Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Pixar

Disney Enterprise, Inc.

Alexis Paul Wieland

Akhil Jiten Madhani

Jonathan Michael Ackley

Holger Irmler

Alfredo Medina Ayala

Joseph George Hager, Iv

Amy K Van Gilder

Leslie Margaret Evans

Siroberto Scerbo

Jonathan Michael Becker

Clare M Carroll

Oren Rod Aviv

Nicholas S Newberg

Jason Dubin

Nuria E Romero

Jay D Williams

Lanny Starkes Smoot

Quinn Smithwick

Thomas Fraiser LaDuke

Oren M Jacob

David DiFrancesco

David Loyal Christensen

Loren C Carpenter

Bryan S Tye

Warren Trezevant

James R Kennedy

Günter D Niemeyer

Kyna P McIntosh

Andrew R Beechum

Matthew K Pan

Elizabeth A Woods

Sungjoon Choi

Daniel De Jesus Campos Zamora

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for creating a mixed reality environment. A mixed reality system includes a performance area for generating a mixed reality environment, a motion determination module that determines and tracks the motion of an object within the performance area, a physical article module that generates a physical article within the performance area, and a mixed reality display that displays a virtual article within the performance area, wherein the physical article and the virtual article are correlated to the motion of the object.

Real-time projection in a mixed reality environment

There are provided systems and methods for synchronizing effects for multi-user mixed reality experiences. In one implementation, such a system includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code. The hardware processor executes the software code to receive sensor data from multiple sensors within a venue, identify an activity in the venue based on the sensor data, and track a respective perspective and a respective location within the venue of each of multiple observers of the activity. The hardware processor also executes the software code to identify a first effect triggered by an action of one of the observers, conform the first effect to the respective perspective and the respective location of each of the observers to produce multiple second effects corresponding to the first effect, and output the second effects for operating multiple actuating devices within the venue during the activity.

Synchronized effects for multi-user mixed reality experiences

A system for sensing and controlling eye contact for a robot. The system includes a robotic figure with a movable eye. The system includes a light source positioned in the robotic figure to output light through a light outlet of the eye. A light sensor is included that senses light striking surfaces in a physical space in which the robotic figure is positioned including the output light from the light source. The system includes an image processor processing output of the light sensor to identify a location of a target formed by the output light striking surfaces in the physical space and to identify a location of a face of a human. Further, the system includes a robot controller generating eye movement control signals based on the location of the target and the location of the face to position the eye to provide eye contact with the human observer.

Eye contact sensing and control for robotic characters

A system of distributed control of an interactive animatronic show includes a plurality of animatronic actors, at least one of the actors a processor and one or more motors controlled by the processor. The system also includes a network interconnecting each of the actors, and a plurality of sensors providing messages to the network, where the messages are indicative of processed information. Each processor executed software that schedules and/or coordinates an action of the actor corresponding to the processor in accordance with the sensor messages representative of attributes of an audience viewing the show and the readiness of the corresponding actor. Actions of the corresponding actor can include animation movements of the actor, responding to another actor and/or responding to a member of the audience. The actions can result in movement of at least a component of the actor caused by control of the motor.

System and method of distributed control of an interactive animatronic show

A system for producing motions for an animatronic figure is disclosed. The system is configured to produce different types of motions in real-time and in a life-like manner. The motion software module forms a composite motion by combining the user-inputted motion with user-selected fixed sequences and/or with algorithmically calculated motion. The motions of the animatronic figure can further be filtered to produce motions that are life-like. Combined motions are formed by superimposing, modulating, or modifying component motions. Motions are filtered based on user-inputted commands and commands determined from a stimulus and filtered to create a life-like motion.

Computing environment that produces realistic motions for an animatronic figure

A method for specifying an animatronics unit includes receiving a force-based software model for the animatronics unit, receiving a kinematics-based software model for the animatronics unit, receiving animation data for animating the kinematics-based software model, wherein the animation data comprises artistically determined motions for the kinematics-based software model by a user, determining a plurality of driving signals in response to the animation data, animating the force-based software model of the animatronics unit in response to the plurality of driving signals, displaying animation of the force-based software model determined in response to the plurality of driving signals, and determining a specification for construction of the animatronics unit in response to animation of the force-based software model.

Animatronics animation method and apparatus

A system of distributed control of an interactive animatronic show includes a plurality of animatronic actors, at least one of the actors having a processor and one or more motors controlled by the processor. The system also includes a network interconnecting each of the actors, and a plurality of sensors providing messages to the network, where the messages are indicative of processed information. Each processor executes software that schedules and/or coordinates an action of the actor corresponding to the processor in accordance with the sensor messages representative of attributes of an audience viewing the show and the readiness of the corresponding actor. Actions of the corresponding actor can include animation movements of the actor, responding to another actor and/or responding to a member of the audience. The actions can result in movement of at least a component of the actor caused by control of the motor.

A method is provided for decoding an image of a pattern on an object to determine a digital identifier. An image of a pattern on the object is received. The image includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels having an optical attribute with a corresponding value. The image is divided into a plurality of tiles, each of the tiles containing a contiguous plurality of the pixels of the image. A digital bit is assigned to each of the tiles based on the values of the optical attribute of the pixels in the tile. A digital identifier is determined based on the digital bits assigned to the tiles.

Systems and methods for decoding an image to determine a digital identifier

A method for controlling movement of movable object having a plurality of movable subcomponents comprises receiving an instruction configured to generate a defined movement of a selected subcomponent of the movable object between a first state and a second state. The method further comprises determining whether execution of the defined movement results in the selected subcomponent leaving a motion space associated with the selected subcomponent. The motion space is defined by a motion space boundary. The method further comprises producing a modified instruction configured to generate a modified movement of the selected subcomponent between the first state and the second state. Execution of the modified movement results in the selected subcomponent remaining within the motion space. At least a portion of the modified movement deviates from the defined movement.

Smooth clipping of data streams

A method is provided for delivering information content relating to an object. A first image of a pattern on the object is received. An outer border of the first image is detected, and a second image framed by the outer border is located. The second image is decoded to determine a digital identifier. Information content relating to the digital identifier is delivered.

Systems and methods for information content delivery relating to an object

In one aspect, a supported walking system is disclosed, comprising a robotic walking figure and a wheeled support that at least partially supports the robotic walking figure. The supported walking system may be driven and controlled by a human operator. Computer algorithms automatically control the robot's walking functions so that it may step forwards, backwards, and sideways in synchronicity with the movements of the cart while driving and turning at varying speeds.

Animatronic supported walking system

The invention is a method and apparatus for generating an autostereo image. The apparatus comprises at least one light source generating at least two views of an image, a parallax or 'slit'-type barrier screen and at least one light-transmitting elements projecting the at least two different views provided by the light source at one or more apertures in the barrier screen. A viewer viewing the screen perceives an autostereo image as a result of the left and right eyes of the viewer seeing different views of the image. In one embodiment, the light source comprises at least one digital projector. In one embodiment, the light-transmitting elements comprise fiber optic strands. A first end of the strand is arranged to receive light projected by one of the light sources. A second end of the strand is arranged to project at a rear side of the barrier screen.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Alexis Paul Wieland