Patents by Inventor Christopher Buehler

Christopher Buehler 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: 20230409766
    Abstract: Techniques are described for computing devices to perform automated operations related to using images acquired in a building as part of an automated generation process of a floor plan or other mapping information for the building, in some cases without using depth information from depth-sensing equipment about distances from the images' acquisition locations to objects in the surrounding building, and for subsequent use in further automated manners, such as controlling navigation of mobile devices and/or for display to end users in a corresponding graphical user interface. The analysis and assessment of the building images may, for example, include performing an automated assessment of one or more characteristics of the mapping information generation process (e.g., a predicted amount of time for completion) and to provide automated instructions (e.g., to adjust image acquisition device settings) or other feedback to improve the generation process (e.g., reduce that predicted time).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Manjunath Narayana, Christopher Buehler, Ivaylo Boyadzhiev
  • Patent number: 11836973
    Abstract: Techniques are described for automated operations related to analyzing visual data from images captured in rooms of a building and optionally additional captured data about the rooms to assess room layout and other usability information for the building's rooms and optionally for the overall building, and to subsequently using the assessed usability information in one or more further automated manners, such as to improve navigation of the building. The automated operations may include identifying one or more objects in each of the rooms to assess and one or more target attributes of each object, and generating and providing instructions to cause the capture of images and optionally additional data about those objects and target attributes for further automated analysis, such as instructions provided to an automated image acquisition device in the room and/or an associated user. Once received, the captured images and other data is then analyzed accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: MFTB Holdco, Inc.
    Inventors: Lambert E. Wixson, Christopher Buehler
  • Patent number: 11797159
    Abstract: Techniques are described for computing devices to perform automated operations related to using images acquired in a building as part of generating a floor plan for the building, in some cases without using depth information from depth-sensing equipment about distances from the images' acquisition locations to objects in the surrounding building, and for subsequent use in further automated manners, such as controlling navigation of mobile devices and/or for display to end users in a corresponding GUI (graphical user interface). In some cases, the MIGM system interacts with an MIGM system operator user, such as by displaying a GUI showing information related to the images and/or a floor plan being generated, and by receiving and using input submitted by the user via the GUI to assist with the generating of the floor plan, such as to specify interconnections between particular rooms via particular inter-room wall openings of the rooms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: MFTB Holdco, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuguang Li, Pierre Moulon, Lambert E. Wixson, Christopher Buehler, Ivaylo Boyadzhiev
  • Patent number: 11592969
    Abstract: Techniques are described for computing devices to perform automated operations related to using images acquired in a building as part of generating a floor plan for the building, in some cases without using depth information from depth-sensing equipment about distances from the images' acquisition locations to objects in the surrounding building, and for subsequent use in further automated manners, such as controlling navigation of mobile devices and/or for display to end users in a corresponding GUI (graphical user interface). In some cases, the MIGM system interacts with an MIGM system operator user, such as by displaying a GUI showing information related to the images and/or a floor plan being generated, and by receiving and using input submitted by the user via the GUI to assist with the generating of the floor plan, such as to specify interconnections between particular rooms via particular inter-room wall openings of the rooms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: MFTB Holdco, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuguang Li, Pierre Moulon, Lambert E. Wixson, Christopher Buehler, Ivaylo Boyadzhiev
  • Patent number: 11501492
    Abstract: Techniques are described for automated operations to analyze visual data combined from multiple images captured in a room to determine the room shape, such as by iteratively refining alignment of the multiple images' visual data into a common coordinate system until alignment differences satisfy one or more defined criteria, and for subsequently using the determined room shape information in further automated manners. The images may be panorama images in an equirectangular or other spherical format, and determined room shapes for one or more rooms of a building may be fully closed three-dimensional shapes and used to improve navigation of the building (e.g., as part of a generated building floor plan)—the automated room shape determination may be further performed without having or using information from any distance-measuring devices about distances from an image's acquisition location to walls or other objects in the surrounding room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Zillow, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuguang Li, Will Adrian Hutchcroft, Ivaylo Boyadzhiev, Christopher Buehler
  • Publication number: 20220269885
    Abstract: Techniques are described for automated operations related to analyzing visual data from images captured in rooms of a building and optionally additional captured data about the rooms to assess room layout and other usability information for the building's rooms and optionally for the overall building, and to subsequently using the assessed usability information in one or more further automated manners, such as to improve navigation of the building. The automated operations may include identifying one or more objects in each of the rooms to assess and one or more target attributes of each object, and generating and providing instructions to cause the capture of images and optionally additional data about those objects and target attributes for further automated analysis, such as instructions provided to an automated image acquisition device in the room and/or an associated user. Once received, the captured images and other data is then analyzed accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Lambert E. Wixson, Christopher Buehler
