Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110164109 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RAPID IMAGE SEQUENCE DEPTH ENHANCEMENT WITH AUGMENTED COMPUTER-GENERATED ELEMENTS - Motion picture scenes to be colorized/depth enhanced (2D->3D) are broken into separate elements, backgrounds/sets or motion/onscreen-action. Background and motion elements are combined into composite frame which becomes a visual reference database that includes data for all frame offsets used later for the computer controlled application of masks within a sequence of frames. Masks are applied to subsequent frames of motion objects based on various differentiating image processing methods, including automated mask fitting/reshaping. Colors and/or depths are automatically applied to masks throughout a scene from the composite background and to motion objects. Areas never exposed by motion or foreground objects in a series of images may be partially or fully realistically drawn or rendered and applied to the occluded areas of the background and then automatically applied throughout the images to generate of minimal artifact or artifact-free secondary viewpoints when translating foreground objects horizontally during 2D->3D conversion. | 07-07-2011 |
20120063681 | MINIMAL ARTIFACT IMAGE SEQUENCE DEPTH ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - Motion picture scenes to be colorized/depth enhanced (2D->3D) are broken into separate elements, backgrounds/sets or motion/onscreen-action. Background and motion elements are combined into composite frame which becomes a visual reference database that includes data for all frame offsets used later for the computer controlled application of masks within a sequence of frames. Masks are applied to subsequent frames of motion objects based on various differentiating image processing methods, including automated mask fitting/reshaping. Colors and/or depths are automatically applied to masks throughout a scene from the composite background and to motion objects. Areas never exposed by motion or foreground objects in a series of images may be partially or fully realistically drawn or rendered and applied to the occluded areas of the background and then automatically applied throughout the images to generate of minimal artifact or artifact-free secondary viewpoints when translating foreground objects horizontally during 2D->3D conversion. | 03-15-2012 |
20120120054 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MINIMAL ITERATION WORKFLOW FOR IMAGE SEQUENCE DEPTH ENHANCEMENT - Movies to be colorized/depth enhanced (2D->3D) are broken into backgrounds/sets or motion/onscreen-action. Background and motion elements are combined into composite frame which becomes a visual reference database that includes data for all frame offsets used later for the computer controlled application of masks within a sequence of frames. Masks are applied to subsequent frames of motion objects based on various differentiating image processing methods, including automated mask fitting/reshaping. Colors/depths are automatically applied with masks throughout a scene from the composite background and to motion objects. Areas never exposed by motion or foreground objects may be partially or fully realistically drawn/rendered/applied to the occluded areas and applied throughout the images to generate artifact-free secondary viewpoints during 2D->3D conversion. Iterative workflow is eliminated for simple artifact correction through real-time manipulation of images to avoid re-rendering of images and associated delays of sending work product to other workgroups for correction. | 05-17-2012 |
20120242790 | RAPID WORKFLOW SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE SEQUENCE DEPTH ENHANCEMENT - Movies to be colorized/depth enhanced (2D->3D) are broken into backgrounds/sets or motion/onscreen-action. Background and motion elements are combined into composite frame which becomes a visual reference database that includes data for all frame offsets used later for the computer controlled application of masks within a sequence of frames. Masks are applied to subsequent frames of motion objects based on various differentiating image processing methods, including automated mask fitting/reshaping. Colors/depths are automatically applied with masks throughout a scene from the composite background and to motion objects. Areas never exposed by motion or foreground objects may be partially or fully realistically drawn/rendered/applied to the occluded areas and applied throughout the images to generate artifact-free secondary viewpoints during 2D->3D conversion. Iterative workflow is eliminated for simple artifact correction through real-time manipulation of images to avoid re-rendering of images and associated delays of sending work product to other workgroups for correction. | 09-27-2012 |
20140146037 | LINE DEPTH AUGMENTATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERSION OF 2D IMAGES TO 3D IMAGES - A line depth augmentation system and method for conversion of 2D images to 3D images. Enables adding depth to regions by altering depth of lines in the regions, for example in cell animation images or regions of limited color range. Eliminates creation of wireframe or other depth models and complex modeling of regions to match the depth of lines therein. Enables rapid conversion of two-dimensional images to three-dimensional images by enabling stereographers to quickly add/alter line depth without artifacts in images for example lines in monochrome regions. Embodiments may output a stereoscopic image pair of images with lines having desired depth, or any other three-dimensional viewing enabled image, such as an anaglyph image. Although the lines may be of a different depth than the region they appear in, the human mind interprets the monochromatic region as having depth associated with the line. | 05-29-2014 |
20150243324 | IMAGE SEQUENCE ENHANCEMENT AND MOTION PICTURE PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - The system enables conversion of black and white images to color images and/or two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images based on adding color and/or depth to images using masks for regions in the images, as well as reshaping of masks to cover objects that have moved and changed shape as the objects move in a sequence of images. Also, includes motion picture project management system for reviewers, coordinators and artists. Artists utilize image analysis and image enhancement and computer graphics processing for example to convert two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images or otherwise create or alter motion pictures. Enables the efficient management of projects related to motion pictures to enable enterprises to manage assets, control costs, predict budgets and profit margins, reduce archival storage and otherwise provide displays tailored to specific roles to increase worker efficiency. | 08-27-2015 |
20150249815 | METHOD FOR CREATING 3D VIRTUAL REALITY FROM 2D IMAGES - A method that enables creation of a 3D virtual reality environment from a series of 2D images of a scene. Embodiments map 2D images onto a sphere to create a composite spherical image, divide the composite image into regions, and add depth information to the regions. Depth information may be generated by mapping regions onto flat or curved surfaces, and positioning these surfaces in 3D space. Some embodiments enable inserting, removing, or extending objects in the scene, adding or modifying depth information as needed. The final composite image and depth information are projected back onto one or more spheres, and then projected onto left and right eye image planes to form a 3D stereoscopic image for a viewer of the virtual reality environment. Embodiments enable 3D images to be generated dynamically for the viewer in response to changes in the viewer's position and orientation in the virtual reality environment. | 09-03-2015 |
20150358612 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL-TIME DEPTH MODIFICATION OF STEREO IMAGES OF A VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT - Enables real-time depth modifications to stereo images of a 3D virtual reality environment locally and for example without iterative workflow involving region designers or depth artists that includes re-rendering these images from the original 3D model. Embodiments generate a spherical translation map from the 3D model of the virtual environment; this spherical translation map is a function of the pixel shifts between left and right stereo images for each point of the sphere surrounding the viewer of the virtual environment. Modifications may be made directly to the spherical translation map, and applied directly to the stereo images, without requiring re-rendering of the scene from the complete 3D model. This process enables depth modifications to be viewed in real-time, greatly improving the efficiency of the 3D model creation, review, and update cycle. | 12-10-2015 |
20150358613 | 3D MODEL MULTI-REVIEWER SYSTEM - A system that coordinates multiple simultaneous reviews of a 3D model, potentially from different viewpoints. Embodiments support multiple reviewers using review stations that render images of the model based on the pose of the reviewer. For example, multiple reviewers may use virtual reality headsets to observe a 3D virtual environment from different orientations. A coordinator uses a coordinator station to observe the entire 3D model and the viewpoints of each of the reviewers in this 3D model. Embodiments may support reviewer designation of regions within the model that require review or modification; these designated regions are also displayed on the coordinator station. Embodiments may support real time updates to the 3D model and propagation of updated images to the coordinator and to the multiple viewers. | 12-10-2015 |