Patents by Inventor Christopher Kirk

Christopher Kirk 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: 11985433
    Abstract: An HMD includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array comprising a plurality of SPAD pixels. The HMD also includes a display positioned to display images for viewing by an eye of a user. The HMD also includes one or more processors and one or more hardware storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the HMD to perform various acts associated with using the SPAD array to capture an image frame of an environment for display to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Publication number: 20240153131
    Abstract: Techniques for aligning images generated by an integrated camera physically mounted to an HMD with images generated by a detached camera physically unmounted from the HMD are disclosed. A 3D feature map is generated and shared with the detached camera. Both the integrated camera and the detached camera use the 3D feature map to relocalize themselves and to determine their respective 6 DOF poses. The HMD receives the detached camera's image of the environment and the 6 DOF pose of the detached camera. A depth map of the environment is accessed. An overlaid image is generated by reprojecting a perspective of the detached camera's image to align with a perspective of the integrated camera and by overlaying the reprojected detached camera's image onto the integrated camera's image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk PRICE, Michael BLEYER, Christopher Douglas EDMONDS
  • Patent number: 11971553
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for providing an illumination system that emits illumination into an environment while also enabling that system to be undetectable to certain types of external light detection systems. The system includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) low light (LL) detection device and a light emitting device. The light emitting device provides illumination having a wavelength of at least 950 nanometers (nm). An intensity of the illumination is set to a level that causes the illumination to be undetectable from a determined distance away based on the roll off rate of the light. While the light emitting device is providing the illumination, the SPAD LL detection device generates an image of an environment in which the illumination is being provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Christopher Douglas Edmonds, Michael Bleyer
  • Patent number: 11972549
    Abstract: Techniques for evaluating multiple images, which originate from multiple different sources, and for selecting specific images to generate an overlaid image are disclosed. A first set of system camera images (e.g., based on a first FPS rate) and a second set of external camera images (e.g., based on a second FPS rate) are obtained. A set of rules are accessed in order to govern a selection process for selecting a specific system camera image and a specific external camera image. The selected images are designated for use in generating an overlaid image. The selection process is performed using the accessed set of rules. The overlaid image is generated by overlaying and aligning content obtained from the selected images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bleyer, Raymond Kirk Price, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Patent number: 11972539
    Abstract: Techniques for generating a high resolution full color output image from lower resolution sparse color input images are disclosed. A camera generates images. The camera's sensor has a sparse Bayer pattern. While the camera is generating the images, IMU data for each image is acquired. The IMU data indicates a corresponding pose the camera was in while the camera generated each image. The images and IMU data are fed into a motion model, which performs temporal filtering on the images and uses the IMU data to generate a red-only image, a green-only image, a blue-only image, and a monochrome image. The color images are up-sampled to match the resolution of the monochrome image. A high resolution output color image is generated by combining the up-sampled images and the monochrome image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Patent number: 11962922
    Abstract: A system for dark current compensation in SPAD imagery is configurable to capture an image frame with the SPAD array and generate a temporally filtered image by performing a temporal filtering operation using the image frame and at least one preceding image frame. The at least one preceding image frame is captured by the SPAD array at a timepoint that temporally precedes a timepoint associated with the image frame. The system is also configurable to obtain a dark current image frame. The dark current image frame includes data indicating one or more SPAD pixels of the plurality of SPAD pixels that detect an avalanche event without detecting a corresponding photon. The system is also configurable to generate a dark current compensated image by performing a subtraction operation on the temporally filtered image or the image frame based on the dark current image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Publication number: 20240119610
    Abstract: Techniques for correcting an overlay misalignment between an external camera image and a system camera image are disclosed. A first system camera image and a first external camera image are acquired. A first visual alignment is performed between those two images to produce an overlaid image. Some of the content in the overlaid image is surrounded by a bounding element. A position of the bounding element is modified based on movements of the system camera and/or the external camera. In response to performing a second visual alignment using new images, an update vector is computed. Relative movement between the two cameras is determined. Based on the movement and based on the update vector, the bounding element is progressively transitioned to a corrected position in the overlaid image. A speed by which the bounding element is progressively transitioned is proportional to the amount of movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk PRICE, Michael BLEYER, Christopher Douglas EDMONDS
