Abstract: Techniques for controlling movements of an object in a videogame are disclosed. At least one video camera is used at a location where at least a player plays the videogame, the video camera captures various movements of the player. A designated device (e.g., a game console or computer) is configured to the video data to derive the movements of the player from the video data, and cause the object to respond to the movements of the player. When the designated device receives video data from more than one locations, players at the respective locations can play a networked videogame that may be built upon a shared space representing some or all of the real-world spaces of the locations. The video game is embedded with objects, some of which respond to the movements of the players and interact with other objects in accordance with rules of the video games.

Abstract: Techniques for selecting a portion of a 3D virtual environment are disclosed, where the portion of the 3D virtual environment may be one or more objects in the 3D virtual environment or one of scenes in the 3D virtual environment. A motion sensitive device (controller) is used. The controller generates sensor data sufficient to derive position and orientation of the controller in six degrees of freedom. In one embodiment, when selecting the portion of the 3D virtual environment, the controller generates a ray to an interaction of a display screen provided to display the 3D virtual environment, wherein the ray is further projected into the 3D virtual environment by a ray tracing technique as if the user had a real laser pointer that crosses from the physical world into the 3D virtual environment being displayed. Further a user is optionally to use a secondary input device to select one or more points or objects in a 3D space to control a distance along the ray being used.

Abstract: A microphone pop filter for attenuating plosive artifacts utilizes a substantially acoustically transparent material configured to define multiple airfoil surfaces that are oriented non-orthogonally relative to an axis defined between an audio source and a microphone diaphragm, with the substantially acoustically transparent material disposed intermediate the audio source and the microphone diaphragm and separated from the microphone diaphragm by an airspace. Plosive artifacts from the audio source may be deflected away from the microphone diaphragm by the airfoil surfaces to reduce the impact of such artifacts on the microphone diaphragm and the resulting electronic signal output therefrom.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for vaporizing liquid precursor material for use in a vapor deposition process are disclosed. The method for vaporizing liquid precursor material includes introducing a flow of liquid precursor material into an expansion chamber and directing the flow of liquid precursor material towards a wall of the chamber. The wall of the chamber is heated to a temperature sufficient to vaporize a first portion of the flow of liquid precursor material while a second portion of the flow of liquid precursor material remains in a liquid state and a third portion of the liquid precursor material is formed into gel. The expansion chamber is continuously drained as the flow of liquid precursor material is introduced into the expansion chamber. The chamber is heated to a temperature to produce a sufficient amount of the second portion of the liquid precursor material to flush the gel from the chamber.

Abstract: Techniques for using a motion sensitive device as a controller are disclosed. A motion controller as an input/control device is used to control an existing electronic device (a.k.a., controlled device) previously configured for taking inputs from a pre-defined controlling device. The signals from the input device are in a different form from the pre-defined controlling device. According to one aspect of the present invention, the controlled device was designed to respond to signals from a pre-defined controlling device (e.g., a touch-screen device). The inputs from the motion controller are converted into touch-screen like signals that are then sent to the controlled device or programs being executed in the controlled device to cause the behavior of the controlled device to change or respond thereto, without reconfiguration of the applications running on the controlled device.

Abstract: A movable game controller for controlling aspects of a computer controlled game display with apparatus for determining the linear and angular motion of that movable controller. The apparatus includes a plurality of self-contained inertial sensors for sensing the tri-axial linear and tri-axial angular motion of the moving controller. Each sensor is mounted at a fixed linear position and orientation with respect to the others. The linear and angular motion of the controller is computed from the correlated motion sensor readings of each of the plurality of self-contained inertial sensors.

Abstract: Techniques for performing accurate and automatic head pose estimation are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, head pose estimation is integrated with a scale-invariant head tracking method along with facial features detected from a located head in images. Thus the head pose estimation works efficiently even when there are large translational movements resulting from the head motion. Various computation techniques are used to optimize the process of estimation so that the head pose estimation can be applied to control one or more objects in a virtual environment and virtual character gaze control.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting generalized motion recognition are disclosed. A set of motion recognizers created from training sets of labeled processed motion signals is provided, each of the component outputs is transformed. When a motion signal including two or more component outputs is received, the component outputs are transformed into device-independent motion signals, where each of the component outputs describes a different component of a motion made by a user. The motion recognizers are applied to the motion signal to build generalized motion recognizers responsive to the motion sensitive device that has generated the motion signal.

Abstract: Techniques for performing anytime motion recognition are disclosed. Based on a motion signal received from a motion-sensitive device being manipulated by a user as a way to interact with an application, a processing unit is configured to a set of prototypes included in a motion recognizer to generate a recognition signal from the motion signal in response to the motion recognizer. A prototype is eliminated out of the set of the prototypes from further consideration when a corresponding running distance of the prototype to the motion signal is beyond a predefined measurement so that the motion recognition speeds up as time passes.

