Apparatus and method for performing motion capture using a random pattern on capture surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928633-B2
Application number	US-201514754651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2005
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A method is described comprising: applying a random pattern to specified regions of an object; tracking the movement of the random pattern during a motion capture session; and generating motion data representing the movement of the object using the tracked movement of the random pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
applying a random pattern of material to specified regions of a performer's face, body and/or clothing;
capturing sequences of images of the random pattern with a first plurality of cameras as the performer moves and/or changes facial expressions during a motion capture session;
correlating the random pattern across two or more images captured from two or more different cameras to create a 3D surface of the specified regions of the performer's face, body, and/or clothing;
generating motion data representing the movement of the 3D surface across the sequence of images;
generating 3D animation wherein visible features in successive frames of the 3D animation are moved relative to the motion data;
displaying the successive frames of the 3D animation.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the successive frames of 3D animation are displayed on a flat panel display or a video projector.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the 3D animation is an application of the motion of the performer to a different animated character.

4. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the 3D animation is included in scenes including computer-generated images.

5. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the motion of the random pattern is captured during a motion capture session and displayed as a 3D animation after processing at a later time.

6. The method in claim 5 wherein:
the 3D animation is displayed on a flat panel display or a video projector.

7. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the random pattern of material contains phosphor.

8. The method in claim 7 wherein:
the phosphor is charged by strobing light sources.

9. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the shutters of the first plurality of cameras are synchronized to strobing light sources.

10. The method in claim 1 wherein:
the shutters of a second plurality of cameras are synchronized to strobing light sources.

11. A system comprising:
a random pattern of material applied to specified regions of a performer's face, body and/or clothing;
a first plurality of cameras that captures a sequences of images of the random pattern as the performer moves and/or changes facial expressions during a motion capture session, wherein
the random pattern is correlated across two or more images captured from two or more different cameras to create a 3D surface of the specified regions of the performer's face, body, and/or clothing;
motion data is generated representing the movement of the 3D surface across the sequence of images;
3D animation is generated in which visible features in successive frames of the 3D animation are moved relative to the motion data;
the successive frames of the 3D animation are displayed.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein the successive frames of 3D animation are displayed on a flat panel display or a video projector.

13. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the 3D animation is an application of the motion of the performer to a different animated character.

14. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the 3D animation is included in scenes including computer-generated images.

15. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the motion of the random pattern is captured during a motion capture session and displayed as a 3D animation after processing at a later time.

16. The system in claim 15 wherein:
the display device is a flat panel display or a video projector.

17. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the random pattern of material contains phosphor.

18. The system in claim 17 wherein:
the phosphor is charged by strobing light sources.

19. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the shutters of the first plurality of cameras are synchronized to strobing light sources.

20. The system in claim 11 wherein:
the shutters of a second plurality of cameras are synchronized to strobing light sources.

Assignees

• Rearden Llc

Inventors

• Cotter Timothy
• Perlman Stephen G
• Speck John
• Van Der Laan Roger
• Pearce Kenneth A
• Lasalle Greg

Classifications

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title

• H04N5/2224

  related to virtual studio applications · CPC title

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G06T7/292

  Multi-camera tracking · CPC title