Patents by Inventor Robin Atkins

Robin Atkins 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: 11587529
    Abstract: A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping, the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Scott Miller, Scott Daly, Mahdi Nezamabadi, Robin Atkins
  • Patent number: 11587526
    Abstract: One or more media contents are received. A viewer's light adaptive states are predicted as a function of time as if the viewer is watching display mapped images derived from the one or more media contents. The viewer's light adaptive states are used to detect an excessive change in luminance in a specific media content portion of the one or more media contents. The excessive change in luminance in the specific media content portion of the one or more media contents is caused to be reduced while the viewer is watching one or more corresponding display mapped images derived from the specific media content portion of the one or more media contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre Chapiro, Robin Atkins, Scott Daly
  • Patent number: 11579520
    Abstract: An angular image of a scene may be displayed using a light field display. The light field display may comprise a plurality of projection units. Each of the projections units may comprise an imaging system and an optical system. The imaging system may illuminate pixels of a planar image of the scene. Light corresponding to each of the pixels may be directed towards the optical system. The optical system may comprise first and second lenses for redirecting each light beam corresponding to a pixel in different directions. In some embodiments the first and second lenses form a globe lens. A diffusion system may conceal the optical systems. Additionally, or alternatively, the diffusion system may produce a uniform distribution of light at a plurality of different viewing angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Lorne Arthur Whitehead, Robin Atkins
  • Patent number: 11582490
    Abstract: In a method to improve backwards compatibility when decoding high-dynamic range images coded in a wide color gamut (WCG) space which may not be compatible with legacy color spaces, hue and/or saturation values of images in an image database are computed for both a legacy color space (say, YCbCr-gamma) and a preferred WCG color space (say, IPT-PQ). Based on a cost function, a reshaped color space is computed so that the distance between the hue values in the legacy color space and rotated hue values in the preferred color space is minimized HDR images are coded in the reshaped color space. Legacy devices can still decode standard dynamic range images assuming they are coded in the legacy color space, while updated devices can use color reshaping information to decode HDR images in the preferred color space at full dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz
  • Patent number: 11582472
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Walter J. Husak, Tao Chen, Guan-Ming Su
  • Patent number: 11570480
    Abstract: In a method to improve backwards compatibility when decoding high-dynamic range images coded in a wide color gamut (WCG) space which may not be compatible with legacy color spaces, hue and/or saturation values of images in an image database are computed for both a legacy color space (say, YCbCr-gamma) and a preferred WCG color space (say, IPT-PQ). Based on a cost function, a reshaped color space is computed so that the distance between the hue values in the legacy color space and rotated hue values in the preferred color space is minimized HDR images are coded in the reshaped color space. Legacy devices can still decode standard dynamic range images assuming they are coded in the legacy color space, while updated devices can use color reshaping information to decode HDR images in the preferred color space at full dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz
  • Publication number: 20220415283
    Abstract: A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping, the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jon Scott MILLER, Scott DALY, Mahdi NEZAMABADI, Robin ATKINS
  • Publication number: 20220398710
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating an image quality metric are described. A reference and a test image are first converted to the ITP color space. After calculating difference images ?I, ?T, and ?P, using the color channels of the two images, the difference images are convolved with low pass filters, one for the I channel and one for the chroma channels (I or P). The image quality metric is computed as a function of the sum of squares of filtered ?I, ?T, and ?P values. The chroma low-pass filter is designed to maximize matching the image quality metric with subjective results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robert WANAT, Robin ATKINS, Anustup Kumar Atanu CHOUDHURY, Scott DALY, Jaclyn Anne PYTLARZ
  • Patent number: 11523127
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Walter J. Husak, Tao Chen, Guan-Ming Su
  • Publication number: 20220327982
    Abstract: Two corresponding color patches are displayed on two image displays until adjusted by a viewer to match visually to a common color. Two sets of code values rendered on the two corresponding color patches on the two image displays are identified. Two sets of tristimulus values for the viewer are determined based on the two sets of code values rendered on the two corresponding color patches on the two image displays. The viewer's color matching function are generated based on the two sets of tristimulus values. The viewer's CMF is used in image rendering operations on a target image display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jaclyn Anne PYTLARZ, Elizabeth G. PIERI, Robin ATKINS
  • Patent number: 11468547
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting video processing curves are disclosed herein. In one embodiment a method for applying an adjustment to an original curve derived from a set of input image data is disclosed, comprising: receiving a set of input image data to be adjusted; calculating an original curve from the set of input image data; receiving an adjustment curve, the adjustment curve based upon a desired image parameter; and applying the adjustment curve to the original curve to produce a resulting curve. In another embodiment, a display management unit (DMU) comprising a processor is disclosed that, upon receiving a set of input image data, processes the original curve according to: calculating an original curve from the set of input image data; receiving an adjustment curve, the adjustment curve based upon a desired image parameter; and applying the adjustment curve to the original curve to produce a resulting curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz, Robin Atkins
