Patents by Inventor Desney S Tan

Desney S Tan 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: 9064152
    Abstract: Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to enhance a user's ability to operate or function in a transportation-related context as a pedestrian or a vehicle operator. In one embodiment, the AEFS is configured perform vehicular threat detection based at least in part on analyzing image data. An example AEFS receives data that represents an image of a vehicle. The AEFS analyzes the received data to determine vehicular threat information, such as that the vehicle may collide with the user. The AEFS then informs the user of the determined vehicular threat information, such as by transmitting a warning to a wearable device configured to present the warning to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Victoria Y. H. Wood, Charles Whitmer, Paramvir Bahl, Douglas C. Burger, Ranveer Chandra, William H. Gates, III, Paul Holman, Jordin T. Kare, Craig J. Mundie, Tim Paek, Desney S. Tan, Lin Zhong, Matthew G. Dyor
  • Patent number: 9053096
    Abstract: Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to automatically translate utterances from a first to a second language, based on speaker-related information determined from speaker utterances and/or other sources of information. In one embodiment, the AEFS receives data that represents an utterance of a speaker in a first language, the utterance obtained by a hearing device of the user, such as a hearing aid, smart phone, media player/device, or the like. The AEFS then determines speaker-related information associated with the identified speaker, such as by determining demographic information (e.g., gender, language, country/region of origin) and/or identifying information (e.g., name or title) of the speaker. The AEFS translates the utterance in the first language into a message in a second language, based on the determined speaker-related information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Victoria Y. H. Wood, Charles Whitmer, Paramvir Bahl, Douglas C. Burger, Ranveer Chandra, William H. Gates, III, Paul Holman, Jordin T. Kare, Craig J. Mundie, Tim Paek, Desney S. Tan, Lin Zhong, Matthew G. Dyor
  • Patent number: 9031584
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described relating to accepting a mobile device location query using digital signal processing and presenting an indication of location of the mobile device at least partially based on receiving the location query. Additionally, systems and methods are described relating to means for accepting a mobile device location query using digital signal processing and means for presenting an indication of location of the mobile device at least partially based on receiving the location query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Elwha, LLC
    Inventors: Paramvir Bahl, Douglas C. Burger, Ranveer Chandra, Matthew G. Dyor, William Gates, Pablos Holman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Jordin T. Kare, Royce A. Levien, Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Tim Paek, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Desney S. Tan, Clarence T. Tegreene, Charles Whitmer, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Victoria Y. H. Wood, Lin Zhong
  • Publication number: 20150106740
    Abstract: The description relates to a shared digital workspace. One example includes a display device and sensors. The sensors are configured to detect users proximate the display device and to detect that an individual user is performing an individual user command relative to the display device. The system also includes a graphical user interface configured to be presented on the display device that allows multiple detected users to simultaneously interact with the graphical user interface via user commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Desney S. TAN, Kenneth P. HINCKLEY, Steven N. BATHICHE, Ronald O. PESSNER, Bongshin LEE, Anoop GUPTA, Amir NETZ, Brett D. BREWER
  • Publication number: 20150106739
    Abstract: The description relates to a shared digital workspace. One example includes a display device and sensors. The sensors are configured to detect users proximate the display device and to detect that an individual user is performing an individual user command relative to the display device. The system also includes a graphical user interface configured to be presented on the display device that allows multiple detected users to simultaneously interact with the graphical user interface via user commands.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Desney S. TAN, Kenneth P. HINCKLEY, Steven N. BATHICHE, Ronald O. PESSNER, Bongshin LEE, Anoop GUPTA, Amir NETZ, Brett D. BREWER
  • Patent number: 9008446
    Abstract: An interactive concept learning image search technique that allows end-users to quickly create their own rules for re-ranking images based on the image characteristics of the images. The image characteristics can include visual characteristics as well as semantic features or characteristics, or may include a combination of both. End-users can then rank or re-rank any current or future image search results according to their rule or rules. End-users provide examples of images each rule should match and examples of images the rule should reject. The technique learns the common image characteristics of the examples, and any current or future image search results can then be ranked or re-ranked according to the learned rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLP
    Inventors: Desney S. Tan, Ashish Kapoor, Simon A. J. Winder, James A. Fogarty
  • Patent number: 8966613
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and computer storage media for identifying, authenticating, and authorizing a user to a device. A dynamic image, such as a video captured by a depth camera, is received. The dynamic image provides data from which geometric information of a portion of a user may be identified as well as motion information of a portion of the user may be identified. Consequently, a geometric attribute is identified from the geometric information. A motion attribute may also be identified from the motion information. The geometric attribute is compared to one or more geometric attributes associated with authorized users. Additionally, the motion attribute may be compared to one or more motion attributes associated with the authorized users. A determination may be made that the user is an authorized user. As such the user is authorized to utilize functions of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Horvitz, Desney S. Tan, James Chia-Ming Liu
  • Patent number: 8934652
    Abstract: Techniques for ability enhancement are described. Some embodiments provide an ability enhancement facilitator system (“AEFS”) configured to determine and present speaker-related information based on speaker utterances. In one embodiment, the AEFS receives data that represents an utterance of a speaker received by a hearing device of the user, such as a hearing aid, smart phone, media player/device, or the like. The AEFS identifies the speaker based on the received data, such as by performing speaker recognition. The AEFS determines speaker-related information associated with the identified speaker, such as by determining an identifier (e.g., name or title) of the speaker, by locating an information item (e.g., an email message, document) associated with the speaker, or the like. The AEFS then informs the user of the speaker-related information, such as by presenting the speaker-related information on a display of the hearing device or some other device accessible to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Victoria Y. H. Wood, Charles Whitmer, Paramvir Bahl, Douglas C. Burger, Ranveer Chandra, William H. Gates, III, Paul Holman, Jordin T. Kare, Craig J. Mundie, Tim Paek, Desney S. Tan, Lin Zhong, Matthew G. Dyor
