Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Annau

Thomas M. Annau 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).

  • Publication number: 20230351049
    Abstract: The disclosure includes embodiments of a method for a certification system for an artificial intelligence (AI) model. According to some embodiments, the method includes analyzing the AI model to determine that the AI model is compliant with the set of metrics. The method includes certifying the AI model responsive to determining that the AI model is compliant with the set of metrics. The set of metrics includes verifying that at least one layer Z of the AI model is invertible. The method includes certifying the AI model responsive to determining that the AI model is compliant with the set of metrics. In some embodiments, if the AI model includes a plurality of layers Z and the set of metrics verify that each of the layers Z is invertible, then AI model is certified as an “invertible AI model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Taut AI, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas M. ANNAU
  • Patent number: 11431901
    Abstract: An illustrative system constructs a map that associates pixel locations in a panoramic image to camera modules in a set of camera modules. The map may associate a first pixel location in the panoramic image to a first camera module in the set of camera modules and a second pixel location in the panoramic image to a second camera module in the set of camera modules. The second pixel location borders the first pixel location in the panoramic image. The system blends, based on at least one weight, a pixel value of the first pixel location captured by the first camera module with a pixel value of the second pixel location captured by the second camera module to determine a pixel value for a blended pixel in the panoramic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen
  • Patent number: 11194872
    Abstract: A search engine system according to one embodiment includes a slashtag server having a hardware processor and memory storing instructions configured to cause the slashtag server to receive a search query regarding a search of an internet, detect at least one key word in the search query, search the internet based on the at least one key word, analyze results of the search query to determine relevant filter criteria in the results of the search query, generate an alternative search query based on the relevant filter criteria, and send the web server the alternative search query, where the alternative search query includes a search operator wrapped in a predetermined syntax and inserted by the slashtag server, and where a last entered key word of the at least one key word in the search query is removed such that it is not included in the alternative search query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Annau, Gregory B. Lindahl, Samuel Makonnen, Michael Markson, Keith Peters, Robert Michael Saliba, Al Sary, Rich Skrenta, Dan Swartz, Robert N. Truel, Timothy Walters
  • Patent number: 11128812
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for generating virtual reality content. For example, the disclosure includes a method for generating virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the generating, providing the virtual reality content to a user, detecting a location of the user's gaze at the virtual reality content, and suggesting an advertisement based on the location of the user's gaze. Another example includes receiving virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data to a first user with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the receiving, generating a social network for the first user, and generating a social graph that includes user interactions with the virtual reality content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Jens Christensen, Thomas M. Annau, Arthur Van Hoff
  • Patent number: 11108971
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a camera array comprising camera modules, the camera modules comprising a master camera that includes a processor, a memory, a sensor, a lens, a status indicator, and a switch, the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a start operation to start recording video data using the lens and the sensor in the other camera modules and the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a stop operation to stop recording, the status indicator configured to indicate a status of at least one of the camera modules. Lens distortion effects may be removed from the frames described by the video data. The camera modules of the camera array are configured to provide a 3× field of view overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Verzon Patent and Licensing Ine.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Annau, Arthur van Hoff, Jens Christensen
  • Publication number: 20210250501
    Abstract: An illustrative system constructs a map that associates pixel locations in a panoramic image to camera modules in a set of camera modules. The map may associate a first pixel location in the panoramic image to a first camera module in the set of camera modules and a second pixel location in the panoramic image to a second camera module in the set of camera modules. The second pixel location borders the first pixel location in the panoramic image. The system blends, based on at least one weight, a pixel value of the first pixel location captured by the first camera module with a pixel value of the second pixel location captured by the second camera module to determine a pixel value for a blended pixel in the panoramic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen
  • Patent number: 11032490
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a camera array comprising camera modules, the camera modules comprising a master camera that includes a processor, a memory, a sensor, a lens, a status indicator, and a switch, the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a start operation to start recording video data using the lens and the sensor in the other camera modules and the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a stop operation to stop recording, the status indicator configured to indicate a status of at least one of the camera modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner
  • Patent number: 11019258
    Abstract: The disclosure includes generating a stream of panoramic images. A method includes determining a first matching camera module. The method includes constructing a first camera map that associates a first pixel location in a first panoramic image to the first matching camera module, wherein the first pixel location corresponds to the point in a panorama from a first viewing direction. The method includes generating, based on the first camera map, a stream of first panoramic images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen
  • Patent number: 10819970
    Abstract: A camera system is configured to capture video content with 360 degree views of an environment. The camera array comprises a housing including a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant, wherein each of the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant form a plurality of apertures, a chassis bottom that is removably coupled to the housing, and a plurality of camera modules, each camera module comprising a processor, a memory, a sensor, and a lens, wherein each of the camera modules is removably coupled to one of the plurality of apertures in the housing, wherein the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant each include a subset of the plurality of camera modules. Each of the plurality of camera modules includes a heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner, Punit Govenji, James Dunn
  • Patent number: 10789305
    Abstract: Systems and method for searching a network, including, via a server in communication with at least one data storage and a network, receiving search criteria via the network, retrieving sub search criteria related to the search criteria from the data storage, retrieving search results from the at least one data storage using the search criteria, retrieving sub search results from the at least one data storage, using the sub search criteria, organizing the search results and sub search results according to the sub search criteria, and causing display, via the network, of the organized search results and sub search results, grouped by sub search criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rich Skrenta, Michael Markson, Thomas M. Annau, Robert Michael Saliba, Nicholas Sorrentino, Krishna Srinivasan, Dan Swartz, Jacques Frechet, Chris Zimdars, Gregory B. Lindahl
