Patents by Inventor Sean Calhoon
Sean Calhoon 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: 11625551Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, John F. Stach, Sean Calhoon
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Patent number: 11587195Abstract: Imagery captured by an autonomous robot is analyzed to discern digital watermark patterns. In some embodiments, identical but geometrically-inconsistent digital watermark patterns are discerned in an image frame, to aid in distinguishing multiple depicted instances of a particular item. In other embodiments, actions of the robot are controlled or altered in accordance with image processing performed by the robot on a digital watermark pattern. The technology is particularly described in the context of retail stores in which the watermark patterns are encoded, e.g., on product packaging, shelving, and shelf labels. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, Joel R. Meyer, William Y. Conwell
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Publication number: 20220261567Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Inventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell, Brian T. MacIntosh
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Patent number: 11270404Abstract: In one aspect, assembly of multi-part food packaging is checked by reference to payloads of steganographically-encoded digital watermarks printed across the packaging components. Marking all surfaces of the packaging components allows arbitrary orientation of feed stock in assembly equipment, and wide latitude in placement of inspection cameras along the packaging line. In another aspect, a scanner at a retail checkout station is alert to any gap detected in steganographic encoding on retail product packaging and, if found, alerts an operator to possible presence of an adhesive label with a misleading barcode. A great variety of others features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2020Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, William Y. Conwell
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Patent number: 11068679Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2017Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, John F. Stach, Sean Calhoon
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Publication number: 20210192162Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell, Brian T. MacIntosh
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Publication number: 20210157998Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2021Publication date: May 27, 2021Inventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell, Brian T. MacIntosh
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Publication number: 20210012451Abstract: In one aspect, assembly of multi-part food packaging is checked by reference to payloads of steganographically-encoded digital watermarks printed across the packaging components. Marking all surfaces of the packaging components allows arbitrary orientation of feed stock in assembly equipment, and wide latitude in placement of inspection cameras along the packaging line. In another aspect, a scanner at a retail checkout station is alert to any gap detected in steganographic encoding on retail product packaging and, if found, alerts an operator to possible presence of an adhesive label with a misleading barcode. A great variety of others features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Inventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, William Y. Conwell
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Publication number: 20210004550Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2017Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Brian T. MacIntosh, Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell
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Publication number: 20200380226Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell, Brian T. MacIntosh
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Publication number: 20200372228Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Inventors: Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell, Brian T. MacIntosh
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Publication number: 20200234394Abstract: Imagery captured by an autonomous robot is analyzed to discern digital watermark patterns. In some embodiments, identical but geometrically-inconsistent digital watermark patterns are discerned in an image frame, to aid in distinguishing multiple depicted instances of a particular item. In other embodiments, actions of the robot are controlled or altered in accordance with image processing performed by the robot on a digital watermark pattern. The technology is particularly described in the context of retail stores in which the watermark patterns are encoded, e.g., on product packaging, shelving, and shelf labels. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, Brett A. Bradley, Joel R. Meyer, William Y. Conwell
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Patent number: 10706490Abstract: In one aspect, assembly of multi-part food packaging is checked by reference to payloads of steganographically-encoded digital watermarks printed across the packaging components. Marking all surfaces of the packaging components allows arbitrary orientation of feed stock in assembly equipment, and wide latitude in placement of inspection cameras along the packaging line. In another aspect, a scanner at a retail checkout station is alert to any gap detected in steganographic encoding on retail product packaging and, if found, alerts an operator to possible presence of an adhesive label with a misleading barcode. A great variety of others features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventor: Sean Calhoon
