Abstract: A method of generating audio assets, comprising the steps of: receiving an input multi-layered audio asset comprising a plurality of audio layers, generating an input multi-channel image, wherein each channel of the input multi-channel image comprises an input image representative of one of the audio layers, training a generative model on the input multi-channel image and implementing the trained generative model to generate an output multi-channel image, wherein each channel of the output multi-channel image comprises an output image representative of an output audio layer, and generating an output multi-layered audio asset based on a combination of output audio layers derived from the output images.

Abstract: A method of generating audio assets, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of input audio assets, converting each input audio asset into an input graphical representation, generating an input multi-channel image by stacking each input graphical representation in a separate channel of the image, feeding the input multi-channel image into a generative model to train the generative model and generate one or more output multi-channel images, each output multi-channel image comprising an output graphical representation, extracting the output graphical representations from each output multi-channel image and converting each output graphical representation into an output audio asset.

Abstract: A method of generating audio assets, comprising the steps of: receiving an input audio asset having a first duration, generating an input image representative of the input audio asset, training a generative model on the input image and implementing the trained generative model to generate an output image representative of an output audio asset having a second duration different to the first duration, and generating the output audio asset based on the output image.

Abstract: A graphics processing unit (GPU) is configured to receive metadata specifying an active sample configuration for a particular region of a display device among a plurality of regions of the display device and receive pixel data for one or more pixels in the particular region. The pixel data specifies the same number of color samples for each pixel. For each pixel in the particular region, the GPU invokes a pixel shader only for color samples specified to be active samples by the configuration.

Abstract: A method of estimating a time to complete a task for a user of a computer comprises: identifying a target task for which a time is to be estimated for completing the task, determining as a start point the completion of the last task completed by the user on the computer, obtaining, from data relating to a corpus of users, data for at least a subset of those users who completed the last task completed by the user before also completing the target task wherein the obtained data comprises timing data, calculating a representative time from the start point to the completion of the target task, based upon the obtained data, and implementing a predetermined action responsive to the calculated representative time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for an acquisition process to acquire information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation of a camera operated by a user and an image generation process to generate an image to be displayed on a display unit viewed by the user in a first frequency lower than a second frequency corresponding to a frame rate of the display unit using information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation acquired at a certain point of time by the acquisition process.

Abstract: A method of generating a model for 3D printing, includes selecting a target object within a virtual environment; sampling the target object to form a point cloud, the point cloud comprising points corresponding to an outer surface of the target object and also one or more internal features of the target object; rendering the point cloud from a plurality of viewpoints using voxels in place of the points in the point cloud; detecting which voxels and hence which points of the cloud were rendered over the plurality of renders; forming a surface-only point cloud comprising those points of the cloud that were rendered; and generating a model for 3D printing based on the surface-only point cloud.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A method of predicting a game objective completion time for a particular game objective for a particular user includes, for the particular user, determining a game objective completion time decile for a preceding predetermined number of other game objectives completed by the particular user, deriving a representative completion time decile from a plurality of game objective completion time deciles for the particular user, and identifying a time band classification of the particular user using the representative completion time decile for the particular user as input to a generated time band classification; and outputting predicted game objective completion time data for the particular game objective for the particular user based upon the identified time band classification.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment includes: obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and, for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a selected predetermined set of depth values corresponding to a predetermined set of positions within a respective video image; where for each pair of depth values and video image positions, a mapping point has a distance from the virtual camera position based upon the depth value, and a position based upon the relative positions of the virtual camera and the respective video image position, thereby obtaining a map dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A system for displaying a mobile device screen comprises a head mounted display for displaying a first content to a user, a video camera mounted on the head mounted display, the video camera operable to capture a video image of a scene in front of the user, a region detection processor operable to detect a region of the captured video image comprising a mobile device screen, and an image processor operable to replace a corresponding region of the displayed first content in the head mounted display with the detected region of the captured video image comprising the mobile device screen.

Abstract: A method of challenge generation comprises the steps of collecting gameplay telemetry data comprising values for one or more game parameters, from a plurality of users, selecting an in-game scenario for which telemetry data has been collected, for one or more selected game parameters, identify a value that does not prevent success in the in-game scenario, and generate a user challenge to succeed in the in-game scenario whilst generating a respective value for the one or more selected game parameters, the or each respective value having a respective selected relationship to the identified values of the one or more selected game parameters.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for receiving an image to be displayed on the head-mounted display unit generated in a first frequency by an image generation apparatus using information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation of the head of a user who wears a head-mounted display unit, where the information is acquired at a certain point of time; correcting the image using updated information relating to at least one of the position and the rotation at a different point of time, where the receiving and correcting includes receiving updated information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation in a second frequency corresponding to a frame rate of the head-mounted display unit, and performing multiple times of correction of the image in the first frequency using a plurality of the updated information relating to at least one of the position and the rotation received in the second frequency higher than the first frequency.

