Abstract: An electronic device estimates a depth map of an environment based on matching reduced-resolution stereo depth images captured by depth cameras to generate a coarse disparity (depth) map. The electronic device downsamples depth images captured by the depth cameras and matches sections of the reduced-resolution images to each other to generate a coarse depth map. The electronic device upsamples the coarse depth map to a higher resolution and refines the upsampled depth map to generate a high-resolution depth map to support location-based functionality.

Abstract: An electronic device estimates a depth map of an environment based on matching reduced-resolution stereo depth images captured by depth cameras to generate a coarse disparity (depth) map. The electronic device downsamples depth images captured by the depth cameras and matches sections of the reduced-resolution images to each other to generate a coarse depth map. The electronic device upsamples the coarse depth map to a higher resolution and refines the upsampled depth map to generate a high-resolution depth map to support location-based functionality.

Abstract: An electronic device estimates a depth map of an environment based on matching reduced-resolution stereo depth images captured by depth cameras to generate a coarse disparity (depth) map. The electronic device downsamples depth images captured by the depth cameras and matches sections of the reduced-resolution images to each other to generate a coarse depth map. The electronic device upsamples the coarse depth map to a higher resolution and refines the upsampled depth map to generate a high-resolution depth map to support location-based functionality.

Abstract: An acoustic modeling system and an acoustic modeling method use beam tracing techniques that accelerate computation of significant acoustic reverberation paths in a distributed virtual environment. The acoustic modeling system and method perform a priority-driven beam tracing to construct a beam tree data structure representing “early” reverberation paths between avatar locations by performing a best-first traversal of a cell adjacency graph that represents the virtual environment. To further accelerate reverberation path computations, the acoustic modeling system and method according to one embodiment perform a bi-directional beam tracing algorithm that combines sets of beams traced from pairs of avatar locations to efficiently find viable acoustic reverberation paths.

Abstract: Techniques for computing a globally consistent set of image feature correspondences across a wide range of viewpoints suitable for interactive walkthroughs and visualizations. The inventive approach takes advantage of the redundancy inherent in a dense set of images captured in a plane (or in higher dimensions, e.g., images captured in a volume, images captured over time, etc). The technique may detect features in a set of source images and track the features to neighboring images. When features track to the same position in the same image, they are flagged as potential correspondences. Among the potential correspondences, the technique selects the maximal set using a greedy graph-labeling algorithm (e.g., best-first order). Only correspondences that produce a globally consistent labeling are selected. After globalization is done, a set of features common to a group of images can be quickly found and used to warp and combine the images to produce an interpolated novel view of the environment.

Abstract: Techniques for compressing and decompressing images captured from viewpoints throughout an n-dimensional space. As opposed to conventional approaches, these techniques exploit image coherence over the entire n-dimensional space, providing quick access to images along arbitrary contiguous viewpoint paths during computer graphics applications. This is accomplished by combining a hierarchical data structure with a compression methodology. Such techniques provide for generating and arranging reference images and residual images into a spatial image hierarchy such as a binary tree structure. Images and residuals may be encoded using intra-image compression. A captured image is extracted via a sequence of image warping and addition operations.

Abstract: An acoustic modeling system and an acoustic modeling method use beam tracing techniques that accelerate computation of significant acoustic reverberation paths in a distributed virtual environment. The acoustic modeling system and method perform a priority-driven beam tracing to construct a beam tree data structure representing “early” reverberation paths between avatar locations by performing a best-first traversal of a cell adjacency graph that represents the virtual environment. To further accelerate reverberation path computations, the acoustic modeling system and method according to one embodiment perform a bi-directional beam tracing algorithm that combines sets of beams traced from pairs of avatar locations to efficiently find viable acoustic reverberation paths.

Abstract: An acoustic modeling system and an acoustic modeling method use beam tracing techniques that accelerate computation of significant acoustic reverberation paths in a distributed virtual environment. The acoustic modeling system and method perform a priority-driven beam tracing to construct a beam tree data structure representing “early” reverberation paths between avatar locations by performing a best-first traversal of a cell adjacency graph that represents the virtual environment. To further accelerate reverberation path computations, the acoustic modeling system and method according to one embodiment perform a bi-directional beam tracing algorithm that combines sets of beams traced from pairs of avatar locations to efficiently find viable acoustic reverberation paths.

