Patents by Inventor Karlton David Powell

Karlton David Powell 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).

  • Patent number: 12204164
    Abstract: A camera assembly for inclusion in a camera is described. The camera assembly includes a lens barrel and a retaining mechanism that is configured to restrict movement of the lens barrel relative to the retaining mechanism. The retaining mechanism is configured to be attached to a mounting surface of a camera enclosure, such that position of the camera assembly remains fixed relative to the camera enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Lalit Anil Palve, Karlton David Powell, Rhishikesh A. Sathe, Marlo Elizabeth Castillo
  • Patent number: 12094170
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for calibrating camera and measuring offsets for reducing distortions on images. The calibrating includes aligning an on-board image sensor and a lens barrel using a kinematic mount and affixing the onboard image sensor and the lens barrel to assemble a camera. The kinematic mount provides a predetermined number of degrees of freedom in aligning the on-board image sensor and the lens barrel. A device embeds the camera. The measuring includes receiving the camera in the kinematic mount and measuring an opposing pair of offset values as measured optical centers from the lens optical axis to the image sensor pointing reference at yaw orientations of the camera at 0 degree and 180 degrees. The method determines a total offset value by taking an average of the pair and canceling the rotationally symmetrical error. The method uses the offset value for reducing distortions on images by de-warping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Lin, Rhishikesh A. Sathe, Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 12039690
    Abstract: A method for processing a stream of input images is described. A stream of input images that are from an image sensor is received. The stream comprises an initial sequence of input images including a subject having an initial orientation. A change in an angular orientation of the image sensor while receiving the stream of input images is determined. In response to determining the change in the angular orientation, a subsequent sequence of input images of the stream of input images is processed for rotation to counteract the change in the angular orientation of the image sensor and maintain the subject in the initial orientation. The stream of input images is transmitted to one or more display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David Justin Rappaport, Russell I. Sanchez, Jonathan L. Worsley, Kae-Ling J. Gurr, Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 11663704
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed relating to applying an analytical geometric projection that has been modified by an amplitude function. One example provides a computing device comprising a logic subsystem and a storage subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to receive an image of a scene as acquired by an image sensor, apply a mapping to the image of the scene that maps pixels of the image to projected pixels on an analytical projection that is modified by an amplitude function such that the analytical projection achieves a higher zoom effect on pixels closer to a center of the image compared to pixels closer to an edge of the image, thereby obtaining a corrected image, and output the corrected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 11508090
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for calibrating camera and measuring offsets for reducing distortions on images. The calibrating includes aligning an on-board image sensor and a lens barrel using a kinematic mount and affixing the onboard image sensor and the lens barrel to assemble a camera. The kinematic mount provides a predetermined number of degrees of freedom in aligning the on-board image sensor and the lens barrel. A device embeds the camera. The measuring includes receiving the camera in the kinematic mount and measuring an opposing pair of offset values as measured optical centers from the lens optical axis to the image sensor pointing reference at yaw orientations of the camera at 0 degree and 180 degrees. The method determines a total offset value by taking an average of the pair and canceling the rotationally symmetrical error. The method uses the offset value for reducing distortions on images by de-warping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Lin, Rhishikesh A. Sathe, Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 11277544
    Abstract: A camera includes an image sensor, a lens, memory, and a controller. The lens is positioned to direct object light from a scene onto the image sensor. The memory is configured to store a camera-specific optical center of the lens relative to the image sensor. The camera-specific optical center is measured after a position of the lens is center fixed relative to a position of the image sensor. The controller is configured to acquire a raw image of the scene via the image sensor and generate a distortion corrected image from the raw image based on at least the camera-specific optical center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 11204152
    Abstract: An illumination device including a light source and a reflector with a pair of vertically opposed symmetrical reflective surfaces and a pair of horizontally opposed symmetrical reflective surfaces. Each of the vertically and horizontally opposed symmetrical reflective surfaces includes a concave region positioned proximate a light source, and a convex region positioned distal the light source. The pairs of vertically opposed symmetrical reflective surfaces and horizontally opposed symmetrical reflective surfaces of the reflector redistribute light emitted from the light source such that the illumination device outputs a field of illumination having a substantially uniform intensity of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 11092491
    Abstract: An optical system, comprising a multi-spectral optical element, a switchable filter, a dual bandpass filter, and a sensor. The multi-spectral optical element receives light in at least a first spectral band and a second spectral band. The dual bandpass filter filters out wavelengths of light in a transition region of the switchable filter between the first spectral band and the second spectral band. The switchable filter filters light received from the dual bandpass filter in the first spectral band in a first mode where the switchable filter transmits light in the first spectral band and in a second mode where the switchable filter does not transmit light in the first spectral band. The sensor is disposed at an image plane, and the multi-spectral optical element is configured to produce a modulation transfer function value that is a above a predetermined threshold for each of the spectral bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, Vivek Pradeep
  • Patent number: 10871657
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to optical systems. One example provides a display device comprising an image source including a plurality of encoded regions from which encoded image light is output, and a lens array. The lens array may be positioned to receive the encoded image light and output decoded image light that forms a floating image viewable from a plurality of different vantage points, wherein from a first vantage point decoded image light forming a portion of the floating image originates from a first encoded region, and wherein from a second vantage point decoded image light forming the portion originates from a second encoded region, different than the first encoded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 10845508
    Abstract: An optical system comprises an optical sensor configured to receive light within one or more bandwidths of interest and an optical stack placed optically in front of the optical sensor. The optical stack comprises a polymeric layer optically transparent to at least the one or more bandwidths of interest, and a matching index layer positioned optically in front of the polymeric layer, the matching index layer and polymeric layer having refractive indexes within a threshold similarity. The optical stack further includes a bumpy diffuse surface embedded between the polymeric layer and the matching index layer, and a partially reflective layer positioned in between the bumpy diffuse surface and the matching index layer, the partially reflective layer configured to at least partially reflect at least some wavelengths outside the one or more bandwidths of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 10725643
