Patents by Inventor Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani
Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani 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: 10991123Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device that includes signal emitters and signal detectors. The process illuminates a field of view by signals from the signal emitters according to a modulation signal generated by the imaging device. At each of the signal detectors, the process obtains a response signal, and samples the response signals to form a response vector. The process obtains a lookup table corresponding to the modulation signal and the device characteristics. The field of view is partitioned into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels, and the lookup table specifies, for each voxel, expected signals received by the signal detectors when the voxel is filled and the signal emitters illuminate the field of view according to the modulation signal. The process compares the response vector to the lookup table to determine which voxels are filled.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Patent number: 10869003Abstract: A method generates depth maps at a camera having illuminators, a lens assembly, an image sensing element, a processor, and memory. The illuminators operate in a first mode to provide illumination, the lens assembly focuses incident light on the image sensing element, the memory stores programs for execution by the processor, and the processor executes the programs to control operation of the camera. The method reconfigures the illuminators to operate in a second mode, where each of a plurality of subsets of the illuminators provides illumination of a scene separately. For each subset, the process activates the illuminators in the subset without activating illuminators not in the subset and receives reflected illumination from the scene incident on the lens assembly and focused onto the image sensing element. The measured light intensity values of the received reflected illumination at the image sensing element are transmitted to a remote server for processing.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Publication number: 20200034986Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device that includes signal emitters and signal detectors. The process illuminates a field of view by signals from the signal emitters according to a modulation signal generated by the imaging device. At each of the signal detectors, the process obtains a response signal, and samples the response signals to form a response vector. The process obtains a lookup table corresponding to the modulation signal and the device characteristics. The field of view is partitioned into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels, and the lookup table specifies, for each voxel, expected signals received by the signal detectors when the voxel is filled and the signal emitters illuminate the field of view according to the modulation signal. The process compares the response vector to the lookup table to determine which voxels are filled.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2019Publication date: January 30, 2020Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Publication number: 20190387202Abstract: A method generates depth maps at a camera having illuminators, a lens assembly, an image sensing element, a processor, and memory. The illuminators operate in a first mode to provide illumination, the lens assembly focuses incident light on the image sensing element, the memory stores programs for execution by the processor, and the processor executes the programs to control operation of the camera. The method reconfigures the illuminators to operate in a second mode, where each of a plurality of subsets of the illuminators provides illumination of a scene separately. For each subset, the process activates the illuminators in the subset without activating illuminators not in the subset and receives reflected illumination from the scene incident on the lens assembly and focused onto the image sensing element. The measured light intensity values of the received reflected illumination at the image sensing element are transmitted to a remote server for processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 10389986Abstract: A method generates depth maps at a camera having illuminators, a lens assembly, an image sensing element, a processor, and memory. The illuminators operate in a first mode to provide illumination, the lens assembly focuses incident light on the image sensing element, the memory stores image data from the image sensing element, and the processor executes programs to control operation of the camera. The method reconfigures the illuminators to operate in a second mode, where each of a plurality of subsets of the illuminators provides illumination of a scene separately. For each subset, the process activates the illuminators in the subset without activating illuminators not in the subset and receives reflected illumination from the scene incident on the lens assembly and focused onto the image sensing element. The measured light intensity of the received reflected illumination at the image sensing element is stored in association with activation of the subset.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 10380760Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device that includes signal emitters and signal detectors. The process illuminates a field of view by signals from the signal emitters according to a modulation signal generated by the imaging device. At each of the signal detectors, the process obtains a response signal, and samples the response signals to form a response vector. The process obtains a lookup table corresponding to the modulation signal and the device characteristics. The field of view is partitioned into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels, and the lookup table specifies, for each voxel, expected signals received by the signal detectors when the voxel is filled and the signal emitters illuminate the field of view according to the modulation signal. The process compares the response vector to the lookup table to determine which voxels are filled.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Patent number: 10298912Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device. The imaging device has signal emitters and signal detectors. The process determines a modulation signal for controlling the signal emitters to illuminate a field of view. The process partitions the field of view into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels. According to the modulation signal and the device characteristics, the process generates unit response signals. Each unit response signal is associated with one of the voxels, and each unit response signal represents reflection from the voxel when the voxel is filled and reflects illumination generated by one of the signal emitters according to the modulation signal. The process samples the unit response signals to form unit response vectors. Each unit response vector corresponds to one of the plurality of voxels. The process then combines the unit response vectors to form the lookup table.