Patents by Inventor Stanley T. Birchfield

Stanley T. Birchfield 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: 10739993
    Abstract: A computing device includes a touch-sensitive user interface configured to present a unified collaborative session for two or more users, and an authentication module configured to simultaneously identify and authenticate multiple users physically co-located within a collaborative environment, allowing each of the multiple users to interact with the touch-sensitive user interface. A content module is configured to simultaneously provide one or more content portals within the unified collaborative session for each authenticated user. Each content portal is configured to enable an authenticated user to access, retrieve, and present user-owned content files within the unified collaborative session. In this way, multiple users may simultaneously access, retrieve, and present their own content files on a single computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Kevin Juho Venalainen, Arthur Baker
  • Patent number: 10612939
    Abstract: A system and method for ground truth estimation of an autonomous navigation system is described. The method includes calibrating a ground truth estimation system for the navigator, by determining a calibration pose of the navigator as disposed in relation to each of a plurality of landmarks during a calibration period. The method also includes directing the navigator to travel to a sequence of waypoints, the waypoints including a selected sequence of the landmarks. The method further includes determining the ground truth estimation based on an accuracy pose of the navigator as disposed in relation to the sequence of landmarks, and the calibration poses for the sequence of landmarks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Harshavardhana Kikkeri, Stanley T. Birchfield, Mihai Jalobeanu
  • Patent number: 10429271
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for testing a modulation transfer function or spatial frequency response of an imaging system includes, on a computing device, generating a plurality of accumulation cells running along an accumulation line. A boundary delineation divides a first segment of a digital test image captured by the imaging system from a second segment, and the plurality of accumulation cells collectively comprise a one-dimensional accumulation array. For each of the accumulation cells, a projection ray is generated that extends through the accumulation cell and through the digital test image Each accumulation cell is loaded with an accumulated pixel value based on pixel values sampled from each of a plurality of sampling locations along the projection ray. The modulation transfer function or spatial frequency response of the imaging system is derived from the one-dimensional accumulation array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Stanley T. Birchfield
  • Patent number: 10388041
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is generally directed towards a relatively fast and accurate technology that corrects mobile device (e.g., mobile robot) mapping data into corrected map data based upon detection of loop closure. A variation of stochastic gradient descent (with constraints in a deterministic order) may be used in a first correction phase to provide an updated graph in a relatively fast manner by operating in a relative state space. A graph-based variant of Gauss-Seidel that operates in a global state space may be used in a later phase to refine the updated graph into a more exact graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Brian Kai Peasley
  • Publication number: 20180203601
    Abstract: A computing device includes a touch-sensitive user interface configured to present a unified collaborative session for two or more users, and an authentication module configured to simultaneously identify and authenticate multiple users physically co-located within a collaborative environment, allowing each of the multiple users to interact with the touch-sensitive user interface. A content module is configured to simultaneously provide one or more content portals within the unified collaborative session for each authenticated user. Each content portal is configured to enable an authenticated user to access, retrieve, and present user-owned content files within the unified collaborative session. In this way, multiple users may simultaneously access, retrieve, and present their own content files on a single computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Kevin Juho Venalainen, Arthur Baker
  • Patent number: 9980040
    Abstract: Various examples related to determining a location of an active participant are provided. In one example, image data of a room from an image capture device is received. First audio data from a first microphone array at the image capture device is received. Second audio data from a second microphone array spaced from the image capture device is received. Using a three dimensional model, a location of the second microphone array is determined. Using the first audio data, second audio data, location of the second microphone array, and an angular orientation of the second microphone array, an estimated location of the active participant is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Arthur Whyte, Ross Cutler, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Adam Kirk, Stanley T. Birchfield, Cha Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180096195
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed herein that relate to face detection. One example provides a computing device comprising a logic subsystem and a storage subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to receive an image, apply a tile array to the image, the tile array comprising a plurality of tiles, and perform face detection on at least a subset of the tiles, where determining whether or not to perform face detection on a given tile is based on a likelihood that the tile includes at least a portion of a human face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Cristian Canton Ferrer, Stanley T. Birchfield, Adam Kirk, Cha Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180003587
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for testing a modulation transfer function or spatial frequency response of an imaging system includes, on a computing device, generating a plurality of accumulation cells running along an accumulation line. A boundary delineation divides a first segment of a digital test image captured by the imaging system from a second segment, and the plurality of accumulation cells collectively comprise a one-dimensional accumulation array. For each of the accumulation cells, a projection ray is generated that extends through the accumulation cell and through the digital test image Each accumulation cell is loaded with an accumulated pixel value based on pixel values sampled from each of a plurality of sampling locations along the projection ray. The modulation transfer function or spatial frequency response of the imaging system is derived from the one-dimensional accumulation array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Stanley T. BIRCHFIELD
  • Publication number: 20170337716
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is generally directed towards a relatively fast and accurate technology that corrects mobile device (e.g., mobile robot) mapping data into corrected map data based upon detection of loop closure. A variation of stochastic gradient descent (with constraints in a deterministic order) may be used in a first correction phase to provide an updated graph in a relatively fast manner by operating in a relative state space. A graph-based variant of Gauss-Seidel that operates in a global state space may be used in a later phase to refine the updated graph into a more exact graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Stanley T. BIRCHFIELD, Brian Kai PEASLEY
