Patents by Inventor Erwin Bellers

Erwin Bellers 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: 20260143196
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for performing context classification of streaming content using machine learning (ML). In an embodiment, a streaming media client receives an audio/video (A/V) stream that represents a portion of content to be played back by the client. The client reconstructs a sequence of video frames from the A/V stream, extracts audio information from the A/V stream, and executes an ML based classifier to predict a context label associated with the portion of content based at least on one or more video frames from the sequence of video frames and the audio information. The client then transmits the context label to a streaming media service. The service may use the context label to select an advertisement or content recommendation to send to the client or to select a set of content streaming parameters for the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2026
    Publication date: May 21, 2026
    Applicant: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Sayan MAITY, Juhi CHECKER, Beth Teresa LOGAN, Erwin BELLERS, Johan JANSSEN, Vijay Anand RAGHAVAN, Andrew LARDIERE, Weiming ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20260136058
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2026
    Publication date: May 14, 2026
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Patent number: 12549815
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for performing context classification of streaming content using machine learning (ML). In an embodiment, a streaming media client receives an audio/video (A/V) stream that represents a portion of content to be played back by the client. The client reconstructs a sequence of video frames from the A/V stream, extracts audio information from the A/V stream, and executes an ML based classifier to predict a context label associated with the portion of content based at least on one or more video frames from the sequence of video frames and the audio information. The client then transmits the context label to a streaming media service. The service may use the context label to select an advertisement or content recommendation to send to the client or to select a set of content streaming parameters for the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: ROKU, INC.
    Inventors: Sayan Maity, Juhi Checker, Beth Teresa Logan, Erwin Bellers, Johan Janssen, Vijay Anand Raghavan, Andrew Lardiere, Weiming Zhang
  • Patent number: 12537989
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2026
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Publication number: 20250142143
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for enhancing a picture quality of visual content rendered for display by a media device. In an embodiment, the media device reconstructs a video frame from a video signal that is received by the media device, provides the video frame as input to a machine learning model that outputs a set of picture quality parameter values based on the video frame, receives the set of picture quality parameter values output by the machine learning model, modifies the video frame based on the set of picture quality parameter values to generate a modified video frame, and provides the modified video frame to a display device for presentation thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: JUHI CHECKER, Sharada Palasamudram Ashok Kumar, Erwin Bellers, Dengzhi Zhang, Weiming Zhang, Kunlung Wu, Chih-Kai Chang, Johan Janssen, Yong Li, Hsiang Yao Shih, Kung-Ho Lee
  • Publication number: 20250039489
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Patent number: 12205552
    Abstract: A method of operating a backlight comprises: receiving an input video; analyzing characteristics of the input video within a plurality of predefined spatial windows having one or more light emitting diodes to generate required light levels; generating backlight drive levels per spatial window to reduce the backlight in a first set of the plurality of the predefined spatial windows; and driving the backlight according to the generated backlight drive levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: V-Silicon Semiconductor (Hefei) Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Erwin Bellers, Johannes Gerardus Rijk van Mourik
  • Publication number: 20250008188
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for performing context classification of streaming content using machine learning (ML). In an embodiment, a streaming media client receives an audio/video (A/V) stream that represents a portion of content to be played back by the client. The client reconstructs a sequence of video frames from the A/V stream, extracts audio information from the A/V stream, and executes an ML based classifier to predict a context label associated with the portion of content based at least on one or more video frames from the sequence of video frames and the audio information. The client then transmits the context label to a streaming media service. The service may use the context label to select an advertisement or content recommendation to send to the client or to select a set of content streaming parameters for the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: SAYAN MAITY, JUHI CHECKER, BETH TERESA LOGAN, ERWIN BELLERS, JOHAN JANSSEN, VIJAY ANAND RAGHAVAN, ANDREW LARDIERE, WEIMING ZHANG
  • Patent number: 12149772
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Publication number: 20240203369
    Abstract: A method of operating a backlight comprises: receiving an input video; analyzing characteristics of the input video within a plurality of predefined spatial windows having one or more light emitting diodes to generate required light levels; generating backlight drive levels per spatial window to reduce the backlight in a first set of the plurality of the predefined spatial windows; and driving the backlight according to the generated backlight drive levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventors: Erwin Bellers, Johannes Gerardus Rijk van Mourik
  • Publication number: 20240155174
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Publication number: 20240086139
    Abstract: A modular display system includes a processing unit configured to receive and decode video, at least two display segments connected together including a first display segment and a second display segment, where each display segment of the at least two display segments includes a controller and where a controller of the first display segment is communicatively coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the decoded video, transmit the received decoded video to a second controller of the second display segment, extract a video segment for the first display segment, and cause display of the extracted video segment on the first display segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Heng Liu, Erwin Bellers
