Abstract: A digital image measurement device and method for the surface deformation of specimen based on sub-pixel corner detection is disclosed. This digital image measurement device is composed of a new type of image pressure cell, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera, a camera bracket, a flexible lens hood, a computer and matching measurement software. This method discretizes the specimen into several four-node finite elements by printing grids on the specimen and takes corners of the grids as the nodes of the finite elements; tracks the deformation of the feature points in real time by edge detection and corner detection based on sub-pixel; captures the deformation of the whole surface of the specimen by the two flat mirrors which are at an 120° angle behind the specimen; achieves the observation of the deformation of the whole surface by conducting splicing and error correction on the three images.

Abstract: A communication method includes providing a speech training device configured to teach a hearing impaired user how to understand spoken language. The method further includes providing a haptic output device to a hearing impaired user, the haptic output device coupled to the hearing impaired user. The haptic output device receives a speech input from a non-hearing impaired person, the speech input directed to the hearing impaired user, and the haptic output device provides a haptic sensation to the hearing impaired user. The communication method also teaches a hearing-impaired person how to speak, and can teach a non-hearing impaired user to speak a foreign language. The communication method includes comparing speech of a user to a model speech, providing feedback to the user regarding the comparison, and repeating until the speech of the user matches the model speech.

Abstract: A chroma keying system as described herein is a relatively thin and portable system as a result of the deployment of flat light panels such as electroluminescent (EL) lighting panels. By combining a flexible electroluminescent illuminated surface with proper hardware and digital programming, a user wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset is able to see whatever image is programmed for them to see in the headset when looking at specific things or directions.

Abstract: A laser light source, comprising a semiconductor layer sequence having an active region and a radiation coupling out area having first and second partial regions, and a filter structure. The active region generates coherent first electromagnetic radiation and incoherent second electromagnetic radiation. The coherent first electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region along an emission direction, and the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region and by the second partial region. The filter structure at least partly attenuates the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation emitted along the emission direction. The filter structure has at least one filter element arranged on an area of the semiconductor layer sequence which has an extension direction parallel to the emission direction. The at least one filter element comprises a surface structure comprising a roughening and/or at least one layer comprising a non-transparent material.

Abstract: A laser light source, comprising a semiconductor layer sequence on a substrate and having an active region and a radiation coupling out area having first and second partial regions and a filter structure. The active region generates coherent first electromagnetic radiation and incoherent second electromagnetic radiation, the coherent first electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region along an emission direction, the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region and by the second partial region. The filter structure at least partly attenuates the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation emitted by the active region along the emission direction. The filter structure has at least one filter element arranged on an area of the semiconductor layer sequence which has an extension direction parallel to the emission direction and which is remote from the substrate.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus for accurately generating a hand-drawn reproduction of an image or object is provided. The drawing apparatus includes a mirror and reflective filter arrangement that allows a user to view, through a single eyepiece, both the object being reproduced and the drawing surface where the user generates a hand-drawn reproduction of the viewed drawing object. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an adjustable, angled stand for supporting the drawing object, and a drawing surface for generating hand-drawn reproductions. As viewed through the single eyepiece, an image of the drawing surface appears superimposed on the drawing object being reproduced. In further embodiments, the single eyepiece is used with a selectable filter arrangement for adjusting the amount of focus on the drawing surface and/or drawing object.

Abstract: A laser light source comprises, in particular, a semiconductor layer sequence (10) having an active region (45) and a radiation coupling-out area (12) having a first partial region (121) and a second partial region (122) different than the latter, and a filter structure (5), wherein the active region (45) generates, during operation, coherent first electromagnetic radiation (51) having a first wavelength range and incoherent second electromagnetic radiation (52) having a second wavelength range, the coherent first electromagnetic radiation (51) is emitted by the first partial region (121) along an emission direction (90), the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation (52) is emitted by the first partial region (121) and by the second partial region (122), the second wavelength range comprises the first wavelength range, and the filter structure (5) at least partly attenuates the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation (52) emitted by the active region along the emission direction (90).

Abstract: An animation stand which provides a camera support assembly that enables a camera to be positioned along any axis which allows users to create traditional, hand-made animation, specifically two-dimensional animation using a variety of art techniques and stop-motion animation of poseable figures and everyday objects.