  • Patent number: 8898090
    Abstract: An interactive tool is described for modifying the behavior of a system, such as, but not limited to, the behavior of a classification system. The tool uses an interface mechanism to present a current global state of the system. The tool accepts one or more refinements to this global state, e.g., by accepting individual changes to parameter settings that are presented by the interface mechanism. Based on this input, the tool computes and displays the global implications of the updated parameter settings. The process of iterating over one or more cycles of user updates, followed by computation and display of the implications of the attempted refinements, has the effect of advancing the system towards a global state that exhibits desirable behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Kapoor, Bongshin Lee, Desney S. Tan, Eric J. Horvitz
  • Publication number: 20140327694
    Abstract: Techniques for presenting multiple content items on a display without hardware modification. These techniques determine a first angle relative to the display at which a first content item is to be shown and a second content item is to be hidden. The techniques also determine a second angle at which the first content item is to be hidden and the second content item shown. The techniques then compute a first pair of pixel values having a contrast that is less than a threshold at the first angle and a second pair of pixel values having a contrast that is less than the threshold at the second angle. The techniques then render the content items such that the first content item is perceivable at the first angle and hidden at the second angle, while the second content item is hidden at the first angle and perceivable at the second angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Xiang Cao, Seokhwan Kim, Haimo Zhang, Desney S. Tan
  • Publication number: 20140247277
    Abstract: A method and system for foveated image rendering are provided herein. The method includes tracking a gaze point of a user on a display device and generating a specified number of eccentricity layers based on the gaze point of the user. The method also includes antialiasing the eccentricity layers to remove artifacts, rendering a foveated image based on the eccentricity layers, and displaying the foveated image to the user via the display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian K. Guenter, Mark Finch, John Snyder, Steven Drucker, Desney S. Tan
  • Publication number: 20140249398
    Abstract: A system and method to determine pulse transit time using a handheld device. The method includes generating an electrocardiogram (EKG) for a user of the handheld device. Two portions of the user's body are in contact with two contact points of the handheld device. The method also includes de-noising the EKG to identify a start time when a blood pulse leaves a heart of the user. The method further includes de-noising a plurality of video images of the user to identify a pressure wave indicating an arterial site and a time when the pressure wave appears. Additionally, the method includes determining the PTT based on the de-noised EKG and the de-noised video images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Morris, T. Scott Saponas, Desney S. Tan, Morgan Dixon, Siddharth Khullar, Harshvardhan Vathsangam
  • Patent number: 8811638
    Abstract: Techniques for sensory enhancement and augmentation are described. Some embodiments provide an audible assistance facilitator system (“AAFS”) configured to provide audible assistance to a user via a hearing device. In one embodiment, the AAFS receives data that represents an utterance of a speaker received by a hearing device of the user, such as a hearing aid, smart phone, media device, or the like. The AAFS identifies the speaker based on the received data, such as by performing speaker recognition. The AAFS determines speaker-related information associated with the identified speaker, such as by determining an identifier (e.g., name or title) of the speaker, by locating an information item (e.g., an email message, document) associated with the speaker, or the like. The AAFS then informs the user of the speaker-related information, such as by causing an audio representation of the speaker-related information to be output via the hearing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Richard T. Lord, Robert W. Lord, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Victoria Y. H. Wood, Charles Whitmer, Paramvir Bahl, Douglas C. Burger, Ranveer Chandra, William H. Gates, III, Paul Holman, Jordin T. Kare, Craig J. Mundie, Tim Paek, Desney S. Tan, Lin Zhong, Matthew G. Dyor
  • Publication number: 20140177524
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: receiving one or more wireless signals associated with a sensing capability status of at least one sensor; wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to the sensing capability status of the at least one sensor; and at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of the at least one sensor and charging one or more power storage devices of the at least one sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140176343
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: obtaining location data associated with a portion of a region including at least one sensor; wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140180628
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: receiving one or more wireless signals indicative of a presence of a sensor within a portion of a region to be monitored; storing location data associated with the portion of the region to be monitored; and wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to the location data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140180639
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more transmission authorization parameters; and powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140176061
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one transducer; powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power from at least one ambient source to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of the one or more sensors or charging one or more power storage devices of the one or more sensors via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140175876
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: generating electrical power from at least one ambient source via at least one structurally integrated electromagnetic transducer; powering at least one transmitter via the electrical power to wirelessly transmit one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors; and at least one of powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power or charging one or more power storage devices electrically coupled to the one or more sensors via the electrical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Elwha, Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140180630
    Abstract: Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: receiving electrical power via at least one structurally integrated electrically conductive element; and powering one or more sensing operations of one or more sensors via the electrical power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Matthew G. Dyor, Peter N. Glaskowsky, Kimberly D.A. Hallman, Roderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Edward K.Y. Jung, Michael F. Koenig, Robert W. Lord, Richard T. Lord, Craig J. Mundie, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Robert C. Petroski, Desney S. Tan, Lowell L. Wood, JR.