  • Patent number: 11695980
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving video content comprising a first data portion comprising parameters that control a visual appearance of frames of video content presented by a content-presentation device. The content-presentation device is communicatively coupled to a light unit that is (i) present in a viewing area of the content-presentation device and (ii) configured to provide ambient light in the viewing area. The method also includes extracting, from the received video content, a second data portion, separate from the first data portion, specifying one or more light control parameters that a controller associated with the light unit is configured to interpret as instructions for controlling the light unit. The method also includes transmitting the extracted second data portion to the controller to facilitate the controller controlling the light unit according to the specified one or more light control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Hugo du Plooy, Kenny Wu, Erwin Bellers, Sunil Ramesh, Michael Cutter
  • Patent number: 8964116
    Abstract: A de-interlacing device and method are provided that may be used in a memory based video processor. The de-interlacer mixes the output of a temporal de-interlacer and a spatial de-interlacer. Two separate error values are used; one for the temporal de-interlacer and another for the spatial de-interlacer. The de-interlacing device calculates from the two error values, using a non-linear mapping, a mix factor used to mix between the outputs of the spatial and temporal de-interlacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Erwin Bellers
  • Patent number: 8804044
    Abstract: An apparatus to provide a fall-back procedure for a PRC imaging device is described. The apparatus includes a PRC controller, a system resource monitor, and a PRC setting calculator. The PRC controller outputs a stream of images at an adjustable temporal rate. The adjustable temporal rate is constrained within a range defined by a first predetermined rate and a second predetermined rate. The system resource monitor obtains a measurement of system resource utilization. The PRC setting calculator determines a setting for the PRC controller in response to the measurement of system resource utilization. Additionally, the PRC controller determines a value for the adjustable temporal rate in response to the setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Erwin Bellers, Johan G. W. M. Janssen
  • Patent number: 8467452
    Abstract: A system and method for distributing candidate motion vectors divides a picture frame (110) into a plurality of segments (120), where each segment (120) includes a plurality of pixel blocks (130). The local motion complexity of each segment may then be measured by determining a Sum-of-Absolute Differences (SAD) between pixel blocks (130) of the frame (110a) and pixel blocks (130)of an adacent frame (110b) and summing the SAD values for the pixel blocks (130) within each segment (120). The maximum, minimum and average SAD value for the segments may be used to define a distribution function that distributes candidate vectors to conform with a desired maximum, minimum and average number of candidate vectors per block. This distribution function is then used to determine the number of candidate vectors to assign to pixel blocks (130) based on the measured SAD value of the associated segment (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Erwin Bellers
  • Publication number: 20120256906
    Abstract: A system and method to render 3D images from a 2D source are described. An embodiment of a method to render 3D images from a 2D source comprises the steps of providing a graphics rendering device to estimate depth of a 2D image; providing video or graphics textures and depth-maps to describe an object in a 3D scene; creating, in one embodiment, a single view angle and in another preferred embodiment at least two view angles of the 3D scene to represent an intraocular distance using the graphics rendering device; and presenting both of the at least two view angles on a display using the graphics rendering device and especially the commonly available 3D imaging technology of the graphics rendering device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS (FAR EAST) LTD.
    Inventors: Kevin Ross, Robertus Vogelaar, Om Prakash Gangwal, Johan Janssen, Haiyan He, Wim Michiels, Erwin Bellers
  • Patent number: 8073055
    Abstract: In a video processing system where motion vectors are estimated for a subset of the blocks of data forming a video frame, and motion vectors are interpolated for the remainder of the blocks of the frame, a method includes determining, for at least at least one block of the current frame for which a motion vector is not estimated (204), whether a block to the left or right has an estimated zero motion vector (206), determining whether the at least one block had an estimated zero motion vector in a previous frame (206), and if both determinations are affirmative (208), providing a predetermined motion vector for the at least one block. The predetermined motion vector may be a zero motion vector (208).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Trident Microsystems (Far East) Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerard De Haan, Erwin Bellers
  • Publication number: 20110128448
    Abstract: An apparatus to provide a fall-back procedure for a PRC imaging device is described. The apparatus includes a PRC controller, a system resource monitor, and a PRC setting calculator. The PRC controller outputs a stream of images at an adjustable temporal rate. The adjustable temporal rate is constrained within a range defined by a first predetermined rate and a second predetermined rate. The system resource monitor obtains a measurement of system resource utilization. The PRC setting calculator determines a setting for the PRC controller in response to the measurement of system resource utilization. Additionally, the PRC controller determines a value for the adjustable temporal rate in response to the setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Erwin Bellers, Johan G., W., M., Janssen
  • Publication number: 20100157147
    Abstract: A de-interlacing device and method are provided that may be used in a memory based video processor. The de-interlacer mixes the output of a temporal de-interlacer and a spatial de-interlacer. Two separate error values are used; one for the temporal de-interlacer and another for the spatial de-interlacer. The de-interlacing device calculates from the two error values, using a non-linear mapping, a mix factor used to mix between the outputs of the spatial and temporal de-interlacers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventor: Erwin Bellers