Abstract: Techniques for creating interactive walkthroughs or visualizations of real-world environments. Such environments for which interactive walkthroughs may be created may comprise large interior spaces (e.g., buildings), wherein a space may comprise multiple rooms. The interactive walkthroughs may be photorealistic and rendered from arbitrary viewpoints at interactive rates. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for generating a visualization representative of an environment comprises the following steps. A dense set of image data is captured from the environment. The captured image data is compressed for storage. A portion of the compressed image data may then be decompressed so as to render a visualization representative of the environment from a selected novel viewpoint. Another portion of the image data may be prefetched and decompressed such that captured image data surrounding the selected novel viewpoint is available to be rendered.

Abstract: Techniques for compressing and decompressing images captured from viewpoints throughout an n-dimensional space. As opposed to conventional approaches, these techniques exploit image coherence over the entire n-dimensional space, providing quick access to images along arbitrary contiguous viewpoint paths during computer graphics applications. This is accomplished by combining a hierarchical data structure with a compression methodology. Such techniques provide for generating and arranging reference images and residual images into a spatial image hierarchy such as a binary tree structure. Images and residuals may be encoded using intra-image compression. A captured image is extracted via a sequence of image warping and addition operations.

Abstract: Techniques for computing a globally consistent set of image feature correspondences across a wide range of viewpoints suitable for interactive walkthroughs and visualizations. The inventive approach takes advantage of the redundancy inherent in a dense set of images captured in a plane (or in higher dimensions, e.g., images captured in a volume, images captured over time, etc). The technique may detect features in a set of source images and track the features to neighboring images. When features track to the same position in the same image, they are flagged as potential correspondences. Among the potential correspondences, the technique selects the maximal set using a greedy graph-labeling algorithm (e.g., best-first order). Only correspondences that produce a globally consistent labeling are selected. After globalization is done, a set of features common to a group of images can be quickly found and used to warp and combine the images to produce an interpolated novel view of the environment.

Abstract: Techniques for creating interactive walkthroughs or visualizations of real-world environments. Such environments for which interactive walkthroughs may be created may comprise large interior spaces (e.g., buildings), wherein a space may comprise multiple rooms. The interactive walkthroughs may be photorealistic and rendered from arbitrary viewpoints at interactive rates. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for generating a visualization representative of an environment comprises the following steps. A dense set of image data is captured from the environment. The captured image data is compressed for storage. A portion of the compressed image data may then be decompressed so as to render a visualization representative of the environment from a selected novel viewpoint. Another portion of the image data may be prefetched and decompressed such that captured image data surrounding the selected novel viewpoint is available to be rendered.

Abstract: A system and method for acoustic modeling partitions an input 3D spatial model into convex cells, and constructs a cell adjacency data structure representing the neighbor relationships between adjacent cells. For each sound source located in the spatial environment, convex pyramidal beams are traced through the input spatial model via recursive depth-first traversal of the cell-adjacency graph. During beam tracing, a beam tree data structure is constructed to encode propagation paths, which may include specular reflection, transmission, diffuse reflection, and diffraction events, from the source location to regions of the input spatial model. The beam tree data structure is then accessed for real-time computation and auralization of propagation paths to an arbitrary receiver location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a server for further reducing the amount of information that needs to be sent from the server to a set of user devices associated with a multiuser interactive virtual environment. More specifically, a method of operation of a set of at least one server initially comprises receiving an input data stream representing a set of at least one characteristic of a first entity. The first entity inhabits a first location within the multiuser interactive virtual environment and is associated with a first user device. Next, the set of at least one server applies a recipient filter to the input data stream to identify a set of at least one user device that will be sent an output message. The output message represents the input data stream. The set of at least one user device comprises a second user device. The recipient filter is based upon the set of at least one characteristic. The second user device is associated with a second entity.