  • Publication number: 20200275079
    Abstract: An illustrative method includes at least one processor receiving video data that describes a set of images captured by a set of camera modules of a camera array, stitching the set of images together, based on relative positions of the camera modules, to generate three-dimensional (3D) video content, and correcting lens distortion to remove one or more lens distortion effects from the set of images or the 3D video content. Corresponding methods and systems are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner
  • Patent number: 10726083
    Abstract: A search engine system, including a slash-tag server. The server can be configured to receive a query including at least one key word from a user, generate an alternative search query, based on the at least one key word in the search query received from the user. The alternative search query may include at least one slashtag associated with the at least one key word for use in searching unaltered internet documents. Also, it may launch a search query using the alternative search query. Further, a web server could be configured to retrieve content from one or more nodes of at least one database cluster, based on the launched search query, generate a first search result, based on the alternative search query, and cause display of the first search result in a web browser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Annau, Gregory B. Lindahl, Samuel Makonnen, Michael Markson, Keith Peters, Robert Michael Saliba, Al Sary, Rich Skrenta, Dan Swartz, Robert N. Truel, Timothy Walters
  • Publication number: 20200218982
    Abstract: A machine learning tool uses dithered quantization of parameters during training of a machine learning model such as a neural network. The machine learning tool receives training data and initializes certain parameters of the machine learning model (e.g., weights for connections between nodes of a neural network, biases for nodes). The machine learning tool trains the parameters in one or more iterations based on the training data. In particular, in a given iteration, the machine learning tool applies the machine learning model to at least some of the training data and, based at least in part on the results, determines parameter updates to the parameters. The machine learning tool updates the parameters using the parameter updates and a dithered quantizer function, which can add random values before a rounding or truncation operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas M. ANNAU, Haishan ZHU, Daniel LO, Eric S. CHUNG
  • Patent number: 10708568
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for generating virtual reality content. For example, the disclosure includes a method for generating virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the generating, providing the virtual reality content to a user, detecting a location of the user's gaze at the virtual reality content, and suggesting an advertisement based on the location of the user's gaze. Another example includes receiving virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data to a first user with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the receiving, generating a social network for the first user, and generating a social graph that includes user interactions with the virtual reality content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Jens Christensen, Thomas M. Annau, Arthur Van Hoff
  • Patent number: 10701426
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user's gaze while viewing virtual reality content. The method also determining an object of interest in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user's gaze. The method also includes generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network. The method also includes performing an action in the social network related to the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen
  • Patent number: 10691202
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for receiving viewing data that describes a location of a first user's gaze while viewing virtual reality content. The method also determining an object of interest in the virtual reality content based on the location of the first user's gaze. The method also includes generating a social network that includes the first user as a member of the social network. The method also includes performing an action in the social network related to the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen
  • Patent number: 10694167
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a camera array comprising camera modules, the camera modules comprising a master camera that includes a processor, a memory, a sensor, a lens, a status indicator, and a switch, the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a start operation to start recording video data using the lens and the sensor in the other camera modules and the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a stop operation to stop recording, the status indicator configured to indicate a status of at least one of the camera modules. Lens distortion effects may be removed from the frames described by the video data. The camera modules of the camera array are configured to provide a 3× field of view overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner
  • Publication number: 20200195906
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a camera array comprising camera modules, the camera modules comprising a master camera that includes a processor, a memory, a sensor, a lens, a status indicator, and a switch, the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a start operation to start recording video data using the lens and the sensor in the other camera modules and the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a stop operation to stop recording, the status indicator configured to indicate a status of at least one of the camera modules. Lens distortion effects may be removed from the frames described by the video data. The camera modules of the camera array are configured to provide a 3× field of view overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner
  • Patent number: 10665261
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a camera array comprising camera modules, the camera modules comprising a master camera that includes a processor, a memory, a sensor, a lens, a status indicator, and a switch, the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a start operation to start recording video data using the lens and the sensor in the other camera modules and the switch configured to instruct each of the camera modules to initiate a stop operation to stop recording, the status indicator configured to indicate a status of at least one of the camera modules. The camera modules of the camera array are configured to provide a 3× field of view overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner
  • Patent number: 10666921
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for generating virtual reality content. For example, the disclosure includes a method for generating virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the generating, providing the virtual reality content to a user, detecting a location of the user's gaze at the virtual reality content, and suggesting an advertisement based on the location of the user's gaze. Another example includes receiving virtual reality content that includes a stream of three-dimensional video data and a stream of three-dimensional audio data to a first user with a processor-based computing device programmed to perform the receiving, generating a social network for the first user, and generating a social graph that includes user interactions with the virtual reality content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Jens Christensen, Thomas M. Annau, Arthur Van Hoff