Patents by Inventor Mark Benson

Mark Benson 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: 9654483
    Abstract: A technology is described for limiting the rate at which a number of requests to perform a network action are granted using rate limiters. An example method may include receiving a request for a token granting permission to perform a network action via a computer network. In response, rate limiters may be identified by generating hash values using hash functions and a network address representing a source network where the hash values identify memory locations for the rate limiters. The rate limiters may have a computer memory capacity to store tokens that are distributed in response to the request. Token balances for the rate limiters may be determined, and permission to perform the network action may be granted as a result of at least one of the token balances being greater than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan Mark Benson, Michael F. Diggins, Anton Romanov, David Dongyi Lu, Xingbo Wang
  • Patent number: 9645398
    Abstract: A head mountable display (HMD) system comprises an eye position detector comprising one or more cameras configured to detect the position of each of the HMD user's eyes; a dominant eye detector configured to detect a dominant eye of the HMD user; and an image generator configured to generate images for display by the HMD in dependence upon the HMD user's eye positions, the image generator being configured to apply a greater weight to the detected position of the dominant eye than to the detected position of the non-dominant eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal, Simon Mark Benson
  • Patent number: 9529427
    Abstract: A method of rendering an image based upon a first stereoscopic image comprising a pair of images is provided. The method includes generating a virtual three-dimensional model of the scene depicted in the first stereoscopic image responsive to distances derived from the first stereoscopic image, detecting one or more free edges in the three dimensional model, and generating one or more textures for the virtual three-dimensional model from at least one of the pair of images of the first stereoscopic image. The method also includes applying at least one texture to a respective part of the three dimensional model, and rendering the virtual three dimensional model from a different viewpoint to that of the first stereoscopic image. Rendering the virtual three dimensional model comprises modifying a transparency of rendered pixels of an applied texture as a function of the pixel's distance from that free edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardayal, Simon Mark Benson, Ian Henry Bickerstaff
  • Patent number: 9516292
    Abstract: An image transfer apparatus comprises an input operable to receive a signal comprising two images for different respective non-stereoscopic viewpoints of a virtual environment, a first output operable to transmit a signal comprising the two images formatted as a stereoscopic image to at least a first display, and a transmitter operable to transmit control signals to at least two active shutter glasses, the control signals arranged to allow respective wearers of the glasses to only view a respective one of the two images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson, Oliver Wright
  • Publication number: 20160337476
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing load balancing are provided. Example embodiments provide a Application Workspace System “AWS” which enables users to access remote server-based applications using the same interface that they use to access local applications, without needing to know where the application is being accessed. In one embodiment, a load balancing message bus is provided that performs load balancing and resource discovery within the AWS. For example, the AWS may use a broadcast message-bus based load balancing to determine which servers to use to launch remote application access requests or to perform session management. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Anthony J. WILKINSON, Mark BENSON, Patrick W. HAYWARD
  • Patent number: 9470484
    Abstract: A lightweight explosive containment device that is used to transport blasting caps, explosive precursors, or homemade explosives. Open cellular foam material within the container diffuses explosive gases and absorbs kinetic energy. An internal clapper tube distributes forces to the ligaments of the cellular foam material and an external support tube contains the explosive fragmentation and blast overpressure. A system of containers with storage capabilities that enable the transportation of a number of lightweight explosive containment devices is presented. An alternate configuration of the present invention utilizes the open cellular foam material to create a directional disruption device. Such a tool prevents explosive gases and fragmentation from causing unnecessary collateral damage to the surroundings or supporting robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Inventor: Mark Benson
  • Patent number: 9470499
    Abstract: The current invention concerns an apparatus that is an explosive disruption device and a method for its use. The apparatus includes an internal container which holds an explosive charge, an external container which holds the internal container and a screw lid which holds the internal container in place within the external container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Inventor: Mark Benson
  • Patent number: 9470893
    Abstract: A head-mountable display device includes a head-mountable frame defining an eye display position which, in use, is positioned in front of an eye of the user. The device also includes a reflective element mounted with respect to the eye display position and comprising a reflective surface which, in use, is visible to the user's eye. The device further includes a mobile device holder configured to hold a mobile device at a location and orientation on the frame. The reflective surface is configured to reflect light incident thereupon to form a reflected image. The location and orientation in which the mobile device is held relative to a location and orientation of the reflective surface are such that light arriving from the mobile device screen held in the holder is reflected by the surface so that a reflected image of at least a portion of the screen is visible to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson
  • Patent number: 9465436
    Abstract: A method of image reconstruction is provided. The method includes capturing a stereoscopic pair of images of a scene, generating a disparity map for the pair of images, and defining a series of value ranges corresponding to disparity with each value range in the series having an end point corresponding to a greater disparity than an end point of preceding value ranges in the series. For each value range in the series, and progressing in order through the series from the first value range in the series, the method includes selecting points in the disparity map falling within the respective value range and generating a mesh responsive to those selected points. The method also includes subsequently merging the series of generated meshes to form a 3D model of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardayal, Simon Mark Benson, Ian Henry Bickerstaff
  • Publication number: 20160282619
