APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INDICATING DEPTH OF ONE OR MORE PIXELS OF A STEREOSCOPIC 3-D IMAGE COMPRISED FROM A PLURALITY OF 2-D LAYERS
Granted: June 30, 2011
Application Number:
20110158504
Implementations of the present invention involve methods and systems for converting a 2-D image to a stereoscopic 3-D image and displaying the depth of one or more pixels of the 3-D image through an output image of a user interface. The pixels of the output image display the perceived depth of the corresponding 3-D image such that the user may determine the relative depth of the pixels of the image. In addition, one or more x-offset values or z-axis positions may be individually selected…
Active Mask Projector Providing Diffracted Light with Animation and Non-Random Patterns
Granted: June 30, 2011
Application Number:
20110157483
A projector for projecting diffracted light in a selectable pattern and/or animation on a display surface. The apparatus includes a light source providing one or more beams of coherent light from one or more lasers. The apparatus includes a diffraction assembly in the path of the light source to generate diffracted light by diffracting the laser light with one, two, or more diffraction grating patterns and, optionally, with a diffraction glass or other material. An active mask is…
Human verification by contextually iconic visual public turing test
Granted: June 23, 2011
Application Number:
20110150267
There is provided a system and method for human verification by a contextually iconic visual public Turing test. There is provided a method comprising receiving a request to verify whether a client is human controlled, selecting, by contextual criteria, a plurality of images each having one or more associated tags from a database, generating a challenge question and a corresponding answer set based on associated tags of a subset of the plurality of images, presenting the plurality of…
Media playback system and method for monitoring usage of media contents
Granted: June 23, 2011
Application Number:
20110150430
There is provided a media playback system for monitoring usage of a plurality of media contents. The system includes a memory configured to store an analytic log file corresponding to each of the plurality of media contents. The system also includes a processor. The processor is configured to identify the analytic log file corresponding to one of the plurality of media contents. The processor is further configured to collect data relating to a plurality of events. At least one of the…
VEHICLE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WITH A MECHANISM COMPENSATING FOR A VARYING WHEEL RADIUS
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110140383
A non-circular wheel assembly for vehicles. The wheel assembly includes a wheel body having a first radius and a second radius, measured from a center of rotation of the wheel body. The wheel assembly includes a compensation mechanism compensating for changing height values of the center of rotation with respect to an external contact surface of the wheel during rotation. The compensation mechanism includes a linear support member with a first connector mounting a vehicle frame to the…
HANDHELD LOW-VOLTAGE FOG EFFECTS SYSTEM
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110142429
A fog effects system includes a control system, a fog fluid reservoir, an elongated insulator, an elongated electric heating element, an air supply subsystem, a fog fluid supply subsystem, and a handheld body. The control system can include a battery-operated power supply and a user-operable control. The heating element extends along the insulator. The control system electrically energizes the heating element during system operation. The air supply subsystem directs a flow of air along…
MECHANICAL LINKAGES FOR PIVOTABLE FLUID EFFECTS PLATFORM
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110132993
A fluid effects apparatus for creating a fluid display. The apparatus includes a base with a center point gimbal. A fluid outlet manifold is provided with an inlet for receiving fluid and a nozzle. The fluid outlet manifold is supported on the center point gimbal to pivot with the gimbal. A drive assembly is provided with first and second drive mechanisms that each drive input arms attached to the fluid outlet manifold at an angular offset. Each of the input arms is configured with three…
SELECTABLE AND TWISTING NOZZLE FOR FLUID EFFECTS PLATFORM
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110132994
A fluid effects apparatus for producing a water display or show. The apparatus includes a base with a center point gimbal mechanism and a fluid outlet manifold with an inlet for receiving fluid. The fluid outlet manifold is pivotally supported upon the center point gimbal mechanism and includes a nozzle manifold with a pivotally mounted nozzle for dispersing the received fluid and a nozzle drive assembly coupled to the nozzle that selectively rotates the nozzle about its rotation axis.…
User generated media list interfaces with social networking
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110138304
There are provided interfaces for user generated media lists with social networking. There is provided a method for providing an interface on a display for user generated media lists with social networking, the method comprising: presenting, on the display, a plurality of media assets for selection into a user media list, determining that the user media list is fully populated, receiving a request to share the user media list through a social networking service, validating credentials…
Augmented reality videogame broadcast programming
Granted: June 2, 2011
Application Number:
20110128300
There is provided a system and method for integrating a virtual rendering system and a video capture system using flexible camera control to provide an augmented reality. There is provided a method comprising receiving input data from a plurality of clients for modifying a virtual environment presented using the virtual rendering system, obtaining, from the virtual rendering system, a virtual camera configuration of a virtual camera in the virtual environment, programming the video…
KINETIC FLAME DEVICE
Granted: June 2, 2011
Application Number:
20110127914
An apparatus creating a flickering flame effect. The apparatus includes a housing with an interior space with first and second stages. A drive mechanism generates a time varying electromagnetic field extending into the first stage. A first pendulum member is pivotally mounted in the interior space of the first stage and includes first and second magnets on first and second ends, with the first end proximate to the drive mechanism such that the first magnet interacts with the varying…
Anti-Roll Back Assembly with Linear Magnetic Positioning
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110120340
An anti-roll back (ARB) assembly for use with vehicles that ride on a track, which has inclined portions that include a set of ARB or lift pins. The assembly includes a linear magnet assembly positioned along the track in the ARB portion, and this assembly includes spaced apart magnet arrays that define a slot or elongated magnetic force zone. The ARB assembly includes an ARB element with a body pivotally supported on a vehicle frame and further includes an electrically conductive…
LOCATION BASED REWARD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110124399
Embodiments of the invention broadly contemplate a location based rewards distribution system. Various embodiments of the invention provide rewards, for example video game unlock codes, based on a user physically visiting a specific physical location.