  • Publication number: 20220264190
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing solutions to the problem of preserving original creative intent for video playback on a target display are presented herein. According to one aspect, a video bitstream includes metadata with a flag indicative of creative intent for a target display. This metadata may include numerous fields that denote characteristics such as content type, content sub-type, intended white point, whether or not to use the video in Reference Mode, intended sharpness, intended noise reduction, intended MPEG noise reduction, intended Frame Rate Conversion, intended Average Picture Level, and intended color. This metadata is designed to make it effortless for the content creators to tag their content. The metadata can be added to the video content at multiple points, the status of the flag is set to TRUE or FALSE to indicate whether the metadata was added by the content creator or a third party.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin ATKINS, Per Jonas A. KLITTMARK
  • Patent number: 11412154
    Abstract: An auto exposure method for a spatially-multiplexed-exposure (SME) high-dynamic-range (HDR) image sensor includes (a) retrieving raw image data from an exposure of the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-range image sensor, (b) preprocessing long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values of the raw image data to remove therefrom long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values failing to meet one or more quality requirements, (c) synthesizing, into an high-dynamic-range histogram, the long-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing and the short-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing, (d) deriving a goodness metric from the high-dynamic-range histogram, (e) adjusting at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, based at least in part upon the goodness metric, and (f) outputting the at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, as adjusted, to the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Jonathan Robert Miller, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
  • Publication number: 20220198625
    Abstract: A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image includes (a) denoising a short-exposure-time image, wherein the denoising comprises applying a first guided filter to the short-exposure-time image, the guided filter utilizing a long exposure-time-image as its guide, (b) after the step of denoising, scaling at least one of the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image to place the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image on a common radiance scale, and (c) after the step of scaling, merging the short-exposure-time image with the long-exposure-time image to generate the HDR image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
  • Publication number: 20220166991
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng YIN, Taoran LU, Fangjun PU, Sean Thomas MCCARTHY, Walter J. HUSAK, Tao CHEN, Guan-Ming SU
  • Publication number: 20220164931
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the display management of HDR video signals are presented. The mapping is based on tone mapping and color volume mapping which map an input signal with an input dynamic range and color volume to a target display with a target dynamic range and color volume. Both a global tone-mapping and precision-mapping methods using pyramid filtering are presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin ATKINS, Jaclyn Anne PYTLARZ, Elizabeth G. PIERI
  • Patent number: 11336895
    Abstract: A method for generating metadata for use by a video decoder for displaying video content encoded by a video encoder includes: (1) accessing a target tone mapping curve; (2) accessing a decoder tone curve corresponding to a tone curve used by the video decoder for tone mapping the video content; (3) generating a plurality of parameters of a trim-pass function used by the video decoder to apply after applying the decoder tone curve to the video content, wherein the parameters of the trim-pass function are generated to approximate the target tone curve with the combination of the trim-pass function and the decoder tone curve, and (4) generating the metadata for use by the video decoder, including said plurality of parameters of the trim-pass function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Anustup Kumar Atanu Choudhury, Robin Atkins, Thaddeus Beier, Ali Zandifar, Ian Godin
  • Patent number: 11323728
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Walter J. Husak, Tao Chen, Guan-Ming Su
  • Publication number: 20220114928
    Abstract: A display apparatus, a display management module and a method for ambient light compensation are described. The display management module is configured to receive an input video signal comprising a sequence of video frames and to determine whether a current video frame of the sequence of video frames immediately follows a scene change. The display management module is further configured to adjust ambient light compensation applied to the input signal in dependence on the signal indicative of intensity of ambient light only in response to determining that the current video frame of the sequence of video frames immediately follows a scene change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin ATKINS, Craig TODD, Jaclyn Anne PYTLARZ, Timo KUNKEL
  • Patent number: 11301972
    Abstract: A method for adjusting color saturation can determine a saturation adjustment from metadata that specifies an adjustment of color saturation based on a first display and from precomputed data, such as data in one or more look-up tables, that specifies a relationship between image data in a first color space and image data in a second color space. An input image in the first color space is converted into an image in the second color space, and the color saturation is adjusted while the image data is in the second color space, which can be a geometrically non-symmetrical color space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Partin, Kimball Darr Thurston, III, Robin Atkins