Patents by Inventor Zhengyou Zhang

Zhengyou Zhang 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: 10748002
    Abstract: The discussion relates to context-aware environments. One example can include inwardly-facing cameras positioned around a periphery of an environment that defines a volume. The example can also include sensors positioned relative to the volume and configured to communicate with a user device in the volume. The example can also include an ambient perception component configured to track user locations in the volume and to detect user gestures relative to objects in the volume, and responsive to receiving a query from the user's device, to supplement the query with information derived from the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek Abhishek, Khawar Zuberi, Jie Liu, Rouzbeh Aminpour, Zhengyou Zhang, Ali Dalloul, Dimitrios Lymberopoulos, Michel Goraczko, Tony Capone, Di Wang, Yi Lu, Yasser B. Asmi
  • Patent number: 10678326
    Abstract: The large display interaction implementations described herein combine mobile devices with people tracking to enable new interactions including making a non-touch-sensitive display touch-sensitive and allowing personalized interactions with the display. One implementation tracks one or more mobile computing device users relative to a large computer-driven display, and configures content displayed on the display based on a distance a given mobile computing device user is from the display. Another implementation personalizes user interactions with a large display. One or more mobile computing device users are tracked relative to a display. The identity of each of the one or more mobile computing device users is obtained. Content displayed on the display is configured based on a distance an identified mobile computing device user is from the display and the identity of the user that provides the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Yinpeng Chen, Sasa Junuzovic, Zhengyou Zhang, Zicheng Liu
  • Patent number: 10602098
    Abstract: A vehicle has a camera system that captures video while the vehicle moves. The vehicle records the captured video and/or wirelessly transmits the captured video to a remote user device for playback. When the vehicle is moving, a coarse waypoint is identified and a trajectory is determined from the current location of the vehicle to the coarse waypoint that reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in direction of movement of the vehicle, reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in speed of the vehicle, and/or reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in acceleration of the vehicle by reducing (e.g., minimizing) jerk or snap of the vehicle trajectory. One or more fine waypoints along the trajectory are selected and the vehicle moves to the coarse waypoint along the trajectory by passing through those fine waypoints, resulting in smooth movement of the device that reduces or eliminates motion sickness for users viewing the captured video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Vikram R. Dendi
  • Patent number: 10535181
    Abstract: The systems and methods generate geometric proxies for participants in an online communication session, where each geometric proxy is a geometric representation of a participant and each geometric proxy is generated from acquired depth information and is associated with a particular virtual box. The systems and methods also include generating a scene geometry that visually simulates an in-person meeting of the participants where the scene geometry includes the geometric proxies, and the virtual boxes of the geometric proxies are aligned within the scene geometry based on a number of the participants and a reference object to which the virtual boxes are aligned. In addition, the systems and methods cause a display of the scene geometry with the geometric proxies, where the display of a particular geometric proxy includes a video of the participant corresponding to the particular geometric painted onto the particular geometric proxy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yancey Christopher Smith, Eric G. Lang, Zhengyou Zhang, Christian F. Huitema
  • Publication number: 20190333245
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to tracking the location of a target object. In one example, a computer vision system detects a configuration of environment objects. A location model that has been trained for the environment configuration is selected. A signal associated with the target object is received and interpreted using the selected location model to determine the location of the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Chunshui ZHAO, Khawar ZUBERI, Jie LIU, Di WANG, William THOMAS, Yasser B. ASMI, Zhengyou ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20190332863
    Abstract: The discussion relates to context-aware environments. One example can include inwardly-facing cameras positioned around a periphery of an environment that defines a volume. The example can also include sensors positioned relative to the volume and configured to communicate with a user device in the volume. The example can also include an ambient perception component configured to track user locations in the volume and to detect user gestures relative to objects in the volume, and responsive to receiving a query from the user's device, to supplement the query with information derived from the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek ABHISHEK, Khawar ZUBERI, Jie LIU, Rouzbeh AMINPOUR, Zhengyou ZHANG, Ali DALLOUL, Dimitrios LYMBEROPOULOS, Michel GORACZKO, Tony CAPONE, Di WANG, Yi LU, Yasser B. ASMI
  • Publication number: 20190332864
