62 results about "Cast shadow" patented technology

An apparatus and method for real-time volume processing and universal three-dimensional rendering. The apparatus includes a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) memory units; at least one pixel bus for providing global horizontal communication; a plurality of rendering pipelines; at least one geometry bus; and a control unit. The apparatus includes a block processor having a circular ray integration pipeline for processing voxel data and ray data. Rays are generally processed in image order thus permitting great flexibility (e.g., perspective projection, global illumination). The block processor includes a splatting unit and a scattering unit. A method for casting shadows and performing global illumination in relation to light sources includes sweeping a two dimensional array of rays through the volume can also be implemented with the apparatus. A method for approximating a perspective projection includes using parallel projection.

A method detects silhouette edges in images. An ambient image is acquired of a scene with ambient light. A set of illuminated images is also acquired of the scene. Each illuminated image is acquired with a different light source illuminating the scene. The ambient image is combined with the set of illuminated to detect cast shadows, and silhouette edge pixels are located from the cast shadows.

Merchandise display systems and methods of displaying merchandise are disclosed. The merchandise display systems may draw consumers' attention to products with reduced impact on the space available to display the product. The merchandise display systems may illuminate products and / or portions thereof, evenly, or without casting shadows. The merchandise display systems may be attached to retail displays.

A method, computer program product and system for rendering soft shadows in an image or frame representing a 3D scene, comprising the steps, from a light's point of view, of detecting and creating a list of edges casting shadows, a list of soft shadow edges and a list of shadow volumes polygons; rendering said soft shadow edges into one or more sides of a cubemap, rendering said shadow volume polygons in combination with a stencil buffer to detect full shadowed areas; from a viewer's point of view rendering said scene with said cubemap applied while performing a stencil test operation for preventing the scene to be drawn in shadowed areas, to produce a soft shadowed image.In addition, the system supports the re-use of the shadow volumes and cubemap information for more than one frame.

A lamp assembly adapted to cast shadow-free illumination over an area. Typically, a lamp assembly includes a plurality of light modules that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship over an area. The lamp assembly can be arranged to focus light from the lamp to a central area of illumination of high intensity, with significantly reduced intensity illumination outside the central area.

The normal vector information generating device generates normal vector information on the surface of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit obtaining information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information about polarization of the light; a shadow area extracting unit extracting an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image based on the luminance information and the polarization information, the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body when the light is blocked by the object; and a normal vector information generating unit generating normal vector information identifying a normal vector on the surface of the object in the attached shadow area using the polarization information.

An intraoral illumination apparatus is disclosed. The intraoral illumination apparatus of the present invention includes a pair of holders (1), a plurality of illuminants (7), which are provided in each holder (1), and a link unit (2), which connects the holders (1) to each other. Each N holder (1) has a U-shaped cross-section and is made of harmless synthetic resin. Furthermore, the outer surface of the holder may be coated with latex, rubber, silicone or the like, which is soft and harmless to humans. Several illuminants (7) are provided in each holder (1) at positions adjacent to the oral cavity. LEDs (light emitting diodes) or other various well-known illuminants may be used as the illuminants (7). The present invention can illuminate the oral cavity or larynx of a patient without casting shadows and prevent a dark unlit spot from being created in the oral cavity or larynx, thus facilitating medial examination and treatment.

The image processing device performs processing on a shadow in an image of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit obtaining information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information about polarization of the light from the object; a shadow area extracting unit extracting an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image of the object based on the luminance information and the polarization information, the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body other than the object when the light is blocked by the object; and an output unit outputting information identifying the attached shadow area and cast shadow area.

During pre-processing, a 3D model of the object is rendered for various poses by arranging virtual point light sources around the lens of a virtual camera. The shadows are used to obtain oriented depth edges of the object illuminated from multiple directions. The oriented depth edges are stored in a database. A camera acquires images of the scene by casting shadows onto the scene from different directions. The scene can include one or more objects arranged in arbitrary poses with respect to each other. The poses of the objects are determined by comparing the oriented depth edges obtained from the acquired images to the oriented depth edges stored in the database. The comparing evaluates, at each pixel, a cost function based on chamfer matching, which can be speed up using downhill simplex optimization.

