Abstract: A method of finding a new social network service friend for a player belonging to a social network service and having a friend group including one or more player-accepted friends includes recognizing the player, automatically identifying an observer within a threshold proximity to the player, and adding the observer to the friend group of the player in the social network service if the observer satisfies a friending criteria of the player.

Abstract: A method of matching a player of a multi-player game with a remote participant includes recognizing the player, automatically identifying an observer within a threshold proximity to the player, using an identity of the observer to find one or more candidates to play as the remote participant of the multi-player game, and when selecting the remote participant, choosing a candidate from the one or more candidates above a non-candidate if the candidate satisfies a matching criteria.

Abstract: Emotional response data of a particular user, when the particular user is interacting with each of multiple other users, is collected. Using the emotional response data, an emotion of the particular user when interacting with each of multiple other users is determined. Based on the determined emotions, one or more of the multiple other users are identified to share an online experience with the particular user.

Abstract: One or more physical characteristics of each of multiple users are detected. These physical characteristics of a user can include physical attributes of the user (e.g., the user's height, length of the user's legs) and/or physical skills of the user (e.g., how high the user can jump). Based on these detected one or more physical characteristics of the users, two or more of the multiple users to share an online experience (e.g., play a multi-player game) are identified.

Abstract: Digitizing objects in a picture is discussed herein. A user presents the object to a camera, which captures the image comprising color and depth data for the front and back of the object. For both front and back images, the closest point to the camera is determined by analyzing the depth data. From the closest points, edges of the object are found by noting large differences in depth data. The depth data is also used to construct point cloud constructions of the front and back of the object. Various techniques are applied to extrapolate edges, remove seams, extend color intelligently, filter noise, apply skeletal structure to the object, and optimize the digitization further. Eventually, a digital representation is presented to the user and potentially used in different applications (e.g., games, Web, etc.).

Abstract: Synchronous and asynchronous communications between avatars is allowed. For synchronous communications, when multiple users are playing different games of the same game title and when the avatars of the multiple users are at the same location in their respective games they can communicate with one another, thus allowing the users of those avatars to communicate with one another. For asynchronous communications, an avatar of a particular user is left behind at a particular location in a game along with a recorded communication. When other users of other games are at that particular location, the avatar of that particular user is displayed and the recorded communication is presented to the other users.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, for a particular user one or more other users associated with that particular user are identified based on a social graph of that particular user. An avatar of at least one of the other users is obtained and included as a non-player-character in a game being played by that particular user. The particular user can provide requests to interact with the avatar of the second user (e.g., calling out the name of the second user, tapping the avatar of the second user on the shoulder, etc.), these requests being invitations for the second user to join in a game with the first user. An indication of such an invitation is presented to the second user, which can, for example, accept the invitation to join in a game with the first user.

Abstract: One or more physical characteristics of each of multiple users are detected. These physical characteristics of a user can include physical attributes of the user (e.g., the user's height, length of the user's legs) and/or physical skills of the user (e.g., how high the user can jump). Based on these detected one or more physical characteristics of the users, two or more of the multiple users to share an online experience (e.g., play a multi-player game) are identified.

Abstract: Techniques and technologies are provided for binding resources to particular slots associated with shaders in a graphics pipeline. Resource dependencies between resources being utilized by respective shaders can be determined, and, based on these resource dependencies, common resource/slot associations can be computed. Respective common resource/slot associations identify a particular one of the resources to be associated with a particular one of the slots.

Abstract: It may be desirable to apply corrective data to aspects of captured image or the user-performed gesture for display of a visual representation that corresponds to the corrective data. The captured motion may be any motion in the physical space that is captured by the capture device, such as a camera. Aspects of a skeletal or mesh model of a person, that is generated based on the image data captured by the capture device, may be modified prior to animation. The modification may be made to the model generated from image data that represents a target or a target's motion, including user gestures, in the physical space. For example, certain joints of a skeletal model may be readjusted or realigned. A model of a target may be modified by applying differential correction, magnetism principles, binary snapping, confining virtual movement to defined spaces, or the like.

