Patents by Inventor Steven M. Chapman

Steven M. Chapman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11282250
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods directed to updating pre-generated content by applying secondary effects associated with detected and/or collected environmental data corresponding to a display environment. In operation, a sensor device detects environmental data corresponding to a display environment. A computing device may identify a secondary effect corresponding to the detected environmental data. The secondary effect may be applied to pre-generated content to update the content, and the updated pre-generated content may be displayed on a display. Accordingly, systems and methods described herein enable an improved immersive viewing experience by incorporating features of a user's environment into pre-generated content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Alice J. Taylor, Steven M. Chapman, Alexandra J. Lewis Christiansen, Jackson Rogow
  • Publication number: 20220076484
    Abstract: In one implementation, a virtual-world simulator includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, a tracking system communicatively coupled to the computing platform, and a projection device communicatively coupled to the computing platform. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to obtain a map of a geometry of a real-world venue including the virtual-world simulator, to identify one or more virtual effects for display in the real-world venue, and to use the tracking system to track a moving perspective of one of a user in the real-world venue or a camera in the real-world venue. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the software code to control the projection device to simulate a virtual-world by conforming the identified one or more virtual effects to the geometry of the real-world venue from a present vantage point of the tracked moving perspective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Dane M. Coffey, Evan M. Goldberg, Steven M. Chapman, Daniel L. Baker, Matthew Deuel, Mark R. Mine
  • Patent number: 11272081
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for compositing real-time, real-world video with virtual objects. An electronic device includes circuitry coupled to a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the circuitry to receive video of a given video capture region. The circuitry is caused to receive location information and camera information from the unmanned vehicle. The circuitry is caused to obtain a representation of a location of interest corresponding to the location of the unmanned vehicle. The circuitry is caused to display the representation. The circuitry is caused to obtain virtual objects. The circuitry is caused to place the virtual objects into the representation. The circuitry is caused to render the virtual objects and the video to generate a rendered video including rendered virtual objects in at least one frame of the video. The circuitry is caused to send the rendered video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Mehul Patel, Joseph Popp
  • Publication number: 20220051013
    Abstract: Tracking an item of interest through an environment is described. Tracking the item of interest through the environment is accomplished using passive optical tracking where an item is identified in an image of the environment using image processing and various locations of the item are tracked through the environment. When a user wants to know an item's location, a location image is projected onto the location of the item to allow a user view a current location of the item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Evan M. GOLDBERG, Mark R. MINE, Matthew DEUEL, Daniel L. BAKER, Dane M. COFFEY, Steven M. CHAPMAN
  • Patent number: 11249304
    Abstract: An apparatus such as a head-mounted display (HMD) may have a camera for capturing a visual scene for presentation via the HMD. A user of the apparatus may be operating a second, physical camera for capturing video or still images within the visual scene. The HMD may generate an augmented reality (AR) experience by presenting an AR view frustum representative of the actual view frustum of the physical camera. The field of view of the user viewing the captured visual scene via the AR experience is generally larger that the AR view frustum, allowing the user to avoid unnatural tracking movements and/or hunting for subjects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Joseph Popp
  • Publication number: 20220020204
    Abstract: In one implementation, a virtual-world simulator includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, a tracking system communicatively coupled to the computing platform, and a projection device communicatively coupled to the computing platform. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to obtain a map of a geometry of a real-world venue including the virtual-world simulator, to identify one or more virtual effects for display in the real-world venue, and to use the tracking system to track a moving perspective of one of a user in the real-world venue or a camera in the real-world venue. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the software code to control the projection device to simulate a virtual-world by conforming the identified one or more virtual effects to the geometry of the real-world venue from a present vantage point of the tracked moving perspective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Dane M. Coffey, Evan M. Goldberg, Steven M. Chapman, Daniel L. Baker, Matthew Deuel, Mark R. Mine
  • Patent number: 11210843
    Abstract: In one implementation, a virtual-world simulator includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, a tracking system communicatively coupled to the computing platform, and a projection device communicatively coupled to the computing platform. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to obtain a map of a geometry of a real-world venue including the virtual-world simulator, to identify one or more virtual effects for display in the real-world venue, and to use the tracking system to track a moving perspective of one of a user in the real-world venue or a camera in the real-world venue. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the software code to control the projection device to simulate a virtual-world by conforming the identified one or more virtual effects to the geometry of the real-world venue from a present vantage point of the tracked moving perspective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Dane M. Coffey, Evan M. Goldberg, Steven M. Chapman, Daniel L. Baker, Matthew Deuel, Mark R. Mine
