Patents Examined by James M Anderson, II
  • Patent number: 11354849
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that controls a virtual viewpoint corresponding to a virtual viewpoint image to be generated based on a plurality of images obtained by capturing an image capturing-target area from directions different from one another by a plurality of image capturing apparatuses and includes: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first position information indicating a watching position of the virtual viewpoint image; a second acquisition unit configured to acquire second position information indicating a position of interest to be included in the virtual viewpoint image and within the image capturing-target area; and a control unit configured to control the virtual viewpoint so that the virtual viewpoint comes close to the position of interest indicated by the acquired second position information from the watching position indicated by the acquired first position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoaki Arai
  • Patent number: 11350115
    Abstract: A transmission apparatus configured to mix, at a mixing rate, pixels of first video data with pixels of peripheral frames of the first video data and obtain second video data at a first frame rate. The mixing rate for each pixel of a frame of the first video data is based on a luminance value of the pixel. The second video data includes frames having a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate. The apparatus encodes the frames having the second frame rate to obtain a basic stream and encodes remaining frames of the second video data to obtain an extended stream, inserts information about the mixing rate into the basic stream and the extended stream in association with each frame, and transmits the basic stream and the extended stream into which the information about the mixing rate has been inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SATURN LICENSING LLC
    Inventor: Ikuo Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 11343431
    Abstract: A vehicle camera telemetry system has a remotely mountable camera apparatus which has a stem having a magnet for magnetic affixation to a metallic body of a vehicle in use. The apparatus further comprises a camera device connected from the distal end of the stem by an adjustable coupling. The stem may further be telescopic for length adjustment so as, for example, extend the length of the stem from less than 22 cm to greater than 29 cm. The camera device has an image sensor and a wireless transmitter for transmitting image data obtained therefrom to a connected mobile device using a wireless connection, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. As such, in use, the camera apparatus may be affixed to various parts of a vehicle and/or an associated trailer, caravan or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: THE TRAILER BUDDY PTY LTD
    Inventor: Bradley Tonkin
  • Patent number: 11340772
    Abstract: A device includes a memory storing a computer program and a processor configured to read the computer program to obtain a content including information acquired in a time sequence, extract characteristics at a plurality of time points from the information, determine a color or a brightness at each of the time points based on the characteristic at the time point, and generate drag bar images each corresponding to one of the time points and including a pixel having the color or the brightness at the one of the time points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ming Shao
  • Patent number: 11343575
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing system, an image processing method, and a program capable of suppressing confusion that may arise in a case where a target person is identified when tracking a person. An image processing system includes: a camera control unit which accepts input video images captured by a plurality of video cameras; a tracked person registering unit capable of registering one or more persons appearing in the video images inputted from the camera control unit; and a display screen generating unit which displays switchable windows of the video images inputted from the video cameras for each person registered by the tracked person registering unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11328404
    Abstract: An evaluation apparatus (10) includes an acquisition unit (110), an index computation unit (120), and a suitability computation unit (140). The acquisition unit (110) acquires arrangement information and environmental information. The arrangement information indicates at least any of position, orientation and field angle of an image capturing apparatus. The environmental information indicates an environment of a target region. The index computation unit (120) computes a surveillance index by using the arrangement information and the environmental information, the surveillance index indicating difficulty or easiness of surveilling a target object. The suitability computation unit (140) computes suitability of arrangement of the image capturing apparatus indicated by the arrangement information, based on the distribution of the surveillance index in the target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryoma Oami
  • Patent number: 11320642
    Abstract: This information processing apparatus includes: a search image acquisition unit that acquires enlarged images at focal positions different from each other; a first feature amount calculation unit that obtains, for each of the multiple captured enlarged images, a first feature amount based on a direct current component and a dynamic range of an alternating current component of pixel values for each of blocks forming each of the enlarged images; and an in-focus position determination unit that determines an in-focus position of each enlarged image based on the first feature amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takuya Oshima
