Patents Examined by Randolph Chu
  • Patent number: 8417030
    Abstract: A method of image edge enhancement comprises: determining the edge trend for an image in accordance with the second order gradient value of a center pixel in different directions; performing interpolation operation with the center pixel; calculating absent color component of pixels; performing edge enhancement for the image in the interpolation module in accordance with original color component of the center pixel and the image edge trend based on the Bayer data. The image edge enhancement process takes into account the influence of the green component values of different pixels surrounding the center pixel, and adopts a noise-resistant, self-adaptive edge enhancement algorithm, to suppress noise on the image edge. Thus, the resulting image has a clear image edge. In addition, the fact that the process performs image edge enhancement in the interpolation module based on the Bayer data can significantly reduce the consumption of memory space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: BYD Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mao Peng, Wenge Hu, Jingjun Fu
  • Patent number: 8300984
    Abstract: A method of displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes steps of obtaining map data for rendering the map to be displayed on the wireless communications device, generating corrected map data by applying a spherical correction factor to the obtained map data, and rendering the corrected map data to display the map on a display of the wireless communications device. The spherical correction factor corrects for map distortions that occur at northerly (or southerly) latitudes. Since the spherical correction factor is a simple correction to a 3×3 transformation matrix, this spherical correction can be easily applied without taxing the CPU limitations of small handheld devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Gordon Gregory Bowman, Gerhard Dietrich Klassen
  • Patent number: 8009929
    Abstract: A digital camera includes a tri-axial acceleration sensor. The CPU determines a direction of the camera at a time of image capturing, on the basis of a gravitational direction which is detected by the tri-axial acceleration sensor, calculates a parameter for projection-correcting a captured image in a predetermined direction on the basis of the direction of the camera, and corrects a distortion of the captured image by using the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichi Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8005313
    Abstract: An edge enhancing apparatus includes: an edge detector, for determining an edge direction of an image region corresponding to a target pixel; and a pixel value determining module, coupled to the edge detector, for obtaining a plurality of pixel values of a plurality of pixels and an initial pixel value of the target pixel according to the edge direction, and performing a calculation on the plurality of pixel values and the initial pixel value to generate a calibrated pixel value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chi-Feng Wang, Chia-Wei Yu, Yen-Hsing Wu
  • Patent number: 8000505
    Abstract: The age class of a human subject is ascertained in a digital image. The subject has a redeye defect pair; each defect having one or more defect pixels. In the method, two regions of pixels corresponding to the defects are identified. The distance between the regions is measured. A region size is determined, based upon the size of at least one of the regions. An age class is determined from the distance and region size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Andrew C. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 7991235
    Abstract: A light compression method that error diffuses image data provided with luminance and chrominance channels. During error diffusion, a higher number of bits are allocated to the luminance channel. A decompression method for the image data based on sigma filtering is also provided. By manipulating the bits in the luminance and chrominance color spaces, the image output quality may be increased in reconstructed images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Zhigang Fan, Francis Tse, John Christopher Cassidy
  • Patent number: 7991215
    Abstract: An element splitting method to be applied to a finite element analysis. The method includes: splitting the object region by a Delaunay triangulation by using the coordinate of the point on the boundary line, as a nodal point; disposing circles not to intersect with one another, in the object region, by a Monte Carlo method, the Lawson's search algorithm and a predetermined function; provisionally moving the center coordinate of the one circle by specifying six circles having minimum intervals from one circle by the Monte Carlo method, to adopt the center coordinate after movement when the value of the degree of dispersion ? after the movement falls below that before the movement; and splitting the object region by a Delaunay triangulation by using the coordinate of the point on the boundary line and the center coordinate, as nodal points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomonaga Okabe, Hideki Sekine, Toshimichi Ogisu
  • Patent number: 7978914
    Abstract: The invention relates to an image processing system for omnidirectional reading of optical patterns, for example of one-dimensional and two-dimensional codes. One object is to provide an image processing system which ensures high resolution with rapid processing at the same time in order, in particular, to allow processing in video real time and to provide reliable identification of the image information, in particular reliable and low-error edge detection, segmentation and object association. According to the invention, this is achieved by the use of a plurality of convolvers, which operate in parallel and/or using the time-division multiplexing method, for convolution of the digital image data, of a neighborhood processor (90) for reading and linking contour points (22), and/or of a statistical processor for reading a segment list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Baumer Optronic GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Beikirch, Sergej Fedorenko, Dittmar Schwarz, Joachim Ihlefeld, Lutz Wenert
  • Patent number: 7974451
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a diffusion weighted image processing apparatus or the like which can correct a distortion of a diffusion weighted image requiring smaller endurance on a patient in a diffusion weighted image processing method for correcting distortion of a diffusion weighted image. The diffusion weighted image processing apparatus has a correcting device which relatively corrects, with mutual reference among two or more diffusion weighted images having different directions of gradient field pulses during imaging, distortions occurring in the directions of the gradient field pulses during the imaging of the diffusion weighted images, the distortion being caused by the gradient field pulse of the diffusion weighted image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Ziosoft, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7965907
    Abstract: A medical image handling system includes a monitor for displaying a medical image, an input device for inputting an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and a processor. The processor judges the presence or absence of an image reading report corresponding to the medical image displayed on the monitor, and restricts a change of the medical image in a case where the image reading report is judged as being absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Takekoshi
  • Patent number: 7957589
    Abstract: A display device performs the fractional part of gamma translation by using a logarithm lookup table. The logarithm of an image data value is found in a look-up table. The retrieved result is multiplied by the fractional portion of the power, and a search in the look up table for this product produces an index related to the desired result. In another embodiment, rather than a search of the first look up table, a second inverse logarithm look up table is used to produce the desired result by looking up the exponentiation of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael H. Anderson
