Patents by Inventor Konrad Karner
Konrad Karner 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: 11477374Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander
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Publication number: 20200344414Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander
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Patent number: 10715724Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2015Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander
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Patent number: 9922422Abstract: Mobile platforms are used to capture an area using a variety of sensors (e.g., cameras and laser scanners) while traveling through the area, in order to create a representation (e.g., a navigable set of panoramic images, or a three-dimensional reconstruction). However, such sensors are often precisely calibrated in a controlled setting, and miscalibration during travel (e.g., due to a physical jolt) may result in a corruption of data and/or a recalibration that leaves the platform out of service for an extended duration. Presented herein are techniques for verifying sensor calibration during travel. Such techniques involve the identification of a sensor path for each sensor over time (e.g., a laser scanner path, a camera path, and a location sensor path) and a comparison of the paths, optionally after registration with a static coordinate system, to verify that the continued calibration of the sensors during the mobile operation of the platform.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Arnold Irschara, Gerald Schweighofer, Konrad Karner, Richard Ladstädter, Martin Ponticelli
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Patent number: 9865077Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for mitigating redundant pixel texture contribution for texturing a geometry. That is, the geometry may represent a multidimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images (e.g., an image comprising color values and/or depth values) depicting the scene from various view directions (e.g., a top-down view, an oblique view, etc.). Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing a pixel of the geometry (e.g., due to overlapping views of the scene), redundant pixel texture contribution may arise. Accordingly, a redundant textured pixel within a texture image may be knocked out (e.g., in-painted) from the texture image to generate a modified texture image that may be relatively efficient to store and/or stream to a client due to enhanced compression of the modified texture image.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Patent number: 9818219Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for defining a view direction for a texture image used to texture a geometry. That is, a geometry may represent a multi-dimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images depicting the scene from various view directions. Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing portions of the geometry, a view direction for a texture image may be selectively defined based upon a coverage metric associated with an amount of non-textured geometry pixels that are textured by the texture image along the view direction. In an example, a texture image may be defined according to a customized configuration, such as a spherical configuration, a cylindrical configuration, etc. In this way, redundant texturing of the geometry may be mitigated based upon the selectively identified view direction(s).Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2015Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Patent number: 9773339Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for defining a view direction for a texture image used to texture a geometry. That is, a geometry may represent a multi-dimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images depicting the scene from various view directions. Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing portions of the geometry, a view direction for a texture image may be selectively defined based upon a coverage metric associated with an amount of non-textured geometry pixels that are textured by the texture image along the view direction. In an example, a texture image may be defined according to a customized configuration, such as a spherical configuration, a cylindrical configuration, etc. In this way, redundant texturing of the geometry may be mitigated based upon the selectively identified view direction(s).Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2015Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Publication number: 20160364864Abstract: Mobile platforms are used to capture an area using a variety of sensors (e.g., cameras and laser scanners) while traveling through the area, in order to create a representation (e.g., a navigable set of panoramic images, or a three-dimensional reconstruction). However, such sensors are often precisely calibrated in a controlled setting, and miscalibration during travel (e.g., due to a physical jolt) may result in a corruption of data and/or a recalibration that leaves the platform out of service for an extended duration. Presented herein are techniques for verifying sensor calibration during travel. Such techniques involve the identification of a sensor path for each sensor over time (e.g., a laser scanner path, a camera path, and a location sensor path) and a comparison of the paths, optionally after registration with a static coordinate system, to verify that the continued calibration of the sensors during the mobile operation of the platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Arnold Irschara, Gerald Schweighofer, Konrad Karner, Richard Ladstädter, Martin Ponticelli
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Patent number: 9430822Abstract: Mobile platforms are used to capture an area using a variety of sensors (e.g., cameras and laser scanners) while traveling through the area, in order to create a representation (e.g., a navigable set of panoramic images, or a three-dimensional reconstruction). However, such sensors are often precisely calibrated in a controlled setting, and miscalibration during travel (e.g., due to a physical jolt) may result in a corruption of data and/or a recalibration that leaves the platform out of service for an extended duration. Presented herein are techniques for verifying sensor calibration during travel. Such techniques involve the identification of a sensor path for each sensor over time (e.g., a laser scanner path, a camera path, and a location sensor path) and a comparison of the paths, optionally after registration with a static coordinate system, to verify that the continued calibration of the sensors during the mobile operation of the platform.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2013Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Arnold Irschara, Gerald Schweighofer, Konrad Karner, Richard Ladstädter, Martin Ponticelli
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Publication number: 20160071306Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for mitigating redundant pixel texture contribution for texturing a geometry. That is, the geometry may represent a multidimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images (e.g., an image comprising color values and/or depth values) depicting the scene from various view directions (e.g., a top-down view, an oblique view, etc.). Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing a pixel of the geometry (e.g., due to overlapping views of the scene), redundant pixel texture contribution may arise. Accordingly, a redundant textured pixel within a texture image may be knocked out (e.g., in-painted) from the texture image to generate a modified texture image that may be relatively efficient to store and/or stream to a client due to enhanced compression of the modified texture image.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Patent number: 9224362Abstract: Many imaging scenarios involve an achromatic image (e.g., a panchromatic image or a near-infrared image) and one or more concurrently captured monochromatic images (e.g., RGB images captured through a Bayer filter array), and the compositing of these images through de-mosaicing and/or pan-sharpening to generate a high-resolution color image. However, in many such scenarios, the monochromatic images may exhibit distortion of edge geometry, resulting in artifacts and/or color distortions near visual edges of the composite image. However, such distortions may be absent from the achromatic image, and edge geometry may be represented as an intensity gradient among respective neighborhoods of achromatic pixels. Presented herein are techniques for reducing such distortions in monochromatic images through iterative adjustment of monochromatic pixel intensity to reflect the gradients of the neighborhoods of the corresponding achromatic pixels.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Andreas Klaus, Konrad Karner, Martin Ponticelli, Christian Neuner, Helfried Tschemmernegg, Stefan Bernogger
