Patents Examined by Thai Tran
  • Patent number: 9998179
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply for an inductive power transfer (IPT) system, comprising a current-fed push-pull resonant converter comprising a parallel-tuned resonant tank and a pair of switches enabling selective shorting of the resonant tank; and a controller adapted to control a shorting period of the resonant converter by selectively operating the switches. Methods for controlling an IPT power supply are also disclosed. The power supply may be controlled to regulate the output of an IPT pick-up inductively coupled with the power supply in use, or to operate at a zero voltage switching (ZVS) frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: AUCKLAND UNISERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: David Budgett, Aiguo Hu, Bob Wang
  • Patent number: 9992486
    Abstract: An alignment, on a first projector, of a second projector, including: activating the projectors to project respective circles; transmitting projected image data from pictures of the projections to an analysis device that identifies respective centers of the projected circles and transmits adjustment commands the second projector to make the projected circle centers coincide. The analysis device: identifies at least one first and one second pair of projected-image zones, each zone of a pair including an arc of a circle, and the zones, pairwise, being spaced a maximum distance apart; identifies luminous intensity extrema in respective profiles of spatial distribution of luminous intensity; deduces spatial co-ordinates of points corresponding to said intensity extrema; defines spatial co-ordinates of the medium between the two points of the first pair and of the medium between the two points of the second pair, to deduce therefrom spatial co-ordinates of the center of the circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Highlands Technologies Solutions
    Inventor: Francois Helt
  • Patent number: 9990730
    Abstract: The invention relates generally to edge detection and presentation in thermal images. Infrared and visible light images comprising at least partially overlapping target scenes are analyzed. An edge detection process is performed on the visible light image to determine which pixels represent edges in the target scene. A display image is generated in which some pixels include infrared image data and in which pixels corresponding to edges in the visible light image include a predetermined color and do not include corresponding infrared image data to emphasize edges. Edge pixels in the display image can include exclusively the predetermined color, or in some examples, a blend of a predetermined color and visible light image data. Methods can include replacing one or the other of visible light edge pixels or corresponding infrared pixels with the predetermined color before combining the visible light and infrared image data to create a display image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Fluke Corporation
    Inventors: Peter A. Bergstrom, Kirk R. Johnson, James T. Pickett
  • Patent number: 9992443
    Abstract: Techniques and devices for acquiring and compressing timelapse video are described. The techniques are adaptive, in that the acquisition frame rate is adapted and captured images are periodically deleted during filming. To implement the method, a user need not know ahead of time how long the source video will be acquired. Regardless of the acquisition time, the resulting video is automatically edited to provide a timelapse clip of a predefined length or of a length within a predefined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Justin S. Titi, Jeffrey A. Brasket, Elliott B. Harris, Johnnie Manzari, Graham Clarke
  • Patent number: 9989448
    Abstract: At least some embodiments of the technology are directed to an automated slide processing apparatus configured to apply at least one reagent to a specimen carried by a microscope slide. The slide processing station can include a support element with a support surface, at least one vacuum port, and a sealing member having a non-round shape. In an uncompressed state, the sealing member can extend upwardly beyond the support surface. In a compressed state, the sealing member can be configured to maintain an airtight seal with a backside of the microscope slide as the microscope slide is pulled against the support surface by a vacuum drawn via the at least one vacuum port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Luke Dyson-Holland, Daniel C. Malberg, Timothy B. McDonald, Donald M. Barnett, Kevin D. Marshall, John Willems, Timothy Durrant, Simon Spence, Benjamin James, Joshua David Kenneth Harrison, Matthew Ketterer, Brian Kram
  • Patent number: 9992421
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a movement detector detecting movement of the apparatus, a subject detector detecting a subject, a setting unit setting a mode for controlling a zoom operation which is enabled as a first mode or second mode, and a controller controlling the zoom operation based on the enabled mode. In the first mode, the controller controls the zoom operation based on at least one of position or size of the detected subject. In the second mode, the controller performs a first zoom operation for changing a zoom magnification to a wide-angle side when a movement amount of the apparatus is a first amount larger than a predetermined amount and performs a second zoom operation for changing the zoom magnification to a telephoto side when a movement amount of the apparatus detected after execution of the first zoom operation is a second amount smaller than the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Tsubusaki
  • Patent number: 9992471
