Patents Assigned to Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.
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Patent number: 8237729Abstract: A computer-implemented method for texturing a modeled surface includes receiving an albedo map corresponding to light scattering under uniform incident diffuse light. The method includes determining, using the albedo map, a local scattering parameter for a multipole bidirectional scattering surface reflectance distribution function (BSSRDF). The method includes texturing a modeled surface using the BSSRDF and the local scattering parameter.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2011Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventor: Christophe Hery
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Patent number: 8228336Abstract: The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for integrating a motion synthesis system into a video game system.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventor: Steven B. Dykes
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Patent number: 8207971Abstract: A system includes a computer system capable of representing one or more animated characters. The computer system includes a blendshape manager that combines multiple blendshapes to produce the animated character. The computer system also includes an expression manager to respectively adjust one or more control parameters associated with each of the plurality of blendshapes for adjusting an expression of the animated character. The computer system also includes a corrective element manager that applies one or more corrective elements to the combined blendshapes based upon at least one of the control parameters. The one or more applied corrective elements are adjustable based upon one or more of the control parameters absent the introduction of one or more additional control parameters.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2009Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Michael Koperwas, Frederic P. Pighin, Cary Phillips, Steve Sullivan, Eduardo Hueso
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Patent number: 8203570Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes selecting a polygon that includes a convex shape defined by vertices represented by integer coordinates. The method also includes determining a polygon transfer function from cones defined by some of the vertices. The polygon transfer function defines image processing operations independent of the scale of the polygon.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2008Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventor: Dan Piponi
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Patent number: 8199152Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes comparing content captured during one session and content captured during another session. A surface feature of an object represented in the content of one session corresponds to a surface feature of an object represented in the content of the other session. The method also includes substantially aligning the surface features of the sessions and combining the aligned content.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2007Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Francesco G. Callari
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Patent number: 8194080Abstract: Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for generating a surface representation of an item includes identifying, for a point on an item in an animation process, at least first and second transformation points corresponding to respective first and second transformations of the point. Each of the first and second transformations represents an influence on a location of the point of respective first and second joints associated with the item. The method includes determining an axis for a cylindrical coordinate system using the first and second transformations. The method includes performing an interpolation of the first and second transformation points in the cylindrical coordinate system to obtain an interpolated point. The method includes recording the interpolated point in a surface representation of the item in the animation process.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2008Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Jason Smith, Frederic P. Pighin, Cary Phillips
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Patent number: 8189004Abstract: The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for translating RenderMan shading language code.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2007Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventor: Charlie A. Kilpatrick
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Patent number: 8174528Abstract: Among other disclosure, a computer-implemented method for retaining a surface detail includes identifying a surface that is to be used for generating an image in a rendering process. The surface includes polygons to be changed from an initial size to a larger size as the surface is changed to a lower resolution as part of tessellating the surface. The surface includes at least one surface detail smaller than the larger polygon size. The method includes storing information corresponding to at least a portion of the surface that includes polygons forming the surface detail. The method includes tesselating the surface, wherein the surface assumes the lower resolution. The method includes determining, while the image is at the lower resolution and using the stored information, a shading sample for at least one of the polygons of the larger size that includes the surface detail. The method includes storing the shading sample.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2007Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Patrick N. P. Conran, Domenico Porcino
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Patent number: 8144153Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes selecting a subset of images from a set of captured images. A surface feature of one object is represented in the content of each selected subset image. The method also includes decomposing the surface feature content of each selected image to produce a model of representations of the object.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2007Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Francesco Callari
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Patent number: 8130225Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes comparing one or more surface features to a motion model. The surface feature or surface features represent a portion of an object in an image. The method also includes identifying a representation of the object from the motion model, based upon the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2007Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Francesco G. Callari
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Patent number: 8112254Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system that includes a correspondence generator that determines a distance-based mapping between a set of points in a source object and a point in a target object and stores the distance-based mapping in a surface map. The system also includes an attribute transfer module that transfers surface attributes that determine an appearance or deformation of the set of points in the source object to the point in the target object using the surface map. The system also includes an attribute editor that receives a selection of a region of the target object and applies an interpolation algorithm that determines new values for surface attributes in the selected region from neighboring points in the target object.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Kiran S. Bhat, Cary Phillips
