Patents Assigned to Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10339389
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to methods and systems for vision-based computation of ego-motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinyu Xu, Miao Liao, Petrus J. L. van Beek
  • Patent number: 10314083
    Abstract: An offloading controller for traffic offloading in a multi-radio-access-technology (RAT) network is described. The offloading controller includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. Instructions stored in the memory are executable to determine a channel utilization threshold based on a likelihood of packet collisions in a contention-based access network. The multi-RAT network comprises a centralized resource management network and the contention-based access network. The instructions are also executable to determine whether to offload one or more user equipments (UEs) on the contention-based access network to the centralized resource management network by comparing a current channel utilization of the contention-based access network and the channel utilization threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ishii
  • Patent number: 10289924
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for the correction of a warped page image. The method first accepts a camera image of a page, creates a filtered edge map, and identifies text-likely regions. The filtered edge map and text-likely regions are projected into a polar coordinate system to determine page lines and warped image page curves. An adaptive two-dimensional (2D) ruled mesh piecewise planar approximation of a warped page surface is created. A three-dimensional (3D) model is created using the adaptive 2D ruled mesh and the estimate of the camera focal length estimate. Using the 3D model, a 2D target mesh is created for rectifying the image of the page. In one aspect, the adaptive 2D ruled mesh is projected onto a 3D warped page surface using the estimated camera focal length and an estimated surface normal of each planar strip from the adaptive 2D ruled mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard John Campbell
  • Patent number: 10281280
    Abstract: A method is provided for selectively enabling inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors. The method comprises enabling a gyroscope of the IMU sensors for generating a device orientation output estimate, selectively enabling an accelerometer of the IMU sensors for improving the device orientation output estimate when a magnitude of an angular velocity is less than a centripetal velocity threshold, an accelerometer jitter error estimate is less than a gyroscopic orientation error estimate, a filled accelerometer filter length is less than a full length of an accelerometer filter, and a filled magnetometer filter length is less than a full length of a magnetometer filter. The method also includes enabling a magnetometer of the IMU sensors when the accelerometer is enabled, and an accelerometer gravitational error angle is less than a predetermined accelerometer gravitational error angle threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Bryan Severt Hallberg
  • Patent number: 10284864
    Abstract: A system for decoding a video bitstream includes receiving a frame of the video that includes at least one slice and at least one tile and where each of the at least one slice and the at least one tile are not all aligned with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seung-Hwan Kim, Christopher A. Segall, Jie Zhao
  • Patent number: 10274924
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for docking an actively stabilized platform. The platform includes an active stabilizing mechanism selectively engageable to orient the platform in at least a first axis of rotation. Once the docking procedure is initiated, a docking device engages the platform to prevent rotation in the first axis. When the docking device becomes fixedly engaged with the platform, the active stabilizing mechanism can be disengaged and the platform sustained in a first orientation defined by the first axis of rotation. In addition, the method may sustain the platform aligned in a first spatial position defined by at least two orthogonal axes. Similarly, if the docking device does not provide complete stability for the platform (i.e., engages the platform with a tolerance error), the active stabilizing mechanism can be partially engaged to minimize the tolerance error while minimizing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Dana Smith
  • Patent number: 10210602
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for normalizing a camera focal length. A perspective geometry estimator accepts a scanned image from a camera having an undefined focal length, and generates a normalized focal length estimate for the image. The normalized focal length estimate is compared to a normalized focal length density distribution. If the normalized focal length estimate meets a minimum threshold of probability, the normalized focal length estimate is selected and the image is processed using the selected normalized focal length estimate. If the normalized focal length estimate fails to meet the minimum threshold of probability, the image is processed using the highest probability prior normalized focal length from the normalized focal length density distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard John Campbell
  • Patent number: 10197400
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for calibrating an autonomous navigation system. According to a first aspect of the present invention, calibration of the autonomous navigation system may be controlled by a calibration map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Basil Isaiah Jesudason, Darin Joseph Haines, Ahmet Mufit Ferman
  • Patent number: 10194856
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a circuit and a method for the electrical data read-out of a large-area sensor flexible circuit. This circuit incorporates sensing elements of two types, and is therefore used for the measurement of two physical metrics associated with the etiology of pressure ulcers, one of which might be pressure. The flexible circuit is large enough to cover the area(s) of the human body. The flexible circuit comprises electrically of the following components: (a) a passive or active matrix array, and (b) its scanning/read-out circuitry. The matrix array (a) comprises further of (i) two electrodes for the sensing of pressure in each sensing element (sensel) of the array, and (ii) two electrodes for the sensing of another metric (temperature, moisture, pH, etc.) in each sensel. One electrode is shared (common) between the first (i) and the second (ii) sensor in the sensel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Themistokles Afentakis, Anne Sledd, Shivani Joshi
  • Patent number: 10175361
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for using a two-dimensional (2D) LiDAR for three dimensional (3D) laser mapping. The 2D-LiDAR is mounted in a chassis. The method laser ranges a planar slice of the environment. Simultaneous with laser ranging the planar slice, the 2D LiDAR chassis is rotated about an axis to create a 3D laser mapping of at least a portion of the environment. More explicitly, the 2D LiDAR may include a laser ranger with a planar actuator, typically the combination of a laser and a rotating mirror. In addition, the 2D LiDAR chassis is mounted on a reciprocating actuator. Thus, the step of laser ranging the planar slice includes laser ranging the planar slice in response to the planar actuator. The step of rotating the 2D LiDAR chassis includes rotating the 2D LiDAR chassis around an axis parallel to the planar slice, in response to the reciprocating actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Darin Haines, William Vojak, Gary Gaebel, John Thomas