  • Publication number: 20220114291
    Abstract: Techniques are described for computing devices to perform automated operations related to using images acquired in a building as part of generating a floor plan for the building, in some cases without using depth information from depth-sensing equipment about distances from the images' acquisition locations to objects in the surrounding building, and for subsequent use in further automated manners, such as controlling navigation of mobile devices and/or for display to end users in a corresponding GUI (graphical user interface). In some cases, the MIGM system interacts with an MIGM system operator user, such as by displaying a GUI showing information related to the images and/or a floor plan being generated, and by receiving and using input submitted by the user via the GUI to assist with the generating of the floor plan, such as to specify interconnections between particular rooms via particular inter-room wall openings of the rooms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Yuguang Li, Pierre Moulon, Lambert E. Wixson, Christopher Buehler, Ivaylo Boyadzhiev
  • Publication number: 20190311258
    Abstract: Strategies for improved neural network fine tuning. Parameters of the task-specific layer of a neural network are initialized using approximate solutions derived by a variant of a linear discriminant analysis algorithm. One method includes: inputting training data into a deep neural network having an output layer from which output is generated in a manner consistent with one or more classification tasks; evaluating a distribution of the data in a feature space between a hidden layer and the output layer; and initializing, non-randomly, the parameters of the output layer based on the evaluated distribution of the data in the feature space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Lei ZHANG, Rong XIAO, Christopher BUEHLER, Anna Samantha ROTH, Yandong GUO, Jianfeng WANG
  • Publication number: 20180330272
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining a first classifier trained on a first dataset having a first dataset class, the first classifier having a plurality of first parameters, obtaining a second dataset having a second dataset class, loading the first parameters into a second classifier, merging a subset of the first dataset class and the second dataset class into a merged class, and training the second classifier using the merged class.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Yuxiao Hu, Lei Zhang, Christopher Buehler, Cha Zhang, Anna Roth, Cornelia Carapcea
  • Publication number: 20070211914
    Abstract: A computerized method of video analysis including receiving image data for a plurality of video frames depicting a scene that includes at least one of a plurality of background features. Each video frame includes s a plurality of image regions and at least one video frame has an object within at least one of the image region. A plurality of background classifications is provided that correspond to one of the background features in the scene. At least one image region is assigned a background classification based at least in part on the location of the object relative to the image region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventor: Christopher Buehler
  • Publication number: 20070182818
    Abstract: An integrated surveillance system combining video surveillance and data from other sensor-based security networks is used to identify activities that may require attention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventor: Christopher Buehler
  • Publication number: 20050265582
    Abstract: A computerized method of video analysis that includes receiving several series of video frames generated by a number of image sensors. Each image sensor has a field-of-view. The image sensors monitor a portion of a monitored environment. The computerized method also includes concurrently tracking, independent of calibration, multiple objects within the monitored environment as the objects move between fields-of-view, at least two of which overlap, and multiple objects within one field-of-view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Inventors: Christopher Buehler, Neil Brock, Jehanbux Edulbehram, Patrick Sobalvarro
  • Publication number: 20050078852
    Abstract: Methods and system for determining, a number of objects, without tracking each of the objects, in first and second fields-of-view. First and second video frames are received from first and second image sources. The image sources have the first and second fields-of-view, and the fields-of-view are known to overlap at least in part. The number of objects is determined based on the first and second video frames and the known overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventor: Christopher Buehler
  • Publication number: 20050078853
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining when a change has occurred in an area-of-interest included in an image region are disclosed. The system and methods may perform a specially modified background subtraction method. The systems and methods may initialize a background image region and then comparing a first image region from a second frame to the background image region to classify pixels as foreground pixels or background pixels. The foreground pixels are then classified based on predetermined characteristics. The background image region may then be updated to include foreground pixels that did not have the predetermined characteristics. The systems and methods allow for searching for background updates to thereby determine when a change has occurred in the area-of-interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Christopher Buehler, Matthew Gruenke, Neil Brock
  • Publication number: 20050058321
    Abstract: A computerized method of image analysis that includes receiving first image data for a plurality of first video frames representing a first scene. Each first video frame is composed of a plurality of image regions, and a first object is present in an image region of at least one first video frame. Second image data is received for a plurality of second video frames representing a second scene. Each second video frame is composed of a plurality of image regions, and a second object is present in an image region of at least one second video frame. The method also includes determining a relationship between a first image region and a second image region based on a probabilistic correlation between occurrences of the first object being present in the first image region and occurrences of the second object being present in the second image region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventor: Christopher Buehler