Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Timothy F. Loomis
  • Patent number: 8345743
    Abstract: Techniques for video encoding and decoding channel switch frames (CSF) to enable acquisition and re/synchronization of the video stream while preserving compression efficiency is provided. Systems and methods to process multimedia data enabling channel switching are presented. The systems generate a CSF with one or more network adaptation layer (NAL) units as a random access point (RAP) frame. Back-to-back frames are transmitted which include the CSF and a non-RAP frame, each having the same frame ID number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Fang Shi, Christopher John Bennett, Serafim S. Loukas, Jr., Brian William Orr, Vijayalakshmi R. Raveendran, Scott T. Swazey, Amnon Silberger, Thadi M. Nagaraj, Gordon Kent Walker, David Brackman, Fang Liu, Sumeet Singh Sethi, Ramkumar Sampathkumar
  • Patent number: 8315308
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to video coding techniques that support spatial scalability using a generalized fine granularity scalability (FGS) approach. Various degrees of spatial scalability can be achieved by sending spatially scalable enhancement layers in a generalized FGS format. Spatially scalable enhancement bitstreams can be arbitrarily truncated to conform to network conditions, channel conditions and/or decoder capabilities. Coding coefficients and syntax elements for spatial scalability can be embedded in a generalized FGS format. For good network or channel conditions, and/or enhanced decoder capabilities, additional bits received via one or more enhancement layers permit encoded video to be reconstructed with increased spatial resolution and continuously improved video quality across different spatial resolutions. The techniques permit spatial scalability layers to be coded as FGS layers, rather than discrete layers, permitting arbitrary scalability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Yiliang Bao, Yan Ye
  • Patent number: 8306336
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, apparatus are provided, including an image processor, a unique image processing mechanism, and a unique image processing activation mechanism. The image processor includes the unique image processing mechanism, which processes a certain type of image. The unique image processing activation mechanism causes the unique image processing mechanism to process a given image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiaoyun Jiang, Chinchuan Andrew Chiu, Shuxue Quan
  • Patent number: 8265349
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for automatic segmentation of a region-of-interest (ROI) video object from a video sequence. ROI object segmentation enables selected ROI or “foreground” objects of a video sequence that may be of interest to a viewer to be extracted from non-ROI or “background” areas of the video sequence. Examples of a ROI object are a human face or a head and shoulder area of a human body. The disclosed techniques include a hybrid technique that combines ROI feature detection, region segmentation, and background subtraction. In this way, the disclosed techniques may provide accurate foreground object generation and low-complexity extraction of the foreground object from the video sequence. A ROI object segmentation system may implement the techniques described herein. In addition, ROI object segmentation may be useful in a wide range of multimedia applications that utilize video sequences, such as video telephony applications and video surveillance applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Haohong Wang, Khaled Helmi El-Maleh
  • Patent number: 8265392
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for automatic segmentation of a region-of-interest (ROI) video object from a video sequence. ROI object segmentation enables selected ROI or “foreground” objects of a video sequence that may be of interest to a viewer to be extracted from non-ROI or “background” areas of the video sequence. Examples of a ROI object are a human face or a head and shoulder area of a human body. The disclosed techniques include a hybrid technique that combines ROI feature detection, region segmentation, and background subtraction. In this way, the disclosed techniques may provide accurate foreground object generation and low-complexity extraction of the foreground object from the video sequence. A ROI object segmentation system may implement the techniques described herein. In addition, ROI object segmentation may be useful in a wide range of multimedia applications that utilize video sequences, such as video telephony applications and video surveillance applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Haohong Wang, Khaled Helmi El-Maleh
  • Patent number: 8260288
    Abstract: A base station receives a first identifier (e.g., pseudo ESN) from the wireless device and assigns an index to the wireless device. The base station generates a second identifier (e.g., a dynamic ESN) for the wireless device based on the first identifier and the index. The second identifier is unique among all wireless devices communicating with the base station and may also be unique among other wireless devices communicating with other base stations. The base station generates a code (e.g., a PLCM) for the wireless device based on the second identifier. The wireless device generates the second identifier and the code in similar manner. The second identifier and code may be used for communication between the base station and the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventor: Henti Tung
  • Patent number: 8208758