    Abstract: The discussion relates to context-aware environments. One example can include inwardly-facing cameras positioned around a periphery of an environment that defines a volume. The example can also include sensors positioned relative to the volume and configured to communicate with a user device in the volume. The example can also include an ambient perception component configured to track user locations in the volume and to detect user gestures relative to objects in the volume, and responsive to receiving a query from the user's device, to supplement the query with information derived from the objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek ABHISHEK, Khawar ZUBERI, Jie LIU, Rouzbeh AMINPOUR, Zhengyou ZHANG, Ali DALLOUL, Dimitrios LYMBEROPOULOS, Michel GORACZKO, Tony CAPONE, Di WANG, Yi LU, Yasser B. ASMI
  • Patent number: 10425627
    Abstract: An apparatus that automatically monitors a display device includes a photo sensor configured to receive light from a display screen of the display device. The photo sensor provides signals representing detected light levels to a processor. The processor is coupled to the display device and is configured to cause the display device to present a test sequence including a plurality of images on the display screen. The processor is configured to capture data from the photo sensor during the presentation of the test sequence and to compare the captured data to an expected sequence corresponding to the test sequence displayed by a well-functioning display. The processor is further configured to report any mismatch between the captured data and the expected sequence as a possible malfunction of the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Zhengyou Zhang, Zicheng Liu, Dieni Afonso Ferreira Florencio, Sasa Junuzovic
  • Publication number: 20190279382
    Abstract: The discussion relates to 4D tracking. One example can utilize multiple 3D cameras positioned relative to an environment to sense depth data of the environment from different viewpoints over time. The example can process the depth data to construct 3D solid volume representations of the environment, select subjects from the 3D solid volume representations, and recognize actions of the selected subjects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Hao JIANG, Quanzeng YOU, Zhengyou ZHANG
  • Patent number: 10397287
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining data representing multiple characters, determining a code for each character wherein each code corresponds to a different audio frequency, and transmitting the codes at the corresponding audio frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Zhengyou Zhang, Dinei Afonso Ferreira Florencio, Sasa Junuzovic
  • Publication number: 20190244413
    Abstract: The systems and methods generate geometric proxies for participants in an online communication session, where each geometric proxy is a geometric representation of a participant and each geometric proxy is generated from acquired depth information and is associated with a particular virtual box. The systems and methods also include generating a scene geometry that visually simulates an in-person meeting of the participants where the scene geometry includes the geometric proxies, and the virtual boxes of the geometric proxies are aligned within the scene geometry based on a number of the participants and a reference object to which the virtual boxes are aligned. In addition, the systems and methods cause a display of the scene geometry with the geometric proxies, where the display of a particular geometric proxy includes a video of the participant corresponding to the particular geometric painted onto the particular geometric proxy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Yancey Christopher Smith, Eric G. Lang, Zhengyou Zhang, Christian F. Huitema
  • Publication number: 20190244161
    Abstract: The discussion relates to inventory control. One example can analyze data from sensors to identify items and users in an inventory control environment. The example can detect co-location of an individual user and an individual item at a first location in the inventory control environment at a first time and at a second location in the inventory control environment at a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Abhishek ABHISHEK, Rouzbeh AMINPOUR, Yasser B. ASMI, Zhengyou ZHANG, Ali DALLOUL, Jie LIU, Di WANG, Dimitrios LYMBEROPOULOS, Michel GORACZKO, Yi LU, William THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20190215495
    Abstract: A vehicle has a camera system that captures video while the vehicle moves. The vehicle records the captured video and/or wirelessly transmits the captured video to a remote user device for playback. When the vehicle is moving, a coarse waypoint is identified and a trajectory is determined from the current location of the vehicle to the coarse waypoint that reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in direction of movement of the vehicle, reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in speed of the vehicle, and/or reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in acceleration of the vehicle by reducing (e.g., minimizing) jerk or snap of the vehicle trajectory. One or more fine waypoints along the trajectory are selected and the vehicle moves to the coarse waypoint along the trajectory by passing through those fine waypoints, resulting in smooth movement of the device that reduces or eliminates motion sickness for users viewing the captured video.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Vikram R. Dendi
  • Patent number: 10325400
    Abstract: Implementations provide an in-person communication experience by generating a changable virtual viewpoint for a participant in an online communication. For instance, techniques described herein capture visual data about participants in an online communication, and create a realistic geometric proxy from the visual data. A virtual scene geometry is generated that mimics an arrangement of an in-person meeting for the online communication. According to various implementations, a virtual viewpoint displays a changing virtual viewpoint, such as based on a change in position of a participants face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yancey Christopher Smith, Eric G. Lang, Zhengyou Zhang, Christian F. Huitema
