Abstract: An example system includes a plurality of moveable light emitters, each moveable light emitter configured to independently emit a display light from a current display location within that moveable light emitter's range of motion responsive to activation from a corresponding light activator. The system also includes a location engine to determine, for each light emitter, the current display location of that light emitter, and a mapping engine to map, for each current display location, the light activator activating the light emitter currently located at that current display location.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide techniques for geographic navigation via one or more block views. According to some embodiments, a block view can include a visual image of a geographic location that is visually similar to a panoramic image. In some example implementations, a block view can be scrolled to navigate images of a geographic location. In one or more embodiments, a bubble view can be displayed of one or more locations within the block view. The bubble view can include a zoomed image of one or more aspects of a block view. Further to some embodiments, a map view can be utilized along with the block view and/or the bubble view. The map view can include a two-dimensional representation of the geographic location from an aerial perspective, and can include a more general level of detail concerning the geographic location, such as streets, cities, states, bodies of water, and so on.

Abstract: Functionality is described herein by which plural environment-sensing applications capture information from an environment in a fine-grained and least-privileged manner. By doing so, the functionality reduces the risk that private information that appears within the environment will be released to unauthorized parties. Among other aspects, the functionality provides an error correction mechanism for reducing the incidence of false positives in the detection of objects, an offloading technique for delegating computationally intensive recognition tasks to a remote computing framework, and a visualization module by which a user may inspect the access rights to be granted (or already granted) to each application.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide techniques for geographic navigation via one or more block views. According to some embodiments, a block view can include a visual image of a geographic location that is visually similar to a panoramic image. In some example implementations, a block view can be scrolled to navigate images of a geographic location. In one or more embodiments, a bubble view can be displayed of one or more locations within the block view. The bubble view can include a zoomed image of one or more aspects of a block view. Further to some embodiments, a map view can be utilized along with the block view and/or the bubble view. The map view can include a two-dimensional representation of the geographic location from an aerial perspective, and can include a more general level of detail concerning the geographic location, such as streets, cities, states, bodies of water, and so on.

Abstract: Surface reconstruction contour completion embodiments are described which provide dense reconstruction of a scene from images captured from one or more viewpoints. Both a room layout and the full extent of partially occluded objects in a room can be inferred using a Contour Completion Random Field model to augment a reconstruction volume. The augmented reconstruction volume can then be used by any surface reconstruction pipeline to show previously occluded objects and surfaces.

Abstract: Detecting text using stroke width based text detection. As a part of the text detection, a representation of an image is generated that includes pixels that are associated with the stroke widths of components of the image. Connected components of the image are identified by filtering out portions of the pixels using metrics related to stroke width. Text is detected in the image based on the identified connected components.

Abstract: A “Layout Optimizer” provides various real-time iterative constraint-satisfaction methodologies that use constraint-based frameworks to generate optimized layouts that map or embed virtual objects into environments. The term environment refers to combinations of environmental characteristics, including, but not limited to, 2D or 3D scene geometry or layout, scene colors, patterns, and/or textures, scene illumination, scene heat sources, fixed or moving people, objects or fluids, etc., any of which may evolve or change over time. A set of parameters are specified or selected for each object. Further, the environmental characteristics are determined automatically or specified by users. Relationships between objects and/or the environment derived from constraints associated with objects and the environment are then used to iteratively determine optimized self-consistent and scene-consistent object layouts.

Abstract: An interactive user-friendly incremental calibration technique that provides immediate feedback to the user when aligning a point on a 3D model to a point on a 2D image. A can drag-and-drop points on a 3D model to points on a 2D image. As the user drags the correspondences, the application updates current estimates of where the camera would need to be to match the correspondences. The 2D and 3D images can be overlayed on each other and are sufficiently transparent for visual alignment. The user can fade between the 2D/3D views providing immediate feedback as to the improvements in alignment. The user can begin with a rough estimate of camera orientation and then progress to more granular parameters such as estimates for focal length, etc., to arrive at the desired alignment. While one parameter is adjustable, other parameters are fixed allowing for user adjustment of one parameter at a time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed. Previously stored images of one or more geographic areas may be viewed by online users. A new low-resolution image may be acquired and aspects of the new low-resolution image may be compared with a corresponding one of the previously stored images to determine an amount of change. A determination may be made regarding whether to acquire a new high-resolution image based on the determined amount of change and a freshness score associated with the one of the previously stored images. In another embodiment, a new image may be captured and corresponding location data may be obtained. A corresponding previously stored image may be obtained and compared with the new image to determine an amount of change. The new image may be uploaded to a remote computing device based on the determined amount of change and a freshness score of the previously stored image.

Abstract: Surface reconstruction contour completion embodiments are described which provide dense reconstruction of a scene from images captured from one or more viewpoints. Both a room layout and the full extent of partially occluded objects in a room can be inferred using a Contour Completion Random Field model to augment a reconstruction volume. The augmented reconstruction volume can then be used by any surface reconstruction pipeline to show previously occluded objects and surfaces.