  • Publication number: 20210400174
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking objects in a field of view are disclosed. In one embodiment a method may include capturing, via a camera, a real-world object in the field of view; generating a first object data associating the real-world object with a first position of the real-world object in a real-world environment at a first time; generating a virtual object representative of the real-world object depicting the real-world object in the first position at the first time; generating a second object data associating the real-world object with a second position of the real-world object in the real-world environment at a second time, determining a displacement value of the real-world object between the first position and the second position, modifying the virtual object to include an indication that the real-world object has been displaced when the displacement value is greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Mark R. Mine, Steven M. Chapman, Alexa L. Hale, Joseph M. Popp, Dawn J. Binder, Calis O. Agyemang, Alice Taylor
  • Publication number: 20210383595
    Abstract: In one implementation, an enhanced vision system includes a portable user device, a base station including a hardware processor and a memory storing a virtual effects rendering software code, and a display device communicatively coupled to the base station. The hardware processor executes the virtual effects rendering software code to detect the presence of the portable user device in a real-world environment, obtain a mapping of the real-world environment, and identify one or more virtual effect(s) for display in the real-world environment. The hardware processor further executes the virtual effects rendering software code to detect actuation of the portable user device, and to control the display device to display the virtual effect(s) in the real-world environment based on the mapping, and the position and orientation of the portable user device during the detected actuation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Matthew Deuel, Daniel Baker, Dane Coffey, Mark R. Mine, Evan Goldberg
  • Publication number: 20210373834
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for displaying supplemental content. The method includes determining environmental characteristics, e.g., wall space, empty areas, colors, etc., for a display environment, determining supplemental content based in part on a primary content displayed by a primary display, and displaying the supplemental content in the display environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Evan M. Goldberg, Daniel L. Baker, Steven M. Chapman, Dane M. Coffey, Matthew Deuel, Mark R. Mine
  • Publication number: 20210304470
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and methods directed to updating pre-generated content by applying secondary effects associated with detected and/or collected environmental data corresponding to a display environment. In operation, a sensor device detects environmental data corresponding to a display environment. A computing device may identify a secondary effect corresponding to the detected environmental data. The secondary effect may be applied to pre-generated content to update the content, and the updated pre-generated content may be displayed on a display. Accordingly, systems and methods described herein enable an improved immersive viewing experience by incorporating features of a user's environment into pre-generated content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Alice J. Taylor, Steven M. Chapman, Alexandra J. Lewis Christiansen, Jackson Rogow
  • Patent number: 11128783
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking objects in a field of view are disclosed. In one embodiment a method may include obtaining, from the non-transient electronic storage, object data. The object data may include a position of one or more objects as a function of time in a field of view. The method may include generating, with the one or more physical computer processors and the one or more AR components, a first virtual object to depict at least one or more of the object data of a first object at a first time. The method may include displaying, via the display, the first virtual object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Mark R. Mine, Steven M. Chapman, Alexa L. Hale, Joseph M. Popp, Dawn J. Binder, Calis O. Agyemang, Alice Taylor
  • Patent number: 11119331
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed toward stabilizing an image projected by a projector in an environment including vibrations or other movements that displace the projected image. In one set of implementations, an image projected by a projector may be stabilized by using an image stabilization system that detects a displacement of the projector from an equilibrium position and controls an optical element of the projector to offset the displacement. In an additional set of implementations, an image projected by the projector may be stabilized by using an image stabilization system that measures a rate of displacement from equilibrium of an image projected by the projector to predict a displacement of the projector and counteract the predicted displacement. In another set of implementations, an image projected by a projector may be stabilized by precalculating a plurality of lookup tables that correct for displacements of the projected image during operation of the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Joseph Popp, Joseph Hager, Mehul Patel
  • Patent number: 11094095
