SONY PICTURES TECHNOLOGIES INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20140279976 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RECORDING INFORMATION ABOUT RENDERED ASSETS - Systems and methods presented here allow recreation of prior scenes, even if assets used in the scenes have evolved over time. The systems and methods employ query of a database to obtain data for backup and retrieval, e.g., information about shots made at prior points in time, where a “shot” refers to a scene or associated set of sequential frames (a single image may also be considered a shot in some instances), rendered or not depending on context. In the VP-VCR systems and methods, information may be obtained about rendered scenes which allow knowledge and subsequent use of each asset employed in the scene, including its proper version and representation at the time of the rendering. Such may be employed not only to obtain prior versions of shots, but also to allow modification of assets in prior shots to obtain new effects. | 09-18-2014 |
20140247265 | ADJUSTING HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SHADING IN 3-D RENDERING - Rendering a stereoscopic image of a 3-D environment, including: tracing a path of ray from a camera to a light source for every pixel in a view window; determining shading of all pixels in the view window; and adjusting the shading for all pixels to show horizontal displacement but substantially reduce vertical displacement in the stereoscopic image. Keywords include shading and horizontal displacement. | 09-04-2014 |
20140240316 | RENDERING 3-D SCENES USING BENT RAYS - Rendering a 3-D scene using bent ray, including; tracing a path of the bent ray from a camera to an object for each pixel in a view window, wherein the amount of bending in the bent ray is a function of the distance from the camera; rendering the each, pixel in the view window until all pixels in the view window have been rendered; and outputting the rendered view window as a rendered 3-D scene. Keywords include bent rays and object depth. | 08-28-2014 |
20140210815 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCEDURAL CG EYE MENISCUS - Systems and methods are disclosed to provide a highly convenient and practically automated system for creation of highly-realistic menisci for CG characters. Creating the meniscus in the correct place and maintaining its correlation with moving eyes and eyelids was in the past difficult. The systems and methods disclosed provide a highly-realistic way to create and control such features. The systems and methods may create the meniscus in a procedural fashion, allowing the meniscus to properly track movements of character eyes and eyelids and to be animated in a highly-realistic fashion. | 07-31-2014 |
20140210810 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RE-PROJECTION FOR MULTIPLE-VIEW DISPLAYS - Systems and methods are provided that allow for the rapid creation of multiple novel views for applications. These multiple views may allow for not only stereo views but also for different viewpoints of a stereographic scene to be presented, or for a time progression of the stereo scene to be presented, where a viewpoint is altered with respect to time. The systems and methods may be employed to create the content for auto-stereographic displays or multiple view systems that use a plurality of novel views to display stereo media. Such displays or multiple view systems may include those employing parallax barriers or lenticular lenses. | 07-31-2014 |
20140022261 | SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ACHIEVE BETTER EYELINES IN CG CHARACTERS - Systems and methods are provided to create better-looking animated eyes for CG characters. The systems and methods set the rigging of each eye to, rather than precisely converge on a target location, converge but be rotationally or angularly offset by a certain amount to simulate correct physical eye positioning and movements. In addition, the systems and methods provide even more realistic eye appearance by taking account of the refractive properties of the cornea, e.g., which can make the pupil appear larger than it actually is. The systems and methods may further take account of a shadowing effect of the upper eye caused by the brow, eyelashes, and upper lid (as well as an effect caused by reflection from the underside of the eyelashes). This darkening of the upper portion of the eye addresses vertical eyeline discrepancies caused by the visual and optical illusion of incorrect lighting. | 01-23-2014 |