    Abstract: An accessory for a touch-sensitive display includes an image transfer structure and a capacitive marker. The image transfer structure is configured to relay or transfer, above the touch-sensitive display, an optical display plane of an image displayed by the touch-sensitive display. Further, the capacitive marker is capacitively-recognizable by the touch-sensitive display such that the touch-sensitive display visually presents the image in alignment with the image transfer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, Pablo Luis Sala
  • Publication number: 20190377486
    Abstract: An accessory for a touch-sensitive display includes an image transfer structure and a capacitive marker. The image transfer structure is configured to relay or transfer, above the touch-sensitive display, an optical display plane of an image displayed by the touch-sensitive display. Further, the capacitive marker is capacitively-recognizable by the touch-sensitive display such that the touch-sensitive display visually presents the image in alignment with the image transfer structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, Pablo Luis Sala
  • Publication number: 20190324285
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to optical systems. One example provides a display device comprising an image source including a plurality of encoded regions from which encoded image light is output, and a lens array. The lens array may be positioned to receive the encoded image light and output decoded image light that forms a floating image viewable from a plurality of different vantage points, wherein from a first vantage point decoded image light forming a portion of the floating image originates from a first encoded region, and wherein from a second vantage point decoded image light forming the portion originates from a second encoded region, different than the first encoded region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 10409470
    Abstract: An accessory for a touch-sensitive display includes an image transfer structure and a capacitive marker. The image transfer structure is configured to relay or transfer, above the touch-sensitive display, an optical display plane of an image displayed by the touch-sensitive display. Further, the capacitive marker is capacitively-recognizable by the touch-sensitive display such that the touch-sensitive display visually presents the image in alignment with the image transfer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, Pablo Luis Sala
  • Patent number: 10359640
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed that relate to optical systems. One example provides a display device comprising an image source including a plurality of encoded regions from which encoded image light is output, and a Fourier transform array. The Fourier transform array may be positioned to receive the encoded image light and output decoded image light that forms a floating image viewable from a plurality of different vantage points, wherein from a first vantage point decoded image light forming a portion of the floating image originates from a first encoded region, and wherein from a second vantage point decoded image light forming the portion originates from a second encoded region, different than the first encoded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 10223952
    Abstract: An electronic display comprises a display matrix and an image-correcting layer. The display matrix includes a flat face portion, a curved corner portion, a light-releasing surface, and a series of pixels extending across the flat face portion and around the curved corner portion. Coupled to the light-releasing surface of the display matrix, the image-correcting layer is configured to transmit light released from the flat face portion of the display matrix and to reorient light released from the curved corner portion of the display matrix such that the transmitted light and the reoriented light exit the image-correcting layer substantially in parallel, forming an apparent plane image of the series of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, Ying Zheng
  • Patent number: 10185064
    Abstract: An electronic display comprises a display matrix, an image-correcting layer, and a luminance-correcting layer. The display matrix includes a flat face portion, a curved corner portion, a light-releasing surface, and a series of pixels extending across the flat face portion and around the curved corner portion. Coupled to the light-releasing surface of the display matrix, the image-correcting layer is configured to transmit light released from the flat face portion of the display matrix and to reorient light released from the curved corner portion of the display matrix such that the transmitted light and the reoriented light exit the image-correcting layer substantially in parallel, forming an apparent plane image of the series of pixels. Arranged between the light-releasing display surface and the image-correcting layer, the luminance-correcting layer is configured to deflect the light released from the curved corner portion into an acceptance profile of the image-correcting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Karlton David Powell, John Michael Lutian
  • Patent number: 10049272
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed herein that relate to user authentication. One example provides a biometric identification system comprising an iris illuminator, an image sensor configured to capture light reflected from irises of a user as a result of those irises being illuminated by the iris illuminator, a drive circuit configured to drive the iris illuminator in a first mode and a second mode that each cause the irises to be illuminated differently, the first and second modes thereby yielding a first mode output at the image sensor and a second mode output at the image sensor, respectively, and a processor configured to process at least one of the first mode output and the second mode output and, in response to such processing, select one of the first mode and the second mode for use in performing an iris authentication on the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Mudit Agrawal, Karlton David Powell, Christopher Maurice Mei
  • Patent number: 10015378
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising a split camera in front and back portions, and a retaining member. The front portion of the camera includes a set of front mounting features and a light-collecting unit configured to collect light from a subject. The back portion of the camera is reversibly separable from the front portion; it includes a set of back mounting features and an imaging unit configured to image the light. The set of back mounting features is configured to contact the set of front mounting features as the front and back portions are drawn together, forming, cooperatively, a kinematic mount to hold the light-collecting and imaging units in a state of alignment. The retaining member is configured to couple the front portion to the back portion when the front and back portions are drawn together and also when the front and back portions are separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Karlton David Powell
  • Patent number: 10001845
    Abstract: A 3D silhouette sensing system is described which comprises a stereo camera and a light source. In an embodiment, a 3D sensing module triggers the capture of pairs of images by the stereo camera at the same time that the light source illuminates the scene. A series of pairs of images may be captured at a predefined frame rate. Each pair of images is then analyzed to track both a retroreflector in the scene, which can be moved relative to the stereo camera, and an object which is between the retroreflector and the stereo camera and therefore partially occludes the retroreflector. In processing the image pairs, silhouettes are extracted for each of the retroreflector and the object and these are used to generate a 3D contour for each of the retroreflector and object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David Kim, Shahram Izadi, Vivek Pradeep, Steven Bathiche, Timothy Andrew Large, Karlton David Powell