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to presenting a more realistic augmented reality view on a video see-through display of a device by configuring the device such that the displayed image of the real world substantially matches what would be perceived by the user if the display were not present. This may be implemented by determining one or more of: a distance from the user's eyes to the display of the device, and an angular offset between the optical axis of a rear camera of the device and the user's visual field, and using the determined distance and/or angular offset to adjust the image that is displayed to the user. The image that is displayed to the user may be adjusted by optically or digitally zooming the rear camera of the device. It may also be adjusted by tilting the rear camera or by digitally translating the displayed video feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Joseph Popp, Mehul Patel, Calis Agyemang
  • Patent number: 11049285
    Abstract: According to one implementation, a system for validating media content includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a system memory storing a media content validation software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the media content validation software code to search the media content for a geometrically encoded metadata structure. When the geometrically encoded metadata structure is detected, the hardware processor is further configured to execute the media content validation software code to identify an original three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the detected geometrically encoded metadata structure, to extract metadata from the detected geometrically encoded metadata structure, decode the metadata extracted from the detected geometrically encoded metadata structure based on the identified original 3D geometry, and obtain a validation status of the media content based on the decoded metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Todd P. Swanson, Mehul Patel, Joseph Popp, Ty Popko
  • Publication number: 20210185213
    Abstract: A system for illuminating a character for a scene includes a computing platform communicatively coupled to a lighting source and a camera, the computing platform including a hardware processor and a system memory storing a software code. The hardware processor executes the software code to identify a background for the scene, generate, using the lighting source, a simulation of the background on a surface illuminated by the lighting source, and utilize the simulation of the background generated on the surface illuminated by the lighting source to illuminate the character for the scene. The hardware processor also executes the software code to track, using the camera, a plurality of parameters of the camera during recording of an image of the illuminated character and the simulation of the background, and to remove the simulation of the background from the image based on the plurality of parameters of the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Alice Taylor, Joseph Popp
  • Patent number: 10999292
    Abstract: The present application discloses computing platforms and methods for performing location-based restriction of content transmission. In one implementation, such a computing platform includes a hardware processor and a memory storing a content protection software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the content protection software code to obtain a media content including a cue for restricting broadcast of the media content, and to detect the cue in the media content. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the content protection software code to interpret the cue to identify a usage rule constraining the broadcast of the media content, and to restrict the broadcast of the media content based on the usage rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Arana, Steven M. Chapman
  • Patent number: 10960297
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for tracking physical objects using a passive reflective object. A computer-implemented method includes obtaining a location profile derived from content capturing a passive object having a reflective surface reflecting one or more real-world objects. The passive object is attached to a physical object. The method further includes transmitting the location profile to a simulation device. The method further includes generating a virtual representation of the physical object based on the location profile of the passive object. The method further includes presenting the virtual representation in a simulation experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Steven M. Chapman
  • Publication number: 20210088688
    Abstract: A system comprises active magnetic emitters positioned within an area, passive magnetic emitters configured to be moved within the area, a magnetic field detector configured to measure a strength and direction of a magnetic field within the area, and a processor in communication with the magnetic field detector. The passive magnetic emitters are configured to be integrated in, coupled to, or secured to at least one tracked object or tracked subject within the area. The processor is configured to evaluate at least one change in the measured strength and direction of the magnetic field end send a signal to a visual effect actuator or visual effects display to initiate a visual effect based on the at least one change. A method and computer program product relating to the system is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: STEVEN M. CHAPMAN, JOSEPH HAGER
  • Patent number: 10937242
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for performing image compensation using image enhancement effects. In one implementation, such a system includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing an image compensation software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the image compensation software code to receive image data corresponding to an event being viewed by a viewer in a venue, the image data obtained by a wearable augmented reality (AR) device worn by the viewer, and to detect a deficiency in an image included in the image data. The hardware processor is further configured to execute the image compensation software code to generate one or more image enhancement effect(s) for compensating for the deficiency in the image and to output the image enhancement effect(s) for rendering on a display of the wearable AR device while the viewer is viewing the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Chapman, Todd P. Swanson, Joseph Popp, Samy Segura, Mehul Patel