  • Patent number: 11297286
    Abstract: An imaging system comprises two cameras and a processor. A first camera comprises a first grid of pixels configured to detect light in a broadband channel and a plurality of clusters of color filters sparsely arranged over the first grid of pixels. Each color filter passes light in a color channel to the grid of pixels. A second camera comprises a second grid of pixels configured to detect light in a broadband channel. The processor is configured to generate an aggregate image by combining a first image captured by the first camera and a second image captured by the second camera. The processor is also configured to add color values to the aggregate image based on color data captured by the first camera with the clusters of color filters. Additionally, the processor is configured to present the aggregate image with added color values on an electronic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Manoj Bikumandla, Andrew Matthew Bardagjy
  • Patent number: 11295553
    Abstract: A vehicle monitoring system is configured to monitor a scanning region depicting a subject and includes a monitoring apparatus configured to capture scanning data in the scanning region depicting the subject. A feedback apparatus is configured to communicate alignment information from a portion of the vehicle to the subject. The alignment information indicates an alignment of the subject in the scanning region. A concealment apparatus is configured to conceal the scanning apparatus and selectively transmit the alignment information from the feedback apparatus. The system further includes a controller configured to activate the feedback apparatus revealing the alignment information identifying the alignment of the subject within the scanning region of the monitoring apparatus. The controller is further configured to control the scanning apparatus to capture the scanning data of the subject and monitor the subject in the scanning data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bradley A. Bosma, David J. Cammenga, Ethan J. Lee, Brian G. Brackenbury, Danny L. Minikey, Jr., Mark R. Roth, Matthew W. Remijn, David M. Bostrom, Joshua D. Lintz
  • Patent number: 11286123
    Abstract: A bulk loading system for delivering bulk material to a storage compartment of a bulk transport vehicle through a hatch opening includes a movable positioner supporting an extendable loading spout assembly, a camera coupled to the positioner and a programmable logic controller communicatively coupled to the positioner, loading spout assembly and camera for automatically positioning the loading spout assembly over the hatch opening and filling the storage compartment of the vehicle with bulk material. The system provides accurate position information to a driver of the vehicle so that the vehicle and its storage compartments can be quickly positioned within a reach zone of the loading spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: DCL, Inc.
    Inventors: Reinhard Matye, Richard S. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11288506
    Abstract: A refrigerator appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet defining a chilled chamber, a door rotatably hinged to the cabinet, a camera module, and a controller. The camera module may be mounted to the cabinet. The controller may be operably coupled to the camera module. The controller may be configured to initiate an operation routine. The operation routine may include receiving a purchase invoice, initiating an item recognition sequence within the refrigerator appliance, generating an initial recognition attempt of a first stored item based on the item recognition sequence, comparing the initial recognition attempt of the first stored item to the purchase invoice, generating a modified recognition attempt of the first stored item based on the comparison of the initial recognition attempt the first stored item to the purchase invoice, and recording a descriptor of the first stored item to an inventory within the refrigerator appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Choon Jae Ryu, Michael Goodman Schroeder, Stephanos Kyriacou
  • Patent number: 11282223
    Abstract: Provided are a signal processing apparatus, a signal processing method, and an imaging apparatus for estimating depth with a high degree of accuracy from video signals of a plurality of cameras. The signal processing apparatus includes a detection unit that detects depth from video captured by a plurality of cameras, an estimation unit that estimates camera motion by detecting a camera position, a prediction unit that predicts present depth from camera motion and depth obtained previously, and a synthesis unit that synthesizes depth detected by the detection unit and depth predicted by the prediction unit on the basis of a result of estimating the amount of blur that occurs in each image captured by cameras. The amount of blur can be estimated using camera motion, previous depth information, and shutter time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nishi, Hideyuki Ichihashi, Yiwen Zhu, Masatoshi Yokokawa
  • Patent number: 11279283
    Abstract: Camera control systems and methods for providing a dynamic view of the environment outside of a vehicle are presented. One or more cameras are configured to capture at least one view of the environment outside of the vehicle. Control circuitry detects at least one of the speed of the vehicle and the pitch angle of the vehicle (e.g., by using a speedometer and inclinometer). The control circuitry selects a view angle based on the at least one of the speed of the vehicle and the pitch angle of the vehicle. The control circuitry then displays, based on an output of the at least one camera, a view of the environment outside of the vehicle from the selected view angle on a display of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Coburn, Mark Vinnels, Oliver Jeromin
