Patents Examined by Rodney E Fuller
  • Patent number: 11720005
    Abstract: A camera mount is provided for photographing vehicles in photo booths or circular domed structures where an automated process captures a series of vehicle images, and uploads the captured images to a web template for display and recordation. The mount has an adjustable base that supports a camera and provides a range of camera angles, positions, and tilts as needed. The base is attached to an enclosure box of the mount, and the enclosure box attaches to a frame that affixes to an exterior portion of a wall of the photo booth and keeps the camera plumb and square. The mount allows for quick camera replacement without having to aim the camera. A single backup unit may be installed into any camera position no matter what tilt or angle the camera is set at. The mount has an automated shutter flap that hides the camera when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Carvana, LLC
    Inventor: Davo Scheich
  • Patent number: 11722774
    Abstract: A camera system includes a first camera unit and a second camera unit. The first camera unit may include a first actuator. The second camera unit may include a second actuator. The first actuator may move one or more components of the first camera unit to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functionality to the first camera unit. The second actuator may move one or more components of the second camera unit to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functionality to the second camera unit. The first camera unit may be configured to capture a first image of a first visual field. The second camera unit may be configured to capture, simultaneously with the first camera unit capturing the first image, a second image of a second visual field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shashank Sharma, Scott W. Miller, Aurelien R. Hubert
  • Patent number: 11714340
    Abstract: A camera assembly is configured to be worn on clothing. The camera assembly has a camera body further comprising at least one camera lens arranged against a front plate. At least one front plate magnet cavity and at least one front plate pin cavity are arranged on the front plate. At least one front plate magnet is arranged into the at least one front plate magnet cavity. At least one pin is arranged into the at least one front plate pin cavity. A rear body is configured to be arranged inside of the clothing. A rear plate is joined to the rear body. At least one rear plate magnet cavity and at least one rear plate pin cavity are arranged on the rear plate. The pin is inserted into the at least one rear plate pin cavity joining the camera body to the clothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventors: Ali-Khan Ibragimov, Rashan Samad Allen
  • Patent number: 11709217
    Abstract: Calibration data is determined for a reconstruction of image data from scan data acquired via a magnetic resonance system. This includes specifying acquisition shots for an acquisition of desired scan data in which acquisition shots scan data is acquired after radiating-in an RF excitation pulse, identifying first acquisition shots among the acquisition shots specified in which scan data is acquired in a central region in k-space, stipulating a sequence in which the specified acquisition shots are to be carried out such that first acquisition shots are arranged in the sequence in a starting portion to be carried out first, acquiring the scan data by carrying out the specified acquisition shots in the stipulated sequence, determining calibration data from scan data acquired in the starting portion of the sequence, and reconstructing image data using the acquired scan data and the specified calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Zeller, Gerald Mattauch
  • Patent number: 11703558
    Abstract: A method to compensate for chemical shift displacement includes, prior to applying an imaging pulse sequence to acquire MRI data of a subject, applying a first saturation pulse within a slice location of an imaging volume of the subject in which the MRI data is to be acquired, wherein the first saturation pulse results in a first chemical shift displacement between water and fat in a first spatial saturation band. The method also includes, prior to applying the imaging pulse sequence, subsequently applying a second saturation pulse within the slice location, wherein the second saturation pulse results in a second chemical displacement between the water and the fat in a second spatial saturation band that results in a final spatial saturation band being free of chemical shift displacement after application of the second saturation pulse, the second chemical shift displacement being different from the first chemical shift displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventor: Hao Shen
  • Patent number: 11698432
    Abstract: A main magnetic field correction method for a magnetic resonance imaging system includes: obtaining an estimated image of a phantom based on a first imaging sequence, the first imaging sequence having a variable resonant frequency; pre-correcting a main magnetic field based on the estimated image; obtaining a scanned image of the phantom based on the pre-corrected main magnetic field; and determining whether the quality of the scanned image is within an acceptable range, and if not, returning to the step of obtaining the estimated image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: GE Precision Healthcare LLC
