Patents by Inventor Erik Alexander Hill

Erik Alexander Hill 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: 20240046511
    Abstract: Techniques and systems are provided for positioning mixed-reality devices within mixed-reality environments. The devices, which are configured to perform inside out tracking, transition between position tracking states in mixed-reality environments and utilize positional information from other inside out tracking devices that share the mixed-reality environments to identify/update positioning of the devices when they become disoriented within the environments and without requiring an extensive or full scan and comparison/matching of feature points that are detectable by the devices with mapped feature points of the maps associated with the mixed-reality environments. Such techniques can conserve processing and power consumption that would be required when performing a full or extensive scan and comparison of matching feature points. Such techniques can also enhance the accuracy and speed of positioning mixed-reality devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Erik Alexander HILL, Kathleen Carol HEASLEY, Jake Thomas SHIELDS, Kevin James-Peddicord LUECKE, Robert Neil DRURY, Garret Paul JACOBSON
  • Patent number: 11854223
    Abstract: Techniques and systems are provided for positioning mixed-reality devices within mixed-reality environments. The devices, which are configured to perform inside out tracking, transition between position tracking states in mixed-reality environments and utilize positional information from other inside out tracking devices that share the mixed-reality environments to identify/update positioning of the devices when they become disoriented within the environments and without requiring an extensive or full scan and comparison/matching of feature points that are detectable by the devices with mapped feature points of the maps associated with the mixed-reality environments. Such techniques can conserve processing and power consumption that would be required when performing a full or extensive scan and comparison of matching feature points. Such techniques can also enhance the accuracy and speed of positioning mixed-reality devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Erik Alexander Hill, Kathleen Carol Heasley, Jake Thomas Shields, Kevin James-Peddicord Luecke, Robert Neil Drury, Garret Paul Jacobson
  • Patent number: 11710025
    Abstract: A system receives input from a user to initiate a process of generating a holodouble of the user. The system obtains image data of the user and deconstructs the image data to obtain a set of sparse data that identifies one or more attributes associated with the image data the user. The system uses a holodouble training model to generate and train the holodouble of the user based on the set of sparse data and obtained image data. The system renders a representation of the holodouble to the user concurrently while capturing new image data of the user, receives input from the user comprising approval of the holodouble, and completes training of the holodouble by saving the holodouble for subsequent use. The subsequent use includes one or more remote visual communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Julien Pascal Christophe Valentin, Erik Alexander Hill
  • Patent number: 11682181
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating, selecting, modifying and/or otherwise configuring occluder(s) used in mixed-reality environments. Pose information of a trackable device worn or carried by a user is determined. Based on that pose information, an assumption regarding the user's own pose is determined. An occluder is then configured in a manner to correspond to the assumed pose of the user for use in the mixed-reality environment. By generating the occluder in this manner, improved battery life by the trackable device can be achieved relative to conventional systems that rely entirely on iterative scanning of the user's body to determine body position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Erik Alexander Hill, Kathleen Carol Heasley, Jonathan Gustav Paulovich, Jake Thomas Shields, Constantin Dulu
  • Publication number: 20220383539
    Abstract: Techniques and systems are provided for positioning mixed-reality devices within mixed-reality environments. The devices, which are configured to perform inside out tracking, transition between position tracking states in mixed-reality environments and utilize positional information from other inside out tracking devices that share the mixed-reality environments to identify/update positioning of the devices when they become disoriented within the environments and without requiring an extensive or full scan and comparison/matching of feature points that are detectable by the devices with mapped feature points of the maps associated with the mixed-reality environments. Such techniques can conserve processing and power consumption that would be required when performing a full or extensive scan and comparison of matching feature points. Such techniques can also enhance the accuracy and speed of positioning mixed-reality devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Erik Alexander HILL, Kathleen Carol HEASLEY, Jake Thomas SHIELDS, Kevin James-Peddicord LUECKE, Robert Neil DRURY, Garret Paul JACOBSON
  • Publication number: 20220343133
    Abstract: A system receives input from a user to initiate a process of generating a holodouble of the user. The system obtains image data of the user and deconstructs the image data to obtain a set of sparse data that identifies one or more attributes associated with the image data the user. The system uses a holodouble training model to generate and train the holodouble of the user based on the set of sparse data and obtained image data. The system renders a representation of the holodouble to the user concurrently while capturing new image data of the user, receives input from the user comprising approval of the holodouble, and completes training of the holodouble by saving the holodouble for subsequent use. The subsequent use includes one or more remote visual communication sessions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Julien Pascal Christophe VALENTIN, Erik Alexander HILL