  • Publication number: 20190138975
    Abstract: The discussion relates to inventory control. In one example, a set of ID sensors can be employed in an inventory control environment and subsets of the ID sensors can collectively sense tagged items in shared space. Data from the subset of ID sensors can indicate when a user has taken possession of an individual tagged item in the shared space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Khawar ZUBERI, Abhishek Abhishek, Rouzbeh Aminpour, Yasser B. Asmi, Zhengyou Zhang
  • Patent number: 10274737
    Abstract: A vehicle camera system captures and transmits video to a user device, which includes a viewing device for playback of the captured video, such as virtual reality or augmented reality glasses. A rendering map is generated that indicates which pixels of the video frame (as identified by particular coordinates of the video frame) correspond to which coordinates of a virtual sphere in which a portion of the video frame is rendered for display. When a video frame is received, the rendering map is used to determine the texture values (e.g., colors) for coordinates in the virtual sphere, which is used to generate the display for the user. This technique reduces the rendering time when a user turns his or her head (e.g., while in virtual reality) and so it reduces motion and/or virtual reality sickness induced by the rendering lag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Sean Eron Anderson, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 10271021
    Abstract: A vehicle has a camera system that captures video while the vehicle moves. The vehicle records the captured video and/or wirelessly transmits the captured video to a remote user device for playback. When the vehicle is moving, a coarse waypoint is identified and a trajectory is determined from the current location of the vehicle to the coarse waypoint that reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in direction of movement of the vehicle, reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in speed of the vehicle, and/or reduces (e.g., minimizes) sudden changes in acceleration of the vehicle by reducing (e.g., minimizing) jerk or snap of the vehicle trajectory. One or more fine waypoints along the trajectory are selected and the vehicle moves to the coarse waypoint along the trajectory by passing through those fine waypoints, resulting in smooth movement of the device that reduces or eliminates motion sickness for users viewing the captured video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Vikram R. Dendi
  • Patent number: 10244211
    Abstract: In embodiments of immersive interactive telepresence, a system includes a vehicle that captures an experience of an environment in which the vehicle travels, and the experience includes audio and video of the environment. User interactive devices receive the audio and the video of the environment, and each of the user interactive devices represent the experience for one or more users who are remote from the environment. A trajectory planner is implemented to route the vehicle based on obstacle avoidance and user travel intent as the vehicle travels in the environment. The trajectory planner can route the vehicle to achieve a location objective in the environment without explicit direction input from a vehicle operator or from the users of the user interactive devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Vikram R. Dendi, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 10200659
    Abstract: In embodiments of collaborative camera viewpoint control for interactive telepresence, a system includes a vehicle that travels based on received travel instructions, and the vehicle includes a camera system of multiple cameras that each capture video of an environment in which the vehicle travels from different viewpoints. Viewing devices receive the video of the environment from the different viewpoints, where the video of the environment from a selected one of the viewpoints is displayable to users of the viewing devices. Controller devices that are associated with the viewing devices can each receive a user input as a proposed travel instruction for the vehicle based on the selected viewpoint of the video that is displayed on the viewing devices. A trajectory planner receives the proposed travel instructions initiated via the controller devices, and generates a consensus travel instruction for the vehicle based on the proposed travel instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Zhengyou Zhang, Vikram R. Dendi, Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 10185878
    Abstract: Systems and methods for person counting are disclosed. A method may include retrieving an image frame from a plurality of image frames captured by a camera. The image frame may be split into a grid of a plurality of cells of a pre-determined cell dimensions. The pre-determined cell dimensions may be based on dimensions of the retrieved image frame and reference dimensions of training images of a person detection classifier. At least a portion of the plurality of cells may be rearranged to generate a new image. The new image may be padded with at least one padding strip to adjust dimensions of the new image to the reference dimensions of the training images. Person detection may be performed using the new image and the person detection classifier to obtain a number of persons detected within the new image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Zicheng Liu, Yinpeng Chen, Sean E Anderson, Zhengyou Zhang