A method models a scene. A video is acquired of the scene, and for each frame of the video, the method updates a set of background models for each pixel; a set of shadow models for each pixel; a set of shadow flow vectors for each color; and a background shadow map. Each pixel in each background model and each shadow model is represented by multiple layers. Each layer includes Gaussian distributions and each Gaussian distribution includes a mean and a covariance. The covariance is an inverse Wishart distribution and the updating is according to a recursive Bayesian estimation process.

Methods and systems for detection and removal of cast shadows from an image. In particular, one or more embodiments compute correspondences between image patches in the image using a grid-based patch-matching algorithm. One or more embodiments then train a regression model to detect shadows from the computed patch correspondences. One or more embodiments then segment the detected shadows into shadow regions and identify cast shadows from the shadow regions. Once the cast shadows are identified, one or more embodiments use patch-based synthesis of pixels guided by a direct inversion of the image. Optionally, one or more methods can use pixels from the synthesized image and the naïve inversion of the image, based on a synthesis confidence of each pixel, to produce a combined result.

An apparatus and method for depicting one or more objects are provided. The method includes determining a geolocation of one or more objects, determining a vector from the objects to a light source, applying shading to the objects according to the vector, determining shadows cast by the objects according to the vector, and depicting the objects in the geolocation with one or more of the applied shading and the cast shadows.

A lamp assembly adapted to cast shadow-free illumination over an area. Typically, a lamp assembly includes a plurality of light modules that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship over an area. Desirably, the lamp assembly is arranged to aim the light output of each module for overlapping summation on a target footprint. Modules generally each include a LED light source, a parabolic reflecting mirror arranged to direct light from the LED, a TIR collimating lens disposed at a distal end of the mirror, and a stray light tube disposed between the LED and a dispersing lens element.

A device for detecting an incident light distribution. The device has an array of light sensors, and a shadow casting element spaced above the light sensor array, with the shadow casting element between the incident light to be modelled and the sensor array. A processor interprets a cast shadow detected by the light sensor array thereby to derive information relating to the directional distribution of the incident light.

Method and apparatus for counting vehicles at entrances, exits and transition zones of multi-story carparks, including particularly where the ceiling heights can be just marginally higher than the tallest expected vehicle, with a view to determine the carpark occupancy at different carpark levels by counting passing vehicles using a vision-based car counting system without relying on viewing test patterns or employing a blocking beam scheme and yet tolerating vehicles transgressing partially or fully into the wrong lane of a two-lane two-way road while ignoring vehicles moving opposite to the expected direction. Without imposing additional constraints to ambient carpark illumination, the methodology copes with highly specular vehicle surfaces, ignores non-vehicular objects and detects moving cast shadow or highlight, and adapts to daily and seasonal scene changes, and yet estimates vehicle speed.

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture are configured to cast a shadow for a two-dimensional vector geometry. A two-dimensional computer-generated rendering comprised of vector geometry is obtained. A face of the vector geometry is then selected and a virtual height is assigned to the face. Once a location of a virtual light source is defined, a shadow for the vector geometry is created and displayed based on the virtual height of the face and the location of the virtual light source.

The normal vector information generating device generates normal vector information on the surface of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit obtaining information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information about polarization of the light; a shadow area extracting unit extracting an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image based on the luminance information and the polarization information, the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body when the light is blocked by the object; and a normal vector information generating unit generating normal vector information identifying a normal vector on the surface of the object in the attached shadow area using the polarization information.

To integrate a sensory property such as occlusion, shadowing, reflection, etc. among physical and notional (e.g. virtual / augment) visual or other sensory content, providing an appearance of similar occlusion, shadowing, etc. in both models. A reference position, a physical data model representing physical entities, and a notional data model are created or accessed. A first sensory property from either data model is selected. A second sensory property is determined corresponding with the first sensory property, and notional sensory content is generated from the notional data model with the second sensory property applied thereto. The notional sensory content is outputted to the reference position with a see-through display. Consequently, notional entities may appear occluded by physical entities, physical entities may appear to cast shadows from notional light sources, etc.