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for region-of-interest (ROI) video processing based on low-complexity automatic ROI detection within video frames of video sequences. The low-complexity automatic ROI detection may be based on characteristics of video sensors within video communication devices. In other cases, the low-complexity automatic ROI detection may be based on motion information for a video frame and a different video frame of the video sequence. The disclosed techniques include a video processing technique capable of tuning and enhancing video sensor calibration, camera processing, ROI detection, and ROI video processing within a video communication device based on characteristics of a specific video sensor. The disclosed techniques also include a sensor-based ROI detection technique that uses video sensor statistics and camera processing side-information to improve ROI detection accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Haohong Wang, Shuxue Quan, Khaled Helmi El-Maleh, Chinchuan Andrew Chiu, Xiaoyun Jiang
  • Patent number: 8190015
    Abstract: In a method for reducing lens vibration in an image capture device, a lens movement requirement is broken up into N smaller lens move steps, and the lens is moved a first of the N smaller steps. A wait time is inserted after completing the first of the N smaller steps, and then the moving and inserting steps are repeated until the remaining N smaller move steps have been completed. The image capture device includes a voice coil motor for moving the lens under control of a controller in accordance with the lens movement requirement, which reflects a determined lens position. The voice coil motor includes springs which impart vibration to the lens during lens movement. The vibration imparted by the springs to the lens is thus actively dampened during the lens movement to the determined lens position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jingqiang Li, Young Lee, Dennis C. Lee
  • Patent number: 8171192
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the configuration of a device in a processing system are described. In one embodiment, a page size parameter associated with a memory device is identified. Further, one or more configuration parameters associated with the memory device are also identified, the page size parameter and the configuration parameters enabling access to the memory device. Finally, a request to download application data from the memory device based on the page size parameter and the one or more configuration parameters is transmitted to the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Srinivas Maddali, Steven James Doerfler, Elisha John Ulmer, Xinghui Niu
  • Patent number: 8150155
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to techniques for automatic segmentation of a region-of-interest (ROI) video object from a video sequence. ROI object segmentation enables selected ROI or “foreground” objects of a video sequence that may be of interest to a viewer to be extracted from non-ROI or “background” areas of the video sequence. Examples of a ROI object are a human face or a head and shoulder area of a human body. The disclosed techniques include a hybrid technique that combines ROI feature detection, region segmentation, and background subtraction. In this way, the disclosed techniques may provide accurate foreground object generation and low-complexity extraction of the foreground object from the video sequence. A ROI object segmentation system may implement the techniques described herein. In addition, ROI object segmentation may be useful in a wide range of multimedia applications that utilize video sequences, such as video telephony applications and video surveillance applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Khaled Helmi El-Maleh, Haohong Wang
  • Patent number: 8130726
    Abstract: For frequency bin error estimation, multiple hypotheses are formed for different frequency bin errors, pilot offsets, or combinations of frequency bin error and pilot offset. For each hypothesis, received symbols are extracted from the proper subbands determined by the hypothesis. In one scheme, the extracted received symbols for each hypothesis are despread with a scrambling sequence to obtain despread symbols for that hypothesis. A metric is derived for each hypothesis based on the despread symbols, e.g., by deriving a channel impulse response estimate based on the despread symbols and then deriving the metric based on the channel impulse response estimate. In another scheme, the extracted received symbols for each hypothesis are correlated, and a metric is derived based on the correlation results. For both schemes, the frequency bin error and/or the pilot offset are determined based on the metrics for all hypotheses evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Shimman Patel, Kuei-Chiang Lai, Seguei A. Glazko
  • Patent number: 8099072
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, apparatus are provided. A filter is provided to receive from an antenna a receive signal of a given type and a low noise amplifier is provided to amplify the received signal. A translator down translates the receive signal carried at a radio frequency to be carried at an intermediate frequency. An I/Q channel separator is provided to separate the receive signal carried at the intermediate frequency into an analog in-phase (I) signal in an I channel and an analog quadrature-phase (Q) in a Q channel. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is provided to respectively convert the I signal and the Q signal to digital domain representations of the I signal and the Q signal. An intermodulation (IM) distortion avoider is provided to avoid IM distortion in the receive signal. The IM distortion avoider includes a carrier frequency exchanger to exchange an IM carrier frequency of IM distortion contained in the receive signal with a carrier frequency of the receive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel F. Filipovic, Inyup Kang
  • Patent number: 8089486