Abstract: A motion artifact reduction system (10) includes a series of cinematic feature image frames (IFm, IFm+1)captured at an incoming frame rate. The motion artifact reduction system (10) also has a processor (12) operable to determine whether an object (O) having a first location (Om) in a first image frame (IFm) is sufficiently displaced from a location (Om+1) in a second image frame (IFm+1) corresponding to the first location (Om). The processor (12) is also operable to interpolate data from the first image frame (IFm) and the second image frame (IFm+1) to create a third image frame (OFn+1) including the interpolated data. The processor (12) is also operable to insert the third image frame (OFn+1) between the first image frame (IFm) and the second image frame (IFm+1) to form a new series (OFn, OFn+1, and OFn+2) in response to the determination that object (O) has been sufficiently displaced between image frames (IFm, IFm+1).

Abstract: A promotional display structure has a plurality of elongate strips of stiff but bendable material assembled in a pack with their obverse and reverse faces alternating in the pack, the first face having textual display including promotional matter and in some cases also cartoon matter, the second face having illustrative cartoon matter and in some cases also promotional matter, the pages of the pack being releasably connected at one end of their elongation, for example by gumming or other form of binding, and being readily detachable by hand from the remainder of the pack. One or more lines of weakness may be formed in the strips, for example by perforation or crimping, to facilitate folding of a part of the strip against the remainder of the strip, and a releasable fastening may be provided to retain that part in the folded condition. There are also provided a method of forming the promotional display structure, and a method of disassembly thereof.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device having a multiplicity of individual lasers disposed in a laser-active region within outer boundary surfaces having front and rear boundary surfaces extending crosswise to an exit direction of the laser light, and lateral, bottom and top boundary surfaces extending parallel to the exit direction of the laser light, includes an absorption layer for decoupling photons interfering with desired laser operation, the absorption layer being applied full-surface to all of the outer boundary surfaces of the laser device, except for the laser-active region for at least one of the front and the rear boundary surfaces, respectively, extending crosswise to the exit direction of the laser light, and except for a relatively few locations remaining free for disposing terminal electrodes thereon or for introducing pump light thereat.

Abstract: Techniques for converting a two-dimensional motion picture into a three dimensional stereo motion picture are disclosed. Wire frames of objects in the motion picture are constructed using the frames of the two-dimensional motion picture, substituted for the two dimensional view of the object, photorealistically rendered and stereo views generated of the rendered wireframes to create stereo views of the scenes of the original motion picture. Key frame sequences can be generated in stereo automatically from stereo set up of the key frame.

Abstract: A device for facilitating comprehension by a hearing impaired person of a telephone conversation includes a cord coupling to a telephone line a circuit which can convert the received audio speech signal into a series of phonemes. The circuit also includes an arrangement which correlates the series of phonemes to respective human lip shapes and displays on a display device a succession of images of the respective lip shapes. This permits the hearing impaired person to carry out lip reading of the displayed lip shapes while listening to the telephone conversation, which improves the person's level of comprehension of the conversation.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a film drive unit used with photographic film printers. A mount base having a central aperture is adapted to be secured proximate the optical stage of a photographic printer. A pair of substantially parallel rails are attached to the mount base and oriented so as to lie substantially in the plane of the mount base. A pair of carrier blocks having upwardly projecting cradle portions are mounted for sliding movement on respective rails. An outwardly projecting keeper shaft is secured to the mount base and has a pair of keeper pins adapted to extend away from the shaft. A brace member supports a film drive assembly proximate the central aperture and has a pair of pins positioned on opposite sides so as to engage the cradle portions of corresponding carrier blocks. At least one spring-biased retaining element is disposed in the cradle portion of each carrier block.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing a video signal derived by single frame animation for subsequent merging with live action material, comprises a motion vector estimator (11) for deriving motion vectors in dependence on motion in the picture sequence represented by the video signal, and an interpolator (12) and associated circuits (14 to 16) for blurring the images represented by the video signal of objects in the picture sequence so determined as being in motion in dependence on the motion vectors.

Abstract: A technique for achieving read-time animation in bit-map data displays in apparatus having a display memory in which digital codes are stored to give the color and/or luminance of each pixel of the display and the display memory is accessed repeatedly in a recurrent display scan cycle to read-out the digital codes to produce the display. The time available for modifying the contents of the display memory to achieve animation of an object against a fixed background is very small and access to the display memory for the display scan and for writing-in new digital codes must not be in conflict. The present invention proposes a method of continually modifying the display memory content, to achieve object animation, in which the shape of an object is coded into a machine code program (e.g.

