Abstract: A system for managing non-linear transmedia content data is provided. Memory stores a plurality of transmedia content data items and associated linking data which define time-ordered content links between the plurality of transmedia content data items. The plurality of transmedia content data items are arranged into linked transmedia content subsets comprising different groups of the transmedia content data items and different content links therebetween. A control engine receives one or more instructions to create a new time-ordered content link between at least two of the plurality of transmedia content data items. The control engine modifies the linking data stored in the memory to include the new time-ordered content link.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (“GUI”) personalization application automatically generates a GUI for a software application. In operation, the GUI personalization application tracks interactions between a user and a first GUI that is associated with the software application and a GUI framework. The GUI personalization application then computes a behavioral simplification for the first GUI based on the interactions and the GUI framework. Subsequently, the GUI personalization application modifies the first GUI based on the behavioral simplification to generate a second GUI for the user that is associated with the software application and the GUI framework. Advantageously, the GUI personalization application can more efficiently and reliably improve the quality of the overall user experience when interacting with the software application across a wider range of users relative to prior art approaches.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing facial retargeting using a patch-based technique are disclosed. One or more three-dimensional (3D) representations of a source character's (e.g., a human actor's) face can be transferred onto one or more corresponding representations of a target character's (e.g., a cartoon character's) face, enabling filmmakers to transfer a performance by a source character to a target character. The source character's 3D facial shape can separated into patches. For each patch, a patch combination (representing that patch as a combination of source reference patches) can be determined. The patch combinations and target reference patches can then be used to create target patches corresponding to the target character. The target patches can be combined using an anatomical local model solver to produce a 3D facial shape corresponding to the target character, effectively transferring a facial performance by the source character to the target character.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods and systems for generating three-dimensional (3D) models and facial hair models representative of subjects (e.g., actors or actresses) using facial scanning technology. Methods accord to embodiments may be useful for performing facial capture on subjects with dense facial hair. Initial subject facial data, including facial frames and facial performance frames (e.g., images of the subject collected from a capture system) can be used to accurately predict the structure of the subject's face underneath their facial hair to produce a reference 3D facial shape of the subject. Likewise, image processing techniques can be used to identify facial hairs and generate a reference facial hair model. The reference 3D facial shape and reference facial hair mode can subsequently be used to generate performance 3D facial shapes and a performance facial hair model corresponding to a performance by the subject (e.g., reciting dialog).

Abstract: 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 representation, filtering a content set using the first parameter subset to obtain a search result, and displaying the search result on a display device. The search interface includes a temporally visible menu for selecting parameter sets of the domains and a compact single line query box to display graphical representations of parameter sets or to provide a conventional text entry box.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a computing platform having processing hardware, a display, and a system memory storing a software code. The processing hardware executes the software code to receive a digital object, surround the digital object with virtual cameras oriented toward the digital object, render, using each one of the virtual cameras, a depth map identifying a distance of that one of the virtual cameras from the digital object, and generate, using the depth map, a volumetric perspective of the digital object from a perspective of that one of the virtual cameras, resulting in multiple volumetric perspectives of the digital object. The processing hardware further executes the software code to merge the multiple volumetric perspectives of the digital object to form a volumetric representation of the digital object, and to convert the volumetric representation of the digital object to a renderable form.

Abstract: A system for granting access to an account at an access device includes a computer server having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code. The hardware processor executes the software code to receive a login request from the access device through a first communications socket, open a second communications socket between the access device and the computer server, transmit a verification request message including a required call-to-action to a verification device through a third communications socket, and receive a verification response message verifying that the required call-to-action has been completed at the verification device. Upon receiving the verification response message, the software code sends an access token for accessing the account to the access device through the second communications socket, receives the access token from the access device, and grants the access device access to the account.

Abstract: A system for authenticating digital contents includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code. According to one implementation, the hardware processor executes the software code to receive digital content, identify an image of a person depicted in the digital content, determine an ear shape parameter of the person depicted in the image, determine another biometric parameter of the person depicted in the image, and calculate a ratio of the ear shape parameter of the person depicted in the image to the biometric parameter of the person depicted in the image. The hardware processor is also configured to execute the software code to perform a comparison of the calculated ratio with a predetermined value, and determine whether the person depicted in the image is an authentic depiction of the person based on the comparison of the calculated ratio with the predetermined value.

Abstract: A system includes a computing platform having processing hardware and a memory storing an asset library and software code including a recommendation engine. The processing hardware executes the software code to receive, from a user, group generation data and a preferences profile of the user, the group generation data identifying a group including the user and another user, and to send, to the other user, an invitation to join the group. The processing hardware also executes the software code to receive, from the other user, one of an acceptance or a refusal of the invitation, obtain, in response to receiving the acceptance, a preferences profile of the other user, generate, using the preferences profiles of the user and the other user, a group preferences profile for the group, and identify, using the recommendation engine and the group preferences profile, one or more assets in the asset library for the group.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe a CDN where anycast routing is used to identify a load balancer for selecting a cache in the CDN to use to deliver a requested object to a user. In one embodiment, the user performs a DNS lookup to identify an anycast IP address for a plurality of load balancers in the CDN. The user can then initiate anycast routing using the anycast IP address to automatically identify the closest load balancer. Once the identified balancer selects the cache, the load balancer can close the anycast connection with the user device and use an HTTP redirect to provide the user device with a unicast path to the selected cache. The user device can then establish a unicast connection with the cache to retrieve (e.g., stream) the object.