  • Patent number: 10154289
    Abstract: A system for encoding and/or decoding a video bitstream that includes a base bitstream and enhancement bitstreams representative of a video sequence. The receiver receives a video parameter set and a video parameter set extension, where the video parameter set extension includes decoder picture buffer parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Sachin G. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 10116951
    Abstract: A decoder that decodes video receives a bitstream containing quantized coefficient level values representative of a block of video representative of a plurality of pixels and a quantization parameter related to the block of video. A de-quantizer of the decoder de-quantizing the quantized coefficient level values based upon the quantized coefficient level values, the quantization parameter, and a weighting matrix. The decoder inverse transforming the dequantized coefficients to determine a decoded residue, where the quantized coefficient level values provided to the de-quantizer do not contain data that results in any quantized element level value that exceeds the range of integer values from ?215?QP/6 to 215?QP/6?1, inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Louis Joseph Kerofsky
  • Patent number: 10110846
    Abstract: A system for frame rate conversion of a video that includes the use of key points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP LABORATORIES OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Xu Chen, Petrus J. L. Van Beek
  • Patent number: 10091819
    Abstract: An evolved NodeB (eNB) for transmitting signals in a Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) serving cell is described. The eNB includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. Instructions stored in the memory are executable to perform carrier sensing at least in a minimum clear channel assessment (MCCA) slot. A subframe includes N baseline MCCA timeslots, where N is a positive integer. The MCCA slot includes one of the baseline MCCA timeslots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhanping Yin, Toshizo Nogami
  • Patent number: 10085158
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) is described. The UE includes a higher layer processor configured to receive an RRC message for enhanced resource element group (EREG) configuration. The UE also includes a physical downlink control channel receiver configured to monitor an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) on the basis of a first EREG structure if the EREG configuration is not established, and to monitor the EPDCCH on the basis of a second EREG structure if the EREG configuration is established. All resource elements (REs) with number i in a physical resource block (PRB) pair comprise EREG number i.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshizo Nogami, Zhanping Yin
  • Patent number: 10070443
    Abstract: A wireless terminal device (30) is capable of operating both in a licensed radio frequency band and an unlicensed radio frequency band. The wireless terminal device (30) comprises processor circuitry (40) configured (1) to select a first requirement comprising at least a first rule governing utilization of the unlicensed radio frequency band and (2) to use a second requirement comprising at least a second rule for implementing the first rule of the selected first requirement. The first requirement may be a regional requirement and the second requirement may be an operator requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth James Park, John Michael Kowalski
  • Patent number: 10062152
    Abstract: A method for using a computing device for modifying a lower dynamic range image to a higher dynamic range image is described. According to the method, a lower dynamic range image including a plurality of pixels is analyzed by estimating a dark channel of the plurality of pixels of the lower dynamic range image. A histogram of the dark channel is analyzed by determining the brightest peak and a local minima of the histogram. Using the local minima of the histogram as a threshold for specular highlight determination, a binary mask for specular highlight determination is computed. A final mask is created by multiplying the luminance value of the lower dynamic range image with the binary mask. The final mask is then used to determine the higher dynamic range image. A system for converting a lower dynamic range image to a higher dynamic range image displays the higher dynamic range image on a higher dynamic range display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Anustup Kumar Choudhury, Xiao-Fan Feng, Petrus J. L. Van Beek
  • Patent number: 10063596
    Abstract: An electronic device for managing data associated with an audio communication is described. The electronic device includes a processor memory in electronic communication with the processor. Executable instructions are stored in the memory. The electronic device establishes an audio communication. The electronic device also receives data. The electronic device further determines whether the data is associated with the audio communication. The electronic device additionally performs an operation based on the data if the data is associated with the audio communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ishii
  • Patent number: 10054447
    Abstract: A navigation method comprises receiving data modeling an environment, finding an optimal path to a goal in the environment, and reporting the optimal path to a navigation system. An autonomous vehicle comprises a path-finding system configured to receive data modeling an environment to be traversed and to find an optimal path to a goal. The vehicle further comprises a navigation system configured to receive the optimal path and to formulate drive data for driving the vehicle along the optimal path. The vehicle further comprises a drive system configured to receive the drive data and to drive the vehicle along the optimal path. A navigation device comprises a path-finding system configured to receive data modeling an environment and to find an optimal path to a goal. The navigation device further comprises a display configured to receive the optimal path and to represent the optimal path in a human-readable format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Soonhac Hong
  • Patent number: 10048768
    Abstract: An electronic device for detecting input movement is described. The electronic device includes a processor. The processor is configured to obtain an acceleration signal from a finger-mounted device. The processor is also configured to obtain a rotation signal from the finger-mounted device. The processor is further configured to determine an input movement based on at least one peak of at least one of the acceleration signal and the rotation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Hong Jin, Atsushi Ishii