20130262515 | CONSUMER RIGHTS LOCKER - Storing, building, managing, and controlling consumer personal information, including: building at least one level of personal information according to a standard; storing the personal information on a consumer rights locker; defining a scope of access under terms of a consumer to control access to the consumer rights locker; transmitting a plurality of parameters needed to access the consumer rights locker; receiving a request to access the consumer rights locker and the plurality of parameters; comparing the plurality of parameters to the scope of access; and granting access to the consumer rights locker when it is determined that the request is valid, wherein the request is valid when the plurality of parameters includes an access right that is consistent with information in the scope of access. Keywords include consumer rights locker and personal information. | 10-03-2013 |
20130246226 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING CONSUMER PROMOTION, SALE, OR GIFTING OF CONTENT ITEMS SUCH AS MOVIES - Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for selling content such as movies online. In one implementation, a user obtains permission from the content owner to sell access to an item of video content. The user acts as a promoter for the content and receives compensation from the content owner for each sale. The user does not have or create copies to transfer to buyers—the commercial transaction and fulfillment are provided by the content owner. The user can build a library or online store of content that the user promotes. In another implementation, the system provides significant gifting functionality for content items, such as for providing previews and gift wrapping skins for gifted content items. | 09-19-2013 |
20130232398 | ASSET MANAGEMENT DURING PRODUCTION OF MEDIA - Managing assets during production of multimedia, comprising: creating at least one scouting image; creating a metadata including information needed to import the at least one scouting image as a shot; and generating a script including commands needed to recreate the shot in its current state, and storing camera and character attributes. Keywords include asset management and scouting images. | 09-05-2013 |
20130232178 | CONNECTING STORYBOARD SYSTEM TO EDITORIAL SYSTEM - Managing assets in a movie during production, including: storing new material in a file in a first folder in a data storage system; sending the new material to an editorial system; storing the new material in a file in a second folder in the data storage system; and creating an empty file in a third folder, wherein the empty file has the same name as the file for the new material in the first folder. Keywords include storyboard and editorial. | 09-05-2013 |
20130232144 | MANAGING STORYBOARDS - Managing assets in a movie during production, including: storing an image file in a temporary location; storing an XML file containing various metadata; sending a signal including the path the XML filet wherein the XML file contains a path to the image file that it is to be imported. Keywords include Photoshop and XML. | 09-05-2013 |
20130230299 | GENERATING MULTIPLE SHOTS IN STORYBOARDING - Storyboard processing in a movie during production, including: creating a proxy shot for an imported shot; displaying the proxy shot; receiving a completion signal for the imported shot; reloading related metadata for the imported shot; and displaying the newly imported shot. Keywords include proxy shot and imported shot. | 09-05-2013 |
20130222610 | CAPTURING METADATA ON SET USING A SMART PEN - Capturing metadata, including: a data capture device, wherein the data capture device captures notes made by a user and stores the notes as captured data; a data ingest computer, including a connection interface to connect to the data capture device and receive the captured data from the data capture device, and a data conversion component to convert the captured data to formatted data; and a data repository, connected to the data ingest computer, wherein the data repository is connected to a network. Keywords include smart pen and on set metadata acquisition. | 08-29-2013 |
20120256939 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPORTANCE SAMPLING OF AREA LIGHTS IN PARTICIPATING MEDIA - Provided are systems and methods that address the problem of single scattering in homogeneous volumes. In one implementation, an importance sampling technique is provided that avoids a singularity near point light sources. The system and method can be extended to the situation of area lights of arbitrary shapes. The error caused by the non-constant distance to the finite-extent area light is distributed by using random sample points within the area light as points from which lighting is calculated for sampling points along the ray. | 10-11-2012 |
20120212496 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DECOUPLED RAY MARCHING FOR PRODUCTION RAY TRACKING IN INHOMOGENEOUS PARTICIPATING MEDIA - Provided are systems and methods to perform ray marching for production ray tracing in inhomogeneous participating media. The systems and methods allow a reduction of the quadratic complexity without giving up the benefits of accurate ray traced lighting. In one implementation, the task of ray marching is reformulated into a task of transforming an unknown, spatially varying volume into a collection of piecewise homogeneous segments. Being homogeneous, inexpensive analytical formulas may be employed for evaluating and sampling the transmission term at arbitrary points in the segments. | 08-23-2012 |
