TRACKABLE PROJECTION SURFACES USING HIDDEN MARKER TRACKING
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130050206
Techniques for presenting display frames projected using a handheld projector. Embodiments detect a marker embedded in a display surface. A first display frame is projected onto the display surface from the handheld projector, where the first display frame projects, on the display surface, one or more animated objects positioned relative to the detected marker embedded in the display surface. Embodiments generate one or more subsequent display frames projected from the handheld…
ROBOTIC CONTROLLER THAT REALIZES HUMAN-LIKE RESPONSES TO UNEXPECTED DISTURBANCES
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130054021
A robotic structure includes a component that moves from a first position to a second position. Further, the robotic apparatus includes a robotic controller that (i) receives an input quantity and an output quantity that are computed from human motion data based on a human musculoskeletal model, (ii) computes at least one parameter based on the input quantity and the output quantity, and (iii) outputs the output quantity to the component upon an input of robotic motion data from the…
COLLABORATION PLANE
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130055107
Methods and systems for dynamically and collaboratively generating software documentation are described. In particular, methods and systems provide for in-context authoring, identification, and presentation of software documentation based on one or more determined contexts. For example, methods and systems enable a computing device to identify one or more current contexts for the device, and to provide documentation content based on the identified context.
SOFT-SENDING CHAT MESSAGES
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130047099
Techniques are disclosed for supplying users in an online environment with a safe and effective chat facility. The chat facility is “safe” in the sense that the ability of users to compose inappropriate messages is greatly restricted, while “effective” in the sense that users are still allowed a broad range of expressivity in composing and exchanging chat messages.
DYNAMICALLY GENERATED PHRASE-BASED ASSISTED INPUT
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130046791
Techniques are disclosed for supplying users in an online environment with a safe and effective chat facility. The chat facility is “safe” in the sense that the ability of users to compose inappropriate messages is greatly restricted, while “effective” in the sense that users are still allowed a broad range of expressivity in composing and exchanging chat messages.
PHYSICS-INSPIRED UP SAMPLING FOR CLOTH SIMULATION
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130046522
A technique for physically-based cloth simulation uses linear upsampling operators. The upsampling operators enrich the appearance of a coarse mesh physical cloth simulation. The technique starts by pre-computing the upsampling operators using a pair of coarse and fine training simulations aligned with tracking constraints using harmonic test functions. Then the upsampling operators are trained using a novel regularization technique that enables mid-scale detail learning without…
System and Method of Presenting Synchronous Picture-In-Picture for Consumer Video Players
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130038794
A media playback device capable of displaying multiple streams simultaneously and with expanded picture-in-picture capabilities is provided. The placement, size, aspect ratio, cropping, scale, transparency, tint, contrast, and cropping of the media can be set or adjusted arbitrarily. Furthermore, the audio may be mixed between separate tracks accompanying the video streams and may also be set or adjusted arbitrarily. Each variable can be dynamically changed during playback through either…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENCODING AND TRANSMITTING HIGH DEFINITION 3-D MULTIMEDIA CONTENT
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130039636
One particular implementation of the present invention may take the form of a method and system for encoding and/or transmitting high definition 3-D multimedia content. In one embodiment, the frames for each eye of a viewer may be transmitted in a frame sequential manner to a display device, with an occasional null frame included in the frame stream. The null frame may be ignored by the display device and not presented to the viewer. In another embodiment, a synchronization signal may be…
LOCATION-BASED AUTOMATED CHECK-IN TO A SOCIAL NETWORK RECOGNIZED LOCATION USING A TOKEN
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130040654
A user with a user account on a social network uses an interface to communicate user identification information and the user's intent to participate in a social network application. The user also communicates an identifier associated with an entitlement token to the social network application. When a server receives, from a device at a fixed location, a message indicative of the user's presence at the fixed location as determined by the receipt of the identifier and a site specific…
RING CAROUSEL RIDE
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130040744
A carousel ride in which vehicles may move at differing speeds, in differing directions, and each be independently positioned relative to a load/unload platform. In one embodiment, a carousel ride is provided that includes: (1) an inner ring assembly including a first ring supporting vehicles and a drive system operable to rotate the first ring about a center axis of the carousel ride; and (2) an outer ring assembly including a second ring, concentric to the first ring, supporting…
SOCIAL NETWORKS GAMES CONFIGURED TO ELICIT RESEARCH DATA AS PART OF GAME PLAY
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035981