  • Patent number: 7949182
    Abstract: An image processing system includes: an image capture device operable to capture at least first and second images of an object at different exposures, a storage for at least part of the at least first and second images, a filter for splitting the at least first and second images into respective first and second spatial frequency components, the first frequency component being of lower frequency than the second, a selector for selecting local image intensity data from the second spatial frequency components of a region of the at least first and second images for combination with the first frequency component from the corresponding region of the first image, and a combiner for combining the selected local image data from the second spatial frequency components of the at least first and second images with the first spatial frequency component of the first image to form a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen Pollard, Andrew Hunter
  • Patent number: 7941000
    Abstract: An image of a physical object is produced by receiving a plurality of raw images, dividing the plurality of raw images into a first subset of primary images and a second subset of secondary images according to a predetermined criterion. From the first subset of primary images an intermediate image is determined while from the second subset of secondary images a mask image is determined. Afterwards a registration of the intermediate image and the mask image is performed by using direct registration of predetermined features present in the intermediate image and the mask image. A fused image of the physical object is generated out of the mask image and the intermediate image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Maria Johannes Rongen, Nicolaas Hylke Bakker, Herman Stegehuis, Peter Willem van den Houten, Raoul Florent
  • Patent number: 7933460
    Abstract: In a decoding method of decoding encoded image data which has been hierarchically encoded in advance, a size of an image to be outputted is determined, and then the encoded image data is decoded up to a layer of hierarchy which is at least one layer more than a minimum number of layer/layers of hierarchy necessary to acquire an image of the determined size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuru Owada
  • Patent number: 7920754
    Abstract: A digital image filtering method and system are provided. A first matrix of a plurality of pixels is selected from a digital image to be displayed. The luminosity values of each of the pixels in the pixel matrix are analysed and the luminosity difference between the maximum and minimum luminosity values thereof is calculated. The central pixel of the matrix is then classified according to the luminosity difference in comparison to a predetermined threshold luminosity value, and the above selection, analysis and classification is repeated for each of the pixels of the image in turn. A target pixel is then selected from the classified pixels for further analysis, wherein a second pixel matrix of which the target pixel is the central pixel is selected, the classification of the pixels surrounding the target pixel in the second matrix is analysed, and the target pixel is filtered to an extent dependent upon the classification analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Pioneer Digital Design Centre Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7916911
    Abstract: Method and system for managing multiple impressions of a patient's jaw for an orthodontic treatment is provided. The method includes scanning at least a first impression and a second impression of same jaw for the orthodontic treatment; determining if the first jaw impression and the second jaw impression have distortion in different areas; selecting the first jaw impression or the second jaw impression as a base impression; and replacing a distorted tooth data from the base impression with data for the same tooth from a non-base impression. The method also includes scanning at least a first jaw impression for the orthodontic treatment; scanning a bite impression for the orthodontic treatment; matching the scanned first jaw impression with the scanned bite impression; comparing bite information with a tooth occlusal surface; and determining if reconstruction is to be performed on the tooth occlusal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivas Kaza, Bob Grove
  • Patent number: 7899264
    Abstract: The method of determining a focus measure from an image includes detecting one or more edges in the image by processing the image with one or more first order edge detection kernels adapted to reject edge phasing effects. A first measure of the strength of each of the edges, and the contrast of each of the edges may be determined. The method may include normalizing the first measure of the strength of each of the edges by the contrast of each of the edges to obtain a second measure of the strength of each of the edges, and resealing the second measure of the strength of each of the edges. The method may also include selecting one or more of the edges from the image in accordance with the second measure of their strengths, and calculating the focus measure from the second measure of the strengths of the selected edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Douglas Stewart
  • Patent number: 7899272
    Abstract: A method of recognizing an object in an image is provided using multi-sensor integration through conditionally optimal geo-scene generation and registration. At least two images, one of which is a conditionally optimum, ortho-rectified base image, are input and used to generate a geoscene using ground control points in a latitude-longitude geospatial domain. Georegistration of the geoscene produces a registered geoimage which may be output. A virtual geospatial information system database may be compiled from the georegistered images. A Virtual Transverse Mercator (VTM) projection is defined which allows processing of images falling on both sides of the equator or across traditional UTM boundaries. The georegistration process utilizes the union and the intersection of image pixels, and geooverlaying with interacting layers including geogrids and text layers, to define main body and background pixels to facilitate object recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventor: Shin-yi Hsu
  • Patent number: 7885483
    Abstract: An image alignment method includes: fetching at least two images; calculating a relative displacement between those adjacent images by utilizing a phase correlation algorithm; calculating an absolute displacement between any one of those images and the first image of those images; and computing a common area of those images by utilizing the relative displacement and the absolute displacement, then deleting remainder portions of the image excluding the common area. In the present invention, the phase correlation algorithm can be utilized to process numerous noise signals so as to get a higher precision of the image alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center
    Inventor: Gung-Chian Yin
  • Patent number: 7885475
    Abstract: A motion adaptive image processing apparatus includes a classifier to classify a current field of a sequence of in put fields into one or more class regions, a calculator to calculate a variance based on pixel values of pixels located in a predetermined region around a certain pixel of the current field, a threshold calculator to calculate a maximum variance and a minimum variance which are pre-set according to the one or more class regions, the threshold calculator calculating a threshold based on the calculated maximum variance and the minimum variance, a motion calculator to calculate a motion change of an image using a previous field and a next field of the current field in the sequence of the input fields, and a weight calculator to calculate the weight to be applied to the certain pixel based on the calculated threshold and the calculated motion change of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Seung-joon Yang