Patents Examined by Mark Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9293110
    Abstract: Methods for setting mutually dependent parameters of a microprocessor controlled medical apparatus are disclosed. Mutually dependent parameters may be set by displaying mutually dependent parameter settings, displaying possible values for at least one parameter setting, whereby limits of the range of possible values is mutable and is automatically determined based on the current parameter settings, adjusting a parameter setting upon manual selection by an operator, automatically determining and displaying the value of at least one parameter setting depending on the parameter setting that is adjusted by the operator, whereby the determination of the dependent parameter setting is based on a stored relationship between parameter settings, implementing the set of adjusted parameter settings by actuating a batch setting acceptance operation, and operating the medical apparatus based on the set of adjusted parameter settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: B. BRAUN AVITUM AG
    Inventors: Sandor Dolgos, Robert G. Schin, Peter Szamko, Gabor Kinoranyi
  • Patent number: 9292957
    Abstract: Described herein are methods, systems, apparatuses and products for portable virtual characters such as virtual characters. One embodiment provides a method for providing a virtual character, including: storing, in device memory, a listing of at least one mobile device having at least one device component selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a camera, and a microphone; and transferring, using a processor, to a mobile device information to permit an instantiation of a mobile device version of a virtual character on the mobile device, the instantiation of the virtual character on the mobile device including at least one virtual character attribute matching the at least one device component selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a camera, and a microphone. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: William Valentine Zajac, III
  • Patent number: 9292969
    Abstract: Systems and methods of determining the volume and dimensions of a three-dimensional object using a dimensioning system are provided. The dimensioning system can include an image sensor, a non-transitory, machine-readable, storage, and a processor. The dimensioning system can select and fit a three-dimensional packaging wireframe model about each three-dimensional object located within a first point of view of the image sensor. Calibration is performed to calibrate between image sensors of the dimensioning system and those of the imaging system. Calibration may occur pre-run time, in a calibration mode or period. Calibration may occur during a routine. Calibration may be automatically triggered on detection of a coupling between the dimensioning and the imaging systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Franck Laffargue, Patrice Thebault, Jeffrey Mark Hunt
  • Patent number: 9292941
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for procedural modeling are described for generating procedural models and exploring procedural model space. Common procedural components (models, modules, and methods) and a hierarchical framework are described that may be used to construct hierarchical procedural models. A model may comprise a hierarchy of one or more modules. Each module includes a sequence of methods and an optional geometry for display. A method may be controlled by one or more parameters. The values of the parameters may be specified via curves. A module description may be condensed into a single array of values for parameters of the module. Thus, a model or module may be specified by filling in values for arrays of parameters for the sequence of methods. An interpolation technique for interpolating between models is described in which models are matched according to a cost function so that ancestry is preserved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Radomir Mech, Jerry O. Talton, III
  • Patent number: 9292052
    Abstract: An information display method for an electronic device is provided, wherein the electronic device includes a display apparatus, a processor and a sensor unit. The display apparatus displays at least a stacked icon composed of a plurality pieces of information. The information display method includes processing the sensing signal received from the sensor unit by the electronic device. According the sensing signal, a launching signal is provided by the processor. According the launching signal, the stacked icon is spread out by the processor to display each piece of the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Wei-Ling Hsu, Ming-Che Weng, Yu-Jen Huang, Hong-Tien Wang, Shi-Kuan Chen
  • Patent number: 9285871
    Abstract: A system for generating an augmented reality environment in association with one or more attractions or exhibits is described. In some cases, a see-through head-mounted display device (HMD) may acquire one or more virtual objects from a supplemental information provider associated with a particular attraction. The one or more virtual objects may be based on whether an end user of the HMD is waiting in line for the particular attraction or is on (or in) the particular attraction. The supplemental information provider may vary the one or more virtual objects based on the end user's previous experiences with the particular attraction. The HMD may adapt the one or more virtual objects based on physiological feedback from the end user (e.g., if a child is scared). The supplemental information provider may also provide and automatically update a task list associated with the particular attraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
