Patents Examined by Alex Liew
  • Patent number: 9870515
    Abstract: A system to identity at least a property of a substance located in an object, or located on a surface of the object, is generally described. The system may include an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) source arranged to selectively emit EMR at more than one wavelength to illuminate the surface of the object. The system may include an EMR sensor arranged to sense EMR returned from the surface and to use the returned EMR to provide an output signal that represents an image taken of the surface, the image including a plurality of pixels. The system may include a processor system arranged to compare information that is indicative of the output signal of the EMR sensor with reference information indicative of the property of the substance. The processor system may be arranged to select a first wavelength to illuminate the surface by the EMR source, and subsequently select at least one further wavelength based on whether the information concerning the property is obtained as a result of use of a preceding wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventor: Cameron Cooke
  • Patent number: 9854990
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a brain disease diagnosis service apparatus including at least: a receiving unit for receiving an image of a subject to be diagnosed; a preprocessing unit for estimating a transformation matrix in order to align a predetermined standard image with the image received by the receiving unit, and for applying the estimated transformation matrix to a predetermined standard brain region map, thereby generating an individual brain region map for the subject to be diagnosed; a feature point extracting unit for calculating a ratio occupied by brain lesions for each brain region in the individual brain region map, generated by the preprocessing unit, of the subject to be diagnosed, thereby extracting feature points; and a disability type determining unit for determining a disability type on the basis of the ratio of the brain lesions, calculated by the feature point extracting unit, for each brain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: THE ASAN FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Dong Wha Kang, Yong Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9858661
    Abstract: A method of measuring species diversity is provided. The method includes receiving a first image of a landscape and receiving a second image of a second landscape. The method also includes representing a portion of the first image as a first region of interest comprising a multiplicity of pixels and representing a portion of the second image as a second region of interest comprising a multiplicity of pixels. The method further includes comparing at least one textural feature of the first region of interest and the second region of interest and calculating the species diversity between the first landscape and the second landscape based on the comparison of the at least one textural features of the regions of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Rami Mangoubi, Matteo Convertino, Nathan Lowry, Mukund Desai
  • Patent number: 9852489
    Abstract: A watermark encoder receives a current video image together with current metadata associated with the current image. A metadata delay also makes available to the watermark decoder delayed metadata associated respectively with four or more of the preceding. Then the watermark encoder modifies pixel values of the current image not only to encode the current metadata but also the delayed metadata. At a decoder, if metadata for the current image is corrupted or missing, it can be recovered from one of the succeeding images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Snell Advanced Media Limited
    Inventor: Jonathan Diggins
  • Patent number: 9852332
    Abstract: A system for capturing image data for gestures from a passenger or a driver in a vehicle with a dynamic illumination level comprises a low-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in an environment with an illumination level below an illumination threshold, a high-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in the environment with the illumination level above the illumination threshold, and an object recognition module for activating the sensors. The object recognition module determines the illumination level of the environment and activates the low-lux sensor if the illumination level is below the illumination threshold. If the illumination level is above the threshold, the object recognition module activates the high-lux sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., EDGE 3 TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Pedram Vaghefinazari, Stuart Masakazu Yamamoto, Ritchie Winson Huang, Josh Tyler King, Tarek El Dokor
  • Patent number: 9843805
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing device including a selection section configured to select, from a plurality of transform units with different sizes, a transform unit used for inverse orthogonal transformation of image data to be decoded, a generation section configured to generate, from a first quantization matrix corresponding to a transform unit for a first size, a second quantization matrix corresponding to a transform unit for a second size from a first quantization matrix corresponding to a transform unit for a first size, and an inverse quantization section configured to inversely quantize transform coefficient data for the image data using the second quantization matrix generated by the generation section when the selection section selects the transform unit for the second size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Velos Media, LLC
    Inventor: Kazushi Sato
  • Patent number: 9842275