The invention provides a shadow casting technique based automatic shoot positioning correcting system and method. The system comprises a calculating module, a shadow casting module and a first identification point acquiring module, wherein the shadow casting module acquires first coordinate data, and casts shadow of a positioning identification point according to the first coordinate data; the first identification point acquiring module acquires the positioning identification point, and obtains second coordinate data; the calculating module calculates the first coordinate data and the second coordinate data to obtain third coordinate data; the shadow casting module casts shadow of a first correcting identification point according to the third coordinate data, and enables the first correcting identification point to be coincided with the positioning identification point. The shadow casting technique based automatic shoot positioning correcting system and method are convenient to operate, and have relatively outstanding technical effects.

The invention relates to a method for growing plants on a slope, which comprises the following steps: (1) tidying the slope to be treated, removing weed and miscellaneous trees, and hydraulically jetting grass seeds on the whole slope; (2) constructing a plurality of plate slots on the steep slope, keeping the distance between the upper plate slot and the lower plate slot so that the upper plate slot casts shadow at the inmost side of the lower plate slot and the plant cover in each plate slot can be irradiated by sunshine, growing undershrubs and vines in the plate slots, and growing the vines on the side near the slope; (3) growing high arbors and shrubs at the staircase at the foot of slope, and artificially maintaining until seasonal aspect landscape variations of flowers, fruits and leaves appear; and (4) growing undershrubs and vines on the slope with a thick soil layer, and growing the vines on the side near the slope. The invention can grow different plants according to requirements of different slope shapes, changes the single plant cover slope in the past, and develops from artificial community to natural community. Thus, the invention has the advantages of short maintenance time and obvious slope protection effect, reduces the cost and beautifies the environment.

To provide a normal vector information generating device and the like which can generate normal vector information of shadow areas with a high accuracy. The normal vector information generating device (100) generates normal vector information on the surface of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit (110) configured to obtain information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information which is information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information which is information about polarization of the light from the object; a shadow area extracting unit (120) configured to extract an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image of the object based on the luminance information and the polarization information obtained by the image information obtaining unit (110), the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body other than the object when the light is blocked by the object; and a normal vector information generating unit (104) configured to generate normal vector information identifying a normal vector on the surface of the object in the attached shadow area extracted by the shadow area extracting unit (120) using the polarization information obtained by the image information obtaining unit.

A support for light source(s) for a lighting and / or light signaling module for a motor vehicle, comprising a substrate of thermally conductive material, preferentially of metallic material, at least one light source of the light-emitting or laser diode type with a face for mounting on the substrate, in thermal contact therewith and an electrical power supply circuit for the light source or sources. The power supply circuit is linked electrically with the light source or sources by means of metal wires soldered on the surface by the technology commonly referred to by the expression “wire bonding”. The measures of the invention make it possible to define at least one reception plane for the light sources oriented in such a way as to avoid having components in the vicinity of the light sources casting shadows thereon.

The present invention is a method of deriving a reflectance function that analytically approximates the light reflected from an object model in terms of the spherical harmonic components of light. The reflectance function depends upon the intensity of light incident at each point on the model, but excludes light originating from below a local horizon, therefore not contributing to the reflectance because of the cast shadows. This reflectance function is used in the process of machine vision, by allowing a machine to optimize the reflectance function and arrive at an optimal rendered image of the object model, relative to an input image. Therefore, the recognition of an image produced under variable lighting conditions is more robust. The reflectance function of the present invention also has applicability in other fields, such as computer graphics.

The invention discloses a method and a device for detecting moving vehicles on the basis of multi-frame differences and cast shadow removal, and relates to the field of intelligent traffic management and video monitoring. The method includes a, acquiring a sequence picture of a current frame; b, acquiring a gray value sequence picture of the current frame; c, acquiring characteristics of binary images of edges of the current frame and edges of interframe differences; d, acquiring edge characteristics of moving vehicles of the current frame; e, acquiring edge characteristics of shadow of the current frame; f, acquiring accurate edge characteristics of the shadow of the current frame; g, acquiring an accurate picture sequence of the edge characteristics of the moving vehicles; and h, extracting specific coordinates of the moving vehicles from the picture sequence. The method and the device have the advantages that a capture scheme on the basis of video detection is provided for an intelligent traffic system to detect the moving vehicles, the system is simple in installation and easy to maintain, moving vehicle capture rate is increased, and motor vehicle position detection precision is improved.