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Publication number: 20180288389Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device. The imaging device has signal emitters and signal detectors. The process determines a modulation signal for controlling the signal emitters to illuminate a field of view. The process partitions the field of view into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels. According to the modulation signal and the device characteristics, the process generates unit response signals. Each unit response signal is associated with one of the voxels, and each unit response signal represents reflection from the voxel when the voxel is filled and reflects illumination generated by one of the signal emitters according to the modulation signal. The process samples the unit response signals to form unit response vectors. Each unit response vector corresponds to one of the plurality of voxels. The process then combines the unit response vectors to form the lookup table.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2017Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Publication number: 20180286073Abstract: A process executes at an electronic system. The process identifies device characteristics of an imaging device that includes signal emitters and signal detectors. The process illuminates a field of view by signals from the signal emitters according to a modulation signal generated by the imaging device. At each of the signal detectors, the process obtains a response signal, and samples the response signals to form a response vector. The process obtains a lookup table corresponding to the modulation signal and the device characteristics. The field of view is partitioned into a 3-dimensional plurality of voxels, and the lookup table specifies, for each voxel, expected signals received by the signal detectors when the voxel is filled and the signal emitters illuminate the field of view according to the modulation signal. The process compares the response vector to the lookup table to determine which voxels are filled.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2017Publication date: October 4, 2018Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco
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Patent number: 10008003Abstract: A process generates a lookup table to estimate spatial depth in a visual scene. The process identifies subsets of illuminators of a camera system with image sensors and illuminators. The image sensors are associated with multiple pixels. For each pixel, and for each of multiple depths from the pixel, the process simulates a virtual surface at the depth. For each subset of the subsets of illuminators, the process simulates illumination of the virtual surface from the subset and determines an expected light intensity at the pixel from light reflected from the virtual surface due to the simulated illumination. The process forms intensity information from the expected light intensity determined for the pixel for each of the depths and each of the subsets. The process constructs a lookup table comprising the intensity information. The lookup table associates the intensity information for each pixel with the respective depth and the respective subset.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2017Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Publication number: 20180176514Abstract: A method generates depth maps at a camera having illuminators, a lens assembly, an image sensing element, a processor, and memory. The illuminators operate in a first mode to provide illumination, the lens assembly focuses incident light on the image sensing element, the memory stores image data from the image sensing element, and the processor executes programs to control operation of the camera. The method reconfigures the illuminators to operate in a second mode, where each of a plurality of subsets of the illuminators provides illumination of a scene separately. For each subset, the process activates the illuminators in the subset without activating illuminators not in the subset and receives reflected illumination from the scene incident on the lens assembly and focused onto the image sensing element. The measured light intensity of the received reflected illumination at the image sensing element is stored in association with activation of the subset.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2018Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 9900560Abstract: A process generates depth maps of a scene in the field of vision of a camera. The camera has a plurality of illuminators, a lens assembly, an image sensing element, a processor, and memory. The illuminators provide illumination using all of the illuminators. The lens assembly focuses incident light on the image sensing element. The memory stores image data from the image sensing element. The processor executes programs to control operation of the camera. The process operates in a second mode, where each of a plurality of subsets of the illuminators provides illumination separately from other subsets. The process sequentially activates each of the subsets to illuminate a scene and receives reflected illumination from the scene incident on the lens assembly and focused onto the image sensing element. The process measures light intensity values at the image sensing element and stores those measured light intensity values.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2015Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Publication number: 20170270681Abstract: A process generates a lookup table to estimate spatial depth in a visual scene. The process identifies subsets of illuminators of a camera system with image sensors and illuminators. The image sensors are associated with multiple pixels. For each pixel, and for each of multiple depths from the pixel, the process simulates a virtual surface at the depth. For each subset of the subsets of illuminators, the process simulates illumination of the virtual surface from the subset and determines an expected light intensity at the pixel from light reflected from the virtual surface due to the simulated illumination. The process forms intensity information from the expected light intensity determined for the pixel for each of the depths and each of the subsets. The process constructs a lookup table comprising the intensity information. The lookup table associates the intensity information for each pixel with the respective depth and the respective subset.