687 results about "Morphing" patented technology

Methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe. In response to determining that an engagement of a chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, it is determined whether the chameleon avatar should maintain an initial appearance or be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar. Auto-morphing may be accomplished by reading an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar, selecting a baseline avatar template and auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute. Target avatar attributes include gender, interests, outfits attribute, ethnic data, language and preferences, as well as others. The chameleon may mimic an appearance of the target avatar.

Methods and apparatus for light-field imaging. Light-field camera designs are described that produce higher spatial resolution than conventional plenoptic camera designs, while trading-off the light-field's angular sampling density. This lower angular resolution may be compensated for by a light-field image processing method that inserts data synthesized by view interpolation of the measured light-field. In one embodiment, a light-field image processing method that performs three-view morphing may be used to interpolate the missing angular samples of radiance. The light-field camera designs may be implemented in hand-held light-field cameras that may capture a light-field with a single exposure. Some of the light-field camera designs are internal to the camera, while others are external to the camera. One light-field camera design includes a single, relatively large lens and an array of negative lenses that are placed in front of (external to) the main lens of a conventional camera.

An integrated system is described in which digital image data of a patient, obtained from a variety of image sources, including CT scanner, X-Ray, 2D or 3D scanners and color photographs, are combined into a common coordinate system to create a virtual three-dimensional patient model. Software tools are provided for manipulating the virtual patient model to simulation changes in position or orientation of craniofacial structures (e.g., jaw or teeth) and simulate their affect on the appearance of the patient. The simulation (which may be pure simulations or may be so-called “morphing” type simulations) enables a comprehensive approach to planning treatment for the patient. In one embodiment, the treatment may encompass orthodontic treatment. Similarly, surgical treatment plans can be created. Data is extracted from the virtual patient model or simulations thereof for purposes of manufacture of customized therapeutic devices for any component of the craniofacial structures, e.g., orthodontic appliances.

In a voice synthesis apparatus, by bounding a desired range of input text to be output by, e.g., a start tag “<morphing type=“emotion” start=“happy” end=“angry”>” and end tag < / morphing>, a feature of synthetic voice is continuously changed while gradually changing voice from a happy voice to an angry voice upon outputting synthetic voice.

A method for morphing a surgical object for a surgical navigation system is provided. The method comprises providing a tracking system and a surgical tool detectable by the tracking system. Dimensional data is collected and analyzed on the surgical object by contacting the surgical tool with the surgical object at more than one point while tracking the surgical tool with the tracking system, and the collected and analyzed dimensional data is associated with a reference model from a computer database of the tracking system. The reference model is selected and information for performing the surgery based upon the selected reference model is generated.

An electronic configuration circuit includes a processing circuit (2610) operable for executing instructions and responsive to interrupt requests and operable in a plurality of execution environments (EE) selectively wherein a said execution environment (EE) is activated or suspended, a first configuration register (SCR) coupled to the processing circuit (2610) for identifying the interrupt request as an ordinary interrupt request IRQ when the execution environment (EE) is activated (EE_Active); and a second configuration register (SSM_FIQ_EE_y) for associating an identification of that execution environment (EE) with the same interrupt request, the processing circuit (2610) coupled (5910) to the second configuration register (SSM_FIQ_EE_y) to respond to the same interrupt request as a more urgent type of interrupt request when that execution environment (EE) is suspended (5920).

The present invention relates to a method of intelligent 2D and 3D object and scene modeling, transformation and manipulation and more particularly this invention relates to the field of computer modeling, virtual reality, animation and 3D Web streaming. The method uses attributed hypergraph representations (AHR) for modeling, transforming and manipulating objects. From one or more 2D views of a 3D object or scene, range information is first computed and then a triangular mesh model is constructed. The data structure is designed to handle the transformations on the representation corresponding to movements and deformations of the object. In an attributed hypergraph, the attributes associated with the hyperedges and the vertices facilitates modeling of various shapes with geometrical, physical or behavior features. As a hierarchical and generic representation, AHR enables pattern matching, recognition, synthesis and manipulation to be carried out at different resolution levels on different subsets depending on the context. Symbolic computation on knowledge represented in the format of attributed hypergraphs becomes straightforward. Given the features of a 3D object or scene, the procedure of constructing the AHR corresponds to the concept of functor in category theory, which maps one category to another one. The transformations of AHR are in the form of a set of operations defined on attributed hypergraphs, which stand for the motions and deformations of the object. This representation is applied to various modeling and manipulation tasks on 3D objects. The process of motion analysis of a 3D object is the task of extracting a sequence of AH operators from the AHR of the object. A 3D scene can be modeled by AHR and then altered / augmented with other 3D models, by which an augmented reality can be built. Given the AHR's of two different 3D shapes, 3D morphing may be accomplished by matching the two AHR's and then mapping the difference to a sequence of AH operators. Model based animation of an object can be accomplished by applying a set of AH operators to its AHR. The AHR method forms a data compression system for efficient web streaming over the Internet.

