Patents Examined by Charles L Beard
  • Patent number: 9972121
    Abstract: Images may be automatically annotated with place identifiers based on textual metadata associated with the images. The quality of these place identifiers may be scored based on a number of different factors. For example, these annotations may also include confidence and topicality values indicative of the relationships between the place identifier and the text as well as topics of the text of the textual metadata. Images that also have additional location information that includes GPS coordinates or a location specified by a user, may be used to evaluate the quality of a given place identifier, combination of confidence and topicality values, and the overall annotation system. These valuations may, in turn, be used to score the quality of such automatic annotations of other images that do not have such additional location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Wenfeng Li, Allen Hutchison
  • Patent number: 9965893
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing shading operations of a three-dimensional model, such as a three-dimensional model of a geographic area, are provided. According to aspects of the present disclosure, shading operations can be performed based on a curvature of the polygon mesh such that smooth surfaces still appear smooth after shading and such that sharp edges still appear sharp after shading. In particular, a curvature-driven normal is used for shading operations that takes into account the local curvature of the polygon mesh. A curvature factor can be obtained for each vertex in the polygon mesh. The curvature factor for each vertex can be a scalar value that describes the degree of local curvature in the mesh polygons connected at the vertex. The curvature-driven normal for each fragment can be determined based on the curvature factors associated with the vertices in the polygon mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC.
    Inventor: John Carl Anderson
  • Patent number: 9959670
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for rendering a multi-resolution terrain using GPU tessellation. A method for rendering a terrain using GPU tessellation according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: generating a quad patch to which an inner tessellation factor and an edge tessellation factor are allocated by using a quadtree including a parent node and child nodes; generating a base mesh b using the quad patch; and restoring a terrain by applying a displacement map to the base mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Jung-Hyun Han, Hyeong Yeop Kang, Han Young Jang
  • Patent number: 9892506
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media that can perform novel and effective flattening of an image are provided. The flattening can be based on quasiconformal mapping. Such mapping can be used to straighten the main landmark curves with least conformality (angle) distortion. This technique can be referred to as quasiconformal straightening (QCS), and it can provide a canonical and straightforward view of convoluted surfaces. The computation can be based on the holomorphic 1-form method with landmark straightening constraints and quasiconformal optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: The Florida International University Board of Trustees
    Inventors: Wei Zeng, Yijun Yang
  • Patent number: 9865086
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for generating a multi-dimensional surface model of a geometric structure. The system includes a device including at least one sensor configured to collect a set of location data points corresponding to respective locations on or enclosed by a surface of the geometric structure, and a computer-based model construction system coupled to the device. The computer-based model construction system is configured to generate a working volume based on the set of location data points, calculate a dilated field for the working volume, define a dilated surface based on the dilated field, calculate an eroded field for the working volume based on the dilated surface, and define an eroded surface based on the eroded field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: ST. JUDE MEDICAL, CARDIOLOLGY DIVISION, INC.
