Patents by Inventor Steven Birtwistle

Steven Birtwistle 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).

  • Publication number: 20080226123
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for processing 2-D to 3-D image conversion. The system and method includes erode filling when an object has been removed from an image. In one embodiment, a target binary t image mask of the removed object is used for comparison with a binary source mask of the image. In an iterative process, color differences between pixels in the target mask and pixels in the source mask are identified and the pixels in the target mask are changed working from the periphery of the target mask to the center of the mask. Color noise is eliminated in the filled region of the target mask and, if desired, random color noise is added to the filled target mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Gregory R. Keech, Christopher L. Simmons, David A. Spooner, Danny D. Lowe
  • Publication number: 20080226160
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for processing 2-D to 3-D image conversion. The systems and methods fill in light among image frames when object have been removed or otherwise changed. In one embodiment, light is treated as an object and can be removed during image processing. The light is added back during the rendering process using the created light object. In other embodiments, light from other frames is filled in using weighted averaging of the light depending upon temporal distance from a particular frame and a base frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Gregory R. Keech, Christopher L. Simmons, David A. Spooner, Danny D. Lowe
  • Publication number: 20080228449
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for controlling 2-D to 3-D image conversion. The system and method includes receiving an image and masking the objects in the image using segmentation layers Each segmentation layer can have weighted values for static and dynamic features. Iterations are used to form the final image which, if desired, can be formed using less than all of the segmentation layers. A final iteration can be run with the weighted values equal for static and dynamic features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Gregory R. Keech, Christopher L. Simmons, David A. Spooner, Danny D. Lowe, Jonathan Adelman
  • Publication number: 20080225059
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for compensating for clipped portions of one or more objects in an image provide a boundary mask portion adjacent to one or more edges of an image display. The boundary mask portion is used to display information which will fill clipped portions of the objects in the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Danny D. Lowe, Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Christopher L. Simmons, Gregory R. Keech, Jonathan Adelman
  • Publication number: 20080226194
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for processing 2-D to 3-D images. The system and method includes a procedure for optimizing occlusion and/or texturing by creating tolerances in which such texturing need not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Gregory R. Keech, Christopher L. Simmons, David A. Spooner, Danny D. Lowe
  • Publication number: 20080226181
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods for processing 2-D to 3-D image conversion. Rendering of left and right eye images is performed by order independent depth peeling. For each image that is created a number of scene traversals are performed that peel off each depth layer based on a previous traversals depth map. The peeled layers are then blended together and, if desired, unwanted jagged edges can be removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: Conversion Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Birtwistle, Natascha Wallner, Gregory R. Keech, Christopher L. Simmons, David A. Spooner, Danny D. Lowe