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Archives · 2019 · 20190353917

Application (pre-grant publication)

HIGH SPEED PROJECTION ONTO DYNAMIC MOVING OBJECTS

Number
20190353917
Published
2019-11-21
Filed
2018-05-16
Assignee
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors
Joseph; Daniel M., Comploi; Dumene, Klouda; Jessica A., LaDuke; Thomas F., Mahnke, IV; Edgar F., Reichow; Mark A., Tait; Thomas T.
CPC
G02B30/54; G09F19/18; G03B21/562
Verdict
High Hardware
Source
Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

High speed projection onto moving objects (Joseph watchlist).

Abstract

A system for projecting content, such as images, onto a moving object. The system includes a tracking module, a prediction module, a projection generation module, and a projector. In one example, the tracking module and the prediction module provide commentary data to the projection generation module, which uses the data to select or render content for projection on the object at a select location. The complementary data includes tracked position information and predicted position information.

Background

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology described herein relates generally to methods and systems for projecting content onto moving objects and projection in environments with moving objects.BACKGROUND

Projecting media onto objects can be used to create various illusions and effects, but aligning the projected light with the object can be difficult, especially in instances where the object or surface moves or otherwise changes shape or position. Various techniques have been developed to solve this issue.

One technique has been to project light only onto slow moving objects, where the object can be easily tracked and the projected content modified within the movement time of the object. An example of this technique is the projection of light onto stage actors as they move across the stage. However, this technique requires that the object move sufficiently slowly that latencies introduced with the object tracking do not substantially affect the projection, which limits the application of the technique to only slowly moving and relatively large objects, and the light is not accurately mapped to the actor, which can cause blow-by, where the light is projected into other areas.

Another technique has been to broadcast light across a predetermined area (e.g., flood the area with the projected light) such that the light interacts with objects as the objects move into the predetermined area. With this technique, the light is not mapped to the objects, providing less co

Claims

1. A method for projecting content onto a moving object, the method comprising: receiving by computer tracked positional characteristics of the moving object from a tracking module, wherein the tracked positional characteristics correspond to actual positions of the moving object; receiving by the computer predicted positional characteristics of the moving object from a prediction module, wherein the predicted positional characteristics correspond to predicted positions of the moving object; determining by the computer an object position based on the tracked positional characteristics and the predicted positional characteristics; modifying or selecting projection content for projection onto the moving object based on the object position; and projecting the projection content onto the moving object. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the object position, further comprises using a weighted combination of the tracked positional characteristics and the predicted positional characteristics, wherein a weight applied to the tracked positional characteristics and the predicted positional characteristics is determined by at least one of a latency value and an error value for at least one of the tracked positional characteristics or the predicted positional characteristics. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracked positional characteristics correspond to low frequency motion of the moving object; and the predicted positional characteristics correspond to high frequency motion of the moving object. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracked positional characteristics correspond to a first type of object movement and the predicted positional characteristics correspond to a second type of object movement. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the object to enhance a trackable characteristic, wherein the enhancement increases a contrast of the object to assist the tracking module in detecting the tracked positional characteristics. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein a lag time between a tracked position of the moving object and a projected position of the moving object when the content is projected onto the moving object is under 2 ms. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the lag time is under 1.6 ms. 8. A projection system for generating a volumetric image comprising: a tracking module for tracking positional characteristics; a projection module in communication with the tracking module, wherein the projection module projects light; and a projection object positioned within a field of view of the projection module, the projection object comprising: a target area selected to interact with the projected light to generate an image portion; and a motor in communication with the tracking module, the motor operably coupled to the target area for moving the target are along a movement path, wherein as the projection object moves along the movement path a projection volume is defined; wherein as the motor moves the target area, the tracking module tracks positional characteristic of the object to determine a first object position and provides the object position to the projection module; and the projection module generates content for projection onto the object at discrete locations along the movement path based on the positional characteristics and projects the content onto the target area as the object is moved into each location by the motor; and the content projected at each discrete location defines a plurality of image portions along the movement path, wherein the image portions define the volumetric image. 9. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the target area comprises an ambient light rejecting property. 10. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projection object further comprises a non-target area, wherein the non-target area comprises a light absorptive property. 11. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the tracking module tracks positional characteristics of the object to determine a second object position and provides the second object position to the projection module; and the projection module generates content for projection onto the object at a second location based on the positional characteristics and projects the content onto the object as the object is moved into the second location by the motor. 12. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the image portions are formed at an outer perimeter of the projection volume. 13. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the target area is formed by a bar coupled to the motor and the movement path is a circular rotation path. 14. The projection system of claim 13, wherein the target area is a front face of the bar and comprises an ambient light rejecting film. 15. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projection volume is conically shaped. 16. The projection system of claim 8, wherein the projection object further comprises a mounting base for coupling the target area to the motor, wherein the target area is positioned at an angle relative to a center axis of the mounting base. 17. A projection system for projecting images onto a moving object, the system comprising: a tracking module for determining a first type of position data for the moving object; a prediction module for determining a second type of position data for the moving object; a projection generation module in electrical communication with the tracking module and the prediction module, wherein the projection generation module generates an image for projection on the image based on a combination of the first type of position data and the second type of position data, wherein the combination is determined by at least one of a latency or an error for each the first type of position data or the second type of position data; and a projector in electrical communication with the projection generation module, wherein the projector projects the image onto the moving object.