Patents Examined by Utpal Shah
  • Patent number: 9892652
    Abstract: A scoring device has an acquisition unit that acquires image data in which a singer is photographed, a detector that detects a feature associated with an expression or a facial motion during singing as a facial feature of the singer from the image data acquired by the acquisition unit, a calculator that calculates a score for singing action of the singer based on the feature detected by the detector, and an output unit that outputs the score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Murakami, Lizhou Zhang
  • Patent number: 9881218
    Abstract: A location calculation system that includes circuitry that stores vector information regarding a plurality of first vectors each connecting a specific point-relevant location, that is associated with each of a plurality of specific points set along a road, with a location of a predetermined feature, in relation to position information regarding each position of the plurality of specific points; stores predetermined feature location information regarding the location of the predetermined feature; obtains image data ahead of a moving body; calculates a location of the predetermined feature in an image of the image data as obtained by the circuitry; calculates a location of the moving body based on the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry and the vector information; and outputs the location of the moving body as calculated by the circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ZENRIN Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Ogata, Hiroyuki Ohara, Hiroyuki Inatsuka, Tatsuya Yuba, Junichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9875409
    Abstract: An abnormality detection apparatus, an abnormality detection method, and an abnormality detection program are provided. Each of the abnormality detection apparatus, an abnormality detection method, and an abnormality detection program extracts a target image to be monitored and a reference image, respectively, from target video to be monitored, detects an abnormality based on a difference between the target image to be monitored and the reference image, and displays an image indicating a difference between the target image to be monitored and the reference image on a monitor. Moreover, an abnormality detection system is provided including the abnormality detection apparatus, a video that captures an image of a target to be monitored, and a monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Ohmura, Aiko Ohtsuka, Kazuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9877026
    Abstract: The image transmission system, which transmits image data from a transmission side and performs image processing at a reception side, is provided with: an image transmission device that encodes an input image and outputs and a bitstream; an image reception device that receives and decodes the bitstream and performs image processing; a bit precision information generation unit that generates bit precision information for each region in the image; a quantization control unit that controls the quantization step width in a quantization process performed in the image transmission device in accordance with the bit precision information generated by the bit precision information generation unit; and an image processing unit that performs image processing using the decoded image that has been decoded by the image reception device. The bit precision information generation unit switches the method for generating bit precision information in accordance with the processing mode of the image processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyohei Unno, Mitsuhiro Okada, Hironori Komi
  • Patent number: 9870621
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for identifying feature correspondences among a plurality of video clips of a dynamic scene. In one implementation, a computer system identifies a first feature in a first video clip of a dynamic scene that is captured by a first video camera, and a second feature in a second video clip of the dynamic scene that is captured by a second video camera. The computer system determines, based on motion in the first video clip and motion in the second video clip, that the first feature and the second feature do not correspond to a common entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Christian Frueh, Caroline Rebecca Pantofaru
  • Patent number: 9866815
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system, apparatus, and method for 3D object segmentation within an environment. Image frames are obtained from one or more depth cameras or at different times and planar segments are extracted from data obtained from the image frames. Candidate segments that comprise a non-planar object surface are identified from the extracted planar segments. In one aspect, certain extracted planar segments are identified as comprising a non-planar object surface, and are referred to as candidate segments. Confidence of preexisting candidate segments are adjusted in response to determining correspondence with a candidate segment. In one aspect, one or more preexisting candidate segments are determined to comprise a surface of a preexisting non-planar object hypothesis. Confidence in the non-planar object hypothesis is updated in response to determining correspondence with a candidate segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Bojan Vrcelj, Young Hoon Lee, Gerhard Reitmayr
  • Patent number: 9858691
    Abstract: We provide improved maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) joint estimation of emission activity and photon attenuation from positron emission tomography (PET) data. Lines of response (LOR) are divided along their length into cells having equal length. MLEM computations assume all intersections between LOR cells and voxels have an intersection length of the LOR cell length. This way of discretizing the problem has the significant advantage of leading to MLEM update equations that have a closed form exact solution, which is important for fast, accurate and robust estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Alexander Mihlin, Craig S. Levin
  • Patent number: 9858293
    Abstract: The feature amount of each pixel of an image is received. If the frequency value of the feature amount is registered in the second memory accessible at higher speed than the first memory which stores frequency values of respective feature amounts, the frequency value in the second memory is increased. If the frequency value is not registered, the frequency value is read out from the first memory into the second memory, and increased. With this processing, a histogram of the feature amounts of the respective pixels of the image is generated. The bins of the histogram are rearranged so that bins with high frequency values are close to each other in the histogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Ohno, Yoshinori Ito
  • Patent number: 9848829
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for identifying when a subject is likely to be affected by a medical condition. For example, at least one processor may be configured to receive information reflective of an external soft tissue image of the subject. The processor may also be configured to perform an evaluation of the external soft tissue image information and to generate evaluation result information based, at least in part, on the evaluation. The processor may also be configured to predict a likelihood that the subject is affected by the medical condition based, at least in part, on the evaluation result information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: FDNA INC.
