Abstract: Techniques for buffering data over high bandwidth networks are provided. A first portion of data is downloaded into a buffer at a first download speed via a first network. The first portion of data is outputted from the buffer. Upon determining that data is being downloaded, via a second network, at a second download speed greater than the first download speed, a size of the buffer is expanded, and a second portion of data is downloaded into the expanded buffer.

Abstract: The embodiments herein use a corrector plate or a light field display in an AR/VR display device to compensate for sub-optimal collimation at the edge of the FOV. In one embodiment, the corrector plate is disposed between the collimator and the viewer so that the light at the edge of the FOV can be corrected so that the aberrations mentioned above do not occur. In another embodiment, rather than using a corrector plate, the AR/VR display device can include a light field display that can use color intensity to pre-distort emitted light to compensate for sub-optimal collimation at the edge of the FOV. In this manner, the AR/VR display device can mitigate aberrations or distortions as the user moves her eyes relative to the display device.

Abstract: According to one implementation, a method of guiding an interaction between a companion module and a user includes identifying a media content for playout by a media player device, transmitting, to a remote server, an interaction schema request identifying the media content and the companion module, and receiving, from the remote server, behavioral manifest data including an instruction for guiding the interaction between the companion module and the user. Such a method also includes obtaining a play head state of the media player device and a playout timecode state of the media content, and identifying a user interaction behavior for the companion module based on the behavioral manifest data, the play head state of the media player device, and the playout timecode state of the media content.

Abstract: A method of generating a training data set for training an image matting machine learning model includes receiving a plurality of foreground images, generating a plurality of composited foreground images by compositing randomly selected foreground images from the plurality of foreground images, and generating a plurality of training images by compositing each composited foreground image with a randomly selected background image. The training data set includes the plurality of training images.

Abstract: This disclosure presents systems and methods to improve user brushing behavior. Exemplary implementations may: effectuate presentation of audio content via an audio output device, the audio content being characterized by an audio profile; obtain output signals from one or more sensors coupled to a user device, the output signals conveying user input information, the user input information defining user input by a user via the user device; determine, based on the user input information, a user profile, the user profile including one or more user values of the one or more audio attribute; compare the user profile with the audio profile to determine, for individual audio attributes, one or more differences; determine one or more scores reflecting the one or more differences; and/or perform other operations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing machine-learning enabled user-specific evaluations are disclosed. Implementations include obtaining a first set of evaluation data from a user interface, obtaining a first set of target-descriptive data including target-specific characteristics objectively describing the evaluation targets, and training, with a machine-learning algorithm, a user-specific evaluation profile indicating evaluation patterns relative to the first set of evaluation data and the first set of target-specific characteristics. Implementations include applying the user-specific evaluation profile to a second set of target-descriptive data to predict a user-specific evaluation.

Abstract: A modular architecture is provided for denoising Monte Carlo renderings using neural networks. The temporal approach extracts and combines feature representations from neighboring frames rather than building a temporal context using recurrent connections. A multiscale architecture includes separate single-frame or temporal denoising modules for individual scales, and one or more scale compositor neural networks configured to adaptively blend individual scales. An error-predicting module is configured to produce adaptive sampling maps for a renderer to achieve more uniform residual noise distribution. An asymmetric loss function may be used for training the neural networks, which can provide control over the variance-bias trade-off during denoising.

Abstract: A system and method for model-based camera tracking and image occlusion removal for a camera viewing a sports field (or other scene) includes receiving a synthesized data set comprising at least one empty field image of the field, the empty field image with at least one occlusion graphic, and camera parameters corresponding to the empty field image, training a neural network model to estimate the empty field image and the corresponding camera parameters by providing the model with an input training image comprising the empty field image with occlusion graphic, and providing the model with model output targets comprising the empty field image and the corresponding camera parameters as targets for the model, receiving by the neural network model, alive input image comprising a view of the field with live occlusions, and providing by the neural network model, using trained model parameters, estimated live camera parameters or an estimated empty field image associated with the live input image.

Abstract: A method to project content from a moving projector. The method includes analyzing an object to identify a projection surface; determining a first position of a projector relative to the projection surface; modifying a first frame of a content for projection onto the projection surface based on the projection surface and the first position of the projector; projecting the first frame of the content from the projector onto the projection surface; determining a second position of the projector relative to the projection surface; modifying a second frame of the content based on the projection surface and the second position; and projecting the second frame of the content from the projector onto the projection surface.