Abstract: Techniques for performing motion recognition using generalized motion recognition capability are disclosed. At least two types of sensors are used to generate sensor signals about a motion made by a user. The sensor signals are then transformed to device-independent motion signals that may be used to build generalized motion recognizers or used with one or more generalized motion recognizers responsive to the sensors. At least one of objects in a virtual interactive environment is responsive to a recognition signal determined from the motion signal and the generalized motion recognizers.

Abstract: A microphone pop filter for attenuating plosive artifacts utilizes a substantially acoustically transparent material configured to define multiple airfoil surfaces that are oriented non-orthogonally relative to an axis defined between an audio source and a microphone diaphragm, with the substantially acoustically transparent material disposed intermediate the audio source and the microphone diaphragm and separated from the microphone diaphragm by an airspace. Plosive artifacts from the audio source may be deflected away from the microphone diaphragm by the airfoil surfaces to reduce the impact of such artifacts on the microphone diaphragm and the resulting electronic signal output therefrom.

Abstract: Techniques for motion recognition using multiple data streams are disclosed. Multiple data streams from inertia sensors as well as non-inertial sensors are received to derive a motion recognition signal from motion recognizers. These motion recognizers are originally constructed from a training set of motion signals and may be updated with received multiple sensing signals. In one aspect, multiple data streams are converted to device-independent motion signals that are applied with the motion recognizers to provide a generalized motion recognition capability.

Abstract: Techniques for performing motion recognition with minimum delay are disclosed. A processing unit is provided to receive motion signals from at least one motion sensing device, where the motion signal describes motions made by a user. The processing unit is configured to access a set of prototypes included in a motion recognizer to generate corresponding recognition signals from the motion signals in response to the motion recognizer without considering one or more of the prototypes completely in the motion recognizer. Movements of at least one of the objects in a virtual interactive environment is responsive to the recognition signals such that feedback from the motions to control the one of the objects is immediate and substantially correct no matter how much of the motion signals have been received.

Abstract: Techniques for performing motion recognition with minimum delay are disclosed. A processing unit is provided to receive motion signals from at least one motion sensing device, where the motion signal describes motions made by a user. The processing unit is configured to access a set of prototypes included in a motion recognizer to generate corresponding recognition signals from the motion signals in response to the motion recognizer without considering one or more of the prototypes completely in the motion recognizer. Movements of at least one of the objects in a virtual interactive environment is responsive to the recognition signals such that feedback from the motions to control the one of the objects is immediate and substantially correct no matter how much of the motion signals have been received.

Abstract: Techniques for motion recognition using multiple data streams are disclosed. Multiple data streams from inertia sensors as well as non-inertial sensors are received to derive a motion recognition signal from motion recognizers. These motion recognizers are originally constructed from a training set of motion signals and may be updated with received multiple sensing signals. In one aspect, multiple data streams are converted to device-independent motion signals that are applied with the motion recognizers to provide a generalized motion recognition capability.

Abstract: Techniques for non-disruptive embedding of specialized elements are disclosed. In one aspect of the techniques, ontology is defined to specify an application domain. A program interface (API) is also provided for creating raw features by a developer. Thus a module is provided for at least one form of statistical analysis within the ontology. The module is configured automatically in a computing device with the API in response to a system consistent with the ontology, wherein the system has no substantial requirement for specialized knowledge of that form of statistical analysis, and the module has no substantial requirement for specialized knowledge of particular functions provided by the system.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for placing trays into sleeves is provided. The apparatus includes a conveyor system for transporting a mail tray, a sleeve blank presentment device and a robotic arm. The robotic arm is provided with an end of arm tool which retains and opens a sleeve blank. A tray induction system including a plurality of paddles configured to guide a tray into an open sleeve blank is also provided.

Abstract: An ice remover for use on a substantially flat surface comprises a container having a substantially planar first outer surface portion, which forms a discrete edge with at least a second outer surface portion of the container, and wherein the container can be filled with a fluid to raise the temperature of the substantially planar first outer surface portion for melting ice on the substantially flat surface. The container may comprise one or more further substantially planar outer surface portions with a discrete edge formed between each portion. At least one of the discrete edges may be fitted with a scraper, which may have a serrated edge, e.g. of moulded acrylic. The container may have a removable cap for filling and emptying the fluid. The container may comprise a substantially tubular handle attached to a portion of the surface on an opposing side of the container from the substantially planar first portion.

Abstract: A movable game controller for controlling aspects of a computer controlled game display with apparatus for determining the linear and angular motion of that movable controller. The apparatus includes a plurality of self-contained inertial sensors for sensing the tri-axial linear and tri-axial angular motion of the moving controller. Each sensor is mounted at a fixed linear position and orientation with respect to the others. The linear and angular motion of the controller is computed from the correlated motion sensor readings of each of the plurality of self-contained inertial sensors.