Patents by Inventor Randall T. Crane

Randall T. Crane 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: 10063846
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective illumination of a region within a field of view, an illumination system includes light sources implemented for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system. The illumination system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view. An imaging application can activate the subset of the light sources and position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Patent number: 9674436
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective imaging, an imaging system includes an imaging sensor implemented to capture an image of a target within a field of view of the imaging system. The imaging sensor is divided into zones of pixel arrays. The imaging system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light of the image at a zone of the imaging sensor. An imaging application can position the optics to direct the light at the zone of the imaging sensor and activate the zone of the imaging sensor to capture the image of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Patent number: 9602807
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a depth map using TOF with low power consumption. In order to disambiguate, or de-alias, the returned distance(s) for a given phase shift, the system may emit n different frequencies of light over n successive image frames. After n frames of data are collected, the distances may be correlated by a variety of methodologies to determine a single distance to the object as measured over n image frames. As one frequency may be emitted per image frame, the depth map may be developed while consuming low power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, Rod G. Fleck, Jedd Perry
  • Publication number: 20160316194
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective illumination of a region within a field of view, an illumination system includes light sources implemented for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system. The illumination system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view. An imaging application can activate the subset of the light sources and position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Patent number: 9398229
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective illumination, an illumination system includes light sources implemented for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system. The illumination system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view. An imaging application can activate the subset of the light sources and position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Patent number: 9378444
    Abstract: In embodiments, an encoded micro pattern includes segments of encoded bits that can be optically-imaged by a digitizer. The position of each segment in the encoded micro pattern can be determined from the encoded bits in a segment. Each of the segments of the encoded micro pattern also includes a fiducial marker that indicates an orientation of a segment in the encoded pattern. The encoded bits of the encoded micro pattern can be integrated into a display surface of a display device, or integrated in a display screen that is positioned over the display surface of a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Derek Leslie Knee, Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Justin E. Forrester, David C. Rohn, Brian L. Hastings
  • Publication number: 20140168369
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining a depth map using TOF with low power consumption. In order to disambiguate, or de-alias, the returned distance(s) for a given phase shift, the system may emit n different frequencies of light over n successive image frames. After n frames of data are collected, the distances may be correlated by a variety of methodologies to determine a single distance to the object as measured over n image frames. As one frequency may be emitted per image frame, the depth map may be developed while consuming low power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, Rod G. Fleck, Jedd Perry
  • Publication number: 20130335302
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective illumination, an illumination system includes light sources implemented for selective illumination of a target within a field of view of an imaging system. The illumination system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light that is generated by a subset of the light sources to illuminate a region within the field of view. An imaging application can activate the subset of the light sources and position the optics to illuminate the region within the field of view that includes the target of the selective illumination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Publication number: 20130335546
    Abstract: In embodiments of selective imaging, an imaging system includes an imaging sensor implemented to capture an image of a target within a field of view of the imaging system. The imaging sensor is divided into zones of pixel arrays. The imaging system also includes optics that can be positioned to direct light of the image at a zone of the imaging sensor. An imaging application can position the optics to direct the light at the zone of the imaging sensor and activate the zone of the imaging sensor to capture the image of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, David D. Bohn, Rod G. Fleck
  • Publication number: 20120162145
    Abstract: In embodiments, an encoded micro pattern includes segments of encoded bits that can be optically-imaged by a digitizer. The position of each segment in the encoded micro pattern can be determined from the encoded bits in a segment. Each of the segments of the encoded micro pattern also includes a fiducial marker that indicates an orientation of a segment in the encoded pattern. The encoded bits of the encoded micro pattern can be integrated into a display surface of a display device, or integrated in a display screen that is positioned over the display surface of a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Derek Leslie Knee, Randall T. Crane, David C. Rohn, Justin E. Forrester, David D. Bohn, Brian L. Hastings
  • Patent number: 7656395
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for tracking movement of a device are described. The method includes steps of implementing a first tracking subsystem for tracking positions of a device against a surface, determining whether to implement a second tracking subsystem for tracking positions of the device against the surface, capturing data corresponding to a location on the surface, and determining a position of the device against the surface based on the captured data. The position of the device can then be transmitted to a host computer and used in an application program. The first and second tracking subsystems may be a relative and an absolute tracking subsystem respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremiah Pope, Rajeev Badyal, Glen Larsen, Thomas C. Oliver, Randall T. Crane
  • Patent number: 6664948
    Abstract: Cross correlation between a reference image frame and a comparison image frame determine the direction of motion relative to x and y orthogonal axes for a pointing device that uses optical imaging to monitor movement relative to a surface. Pixel data for a portion of the surface are loaded into a buffer memory that shifts the data between successive positions in the buffer memory as each pixel of a comparison frame is processed to compute cross correlation. Auto correlation is determined for positions in the reference frame and used with the cross correlation results to determine a sub-pixel interpolation for the movement of the pointing device. A new reference frame is loaded using data for the comparison frame currently being processed if the pointing device is moved sufficiently so that the next comparison frame will not overlap the existing reference frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, Brian L. Hastings
  • Publication number: 20030058218
    Abstract: Cross correlation between a reference image frame and a comparison image frame determine the direction of motion relative to x and y orthogonal axes for a pointing device that uses optical imaging to monitor movement relative to a surface. Pixel data for a portion of the surface are loaded into a buffer memory that shifts the data between successive positions in the buffer memory as each pixel of a comparison frame is processed to compute cross correlation. Auto correlation is determined for positions in the reference frame and used with the cross correlation results to determine a sub-pixel interpolation for the movement of the pointing device. A new reference frame is loaded using data for the comparison frame currently being processed if the pointing device is moved sufficiently so that the next comparison frame will not overlap the existing reference frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Randall T. Crane, Brian L. Hastings