Abstract: A robot control method, and associated robot controllers and robots operating with such methods and controllers, providing real-time vibration suppression. The control method involves learning to support real-time, vibration-suppressing control. The method uses state-of-the-art machine learning techniques in conjunction with a differentiable dynamics simulator to yield fast and accurate vibration suppression. Vibration suppression using offline simulation approaches that can be computationally expensive may be used to create training data for the controller, which may be provide by a variety of neural network configurations. In other cases, sensory feedback from sensors onboard the robot being controlled can be used to provide training data to account for wear of the robot's components.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for learning a machine learning model that maps control data, such as renderings of skeletons, and associated three-dimensional (3D) information to two-dimensional (2D) renderings of a character. The machine learning model may be an adaptation of the U-Net architecture that accounts for 3D information and is trained using a perceptual loss between images generated by the machine learning model and ground truth images. Once trained, the machine learning model may be used to animate a character, such as in the context of previsualization or a video game, based on control of associated control points.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking objects in a field of view are disclosed. In one embodiment a method may include capturing, via a camera, a real-world object in the field of view; generating a first object data associating the real-world object with a first position of the real-world object in a real-world environment at a first time; generating a virtual object representative of the real-world object depicting the real-world object in the first position at the first time; generating a second object data associating the real-world object with a second position of the real-world object in the real-world environment at a second time, determining a displacement value of the real-world object between the first position and the second position, modifying the virtual object to include an indication that the real-world object has been displaced when the displacement value is greater than a threshold value.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically and automatically generating digital watermarks are provided. Watermark payloads utilized in generating the digital watermarks are altered based upon changing conditions, such as environmental characteristics associated with playback or distribution of media content. Changing conditions may also encompass a change in the distribution/presentation chain of devices associated with the playback or distribution of the media content.

Abstract: Techniques for personalized gamification of media content. An engagement level of a consumer is identified based on prior gamification data. A difficulty level is identified using machine learning based on the engagement level. A content element personalized for the consumer is generated based on biographical information or viewing habits. A prompt requesting the consumer to find and access multimedia content scenes depicting the content element is generated. A multimedia content scene found by the consumer is analyzed to determine whether the multimedia content scene has an association with the content element and whether the consumer has accessed the multimedia content element scene.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe a firewall for a media production system to provide flexible security between an on-premises production environment and remote media production applications and devices (e.g., cloud-based virtual production environments). As new media devices and applications (referred to generally as media nodes) are added at remote locations, the firewall is updated to permit the media nodes to communicate with the on-premises production environment. The embodiments herein described an automatic (e.g., software driven) process where a network orchestrator can detect a change in the media nodes and update the rule set in the firewall accordingly.

Abstract: A system for providing default content enhanced with supplemental content includes processing hardware and a memory storing a software code. The processing hardware executes the software code to receive a content stream including multiple video frames, a first video frame of the multiple video frames including first default content, first supplemental content, and first encoded metadata, and to decode the first encoded metadata of the first video frame to produce first decoded metadata. The processing hardware further executes the software code to select, using the first decoded metadata, at least a first portion of the first supplemental content for use in enhancing the first default content, transfer, using the first decoded metadata, the selected first portion of the first supplemental content to one or more predetermined locations in the first default content to produce an enhanced first video content, and output the enhanced first video content to a display device.

Abstract: A surface covering for use as a moss covering or patch of grass via application to a surface or substrate. The surface covering provides a decorative and durable and easily maintained surface covering. The covering is fabricated using groups of fibers, such as metallic, plastic, or other material fibers, e.g., stainless steel fibers or strands available commercially as steel wool or the like. The fibers or strands provide a core of a body of each blade or piece of the surface covering, which is useful to replicate a blade of grass or moss or to mimic a strand of hair. Each body of the strands further includes an outer layer or coating, which can be formed by painting, e.g., with an epoxy or other useful material that may be colored, the mesh of metal fibers to provide a durable body with a desired look and feel.

Abstract: In various embodiments, an interactive streaming application plays back a media title via a client device. In operation, while a client device plays back a first chunk of the media title, the interactive streaming application determines a first movement of an internet of things (“IoT”) device. The interactive streaming application then determines, from multiple target states, a target state that is associated with the first movement. Based on the target state, the interactive streaming application determines that a second chunk of the media title should be a next chunk of the media title that is streamed to the client device for playback. The interactive streaming application then causes the second chunk of the media title to be streamed to the client device. Advantageously, the interactive streaming application can automatically personalize the playback of the media title for a user based, at least in part, on movements of the IoT device.

Abstract: There is provided systems and methods for performing actions based on light signatures. An exemplary system includes a light source, a light detector, a non-transitory memory storing a plurality of light signatures and a hardware processor. The hardware processor executes an executable code to illuminate, using the light source, a target object with a first light, collect, using the light detector, a second light being a reflection of the first light by the target object, match the second light with one of the plurality of light signatures, and perform an action in response to matching the second light with the one of the plurality of light signatures.