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating high resolution dewarped images for an image of a document captured by a 3D stereo digital camera system, or a mobile phone camera capturing a sequence of images, which may improve OCR performance. Example embodiments include a compact stereo camera with two sensors mounted at fixed locations, and a multi-resolution pipeline to process and to dewarp the images using a three dimensional surface model based on curve profiles of the computed depth map. Example embodiments also include a mobile phone including a camera which captures a sequence of images, and a processor which computes a disparity map using the captured sequence of image frames, computes a model of the at least one document page by generating a cylindrical three dimensional geometric surface using the computed disparity map, and renders a dewarped image from the computed model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Patrick Chiu, Michael Patrick Cutter, Chelhwon Kim, Surendar Chandra
  • Patent number: 9989451
    Abstract: A method for analyzing porosity of a particle and a medium disposed in the porosity of the particle. A video-holographic microscope is provided to analyze interference patterns produced by providing a laser source to output a collimated beam, scattering the collimated beam off a particle and interacting with an unscattered beam to generate the interference pattern for analyzation to determine the refractive index of the particle and a medium disposed in the porosity of the particle to measure porosity and the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Fook Chiong Cheong, Ke Xiao, David Pine, David G. Grier
  • Patent number: 9984727
    Abstract: The application provides an electronic tagging and playback system and methods of use for displaying files associated with tagged interest items. System embodiments may comprise an electronic tag storing a tag ID and disposed on at least one user interest item. A communications device may have a tag scanner in communication with a playback application activatable by the user for retrieving the tag ID when the tag scanner is in a proximity zone of the tag. A playback database may link to the playback application and may contain a playback file associated with the tag ID. The user may upload the playback file for a number of purposes, including memory enhancement, displaying a reminder, and/or assisting with language learning. The playback file may be any appropriate file displayed by the communication device when the playback application is activated and after the tag ID has been retrieved. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventors: Bryant E. Walters, Brent C. Walters, Gregory Lee Walters, Jonathan A. Mai
  • Patent number: 9984726
    Abstract: A data transmission method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: generating a plurality of MPUs, reference clock time information, and leading clock time information indicating a leading PTS that is a clock time at which a leading access unit in the MPU is presented, transmitting the generated plurality of MPUs, reference clock time information, and leading clock time information, wherein the leading clock time information indicates the leading PTS of the plurality of MPUs of which presentation is started after the leading clock time information is transmitted in the generated plurality of MPUs, and each of the generated plurality of MPUs indicates a time point at which each access unit that does not exist in a head of the MPU is presented as a relative value to a time point of another access unit in the MPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SUN PATENT TRUST
    Inventors: Tadamasa Toma, Noritaka Iguchi, Takahiro Nishi, Hisaya Katou
  • Patent number: 9984725
    Abstract: An editing method comprises: generating, from a material data which is generated according to a first time and which a first time range to be specified, a playback data that is to be played back according to a second time different from the first time, and locating a second time range, which includes the material data within the first time range, in the playback data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GVBB HOLDINGS S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamasaki, Yasunori Nii, Yoshiharu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9986253
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a reproduction device, a reproduction method, and a recording medium that enable content having a wide dynamic range of brightness to be displayed with an appropriate brightness. A recording medium, on which the reproduction device of an aspect of the present technology performs reproduction, records coded data of an extended video that is a video having a second brightness range that is wider than a first brightness range, brightness characteristic information that represents a brightness characteristic of the extended video, and brightness conversion definition information used when performing a brightness conversion of the extended video to a standard video that is a video having the first brightness range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamamoto, Toshiya Hamada, Kuniaki Takahashi, Shinobu Hattori
  • Patent number: 9979924
    Abstract: A system includes a processing device and a personal communication device. The processing device may be configured to (i) be mounted in a vehicle, (ii) detect conditions indicative of an accident, (iii) communicate collected data to the personal communication device via a wireless protocol, and (iv) initiate an emergency call using the personal communication device. The personal communication device may be configured to upload at least a portion of the collected data to a remote location in response to the emergency call being initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Ambarella, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Fink, Shimon Pertsel
  • Patent number: 9976968