  • Publication number: 20220301271
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating, selecting, modifying and/or otherwise configuring occluder(s) used in mixed-reality environments. Pose information of a trackable device worn or carried by a user is determined. Based on that pose information, an assumption regarding the user's own pose is determined. An occluder is then configured in a manner to correspond to the assumed pose of the user for use in the mixed-reality environment. By generating the occluder in this manner, improved battery life by the trackable device can be achieved relative to conventional systems that rely entirely on iterative scanning of the user's body to determine body position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Erik Alexander HILL, Kathleen Carol HEASLEY, Jonathan Gustav PAULOVICH, Jake Thomas SHIELDS, Constantin DULU
  • Patent number: 11429835
    Abstract: A system receives input from a user to initiate a process of generating a holodouble of the user. The system obtains image data of the user and deconstructs the image data to obtain a set of sparse data that identifies one or more attributes associated with the image data the user. The system uses a holodouble training model to generate and train the holodouble of the user based on the set of sparse data and obtained image data. The system renders a representation of the holodouble to the user concurrently while capturing new image data of the user, receives input from the user comprising approval of the holodouble, and completes training of the holodouble by saving the holodouble for subsequent use. The subsequent use includes one or more remote visual communication sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Julien Pascal Christophe Valentin, Erik Alexander Hill
  • Patent number: 11354866
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating, selecting, modifying and/or otherwise configuring occluder(s) used in mixed-reality environments. Pose information of a trackable device worn or carried by a user is determined. Based on that pose information, an assumption regarding the user's own pose is determined. An occluder is then configured in a manner to correspond to the assumed pose of the user for use in the mixed-reality environment. By generating the occluder in this manner, improved battery life by the trackable device can be achieved relative to conventional systems that rely entirely on iterative scanning of the user's body to determine body position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Erik Alexander Hill, Kathleen Carol Heasley, Jonathan Gustav Paulovich, Jake Thomas Shields, Constantin Dulu
  • Patent number: 11348373
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are examples of gesture-based extended reality (XR) with object recognition and tracking. A method, implemented by an extended reality (XR) device can include recognizing and tracking one or more objects in the image data, recognizing a gesture in the image data, analyzing the image data to determine whether a condition is satisfied, the condition indicating a recognized and tracked object of the one or more objects proximate which the recognized gesture is to be made, and in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, performing an augmentation of the image data based on satisfaction of the condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Erik Alexander Hill
  • Publication number: 20220020217
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating, selecting, modifying and/or otherwise configuring occluder(s) used in mixed-reality environments. Pose information of a trackable device worn or carried by a user is determined. Based on that pose information, an assumption regarding the user's own pose is determined. An occluder is then configured in a manner to correspond to the assumed pose of the user for use in the mixed-reality environment. By generating the occluder in this manner, improved battery life by the trackable device can be achieved relative to conventional systems that rely entirely on iterative scanning of the user's body to determine body position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Erik Alexander HILL, Kathleen Carol HEASLEY, Jonathan Gustav PAULOVICH, Jake Thomas SHIELDS, Constantin DULU
  • Publication number: 20210264140
    Abstract: Generally discussed herein are examples of gesture-based extended reality (XR) with object recognition and tracking. A method, implemented by an extended reality (XR) device can include recognizing and tracking one or more objects in the image data, recognizing a gesture in the image data, analyzing the image data to determine whether a condition is satisfied, the condition indicating a recognized and tracked object of the one or more objects proximate which the recognized gesture is to be made, and in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, performing an augmentation of the image data based on satisfaction of the condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventor: Erik Alexander Hill
  • Patent number: 10885704
    Abstract: Improved techniques for mapping an environment are disclosed herein. These improvements are achieved by distinguishing between different environmental regions and by selectively using scanning data of the environment to generate a 3D representation of at least one, but not all, of the environment's regions. Initially, 3D depth scanning data is accessed. A boundary associated with the environment is identified. This boundary divides the environment into at least two regions, including a first and second region. Based on the boundary, a first portion of the scanning data is classified as corresponding to the first region and a second portion of the scanning data is classified as corresponding to the second region. After filtering the second portion from the scanning data, the filtered scanning data is used to generate the 3D representation. Consequently, the 3D representation is limited by the boundary and visually represents the first region but not the second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Erik Alexander Hill