Patents by Inventor Andrew Blake
Andrew Blake 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).
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Patent number: 9855496Abstract: A real-time stereo video signal of a captured scene with a physical foreground object and a physical background is received. In real-time, a foreground/background separation algorithm is used on the real-time stereo video signal to identify pixels from the stereo video signal that represent the physical foreground object. A video sequence may be produced by rendering a 3D virtual reality based on the identified pixels of the physical foreground object.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thore K H Graepel, Andrew Blake, Ralf Herbrich
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Patent number: 9727135Abstract: Calibration of gaze tracking equipment is described, for example, in a desktop computing scenario. In various examples, an explicit calibration phase is carried out, optionally followed by an implicit calibration phase. In examples, the explicit calibration phase comprises requesting and receiving user manual input events associated with specified locations and measuring gaze associated with the manual input events. In examples, the implicit calibration phase is carried out without disturbing other activity of a user in the desktop computing environment, such as operating a graphical user interface. In various examples calibration data is stored in a plurality of buffers and used to control switching between explicit and implicit calibration phases.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Abigail Jane Sellen, Adam Gary Emfield, Arridhana Ciptadi, Kenneth Robert Woodberry, Andrew Blake
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Patent number: 9351662Abstract: Described herein are various technologies pertaining to diagnosing and/or prescribing treatment for osteoporosis. A bone of a patient is subjected to an MRI scan, and the resultant signal is subjected to a likelihood function. The output of the likelihood function are values that are parameters that are employed to ascertain connectivity of trabeculae in the bone of the patient and volumetric trabecular density of the bone.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2011Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Andrew Blake, Daniel Joseph Holland, Lynn Faith Gladden
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Publication number: 20160031990Abstract: Provided herein are methods of treating HPV-negative tumors comprising administering an effective amount of an antagonist of the PDL-1/PD-1 interaction (e.g., an anti-PDL-1 or anti-PD-1 antibody antigen binding fragment thereof).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2015Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Keith STEELE, Marlon C. Rebelatto, John Andrew Blake-Haskins, Paul B. Robbins, James R. Vasselli, Ross A. Stewart, Ramy Ibrahim, Aiman Shalabi
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Patent number: 9207813Abstract: An electronic stylus system includes an electronic stylus and base receiving unit. The electronic stylus includes a first ultrasonic transmitter, a second ultrasonic transmitter, an electromagnetic transmitter, and a writing tip. The base receiver unit includes a first ultrasonic receiver, a second ultrasonic receiver, and an electromagnetic receiver. The ultrasonic receivers of the base unit are operable to receive signals transmitted by the ultrasonic transmitters of the electronic stylus. Similarly, the electromagnetic receiver of the base unit is operable to receive signals transmitted by the electromagnetic transmitter of the stylus. The location of the tip of the electronic stylus relative to a given reference point is determined using the locations of two ultrasonic transmitters relative to the two ultrasonic receivers.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2009Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Andrew Blake, Lyndsay Williams, James Srinivasan, William Vablais
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Publication number: 20150316981Abstract: Calibration of gaze tracking equipment is described, for example, in a desktop computing scenario. In various examples, an explicit calibration phase is carried out, optionally followed by an implicit calibration phase. In examples, the explicit calibration phase comprises requesting and receiving user manual input events associated with specified locations and measuring gaze associated with the manual input events. In examples, the implicit calibration phase is carried out without disturbing other activity of a user in the desktop computing environment, such as operating a graphical user interface. In various examples calibration data is stored in a plurality of buffers and used to control switching between explicit and implicit calibration phases.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2014Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: Microsoft CorportionInventors: Abigail Jane Sellen, Adam Gary Emfield, Arridhana Ciptadi, Kenneth Robert Woodberry, Andrew Blake
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Publication number: 20150250972Abstract: A patient interface face contact (14) element comprises a surface for contacting the face of a patient, and a connection face for coupling the patient interface face contact element to a support (15) using a magnetic coupling (30). The support is also provided as well as the complete patient interface. Headgear strap clips can also be retained magnetically.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2013Publication date: September 10, 2015Inventors: Richard Thomas Haibach, Sander Theodoor Pastoor, Christoph Dobrusskin, Andrew Blake Kittridge, Jerome Matula, JR.