    Abstract: A 3D graphics pipeline includes a prefetch mechanism that feeds a cache of depth tiles. The prefetch mechanism may be predictive, using triangle geometry information from previous pipeline stages to pre-charge the cache, thereby allowing for an increase in memory bandwidth efficiency. A z-value compression technique may be optionally utilized to allow for a further reduction in power consumption and memory bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Hugh Anderson, Dan Minglun Chuang, Geoffrey Shippee, Rajat Rajinderkumar Dhawan, Chun Yu
  • Patent number: 8081182
    Abstract: By locating the depth buffer of a 3D graphics rasterization pipeline in a dedicated high speed memory, bandwidth on a main bus can be eliminated that would otherwise result from hidden surface removal (HSR) hardware contained in the pipeline. Also, by reordering of read and write access commands to the depth buffer memory, it is possible to improve memory access throughput otherwise impacted by an increased latency of a read access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Hugh Anderson, Ann Chris Irvine
  • Patent number: 8078188
    Abstract: This disclosure describes audio mixing techniques that allow a user to select between two different audio signals for output in a perceptual foreground of a combined output. As an example, the two different signals may comprise a music audio and a phone call audio. In this case, the music audio and phone call audio may be initially combined such that the phone call is delivered in the perceptual foreground and the music audio is delivered in a perceptual background. However, a user is able to switch the music to the foreground and the phone call to the background by actuating a user input device. In this way, after receiving a telephone call, if a user wants to move the phone call into a perceptual background in favor of music in the foreground, the user is able to achieve this result, e.g., at the press of a button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Matthew Zivney
  • Patent number: 8068148
    Abstract: The disclosure describes flicker detection and correction techniques to improve the quality of captured imagery, such as video or still images. In particular, this disclosure describes flicker correction techniques that compare different image frames to detect flicker. In some embodiments, the comparisons involves summing intensity values associated with rows within the frames and comparing the row sums to generate a difference signal. Detection and correction of flicker may be performed using a first derivative of the difference signal. The first derivative of the difference signal can be used in variety of ways to detect and correct flicker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Noyes, Jingqiang Li
  • Patent number: 8064110
    Abstract: An imaging system generates a gain for a component of an image format. The gain is at least partially dependent on the brightness of the light source illuminating a scene when an image of the scene was generated. The gain can be used to correct the component of the image format for the color shift in the image caused by the light source. In some instances, the imaging system generates a gain for a plurality of the components of the image format or for all of the components of the image format. The gains can be used to correct the components for the color shift in the image caused by the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Xie Noyes, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Patent number: 8045981
    Abstract: Techniques for efficiently performing system search to obtain service from a wireless system as quickly as possible are described. A terminal initially looks for service from a first (e.g., W-CDMA) system. The terminal identifies network(s) in the first system from which service was received in the past and performs acquisition on each network to look for service. If service is not found for the first system, then the terminal performs a search for a second (e.g., GSM) system. If service is found on the second system, then the terminal obtains service from the second system and avoids a frequency scan for the first system. Otherwise, the terminal performs a frequency scan for the first system using the search results for the second system. The terminal may obtain a list of RF channels detected for the second system and may omit these RF channels and possibly some other RF channels around these RF channels from the frequency scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Bhupesh Manoharlal Umatt, Messay Amerga, Vineet Mittal
  • Patent number: 8045021
    Abstract: This disclosure describes an organizational scheme for memory that is useful for image processing. A memory controller architecture is also described, which takes advantage of the organizational scheme. The organizational scheme and controller architecture is particularly useful for high performance, high quality image processing of images that form a video sequence, but may also be applied in other image processing settings. The described techniques and organizational structure of the memory also allows the memory to be shared for other storage applications of a video device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Cheung, Stephen Molloy
  • Patent number: 8041057
    Abstract: This disclosure describes audio mixing techniques that intelligently combine two or more audio signals into an output signal. The techniques allow audio to be combined, yet create perceptual differentiation between the different audio signals. The result is that a user is able to hear both audio signals in a combined output, but the different audio signals do not perceptually interfere with one another. The techniques are relatively simple to implement and are well suited for radio telephones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Pei Xiang, Eddie L. T. Choy, Prajakt V. Kulkarni, Samir Kumar Gupta