Characteristics of a wireless honeypot system are changed on a dynamic and configurable basis. A wireless access point device is configured to use a wireless protocol in accordance with user-specified values for configurable parameters in the wireless protocol. A configurable rule alters one or more values for one or more configurable parameters in the wireless protocol in response to a detected operational condition of the wireless access point device. A value for a configurable parameter in the wireless protocol is automatically altered in accordance with a configurable rule and a detected operational condition of the wireless access point device. An operation condition may include the usage, by a client, of an SSID or cryptographic key that is stored in a historical database of SSID's or cryptographic keys or an SSID or a cryptographic key that is currently being used by the wireless access point device for faux wireless communications.

A method and graphics system configured to perform real-time morphing of three-dimensional (3D) objects that have been compressed into one or more streams of 3D graphics data using geometry compression techniques. In one embodiment, the graphics system has one or more decompression units, each configured to receive and decompress the graphics data. The decompression units are configured to convey the decompressed data corresponding to the morphs to a graphics processor that is configured to apply weighting factors to the graphics data. The weighted results are combined to yield a morphed object that is rendered to generate one or more frames of a morphing sequence. The weighting factors may be adjusted and reapplied to yield additional frames for the morphing sequence. A method for encoding 3D graphics data to allow morphing decompression is also disclosed.

A method for assessment of operational performance of a 3D manufacturing apparatus is provided. Images are obtained, in real-time during a 3D polymer printing build process in which at least one structure is built by the 3D manufacturing apparatus, the images being of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built. The obtained images are evaluating, and it is determined, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred. Operational flaws include errors in the operation of the 3D manufacturing apparatus and / or component thereof, as evidenced by, for instance, distortions or other errors in the structure(s) being built and / or materials being used.

A method of enforcing software license protection in a computer system comprising; morphing the data prior to distribution, resulting in morphed data; wherein morphing of data is accomplished by applying a reversible morphing algorithm to modify data, wherein said reversible morphing algorithm is uniquely seeded and / or controlled with control information.

A controller configuration system and user interface therefor are disclosed for creating and editing controller function block diagrams for use in control systems. The interface provides feedback loop identification features, wire connection cross-referencing and hyperlinks, wire connector name matching, pin datatype visualization, correct wiring indication and wiring error indications, and intelligent deletion and restoration features. In addition, the interface provides block morphing, free-form text boxes, error navigation, error indication, and block execution status information.

A method of protecting data in a computer system against attack from viruses and worms comprising; storing morphed data in system memory; de-morphing data as it is being transferred to cache memory, resulting in de-morphed data.

A method and system for air flight is shown. The blended lifting body system includes a lift module, a propulsion module, a payload module and a control system. A conventional control system morphs the other modules through variable buoyant lift, internal structures and a flexible exterior, and varies bio-inspired oscillation in the propulsion module in order to facilitate takeoff, flight and landing. The hybrid dynamic / morphing shape buoyant, dynamic lift-assisted (hybrid) air vehicle, employing aquatic-like (e.g. fin) propulsion was discussed, with many variations and examples.

Morphing an aerodynamic body's geometry in situ can optimize its aerodynamic properties, increasing range, reducing fuel consumption, and improving many performance parameters. The aerodynamic load exerted on the body by the flow is one such parameter, typically characterized as lift or drag. It is the aim of the present disclosure to teach the use of passive adaptive morphing structures to manage these aerodynamic loads.

Morphing an aerodynamic body's geometry in situ can optimize its aerodynamic properties, increasing range, reducing fuel consumption, and improving many performance parameters. The aerodynamic load exerted on the body by the flow is one such parameter, typically characterized as lift or drag. It is the aim of the present disclosure to teach the use of passive adaptive morphing structures to manage these aerodynamic loads.