  • Publication number: 20240112605
    Abstract: A system for adding persistence to SPAD imagery is configurable to capture, using a SPAD array, a plurality of image frames. The system is configurable to capture, using an IMU, pose data associated with the plurality of image frames. The pose data includes at least respective pose data associated with each of the plurality of image frames. The system is configurable to determine a persistence term based on the pose data. The system is also configurable to generate a composite image based on the plurality of image frames, the respective pose data associated with each of the plurality of image frames, and the persistence term. The persistence term defines a contribution of each of the plurality of image frames to the composite image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk PRICE, Micahel BLEYER, Christopher Douglas EDMONDS
  • Patent number: 11941751
    Abstract: Techniques for aligning images generated by two cameras are disclosed. This alignment is performed by computing a relative 3D orientation between the two cameras. A first gravity vector for a first camera and a second gravity vector for a second camera are determined. A first camera image is obtained from the first camera, and a second camera image is obtained from the second camera. A first alignment process is performed to partially align the first camera's orientation with the second camera's orientation. This process is performed by aligning the gravity vectors, thereby resulting in two degrees of freedom of the relative 3D orientation being eliminated. Visual correspondences between the two images are identified. A second alignment process is performed to fully align the orientations. This process is performed by using the identified visual correspondences to identify and eliminate a third degree of freedom of the relative 3D orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds, Sudipta Narayan Sinha
  • Publication number: 20240079617
    Abstract: A system may be configured to cool and provide oxidant to an open cathode proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (FC) stack comprising a plurality of FCs configured to operationally receive a first amount of fluid. Some embodiments may have the first amount be non-zero, and a controller may be configured to adjust the first amount such that a second amount of fluid substantially greater than the first amount is received at the FCs. The adjustment may be performed responsive to at least one of (i) a sensed attribute of one or more of the FCs changing by an amount that satisfies a danger criterion and (ii) an elapsed time of operation of the FC stack satisfying a periodicity criterion. The adjustment may cause the elapsed time to satisfy an endurance criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Intelligent Energy Limited
    Inventors: Christopher KIRK, Steven HANSER
  • Patent number: 11922655
    Abstract: Techniques for aligning images generated by an integrated camera physically mounted to an HMD with images generated by a detached camera physically unmounted from the HMD are disclosed. A 3D feature map is generated and shared with the detached camera. Both the integrated camera and the detached camera use the 3D feature map to relocalize themselves and to determine their respective 6 DOF poses. The HMD receives the detached camera's image of the environment and the 6 DOF pose of the detached camera. A depth map of the environment is accessed. An overlaid image is generated by reprojecting a perspective of the detached camera's image to align with a perspective of the integrated camera and by overlaying the reprojected detached camera's image onto the integrated camera's image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Publication number: 20240073523
    Abstract: A system for generating depth information from low-resolution images is configured to access a plurality of image frames capturing an environment, identify a first group of image frames from the plurality of image frames, and generate a first image comprising a first composite image of the environment using the first group of image frames as input. The first composite image has an image resolution that is higher than an image resolution of the image frames of the first group of image frames. The system is also configured to obtain a second image of the environment, where parallax exists between a capture perspective associated with the first image and a capture perspective associated with the second image. The system is also configured to generate depth information for the environment based on the first image and the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Michael BLEYER, Christopher Douglas EDMONDS, Antonios MATAKOS, Raymond Kirk PRICE
  • Patent number: 11915441
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided performing for low compute depth map generation by implementing acts of obtaining a stereo pair of images of a scene, downsampling the stereo pair of images, generating a depth map by stereo matching the downsampled stereo pair of images, and generating an upsampled depth map based on the depth map using an edge-preserving filter for obtaining at least some data of at least one image of the stereo pair of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds
  • Patent number: 11897743