Abstract: A process of producing animated films which permits greater rapidity in the filming, while at the same time reducing the cost. The process comprises the steps of: a) photographing a single time by a camera a black and white drawing of each of the components of each plane, without background; b) coloring the photographed images by an electronic brush and storing them on a hard disk; c) recovering the different drawings from the hard disk, mixing the different planes of the foreground, creating a movement of animation; d) transferring the resultant images to a videotape; e) directly recording the backgrounds or ambience which are stored on a separate videotape; and f) mixing the images of the two videotapes.

Abstract: An stop motion animation sequence of a tangible object is made by the steps of making a series of drawings representing three-dimensional object to be animated in various sequential positions; sequentially embodying the drawings on a projection medium such as motion picture film or video; displaying the projection medium at real time to see if the motion depicted by the drawings is the desired motion; and repeating the foregoing steps until the desired motion is realized. Once the drawings depicting the desired motion are completed, transferring each drawing onto a transparent material such as celluloid (commonly used in animated cartoons) so that an identical series of drawings representing the object in the various sequential positions thereby exists on the transparencies.

Abstract: A dielectrically isolated semiconductor device which is substantially planar can be manufactured. The structure is useable for integrated circuits wherein a significant savings in surface area can be obtained over prior techniques. The structure is particularly useful for bipolar integrated circuits wherein a semiconductor substrate with an epitaxial layer thereon contains a buried region partially in the substrate and in the epitaxial layer. The emitter and base regions are located in the epitaxial layer above the buried region. The dielectrically isolating region surrounds the emitter and base region at the surface and extends to a depth wherein it intersects with the buried region to fully isolate the device. The buried region is connected as the collector element of the transistor.

Abstract: A method and system which enables an animator to make drawings and in-between drawings. Preceding and following tweens 74 and 75 are shown to the animator in such a way that they are distinguishable from each other and from the in-between drawing 73 on which the animator is working. Advantage is made of electronic graphics and display technology to assist the animator with drawing, editing, and coloring. The drawings are kept in an ordered list in which they can be arbitrarily inserted or deleted, drawn, and edited. The drawings can be viewed in animation immediately upon demand, yielding an instant pencil test for the animator. The drawings can also be output to a recording device according to the list.

Abstract: The disclosed invention takes advantage of the fact that the speech information and processing needed for successful animation lip-synching is actually much less than the information and processing which is needed for identifying individual words, as in the traditional speech recognition task, The disclosed embodiment utilizes linear prediction to obtain speech parameters which can be used to identify phonemes from a limited set corresponding to visually distinctive mouth positions. In the disclosed embodiment there is set forth an apparatus for producing lip-synching for a spoken sound track. Means are provided for storing, for each of a number of mouth positions, an unvoiced phonetic information representation associated with a mouth position. Means, responsive to samples of sound from the sound track, are provided for generating unvoiced phonetic information signals for the samples.

Abstract: A technique is described for animating graphics objects (sprites) on a display. The display manager allows a user to select a sprite from the display or from a sprite table. Then the user selects the operation to perform on the sprite. Enabled operations include hiding the sprite, showing the sprite, redefining the sprite, placing the sprite or moving the sprite. The move operation allows the user to make the sprite the current cursor character and move it around the display under the control of the mouse. Any of the operations may be performed on the selected sprite. The operations are recorded for the user to later playback. Additionally, the user can select other sprites and perform additional operations on them. In this way, the user can interactively create an animated display consisting of multiple sprites. As the user creates the various sprite operations, he or she can play them back at any time to see how they appear and edit the operations to tailor them to the user's needs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cinematic work and includes substituting for an original sound track of a motion picture a new sound track in a different language while at the same time correcting the lip movements of actors in the film to correspond to the new language. The method makes use of selected equipment, such as a digital video image processor, a video display, a programmed digital computer, and selected data on a frame-by-frame basis as to mouth location, mouth shape, mouth movements, etc. of the actor on the film and the frame-by-frame photographed mouth area of the new actor supplying the new language sound. The computer cooperates with the image processor to effect the alteration in the lip shapes by varying the intensities of the video pixels in the facial area on the film in accordance with the data and the program in the computer, whereby the new sound track with correct lip movements may be substituted for the original sound track.

Abstract: An animation method supersedes the motion picture branching method by, first, enabling rapid and repeated switching of multiple tracks of different camera-originated animation of the same character during continuous action in a scene, and second, by enabling branching at the termination of an action to multiple actions or scenes.This method is the basis of a double-circuit video system that enables a player to repeatedly touch or hit an animated character during a continuous action as displayed on a projection screen or television monitor and thus change the action repeatedly. Another system embodiment enables the player to swing a racket before the screen or television monitor, hit the mid-air projected image of a perspective ball animated action, return the ball back to the animated character opponent, and play a simulated game during which the player exercises the same skills used to play the game simulated.