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Patent number: 10552933Abstract: Imagery captured by an autonomous robot is analyzed to discern digital watermark patterns. In some embodiments, identical but geometrically-inconsistent digital watermark patterns are discerned in an image frame, to aid in distinguishing multiple depicted instances of a particular item. In other embodiments, actions of the robot are controlled or altered in accordance with image processing performed by the robot on a digital watermark pattern. The technology is particularly described in the context of retail stores in which the watermark patterns are encoded, e.g., on product packaging, shelving, and shelf labels. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2017Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, Joel R. Meyer
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Patent number: 10346462Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems to improve network searching for watermarked content. In some implementations we employ keyword searching to narrow the universe of possible URL candidates. A resulting URL list is searched for digital watermarking. A system is provided to allow customer input. For example, a customer enters keywords or network locations. The keywords or network locations are provided to a watermark-enabled web browser which accesses locations associated with the keywords or network locations. Some implementations of the present invention employ a plurality of distributed watermark-enabled web browsers. Other aspects of the invention provide methods and system to facilitate desktop searching and automated metadata gathering and generating. In one implementation a digital watermark is used to determine whether metadata associated with an image or audio file is current or fresh. The metadata is updated when it is out of date.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2015Date of Patent: July 9, 2019Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Tony F Rodriguez, Sean Calhoon, Alastair M Reed
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Publication number: 20190188435Abstract: A variety of technologies having practical application in retail stores are detailed. One is an improved method of identifying items selected by customers. This method includes receiving sensor data from plural sensors, including (a) ceiling-mounted cameras that monitor tracks of customers through aisles of the store, and (b) inventory sensors that are positioned to monitor removal of stock from store shelves. This received sensor data is employed in evaluating plural alternate item identification hypotheses. These hypotheses include a first hypothesis that a customer selected an item having a first identity, and a second hypothesis that the customer selected an item having a second identity. A confidence score is associated with each of the first and second item selection hypotheses. These confidence scores are refined as sensor data is received, e.g., increasing a confidence score of one hypothesis, and reducing a confidence score of another.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2019Publication date: June 20, 2019Inventors: Bruce L. Davis, Tony F. Rodriguez, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon
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Publication number: 20180240212Abstract: In one aspect, assembly of multi-part food packaging is checked by reference to payloads of steganographically-encoded digital watermarks printed across the packaging components. Marking all surfaces of the packaging components allows arbitrary orientation of feed stock in assembly equipment, and wide latitude in placement of inspection cameras along the packaging line. In another aspect, a scanner at a retail checkout station is alert to any gap detected in steganographic encoding on retail product packaging and, if found, alerts an operator to possible presence of an adhesive label with a misleading barcode. A great variety of others features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2018Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Sean Calhoon, Tony F. Rodriguez, William Y. Conwell
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Patent number: 10007964Abstract: Imagery captured by an autonomous robot is analyzed to discern digital watermark patterns. In some embodiments, identical but geometrically-inconsistent digital watermark patterns are discerned in an image frame, to aid in distinguishing multiple depicted instances of a particular item. In other embodiments, actions of the robot are controlled or altered in accordance with image processing performed by the robot on a digital watermark pattern. The technology is particularly described in the context of retail stores in which the watermark patterns are encoded, e.g., on product packaging, shelving, and shelf labels. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2016Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell
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Patent number: 9892478Abstract: In one aspect, assembly of multi-part food packaging is checked by reference to payloads of steganographically-encoded digital watermarks printed across plural components of the packaging. Marking all surfaces of the packaging components allows arbitrary orientation of feed stock in assembly equipment, and wide latitude in placement of inspection cameras along the packaging line. In another aspect, a scanner at a retail checkout station is alert to any gap detected in steganographic encoding on retail product packaging and, if found, alerts an operator to possible presence of an adhesive label with a misleading barcode. A great variety of others features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventor: Sean Calhoon
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Publication number: 20170249491Abstract: In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Inventors: Brian T. MacIntosh, Tony F. Rodriguez, Bruce L. Davis, Geoffrey B. Rhoads, John D. Lord, Alastair M. Reed, Eric D. Evans, Rebecca L. Gerlach, Yang Bai, John F. Stach, Tomas Filler, Marc G. Footen, Sean Calhoon, William Y. Conwell