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to calculate comparison result information through a comparison process performed on the results of a census transform process performed on a first image and the results of the census transform process performed on a second image, set weight information, calculate a cost using the comparison result information and the weight information, calculate the amount of disparity using the cost, set a first weight having as low degree of contribution to the cost on a neighboring pixel which is determined to be affected by noise to a large extent among a plurality of neighboring pixels, and set a second weight having a high degree of contribution to the cost on a neighboring pixel which is determined to be affected by noise to a small extent among the plurality of neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Asako Seki
  • Patent number: 9836839
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for determining a presence and an amount of an analyte in a biological sample. The systems and methods for determining the presence of an analyte utilize a plurality of images of a sample slide including multiple fields-of-view having multiple focal planes therein. The systems and methods utilize algorithms configured to color and grayscale intensity balance the plurality of images and based thereon determine if the plurality of images contain the analyte therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOKITAE LLC
    Inventors: Cary Richard Champlin, Charles Delahunt, Matthew P. Horning, Liming Hu, Shawn Keith McGuire, Courosh Mehanian, Clay Matthew Thompson, Benjamin K. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9836819
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an image capture, curation, and editing system that includes a resource-efficient mobile image capture device that continuously captures images. The mobile image capture device is operable to input an image into at least one neural network and to receive at least one descriptor of the desirability of a scene depicted by the image as an output of the at least one neural network. The mobile image capture device is operable to determine, based at least in part on the at least one descriptor of the desirability of the scene of the image, whether to store a second copy of such image and/or one or more contemporaneously captured images in a non-volatile memory of the mobile image capture device or to discard a first copy of such image from a temporary image buffer without storing the second copy of such image in the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Donsbach, Benjamin Vanik, Jon Gabriel Clapper, Alison Lentz, Joshua Denali Lovejoy, Robert Douglas Fritz, III, Krzysztof Duleba, Li Zhang, Juston Payne, Emily Anne Fortuna, Iwona Bialynicka-Birula, Blaise Aguera-Arcas, Daniel Ramage, Hugh Brendan McMahan, Oliver Fritz Lange, Jess Holbrook
  • Patent number: 9830533
    Abstract: Embodiments focus on the real-time processing and analysis of event-related images posts on social media. By computing the most posted images and grouping them in accordance to their similarity, these images can be organized in a visual interface to provide the users an image-driven social media topic detection system. The groups of images with the highest frequency represent the most prominent topics. By keeping track of the temporal occurrence of the images, it is possible to visualize the temporal evolution of the topics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paulo Rodrigo Cavalin, Maira Athanazio de Cerqueira Gatti, Carlos Mendes, Luis Gregorio Moyano, Claudio Santos Pinhanez
  • Patent number: 9832456
    Abstract: To extend the working range of depth from defocus (DFD) particularly on small depth of field (DoF) images, DFD is performed on an image pair at multiple spatial resolutions and the depth estimates are then combined. Specific implementations construct a Gaussian pyramid for each image of an image pair, perform DFD on the corresponding pair of images at each level of the two image pyramids, convert DFD depth scores to physical depth values using calibration curves generated for each level, and combine the depth values from all levels in a coarse-to-fine manner to obtain a final depth map that covers the entire depth range of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ernest Yiu Cheong Wan
  • Patent number: 9830713
    Abstract: A system and related method for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles and other targets aboard an aircraft scans a region proximal to the aircraft with a network of image sensors attached to the aircraft exterior. Visual processors detect potential targets and determine location data associated with the targets based on the captured images, sending the captured images and associated location data to a visual display system for display to a pilot or crew of the aircraft along with cueing symbology. The visual display system may include a cockpit-mounted heads-down display, a monocular, binocular, or head-tracking helmet-mounted display, or an offboard mobile device. The system may scan a 3-D space around the aircraft or a proximal 2-D section of terrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad A. Walker
  • Patent number: 9824451
    Abstract: A system for determining a camera pose relative to an object including a unique feature may include a monocular camera configured to produce an image of the object, and a processing unit in operative communication with the monocular camera. The processing unit may be configured to: identify the unique feature of the object in the image produced by the monocular camera, synthesize at least four points along a contour of the object in the image using the identified unique feature as a starting point, synthesize a same number of points as synthesized in the image along a contour of the object in a reference model, the reference model preprogrammed into a memory of the processing unit, correlate the points from the reference model to the image, and determine a pose of the monocular camera based on the correlated points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Michelle Crivella, Philip Freeman
  • Patent number: 9826213
