Patents by Inventor Kathrin Berkner

Kathrin Berkner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9569853
    Abstract: Light field images of a three-dimensional scene are transformed from an (image,view) domain to an (image,scale,depth) domain. Processing then occurs in the (image,scale,depth) domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ivana To{hacek over (s)}ić, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9565996
    Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff, Lingfei Meng, Nikhil Balram
  • Patent number: 9542742
    Abstract: The pupil image function (PIF) matrix of a plenoptic imaging system is calibrated, taking advantage of the low rank of the PIF matrix. In one approach, the low rank is utilized by identifying a subspace for the PIF matrix and then estimating the PIF matrix within that subspace. This can lead to a significant reduction in the number of calibration patterns used to estimate the PIF matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ivana To{hacek over (s)}ić, Jae Young Park, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9544583
    Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9519737
    Abstract: A method for designing the spatial partition of a filter module used in an aperture-multiplexed imaging system. The filter module is spatially partitioned into filter cells, and the spatial partition is designed by considering data captured at the sensor in light of an application-specific performance metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Publication number: 20160342863
    Abstract: A system and method for determining an object or product represented in an image is disclosed. The system receives a first image, determines a region of interest in the first image, determines a classification score for the region of interest using a convolutional neural network that assigns the region of interest the classification score corresponding to a class, and identifies a first product in the first image based on the classification score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junghyun Kwon, Ramya Narasimha, Edward L. Schwartz, Max McFarland, Silvio Savarese, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9471728
    Abstract: Metrics for characterizing the focusing of a plenoptic imaging system. In one aspect, the metric is based on the high frequency content and/or the blurring of the plenoptic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner, David G. Stork
  • Patent number: 9460515
    Abstract: Light field images of a three-dimensional scene are transformed from an (image,view) domain to an (image,scale,depth) domain. Processing then occurs in the (image,scale,depth) domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ivana To{hacek over (s)}ić, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20160202048
    Abstract: A plenoptic camera captures a plenoptic image of an object illuminated by a point source (preferably, collimated illumination). The plenoptic image is a sampling of the four-dimensional light field reflected from the object. The plenoptic image is made up of superpixels, each of which is made up of subpixels. Each superpixel captures light from a certain region of the object (i.e., a range of x,y spatial locations) and the subpixels within a superpixel capture light propagating within a certain range of directions (i.e., a range of u,v spatial directions). Accordingly, optical properties estimation, surface normal reconstruction, depth estimation, and three-dimensional rendering can be provided by processing only a single plenoptic image. In one approach, the plenoptic image is used to estimate the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the object surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic
  • Publication number: 20160205394
    Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20160191905
    Abstract: Multiframe reconstruction combines a set of acquired images into a reconstructed image. Here, which images to acquire are selected based at least in part on the content of previously acquired images. In one approach, a set of at least three images of an object are acquired at different acquisition settings. For at least one of the images in the set, the acquisition setting for the image is determined based at least in part on the content of previously acquired images. Multiframe image reconstruction, preferably via a multi-focal display, is applied to the set of acquired images to synthesize a reconstructed image of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: M. Dirk Robinson, Junlan Yang, David G. Stork, Wanmin Wu, Patrick Llull, Ivana Tosic, Kathrin Berkner, Noah Bedard
  • Publication number: 20160173849
    Abstract: Light field images of a three-dimensional scene are transformed from an (image,view) domain to an (image,scale,depth) domain. Processing then occurs in the (image,scale,depth) domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Ivana Tosic, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20160148416
    Abstract: A multi-focal display represents a 3-dimensional scene by a series of 2-dimensional images located at different focal planes. The locations of the focal planes are selected based on an analysis of the three-dimensional scene to be rendered by the multi-focal display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Wanmin Wu, Patrick Llull, Ivana Tosic, Kathrin Berkner, Noah Bedard
  • Publication number: 20160147078
    Abstract: A multifocal display for rendering a 3D scene as a series of 2D images. In one aspect, the multifocal display includes a display, an optical imaging system, a refractive focus actuator and a controller. The display renders the 2D images. The optical imaging system is image-side telecentric and creates an image of the display. The refractive focus actuator is positioned at the pupil of the optical imaging system. Thus, adjusting the refractive focus actuator alters a location of the image of the display but does not significantly alter a size of the image. The controller coordinates adjustment of the refractive focus actuator with rendering of the 2D images on the display. The waveform driving the focus actuator is preferably designed to reduce ringing and jitter effects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noah Bedard, Patrick Llull, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20160135682
    Abstract: A multimode fundus camera enables three-dimensional and/or spectral/polarization imaging of the interior of the eye to assist in improved diagnosis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Noah Bedard, Lingfei Meng, Vipin Namboodiri, Krishna Prasad Agara Venkatesha Rao, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9307146
    Abstract: The spatial resolution of captured plenoptic images is enhanced. In one aspect, the plenoptic imaging process is modeled by a pupil image function (PIF), and a PIF inversion process is applied to the captured plenoptic image to produce a better resolution estimate of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner, Lingfei Meng
  • Patent number: 9288389
    Abstract: The spatial resolution of captured plenoptic images is enhanced. In one aspect, the plenoptic imaging process is modeled by a pupil image function (PIF), and a PIF inversion process is applied to the captured plenoptic image to produce a better resolution estimate of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner, Lingfei Meng
  • Patent number: 9286726
    Abstract: A mobile information gateway comprises a wearable human interface module having an image delivery and display mechanism for presenting information overlaid upon a wide field of view, a computing and communication module adapted receive information from the human interface module and adapted to send commands and information to the human interface module including information for presentation; and a backend service server coupled for processing data from the computing and communication module including user identification and verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Patent number: 9250131
    Abstract: A multi-imaging device includes a multiplexed optical system and a filter fixture. The multiplexed optical system forms multiple optical images of an object. These multiple optical images are interleaved at the sensor plane. The filter fixture is configured to allow a user to change filter assemblies. The filter assemblies can include different filter regions, which apply different filtering to the optical images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Keith Bennett
  • Patent number: 9245445
    Abstract: An optically-based target detection system includes a holographic detection filter designed to produce a concentrated spot when a target is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sri Rama Prasanna Pavani, Jonathan J. Hull, Sergey Chemishkain, Kathrin Berkner