20120173625 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION ABOUT CONTENT ITEMS SUCH AS MOVIES - Systems and methods are provided for sharing movie information online. In one implementation, the user of an online movie service can share information about the contents of a library or other such rights locker, e.g., under Ultraviolet™ and DECE. Users may also share likes and dislikes. The movie service may make suggestions based on the contents of the user's library and the contents of other user's libraries, such as those of the user's designated friends. A user can become a follower or fan of another user and receive recommendations based on the target user's profile or specific recommendations made by the target. The user can receive a credit on their account or on a related account when another user makes a purchase that is attributable to that user, e.g., from a recommendation. A user may be designated as an influencer when followed by a sufficient number of other users. | 07-05-2012 |
20120173333 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING CONSUMER PROMOTION, SALE, OR GIFTING OF CONTENT ITEMS SUCH AS MOVIES - Apparatus and methods to implement a technique for selling content such as movies online. In one implementation, a user obtains permission from the content owner to sell access to an item of video content. The user acts as a promoter for the content and receives compensation from the content owner for each sale. The user does not have or create copies to transfer to buyers—the commercial transaction and fulfillment are provided by the content owner. The user can build a library or online store of content that the user promotes. In another implementation, the system provides significant gifting functionality for content items, such as for providing previews and gift wrapping skins for gifted content items. | 07-05-2012 |
20120128324 | 3D AUTHORING TOOL ENSURING NO BUFFER UNDERRUN UPON JUMPS - Systems and methods are provided to implement a technique for providing 3D content, such as on optical media like Blu-ray® discs. In one implementation, a 3D authoring tool executing on a computer system manages how to construct an image for replication where the image handles jumps without buffer underruns, the jumps caused by layer switching or by moving from or to branches in a multi-branch story line. | 05-24-2012 |
20120113232 | MULTIPLE CAMERA SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTABLE INTERAXIAL SEPARATION - Systems and methods are provided for 3-D photography. Multiple cameras or lens and sensor assemblies are employed to provide a range of interaxial separations. A user selects two of such cameras to achieve a desired interaxial separation, the two cameras separated by an interaxial separation closest to that desired. The systems and methods may be applicable to even low-cost consumer-grade still and video cameras to provide stereoscopic 3-D effects. | 05-10-2012 |
20120096340 | REFORMATTING WEB PAGES IN BD PLATFORM - Reformatting web pages in a BD platform, including: receiving a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) page of a web browser; parsing the HTML page into user interface (UI) widgets; and mapping the UI widgets into Home Audio/Video interface (HAVi) widgets. Keywords include HAVi, Widgets, and BD platform. | 04-19-2012 |
20120093480 | IMPLEMENTING WEB BROWSER IN BD PLATFORM - Implementing a web browser in a BD platform, including: receiving a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) page of a web browser; converting the HTML page including user interface (UI) widgets into graphical elements including HAVi widgets; and displaying the HTML page in the BD platform. Keywords include HAVi, Widgets, and BD platform. | 04-19-2012 |
20120093479 | CAPTURING PLAYBACK KEY EVENTS IN BD PLAYERS - Capturing playback key events to override a default behavior of key strokes during playback, includes: receiving a user operation initiated by a user; receiving a notice that a non-default behavior of the key strokes is being masked; notifying the user that there are adverse consequences of overriding the default behavior of the key strokes; and overriding the default behavior of the key strokes. Keywords include User Operation Mask Table and Playback Key Events. | 04-19-2012 |
20120084796 | EVENT TRIGGERED ACTIONS BASED ON MEDIA ACTION TABLE - Generating event-triggered actions, including: detecting at least one event occurring on a mobile device; generating and presenting an event action parameter for the at least one event; and receiving and processing the event action parameter using a media action table to generate at least one action instruction. | 04-05-2012 |
20120078703 | ACCESS TO MEDIA BITES - Accessing media data in bites, including: receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. | 03-29-2012 |
