Patents by Inventor Andrew Damian Hosfield

Andrew Damian Hosfield 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: 11663778
    Abstract: A method and system of generating an image of a subject from the viewpoint of a virtual camera includes obtaining a plurality of source images of a subject and pose data for each source camera or cameras that captured the source images. Virtual camera pose data is also obtained indicating a pose of a virtual camera relative to the subject. Each source image is distorted based on a difference in pose of the corresponding source camera and the pose of the virtual camera. A weighting is determined for each distorted image based on a similarity between the pose of the corresponding source camera and the pose of the virtual camera. The distorted images are then blended together in accordance with the weightings to form an image of the subject from the viewpoint of the virtual camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù, Ian Henry Bickerstaff
  • Patent number: 11354821
    Abstract: An image processing method includes detecting, for image positions in an input image, the presence of a predetermined key colour; generating an image texture, the generating step comprising: setting a texture background of the image texture to a predetermined background colour; generating transparency values at image positions of the image texture, the transparency value at an image position being dependent upon a detected property of the predetermined key colour in the input image, the transparency values; and providing a texture foreground of the image texture; and applying the image texture to the input image at image positions at which the predetermined key colour is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, William John Dudley, Nicola Orrù
  • Patent number: 11277603
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating stereoscopic images for display with respect to a virtual display screen (VDS) include: setting a VDS position for displaying a stereoscopic image of an object in a virtual scene, the VDS having a depth profile that approximates a depth profile of the object; generating the stereoscopic image for display at the VDS within the virtual scene; and controlling a configuration of the VDS based on the detected change in the viewpoint of the stereoscopic image by the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Hidehiko Morisada, Tomohiro Oto, Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù
  • Patent number: 11276196
    Abstract: A video processing method includes detecting, as a reference pose, a pose of an individual at a reference time point in an input video sequence; at a second, different, time point in the input video sequence, detecting a second pose of the individual; generating from one or more source images of the individual, a transitional video sequence representing a transition of the individual from the second pose to the reference pose; and associating the transitional video sequence with the input video sequence to generate an output video sequence including at least the transitional video sequence to implement a non-linear replay branch from the second time point to the reference time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, William John Dudley, Nicola Orrù
  • Patent number: 11010958
    Abstract: A method of generating an image of a subject in a scene includes obtaining a first image and a second image of a subject in a scene, each image corresponding to a different respective viewpoint of the subject, each image being captured by a different respective camera, where at least some of the subject is occluded in the first image and not the second image by virtue of the different viewpoints, obtaining camera pose data indicating a pose of a camera for each image, re-projecting, based on the difference in camera poses associated with each image, at least a portion of the second image to correspond to the viewpoint from which the first image was captured, and combining the re-projected portion of the second image with at least some of the first image so as to generate a composite image of the subject from the viewpoint of the first image, the re-projected portion of the second image providing image data for at least some of the occluded part or parts of the subject in the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù
  • Publication number: 20210065432
    Abstract: A method of generating an image of a subject in a scene includes obtaining a first image and a second image of a subject in a scene, each image corresponding to a different respective viewpoint of the subject, each image being captured by a different respective camera, where at least some of the subject is occluded in the first image and not the second image by virtue of the different viewpoints, obtaining camera pose data indicating a pose of a camera for each image, re-projecting, based on the difference in camera poses associated with each image, at least a portion of the second image to correspond to the viewpoint from which the first image was captured, and combining the re-projected portion of the second image with at least some of the first image so as to generate a composite image of the subject from the viewpoint of the first image, the re-projected portion of the second image providing image data for at least some of the occluded part or parts of the subject in the first image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù
  • Publication number: 20200342631
    Abstract: An image processing method includes detecting, for image positions in an input image, the presence of a predetermined key colour; generating an image texture, the generating step comprising: setting a texture background of the image texture to a predetermined background colour; generating transparency values at image positions of the image texture, the transparency value at an image position being dependent upon a detected property of the predetermined key colour in the input image, the transparency values; and providing a texture foreground of the image texture; and applying the image texture to the input image at image positions at which the predetermined key colour is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, William John Dudley, Nicola Orrù
  • Publication number: 20200334852
    Abstract: A video processing method includes detecting, as a reference pose, a pose of an individual at a reference time point in an input video sequence; at a second, different, time point in the input video sequence, detecting a second pose of the individual; generating from one or more source images of the individual, a transitional video sequence representing a transition of the individual from the second pose to the reference pose; and associating the transitional video sequence with the input video sequence to generate an output video sequence including at least the transitional video sequence to implement a non-linear replay branch from the second time point to the reference time point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Andrew Damian Hosfield, William John Dudley, Nicola Orrù
  • Publication number: 20200302688
    Abstract: A method and system of generating an image of a subject from the viewpoint of a virtual camera includes obtaining a plurality of source images of a subject and pose data for each source camera or cameras that captured the source images. Virtual camera pose data is also obtained indicating a pose of a virtual camera relative to the subject. Each source image is distorted based on a difference in pose of the corresponding source camera and the pose of the virtual camera. A weighting is determined for each distorted image based on a similarity between the pose of the corresponding source camera and the pose of the virtual camera. The distorted images are then blended together in accordance with the weightings to form an image of the subject from the viewpoint of the virtual camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù, Ian Henry Bickerstaff
  • Publication number: 20200296354
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating stereoscopic images for display with respect to a virtual display screen (VDS) include: setting a VDS position for displaying a stereoscopic image of an object in a virtual scene, the VDS having a depth profile that approximates a depth profile of the object; (ii) generating the stereoscopic image for display at the VDS within the virtual scene; and (iii) controlling a configuration of the VDS based on the detected change in the viewpoint of the stereoscopic image by the viewer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Hidehiko Morisada, Tomohiro Oto, Andrew Damian Hosfield, Nicola Orrù