STEREOSCOPIC EDITING FOR VIDEO PRODUCTION, POST-PRODUCTION AND DISPLAY ADAPTATION
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110109720
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for stereoscopically editing video content. In one embodiment, image pairs of a sequence may be stereoscopically modified by altering at least one image of the image pair. The at least one image may be altered using at least one mapping function. The at least one image may also be altered based on a saliency of the image pair. The at least one image may also be altered based on disparities between the image pair. Advantageously,…
KINETIC FLAME DEVICE
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110110073
An apparatus creating a flickering flame effect. The apparatus includes a housing with an interior space with first and second stages. A drive mechanism generates a time varying electromagnetic field extending into the first stage. A first pendulum member is pivotally mounted in the interior space of the first stage and includes first and second magnets on first and second ends, with the first end proximate to the drive mechanism such that the first magnet interacts with the varying…
Real-world items unlocking virtual items online and in video games
Granted: May 5, 2011
Application Number:
20110105220
There is provided a system and method for providing access to a virtual object corresponding to a real object. There is provided a method comprising authenticating a user account for a networked application, confirming a validity of a user provided code, wherein the code is visible on the real object or on accompanying materials of the real object, and granting the user account access to the virtual object for use in the networked application in response to the confirming of the…
VIRTUAL GAME INSTRUCTOR
Granted: April 28, 2011
Application Number:
20110098109
Embodiments of the invention provide a virtual game instructor. According to various embodiments of the invention, the virtual game instructor is configured to provide a convenient and easy to follow tutorial instruction session for completing various game movements. Embodiments of the invention provide players with the ability to accurately compare their movements in real-time with the virtual instructor, thus facilitating learning and performing even complex game moves more easily.
MAGICAL IMAGE CUPS AND CONTAINERS WITH 3D DISPLAYS
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110088296
An optical illusion device such as a drinking glass/cup for providing a multi-dimensional visual display. The device includes a body with tubular sidewalls extending from an opening at a first end to an opening at a second end. A base assembly is provided at the second end. The base assembly includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a sidewall that together form or define an inner chamber. A visual display assembly is provided with a mirror element with a convex reflective surface or…
AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE WITH VEHICLES PIVOTING ABOUT A COMMON CHASSIS TO PROVIDE RACING AND OTHER EFFECTS
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110088584
A ride system is provided that allows selective relative positioning of vehicles in an amusement or theme park ride to simulate racing or other effects. The ride system includes a chassis that is adapted to be supported by and to travel on or along a length of track of a particular ride. A support is attached to the chassis and moves with the chassis during operation of the ride. The ride system includes first and second passenger vehicles that are spaced apart on and supported by the…
MODELING SKIN-COVERED ROBOTICS DEVICES INCLUDING ARTISTIC DIGITAL ITERATIVE DESIGN PROCESSES
Granted: April 14, 2011
Application Number:
20110087354
A method for fabricating a product, such as an animatronic character, with artificial skin. The method includes providing data defining an exterior surface geometry of the product. A base geometry model of the product is generated based on the exterior surface geometry data, which in turn is used to fabricate a prototype of the product. Then, an exterior skin mold is formed using the product prototype mounted on an alignment block. The method includes fabricating an inner support…