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Patent number: 9214138Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for mitigating redundant pixel texture contribution for texturing a geometry. That is, the geometry may represent a multidimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images (e.g., an image comprising color values and/or depth values) depicting the scene from various view directions (e.g., a top-down view, an oblique view, etc.). Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing a pixel of the geometry (e.g., due to overlapping views of the scene), redundant pixel texture contribution may arise. Accordingly, a redundant textured pixel within a texture image may be knocked out (e.g., in-painted) from the texture image to generate a modified texture image that may be relatively efficient to store and/or stream to a client due to enhanced compression of the modified texture image.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2012Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Publication number: 20150339843Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for defining a view direction for a texture image used to texture a geometry. That is, a geometry may represent a multi-dimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images depicting the scene from various view directions. Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing portions of the geometry, a view direction for a texture image may be selectively defined based upon a coverage metric associated with an amount of non-textured geometry pixels that are textured by the texture image along the view direction. In an example, a texture image may be defined according to a customized configuration, such as a spherical configuration, a cylindrical configuration, etc. In this way, redundant texturing of the geometry may be mitigated based upon the selectively identified view direction(s).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Publication number: 20150326783Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2015Publication date: November 12, 2015Inventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander
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Patent number: 9091755Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2009Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander
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Publication number: 20140368651Abstract: Mobile platforms are used to capture an area using a variety of sensors (e.g., cameras and laser scanners) while traveling through the area, in order to create a representation (e.g., a navigable set of panoramic images, or a three-dimensional reconstruction). However, such sensors are often precisely calibrated in a controlled setting, and miscalibration during travel (e.g., due to a physical jolt) may result in a corruption of data and/or a recalibration that leaves the platform out of service for an extended duration. Presented herein are techniques for verifying sensor calibration during travel. Such techniques involve the identification of a sensor path for each sensor over time (e.g., a laser scanner path, a camera path, and a location sensor path) and a comparison of the paths, optionally after registration with a static coordinate system, to verify that the continued calibration of the sensors during the mobile operation of the platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2013Publication date: December 18, 2014Inventors: Arnold Irschara, Gerald Schweighofer, Konrad Karner, Richard Ladstädter, Martin Ponticelli
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Publication number: 20140267351Abstract: Many imaging scenarios involve an achromatic image (e.g., a panchromatic image or a near-infrared image) and one or more concurrently captured monochromatic images (e.g., RGB images captured through a Bayer filter array), and the compositing of these images through de-mosaicing and/or pan-sharpening to generate a high-resolution color image. However, in many such scenarios, the monochromatic images may exhibit distortion of edge geometry, resulting in artifacts and/or color distortions near visual edges of the composite image. However, such distortions may be absent from the achromatic image, and edge geometry may be represented as an intensity gradient among respective neighborhoods of achromatic pixels. Presented herein are techniques for reducing such distortions in monochromatic images through iterative adjustment of monochromatic pixel intensity to reflect the gradients of the neighborhoods of the corresponding achromatic pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Andreas Klaus, Konrad Karner, Martin Ponticelli, Christian Neuner, Helfried Tschemmernegg, Stefan Bernogger
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Publication number: 20140184596Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for generating geometry using one or more depth images and/or for texturing geometry using one or more texture imagery. That is, geometry (e.g., a three-dimensional representation of a city) may be generated based upon depth information within a depth image. The geometry may be textured by assigning color values to pixels within the geometry based upon texture imagery (e.g., a video and/or an image comprising depth values and/or color values). For example, a 3D point associated with a pixel of the geometry may be projected to a location within texture imagery. If the depth of the pixel corresponds to a depth of the location, then texture information (e.g., a color value) from the texture imagery may be assigned to the pixel. In this way, the textured geometry may be used to generate a rendered image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: July 3, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Publication number: 20140184585Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for mitigating redundant pixel texture contribution for texturing a geometry. That is, the geometry may represent a multidimensional surface of a scene, such as a city. The geometry may be textured using one or more texture images (e.g., an image comprising color values and/or depth values) depicting the scene from various view directions (e.g., a top-down view, an oblique view, etc.). Because more than one texture image may contribute to texturing a pixel of the geometry (e.g., due to overlapping views of the scene), redundant pixel texture contribution may arise. Accordingly, a redundant textured pixel within a texture image may be knocked out (e.g., in-painted) from the texture image to generate a modified texture image that may be relatively efficient to store and/or stream to a client due to enhanced compression of the modified texture image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2012Publication date: July 3, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Markus Unger, Konrad Karner, Blaise Aguera y Arcas
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Publication number: 20100182396Abstract: A system that facilitates collecting data is described herein. The system includes a digital camera that is configured to capture images in a visible light spectrum and a near-infrared camera that is configured to capture near infrared images, wherein a field of view of the digital camera and the field of view of the near-infrared camera are substantially similar. The system further includes a trigger component that is configured to cause the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to capture images at a substantially similar point in time, and also includes a mounting mechanism that facilitates mounting the digital camera and the near-infrared camera to an automobile.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2009Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Michael Kroepfl, Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Stephen Lawler, Joachim Bauer, Franz W. Leberl, Konrad Karner, Zanin Cosic, Hannes Hegenbarth, Gur Kimchi, John Charles Curlander