    Inventors: Cable Patrick Thompson, Daniel Richard Starks
  • Patent number: 9842428
    Abstract: A method for dynamically configuring a graphics pipeline system. The method includes determining an optimal pipeline based on: estimating one or more of memory power consumption and computation power consumption of storing and regenerating intermediate results based on graphics state information and one or more factors; determining granularity for the optimal graphics pipeline configuration based on the graphics state information and the one or more factors; collecting runtime information for primitives from graphics pipeline hardware including factors from tessellation or using graphics state information for determining geometry expansion at an output of one or more shader stages; and determining intermediate results to save from a previous processing pass by comparing memory power consumption needed to save the intermediate results with computation power as well as memory power needed for regenerating the intermediate results in one or more later tile rendering passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhenghong Wang
  • Patent number: 9842424
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for rendering scene volumes having scene dependent memory requirements. A image plane used to view a three dimensional volume (3D) volume into smaller regions of pixels referred to as buckets. The number of pixels in each bucket may be determined based on an estimated number of samples needed to evaluate a pixel. Samples are computed for each pixels in a given bucket. Should the number of samples exceed the estimated maximum sample count, the bucket is subdivided into sub-buckets, each allocated the same amount of memory as was the original bucket. Dividing a bucket in half effectively doubles both the memory available for rendering the resulting sub-buckets and the maximum number of samples which can be collected for each pixel in the sub-bucket. The process of subdividing a bucket continues until all of the pixels in the original bucket are rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventor: Florian Hecht
  • Patent number: 9824479
    Abstract: The present invention relates to rendering texts in a natural language, namely to manipulating a text in a natural language to generate an image or animation corresponding to this text. The invention is unique mainly in that a sequence of animations is selected, semantically corresponding to a given text. Given a set of animations and a text, the invention makes it possible to compare the sequence of these animations to this text. It is unique in that text templates are used and an optimum sequence of these templates is determined. The idea of the template-based text rendering consists in that the text is manipulated to generate an image or animation with the aid of searching correspondences to a limited number of predefined templates. An animation according to certain style is selected in compliance with each template. Animations are sequentially combined into a single sequence of video images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventors: Timur N. Bekmambetov, Sergei V. Kuzmin, Anton A. Novosyolov
  • Patent number: 9805662
    Abstract: A hybrid phase-in method mitigates the flicker and rolling artifact based on screen change detection or the combination of screen change detection and image spatial analysis. It applies, for example, to solutions that involve backlight and pixel modulation including global dimming and local dimming. If it is full screen change, then no phase-in is needed and the backlight and pixel change can be applied instantly. If it is partial screen change, then content type and spatial image analysis may be used to decide whether to use phase-in or not. The spatial image analysis concept provides additional useful information besides the image brightness analysis for display backlight power saving solutions to make better tradeoffs between power saving and visual quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Yanli Zhang
  • Patent number: 9798856
    Abstract: An imaging visualization workstation (30) includes a graphical display device (32) and an electronic data processor, and is configured to perform a method including: spatially registering a biopsy sample extracted from a medical subject with a medical image (12) of the medical subject; combining the medical image with a graphical representation of information (20, 22) generated from the biopsy sample to generate a combined image in which the graphical representation is spatially delineated based on the spatial registration of the biopsy sample; and displaying the combined image on the graphical display device of the imaging visualization workstation. A method comprises extracting a biopsy sample spatial sample from a medical subject, processing the biopsy sample to generate biopsy information, acquiring a medical image of the subject, spatially registering the biopsy sample with the medical image, and displaying the medical image modified to include an annotation generated from the biopsy information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Nilanjana Banerjee, Sitharthan Kamalakaran, Vinay Varadan, Angel Janevski, Nevenka Dimitrova
  • Patent number: 9786090
    Abstract: A system (10) for displaying at least one virtual object includes a secondary screen (20) for displaying the virtual object, a primary screen (30), an optical element for overlaying images displayed on the secondary screen (20) with images displayed on the primary screen (30), and a pointing surface combined with the primary screen (30) for detecting the contact of one or more physical pointing elements. A device (90) for manipulating at least one virtual object includes calculation elements for generating images of the virtual object displayed on the system (10) from information output from the system (10) in accordance with the actions of the operator (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: INRIA—INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET EN AUTOMATIQUE, IMMERSION
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste De La Riviere, Christophe Chartier, Martin Hachet, Benoit Bossavit, Gery Casiez
  • Patent number: 9779521
    Abstract: A system and method of a gravity point drawing that simulate a physical model to draw or modify vector curves. A node is identified in a drawing of a graphical application. A size of a predefined space around the node and an intensity value associated with the node are determined. The intensity value affects the curvature of a vector curve in the predefined space. The vector curve is generated in the predefined space. The curvature of the vector curve is based on the size of the predefined space and the intensity value associated with the node in the drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Dongfang Gou
