| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100295771 | CONTROL OF DISPLAY OBJECTS - Disclosed herein are systems and methods for controlling display objects. Particularly, a body part of a user may move, and the movement detected by a capture device. The capture device may capture images or frames of the body part at different times. Based on the captured frames, velocities of the body part may be determined or at least estimated at the different times. A blend velocity for the body part may be determined based on the different velocities. Particularly, for example, the blend velocity may be an average of the velocities of the body part over a period of time. A display object may then be controlled or moved in accordance with the blend velocity. For example, an avatar's body part may be moved in the same direction as a recent captured frame of the user's body part, and at the blend velocity. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100302247 | Target digitization, extraction, and tracking - Techniques may comprise identifying surfaces, textures, and object dimensions from unorganized point clouds derived from a capture device, such as a depth sensing device. Employing target digitization may comprise surface extraction, identifying points in a point cloud, labeling surfaces, computing object properties, tracking changes in object properties over time, and increasing confidence in the object boundaries and identity as additional frames are captured. If the point cloud data includes an object, a model of the object may be generated. Feedback of the model associated with a particular object may be generated and provided real time to the user. Further, the model of the object may be tracked in response to any movement of the object in the physical space such that the model may be adjusted to mimic changes or movement of the object, or increase the fidelity of the target's characteristics. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100302253 | REAL TIME RETARGETING OF SKELETAL DATA TO GAME AVATAR - Techniques for generating an avatar model during the runtime of an application are herein disclosed. The avatar model can be generated from an image captured by a capture device. End-effectors can be positioned an inverse kinematics can be used to determine positions of other nodes in the avatar model. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20110007079 | BRINGING A VISUAL REPRESENTATION TO LIFE VIA LEARNED INPUT FROM THE USER - Data captured with respect to a human may be analyzed and applied to a visual representation of a user such that the visual representation begins to reflect the behavioral characteristics of the user. For example, a system may have a capture device that captures data about the user in the physical space. The system may identify the user's characteristics, tendencies, voice patterns, behaviors, gestures, etc. Over time, the system may learn a user's tendencies and intelligently apply animations to the user's avatar such that the avatar behaves and responds in accordance with the identified behaviors of the user. The animations applied to the avatar may be animations selected from a library of pre-packaged animations, or the animations may be entered and recorded by the user into the avatar's avatar library. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110007142 | VISUAL REPRESENTATION EXPRESSION BASED ON PLAYER EXPRESSION - Using facial recognition and gesture/body posture recognition techniques, a system can naturally convey the emotions and attitudes of a user via the user's visual representation. Techniques may comprise customizing a visual representation of a user based on detectable characteristics, deducting a user's temperament from the detectable characteristics, and applying attributes indicative of the temperament to the visual representation in real time. Techniques may also comprise processing changes to the user's characteristics in the physical space and updating the visual representation in real time. For example, the system may track a user's facial expressions and body movements to identify a temperament and then apply attributes indicative of that temperament to the visual representation. Thus, a visual representation of a user, such as an avatar or fanciful character, can reflect the user's expressions and moods in real time. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110025689 | Auto-Generating A Visual Representation - Techniques for auto-generating the target's visual representation may reduce or eliminate the manual input required for the generation of the target's visual representation. For example, a system having a capture device may detect various features of a user in the physical space and make feature selections from a library of visual representation feature options based on the detected features. The system can automatically apply the selections to the visual representation of the user based on the detected features. Alternately, the system may make selections that narrow the number of options for features from which the user chooses. The system may apply the selections to the user in real time as well as make updates to the features selected and applied to the target's visual representation in real time. | 02-03-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090038421 | JOINT ASSEMBLY - A joint assembly is provided which includes a drive assembly and a swivel mechanism. The drive assembly features a motor operatively associated with a plurality of drive shafts for driving auxiliary elements, and a plurality of swivel shafts for pivoting the drive assembly. The swivel mechanism engages the swivel shafts and has a fixable element that may be attached to a foundation. The swivel mechanism is adapted to cooperate with the swivel shafts to pivot the drive assembly with at least two degrees of freedom relative to the foundation. The joint assembly allows for all components to remain encased in a tight, compact, and sealed package, making it ideal for space, exploratory, and commercial applications. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090039724 | DIRECTED FLUX MOTOR - A directed flux motor described utilizes the directed magnetic flux of at least one magnet through ferrous material to drive different planetary gear sets to achieve capabilities in six actuated shafts that are grouped three to a side of the motor. The flux motor also utilizes an interwoven magnet configuration which reduces the overall size of the motor. The motor allows for simple changes to modify the torque to speed ratio of the gearing contained within the motor as well as simple configurations for any number of output shafts up to six. The changes allow for improved manufacturability and reliability within the design. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090039819 | WALK AND ROLL ROBOT - A mobile robotic unit features a main body, a plurality of legs for supporting the main body on and moving the main body in forward and reverse directions about a base surface, and a drive assembly. According to an exemplary embodiment each leg includes a respective pivotal hip joint, a pivotal knee joint, and a wheeled foot adapted to roll along the base surface. Also according to an exemplary embodiments the drive assembly includes a motor operatively associated with the hip and knee joints and the wheeled foot for independently driving pivotal movement of the hip joint and the knee joint and rolling motion of the wheeled foot. The hip joint may include a ball-and-socket-type joint interconnecting top portion of the leg to the main body, such that the hip joint is adapted to pivot said leg in a direction transverse to a forward-and-reverse direction. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20110012453 | DIRECTED FLUX MOTOR - A directed flux motor described utilizes the directed magnetic flux of at least one magnet through ferrous material to drive different planetary gear sets to achieve capabilities in six actuated shafts that are grouped three to a side of the motor. The flux motor also utilizes an interwoven magnet configuration which reduces the overall size of the motor. The motor allows for simple changes to modify the torque to speed ratio of the gearing contained within the motor as well as simple configurations for any number of output shafts up to six. The changes allow for improved manufacturability and reliability within the design. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110012454 | DIRECTED FLUX MOTOR - A directed flux motor described utilizes the directed magnetic flux of at least one magnet through ferrous material to drive different planetary gear sets to achieve capabilities in six actuated shafts that are grouped three to a side of the motor. The flux motor also utilizes an interwoven magnet configuration which reduces the overall size of the motor. The motor allows for simple changes to modify the torque to speed ratio of the gearing contained within the motor as well as simple configurations for any number of output shafts up to six. The changes allow for improved manufacturability and reliability within the design. | 01-20-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20110306468 | CALORIC BURN DETERMINATION FROM BODY MOVEMENT - A system and method is disclosed determining caloric burn via an HCI system. Using a capture device which is able to detect the thickness of a user's arms, legs, torso, etc., the system determines a mass for each of a user's body parts. Thereafter, in one example, the system measures caloric burn for a given body part as a function of how far the body part was displaced, a mass of the body part displaced and gravity. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110317871 | SKELETAL JOINT RECOGNITION AND TRACKING SYSTEM - A system and method are disclosed for recognizing and tracking a user's skeletal joints with a NUI system and further, for recognizing and tracking only some skeletal joints, such as for example a user's upper body. The system may include a limb identification engine which may use various methods to evaluate, identify and track positions of body parts of one or more users in a scene. In examples, further processing efficiency may be achieved by segmenting the field of view in smaller zones, and focusing on one zone at a time. Moreover, each zone may have its own set of predefined gestures which are recognized. | 12-29-2011 |