Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Carnegie Mellon University

Disney Interprises, Inc.

Chouchang Yang

Alanson P Sample

Christopher Harrison

Gierad Laput

Yang Zhang

Robert Xiao

A system and method for combining computer vision information about human subjects within the field-of-view of a computer vision subsystem with RF Angle of Arrival (AoA) information from an RF receiver subsystem to locate, identify, and track individuals and their location. The RF receiver subsystem may receive RF signals emitted by one or more electronic devices (e.g., a mobile phone) carried, held, or otherwise associated with am individual. Further, gestures can be made with the device and they can be detected by the system.

ID association and indoor localization via passive phased-array and computer vision motion correlation

A technique for identifying individual instances of electronic devices. This is done by using a basic RFID reader to read the RF emissions from the electronic device to obtain an emitted electromagnetic spectrum and compare it to a library of emitted electromagnetic spectrums of different instances of that type of electronic device and, based on that comparison, finding a best match and identifying the electronic device as being a particular instance of that type of electronic device. This comparison may be made by computing Euclidean distances between vectors that are based on the measured electromagnetic spectrums.

EM-ID: tag-less identification of electrical devices via electromagnetic emissions

Human environments are typified by walls&#x2014;homes, offices, schools, museums, hospitals and pretty much every indoor context one can imagine has walls. In many cases, they make up a majority of readily accessible indoor surface area, and yet they are static&#x2014;their primary function is to be a wall, separating spaces and hiding infrastructure. We present the Wall++ system, a low-cost sensing approach that allows walls to become a smart infrastructure. Instead of merely separating spaces, walls can now enhance rooms with sensing and interactivity. Our wall treatment and sensing hardware can track users' touch and gestures, as well as estimate body pose if they are close. By capturing airborne electromagnetic noise, we can also detect what appliances are active and where they are located. Through a series of evaluations, we demonstrate the Wall++ system can enable robust room-scale interactive and context-aware applications.

Room-scale interactive and context-aware sensing

Touch-based communication between users and various electronic devices is provided by encoding data onto the device's EMI. When the device is touched by a user, the data encoded EMI signal travels through their body and into a radio receiver worn by the user, such as via a wrist band. Results show that electronic primitives such as LEDs, buttons, I/O lines, LCD screens, motors and power supplies can be turned into radio transmitters capable of touch communication. Effective data rates range from 5.8 Kbps to 22 bit per image depending on the primitive used.

Communication through modulated electromagnetic emissions

An object recognition device that senses electrical signals conducted by the body of a human user (e.g., as a result of direct contact with or close proximity to a device emitting or conducting electromagnetic noise), compares the sensed electrical signals to a plurality of signatures of electrical signals produced by a corresponding plurality of types of electrical and electromechanical devices to determine the type of electrical or electromechanical device that generated the electrical signals sensed by the sensor, and communicates information to the human user related to or triggered by the electrical or electromechanical device.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Chouchang Yang