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Publication number: 20120002017Abstract: In one general aspect, a method is described. The method includes generating a positional relationship between one or more support structures having at least one motion capture mark and at least one virtual structure corresponding to geometry of an object to be tracked and positioning the support structures on the object to be tracked. The support structures has sufficient rigidity that, if there are multiple marks, the marks on each support structure maintain substantially fixed distances from each other in response to movement by the object. The method also includes determining an effective quantity of ray traces between one or more camera views and one or more marks on the support structures, and estimating an orientation of the virtual structure by aligning the determined effective quantity of ray traces with a known configuration of marks on the support structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: January 5, 2012Applicant: LUCASFILM ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LTD.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Colin Davidson, Michael Sanders, Kevin Wooley
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Patent number: 8044962Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes identifying a representation of a feature of an animated character by inverting an skinned representation of the feature in one position. The inversion includes a non-linear inversion of the skinned representation of the feature. The method also includes skinning the identified feature representation to produce the animated character in another position.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2007Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Frederic P. Pighin, Cary Phillips
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Patent number: 8035643Abstract: Systems and methods are described, which create a mapping from a space of a source object (e.g., source facial expressions) to a space of a target object (e.g., target facial expressions). In certain implementations, the mapping is learned based a training set composed of corresponding shapes (e.g. facial expressions) in each space. The user can create the training set by selecting expressions from, for example, captured source performance data, and by sculpting corresponding target expressions. Additional target shapes (e.g., target facial expressions) can be interpolated and extrapolated from the shapes in the training set to generate corresponding shapes for potential source shapes (e.g., facial expressions).Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2007Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Frederic P. Pighin, Cary Phillips, Steve Sullivan
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Patent number: 8019137Abstract: In one general aspect, a method is described. The method includes generating a positional relationship between one or more support structures having at least one motion capture mark and at least one virtual structure corresponding to geometry of an object to be tracked and positioning the support structures on the object to be tracked. The support structures has sufficient rigidity that, if there are multiple marks, the marks on each support structure maintain substantially fixed distances from each other in response to movement by the object. The method also includes determining an effective quantity of ray traces between one or more camera views and one or more marks on the support structures, and estimating an orientation of the virtual structure by aligning the determined effective quantity of ray traces with a known configuration of marks on the support structures.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2009Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Colin Davidson, Michael Sanders, Kevin Wooley
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Patent number: 7952590Abstract: A computer-implemented method for texturing a modeled surface includes receiving an albedo map corresponding to light scattering under uniform incident diffuse light. The method includes determining, using the albedo map, a local scattering parameter for a multipole bidirectional scattering surface reflectance distribution function (BSSRDF). The method includes texturing a modeled surface using the BSSRDF and the local scattering parameter.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2007Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventor: Christophe Hery
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Patent number: 7945892Abstract: Changes to the outputs of a dependency graph, which has attribute nodes and operator nodes, are detected by forming product proxies for the outputs of dependency graph nodes. The product proxies can be formed by entering information about the dependency graph into a hashing algorithm. Before and after product proxies are then used to determine if the outputs have changed.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Florian Kainz, Charles Allen Kilpatrick
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Patent number: 7848564Abstract: In one general aspect, a method is described. The method includes generating a positional relationship between one or more support structures having at least one motion capture mark and at least one virtual structure corresponding to geometry of an object to be tracked and positioning the support structures on the object to be tracked. The support structures has sufficient rigidity that, if there are multiple marks, the marks on each support structure maintain substantially fixed distances from each other in response to movement by the object. The method also includes determining an effective quantity of ray traces between one or more camera views and one or more marks on the support structures, and estimating an orientation of the virtual structure by aligning the determined effective quantity of ray traces with a known configuration of marks on the support structures.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2006Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Steve Sullivan, Colin Davidson, Michael Sanders, Kevin Wooley
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Patent number: 7747420Abstract: The movement of elements through a region of three dimensional (3D) space is simulated by utilizing a number of two dimensional (2D) grids to define the region of 3D space. Movement information is associated with each grid point of each 2D grid, and changed over a time period. For each element in 3D space, movement information is interpolated from the grid points of a pair of 2D grids that lie on opposite sides of the element. The interpolated movement information is used to advect the elements through the region of 3D space.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2008Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Nicholas Grant Rasmussen, Ronald Paul Fedkiw
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Patent number: 7472046Abstract: The movement of elements through a region of three dimensional (3D) space is simulated by utilizing a number of two dimensional (2D) grids to define the region of 3D space. Movement information is associated with each grid point of each 2D grid, and changed over a time period. For each element in 3D space, movement information is interpolated from the grid points of a pair of 2D grids that lie on opposite sides of the element. The interpolated movement information is used to advect the elements through the region of 3D space.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2003Date of Patent: December 30, 2008Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.Inventors: Nicholas Grant Rasmussen, Ronald Paul Fedkiw