Abstract: Techniques for enhancing the use of a motion capture system are provided. A motion capture system tracks movement and audio inputs from a person in a physical space, and provides the inputs to an application, which displays a virtual space on a display. Bodily movements can be used to define traits of an avatar in the virtual space. The person can be directed to perform the movements by a coaching avatar, or visual or audio cues in the virtual space. The application can respond to the detected movements and voice commands or voice volume of the person to define avatar traits and initiate pre-scripted audio-visual events in the virtual space to provide an entertaining experience. A performance in the virtual space can be captured and played back with automatic modifications, such as alterations to the avatar's voice or appearance, or modifications made by another person.

Abstract: It may be desirable to apply corrective data to aspects of captured image or the user-performed gesture for display of a visual representation that corresponds to the corrective data. The captured motion may be any motion in the physical space that is captured by the capture device, such as a camera. Aspects of a skeletal or mesh model of a person, that is generated based on the image data captured by the capture device, may be modified prior to animation. The modification may be made to the model generated from image data that represents a target or a target's motion, including user gestures, in the physical space. For example, certain joints of a skeletal model may be readjusted or realigned. A model of a target may be modified by applying differential correction, magnetism principles, binary snapping, confining virtual movement to defined spaces, or the like.

Abstract: A computing system runs an application (e.g., video game) that interacts with one or more actively engaged users. One or more physical properties of a group are sensed. The group may include the one or more actively engaged users and/or one or more entities not actively engaged with the application. The computing system will determine that the group (or the one or more entities not actively engaged with the application) have performed a predetermined action. A runtime condition of the application is changed in response to determining that the group (or the one or more entities not actively engaged with the computer based application) have performed the predetermined action. Examples of changing a runtime condition include moving an object, changing a score or changing an environmental condition of a video game.

Abstract: A virtual skeleton includes a plurality of joints and provides a machine readable representation of a human target observed with a three dimensional depth camera. A relative position of a hand joint of the virtual skeleton is translated as a gestured aiming vector control, and a virtual weapon is aimed in proportion to the gestured aiming vector control.

Abstract: A virtual skeleton includes a plurality of joints and provides a machine readable representation of a human target observed with a three-dimensional depth camera. A relative position of a hand joint of the virtual skeleton is translated as a gestured control, and a three-dimensional virtual world is controlled responsive to the gestured control.

Abstract: A method for modeling an object from image data comprises identifying in an image from the video a set of reference points on the object, and, for each reference point identified, observing a displacement of that reference point in response to a motion of the object. The method further comprises grouping together those reference points for which a common translational or rotational motion of the object results in the observed displacement, and fitting the grouped-together reference points to a shape.

Abstract: Depth-image analysis is performed with a device that analyzes a human target within an observed scene by capturing depth-images that include depth information from the observed scene. The human target is modeled with a virtual skeleton including a plurality of joints. The virtual skeleton is used as an input for controlling a driving simulation.

Abstract: Implementations for identifying, capturing, and presenting high-quality photo-representations of acts occurring during play of a game that employs motion tracking input technology are disclosed. As one example, a method is disclosed that includes capturing via an optical interface, a plurality of photographs of a player in a capture volume during play of the electronic game. The method further includes for each captured photograph of the plurality of captured photographs, comparing an event-based scoring parameter to an event depicted by or corresponding to the captured photograph. The method further includes assigning respective scores to the plurality of captured photographs based, at least in part, on the comparison to the even-based scoring parameter. The method further includes associating the captured photographs at an electronic storage media with the respective scores assigned to the captured photographs.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for a localized gesture aggregation. In a system where user movement is captured by a capture device to provide gesture input to the system, demographic information regarding users as well as data corresponding to how those users respectively make various gestures is gathered. When a new user begins to use the system, his demographic information is analyzed to determine a most likely way that he will attempt to make or find it easy to make a given gesture. That most likely way is then used to process the new user's gesture input.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for a gesture recognizer system architecture. A recognizer engine is provided, which receives user motion data and provides that data to a plurality of filters. A filter corresponds to a gesture, that may then be tuned by an application receiving information from the gesture recognizer so that the specific parameters of the gesture—such as an arm acceleration for a throwing gesture—may be set on a per-application level, or multiple times within a single application. Each filter may output to an application using it a confidence level that the corresponding gesture occurred, as well as further details about the user motion data.