- Number
- 10725536
- Published
- 2020-07-28
- Filed
- 2018-08-21
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Mine; Mark
- CPC
- G06T19/006; G06F3/04815; G06F3/013; G06F3/0304; G06F3/012
- Verdict
- Low Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Gaze-direction virtual indicium display for image capture (granted).
Abstract
A process determines, with a processor, a virtual indicium position in a physical environment at which a virtual indicium is to be projected. The processor determines the virtual indicium position based on a point of intersection of a vector and an object within the physical environment. The vector originates at a head position of a user and is directed through a point of intended gaze on a virtual object toward the virtual indicium. Further, the processor sends, with the processor to an actuator, an instruction to adjust a position of a projector in operable communication with the actuator so that the projector projects the virtual indicium toward the virtual indicium position.
Background
BACKGROUND1. Field(1) This disclosure generally relates to the field of augmented reality (“AR”) systems.2. General Background(2) Conventional AR systems and/or green screen configurations typically allow users to interact with virtual objects via a virtual environment that is registered (i.e., overlaid at corresponding positions) with a physical environment. In a cinematographic context (e.g., movie, television show, etc.), actors typically cannot see the virtual objects with which they are interacting in relation to an AR system camera or a green screen. To help direct the gaze of the actors in the direction of the virtual object, humans may carry one or more sticks with balls adhered to the ends to indicate the location at which the actors should be looking. Yet, the gaze of an actor often has to be in the direction of an object within the field of view of a camera, resulting in the stick with the ball appearing in the video/image capture. As an alternative, a display device (e.g., a television, computer monitor, etc.) may be positioned in front of the actor, but out of the field of view of the camera, to display a view from the perspective of the camera of where the virtual object is supposed to be positioned. Yet, this configuration necessitates the actor translating the coordinate system of the camera to his or her own coordinate system, which often results in the actor hunting for the correct gaze (i.e., searching back and forth between looking at the display device an
Claims
1. A system to direct a gaze of a user toward a virtual object invisible to the user during augmented-reality video production, the system comprising: a processor that determines a virtual indicium position in a physical environment at which a virtual indicium is to be projected, the processor determining the virtual indicium position based on a point of intersection of a vector and a surface within the physical environment, the vector originating at a head position of the user and being directed through a point of intended gaze in the physical environment toward the virtual indicium, the point of intended gaze in the physical environment corresponding to a point on the virtual object in a virtual environment that is invisible to the user; a projector that projects the virtual indicium, wherein the projector is positioned within the physical environment at a position remote from the head position of the user; and an actuator in operable communication with the projector, wherein the actuator receives an instruction from the processor to adjust the position of the projector such that the projector projects the virtual indicium toward the virtual indicium position, wherein augmented-reality video content is generated that composites the user and the virtual object such that the user is portrayed as gazing at the virtual object, and wherein the augmented-reality video content does not include the virtual indicium.
9. A system to direct a gaze of a user toward a virtual object invisible to the user during augmented-reality video production, the system comprising: a processor that determines a virtual indicium position in a physical environment at which a virtual indicium is to be projected, the processor determining the virtual indicium position based on a point of intersection of a vector and a surface within the physical environment, the vector originating at a head position of the user and being directed through a point of intended gaze in the physical environment toward the virtual indicium, the point of intended gaze in the physical environment corresponding to a point on the virtual object in a virtual environment that is invisible to the user; and a display device that displays the virtual indicium at the virtual indicium position in the physical environment, wherein augmented-reality video content is generated that composites the user and the virtual object such that the user is portrayed as gazing at the virtual object, and wherein the augmented-reality video content does not include the virtual indicium.
17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage device having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform an operation to direct a gaze of a user toward a virtual object invisible to the user during augmented-reality video production, the operation comprising: determining, with a processor, a virtual indicium position in a physical environment at which a virtual indicium is to be projected, the processor determining the virtual indicium position based on a point of intersection of a vector and a surface within the physical environment, the vector originating at a head position of the user and being directed through a point of intended gaze in the physical environment toward the virtual indicium, the point of intended gaze in the physical environment corresponding to a point on the virtual object in a virtual environment that is invisible to the user; and sending, with the processor to an actuator, an instruction to adjust a position of a projector in operable communication with the actuator such that the projector projects the virtual indicium toward the virtual indicium position, the projector being positioned within the physical environment at a position remote from the head position of the user, wherein augmented-reality video content is generated that composites the user and the virtual object such that the user is portrayed as gazing at the virtual object, and wherein the augmented-reality video content does not include the virtual indicium.