  • Patent number: 9275495
    Abstract: Representing a transparent object as a summation of substantially zero step functions of a visibility curve for the object. An array may be used to store nodes to represent the visibility function. The size of the array may be limited to be storable within a memory of an on-chip graphics processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Marco Salvi, Jefferson D. Montgomery, Aaron Lefohn
  • Patent number: 9275477
    Abstract: A shading method and computer graphics system are provided in which a path of light is reflected at a given object from a virtual light source. The path of light reaches a given eye point is sampled. A distribution function for a surface of the object is obtained using the sampled path of light, and arithmetic processing is performed such that a maximum value of the distribution function is less than or equal to a predetermined value. In this regard, an estimated specular roughness of the surface of the object is obtained by setting the distribution function to be less than or equal to the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yusuke Tokuyoshi, Shinji Ogaki
  • Patent number: 9277367
    Abstract: Methods and devices for generating an augmented reality output are described. In one aspect, the method includes: obtaining camera data from a camera associated with an electronic device, the camera data defining an image representing a card having a graphic disposed thereon; obtaining sensor data from a sensor associated with the electronic device; and generating an augmented reality output on an output interface based on the sensor data and the graphic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: James Allen Hymel
  • Patent number: 9275484
    Abstract: Examples disclose selecting an error calculation corresponding to a measure of goodness of fit and identifying a fit type among multiple fit types based on the selected error calculation. The identified fit type indicates a better fit type of goodness of fit than the multiple fit types. The examples further disclose providing the goodness of fit based on the selected error calculation and the identified fit type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Timothy James Wessman, Gregory Thorn Springer
  • Patent number: 9277207
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a left eye image input unit configured to input a left eye image (L image) which is a left eye image signal applied to three-dimensional image display, a right eye image input unit configured to input a right eye image (R image) which is a right eye image signal applied to three-dimensional image display, a parallax information generating unit configured to generate parallax information from the left eye image (L image) and the right eye image (R image), and a virtual view point image generating unit configured to receive the left eye image (L image), the right eye image (R image), and the parallax information, and generate virtual view point images including a view point image other than view points of the received LR images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Suguru Ushiki, Masami Ogata
  • Patent number: 9269007
    Abstract: An in-vehicle display apparatus in a vehicle includes a region recognition circuit and an image output circuit. The region recognition circuit recognizes a target plane region in scenery ahead of the vehicle; the target plane region corresponds to a continuous region having (i) a flatness equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value and (ii) an area size equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The image output circuit displays a driving information picture as a virtual image using a liquid crystal panel such that a driver of the vehicle views the virtual image in the target plane region within a displayable region through a windshield of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sei Iguchi
  • Patent number: 9257098
    Abstract: An apparatus is configured to detect one or more particular user inputs from respective one or more positions, each position associated with a respective edge region of a display; and upon detection of the one or more particular user inputs, modify at least a portion of a foreground view on the display to create a peep-hole within the foreground view in the portion, the foreground view comprising first content data associated with a foreground application and the peep-hole comprising second content data. In this way, the peep-hole may be considered to replace parts of the foreground view with second content data. Corresponding methods and computer programs are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Jan Peter Erik Eskolin, Juha Henrik Arrasvuori
  • Patent number: 9251620
    Abstract: There is provided a method and system for fast pattern interpolation with parallel coherent random walk searching. The system includes a system processor and a system memory, and an image processing application stored in the system memory. The image processing application, under control of the system processor, is configured to receive first and second pattern exemplars and a blend map for merging the first and second pattern exemplars, and to utilize a correspondence search process to determine first and second target images for use in producing a composite image. The first and second target images correspond respectively to the first and second pattern exemplars. In addition, a constraint imposed on the correspondence search process by the image processing application is based on the blend map for merging the first and second pattern exemplars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Eisenacher, Svetlana Akim
