Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.

Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs.

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Paul H Dietz

Ramesh Raskar

Darren L Leigh

William Yerazunis

Benjamin Warren Dietz

Johnny Chung Lee

Jonathan Westhues

Shree Kumar Nayar

Jay E Thornton

Christopher Richard Wren

Jeroen Van Baar

David C Reynolds

Paul A Beardsley

Bhiksha Ramakrishnan

Ali Azarbayejani

Richard C Waters

Robert Alan Swirsky

Dirk Brinkman

Giovanni Vannucci

Roger S Holzberg

Kyle W Poor

Vlad Branzoi

Mamoru Kato

Bent Schmidt-Nielsen

Joshua Midgal

Yong Zhao

M O S C Jasba Simpson

Elise M Fermier

Hideaki Nii

Jay W Summet

Michael Noland

Erich Bruns

Lawrence P Stein

Dermot Diamond

Daniel Maynes-Aminzade

Edward A Sotto, Iii

An apparatus and method is described for providing three-dimensional decoys having removeable or interchangeable body parts. The decoy includes an interchangeable head having a connecting system that quickly interlocks the head to the decoy body without the need for rotation or snap fit. Further, the connecting system engages the head to the body with enough resistance that the decoy may be lifted by holding the head without disengaging from the body.

Multi dimensional decoy body and head connector

An apparatus and method for providing three-dimensional decoy having removeable or interchangeable body parts. The decoy includes an interchangeable head or support pole having a connecting system that quickly interlocks the head or pole to the decoy body. Further, the connecting system engages the head or support pole to the body with enough resistance that the decoy stays together in heavy winds and may be lifted by holding the head without disengaging from the body.

A small stuffed animal () is worn on the wrist of a user () and is held on via long arms featuring hook and loop fasteners. When the user wishes to activate the toy, the user places the animal's mouth close to the user's ear. A sensor () detects this action, and triggers one of many entertaining audio messages stored in the toy, thus creating the sensation of the animal whispering in the user's ear. In addition, the toy has a sensor () that can detect the presence of nearby location transmitters. This allows the toy to appropriately choose the audio messages to match the current location. Also, rather than waiting for the user to randomly discover the location driven messages, the toy alerts the user that it has an interesting message waiting.

Location-sensitive toy and method therefor

An optical receiver is arranged at a location in a scene. The optical receiver includes a photo sensor configured to detect spatio-temporal modulated optical signals directed at the scene from a set of spatially dispersed optical transmitters, and to convert the optical signals from each of the optical transmitters to a corresponding electronic signal. The electronic signals can be analyzed to determine geometric properties of the location in the scene.

System and method for sensing geometric and photometric attributes of a scene with multiplexed illumination and solid states optical devices

A projector that illuminates a scene with multiplexed light patterns includes a passive physical mask, and a set of spatially dispersed optical emitters arranged behind the physical mask. The optical emitters are modulated to project a set of unique optical light patterns.

Apparatus and method for illuminating a scene with multiplexed illumination for motion capture

A multi-user touch system includes a surface on which are a pattern of mounted antennas. A transmitter transmits uniquely identifiable signals to each antenna. Receivers are capacitively coupled to different users, the receivers are configured to receive the uniquely identifiable signals. A processor then associates a specific antenna with a particular user when multiple users simultaneously touch any of the antennas.

Multi-user touch surface

A method and system enhances an acoustic signal acquired by a microphone from an acoustic source while concurrently acquiring a Doppler signal from moving parts of the acoustic source. The acoustic signal and the Doppler signal are then analyzed according to a model to generate an enhanced acoustic signal.

System and method for acquiring acoustic signals using doppler techniques

A method and apparatus acquires images of a scene with an omni-directional imager and a pan-tilt-zoom imager. A relationship between pixels in the input image and locations in the scene is expressed in terms of polar coordinates. An event is detected in the input images and the omni-directional pan-tilt-zoom camera is directed at the event in the scene using the relationship expressed in the polar coordinates.

Composite surveillance camera system

A location sensitive display device, and method therefor utilized in an entertainment environment. The display device includes a receiver, control circuit, and indication units. Infrared (IR) transmitters are positioned within the entertainment environment and emit a code which is detected and decoded by the receiver or IR photodiode. The receiver generates a control signal in response to the transmitted IR signal, and a control circuit processes the control signal to generate output signals which illuminate Light Emitting Diode (LED) indication units in a sequence determined by the output signals to provide a predetermined visual display. The display can be used in an activity related to the entertainment environment and can be controlled by a user or a central control system. Further, the display device can include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen to provide various types of games including games of skill and trivia games with questions and answers.

Location sensitive display device, system, and method of providing animation sequences

An apparatus measures a fluid level in a container. A light source emits a light beam. A light sensor can sense the light beam. An optical conduit is arranged in a container for holding fluid. The optical conduit is arranged between the light source and the light sensor along a path of the light beam, such that at least one part of the light beam passes through the optical conduit, and at least an other part of the light beam passes through the fluid when the container holds the fluid. The sensor senses the light beam when a level of the fluid coincides with the one part of the light beam passing through the optical conduit, and the sensor does not sense the light beam when the level of the fluid coincides with the other part of the light beam passing through the fluid due to internal reflection at the fluid level.

Optical fluid level encoder

An interactive display system includes a pixel-based display surface and a light pen. A sequence of patterns is projected onto the display surface. The sequence of patterns has a unique sequence of light intensities for each location of the display surface. Intensities of light at an arbitrary location are sensed by the light pen while projecting the sequence of patterns. The intensifies of light are decoded to determine coordinates of the arbitrary location.

Light pen system for pixel-based displays

In a rear projection television, cathode ray tubes are mounted inside an enclosure so that each cathode ray tube projects output images onto a rear projection screen using a corresponding electron beam. Calibration images are generated for each cathode ray tube. A camera, also mounted inside the enclosure, acquires an input image of each calibration image. A distortion in each input image is measured, and the output images of the cathode ray tubes are corrected by adjusting the signals controlling the corresponding electron beams according to the distortion.

Self-correcting rear projection television

A wireless location and identification system includes a controller and a tag. The controller has a projector configured to generate a unique temporal sequence of light intensities for each pixel in an output image of the projector and a wireless transceiver configured to emit an output signal and receive an input signal. The tag includes a photo-sensor configured to sense the unique temporal sequence of light intensities of a particular pixel, a transducer configured to receive the output signal from the transceiver, and a means for modulating, according to the unique temporal sequence of light intensities, the input signal for the transceiver in response to receiving the output signal and sensing the unique temporal sequence of light intensities of the particular pixel to indicate a location of the tag to the controller.

Interactive wireless tag location and identification system

An optical communications transceiver includes an LED coupled in series with a resistor. A microprocessor has one I/O pin connected to the LED. In a first mode or transmit mode, the LED is periodically driving in forward bias to emit light to transmit data. In a second or receive mode, the LED is periodically not driven in reverse bias, e.g., reverse bias or zero bias. Then, the LED is allowed to change charge of the capacitance of the LED's junction using a photo-current. The change in charge is measured using a timer. When the change in charge exceeds a predetermined threshold, input light is sensed. Thus, the LED can be used to receive data in the second mode.

Communication using bi-directional LEDs

A chemochromic sensor includes multiple bi-directional LEDs, each optically aligned with one or more test areas. Each LED is used as both a light emitter when driven in forward bias, and as a light detector when driven in reverse bias. By alternating the bias on the LEDs, multi-way light measurements of the test area can be obtained.

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Paul H Dietz