    Abstract: The industry-standard corkscrew has numerous flaws resulting in broken corks—even in the hands of a professional. The present invention is a radical departure from the traditional corkscrew apparatus. The opener generally consists of the handle and an internally threaded half-pipe. The half-pipe slides between the cork and the bottle, wherein the series of threads engage the cork. Rotating the handle causes the threads to bore deeper into the neck of the bottle until the handles meets the lip of the bottle, and then lift the cork out of the bottle until it disengages and falls away from the opener. It should be appreciated that the elegance of the opener resides in its simplicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Christopher Kirk Carter, Nicholas Robert Pierce
  • Publication number: 20230396690
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system is disclosed for processing event data for an application and transmitting the event data via a computer network. The system can include a memory device and a hardware processor. The memory device can store an application. The hardware processor can execute the application, characterize a user engagement with the application as being a first level of engagement or a second level of engagement, generate event data responsive to user interactions with the application, and control the batch collection of the event data depending on whether the user engagement with the application is characterized as the first level of engagement or the second level of engagement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Tyron G. Gavin, Christopher Kirk Finley, Craig P. Rouse
  • Patent number: 11671510
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system is disclosed for processing event data for an application and transmitting the event data via a computer network. The system can include a memory device and a hardware processor. The memory device can store an application. The hardware processor can execute the application, characterize a user engagement with the application as being a first level of engagement or a second level of engagement, generate event data responsive to user interactions with the application, and control the batch collection of the event data depending on whether the user engagement with the application is characterized as the first level of engagement or the second level of engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TEALIUM INC.
    Inventors: Tyron G. Gavin, Christopher Kirk Finley, Craig P. Rouse
  • Publication number: 20220109735
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system is disclosed for processing event data for an application and transmitting the event data via a computer network. The system can include a memory device and a hardware processor. The memory device can store an application. The hardware processor can execute the application, characterize a user engagement with the application as being a first level of engagement or a second level of engagement, generate event data responsive to user interactions with the application, and control the batch collection of the event data depending on whether the user engagement with the application is characterized as the first level of engagement or the second level of engagement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Tyron G. Gavin, Christopher Kirk Finley, Craig P. Rouse
  • Publication number: 20210387839
    Abstract: The industry-standard corkscrew has numerous flaws resulting in broken corks—even in the hands of a professional. The present invention is a radical departure from the traditional corkscrew apparatus. The opener generally consists of the handle and an internally threaded half-pipe. The half-pipe slides between the cork and the bottle, wherein the series of threads engage the cork. Rotating the handle causes the threads to bore deeper into the neck of the bottle until the handles meets the lip of the bottle, and then lift the cork out of the bottle until it disengages and falls away from the opener. It should be appreciated that the elegance of the opener resides in its simplicity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher Kirk Carter, Nicholas Robert Pierce
  • Patent number: 11130666
    Abstract: The industry-standard corkscrew has numerous flaws resulting in broken corks—even in the hands of a professional. The present invention is a radical departure from the traditional corkscrew apparatus. The opener generally consists of the handle and an internally threaded half-pipe. The half-pipe slides between the cork and the bottle, wherein the series of threads engage the cork. Rotating the handle causes the threads to bore deeper into the neck of the bottle until the handles meets the lip of the bottle, and then lift the cork out of the bottle until it disengages and falls away from the opener. It should be appreciated that the elegance of the opener resides in its simplicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher Kirk Carter, Nicholas Robert Pierce
  • Patent number: 11095735
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system is disclosed for processing event data for an application and transmitting the event data via a computer network. The system can include a memory device and a hardware processor. The memory device can store an application. The hardware processor can execute the application, characterize a user engagement with the application as being a first level of engagement or a second level of engagement, generate event data responsive to user interactions with the application, and control the batch collection of the event data depending on whether the user engagement with the application is characterized as the first level of engagement or the second level of engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TEALIUM INC.
    Inventors: Tyron G. Gavin, Christopher Kirk Finley, Craig P. Rouse