Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Other

Thomas Malzbender

Daniel George Gelb

W Bruce Culbertson

Ramin Samadani

Michael E Goss

Nina Bhatti

Hans Wolters

Michele Mae Covell

John George Apostolopoulos

Susie J Wee

Michael Harville

Ruth Bergman

Henry Harlyn Baker

Kei Yuasa

Irwin E Sobel

Bradford A Ritter

Donald O Tanguay

Justin A Tehrani

William Culbertson

Charles B Chapman

Gregory Gilbran Slabaugh

Nina T Bhatti

Ryan Wilshusen

H Harlyn Baker

W Mike Berke

Oliver Wang

Bruce W Culbertson

This disclosure provides a pose- or gesture-based recognition system that processes images of the human hand, downconverts degrees of freedom of the human hand to lower-dimensional space, and then maps the downconverted space to a character set. In one embodiment, the system is implemented in a smart phone or as a computer-input device that uses a virtual keyboard. As the user moves his or her hand, the smart phone or computer provides simulated vocal feedback, permitting the user to adjust hand position or motion to arrive at any desired character; this is particularly useful for embodiments which use a phonetic character set. Software that performs character selection can be implemented in a manner that is language/region agnostic, with a contextual dictionary being used to interpret a phonetic character set according to a specific language or region.

Techniques for using gesture recognition to effectuate character selection

Compensation of ambient illumination. A visible image of an object with ambient illumination is captured. Image brightness of at least a portion of said object of said visible image is sampled. A difference between sampled image brightness of at least said portion of said object and a target brightness profile is determined. The difference is compensated for by projecting additional illumination onto said object.

Compensation of ambient illumination

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods and apparatuses for quantifying properties of skin. In one embodiment, data that describes a set of images of skin is received. A plurality of the images comprising the set of images were taken under a different lighting condition. Surface normals are computed based on the data and the computed surface normals are utilized to enable quantifying a property of the skin for the purpose of evaluating the skin.

Apparatus and a method for quantifying properties of skin

Methods and apparatus to direct attention in a video content display are disclosed. An example method to direct attention in a video content display, includes determining a location in a display interface to which attention is to be directed based on video content to be displayed, and modulating with a stimulus, at a frequency such that the stimulus is detectable by human peripheral vision and is less detectable by human foveal vision, a portion of the video content displayed in the location with a stimulus to direct attention to the location.

Methods and apparatus to direct attention in a video content display

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to object segmentation of digital video streams and digital images. In one aspect, a method for segmenting an object in a digitally-encoded image includes designing a non-linear local function that generates function values associated with identifying the object of interest and a combination function that combines the function values, the object of interest encoded in digital image data. The method includes forming orthogonal projections of the digital image data based on the function values and the combination function. In addition, the orthogonal projections can be used to determining boundaries segmenting the object in the digital image data. The method also includes extracting an image of the object that lies within the boundaries.

Methods and systems for object segmentation in digital images

One embodiment relates to a method of acquiring three-dimensional structure of an object using a flatbed scanner. The object is placed with a surface to be scanned facing down on a scanner platen. At least three images are obtained under differing lighting directions. The images are processed to generate the three-dimensional structure. Other features and embodiments are also disclosed.

Acquiring three-dimensional structure using two-dimensional scanner

Images of a document having a surface are captured. In this process, multiple scan lines respectively illuminated from different illumination angles relative to the document surface are scanned across the document surface in a first scan direction in relation to orientation of the document. Multiple scan lines respectively illuminated from different illumination angles relative to the document surface are scanned across the document surface in a second scan direction in relation to orientation of the document. The captured images are generated from scan line illumination reflected from the document surface during the scanning of respective ones of the scan lines across the document surface. A crease or a tear is detected in the document based on the captured images.