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andea A. Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 9759995Abstract: Diffuse image measurement system and digital image formation method. The system includes a source of light with time-varying intensity directed at a scene to be imaged. A time-resolved light meter is provided for receiving light reflected from the scene to generate time-resolved samples of the intensity of light incident at the light meter. The temporal variation in the intensity of light incident at the light meter is associated with a function of a radiometric property of the scene, such as a linear functional of reflectance, and a computer processes the samples to construct a digital image. The spatial resolution of the digital image is finer than the spatial support of the illumination on the scene and finer than the spatial support of the sensitivity of the light meter. Using appropriate light sources instead of impulsive illumination significantly improves signal-to-noise ratio and reconstruction quality.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2012Date of Patent: September 12, 2017Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Vivek K. Goyal
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Publication number: 20160364873Abstract: A process generates lookup tables for estimating spatial depth in a scene. The process identifies subsets of illuminators of a camera system that has a 2-dimensional array of image sensors and illuminators in fixed locations relative to the array, and partitions the image sensors into a plurality of pixels. For each pixel, and for each of m distinct depths from the respective pixel, the process simulates a virtual surface at the respective depth. For each of the subsets of illuminators, the process determines an expected light intensity at the pixel based on the respective depth. The process forms an intensity vector using the expected light intensities for each of the distinct subsets and normalizes the intensity vector. For each pixel, the process constructs a lookup table comprising the normalized vectors corresponding to the pixel. The lookup table associates each normalized vector with the depth of the corresponding simulated surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Inventors: GHULAM AHMED KIRMANI, ANDREA COLACO, DONGEEK SHIN
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Patent number: 9454820Abstract: A process creates a depth map of a scene. The process is performed at a computing device having one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. For each of a plurality of distinct subsets of illuminators of a camera system, the process receives a captured image of a first scene taken by a 2-dimensional array of image sensors of the camera system while the respective subset of illuminators are emitting light and the illuminators not in the respective subset are not emitting light. The image sensors are partitioned into a plurality of pixels. For each pixel, the process uses the captured images to form a respective vector of light intensity at the pixel and estimates a depth in the first scene at the respective pixel by looking up the respective vector in a respective lookup table.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2015Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 9235899Abstract: A process generates lookup tables for estimating spatial depth in a scene. The process identifies subsets of illuminators of a camera system that has a 2-dimensional array of image sensors and illuminators in fixed locations relative to the array, and partitions the image sensors into a plurality of pixels. For each pixel, and for each of m distinct depths from the respective pixel, the process simulates a virtual surface at the respective depth. For each of the subsets of illuminators, the process determines an expected light intensity at the pixel based on the respective depth. The process forms an intensity vector using the expected light intensities for each of the distinct subsets and normalizes the intensity vector. For each pixel, the process constructs a lookup table comprising the normalized vectors corresponding to the pixel. The lookup table associates each normalized vector with the depth of the corresponding simulated surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2015Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: GOOGLE INC.Inventors: Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Andrea Colaco, Dongeek Shin
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Patent number: 9143678Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for processing a light field image that is acquired and processed using a mask to spatially modulate a light field. The apparatus includes a lens, a mask to spatially modulate 4D light field data of a scene passing through the lens to include wideband information on the scene, a sensor to detect a 2D image corresponding to the spatially modulated 4D light field data, and a data processing unit to recover the 4D light field data from the 2D image to generate an all-in-focus image.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2011Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byung-Kwan Park, Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani, Ramesh Raskar, Rohit Pandharkar
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Patent number: 8982363Abstract: Depth information about a scene of interest is acquired by illuminating the scene, capturing reflected light energy from the scene with one or more photodetectors, and processing resulting signals, in at least one embodiment, a pseudo-randomly generated series of spatial light modulation patterns is used to modulate the light pulses either before or after reflection.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Vivek K. Goyal, Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani
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Publication number: 20130088726Abstract: Depth information about a scene of interest is acquired by illuminating the scene, capturing reflected light energy from the scene with one or more photodetectors, and processing resulting signals, in at least one embodiment, a pseudo-randomly generated series of spatial light modulation patterns is used to modulate the light pulses either before or after reflection.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2012Publication date: April 11, 2013Inventors: Vivek K. Goyal, Ghulam Ahmed Kirmani