Patents by Inventor Nicholas David Burton

Nicholas David Burton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11289086
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting a target device out of a larger group of candidate devices for rendering a response from a virtual assistant to an end-user is disclosed. The system determines that a same trigger phrase included in an utterance has been received by multiple devices that are in proximity to one another at around the same time. These candidate devices can collect attention data, such as user gaze toward a device, to select the device that was most likely the intended recipient of the utterance. The system is configured to control the virtual assistant to render a response solely via the selected device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas David Burton, Arash Ghanaie-Sichanie, Qi Liu, Senthil Kumar Velayutham, Jian Wu
  • Publication number: 20210134286
    Abstract: A system and method for selecting a target device out of a larger group of candidate devices for rendering a response from a virtual assistant to an end-user is disclosed. The system determines that a same trigger phrase included in an utterance has been received by multiple devices that are in proximity to one another at around the same time. These candidate devices can collect attention data, such as user gaze toward a device, to select the device that was most likely the intended recipient of the utterance. The system is configured to control the virtual assistant to render a response solely via the selected device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas David Burton, Arash Ghanaie-Sichanie, Qi Liu, Senthil Kumar Velayutham, Jian WU
  • Publication number: 20170280130
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a two-dimensional (2D) video of a physical scene, the 2D video including a plurality of 2D image frames, for each of a plurality of candidate 2D image frames of the 2D video, computer testing the candidate 2D image frame using at least one of a feature count criteria, a pose criteria, and an image quality criteria, computer validating selected ones of the plurality of candidate 2D image frames that satisfy the feature count criteria, the pose criteria, and the image quality criteria, and providing a set of validated 2D image frames to a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction system to generate a 3D model of at least a portion of the physical scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas David Burton
  • Patent number: 9697635
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style. One or more processors generate a user 3D head model for the user based on captured 3D image data from a communicatively coupled 3D image capture device. A set of user transferable head features from the user 3D head model are automatically represented by the one or more processors in the facial avatar in accordance with rules governing transferable user 3D head features. In some embodiments, a base or reference head model of the avatar is remapped to include the set of user head features. In other embodiments, an avatar head shape model is selected based on the user 3D head model, and the transferable user 3D head features are represented in the avatar head shape model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Quinn, Peter Alan Ridgway, Nicholas David Burton, Carol Clark, David T. Hill, Christian F. Huitema, Yancey C. Smith, Royal D. Winchester, Iain A. McFadzen, Andrew John Bastable
  • Publication number: 20170039752
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style. One or more processors generate a user 3D head model for the user based on captured 3D image data from a communicatively coupled 3D image capture device. A set of user transferable head features from the user 3D head model are automatically represented by the one or more processors in the facial avatar in accordance with rules governing transferable user 3D head features. In some embodiments, a base or reference head model of the avatar is remapped to include the set of user head features. In other embodiments, an avatar head shape model is selected based on the user 3D head model, and the transferable user 3D head features are represented in the avatar head shape model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Quinn, Peter Alan Ridgway, Nicholas David Burton, Carol Clark, David T. Hill, Christian F. Huitema, Yancey C. Smith, Royal D. Winchester, Iain A. McFadzen, Andrew John Bastable
  • Patent number: 9508197
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style. One or more processors generate a user 3D head model for the user based on captured 3D image data from a communicatively coupled 3D image capture device. A set of user transferable head features from the user 3D head model are automatically represented by the one or more processors in the facial avatar in accordance with rules governing transferable user 3D head features. In some embodiments, a base or reference head model of the avatar is remapped to include the set of user head features. In other embodiments, an avatar head shape model is selected based on the user 3D head model, and the transferable user 3D head features are represented in the avatar head shape model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: David J. Quinn, Peter Alan Ridgway, Nicholas David Burton, Carol Clark, David T. Hill, Christian F. Huitema, Yancey C. Smith, Royal D. Winchester, Iain A. McFadzen, Andrew John Bastable
  • Publication number: 20150123967
    Abstract: Technology is disclosed for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style. One or more processors generate a user 3D head model for the user based on captured 3D image data from a communicatively coupled 3D image capture device. A set of user transferable head features from the user 3D head model are automatically represented by the one or more processors in the facial avatar in accordance with rules governing transferable user 3D head features. In some embodiments, a base or reference head model of the avatar is remapped to include the set of user head features. In other embodiments, an avatar head shape model is selected based on the user 3D head model, and the transferable user 3D head features are represented in the avatar head shape model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Quinn, Peter Alan Ridgway, Nicholas David Burton, Carol Clark, David T. Hill, Christian F. Huitema, Yancey C. Smith, Royal D. Winchester, Iain A. McFadzen, Andrew John Bastable