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Publication number: 20150231490Abstract: A real-time stereo video signal of a captured scene with a physical foreground object and a physical background is received. In real-time, a foreground/background separation algorithm is used on the real-time stereo video signal to identify pixels from the stereo video signal that represent the physical foreground object. A video sequence may be produced by rendering a 3D virtual reality based on the identified pixels of the physical foreground object.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2015Publication date: August 20, 2015Inventors: Thore KH Graepel, Andrew Blake, Ralf Herbrich
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Patent number: 9020239Abstract: A real-time stereo video signal of a captured scene with a physical foreground object and a physical background is received. In real-time, a foreground/background separation algorithm is used on the real-time stereo video signal to identify pixels from the stereo video signal that represent the physical foreground object. A video sequence may be produced by rendering a 3D virtual reality based on the identified pixels of the physical foreground object.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Thore KH Graepel, Andrew Blake, Ralf Herbrich
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Publication number: 20150056594Abstract: A computer-implemented method for measuring educational inputs is described. A plurality of educational inputs are obtained. The inputs may include at least one formal educational input and at least one informal educational input. A value for each educational input is determined. Each determined value is normalized with respect to other determined values. An educational achievement is determined based on at least one of the determined values.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2013Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventor: David Andrew Blake
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Patent number: 8861870Abstract: Image labeling with global parameters is described. In an embodiment a pose estimation system executes automatic body part labeling. For example, the system may compute joint recognition or body part segmentation for a gaming application. In another example, the system may compute organ labels for a medical imaging application. In an example, at least one global parameter, for example body height is computed for each of the images to be labeled. In an example, the global parameter is used to modify an image labeling process. For example the global parameter may be used to modify the input image to a canonical scale. In another example, the global parameter may be used to adaptively modify previously stored parameters of the image labeling process. In an example, the previously stored parameters may be computed from a reduced set of training data.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jamie Daniel Joseph Shotton, Pushmeet Kohli, Andrew Blake, Inmar-Ella Givoni
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Patent number: 8787658Abstract: Methods of image segmentation using reduced foreground training data are described. In an embodiment, the foreground and background training data for use in segmentation of an image is determined by optimization of a modified energy function. The modified energy function is the energy function used in image segmentation with an additional term comprising a scalar value. The optimization is performed for different values of the scalar to produce multiple initial segmentations and one of these segmentations is selected based on pre-defined criteria. The training data is then used in segmenting the image. In other embodiments further methods are described: one places an ellipse inside the user-defined bounding box to define the background training data and another uses a comparison of properties of neighboring image elements, where one is outside the user-defined bounding box, to reduce the foreground training data.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2013Date of Patent: July 22, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Carsten Curt Eckard Rother, Toby Sharp, Andrew Blake, Vladimir Kolmogorov
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Patent number: 8655069Abstract: Methods of updating image segmentation following user input are described. In an embodiment, the properties used in computing the different portions of the image are updated as a result of one or more user inputs. Image elements which have been identified by a user input are given more weight when updating the properties than other image elements which have already been assigned to a particular portion of the image. In another embodiment, an updated segmentation is post-processed such that only regions which are connected to an appropriate user input are updated.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2010Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Carsten Curt Eckard Rother, Toby Sharp, Andrew Blake, Vladimir Kolmogorov
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Patent number: 8514264Abstract: Existing remote workspace sharing systems are difficult to use. For example, changes made on a common work product by one user often appear abruptly on displays viewed by remote users. As a result the interaction is perceived as unnatural by the users and is often inefficient. Images of a display of a common work product are received from a camera at a first location. These images may also comprise information about objects between the display and the camera such as a user's hand editing a document on a tablet PC. These images are combined with images of the shared work product and displayed at remote locations. Advance information about remote user actions is then visible and facilitates collaborative mediation between users. Depth information may be used to influence the process of combining the images.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2012Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ankur Agarwal, Antonio Criminisi, William A. S. Buxton, Andrew Blake, Andrew William Fitzgibbon