User preference information is obtained from a user in order to personalize morphing of media for presentation to the user. User preference information may be provided by a user, generated based on user activity, or determined based on user group associations. Target media is analyzed and selected using user preference information. Contribution levels of source and target media are determined to morph target media into source media. Neurologically salient attributes of media are determined and morphed more significantly than less neurologically salient attributes. Morphed media is presented to the user to influence bias, persuasion, etc.

Icons can be combined to form toolbars such as those appearing on computer desktops and within application windows such as web browsers. Small icons are desired because desktop real estate is expensive. Small icons can be difficult to select or open because it can be hard to confirm which icon is indicated. An icon is indicated when the desktop cursor hovers over it. Altering the indicated icon provides good user feedback. Icons inside browser windows can be changed varying their size. Non-indicated icons can revert to a minimum size while an indicated one grows to a maximum size. Different images can be displayed for different sized icons, producing a more pleasing appearance. Alternatively, icons can be presented as display images produced by morphing two images together using morphing functions and icon weights. Morphing includes growing and shrinking as well as color changes, animating, and so forth.

The present invention provides a method for hierarchically decomposing a visual or audio object within an animation into plurality of objects which can be individually edited to achieve particular animation effects. For example, a graphical object may be decomposed into a plurality of graphical sub-objects, each of which is inherits an anchor point from the original object, or is given an original anchor point distinct from the original object. Each sub-object also includes a relative position for the sub-object relative to the anchor point. The path of the anchor point is combined with relative positions of the sub-objects to produce an animation for the object as a whole. This decomposition technique can greatly increase computational efficiency of an animation. It also provides for inheritance of attributes between objects and descendent sub-objects. The objects may support functions, or behaviors, such as morphing or motion blurring. The present invention additionally provides a flexible grouping operation to facilitate modifications to a group of objects. When a first type of modification is made to an attribute of an object in a group, this change is applied to corresponding attributes of other objects in the group. When a second type of modification is made to an attribute of an object in a group, the change only applies to the selected object or objects, and not to other objects in the group. The present invention allows objects to be manipulated on servers which are connected to a display via the Internet.

A computer-implemented system and method of intra-oral analysis for measuring plaque removal is disclosed. The system includes hardware for real-time image acquisition and software to store the acquired images on a patient-by-patient basis. The system implements algorithms to segment teeth of interest from surrounding gum, and uses a real-time image-based morphing procedure to automatically overlay a grid onto each segmented tooth. Pattern recognition methods are used to classify plaque from surrounding gum and enamel, while ignoring glare effects due to the reflection of camera light and ambient light from enamel regions. The system integrates these components into a single software suite with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to do an end-to-end run of a patient record, including tooth segmentation of all teeth, grid morphing of each segmented tooth, and plaque classification of each tooth image.

Methods and apparatuses for nonlinear scaling of video images. To match the aspect ratios of a video image and the target display area, at least one embodiment of the present invention scales the video image according to one or more nonlinear functions along the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction. In one embodiment, the nonlinear functions are such that the original aspect ratio of the video image is preserved near the center region (or strip) of the image and the image is gradually stretched (or compressed) as it is mapped to the edges. In one example, the scaling is implemented by the texture mapping functionality of OpenGL using graphics hardware. In one embodiment of the present invention, the nonlinear mapping is constructed according to a polynomial mapping; and, the coefficients of the polynomial are adjustable by a user to trade off distortion between the image center and the image edges, giving the user control over the location and the amount of distortion.

Methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for configuring a chameleon avatar in response to data associated with a target avatar within a virtual universe. In response to determining that an engagement of a chameleon avatar with a target avatar is indicated, it is determined whether the chameleon avatar should maintain an initial appearance or be auto-morphed for engagement with the target avatar. Auto-morphing may be accomplished by reading an attribute from metadata associated with the target avatar, selecting a baseline avatar template and auto-morphing the baseline template to incorporate the read attribute. Target avatar attributes include gender, interests, outfits attribute, ethnic data, language and preferences, as well as others. The chameleon may mimic an appearance of the target avatar.

