Patents by Inventor Edmund Thompson
Edmund Thompson 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).
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Patent number: 10939045Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2020Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Publication number: 20200195853Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2020Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Patent number: 10574899Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2018Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Publication number: 20190174068Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2018Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Patent number: 10187579Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: January 22, 2019Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Publication number: 20190007623Abstract: A videoconference apparatus and method coordinates a stationary view obtained with a stationary camera to an adjustable view obtained with an adjustable camera. The stationary camera can be a web camera, while the adjustable camera can be a pan-tilt-zoom camera. As the stationary camera obtains video, participants are detected and localized by establishing a static perimeter around a participant in which no motion is detected. Thereafter, if no motion is detected in the perimeter, any personage objects such as head, face, or shoulders which are detected in the region bounded by the perimeter are determined to correspond to the participant.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2017Publication date: January 3, 2019Inventors: Xiangdong Wang, Yibo Liu, Jinwei Feng, Edmund Thompson, Peter Chu
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Patent number: 10080032Abstract: Blurriness in a video image transmitted over a lossy network can be reduced by filtering the decoder output to determine whether updating of the reference frame based on the current video data is indicated. An update may be appropriate if the decoder output is sharper than the contents of the display buffer after the last update. Additionally, an update may be appropriate if there was a significant change to the underlying image, and thus to the encoder's input. Whether such a change has occurred can be determined by analyzing the prediction mode, motion vectors, and pixel data of the output image.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2017Date of Patent: September 18, 2018Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventor: Edmund Thompson
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Patent number: 10003765Abstract: A videoconferencing system includes at least one processor and at least one camera. The endpoint can capture one or more images with the camera. The system can locate a region of interest within an image, such as the area surrounding the face of a person participating in a videoconference. If the face area or other region of interest is too dark, the system can brighten the region to make it more visible. The system can determine whether the face is too dark by comparing the captured image to previously captured images, or comparing the luma values and other data making up the face to predetermined values, or both. The system can check the second image for over-brightening or saturation, and further adjust the image as needed. The brightening of the face area is done in such a way that the brightened region is unobtrusive to the viewer.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Edmund Thompson, Yibo Liu
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Publication number: 20180091760Abstract: A videoconferencing system includes at least one processor and at least one camera. The endpoint can capture one or more images with the camera. The system can locate a region of interest within an image, such as the area surrounding the face of a person participating in a videoconference. If the face area or other region of interest is too dark, the system can brighten the region to make it more visible. The system can determine whether the face is too dark by comparing the captured image to previously captured images, or comparing the luma values and other data making up the face to predetermined values, or both. The system can check the second image for over-brightening or saturation, and further adjust the image as needed. The brightening of the face area is done in such a way that the brightened region is unobtrusive to the viewer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Edmund Thompson, Yibo Liu
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Publication number: 20170374381Abstract: Blurriness in a video image transmitted over a lossy network can be reduced by filtering the decoder output to determine whether updating of the reference frame based on the current video data is indicated. An update may be appropriate if the decoder output is sharper than the contents of the display buffer after the last update. Additionally, an update may be appropriate if there was a significant change to the underlying image, and thus to the encoder's input. Whether such a change has occurred can be determined by analyzing the prediction mode, motion vectors, and pixel data of the output image.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2017Publication date: December 28, 2017Inventor: Edmund Thompson
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Patent number: 9843761Abstract: A videoconferencing system includes at least one processor and at least one camera. The endpoint can capture one or more images with the camera. The system can locate a region of interest within an image, such as the area surrounding the face of a person participating in a videoconference. If the face area or other region of interest is too dark, the system can brighten the region to make it more visible. The system can determine whether the face is too dark by comparing the captured image to previously captured images, or comparing the luma values and other data making up the face to predetermined values, or both. The system can check the modified image for over-brightening or saturation, and further adjust the image as needed. The brightening of the face area is done in such a way that the brightened region is unobtrusive to the viewer.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2016Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Edmund Thompson, Yibo Liu
