Apple's 3D camera concept would capture & recreate images

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014


Apple has explored building a 3D camera systemthat would allow users to capture images and reconstruct them in a three-dimensional model.



Apple's interest in capturing three-dimensional images was revealed this week in a trio of patent applications published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They are titled:



Image Capture Using Three-Dimensional Reconstruction



Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media for Placing an Asset on a Three-Dimensional Model



Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media for Integrating a Three-Dimensional Asset with a Three-Dimensional Model




The first application, which deals with the capturing of a 3D image, notes that existing 3D sensors approximate the distances of objects in a captured image, but cannot accurately reproduce the three-dimensional shape or depth of the object. Such sensors can be incapable of differentiating between a small object positioned close to the sensor or a large object that is farther away.



In one proposed solution, Apple's filing describes use a total of three sensors to capture polarized and non-polarized images, coupled with a processing model that would derive depth information from the images.



In another potential method, an image sensor with a polarized filter would be joined by two sensors used to capture luminance images, from which the processor would calculate depth information.



As for the purpose of capturing 3D images, the next two applications describe a system that could be used to scan a user's face and recreate their appearance with a virtual three-dimensional avatar. The accompanying illustrations show a Photo Booth-like interface that scans the user's face and then automatically creates a cartoonish representation of the person.



Apple has shown repeated interest in allowing users to create virtual avatars to represent themselves, potentially as an addition to its Game Center service for iOS, which is also coming to the Mac with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all offer similar virtual avatars for their respective Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles.











AppleInsider detailed Apple's proposed avatar creation tools last year. One application even described a system that would automatically generate an avatar based on a picture of the user.



The two latest patent applications take that concept even further, by using a 3D camera system to measure the depth of features on a person's face and then use that data to create a more accurate virtual 3D model.



The applications show how different features of a user's face — such as their mouth, eyes, nose, ears, and any facial hair — would be scanned and measured by the 3D camera system. That data could then be recreated by the system to create a cartoon-style avatar, while the user could further customize the creation to their liking.



The 3D image capturing patent was first filed in September of 2011 and is credited to Brett Bilbrey, Michael F. Culbert, David I. Simon, Rich Devaul, Mushtaq Sawar, and David S. Gere. The two 3D modeling patents were both filed in September of 2010 and are credited to Thomas Goossens.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member
    Similar things have been done many times before. I guess the patent is related to a method of creation?
  • Reply 2 of 17
    Three-Dee.



    Why can't it be Four-Eee or sumthin' -- I don't know ....



    /tss sss
  • Reply 3 of 17
    drfreemandrfreeman Posts: 111member
    Now if the TV can support 3D without the need for goggles and also no headache then I think we are in business!
  • Reply 4 of 17
    My heart goes out to that poor pig-faced avatar.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    What is up with the Band-Aid on his forehead? Is that part of the patent filing too?
  • Reply 6 of 17
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    What is up with the Band-Aid on his forehead? Is that part of the patent filing too?



    Just back from talks with Samsung and Nokia I guess.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    isheldonisheldon Posts: 570member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Santoanderson View Post


    My heart goes out to that poor pig-faced avatar.



  • Reply 8 of 17
    muttermutter Posts: 1member
    forget 3d, give us the 'holo-deck'.

    :-)
  • Reply 9 of 17
    alienzedalienzed Posts: 393member
    or a new technology contraceptive method, the hollow-dick
  • Reply 10 of 17
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Just back from talks with Samsung and Nokia I guess.



    You ever wonder why you spend so much time at the website of a company you obviously hate so much?



    That would be a productive investment of time for you, and possibly have a positive effect at a later point in your life.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTR View Post


    You ever wonder why you spend so much time at the website of a company you obviously hate so much?



    That would be a productive investment of time for you, and possibly have a positive effect at a later point in your life.



    Maybe you should invest on a sense of humour too.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Maybe you should invest ON a sense of humour too.



    How could we not, considering the content of your posts?



    See you in the next thread with you bitching about Apple.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Only 50T% more D? Weak! I expect nothing less than 100% more D with each iPhone revision or it's a fail¡
  • Reply 14 of 17
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTR View Post


    How could we not, considering the content of your posts?

    .



    Glad I can be of help, humour is essential in life and gets us through rough times.



    i and o are pretty close, more so when on a virtual iPad keyboard in portrait, so much for being pedantic.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    I am guessing this is for the method of how they are doing it since kinect does this already ? Also other companies have whole businesses based on depth sensors.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Glad I can be of help, humour is essential in life and gets us through rough times.



    i and o are pretty close, more so when on a virtual iPad keyboard in portrait, so much for being pedantic.



    Don't worry.



    The sudden 'humour' that you've displayed has been noted in stark contrast to the content of the majority of your posts, so it's probably quite genuine and not a defence mechanism at all.



    I understand that the iPad keyboard could be troubling to a person like yourself. Please feel free to ask other AppleInsider members for help before posting. You'll find they're a helpful bunch here.
  • Reply 17 of 17
    andyappleandyapple Posts: 152member
    Aside from the bandage, this has got to be the unfunniest April Fools post ever. \
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