Patents by Inventor Christopher Stephen Messer

Christopher Stephen Messer 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: 10565719
    Abstract: A first image and a second image of a scene are obtained for use in detecting the location of the floor in the scene. A first of the images is mapped onto a candidate plane that is perpendicular to a gravity vector, thereby creating a texture-mapped plane. The texture-mapped plane is projected into the geometry of the camera utilized to take the second image to create an artificial first image. A comparison is then performed between the first image and the artificial first image to generate a similarity score. Multiple candidate planes are processed in this manner for the first and second images, and the candidate plane generating the highest associated similarity score is chosen as the floor. This process can be repeated for multiple sets of stereo images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bleyer, Yuri Pekelny, Christopher Stephen Messer
  • Patent number: 10565720
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for utilizing a structured projection pattern to perform depth detection. In some instances, the structured projection pattern forms a dot pattern, which is projected by a projector, wherein the projector includes one or more infrared (IR) light dot pattern illuminators for projecting an IR light dot pattern to a surrounding environment. The IR dot pattern light that is at least partially reflected off one or more objects in the surrounding environment is detected by one or more cameras attached to a head-mounted display (HMD). The HMD, which is physically untethered from the projector, utilizes the captured IR dot pattern light reflections to track movement of the HMD and/or perform depth detection of one or more objects in the environment surrounding the HMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Stephen Messer
  • Publication number: 20190304116
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for utilizing a structured projection pattern to perform depth detection. In some instances, the structured projection pattern forms a dot pattern, which is projected by a projector, wherein the projector includes one or more infrared (IR) light dot pattern illuminators for projecting an IR light dot pattern to a surrounding environment. The IR dot pattern light that is at least partially reflected off one or more objects in the surrounding environment is detected by one or more cameras attached to a head-mounted display (HMD). The HMD, which is physically untethered from the projector, utilizes the captured IR dot pattern light reflections to track movement of the HMD and/or perform depth detection of one or more objects in the environment surrounding the HMD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Stephen Messer
  • Publication number: 20190114797
    Abstract: A first image and a second image of a scene are obtained for use in detecting the location of the floor in the scene. A first of the images is mapped onto a candidate plane that is perpendicular to a gravity vector, thereby creating a texture-mapped plane. The texture-mapped plane is projected into the geometry of the camera utilized to take the second image to create an artificial first image. A comparison is then performed between the first image and the artificial first image to generate a similarity score. Multiple candidate planes are processed in this manner for the first and second images, and the candidate plane generating the highest associated similarity score is chosen as the floor. This process can be repeated for multiple sets of stereo images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Michael BLEYER, Yuri PEKELNY, Christopher Stephen MESSER
  • Publication number: 20180278910
    Abstract: A system for determining distances to features in a scene is disclosed. The system includes, among other features, a target portion identifier module, a target surface generator, a reflector selection module, a light transport simulation module, a depth measurement correction generation module, and a distance calculation module. The target portion identifier module is configured to identify a plurality of target portions of the scene. The target surface generator is configured to simulate a plurality of target surfaces. The reflector selection module is configured to select a first plurality of reflector surfaces from the plurality of target surfaces and a second plurality of reflector surfaces from the first plurality of reflector surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Schoenberg, Kamal Ramachandran Kuzhinjedathu, Mikhail Smirnov, Christopher Stephen Messer, Michael Jason Gourlay
  • Patent number: 9305371
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for defining transition zones for navigating a visualization. The visualization may be constructed from geometry of a scene and one or more texture images depicted the scene from various viewpoints. A transition zone may correspond to portions of the visualization that do not have a one-to-one correspondence with a single texture image, but are generated from textured geometry (e.g., a projection of texture imagery onto the geometry). Because a translated view may have visual error (e.g., a portion of the translated view is not correctly represented by the textured geometry), one or more transition zones, specifying translated view experiences (e.g., unrestricted view navigation, restricted view navigation, etc.), may be defined. For example, a snapback force may be applied when a current view corresponds to a transition zone having a relatively higher error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Markus Unger, Donald A. Barnett, Sudipta Narayan Sinha, Eric Joel Stollnitz, Johannes Peter Kopf, Timo Pekka Pylvaenaeinen, Christopher Stephen Messer
  • Publication number: 20140267343
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for defining transition zones for navigating a visualization. The visualization may be constructed from geometry of a scene and one or more texture images depicted the scene from various viewpoints. A transition zone may correspond to portions of the visualization that do not have a one-to-one correspondence with a single texture image, but are generated from textured geometry (e.g., a projection of texture imagery onto the geometry). Because a translated view may have visual error (e.g., a portion of the translated view is not correctly represented by the textured geometry), one or more transition zones, specifying translated view experiences (e.g., unrestricted view navigation, restricted view navigation, etc.), may be defined. For example, a snapback force may be applied when a current view corresponds to a transition zone having a relatively higher error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Markus Unger, Donald A. Barnett, Sudipta Narayan Sinha, Eric Joel Stollnitz, Johannes Peter Kopf, Timo Pekka Pylvaenaeinen, Christopher Stephen Messer