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).

  • Publication number: 20150373316
    Abstract: This invention presents an approach to first estimate a depth/disparity map using spectrally coded plenoptic camera, and then based on the disparity map the parallax between different spectral channels is rectified. Based on our new technique, we can reconstruct not only multispectral images but also a depth/disparity map. Moreover, the quality of reconstructed spectral images is significantly improved using our parallax rectification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9219866
    Abstract: An adjustable multimode lightfield imaging system. A non-homogeneous filter module is positioned at the pupil plane of the lightfield imaging system and provides the multimode capability. The filter module can be moved relative to the imaging system with the exposure conditions adjusted accordingly, thus allowing adjustment of the multimode capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9165231
    Abstract: Passive RFID devices are disclosed that perform image recognition. The device includes an antenna, circuitry, and a camera. The antenna receives a radio frequency (RF) signal from a RFID reader. The circuitry stores image data for objects that is used for image recognition. To operate, the circuitry derives power from the RF signal. With the power derived from the RF signal, the camera captures an image. The circuitry then identifies an object in the captured image based on the image data for the objects, and outputs information for the identified object, such as to the RFID reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Hull, Kathrin Berkner, Sergey Chemishkian, Xu Liu, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Patent number: 9153026
    Abstract: Calibration for plenoptic imaging systems. The calibration preferably is performed automatically by a processor. In one approach, the processor accesses a plenoptic image captured by the plenoptic imaging system. The plenoptic image is analyzed to determine reference points for superpixels of the plenoptic imaging system, for example the centers of the superpixels. The reference points are used to determine a location of each superpixel relative to the detector array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Patent number: 9137441
    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 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner, Lingfei Meng
  • Publication number: 20150215604
    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: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ivana Tosic, Jae Young Park, Kathrin Berkner
  • Patent number: 9092890
    Abstract: A three-dimensional scene is modeled as a set of layers representing different depths of the scene, and as masks representing occlusions of layers by other layers. The layers are represented as linear combinations of atoms selected from an overcomplete dictionary. An iterative approach is used to alternately estimate the atom coefficients for layers from a light field image of the scene, assuming values for the masks, and to estimate the masks given the estimated layers. In one approach, the atoms in the dictionary are ridgelets oriented at different angles, where there is a correspondence between depth and angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ivana Tosic, Yenting Lin, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20150169807
    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: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Patent number: 9030580
    Abstract: A method for designing a color filter module used in a plenoptic XYZ imaging system. In one approach, the color filter module is spatially partitioned into filter cells, and the spatial partition is designed by considering data captured at the sensor in light of variations in ?E.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic
  • Publication number: 20150117756
    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: October 25, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ivana Tosic, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20150116526
    Abstract: Color plenoptic images captured by a spectrally-coded plenoptic imaging system are combined with higher resolution higher resolution images captured by a conventional imaging system, resulting in color images with higher resolution than those captured by the plenoptic imaging system alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner
  • Publication number: 20150092071
    Abstract: A method for designing a color filter module used in a plenoptic XYZ imaging system. In one approach, the color filter module is spatially partitioned into filter cells, and the spatial partition is designed by considering data captured at the sensor in light of variations in ?E.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic
  • Publication number: 20150088546
    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 to send and receive information to and from the human interface module; and a backend service server coupled for processing medical data. The present invention also includes a method comprising: capturing information with a first mobile information gateway device; processing the captured information to determine an identity of a first user and authenticate the first user; processing the captured information to determine an identity of a patient and authenticate the patient; processing the identity of the first user and the identity of the patient to retrieve information of the patient; and resenting the retrieved information of the patient overlaid on a field of view by the first mobile information gateway device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150088547
    Abstract: A mobile information gateway comprises: a wearable human interface module having an image delivery and display mechanism for presenting information with a wide field of view and in three dimensions, a computing and communication module coupled for communication with the human interface module; and a backend service server coupled for communication with the computing and communication module, the backend service server for processing data for home healthcare. The present invention also includes a method for using the mobile information gateway for home healthcare comprises; capturing information with a wearable human interface module; processing the captured information to determine an identity of a user of the wearable human interface module; authenticating the identity of user; retrieving information using the captured information and the authenticated identity; and presenting the retrieved information using the wearable human interface module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150087257
    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 to send and receive information to and from the human interface module; and a backend service server coupled for processing data. The present invention also includes a method for using a mobile information gateway comprises: capturing information with a mobile information gateway device; processing the information captured by the mobile information gateway device to detect an emergency condition; analyzing the information captured by the mobile information gateway device to identify an emergency response; retrieving instructional information corresponding the emergency response; and providing the instructional information on the mobile information gateway device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150058192
    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. The present invention also includes a method comprising capturing information with a wearable human interface module; processing the captured information to determine an identity of a first customer; processing the identity of the first customer to retrieve information related to the first customer; and presenting the information related to the first customer with the wearable human interface module overlaid upon a field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150058159
    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: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150059002
    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: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nikhil Balram, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic, Wanmin Wu
  • Patent number: 8949078
    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: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna Shroff
  • Patent number: 8902454
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for printing from mobile devices are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises outputting a machine-readable code associated with the printer; receiving rendered print data specified by the mobile device that scanned and decoded the machine-readable code; and printing the rendered print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xu Liu, Sergey Chemishkian, Jamey Graham, John Barrus, Bradley Rhodes, Kathrin Berkner, Mike Griffin, Jonathan J. Hull