  • Patent number: 9251116
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement, method, and program product for compressing and decompressing data in a node of a system including a plurality of nodes interconnected via an on-chip network. Compressed data may be received and stored at an input buffer of a node, and in parallel with moving the compressed data to an execution register of the node, decompression logic of the node may decompress the data to generate uncompressed data, such that uncompressed data is stored in the execution register for utilization by an execution unit of the node. Uncompressed data may be output by the execution unit into the execution register, and in parallel with moving the uncompressed data to an output buffer of the node connected to the on-chip network, compression logic may compress the uncompressed data to generate compressed data, such that compressed data is stored at the output buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam J. Muff, Paul E. Schardt, Robert A. Shearer, Matthew R. Tubbs
  • Patent number: 9251607
    Abstract: Mechanisms for more efficiently and accurately performing anti-aliasing techniques. A bounding box for a line can be generated that includes both a central region of the line and one or more boundary regions that have various levels of opacity. Vertices for the bounding box can be provided to any of a variety of appropriate entities to interpolate pixel locations within the bounding box and to determine various levels of opacity for pixels, such as vertex shaders and/or pixel shaders. Various techniques can be used to determine a pixel's membership value within one or more of the boundary regions of a bounding box, such as using a distance from an edge of a central region to a center of the pixel and/or an area of the pixel that is located inside the boundary region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Philip S. Milne, Chet Haase, Gilles Debunne
  • Patent number: 9244526
    Abstract: Provided is a display control apparatus controlling display of a transmissive display which includes a screen configured to transmit light arriving from an object located on a side of a first surface so that the object is viewable from a viewpoint position set on a side of a second surface which is an opposite surface to the first surface and which displays a display object to be stereoscopically viewed. The display control apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating a relative positional relation between the transmissive display and the object, and a display control unit that changes, in accordance with a change in the relative positional relation in the position information, a depth of the display object from the screen perceived from the viewpoint position, the display object being displayed to be stereoscopically viewed by the transmissive display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuro Noda
  • Patent number: 9245312
    Abstract: In one embodiment, when an image is displayed on an electronic device, the image may be panned from one portion to another portion based on information associated with the image or a user viewing the image. In some embodiments, the image may pan starting from a leftmost user in the image and moving to the rightmost user in the image. In some embodiments, the image may pan starting from a specific user near the center of the image and zooming outward until the entire image is displayed. In some embodiments, the image may pan starting from a first user in the image having a highest affinity with the user viewing the image, and ending with a second user in the image having a lowest affinity with the user viewing the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Matas
  • Patent number: 9245377
    Abstract: A method for rendering radiance for a volumetric medium is provided. A photon simulation produces a representation of photon beams in a scene. The photon beams are rendered with respect to a camera viewpoint, by computing an estimated radiance associated with the photon beams. A global radius scaling factor can be applied to obtain different radii for the photon beams. Over multiple applications of these steps, the global radius scaling factor can be decreased, thereby reducing overall error by facilitating convergence. Finally, the renderer can be efficiently implemented on the GPU as a splatting operation, for use in interactive and real-time applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: PIXAR
    Inventors: Wojciech Jarosz, Derek Nowrouzezahrai, Robert Thomas, Peter-Pike Sloan, Matthias Zwicker
  • Patent number: 9244940
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to allowing users to create their own image navigation experiences. As an example, a set of panoramic images may be identified using manual and/or automated methods. One or more suggested potential paths connecting ones of the panoramic images may be determined. This information may be displayed to a user with an interface that allows the user to create and change relationships between the panoramic images. For example, users may activate the suggested paths and create connections between the panoramic images of the set. Users may also draw their own connecting paths between panoramic images. The panoramic images and the connections between them may be used to provide a navigation experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Donsbach, John Isidoro, Jeffrey Scott Beis, Evan Rapoport, Ping Hsin Chen