Abstract: A method of generating audio-visual content from video game footage is provided. The method comprises obtaining a user-selected audio track and obtaining video game footage. Statistical analysis is performed on the audio track so as to determine an excitement level associated with respective portions of the audio track. Statistical analysis is performed on the video game footage so as to determine an excitement level associated with respective portions of the video game footage. Portions of the video game footage are matched with portions of the audio track, based on a correspondence in determined excitement level. Based on said matching, a combined audio-visual content comprising the portions of the video game footage matched to corresponding portions of the audio track is generated. In this way, calm and exciting moments within the video footage are matched to corresponding moments in the audio track. A corresponding system is also provided.

Abstract: A virtual reality apparatus comprises an image generator to generate images representing a virtual environment, for display to a user by a head mountable display to be worn by that user. The virtual environment includes an avatar representation of the user positioned within the virtual environment so that the user's viewpoint of the virtual environment substantially corresponds to the viewpoint of the avatar corresponding to that user. One or more user controls are provided with which predetermined inputs may be selected by the user. The image generator is responsive to selection of a predetermined input by the user to correspondingly configure a face of the avatar representing that user. The image generator is arranged to generate respective facial configurations of the avatar for display to other users viewing the virtual environment.

Abstract: A method of generating a model for 3D printing includes selecting a target object within a virtual environment; sampling the target object to form a point cloud, the point cloud comprising points corresponding to an outer surface of the target object and also one or more internal features of the target object; rendering the point cloud from a plurality of viewpoints using voxels in place of the points in the point cloud; detecting which voxels and hence which points of the cloud were rendered over the plurality of renders; forming a surface-only point cloud comprising those points of the cloud that were rendered; and generating a model for 3D printing based on the surface-only point cloud.

Abstract: A virtual reality apparatus comprises an image generator to generate images representing a virtual environment, for display to a user by a head mountable display to be worn by that user. The virtual environment includes an avatar representation of the user positioned within the virtual environment so that the user's viewpoint of the virtual environment substantially corresponds to the viewpoint of the avatar corresponding to that user. One or more user controls are provided with which predetermined inputs may be selected by the user. The image generator is responsive to selection of a predetermined input by the user to correspondingly configure a face of the avatar representing that user. The image generator is arranged to generate respective facial configurations of the avatar for display to other users viewing the virtual environment.

Abstract: A board game system comprises a game board, having a surface adapted to receive a board game overlay, a detector array adapted to detect the respective positions of a plurality of game pieces placed on top of the board game overlay, and a transmitter adapted to transmit data indicating the respective positions to an entertainment device; and an entertainment device, having a receiver adapted to receive from the game board data indicating the respective positions of the plurality of game pieces, a game state analyser operable to update the state of a game in dependence upon the indicated respective positions of the plurality of game pieces, and an image generator operable to generate an image for output to a display, the content of the image being responsive to the detected state of the game.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for acquiring information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation of a user's head wearing a head-mounted display; generating an image for the head-mounted display using information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation acquired at a certain point of time; and a correcting process includes receiving updated information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation at a different point of time and correcting the image generated using the updated information. The generating the image includes using the information relating to at least one of the position and the rotation in a first frequency; and the correcting includes receiving updated information relating to at least one of a position and a rotation in a second frequency corresponding to a frame rate of the head-mounted display.

Abstract: A method generates a three-dimensional map of a region from successive images of that region captured from different camera poses. The method captures successive images of the region, detects a gravitational vertical direction in respect of each captured image, detects feature points within the captured images and designates a subset of the captured images as a set of keyframes each having respective sets of image position data representing image positions of landmark points detected as feature points in that image. The method also includes, for a captured image (i) deriving a camera pose from detected feature points in the image; (ii) rotating the gravitational vertical direction to the coordinates of a reference keyframe using the camera poses derived for that image and the reference keyframe; and (iii) comparing the rotated direction with the actual gravitational vertical direction for the reference keyframe to detect a quality measure of that image.