Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Zillow, Inc.

Zillow Group, Inc.

Ramin Mehran

Ross Garrett Cutler

Li Guan

Qi Shan

Alex Colburn

Sriram Srinivasan

Senthil Kumar Velayutham

Karlton David Sequeira

Jayant Ajit Gupchup

Techniques are described for using computing devices to perform automated operations to generate mapping information using inter-connected images of a defined area, and for using the generated mapping information in further automated manners. In at least some situations, the defined area includes an interior of a multi-room building, and the generated information includes a floor map of the building, such as from an automated analysis of multiple panorama images or other images acquired at various viewing locations within the building&#x2014;in at least some such situations, the generating is further performed without having detailed information about distances from the images' viewing locations to walls or other objects in the surrounding building. The generated floor map and other mapping-related information may be used in various manners, including for controlling navigation of devices (e.g., autonomous vehicles), for display on one or more client devices in corresponding graphical user interfaces, etc.

Use of automated mapping information from inter-connected images

Automated mapping information generation from inter-connected images

A device for communicating with a remote device is disclosed, which includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to control the device to perform functions of establishing, via a communication network, a communication session with the remote device; capturing a speech spoken by a user and generating audio data representing the captured speech by the user; encoding the audio data for transmission to the remote device via the communication network; converting the audio data to text data representing the captured speech; and transmitting, during the communication session, the encoded audio data and the text data to the remote device via the communication network. The device thus can provide the text data representing the captured speech when a quality of the encoded audio signal received by the remote device is below a predetermined level.

Artificially generated speech for a communication session

A privacy image generation system may use a light field camera that includes an array of cameras or an RGBZ camera(s)) is used to capture images and display images according to a selected privacy mode. The privacy mode may include a blur background mode that can be automatically selected based on the meeting type, participants, location, and device type. A region of interest and/or an object(s) of interest (e.g. one or more persons in a foreground) is determined and the privacy image generation system is configured to clearly show the region/object of interest and obscure or replace the background by combining multiple images. The displayed image includes the region/object(s) of interest clearly shown (e.g. in focus) and any objects in a background of the combined image shown having a limited depth of field (e.g. blurry/not in focus) and/or blurred due to the combination of the multiple images.

Privacy image generation

A privacy image generation system may use a light field camera that includes an array of cameras or an RGBZ camera(s)) is used to capture images and display images according to a selected privacy mode. The privacy mode may include a blur background mode and a background replacement mode and can be automatically selected based on the meeting type, participants, location, and device type. A region of interest and/or an object(s) of interest (e.g. one or more persons in a foreground) is determined and the privacy image generation system is configured to clearly show the region/object of interest and obscure or replace the background according to the selected privacy mode. The displayed image includes the region/object(s) of interest clearly shown (e.g. in focus) and any objects in a background of the combined image shown having a limited depth of field (e.g. blurry/not in focus) and/or the background replaced with another image and/or fill.

Privacy image generation system

Content is received at a receiving equipment from a transmitting user terminal over a network in a communication session between a transmitting user and a receiving user. The received content comprises audio data representing speech spoken by a voice of the transmitting user, and further comprises text data generated from speech spoken by the voice of the transmitting user during the communication session. At the receiving equipment, at least a portion of the received text data is converted to artificially-generated audible speech based on a model of the transmitting user's voice stored at the receiving equipment (and in embodiments in dependence on the receive audio quality). The received audio data and the artificially-generated speech are supplied to be played out to the receiving user through one or more speakers.

A privacy camera, such as a light field camera that includes an array of cameras or an RGBZ camera(s)) is used to capture images and display images according to a selected privacy mode. The privacy mode may include a blur background mode and a background replacement mode and can be automatically selected based on the meeting type, participants, location, and device type. A region of interest and/or an object(s) of interest (e.g. one or more persons in a foreground) is determined and the privacy camera is configured to clearly show the region/object of interest and obscure or replace the background according to the selected privacy mode. The displayed image includes the region/object(s) of interest clearly shown (e.g. in focus) and any objects in a background of the combined image shown having a limited depth of field (e.g. blurry/not in focus) and/or the background replaced with another image and/or fill.

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Ramin Mehran