SYSTEM AND/OR METHOD FOR PROCESSING THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGES

• US 20090219381A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Ayala, Alfredo M.
• Application Number:
  US12/359,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20090219381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/43
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/20 using two or more projectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/26 using polarised or coloured light separating different viewpoint images
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a method and/or system for projection of images to appear to an observer as one or more three-dimensional images.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing images of a three-dimensional object at one or more cameras to provide digital image data; and

transforming said digital image data for projection of multiple images onto a curved surface appearing to an observer as a three dimensional image, said transforming said digital image data comprising de-skewing at least a portion of said projection of said multiple images as perceived by said observer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transforming said digital image data further comprises warping said digital image data based, at least in part, on placement of said cameras.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said warping said digital image data comprises warping said digital image data based, at least in part, on placement of projectors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital image data comprises image data representative of one or more two-dimensional images, and wherein said de-skewing at least a portion of said projection of said multiple images as perceived by said observer comprises horizontally shifting at least one of said one or more two-dimensional images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said horizontally shifting at least one of said two-dimensional images further comprises horizontally shifting said at least one of said one or more two-dimensional images by an amount to reduce parallax experienced by said observer in viewing said multiple images as said three-dimensional image.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising projecting said three-dimensional image onto a polarized surface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said polarized surface comprises a gain screen having a polarization gain of about 1.8 to 2.1.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising combining said digital image data with pre-rendered video data to provide one or more composite images appearing to said observer as said three-dimensional image.

9. A system comprising:

a plurality of cameras adapted to capture images of a three-dimensional object to provide digital image data; and

a computing platform adapted to transform said digital image data for projection of multiple images onto a curved surface appearing to an observer as a three dimensional image, said computing platform being further adapted to de-skew at least a portion of said projection of said multiple images as perceived by said observer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to warp said digital image data based, at least in part, on placement of said cameras and placement of a plurality of projectors adapted to project said multiple images onto said curved screen.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said computing platform is further adapted to de-skew said at least a portion of said projection by applying a shift to at least a portion of said digital image data.

12. A method comprising:

capturing two-dimensional image data of an audience member in a theater at a plurality of cameras; and

transforming said image data for projection on a screen in said theater as multiple two-dimensional images viewed by other audience members in said theater as a three-dimensional image of said audience member.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said screen comprises a curved screen and said transforming said digital image data further comprises de-skewing at least a portion of said projection of said multiple images as perceived by said observer.

14. The method of claim 12, and further comprising combining said image data with pre-rendered video data to provide one or more composite images of at least one object appearing to be co-located with said audience member in said three-dimensional image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one object appearing to be co-located with said audience member in said three-dimensional image comprises an animated character.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one object appearing to be co-located with said audience member in said three-dimensional image comprises a person.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for capturing two-dimensional image data of an audience member in a theater at a plurality of cameras; and

means for transforming said image data for projection on a screen in said theater as multiple two-dimensional images viewed by other audience members in said theater as a three-dimensional image of said audience member.

18. A method comprising:

partitioning a theater audience into a plurality of detection zones;

monitoring said detection zones with images of individuals in said detection zones captured at a plurality of cameras associated with said detection zones; and

interpreting at least one gesture of at least one individual in an associated detection zone based, at least in part, on at least one of said images captured in said detection zone.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said interpreting said at least one of said gestures comprises interpreting said at least one of said gestures as a selection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said selection comprises a vote.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said selection comprises an order for delivery of a beverage to a location of said at least one individual.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said interpreting said at least one of said gestures comprises interpreting said at least one of said gestures as a desire to change a sound level in said theater.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said monitoring further comprises:

receiving infrared images in at least one of said detection zones; and

temporally processing said infrared images in said at least one of said detection zones.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for partitioning a theater audience into a plurality of detection zones;

means for monitoring said detection zones with images of individuals in said detection zones captured at a plurality of cameras associated with said detection zones; and

means for interpreting at least one gesture of at least one individual in an associated detection zone based, at least in part, on at least one of said images captured in said detection zone.