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided that relate to using one or more vision sensors to capture images of a loaded pallet in association with application of stretch wrap to the loaded pallet by an automated pallet wrapping machine. The images are used to generate an image-based identifier for the loaded pallet that is then used for pallet identification by mobile robots and/or other automated agents in a warehouse or other environment. In some implementations, the images are captured by the vision sensor when the pallet is in the wrapping area of the automated pallet wrapping machine and while the vision sensor and/or the pallet are rotating. In some implementations, the image-based identifier may be assigned to pallet attributes and/or a de-palletizing scheme of the loaded pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: Jared Russell, Julian MacNeille Mason
  • Patent number: 9819969
    Abstract: A method for encoding at least one extra bit in an image compression and decompression system. The method includes accessing an input image, and compressing the input image into a compressed image using an encoder system, wherein said encoding system implements an algorithm for encoding at least one extra bit. The method further includes communicatively transferring the compressed image to a decoding system, and decompressing the compressed image into a resulting uncompressed image that is unaltered from said input image, wherein the algorithm for encoding enables the recovery of the at least one extra bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Walter E. Donovan, Marilyn J. Lang
  • Patent number: 9811722
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sign language recognition are described to include circuitry to detect and track at least one hand and at least one finger of the at least one hand from at least two different locations in a room, generate a 3-dimensional (3D) interaction space based on the at least two different locations, acquire 3D data related to the at least one detected and tracked hand and the at least one detected and tracked finger, extract 3D features associated with the at least one detected and tracked hand and the at least one detected and tracked finger, analyze a relevance metric related to the extracted 3D features, classify at least one pattern from each of the at least two different locations based on a fusion of data outputs by the circuitry, and generate a recognized sign language letter based on the fusion of the data outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Mohamed Mohandes, Mohamed Abdelouaheb Deriche, Salihu Oladimeji Aliyu
  • Patent number: 9805472
    Abstract: Various aspects of a system and method for smoke detection during an anatomical surgery are disclosed herein. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the method is implementable in a surgical scene analysis engine, which is communicatively coupled to an image-capturing device that captures one or more video frames. The method includes the estimation of a partially visible region in a current video frame, based on a temporal difference between the current video frame and a previous video frame from the one or more video frames. Thereafter, one or more candidate pixels are detected in the estimated partially visible region in the current video frame. Further, a smoke region is determined in the partially visible region, based on pruning of one or more candidate pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chen-Rui Chou, Ming-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 9805292
    Abstract: Techniques for providing image search templates are provided. An image search template may be associated with an image search query to aid the user in capturing an image that will be appropriate for processing the search query. The template may be displayed as an overlay during an image capturing process to indicate an appropriate image capturing pose, range, angle, or other view characteristics that may provide more accurate search results. The template may also be used in the image search query to segment the image and identify features relevant to the search query. Images in an image database may be clustered using characteristics of the images or metadata associated with the images in order to establish groups of images from which templates may be derived. The generated templates may be provided to users to assist in capturing images to be used as search engine queries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Troy Chinen, Ameesh Makadia, Corinna Cortes, Hartwig Adam, Nemanja Petrovic, Teresa Ko, Sebastian Pueblas
  • Patent number: 9798954
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting image anomalies include extracting one or more detected images from a submission file received from at least one computing device and generating an image identification (ID) for each of the one or more images. One or more image quality indices are determined for the submission file based on at least one of predetermined image features, an image type of the one or more images, and submission file attributes, and one or more image anomalies associated with the one or more images of the submission file are detected based on at least one of the image ID and the one or more image quality indices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wenhua Liu, Ming Xiong
  • Patent number: 9786070
    Abstract: A CT system for security check and a method thereof are provided. The method includes: reading inspection data of an inspected object; inserting at least one three-dimensional (3D) Fictional Threat Image (FTI) into a 3D inspection image of the inspected object, which is obtained from the inspection data; receiving a selection of at least one region in the 3D inspection image including the 3D FTI or at least one region in a two-dimensional (2D) inspection image including a 2D FTI corresponding to the 3D FTI, wherein the 2D inspection image is obtained from the 3D inspection image or is obtained from the inspection data; and providing a feedback of the 3D inspection image including at least one 3D FTI in response to the selection. With the above solution, it is convenient for a user to rapidly mark a suspected object in the CT image, and provides a feedback of whether a FTI is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: NUCTECH COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Chen, Li Zhang, Shuo Wang, Yunda Sun, Qingping Huang, Zhi Tang