    Abstract: A position and rotation information acquisition unit 730 acquires information relating to a position and a rotation of the head of a user who wears a head-mounted display unit 100. A coordinate transformation unit 740 and a panorama image processing unit 750 generate an image to be displayed on the head-mounted display unit using the information relating to the position and the rotation acquired at a certain point of time by the position and rotation information acquisition unit 730. A correction processing unit 780 corrects the generated image using updated information relating to the position and the rotation at a different point of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicants: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
    Inventors: Tomohiro OTO, Simon Mark BENSON, Ian Henry BICKERSTAFF
  • Patent number: 9445070
    Abstract: An image transfer apparatus comprises an input operable to receive a signal comprising two non-stereoscopic images for different respective viewpoints of a virtual environment, a first output and a second output, and a signal splitter logic, and in which the signal splitter logic is operable to extract and separate the two non-stereoscopic images from the received signal, to format each of the two separated images for reception by a respective conventional 2D display, and to output to the first output and the second output a respective signal comprising one of the two separate images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Oliver Wright, Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson
  • Publication number: 20160246061
    Abstract: A display method is provided using a display that is operable to display an image to a viewer. The display method includes detecting one or both of an initial position and/or orientation of the viewer's head, and generating an image for display according to the detected position and/or orientation. A current position and/or orientation of the viewer's head are detected at a time at which the image is to be displayed. The method also includes re-projecting the generated image according to any differences between the initial position and/or orientation and the current position and/or orientation of the viewer's head, and displaying the re-projected image using the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE LIMITED
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson, Oliver Mark Wright, Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal
  • Patent number: 9423880
    Abstract: A head mountable display (HMD) comprises an infrared light source operable to illuminate foreground objects but not background objects greater than a threshold distance from the HMD; one or more cameras operable to capture infrared illuminated images and visible light illuminated images; and an image processor operable to detect, from the infrared illuminated images, foreground objects in the visible light illuminated images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal, Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson
  • Publication number: 20160234482
    Abstract: A method of operation of a head mountable display (HMD) system, in which stereoscopic images are displayed with respect to a virtual display screen (VDS) position, is provided. The method includes setting a VDS position for a stereoscopic image for display in response to a depth parameter of a region of interest (ROI) in respect of the stereoscopic image for display. The method also includes generating the stereoscopic image for display having an image parallax appropriate to the VDS position set by the setting step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal, Simon Mark Benson
  • Publication number: 20160217621
    Abstract: An image processing method includes capturing an image of the head of a user of a head mountable display device. The position of the head mountable display device is detected in the image captured by a camera. A region of the user's face that is occluded by the head mountable display device is identified. The portion of the captured image corresponding to the head mountable display device is at least partially replaced with a corresponding portion of a 3D facial model, to provide a modified version of the captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal, Simon Mark Benson, Jeremy David Ashforth, Ian Henry Bickerstaff
  • Publication number: 20160205544
    Abstract: The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Further, the user account, or accounts, for the use of the device is both active and recorded for billing by the various service providers supporting the device use, i.e., the communication network provider(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Kurt T. Larson, Eugen Feraru, Michael Tilstra, Mark Benson, Matthew Tilstra, Matthew Hilden, Nick Klein, Scott A. Nelson
  • Publication number: 20160187970
    Abstract: A head mountable display (HMD) is provided that has a head motion detection function and one or more operations that depend upon detected head motion. Detected head motion is stored as motion data in memory. The way in which detected head motion is applied to a current operation depends upon the stored motion data. In one embodiment, the HMD includes a gaze detector configured to detect eye orientation of a user of the user so as to detect image regions at which the user is looking, and a detector configured to detect item data indicative of items represented by the detected image regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Jeremy David Ashforth, Simon Mark Benson, Simon John Hall, Darren Myatt
  • Publication number: 20160140764
    Abstract: A head mountable display (HMD) includes a camera operable to capture images of a peripheral and/or control device in use by a wearer of the HMD. A detector of the HMD is configured to detect occlusions in a captured image of the peripheral and/or control device. And an image renderer of the HMD is configured to render a virtual version of the peripheral and/or control device for display to the HMD wearer and to render a representation of a user's hand at a position of a detected occlusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Ian Henry Bickerstaff, Simon Mark Benson, Sharwin Winesh Raghoebardajal, Darren Myatt
  • Patent number: 9317333
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing load balancing are provided. Example embodiments provide a Application Workspace System “AWS” which enables users to access remote server-based applications using the same interface that they use to access local applications, without needing to know where the application is being accessed. In one embodiment, a load balancing message bus is provided that performs load balancing and resource discovery within the AWS. For example, the AWS may use a broadcast message-bus based load balancing to determine which servers to use to launch remote application access requests or to perform session management. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Wilkinson, Mark Benson, Patrick W. Hayward
  • Patent number: 9310884
    Abstract: A head-mountable display system comprises a head mountable display having a frame to be mounted onto an observer's head, the frame defining one or two eye display positions which, in use, are positioned for viewing by the observer. The frame comprises one or more shutters for obscuring the observer's view of the surrounding real environment and a display element mounted with respect to each of the eye display positions. The display element provides a virtual image of a video display of a video signal from a video signal source to the observer. An object detector detects the presence of an object within a detection range of the observer's head. And a controller controls operation of the head mountable display so as to allow the observer to view at least a portion of the surrounding real environment in response to detection of the presence of an object within the detection range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited
    Inventors: Simon Mark Benson, Ian Henry Bickerstaff