Disney Patent Grants

Systems and methods for generating a latent space residual

Granted: May 18, 2021
Patent Number: 11012718
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a latent space residual. A computer-implemented method may use a computer system that includes non-transient electronic storage, a graphical user interface, and one or more physical computer processors. The computer-implemented method may include: obtaining a target frame, obtaining a reconstructed frame, encoding the target frame into a latent space to generate a latent space target frame, encoding the reconstructed frame into the latent…

Soft-real-time hub providing data transport for processor-in-the-loop (PIL) simulations

Granted: May 18, 2021
Patent Number: 11010510
A software-based (“soft”) real-time hub designed and implemented for use in simulation (or control testing) systems such as to provide a modular soft-real-time PIL. A simulation system of the present description typically may include one or more of the following useful subsystems or components: (a) a soft-real-time hub; (b) simulation interfaces; and (c) hardware emulation subsystems/devices. The soft-real-time hub is typically a combination of hardware and software adapted to…

Metadata extraction and management

Granted: May 18, 2021
Patent Number: 11010398
There is provided a system including a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory, and a metadata extraction and management unit stored in the memory. The hardware processor is configured to execute the metadata extraction and management unit to extract a plurality of metadata types from a media asset sequentially and in accordance with a prioritized order of extraction based on metadata type, aggregate the plurality of metadata types to produce an aggregated metadata…

Spinning amusement park ride with onboard power generation

Granted: May 11, 2021
Patent Number: 11005339
A spinning ride system adapted to convert kinetic energy to electrical energy onboard each of its vehicles. The system includes a passenger vehicle with a chassis for receiving a passenger. The system includes a ride structure including a support arm supporting the passenger vehicle, and the ride structure moves the support arm along a ride path. The system includes a mounting sleeve statically attached to the chassis and pivotally coupled to the support arm. A user input mechanism is…

Display assembly with anti-reflective film applied to video monitor with vacuum suction

Granted: May 11, 2021
Patent Number: 11004645
A display system achieving a screen finish using vacuum suction. The system includes an optical element with an exterior surface, and an optical film is positioned over the exterior surface. The optical film is formed of a flexible optical material such as an anti-reflective material. The display system includes a retention frame supporting the optical element and retaining outer edges of the optical film against the exterior surface. The display system includes a vacuum unit in fluidic…

Special effects system providing a ceiling saber cut

Granted: May 11, 2021
Patent Number: 11000776
A special effects system to provide the effect or illusion of a surface of a set (such as a ceiling, sidewall, floor, or the like) being penetrated and cut by a physical prop (e.g., a tool or weapon). In some preferred embodiments, the physical prop takes on the appearance of a glowing or hot elongated rod similar to the blade of an energy sword or light saber as found in entertainment media. The system is configured to provide the illusion, in these cases, that a circular groove or slot…

Systems and methods for using a product history to create a linguistic corpus for a product

Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number: 10997610
There is provided a system having a memory for storing a software application, where the software application includes a product database. The product database includes a product history for a plurality of products. A processor is configured to execute the software application. The software application receives product requirements for a new product, determines at least one related product from the plurality of products based on the product requirements for the new product, evaluates the…

Location-based restriction of content transmission

Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number: 10999292
The present application discloses computing platforms and methods for performing location-based restriction of content transmission. In one implementation, such a computing platform includes a hardware processor and a memory storing a content protection software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the content protection software code to obtain a media content including a cue for restricting broadcast of the media content, and to detect the cue in the media content. The…

Systems and methods of real-time ambient light simulation based on generated imagery

Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number: 10997781
Systems and methods for simulation of ambient light based on generated imagery are disclosed herein. Such a system can include a simulation sled, a simulation display that can display generated imagery viewable from the simulation sled, an ambient light simulator that can selectively illuminate portions of the simulation sled, and a processor. The simulation sled can include a plurality of user controls. The processor can: control the simulation display to generate imagery; identify an…

Interactive retail venue

Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number: 10997649
According to one implementation, an interactive retail venue includes a computing platform interactively linked to a display screen, a lighting system, an audio system, a dynamic product display unit, and multiple product sensors. The computing platform includes a hardware processor and a memory storing a venue orchestration software code. The hardware processor executes the venue orchestration software code to receive sensor data from the product sensors, determine respective locations…