20120066059 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING VIDEO CLIPS, AND THE CREATION THEREOF - Systems and methods are provided for retrieving and presenting video clips. In one implementation, a computer system provides a clip engine implemented within a software application to retrieve video clips from a database. The clip engine receives requests for video clips in different modes and provides video data matching the requests. The modes may include, e.g., a daily mode, a search mode, a quiz mode, and a response form mode, and may include information to allow purchase of the video content, e.g., a movie or television program, associated with the clip. A desktop or digital widget, e.g., a calendar application, may be provided to deliver new video clips each day. The widget may also provide an option to buy the content item. The widget may run on a portable device, e.g., mobile phone, media player, computer, or another device, such as a game console or television. | 03-15-2012 |
20110273456 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARTIAL SIMULATION AND DYNAMIC CONTROL OF SIZES OF ANIMATED OBJECTS - Systems and methods are provided for altering a portion of a simulation without deleteriously altering adjoining portions, and in so doing increasing the pace at which simulations may be made by decreasing the overall number and size of simulations required. In other implementations, the systems and method provide convenient ways to dynamically control the size of animated objects, such as hair or cloth, using animated rest poses. | 11-10-2011 |
20110273445 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING HAIR AND CLOTH USING POLYHEDRAL-BASED CONSTRAINTS - Systems and methods are disclosed to create a realistic and dynamic model of an animated object, such as hair or cloth, by employing control vertices and control entities that make up an animated object. The control vertices are used as polyhedral vertices in the creation of a polyhedral mesh, such as a tetrahedral mesh, and a constraint is employed during simulation in which the polyhedral volume is preserved. Using the systems and methods, the workflow may be significantly improved and costs significantly lowered. | 11-10-2011 |
20110145896 | DOMAIN SPANNING APPLICATIONS - Managing and accessing media items, including: a plurality of domains configured to provide access to media items; a plurality of clients associated with the plurality domains, and providing a pathway for accessing the media items; and a spanning application configured to track and aggregate accessible media items from the plurality of domains based on authentication and registration information and associated rights of the plurality of clients and the plurality of domains, wherein the spanning application enables accessing of the media items across the plurality of domains. | 06-16-2011 |
20110110561 | FACIAL MOTION CAPTURE USING MARKER PATTERNS THAT ACCOMODATE FACIAL SURFACE - Capturing facial surface using marker patterns laid out on the facial surface by adapting the marker patterns to contours of the facial surface and motion range of a head including: generating a facial action coding system (FACS) matrix by capturing FACS poses; generating a pattern to wrap over the facial surface using the FACS poses as a guide; capturing and tracking marker motions of the pattern; stabilizing the marker motions of the pattern using a head stabilization transform to remove head motions from the marker motions; and generating and applying a plurality of FACS matrix weights to the stabilized marker motions. | 05-12-2011 |
20110109730 | STEREOSCOPIC OVERLAY OFFSET CREATION AND EDITING - Adjusting overlay positioning in stereoscopic video, including: receiving overlay data including a plurality of overlays, each overlay having a lateral axis value, a vertical axis value, and a depth value; receiving and displaying the stereoscopic video to a user as at least one of a video preview display and a stereoscopic display, each display including an overlay from the overlay data, wherein a position of the overlay in each display is based on the lateral axis value, the vertical axis value, and the depth value of the overlay, and wherein the video preview display includes interfaces for adjusting the position of the overlay in each display; receiving input from the user related to the depth value of the overlay; and adjusting the position of the overlay in the video preview display based on the input from the user. | 05-12-2011 |
20110083143 | PROVIDING SERVICES USING DATA ON BLU-RAY DISC - Providing a VOD service using BD data available to a BD player includes: preparing VOD data such that the BD player can use the VOD data to provide the VOD service; inserting the VOD data onto a BD; preparing VOD selections and VOD metadata based on the VOD data read from the BD; and delivering the content item selected by a user from a menu of VOD selections. Keywords include Blu-ray, BD-Live, Video-on-Demand. | 04-07-2011 |