Techniques are described for conducting market research via interactive game play mechanics. A game platform may allow a market research sponsor to create and publish online games which can identify latent consumer sentiment (and other market research data), while simultaneously providing an entertaining and engaging experience for the game participants. The games may be tailored such that elements of game play elicit responses from participants that reveal the desired market research…
CONDUCTING MARKET RESEARCH USING SOCIAL GAMES
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035989
Techniques are described for conducting market research via interactive game play mechanics. A game platform may allow a market research sponsor to create and publish online games which can identify latent consumer sentiment (and other market research data), while simultaneously providing an entertaining and engaging experience for the game participants. The games may be tailored such that elements of game play elicit responses from participants that reveal the desired market research…
ZONE-BASED POSITIONING FOR VIRTUAL WORLDS
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130036372
Techniques are described for displaying avatars within a virtual environment in a way that avoids an appearance of offensive content. Embodiments of the invention receive a request specifying a first location within the virtual environment to move a first user-controlled virtual object to. A zone encompassing the specified location is then identified and a second location within the identified zone is determined. Embodiments then output the virtual environment for display in a manner…
FLOATING OMNIMOVER RIDE
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130025491
A floating omnimover ride with high capacity throughput and enhanced control over speeds of passenger boats. The ride includes a water containment structure with spaced apart sidewalls defining an elongated guide channel that defines a loop-shaped ride path or circuit. The ride includes a volume of liquid contained in the guide channel to a desired depth. The ride also includes a chain of passenger boats floating in the liquid contained in the guide channel. Each of the boats is linked…
ROLLER COASTER WITH ARTICULABLE SEAT BACKS
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130025492
A roller coaster with seats articulated between vertical and reclined positions. The roller coaster includes a track with a load/unload portion and a ride portion. The coaster includes a vehicle with a body supported on the track and a passenger seat positioned in the body mounted for articulation between a first position and a second position. The roller coaster includes a seat positioning mechanism coupled to the passenger seat operating while the vehicle is in the load/unload portion…
Method and System for Providing a Compact Graphical User Interface for Flexible Filtering of Data
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130024801
There is presented a method and system for providing a compact graphical user interface for flexible filtering of data. The method comprises showing a search interface on a display device for filtering a content set by a plurality of domains, including a first domain, displaying, within the search interface, a first graphical representation of a parameter set of the first domain in response to a selecting of the first domain, receiving a first parameter subset from the first graphical…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLE TEXTURE MAP STORAGE AND FILTERING INCLUDING IRREGULAR TEXTURE MAPS
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130016112
A method for a computer system including receiving a file comprising textures including a first and a second texture map, which can be regular or irregular texture maps, and metadata, wherein the metadata includes identifiers associated with texture maps and includes adjacency data, associating the first texture map with a first face of an object in response to an identifier associated with the first texture map, associating the second texture map with a second face of the object in…
PHYSICAL REPRODUCTION OF REFLECTANCE FIELDS
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130016100
A three-dimensional relief can be produced from one or more two-dimensional digital (2D) images. A height field is computed from the 2D images and illumination direction information. The height field comprises a multiplicity of geometric surface elements arrayed in a 2D field corresponding to the pixels of the one or more 2D images. Each geometric surface element corresponds to a pixel of each of the digital images and has at least one height parameter representing a displacement from a…
PROVIDING A NAVIGATION MESH BY WHICH OBJECTS OF VARYING SIZES CAN TRAVERSE A VIRTUAL SPACE
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130016090
A single polygonal navigation mesh in a virtual space by which objects of varying sizes can traverse may be provided. This may allow the navigation mesh to be used in determining appropriate paths for objects having a wide range of object sizes. The objects may include objects having a continuous range of possible object sizes. The use of a single navigation mesh for a range of object sizes may reduce the amount of storage needed to store separate navigation meshes for different object…
OMNIMOVER RIDE SYSTEM WITH CROSSING PATHS
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130014669
A ride system with crossing ride paths. A first omnimover assembly is provided that includes a continuous vehicle chain movable along a first ride path and includes vehicles vertically supported above the track at a first height. A second omnimover assembly is provided with a continuous vehicle chain movable along a second ride path that differs from the first ride path and crosses over the first ride path when viewed in plan view. The second omnimover assembly includes vehicles…
