Patents by Inventor Ming-Chieh Lee

Ming-Chieh Lee 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: 10587891
    Abstract: A format for use in encoding moving image data, comprising: a sequence of frames including plurality of the frames in which at least a region is encoded using motion estimation; a respective set of motion vector values representing motion vectors of the motion estimation for each respective one of these frames or each respective one of one or more regions within each of such frames; and at least one respective indicator associated with each of the respective frames or regions, indicating whether the respective motion vector values of the respective frame or region are encoded at a first resolution or a second resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: You Zhou, Sergey Silkin, Sergey Sablin, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Gary J. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10567791
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 10531528
    Abstract: An LED drive circuit includes a controller, generating a switching signal to switch a magnetic device that receives an input voltage derived from an input of the LED drive circuit, for generating an output current to drive at least a LED. The controller includes an input circuit receiving a programmable signal correlated to the input of the LED drive circuit to generate a programmable current, the programmable current modulating a current input signal correlated to a switching current of the magnetic device to form a modulated current input signal, and a comparison circuit comparing a signal sourced from an oscillator and a voltage potential generated in response to the modulated current input signal for generating a current control signal. The switching signal is controlled in response to the current control signal for regulating the output current, and a level of the output current is correlated to the current control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ta-Yung Yang, Chuh-Ching Li, Ming-Chieh Lee, Kuo-Hsien Huang
  • Publication number: 20190350057
    Abstract: An LED drive circuit includes a controller, generating a switching signal to switch a magnetic device that receives an input voltage derived from an input of the LED drive circuit, for generating an output current to drive at least a LED. The controller includes an input circuit receiving a programmable signal correlated to the input of the LED drive circuit to generate a programmable current, the programmable current modulating a current input signal correlated to a switching current of the magnetic device to form a modulated current input signal, and a comparison circuit comparing a signal sourced from an oscillator and a voltage potential generated in response to the modulated current input signal for generating a current control signal. The switching signal is controlled in response to the current control signal for regulating the output current, and a level of the output current is correlated to the current control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ta-Yung YANG, Chuh-Ching LI, Ming-Chieh LEE, Kuo-Hsien HUANG
  • Patent number: 10462480
    Abstract: The detailed description presents innovations in performing motion estimation during digital video media encoding. In one example embodiment, motion estimation is performed using a lower-complexity sub-pixel interpolation filter configured to compute sub-pixel values for two or more candidate prediction regions at a sub-pixel offset, the two or more candidate prediction regions being located in one or more reference frames. For a selected one of the candidate prediction regions at the sub-pixel offset, motion compensation is performed using a higher-complexity sub-pixel interpolation filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: You Zhou, Chih-Lung Lin, Binlong Li, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Publication number: 20190327487
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 10412796
    Abstract: A LED drive circuit according to the present invention comprises a controller and a programmable signal. The controller generates a switching signal coupled to switch a magnetic device for generating an output current to drive a plurality of LEDs. The programmable signal is coupled to regulate a current-control signal of the controller. The switching signal is modulated in response to the current-control signal for regulating the output current, and the level of the output current is correlated to the current-control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ta-Yung Yang, Chuh-Ching Li, Ming-Chieh Lee, Kuo-Hsien Huang
  • Publication number: 20190268601
    Abstract: Techniques are described for streaming video content between computing devices. For example, a computing device can stream encoded video content to one or more receiving devices. The computing device can detect whether video content to be encoded is static content or dynamic content and switch the coding structure accordingly. For example, if the video content is determined to be static video content, then the static content can be encoded using a first predictive coding structure in which the first video frame is encoded as a single key frame and subsequent video frames are encoded as predicted frames that are non-reference frames and that only reference the single key frame. If the video content is determined to be dynamic video content, then the dynamic content can be encoded using a second predictive coding structure different from the first predictive coding structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Mei-Hsuan Lu, Ming-Chieh Lee, Siddharth Deepak Mehta
  • Publication number: 20190259404
    Abstract: An audio stream is encoded for transmission to a receiving device via a communications channel. The to-be transmitted audio stream is received at an audio encoder executed on a processor. The processor has an amount of available processing resources. An available bandwidth of the communications channel is determined. Based on the determined bandwidth, a portion of the available processing resources is allocated to the audio encoder. The allocated portion is greater if the determined bandwidth is below a bandwidth threshold. The audio encoder encodes the audio stream using the allocated portion of processing resources, and transmits the encoded audio stream to the receiving device via the communications channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sriram Srinivasan, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 10390037
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20190208217