Automated content evaluation using a predictive model

Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number: 10997476
There are provided systems and methods for performing automated content evaluation. In one implementation, the system includes a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code including a predictive model trained based on an audience response to training content. The hardware processor executes the software code to receive images, each image including facial landmarks of an audience member viewing the content during its duration, and for each image, transforms the facial…

Aspect ratio conversion with machine learning

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10992902
Techniques are disclosed for converting image frames, such as the image frames of a motion picture, from one aspect ratio to another while predicting the pan and scan framing decisions that a human operator would make. In one configuration, one or more functions for predicting pan and scan framing decisions are determined, at least in part, via machine learning using training data that includes historical pan and scan conversions. The training data may be prepared by extracting features…

Blockchain configuration for secure content delivery

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10992454
A process receives, from a registration server associated with a content playback environment, a playback system identifier and a public key. The playback system identifier and the public key correspond to a playback system. Further, the process generates a blockchain corresponding to a content identifier such that a block is established to correspond to the playback system identifier. In addition, the process encrypts, with the processor according to a content encryption key, content…

Systems and methods for a procedural system for emergent narrative construction

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10990753
A user interface may be presented to a creator to facilitate the creation of narrative content. The user interface may be part of a system configured to generate recommendations pertaining to narrative content. The narrative content is meant to be experienced by users, e.g., in a virtual space. Feedback and/or other responses from the creator may be used to train and/or modify the generation of new recommendations. Feedback and/or other responses from the users may be used to train…

Systems and methods to control sounds produced by a remote controlled vehicle during operation of the remote controlled vehicle

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10988254
Systems and methods control sounds produced by a remote-controlled vehicle during operation of the remote-controlled vehicle are described herein. One or more components of the remote-controlled vehicle may be controlled and/or manipulated so that the remote-controlled vehicle produces sounds during operation that match a predetermined set of sounds. The control and/or manipulation of the one or more components of the remote-controlled vehicle may be effectuated without alternating a…

Systems and methods to elicit physical activity in users acting as caretakers of physical objects

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10987594
Systems and methods to elicit physical activity in users acting as caretakers of physical objects. Caretaking information for a physical object may define a set of caretaking criteria of a physical object. Individual caretaking criteria may comprise one or more caretaking requirements of the physical object to be satisfied based on physical activity of a user. The caretaking requirements of the physical object may “trick” the user into performing fitness/wellness behavior. In caring…

Adjusting media availability via a content consumption activity dashboard

Granted: April 20, 2021
Patent Number: 10986396
Systems and methods are described for enabling a user to bias the type of media content made available to a user account through a localized content dashboard. In one implementation, a method for adjusting media content availability associated with a user account configured to receive media content from a server system over a network, includes displaying on a content playback system a localized content dashboard, including: a summary of attributes of media content accessed by the user…

Learning-based sampling for image matting

Granted: April 20, 2021
Patent Number: 10984558
Techniques are disclosed for image matting. In particular, embodiments decompose the matting problem of estimating foreground opacity into the targeted subproblems of estimating a background using a first trained neural network, estimating a foreground using a second neural network and the estimated background as one of the inputs into the second neural network, and estimating an alpha matte using a third neural network and the estimated background and foreground as two of the inputs…

Localized and standalone semi-randomized character conversations

Granted: April 20, 2021
Patent Number: 10981073
Techniques for randomized device interaction are provided. A first communication pattern is selected, with at least a degree of randomness, from a plurality of communication patterns, where each of the plurality of communication patterns specifies one or more audio profiles. A first audio profile specified in the first communication pattern is identified. A first portion of audio is extracted from a first audio file with at least a degree of randomness, and the first portion of audio is…

Persistent progress over a connected device network and interactive and continuous storytelling via data input from connected devices

Granted: April 13, 2021
Patent Number: 10974139
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for affect a virtual world based n available electronic devices. A control node identifies electronic devices present within a physical environment. Embodiments detect a device type of a first electronic device and determine an API implemented by the first electronic device, based on the detected device type of the first electronic device. Electronic messages are transmitted to the first electronic device, via the one or more data…