  • Patent number: 11256013
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and devices use a controllable matrix filter to selectively obscure regions of an image sensor's field of view. The controllable matrix filter is a physical component that may be placed in front of an image sensor and, in certain situations, one or more regions of the otherwise transparent matrix filter may be selectively configured to have an increased optical density such that the one or more regions become opaque thereby blocking out certain regions of the image sensor's field of view. In this way, the controllable matrix filter may be used to mask out certain regions in an image sensor's field of view that may present processing difficulties for downstream systems that utilize information from the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Gruver
  • Patent number: 11245922
    Abstract: A video coder that uses a shared candidate list to encode or decode multiple blocks of pixels within a shared boundary is provided. The video coder identifies a shared boundary encompassing a plurality of blocks of pixels of a current picture in a video sequence. The video coder identifies one or more prediction candidates as a shared candidate list based on neighbors of a region defined by the shared boundary. The video coder codes one or more blocks of pixels encompassed by the shared boundary by using one or more prediction candidates selected from the shared candidate list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Chun-Chia Chen, Chih-Wei Hsu, Tzu-Der Chuang, Ching-Yeh Chen, Yu-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 11245816
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a surgical system, by which a captured image can be displayed with low latency in almost real time. A DMA controller 51 of a CPU 31 divides image data, which is input via an IF card 34, by the number of GPU cards 35-1, 35-2 in a horizontal direction and allocates them. In each of the GPU cards 35-1, 35-2, the image data is subjected to time division processing in the vertical direction. With this, the use of the plurality of GPU cards 35-1, 35-2 increases the speed of processing associated with display for the image data. High-speed display is realized due to reduction in latency. The present technology is applicable to an endoscopic camera, a surgical microscope, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahito Yamane, Tsuneo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11240498
    Abstract: Video coding may include identifying an input frame from an input video stream, generating, by a processor, an output bitstream by encoding the input frame, wherein encoding the input frame includes dividing the input frame into at least a first contiguous area of the input frame and a second contiguous area of the input frame, generating first encoded data by encoding the first contiguous area of the input frame, generating second encoded data by encoding the second contiguous area of the input frame, wherein encoding the second contiguous area of the input frame is performed independently of encoding the first contiguous area of the input frame, and including the first encoded data and the second encoded data in the output bitstream, and outputting the output bitstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Eric Ameres, James Bankoski, Scott Lavarnway, Yaowu Xu, Dan Miller, Adrian Grange, Paul Wilkins
  • Patent number: 11230236
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a vehicle bottom condition is provided. in which forward, left-side, right-side, and rear images of a vehicle are received from a camera unit of the vehicle, and traveling distance information of the vehicle is received from a sensor unit of the vehicle. The images received from the camera unit based on the traveling distance information received from the sensor unit are stored. A vehicle bottom image is then generated based on the stored image, the generated vehicle bottom image is matched with a surround view monitoring (SVM) image of the vehicle, and the SVM image matched with the vehicle bottom image is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Min Hyuk Oh, Kyo Woong Choo
  • Patent number: 11231377
    Abstract: An inspection device for inspecting explosive environments. The inspection device may include a camera and an intrinsic safety barrier. The intrinsic safety barrier may be configured to receive camera power and control signals and transmit intrinsically safe camera power and control signals to the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman System Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan G. Melton, Mark R. Eggett
  • Patent number: 11228709
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a support, a first camera, and second camera, and a processor. The support is configured to be mounted to a head of a user. The first camera is mounted on the support and positioned to capture a first image of a face of the user. The second camera is mounted on the support and positioned to capture a second image of the face of the user that is non-overlapping with the first image. The processor is mounted to the support and programmed to stitch the first image and the second image together to construct an image of the face of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Madhu Sudan Athreya, William J. Allen, Cheng I Huang