    Inventors: Qilin Lu, Xihui Ju, Tao Wang, Kun Wang
  • Patent number: 11693298
    Abstract: A camera body at which one or more camera accessories, at which light from a subject enters, are detachably mountable, includes: a body-side terminal; and a communication unit that communicates with at least one of the camera accessories, wherein: the communication unit requests, via the body-side terminal, the camera accessory for a discriminating signal indicating whether or not another camera accessory capable of communicating with the camera body is mountable on a subject side of the camera accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiko Kawai
  • Patent number: 11693294
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a main body having an imaging element; a rectangular display disposed along one surface of the main body; and a hinge unit that movably connects the display to the main body. The hinge unit includes a support portion connected to the main body so as to be rotationally movable about a first axis by a pair of first hinges on the first axis extending along one of two sides of the display which are at right angles to each other. The display is supported by the support portion so as to be rotationally movable about a second axis by a pair of second hinges on the second axis extending along other of the two sides of the display which are at right angles to each other. One of the pair of first hinges is disposed between the pair of second hinges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Takagi
  • Patent number: 11693072
    Abstract: In a MR water-fat image separation method and device, within one echo period, a first echo set under a first readout gradient polarity and a second echo set under a second readout gradient polarity are acquired. The first and second readout gradient polarities may be opposite, and echoes in the first echo set may be positionally one-to-one symmetric to echoes in the second echo set with respect to the echo center of the echo period. A first echo image set is obtained based on first echo set data acquired in each echo period, and a second echo image set is obtained based on second echo set data acquired in each echo period. Using the first and second echo image sets, a Dixon water-fat separation calculation is performed to obtain a water image and a fat image. The method and device can advantageously increase acquisition efficiency and the signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Shi Cheng, Kun Zhou, De He Weng
  • Patent number: 11686137
    Abstract: A hinge has a first component that pivotally supports a second component of the hinge. The first hinge component carries an energy harvesting switch having a movable operator such as a spring-projected plunger that is positioned to be depressed or otherwise moved by the second hinge component in response to relative pivotal movement of the first and second hinge components. If a gate is fastened to the second hinge component, at least some of the weight of the gate is transferred from the second hinge component to the first hinge component. When the gate is pivoted away from a closed orientation toward an open orientation, the second hinge component moves the operator of the energy harvesting switch thereby causing the energy harvesting switch to emit a radio frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ERGOMAT, INC
    Inventors: John Joseph Girard, Claus Munch Lendal
  • Patent number: 11675034
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging system comprises a field generation unit and a supporting structure for providing structural support for the field generation unit, wherein the field generation unit comprises at least one magnet for generating a B0 magnetic field and an opening configured to provide access to an imaging volume positioned in the B0 magnetic field along at least one direction and wherein the at least one direction is angled with respect to a main direction of magnetic field lines of the B0 magnetic field in the imaging volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS HEALTHCARE GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Mallett, Stefan Popescu, Adrian Mark Thomas, Stephan Biber, Matthias Gebhardt, Thorsten Speckner, Thomas Beck, Andreas Greiser
  • Patent number: 11675030
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining position and orientation (PnO) of an object within an environment and for automatically determining a hemisphere of the object relative to a source location using an electromagnetic tracking system and a non-magnetic tracking device. The method involves seeding two candidate PnO solutions, one in each hemisphere, based on initial data from the magnetic tracker. Then, as the sensor moves within the tracking volume, both the magnetic tracker and the non-magnetic tracking device are used to track changes in each of the candidate PnO solutions and to determine a correct one of the candidate PnO solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ALKEN Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Higgins, Henry E. Himberg, Allan G. Rodgers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11662409
