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SonyGranted patentAR, VR & displaysInterest 6/10

Sony patents mapping system that ignores user-selected image areas

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Sony describes a system that builds 3D maps of environments by analyzing photos taken from different angles. It allows users to block out specific parts of the images before the system identifies key points to create the map.

Why it mattersThis could help developers create cleaner virtual environments by excluding unwanted real-world objects from the mapping process.

In the filing’s own words

A data processing apparatus includes receiving circuitry to receive a plurality of images of an environment captured from respective different viewpoints, detection circuitry to detect a plurality of feature points in the plurality of captured images and to associate image information with each detected feature point indicative of an image property for a detected feature point, where each detected feature point represents a candidate landmark point for mapping the environment, selection circuitry to select one or more of the plurality of candidate landmark points, the one or more selected landmark points corresponding to a subset of the plurality of candidate landmark points, and mapping circuitry to generate, for the environment, a map including one or more of the selected landmark points, where each landmark point included in the map is defined by a three dimensional position and the associated image information for that landmark point.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A data processing apparatus, comprising: receiving circuitry to receive a plurality of images of an environment captured from respective different viewpoints; detection circuitry to receive a user input specifying one or more regions in at least one of the plurality of images to be excluded from analysis, exclude the one or more regions from the at least one of the plurality of images, after the exclusion, detect a plurality of feature points in each one of the plurality of captured images, wherein at least one feature point is detected in a region of the at least one image that has not been excluded, and associate image information with each one of the plurality of feature points being indicative of an image property for the one of the plurality of feature points so detected within the one of the plurality of captured images after exclusion, wherein each detected feature point represents a candidate landmark point for mapping the environment; selection circuitry to select a subset of the plurality of candidate landmark points, the subset of the plurality of candidate landmark points to be used as a plurality of landmark points for use in generating a map; and mapping circuitry to generate, for the environment, the map comprising the plurality of landmark points, wherein each one of the plurality of landmark points is defined by a three dimensional position and the associated image information for that one of the plurality of landmark points.

Facts

Company
Sony (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)
Official title
Apparatus and method for localisation and mapping
Patent number
US12755485B2
Application number
17964985
Filed
Oct 13, 2022
Granted
Oct 6, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
20

Classified under

G06T 17/05 Physics & computingG02B 27/0172 Physics & computingG06T 7/62 Physics & computingG06T 7/70 Physics & computingG06V 10/44 Physics & computingG06V 10/764 Physics & computing

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.