    Abstract: When encoding/decoding a current block of a current picture using intra block copy (“BC”) prediction, the location of a reference block is constrained so that it can be entirely within an inner search area of the current picture or entirely within an outer search area of the current picture, but cannot overlap both the inner search area and the outer search area. In some hardware-based implementations, on-chip memory buffers sample values of the inner search area, and off-chip memory buffers sample values of the outer search area. By enforcing this constraint on the location of the reference block, an encoder/decoder can avoid memory access operations that are split between on-chip memory and off-chip memory when retrieving the sample values of the reference block. At the same time, a reference block close to the current block may be used for intra BC prediction, helping compression efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: You Zhou, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 10332534
    Abstract: An audio stream is encoded for transmission to a receiving device via a communications channel. The to-be transmitted audio stream is received at an audio encoder executed on a processor. The processor has an amount of available processing resources. An available bandwidth of the communications channel is determined. Based on the determined bandwidth, a portion of the available processing resources is allocated to the audio encoder. The allocated portion is greater if the determined bandwidth is below a bandwidth threshold. The audio encoder encodes the audio stream using the allocated portion of processing resources, and transmits the encoded audio stream to the receiving device via the communications channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sriram Srinivasan, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 10313685
    Abstract: A transmitting device for generating a plurality of encoded portions of a video to be transmitted to a receiving device over a network configured to: receive an error message over a feedback channel from the receiving device indicating at least one of said plurality of encoded portions that has been lost at the receiving device; encode a recovery portion responsive to said receiving said error message; and transmit said recovery portion to the receiving device over said network; wherein said error message includes information pertaining to a decoded portion successfully decoded at the receiving device and said recovery portion is encoded relative to said decoded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ming-Chieh Lee, Amy Lu, Pontus Carlsson, Mattias Dan Nilsson, Sergey Sablin, Sergey Silkin, David Yuheng Zhao, Magnus Hemmendorff, Sergei Nikiforov
  • Publication number: 20190098310
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of innovations in the area of encoding pictures or portions of pictures and determining whether and how certain encoding operations should be performed and flagged for performance by the decoder in the bitstream. In particular examples, various implementations for selectively encoding picture portions (e.g., blocks) in a skip mode (e.g., as in the skip mode of the H.265/HEVC standard) are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosed techniques can be used to improve encoder efficiency, decrease overall encoder resource usage, and/or improve encoder speed. Such embodiments can be used in encoder modes in which efficient, fast encoder performance is desired (e.g., during encoding of live events, such as video conferencing).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: You Zhou, Sergey Sablin, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Publication number: 20190075317
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20190037219
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to encoding techniques. More specifically, some embodiments relate to encoding techniques for screen data. Intra block copy (IntraBC) using motion compensation within a frame (not between frames) is very useful for encoding data captured from screen. Unfortunately, this tool is not included in most of video coding standards, including the base version of HEVC (i.e., H.265). Various embodiments of the present technology utilize encoding techniques to simulate IntraBC with compliant syntax. For example, embodiments divide a high-resolution frame into smaller areas and then encode these areas independently as if these smaller areas were independent frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: You Zhou, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 10136132
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of innovations in the area of encoding pictures or portions of pictures and determining whether and how certain encoding operations should be performed and flagged for performance by the decoder in the bitstream. In particular examples, various implementations for selectively encoding picture portions (e.g., blocks) in a skip mode (e.g., as in the skip mode of the H.265/HEVC standard) are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosed techniques can be used to improve encoder efficiency, decrease overall encoder resource usage, and/or improve encoder speed. Such embodiments can be used in encoder modes in which efficient, fast encoder performance is desired (e.g., during encoding of live events, such as video conferencing).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: You Zhou, Sergey Sablin, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee
  • Patent number: 10123038
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 10104415
    Abstract: A user device within a communication architecture, the user device comprising: an image capture device configured to determine image data for the creation of a video channel defining the shared scene; an intrinsic/extrinsic data determiner configured to determine intrinsic/extrinsic capture device data associated with the image capture device; and a video encoder configured to encode the image data and intrinsic/extrinsic capture device data within the video channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ming-Chieh Lee, Mei-Hsuan Lu, Robert Aichner, Ryan S. Menezes, Abhishek Abhishek, Bofan Hsu, Ermin Kozica
  • Patent number: 10075731
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with sub-block transform coding/decoding and re-oriented transforms are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding. The video encoder may determine the transform sizes as well as switching levels (e.g., frame, macroblock, or block) in a closed loop evaluation of the different transform sizes and switching levels. When a video encoder or decoder uses spatial extrapolation from pixel values in a causal neighborhood to predict pixel values of a block of pixels, the encoder/decoder can use a re-oriented transform to address non-stationarity of prediction residual values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sridhar Srinivasan, Thomas W. Holcomb, Chih-Lung Lin, Pohsiang Hsu, Ming-Chieh Lee