Abstract: The method comprises the production of a live-action film of subjects acting against a white background, making black-and-white subjects enlargements with grey gradation of useful film frames, drawing separate contour images from these enlargements, painting transparent cells from the contour images, and using each subject enlargement in superposition with the corresponding painted cells for exposure with a background image, in an animation camera.

Abstract: The invention relates to substituting for an original sound track of a motion picture a new sound track in a different language while at the same time correcting the lip movements of actors in the film to correspond to the new language. The method makes use of selected equipment, such as a digital video image processor, a video display, a programmed digital computer, and selected data on a frame-by-frame basis as to mouth location, mouth shape, mouth movements, etc. of the actor on the film and the frame-by-frame photographed mouth area of the new actor supplying the new language sound. The computer cooperates with the image processor to effect the alteration in the lip shapes by varying the intensities of the video pixels in the facial area on the film in accordance with the data and the program in the computer, whereby the new sound track with correct lip movements may be substituted for the original sound track.

Abstract: A system and method that creates visual images of lip movements on film, video tape, or other recorded media. Speech sounds are analyzed, digitally encoded and transmitted to a data memory device. Stored within the data memory device is a program for producing output data that creates visual images of lip movements corresponding to the speech sounds. Under control of the data for the speech sounds, the graphical output from the data memory device is sent to a graphic output device and related display equipment to produce the graphical display. This display may be combined with the speech sounds so that the resultant audio-visual composite (e.g. a film strip) contain lip movements corresponding to the speech sounds.

Abstract: A control system for an animation stand including a stored program computer for monitoring and storing a plurality of manually produced positions of a camera and a support relative to each other and for calculating a plurality of driver command signals from said stored positions and stored time frame or control data to produce a sequence of motions of said camera and said support relative to each other. A manually induced velocity vector is used by the computer to calculate driver command signals to effectuate the manually produced positions. Each axis of motion per time frame may be individually manually produced.

Abstract: A miniaturized model kitchen which is used for simplified planning of full sized kitchens and immediate, scaled reproduction thereof in full color prospective view and plan view photographs comprises a foldable stand with a rotatable floor planning surface which bears scaled grid markings representative of floor area dimensions and two camera mounts over the floor surface. Various miniature cabinet and appliance models are provided for the model kitchen, with several cabinet models having an upper body representative of an upper kitchen cabinet and/or range hood integrally supported above a lower body representative of a lower kitchen cabinet and/or appliance by a vertical support which represents a lay-up panel.

Abstract: An image animation apparatus includes a rotating disk having film negatives mounted around its periphery each film negative having a different facial expression on it. By use of an associated microprocessor which responds to certain control inputs the sequence of facial expressions can be selected by activating a flash tube at the proper time to project the image on the face of a featureless mannequin to cause the sequence of facial expressions to correspond to spoken phonemes which are synchronized with the facial expressions. Alternatively, instead of a rotating disk a matrix of optical cells can be selectively flashed. In addition, the image forming film negative associated with each optical cell can either contain a complete facial expression or a portion such as the eyes, mouth or eyebrows with the simultaneous activation of, for example, three cells producing a complete facial expression.

Abstract: A system and method for producing an animated motion picture in which the scene contents for the next succeeding frame in a plurality of sequential picture frames may be aligned with respect to the previous frame scene content prior to the photographic recording of the next succeeding frame utilizing a scene registration layout transparency projection having indicia thereon indicating each of the positions of at least the character objects and the scenic objects for each of the frame contents comprising the animated motion picture scene to provide a projection of the complete scene layout and sequential character object movement for a predetermined animated motion picture scene format. The scene registration layout projection is projected onto the stage upon which the scene is to occur between the photographic recording of each of the frames.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for producing a colored-motion picture film from a black-and-white source film. Each frame of the black-and-white film is projected as an image onto a work surface to which colors are applied within selected areas for combination with the projected black-and-white image to provide a color composite. The color composite is then photographed with color sensitive film. The black-and-white film is processed frame-by-frame, preserving registration from one frame to the next (in a sequence) with the colored format which is accordingly modified to a limited extent to produce each composite that is photographed.

Abstract: The method of producing a colored film from an exposed black-and-white picture and especially from an exposed black-and-white motion picture film wherein a black-and-white image is projected onto a surface, opaque pastel colors are applied within selected areas of the projected image and the reflected colored composite, of the opaque pastel colors and the black-and-white image superimposed thereon, is then photographed with color-sensitive film.