

14. A automated system configured to create professional quality pictorial souvenirs giving the illusion that a guest is imaged at another location, comprising:

a guest facility that comprises a video display surface serving as background for taking one or more images of the guest and an automated camera system configured to take images of the guest at the facility;

a video image source of scene and key image frames;

a system control computer configured to direct the image source to supply selected scene image and key image frames or fields to the video display surface and to direct the video display surface to display the supplied frames or fields at alternate times;

the system control computer being further configured to direct the camera system to take one or more images of the guest when the video display surface is displaying key frames or fields, thereby producing one or more key guest images;

an image processing computer configured to receive the key guest images, extract images of guests therein, and merge the extracted images with respective selected scene images, thereby forming merged images of guests inserted into selected scene image backgrounds;

a payment and delivery computer configured to respond to guest orders for merged images by charging customers and delivering paid-for merged images to customers.

15. The system of claim of claim 14 in which the video display surface includes a video floor adapted to support guests.

16. The system of claim 14 in which the system control computer is configured to direct the video display surface to display in succession a plurality of key frames or fields that differ in color while the camera system is taking key guest images.

17. The system of claim 14 in which the image processing computer is further configured to compare qualities of key guest images taken in association with the plurality of key frames or fields and to select for merging a key guest frame meeting selected quality criteria.

18. The system of claim 14 in which the system control computer is configured to direct the video display surface to rapidly flash a succession of key frames while the camera system is taking key guest images.

19. The system of claim 14 in which the video display surface comprises plural walls surrounding a location at which the key guest images are taken.

20. The system of claim 14 in which the video display surface comprises a ceiling over a location at which the key guest images are taken.

21. The system of claim 14 in which the image processing computer is configured to merge an extracted image of a guest into a background scene image that comprises a video clip giving the illusion of a background scene that zooms in and/or out of the guest.