    Inventors: Dekel Gelbman, Yaron Gurovich
  • Patent number: 9842265
    Abstract: A marking line detection system includes an imaging device, a marking line candidate detection unit, a marking line correction unit, a center line determination unit and a validity determination unit. The marking line candidate detection unit detects first and second vehicle's marking line candidates. The marking line correction unit corrects a position of the second vehicle's marking line candidate based on a position of the first vehicle's marking line candidate. When the first vehicle's marking line candidate is the valid center line, the marking line correction unit performs a correction of the position of the second vehicle's marking line candidate based on the position of the first vehicle's marking line candidate. When the first vehicle's marking line candidate is not the valid center line, the marking line correction unit does not perform the correction based on the position of the first vehicle's marking line candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Kataoka
  • Patent number: 9836481
    Abstract: In various example embodiments, a system and method for image query are presented. A feature detector generates first feature description data of a first type. An image processor accesses feature codes and angle bins. The image processor generates second feature description data of a second type by comparing a plurality of groups with respective codes of the feature codes. Each of the plurality of groups comprises at least of portion of the first feature description data determined based at least on the feature codes and the angle bins. A search engine selects a first one of a plurality of stored feature description data linked to respective stored images. An interface provides an indication of the stored image linked to the first stored feature description data for display of the stored image linked to the first stored feature description data on a remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventors: Anurag Bhardwaj, Wei Di, Vignesh Jagadeesh, Robinson Piramuthu, Zixuan Wang
  • Patent number: 9830692
    Abstract: Provided are a method and a device for processing image data. According to the method, first characteristic values respectively of a plurality of regions of a first image are determined by sequentially calculating, for each of the plurality of regions, characteristic values corresponding to each of pixel values of pixels included in each of the plurality of regions while sequentially receiving the pixel values of the pixels; based on the determined first characteristic values, an illumination image related to a second image that is a following image of the first image is obtained; and, based on the obtained illumination image, the second image is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ji-Young Yi, Hyun-Hee Park, Jong-Ho Kim, Kee-hyon Park, Yong-man Lee, Jae-Hun Cho, Dong-kyoon Han
  • Patent number: 9830336
    Abstract: An image comparison unit (81) compares a query image with a registered image to detect, in the registered image, a region corresponding to the query image. An action information determining unit (82), on the basis of intermediate information in which sub-region information identifying sub-regions in the registered image and action information representing information processing to be executed by a target device are associated with each other, identifies sub-regions on the basis of the sub-region information, chooses a sub-region having the highest degree of matching with the detected region among the identified sub-regions, and identifies action information corresponding to the chosen sub-region. An action information execution unit (83) causes the target device to execute information processing corresponding to the action information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuo Akiyama, Shoji Yachida
  • Patent number: 9824467
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or apparatuses described herein provide for reconstructing image data of an object under examination from measured projection data indicative of the object. The measured projection data is converted into image data using an iterative image reconstruction approach. The iterative image reconstruction approach may comprise, among other things, regularizing the image data to adjust a specified quality metric of the image data, identifying regions of the image data that represent aspects of the object that might generate inconsistencies in the measured projection data and correcting the measured projection data based upon such an identification, and/or weighting projections comprised in the measured projection data differently to reduce the influence of projections that respectively have a higher degree of inconsistency in the conversion from projection data to image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: ANALOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew Litvin, Ram Naidu
  • Patent number: 9826155
    Abstract: A method is proposed for detecting a document in which image data are recorded by means of a camera, in which filtered picture data are determined by a first processing unit on the basis of the recorded image data, and a camera picture is stored by a second processing unit on the basis of the filtered picture data if a stability criterion is fulfilled. Also specified correspondingly are a device, computer program product and storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: DOCUWARE GMBH
    Inventors: Mirco Schöpf, Dmitri Toropov
  • Patent number: 9819951
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods, devices, systems and computer program products where input image data is received for processing in a computer system, a first transform is carried out to the input image data, the transform being done in a first direction with respect to the input image data, to obtain first transformed image data, a transposing operation is carried out to the first transformed image data to obtain first transposed image data, and a second transform in a transform is carried out to the first transposed image data, the second transform being done in a second direction with respect to the input image data, to obtain second transformed image data. The first transform and the second transform may be carried out in a processor in a parallel manner, and the transposing operation may be carried out at least partially using registers of the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Christian Markus Makela
  • Patent number: 9818041
    Abstract: A high security key scanning system and method is provided. The scanning system may comprise a sensing device configured to determine information and characteristics of a master high security key, and a digital logic to analyze the information and characteristics of the master key. The sensing device may be configured to capture information about the geometry of features cut into the surface of the master key. The logic may analyze the information related to that geometry and compare it to known characteristics of that style of high security key in order to determine the data needed to replicate the features on a new high security key blank. The system may be configured to capture the surface geometry using a camera or other imaging device. The system may utilize object coating techniques, illumination techniques, filtering techniques, image processing techniques, and feature extraction techniques to capture the desired features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: HY-KO PRODUCTS COMPANY
    Inventors: William R. Mutch, Thomas F. Fiore, Randall A. Porras, Chester O. D. Thompson
  • Patent number: 9805282
    Abstract: The size of a feature descriptor is reduced, with the accuracy of object identification maintained. A local feature descriptor extracting apparatus includes a feature point detecting unit configured to detect a plurality of feature points in an image and output feature point information that is information on each of the feature points, a feature point selecting unit configured to select the predetermined number of feature points from the detected plurality of feature points in order of decreasing importance based on the feature point information, and a local feature descriptor generating unit configured to generate a local feature descriptor that is a feature descriptor in a local region for each of the selected feature points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Ryota Mase, Kota Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 9792711
    Abstract: A method that receives a visual media item and determines an identity of at least one intended viewer of the visual media item is disclosed. The method may further identify a visual representation of an object that is comprised by the visual media item and determine a relevance of the object based, at least in part, on the identity. The method may further generate a modified visual media item such that the modified visual media item differs from the visual media item, at least, by visual emphasis of the visual representation of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Antti Eronen, Jussi Artturi Leppanen, Arto Juhani Lehtiniemi, Ville-Veikko Mattila
  • Patent number: 9779331
    Abstract: Provided is a method and system of tracking partially occluded objects using an elastic deformation model. According to an exemplary method and system, partially occluded vehicles are detected and tracked in a scene including side-by-side drive-thru lanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Orhan Bulan, Yusuf Oguzhan Artan, Aaron Michael Burry