  • Patent number: 9741140
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is generally directed towards a relatively fast and accurate technology that corrects mobile device (e.g., mobile robot) mapping data into corrected map data based upon detection of loop closure. A variation of stochastic gradient descent (with constraints in a deterministic order) may be used in a first correction phase to provide an updated graph in a relatively fast manner by operating in a relative state space. A graph-based variant of Gauss-Seidel that operates in a global state space may be used in a later phase to refine the updated graph into a more exact graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Brian Kai Peasley
  • Publication number: 20170201825
    Abstract: Various examples related to determining a location of an active participant are provided. In one example, image data of a room from an image capture device is received. First audio data from a first microphone array at the image capture device is received. Second audio data from a second microphone array spaced from the image capture device is received. Using a three dimensional model, a location of the second microphone array is determined. Using the first audio data, second audio data, location of the second microphone array, and an angular orientation of the second microphone array, an estimated location of the active participant is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Arthur Whyte, Ross Cutler, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Adam Kirk, Stanley T. Birchfield, Cha Zhang
  • Patent number: 9621795
    Abstract: Various examples related to determining a location of an active speaker are provided. In one example, image data of a room from an image capture device is received and a three dimensional model is generated. First audio data from a first microphone array at the image capture device is received. Second audio data from a second microphone array laterally spaced from the image capture device is received. Using the three dimensional model, a location of the second microphone array with respect to the image capture device is determined. Using the audio data and the location and angular orientation of the second microphone array, an estimated location of the active speaker is determined. Using the estimated location, a setting for the image capture device is determined and outputted to highlight the active speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Arthur Whyte, Ross Cutler, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Adam Kirk, Stanley T. Birchfield, Cha Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150332489
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is generally directed towards a relatively fast and accurate technology that corrects mobile device (e.g., mobile robot) mapping data into corrected map data based upon detection of loop closure. A variation of stochastic gradient descent (with constraints in a deterministic order) may be used in a first correction phase to provide an updated graph in a relatively fast manner by operating in a relative state space. A graph-based variant of Gauss-Seidel that operates in a global state space may be used in a later phase to refine the updated graph into a more exact graph.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Brian Kai Peasley
  • Publication number: 20150185027
    Abstract: A system and method for ground truth estimation of an autonomous navigation system is described. The method includes calibrating a ground truth estimation system for the navigator, by determining a calibration pose of the navigator as disposed in relation to each of a plurality of landmarks during a calibration period. The method also includes directing the navigator to travel to a sequence of waypoints, the waypoints including a selected sequence of the landmarks. The method further includes determining the ground truth estimation based on an accuracy pose of the navigator as disposed in relation to the sequence of landmarks, and the calibration poses for the sequence of landmarks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Harshavardhana Kikkeri, Stanley T. Birchfield, Mihai Jalobeanu
  • Patent number: 8379926
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting and tracking one or more vehicles using a system for obtaining two-dimensional visual data depicting traffic flow on a road is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the system and method identifies groups of features for determining traffic data. The features are classified as stable features or unstable features based on whether each feature is on the frontal face of a vehicle close to the road plane. In another exemplary embodiment, the system and method identifies vehicle base fronts as a basis for determining traffic data. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the system and method includes an automatic calibration procedure based on identifying two vanishing points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Clemson University
    Inventors: Neeraj Krantiveer Kanhere, Stanley T. Birchfield, Wayne A. Sarasua
  • Publication number: 20100322476
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting and tracking one or more vehicles using a system for obtaining two-dimensional visual data depicting traffic flow on a road is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the system and method identifies groups of features for determining traffic data. The features are classified as stable features or unstable features based on whether each feature is on the frontal face of a vehicle close to the road plane. In another exemplary embodiment, the system and method identifies vehicle base fronts as a basis for determining traffic data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Neeraj Krantiveer Kanhere, Stanley T. Birchfield, Wayne A. Sarasua
  • Patent number: 7039198
    Abstract: An acoustic source location technique compares the time response of signals from two or more pairs of microphones. For each pair of microphones, a plurality of sample elements are calculated that correspond to a ranking of possible time delay offsets for the two acoustic signals received by the pair of microphones, with each sample element having a delay time and a sample value. Each sample element is mapped to a sub-surface of potential acoustic source locations and assigned the sample value. A weighted value is calculated on each cell of a common boundary surface by combining the values of the plurality of sub-surfaces proximate the cell to form a weighted surface with the weighted value assigned to each cell interpreted as being indicative that a bearing vector to the acoustic source passes through the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Quindi
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Daniel K. Gillmor
  • Publication number: 20020097885
    Abstract: An acoustic source location technique compares the time response of signals from two or more pairs of microphones. For each pair of microphones, a plurality of sample elements are calculated that correspond to a ranking of possible time delay offsets for the two acoustic signals received by the pair of microphones, with each sample element having a delay time and a sample value. Each sample element is mapped to a sub-surface of potential acoustic source locations and assigned the sample value. A weighted value is calculated on each cell of a common boundary surface by combining the values of the plurality of sub-surfaces proximate the cell to form a weighted surface with the weighted value assigned to each cell interpreted as being indicative that a bearing vector to the acoustic source passes through the cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Stanley T. Birchfield, Daniel K. Gillmor