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Patent number: 8503783Abstract: A method of labeling pixels in an image is described where the pixel label is selected from a set of three or more labels. The pixel labeling problem is reduced to a sequence of binary optimizations by representing the label value for each pixel as a binary word and then optimizing the value of each bit within the word, starting with the most significant bit. Data which has been learned from one or more training images is used in the optimization to provide information about the less significant bits within the word.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2011Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Carsten Rother, Victor Lempitsky, Andrew Blake
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Patent number: 8498481Abstract: Image segmentation using star-convexity constraints is described. In an example, user input specifies positions of one or more star centers in a foreground to be segmented from a background of an image. In embodiments, an energy function is used to express the problem of segmenting the image and that energy function incorporates a star-convexity constraint which limits the number of possible solutions. For example, the star-convexity constraint may be that, for any point p inside the foreground, all points on a shortest path (which may be geodesic or Euclidean) between the nearest star center and p also lie inside the foreground. In some examples continuous star centers such as lines are used. In embodiments a user may iteratively edit the star centers by adding brush strokes to the image in order to progressively change the star-convexity constraints and obtain an accurate segmentation.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2010Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Blake, Varun Gulshan, Carsten Rother, Antonio Criminisi
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Patent number: 8422769Abstract: Methods of image segmentation using reduced foreground training data are described. In an embodiment, the foreground and background training data for use in segmentation of an image is determined by optimization of a modified energy function. The modified energy function is the energy function used in image segmentation with an additional term comprising a scalar value. The optimization is performed for different values of the scalar to produce multiple initial segmentations and one of these segmentations is selected based on pre-defined criteria. The training data is then used in segmenting the image. In other embodiments further methods are described: one places an ellipse inside the user-defined bounding box to define the background training data and another uses a comparison of properties of neighboring image elements, where one is outside the user-defined bounding box, to reduce the foreground training data.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2010Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Carsten Curt Eckard Rother, Toby Sharp, Andrew Blake, Vladimir Kolmogorov
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Publication number: 20120323110Abstract: Described herein are various technologies pertaining to diagnosing and/or prescribing treatment for osteoporosis. A bone of a patient is subjected to an MRI scan, and the resultant signal is subjected to a likelihood function. The output of the likelihood function are values that are parameters that are employed to ascertain connectivity of trabeculae in the bone of the patient and volumetric trabecular density of the bone.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2011Publication date: December 20, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Blake, Daniel Joseph Holland
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Publication number: 20120219209Abstract: Image labeling with global parameters is described. In an embodiment a pose estimation system executes automatic body part labeling. For example, the system may compute joint recognition or body part segmentation for a gaming application. In another example, the system may compute organ labels for a medical imaging application. In an example, at least one global parameter, for example body height is computed for each of the images to be labeled. In an example, the global parameter is used to modify an image labeling process. For example the global parameter may be used to modify the input image to a canonical scale. In another example, the global parameter may be used to adaptively modify previously stored parameters of the image labeling process. In an example, the previously stored parameters may be computed from a reduced set of training data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jamie Daniel Joseph Shotton, Pushmeet Kohli, Andrew Blake, Inmar-Ella Givoni
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Patent number: 8249349Abstract: An image processing system is described which automatically labels image elements of a digital image. In an embodiment an energy function describing the quality of possible labelings of an image is globally optimized to find an output labeled image. In the embodiment, the energy function comprises terms that depend on at least one non-local parameter. For example, the non-local parameter describes characteristics of image elements having the same label. In an embodiment the global optimization is achieved in a practical, efficient manner by using a tree structure to represent candidate values of the non-local parameter and by using a branch and bound process. In some embodiments, the branch and bound process comprises evaluating a lower bound of the energy function by using a min-cut process. For example, the min-cut process enables the lower bound to be evaluated efficiently using a graphical data structure to represent the lower bound.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2008Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andrew Blake, Carsten Rother, Victor Lempitsky