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Patent number: 9661325Abstract: Blurriness in a video image transmitted over a lossy network can be reduced by filtering the decoder output to determine whether updating of the reference frame based on the current video data is indicated. An update may be appropriate if the decoder output is sharper than the contents of the display buffer after the last update. Additionally, an update may be appropriate if there was a significant change to the underlying image, and thus to the encoder's input. Whether such a change has occurred can be determined by analyzing the prediction mode, motion vectors, and pixel data of the output image.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2013Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventor: Edmund Thompson
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Publication number: 20160234455Abstract: A videoconferencing system includes at least one processor and at least one camera. The endpoint can capture one or more images with the camera. The system can locate a region of interest within an image, such as the area surrounding the face of a person participating in a videoconference. If the face area or other region of interest is too dark, the system can brighten the region to make it more visible. The system can determine whether the face is too dark by comparing the captured image to previously captured images, or comparing the luma values and other data making up the face to predetermined values, or both. The system can check the modified image for over-brightening or saturation, and further adjust the image as needed. The brightening of the face area is done in such a way that the brightened region is unobtrusive to the viewer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2016Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Edmund Thompson, Yibo Liu
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Publication number: 20120033739Abstract: The error concealment technique disclosed herein relates to the use of existing information by the decoder to conceal bitstream errors regardless of what the encoder does. Examples of existing information include, for example, the previous reference frame, macroblock information for the previous reference frames, etc. Another aspect of the system described herein relates to the steps that the encoder can take to enhance the decoder's ability to recover gracefully from a transmission error. Exemplary steps that can be taken by the encoder include intra walk around and sending GOB headers. Although these encoder techniques can provide greatly enhanced results, they are not strictly necessary to the system described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2011Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicant: POLYCOM, INC.Inventors: Yipeng Liu, Edmund Thompson
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Patent number: 8064527Abstract: The error concealment technique disclosed herein relates to the use of existing information by the decoder to conceal bitstream errors regardless of what the encoder does. Examples of existing information include, for example, the previous reference frame, macroblock information for the previous reference frames, etc. Another aspect of the system described herein relates to the steps that the encoder can take to enhance the decoder's ability to recover gracefully from a transmission error. Exemplary steps that can be taken by the encoder include intra walk around and sending GOB headers. Although these encoder techniques can provide greatly enhanced results, they are not strictly necessary to the system described herein.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2005Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Yipeng Liu, Edmund Thompson
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Publication number: 20060039475Abstract: The error concealment technique disclosed herein relates to the use of existing information by the decoder to conceal bitstream errors regardless of what the encoder does. Examples of existing information include, for example, the previous reference frame, macroblock information for the previous reference frames, etc. Another aspect of the system described herein relates to the steps that the encoder can take to enhance the decoder's ability to recover gracefully from a transmission error. Exemplary steps that can be taken by the encoder include intra walk around and sending GOB headers. Although these encoder techniques can provide greatly enhanced results, they are not strictly necessary to the system described herein.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2005Publication date: February 23, 2006Applicant: Polycom, Inc.Inventors: Yipeng Liu, Edmund Thompson
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Patent number: 5150209Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding interframe error data in an image transmission system, and in particular in a motion compensated image transmission system for transmitting a sequence of image frames from a transmitter to a receiver, employ hierarchical entropy coded lattice threshold quantization to increase the data compression of the images being transmitted. The method and apparatus decimate an interframe predicted image data and an uncoded current image data, and apply hierarchical entropy coded lattice threshold quantization encoding to the resulting pyramid data structures. Lossy coding is applied on a level-by-level basis for generating the encoded data representation of the image difference between the predicted image data and the uncoded original image. The method and apparatus are applicable to systems transmitting a sequence of image frames (or other pattern data, such as speech) both with and without motion compensation.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 1991Date of Patent: September 22, 1992Assignee: PictureTel CorporationInventors: Richard L. Baker, Jeffrey Bernstein, Bernd Girod, Xiancheng Yuan, Edmund Thompson
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Patent number: 4055429Abstract: A photographic element comprises a support, a silver halide emulsion layer and a layer containing a polymeric scavenger for development inhibitors. The movement of development inhibitor anions from layer to layer in a film, out of the film, or into the film from processing solutions, can be controlled by the presence of the polymeric scavenger layer.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 1975Date of Patent: October 25, 1977Assignee: Eastman Kodak CompanyInventors: Edmund Thompson Holmes, Gerald Allan Campbell