Automated detection of creases and/or tears in scanned prints

A method for clustering data streams. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for clustering data streams for use in a virtual environment. The embodiment of the method begins by determining a cluster of receiving nodes in the virtual environment. Each of the cluster of receiving nodes have associated values for at least one clustering parameter that as a set satisfies a test. Then, the embodiment continues by generating a common data stream based on the clustering parameter. Thereafter, the embodiment sends the common data stream from a sending node to the cluster of receiving nodes.

Method and system for clustering data streams for a virtual environment

A method of communicating gaze. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of communicating gaze in an immersive virtual environment. The method begins by representing an immersive virtual environment on a monitor that is viewable by a viewing participant. The monitor displays a plurality of objects in the virtual environment. The physical gaze of the viewing participant is tracked to determine a physical direction of the physical gaze within a physical environment including the viewing participant. Thereafter, a viewed object is determined at which the viewing participant is gazing. Then, a virtual direction is determined between the viewing participant and the viewed object in the immersive virtual environment. A model of the viewing participant is rotated based on the physical and virtual directions to render a view of the viewing participant such that the viewing participant is facing the viewed object in the immersive virtual environment.

Method and system for communicating gaze in an immersive virtual environment

Methods and systems for utilizing a parallel conversational thread during a remote collaboration are described. In one embodiment, a managing entity is utilized to establish a first communications path for a remote collaboration of at least two parties. Then, a request for a parallel conversation is received from at least one of the at least two parties during the remote collaboration. The managing entity then establishes a second communications path for the parallel conversation between the at least two parties. Wherein, the enabling of the parallel conversation on the second communications path is performed without inhibiting the first communications path, such that a portion of a first party can have a parallel conversation with a portion of a second party on the second communications path while the first communications path for the remote collaboration remains active.

System and method for establishing a parallel conversation thread during a remote collaboration

A method and system for real-time rendering within a gaming environment. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of rendering a local participant within an interactive gaming environment. The method begins by capturing a plurality of real-time video streams of a local participant from a plurality of camera viewpoints. From the plurality of video streams, a new view synthesis technique is applied to generate a rendering of the local participant. The rendering is generated from a perspective of a remote participant located remotely in the gaming environment. The rendering is then sent to the remote participant for viewing.

Method and system for real-time rendering within a gaming environment

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for rendering a digital image having surface reflectance properties is disclosed. The method comprises creating a parametric texture map that comprises parameters for an equation that defines a surface structure in a manner in which the appearance of the surface structure includes surface reflectance properties. The method further comprises rendering a digital image using the parametric texture map.

System and method for rendering digital images having surface reflectance properties

A retractable camera apparatus is disclosed. Through the use of the apparatus, a video teleconference environment can communicate, in real time, such personal features as gesture, expression and body language. The apparatus includes a housing portion, at least one arm portion coupled to the housing portion wherein the at least one arm portion is capable of being moved between a retracted position and a deployed position and a plurality of cameras coupled to the at least one arm portion.

Retractable camera apparatus

A support apparatus for a camera and strobe lights includes a mounting plate for holding the camera substantially normal to and at a fixed distance from the photograph area, a set of legs attached to one or more portions of the apparatus providing support and positions for mounting and a set of strobe lights affixed to the legs at known positions relative to the focal plane of the camera and directed towards the photograph area to facilitate acquisition of multiple photographic images for use in one or image processing operations. The support apparatus can be automated through the use of one or more mobile strobe lights slidably coupled to each leg, capable of self-propelled linear motion along the axis of the leg and providing indication of its position along the leg to facilitate acquisition of multiple photographic images and position data for the image processing operations.

Support apparatus and method for use with a camera and strobe lights

A method of generating a three-dimensional model of a scene from a plurality of photographs of the scene. The method includes voxels in an interior region and an exterior region of the scene in question and then examines the voxels to determine if they are empty or part of the objects in the scene. The interior region is divided into a plurality of interior voxels, that are preferably of the same size. The exterior region surrounds the interior space and is divided into exterior voxels having different sizes. The size of the exterior voxels increases as a function of the distance between the voxel and the interior region. The voxels that are furthest from the interior region are preferably infinite in size.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Thomas Malzbender