  • Patent number: 9767606
    Abstract: For automatic modification of augmented reality objects, a processor identifies an object of interest displayed by an augmented reality device. The processor identifies an obstruction object that obscures viewing the object of interest within the augmented reality device. The processor further selects one or more of the obstruction object and the object of interest to modify in accordance with a mitigation policy. In addition, the processor modifies the selected object in accordance with the mitigation policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Robert James Kapinos, Justin Tyler Dubs, Axel Ramirez Flores, Russell Speight VanBlon
  • Patent number: 9741150
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for displaying representative images within a collection viewer is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a notification indicating a new orientation for the collection viewer, computing a current animation state for a current animation sequence associated with the collection viewer, identifying representative images to render in an animation frame, and generating an animation frame by rendering one or more rendered representative images in place, according to the animation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Duelight LLC
    Inventors: Adam Barry Feder, William Guie Rivard, Brian J. Kindle
  • Patent number: 9721039
    Abstract: A relationship visualization system displays contextual information for a relationship between two entities of a document management system, such as for a user and a document. The system can receive a request for a relationship visualization from a user, such that the request indicates the user and a document. Then, the system determines, from a multipartite graph, a set of relationship paths coupling entity nodes that correspond to the user and the document. A relationship path can include one or more entity nodes indicating contextual information for the relationship between the user and the document. Then, the system selects a first group of entity nodes from the set of relationship paths to represent the relationship between the user and the document. The system then provides a relationship visualization that displays contextual information from the first group of entity nodes to illustrate the relationship between the user and the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Eric A. Bier, Oliver Brdiczka
  • Patent number: 9640103
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for converting data capable of enhancing sharpness without deterioration of picture quality, and a display apparatus using the same, wherein the apparatus for converting data is provided in the display apparatus with a plurality of unit pixels, each unit pixel with red, green, blue and white sub-pixels, and the apparatus for converting data includes a 4-color data generator for generating 4-color data of red, green, blue and white colors for each unit pixel based on 3-color input data of red, green and blue colors of an input image; and a sharpness enhancer for enhancing sharpness of the input image by correcting white sub-pixel data of the unit pixel corresponding to an edge portion of the input image by a luminance variation of adjacent unit pixels based on white sub-pixel data for each unit pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Min Park, Dong Woo Kang, Tae Seong Han, Sung Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 9633458
    Abstract: In a graphics processing pipeline, a processing unit establishes a bounding box around a polygon in order to identify sample points that are covered by the polygon. For a given sample point included within the bounding box, the processing unit constructs a set of lines that intersect at the sample point, where each line in the set of lines is parallel to at least one side of the polygon. When all vertices of the polygon reside on one side of at least one line in the set of lines, the processing unit may reduce the size of the bounding box to exclude the sample point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Walter R. Steiner, Eric Lum, Dale L. Kirkland, Steven James Heinrich, David Charles Patrick
  • Patent number: 9606992
    Abstract: Technology is described for resource management based on data including image data of a resource captured by at least one capture device of at least one personal audiovisual (A/V) apparatus including a near-eye, augmented reality (AR) display. A resource is automatically identified from image data captured by at least one capture device of at least one personal A/V apparatus and object reference data. A location in which the resource is situated and a 3D space position or volume of the resource in the location is tracked. A property of the resource is also determined from the image data and tracked. A function of a resource may also be stored for determining whether the resource is usable for a task. Responsive to notification criteria for the resource being satisfied, image data related to the resource is displayed on the near-eye AR display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin A. Geisner, Kathryn Stone Perez, Stephen G. Latta, Ben J. Sugden, Benjamin I. Vaught, Alex Aben-Athar Kipman, Jeffrey A. Kohler, Daniel J. McCulloch
  • Patent number: 9589000
    Abstract: A machine-implemented method includes establishing a virtual or augmented reality entity, and establishing a state for the entity having a state time and state properties including a state spatial arrangement. The data entity and state are stored, and are subsequently received and outputted at a time other than the state time so as to exhibit a “virtual history machine” functionality. An apparatus includes a processor, a data store, and an output. A data entity establisher, a state establisher, a storer, a data entity receiver, a state receiver, and an outputter are instantiated on the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: ATHEER, INC.
    Inventors: Sina Fateh, Ron Butterworth, Mohamed Nabil Hajj Chehade, Allen Yang Yang, Sleiman Itani
  • Patent number: 9532008
    Abstract: A display control apparatus includes a control unit of a client configured to specify a privacy mask zone in a panoramic area, display a graphic pattern larger than the specified privacy mask zone over the privacy mask zone, and accept an operation to shift the privacy mask zone corresponding to the displayed graphic pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Motoo Ohnishi