    Abstract: There is provided a crack detection system in which a crack can be detected from a strain distribution of a part to be detected of an object. After taking the image of the part to be detected of the detection object by the imaging unit, the heat is applied by the heating unit. Furthermore, image of the part to be detected are taken again and an image analysis unit analyzes the images before and after applying the heat to acquire a strain distribution of the part to be detected, so that the crack can be detected based on difference in a state of strain between a place where the crack exist and the other place. Therefore, taking the images of the part to be detected including its coating layer enables the analysis to progress without removing the coating layer to detect the crack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: SAGA UNIVERSITY, NAGASAKI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yukihiro Ito, Kazuhisa Shiki, Hiroshi Matsuda, Akira Demizu
  • Patent number: 9972356
    Abstract: Techniques for summarizing media are described. A viewer-interaction analyzer receives a media file containing media, the media file including a plurality of segments. A segment of the media file is scored based on interactions of a set of raters. Viewer metrics on the segment of the media file are measured based on interactions with the segment of the media file by a set of viewers. A set of feature vectors are formed based on the measured viewer interactions, where feature vectors in the set of feature vectors are based on interactions of the set of viewers. A model is trained based on the set of feature vectors and the score assigned to the segment of the media file. The model is applied to segments of the media file to generate an interest rating for segments of the media file. An edited media file is generated based on segments of the media file having interest ratings that meet a criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Michael Shynar, Asaf Zomet, Gal Chechik
  • Patent number: 9973814
    Abstract: An adjustment module analyzes user adjustments in a playback attribute (e.g., volume) of a media item (e.g., a video) that occur when the user transitions from one media item to another. By analyzing these adjustments, the adjustment module determines an adjustment amount to apply to the playback attribute of a media item to cause the media item to appear equivalent to users with respect to the playback attribute when compared with the media item that was previously played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Philip Henderson, Sajid Saddiqi
  • Patent number: 9973753
    Abstract: An encoding controlling unit 3 selects one transformation block size which provides an optimal degree of encoding efficiency from a set of transformation block sizes which are determined in accordance with an encoding mode 7, and includes the transformation block size selected thereby in optimal compression parameters 20a to notify the transformation block size to a transformation/quantization unit 19, and the transformation/quantization unit 19 divides an optimal prediction differential signal 13a into blocks having the transformation block size included in the optimal compression parameters 20a, and carries out a transformation and quantization process on each of the blocks to generate compressed data 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshimi Moriya, Shunichi Sekiguchi, Kazuo Sugimoto, Kohtaro Asai, Tokumichi Murakami
  • Patent number: 9966998
    Abstract: A wireless power transmitter for transmitting power to a wireless power receiver in a wireless scheme includes a transmitting coil configured to transmit power, which is supplied by a power source, to a receiving coil of the wireless power receiver using resonance; and a detecting unit configured to detect a coupling state between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil using an input impedance of the wireless power transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 9966757
    Abstract: An over-voltage protection circuit for executing an over-voltage protection for a LED module of an electronic device. The over-voltage protection circuit includes a control unit and an over-voltage detection module, a trigger module and an adjustment module. The LED module includes a positive input port. The over-voltage detection module detects a voltage of the positive input port of the LED module and produce a detection voltage proportional to the voltage of the positive input port. The control unit controls the LED module to work or do not work according to the detection voltage. The trigger module produces corresponding trigger signals according to a 2D signal or a 3D signal output by a 2D/3D signal port. The adjustment module adjusts the proportion between the detection voltage and the voltage of the positive input port according to the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dan Cao
  • Patent number: 9966108
    Abstract: A playback speed effect is applied to a video using a playback speed template. The playback speed template specifies playback speed ratios (i.e., ratios between playback duration and capture duration) at the highlight moment, at a template start time, and at a template end time. A video associated with a highlight tag indicating a highlight capture time of a highlight moment within the video is accessed. An input portion of the video including the highlight moment is identified. The duration of the input portion has a duration depending on the template start time and the template end time. A playback speed template is applied to the input portion. A modified video including a modified video portion is generated from the input portion of the video according to the applied playback speed template and is provided for subsequent playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Joven Michael Matias, Otto Kenneth Sievert, Joshua Edward Bodinet