Charles Robert Armstrong

US Patent:

20130191067, Jul 25, 2013

Filed:

Jan 4, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/733906

Inventors:

Brian Durwood Foshee - Coral Gables FL, US
Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

TOURWRIST, INC. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

G01P 3/44

US Classification:

702141, 702147

Abstract:

The present invention relates to systems and methods for reliably detecting motion control of mobile devices executing virtual tour applications. In one embodiment, a computerized mobile device reliably detects angular rotations. The mobile device includes a magnetometer for generating directional values representing the respective angular rotations. The mobile device detects abrupt change(s) in additional directional values relative to the prior directional values, and if an abrupt change in an additional directional value is detected, then an appropriate weight is assigned to the additional data value. In addition to generating directional values, the magnetometer may also generate corresponding magnitude values. The mobile device evaluates the corresponding magnitude values and if an amplitude of a magnitude value is greater than a threshold, then the mobile device decreases a confidence value associated with the corresponding directional value.

US Patent:

20130204712, Aug 8, 2013

Filed:

Jan 23, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/748467

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

TOURWRIST, INC. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

G06Q 30/02

US Classification:

705 1469

Abstract:

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monetizing advertisement locations of virtual tours. A virtual tour author generates a virtual tour for mobile devices, and reserves a suitable modifiable ad location in the virtual tour. One or more annotated links can be assigned to this ad location. The ad location can now be monetized by renting the ad location and/or the one or more annotated links assigned to this ad location. Examples of monetization strategies include auctions and direct/indirect sale channels.

US Patent:

20130204977, Aug 8, 2013

Filed:

Jan 23, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/748482

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

TOURWRIST, INC. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

H04L 29/06

US Classification:

709219

Abstract:

A virtual tour host server decomposes a virtual tour into a plurality of video faces which are stored. When a user desires to begin a virtual tour using a mobile device, the mobile device detects and reports a field of view to the host server. The host server then associates a subset of the plurality of video faces corresponding to the detected field of view, and sends a video stream of the virtual tour recomposed from the subset of video faces, enabling the mobile device to display the virtual tour video stream.

US Patent:

20130275920, Oct 17, 2013

Filed:

Mar 15, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/837395

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F 3/0481

US Classification:

715850

Abstract:

A computerized display device re-orientates panoramic images in a limited field-of-view immersive viewing environment. The display device orientates to affect the field of view (FOV) of a corresponding virtual panoramic reality FOV. Upon executing a user command, the orientation within the immersive viewing environment is disassociated from the orientation of the device in the real world. The device tracks changes in orientation, and detects when the change in orientation exceeds a threshold, and if so, smoothly re-orientate the virtual panoramic reality orientation and FOV to correspond to device orientation and implied FOV.

US Patent:

20130293671, Nov 7, 2013

Filed:

Mar 12, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/797978

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US
Kang S. Lim - San Ramon CA, US

Assignee:

TOURWRIST, INC. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

H04N 5/232

US Classification:

348 36

Abstract:

The present invention relates to systems and methods for stitching and sharing panoramas. In one embodiment, a computerized mobile device downsizes a plurality of captured images. The mobile device transmits the downsized images to a server with a panoramic stitcher. The server analyzes the downsized images and generates stitching parameters for the mobile device. The mobile device uses the stitching parameters to stitch the plurality of captured images into a panorama which can be shared with one or more recipients.

US Patent:

20140009503, Jan 9, 2014

Filed:

Jul 2, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/934059

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06T 3/20

US Classification:

345680

Abstract:

A panoramic display system includes a camera, a processor and a display device for displaying images for a user. The camera recognizes a facial location and a facial orientation of a user relative to the display device, and tracks the pupil orientation of the user relative to the display device. The processor derives an object of interest base on the facial location and the pupil orientation of the user. The processor can also derive a field of view of the user based on the facial location and the facial orientation of the user.

US Patent:

20140009570, Jan 9, 2014

Filed:

Mar 12, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/798048

Inventors:

Charles Robert Armstrong - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

TourWrist, Inc. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

H04N 5/232

US Classification:

348 36

Abstract:

The present invention relates to systems and methods for efficiently storing panoramic image data with flex-focal metadata for subsequent display of pseudo three-dimensional panoramas derived from two-dimensional image sources. The panorama display system includes a camera, a processor and a display device. The camera is configured to determine a current user field of view (FOV). The processor retrieves and processes at least one image associated with a panorama together with associated flex-focal metadata in accordance with the current user FOV, and generates a current panoramic image for the display device.

US Patent:

20190051000, Feb 14, 2019

Filed:

Oct 28, 2016

Appl. No.:

15/308265

Inventors:

- Mountain View CA, US
Charles Armstrong - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G06T 7/33
G06T 7/73
G06T 3/40

Abstract:

Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to determining the location and orientation of panoramic images by a computing apparatus. One or more computing devices may receive alignment data between a first panoramic image and second panoramic image and original location data for the first panoramic image and the second panoramic image. The one or more computing devices may determine relative orientations between the pair of panoramic images based on the alignment data and calculate a heading from the first panoramic image to the second panoramic image based on the original location data. The location data and alignment data may be optimized by the one or more computing devices based on the relative orientations between the pair of panoramic images and the original location data. The one or more computing devices may replace the original location data and relative orientations with the optimized relative orientations and optimized location data.