Abstract: A video sharing system is described to annotate and navigate tourist videos. An example video sharing system enables non-linear browsing of multiple videos and enriches the browsing experience with contextual and geographic information.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide techniques for scrubbing variable paths in content. By way of example and not limitation, scrubbing can include receiving user input that defines a scrub path and navigating a data path through content based on the scrub path. According to some embodiments, a data path can include one or more predefined paths (e.g., a travel route) through the content. One or more of the techniques can account for variations in a data path and provide ways of maintaining adjacency between a scrub path and navigation along the data path. In some embodiments, a data path can be associated with one or more types of data path content that can be presented in response to a navigation of the data path.

Abstract: An interactive user-friendly incremental calibration technique that provides immediate feedback to the user when aligning a point on a 3D model to a point on a 2D image. A can drag-and-drop points on a 3D model to points on a 2D image. As the user drags the correspondences, the application updates current estimates of where the camera would need to be to match the correspondences. The 2D and 3D images can be overlayed on each other and are sufficiently transparent for visual alignment. The user can fade between the 2D/3D views providing immediate feedback as to the improvements in alignment. The user can begin with a rough estimate of camera orientation and then progress to more granular parameters such as estimates for focal length, etc., to arrive at the desired alignment. While one parameter is adjustable, other parameters are fixed allowing for user adjustment of one parameter at a time.

Abstract: A semi-automatic map editor may allow a user to add features to a map with a minimum of effort. In one example, a user may add a road to a map by indicating where the endpoints of the road are. A system may then attempt to fill in the path of the road using the user-provided endpoints, an analysis of an aerial or satellite photograph, existing maps that show the road, or any other appropriate information. Using this information, the system may display a proposed path for the road between the endpoints that the user has indicated. The user may then fine tune and/or confirm the proposed path, thereby adding the road to the map. In addition to roads, other feature such as bodies of water, ski trails, etc., may be added in this manner.

Abstract: Surface reconstruction contour completion embodiments are described which provide dense reconstruction of a scene from images captured from one or more viewpoints. Both a room layout and the full extent of partially occluded objects in a room can be inferred using a Contour Completion Random Field model to augment a reconstruction volume. The augmented reconstruction volume can then be used by any surface reconstruction pipeline to show previously occluded objects and surfaces.

Abstract: Aspects relate to a cognitive agent that performs functions associated with a desired result. The functions performed by cognitive agent supplement other activities performed at a same time. In such a manner, the cognitive agent can function as a surrogate for a user. A performed activity can trigger implementation of another activity that is an extension of the performed activity. Cognitive agent can perform functions that can be represented as an avatar. Further, cognitive agent can be associated with a diagnostics component that evaluates an operating condition. Based on the operating condition cognitive agent can implement automatic actions associated with mitigating failures and/or prolonging the life of machinery.

Abstract: An “AR Privacy API” provides an API that allows applications and web browsers to use various content rendering abstractions to protect user privacy in a wide range of web-based immersive augmented reality (AR) scenarios. The AR Privacy API extends the traditional concept of “web pages” to immersive “web rooms” wherein any desired combination of existing or new 2D and 3D content is rendered within a user's room or other space. Advantageously, the AR Privacy API and associated rendering abstractions are useable by a wide variety of applications and web content for enhancing the user's room or other space with web-based immersive AR content. Further, the AR Privacy API is implemented using any existing or new web page coding platform, including, but not limited to HTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., thereby enabling existing web content and coding techniques to be smoothly integrated into a wide range of web room AR scenarios.

Abstract: Aggregated data associated with a geographic area may be obtained. The aggregated data may be dynamically distilled to obtain a presentation set of data based on a dynamically changing geographic location associated with the geographic area. A transmission of a stream of personalized audio data that is based on the presentation set of data may be initiated, via a device processor, to a receiving device associated with a user that is associated with the dynamically changing geographic location.

Abstract: Aspects relate to observing various activities, interactions, behaviors, and other factors associated with a data exchange and creating one or more markers based on significant details associated with the observance. The one or more markers are retained and selectively rendered as a function of one or more conditions that should be satisfied before the marker is presented to the user. Some markers can contain parameters that should be satisfied in order for the marker to be considered complete. If a parameter is not satisfied, subsequent markers can be created as a function of the rendered marker. The subsequent markers can be rendered when a condition associated with the subsequent marker is satisfied.

Abstract: Navigation instructions using low-bandwidth signaling are supported in an alternative user interface that may be utilized as either a full replacement or as an enhancement to conventional visual/audio navigation interfaces. In one illustrative example, the alternative interface makes use of the more constrained, but generally broadly available low-bandwidth signaling capability of mobile devices to encode navigation instructions in the form of varying patterns of tactile vibrations that may be imparted from the device to a user as haptic feedback. The user can sense the vibrations and readily translate them into the navigation instructions without needing any kind of special decoding equipment or using any special techniques. The vibrations may be encoded using easy to remember patterns so that a full and rich navigation feature set may be accessed with minimal training on the user's part.