Abstract: A method includes displaying, on a touchscreen, a video comprising a video frame and determining, based on a saliency map of the video frame, a region of interest in the video frame. The method also includes detecting a touch on a region of the touchscreen while the video frame is displayed and generating a haptic response in response to determining that the region of the touchscreen overlaps with the region of interest.

Abstract: A method includes storing a plurality of scores and a plurality of session identifiers for a game. The plurality of scores are generated by monitoring player activity during game sessions identified by the plurality of session identifiers and by applying rules of the game to determine scoring events based on the player activity. The method also includes generating, during a game session, a code for a player, providing the code to the player before the player leaves the game, and receiving, from a device, a target session identifier generated by the device based on the code and in response to receiving the target session identifier. The method further includes retrieving a score of the plurality of scores generated during a game session identified by a session identifier of the plurality of session identifiers that matches the target session identifier and communicating, to the device, the retrieved score.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for reordering and/or bypassing certain informational content or menus that are conventionally presented prior to playback of media content stored on physical media discs. Upon initial use of a physical media disc, certain information content or menus may be presented to a user or viewer, for example, piracy warnings, language selection menus, etc. However, upon subsequent use of the physical media disc, such informational content or menus may be bypassed. The user or viewer is given an option to immediately begin consuming the media content stored on the physical media disc. Conventional content, such as trailers are not played prior to playback of the media content.

Abstract: An image processing system includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing an image augmentation software code, a three-dimensional (3D) shapes library, and/or a 3D poses library. The image processing system also includes a two-dimensional (2D) pose estimation module communicatively coupled to the image augmentation software code. The hardware processor executes the image augmentation software code to provide an image to the 2D pose estimation module and to receive a 2D pose data generated by the 2D pose estimation module based on the image. The image augmentation software code identifies a 3D shape and/or a 3D pose corresponding to the image using an optimization algorithm applied to the 2D pose data and one or both of the 3D poses library and the 3D shapes library, and may output the 3D shape and/or 3D pose to render an augmented image on a display.

Abstract: A system includes a computing platform having a hardware processor, and a system memory storing a software code and a content labeling predictive model. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to scan a database to identify content assets stored in the database, parse metadata stored in the database to identify labels associated with the content assets, and generate a graph by creating multiple first links linking each of the content assets to its corresponding label or labels. The hardware processor is configured to further execute the software code to train, using the graph, the content labeling predictive model, to identify, using the trained content labeling predictive model, multiple second links among the content assets and the labels, and to annotate the content assets based on the second links.

Abstract: There is provided a media player device for use with a text medium having a plurality of pages each having a plurality of words, the media player device comprising an audio output, a memory storing a text medium application software; and a processor configured to execute the text medium application software to receive a first signal emitted from a wireless communication element embedded in the text medium, the first signal including a text medium ID uniquely identifying the text medium, and play an audio, via the audio output and in response to receiving the text medium ID, wherein the audio corresponds to the text medium ID and the audio pronounces the plurality of words in a same sequence appearing in each of the plurality of pages.

Abstract: Techniques to facilitate compression of depth data and real-time reconstruction of high-quality light fields. A parameter space of values for a line, pairs of endpoints on different sides of the line, and a palette index for each pixel of a pixel tile of a depth image is sampled. Values for the line, the pairs of endpoints, and the palette index that minimize an error are determined and stored.

Abstract: An interactive autonomous robot is configured for deployment within a social environment. The disclosed robot includes a show subsystem configured to select between different in-character behaviors depending on robot status, thereby allowing the robot to appear in-character despite technical failures. The disclosed robot further includes a safety subsystem configured to intervene with in-character behavior when necessary to enforce safety protocols. The disclosed robot is also configured with a social subsystem that interprets social behaviors of humans and then initiates specific behavior sequences in response.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing a platform to provide virtual storefronts to consumers. Environmental elements are associated with specific consumer services on computer server. A user in the environment takes audio or visual recordings of an environmental element and uploads the recordings to the server. The server determines the appropriate consumer service associated with the recorded environmental element and provides the user with a reference to the service. Accordingly, any space, such as a bus stop, subway or train terminal, movie theater, or airport, may be turned into a virtual store.