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for determining a valid parameter dataset for a protocol for an MRT examination by a MRT facility. The apparatus includes an input facility for importing a set of parameters to be used for performing the MRT examination; an interface for capturing at least one system value which represents an availability of a system resource for the MRT examination; a processor for calculating system resources required to perform the MRT examination using the imported parameters, and for executing a prepare function, which checks whether, with regard to the captured system values, the imported parameters are implementable in the MRT examination. If the parameters are not implementable, the processor is configured to calculate a modifying function for modifying the imported parameters based on the current system values and the required system resources and modify the imported parameters in accordance with the calculated modifying function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Paul, Mario Zeller, Flavio Carinci
  • Patent number: 11660016
    Abstract: A magnet assembly for a portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system includes a former having a plurality of slots and a plurality of magnet blocks configured to create a single-sided permanent magnet. Each of the plurality of magnet blocks are positioned in one of the plurality of slots of the former. The arrangement of the plurality of magnet blocks is configured to optimize homogeneity over a target field of view for brain imaging and to form a cap-shaped configuration to be positioned on a head of a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick McDaniel, Lawrence L. Wald
  • Patent number: 11656025
    Abstract: A resilient housing for a monitoring system includes a plurality of retention features, and a body that extends between the plurality of retention features and has a first end and a second end. The body includes a support surface that is defined between the plurality of retention features by elongated walls and end walls and a rear attachment surface. A resilient housing for a monitoring system further includes a coupling layer that is disposed on the rear attachment surface of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Zachary J. Saylor
  • Patent number: 11647267
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having extendibility. The image pickup apparatus includes a front case that forms an apparatus appearance, a rear case that forms the apparatus appearance with the front case, and panel members. At least one of the front case and the rear case has arms that extend in a direction approximately parallel to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and that are united with at least one of the front case and the rear case. The front case and the rear case are connected through the arms. The panel members are fixed to the front case and the rear case so as to cover openings formed in a state where the front case and the rear case are connected through the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Manami Gunji, Takeshi Hamada, Takao Kimura
  • Patent number: 11639980
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of an object (10) positioned in an examination volume of a MR device (1). It is an object of the invention to enable fast spiral MR imaging with a defined T2 contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Miha Fuderer, Elwin De Weerdt
  • Patent number: 11630171
    Abstract: A method is for automatic interaction with a patient during a magnetic resonance examination with a magnetic resonance apparatus. In an embodiment, the method includes detecting an acoustic utterance of the patient; processing the acoustic utterance of the patient via a speech processor, the processing of the acoustic utterance including at least determining the communication as a function of the acoustic utterance and checking the communication for a correlation with a parameter of the magnetic resonance examination; determining the output as a function of the communication of the patient and the parameter of the magnetic resonance examination and providing the output. A magnetic resonance apparatus of an embodiment includes at least a processor to carry out an embodiment of the method. The method can further be stored on a computer program product or medium for execution by a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventor: Maria Kröll
  • Patent number: 11619695
    Abstract: In a Method and a device for magnetic resonance imaging of a subject using a spoiled gradient echo sequence, a B0 magnetic field strength of at most 1.5 T is used during the sequence. As part of the sequence a slice select gradient acting as a spoil gradient is played out. Substantially simultaneously with the slice select gradient a predetermined RF pulse is played out in the sequence, wherein a time-bandwidth product of the RF pulse is set so that a majority of the energy of the RF pulse is transmitted in its central main lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: David Grodzki, Gregor Koerzdoerfer, Mathias Nittka
  • Patent number: 11609486
    Abstract: A base plate for the mounting thereon of photographic equipment includes leveling screw assemblies securely attached to the base plate. Each leveling screw assembly includes a leveling screw and a controlling mechanism for housing and retaining the leveling screw while enabling the leveling screw to: (a) be deployed at various selected angles relative to the base plate to grip an underlying surface; (b) be rotated to enable up-down motion between the leveling screws and the base plate; and (c) be retracted to a predetermine position alongside the base plate for safe storage and ease of reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventors: Larry J Tiefenbrunn, Merin Swasey