In a video game, a player is allowed to create a character in the video game by selecting feature variables that define a character feature according to two or more target features and a feature variable. The target features can be are morph targets and the feature variable might represent relative distance of the player's desired feature relative to the morph targets. In a specific example, the player might be presented with two face shapes as morph targets and an input slider for a corresponding feature variable where the resulting face feature of the character matches one of the morph targets when the input slider is at one extreme, matches the other morph target when the input slider is at the other extreme and is a combination of the morph targets when the input slider is between the extremes. The character features might include face shape, height, weight, skin color, skin texture, body build, particular sports figures' faces, clothing, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, lips, hands, feet, etc. The player can also purchase items from a shop according to restrictions on cost, sponsorship, availability, time of day, date and / or day of year.

Unit cell bistable elements, and particular arrangements thereof, that can transform or morph a structure from one shape to another. In certain embodiments, the current invention includes unit cell bistable elements, and particular arrangements and uses thereof, that can transform or morph a structure from one shape to another. In an embodiment, the current invention provides a method / ability to transform any four-bar compliant mechanism into a bistable compliant mechanism. It is an object of the current invention to facilitate structures morphing from one specific shape to another specific shape using unit cell bistable elements.

The present invention provides a system and method for simultaneous variational and adaptive segmentation of single non-overlapping and multiple overlapping / occluded-objects in an image scene. The method according to the present invention synergistically combines shape priors with boundary and region-based active contours in a level set formulation with a watershed scheme for model initialization for identifying and resolving multiple object overlaps in an image scene. The method according to the present invention comprises learning a shape prior for a target object of interest and applying the shape prior into a hybrid active contour model to segment overlapping and non-overlapping objects simultaneously.

Methods for generating information for displaying terrain on an aircraft display system that significantly reduces the computation and data load for producing the terrain display. This is accomplished through the use of intelligent level of detail control that computes and displays terrain and dynamic on-terrain perspective projection lines and distance rings aligned with the aircraft heading for depth perception and relative altitude awareness. The terrain details are processed and displayed in a manner that shows all significant terrain features, e.g., peaks, towers, and the like, but through the use of nonlinear error bound geometric morphing, coupled with triangle binary tree based terrain mesh generation, the polygon count, and thus the computational load, are significantly reduced, while visual fidelity is maintained.

A speech-enabled dialog system responds to a plurality of wake-up phrases. Based on which wake-up phrase is detected, the system's configuration is modified accordingly. Various configurable aspects of the system include selection and morphing of a text-to-speech voice; configuration of acoustic model, language model, vocabulary, and grammar; configuration of a graphic animation; configuration of virtual assistant personality parameters; invocation of a particular user profile; invocation of an authentication function; and configuration of an open sound. Configuration depends on a target market segment. Configuration also depends on the state of the dialog system, such as whether a previous utterance was an information query.

The invention proposes a method and apparatus for significantly improving the quality of voice morphing and guaranteeing the similarity of converted voice. The invention sets several standard speakers in a TTS database, and selects the voices of different standard speakers for speech synthesis according to different roles, wherein the voice of the selected standard speaker is similar to the original role to a certain extent. Then the invention further performs voice morphing on the standard voice similar to the original voice to a certain extent, in order to accurately mimic the voice of the original speaker, so as to make the converted voice closer to the original voice features while guaranteeing the similarity.

An interactive computer program for seaming a number of images into a panorama. Various parameters which affect how the images are seamed can be changed interactively. Parameters such as position, orientation, focal length, which image will be visible where images overlap, and the opacity curve can be changed. The result of any change is immediately visible. A user can move the control points, thereby “morphing” or distorting the contribution to the panorama of an image. Each pixel is assigned an “alpha” value which indicates the opacity value of that pixel in an area where images overlap. Alpha values can be changed according to a pre-established curve. The original images are not changed. Instead, only the transform between the original images and the final panorama is changed.

A method and apparatus for a novel adaptive aerostructure is presented that relies on certified aerospace materials and can therefore be applied in conventional passenger aircraft. This structure consists of a honeycomb material which cells extend over a significant length perpendicular to the plane of the cells. Each of the cells contains an inelastic pouch (or bladder) that forms a circular tube when the cell forms a perfect hexagon. By changing the cell differential pressure (CDP) the stiffness of the honeycomb can be altered. Using an external force or the elastic force within the honeycomb material, the honeycomb can be deformed such that the cells deviate from their perfect-hexagonal shape. It can be shown that by increasing the CDP, the structure eventually returns to a perfect hexagon. By doing so, a fully embedded pneumatic actuator is created that can perform work and substitute conventional low-bandwidth flight control actuators. It is shown that two approaches can be taken to regulate the stiffness of this embedded actuator.