Of Surface (e.g., Texture Or Smoothness, Etc.) Patents (Class 348/128)
  • Patent number: 11875497
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flaw detection device (A) includes: an ultrasonic probe (2) that emits ultrasonic waves to an inspection object (P) and detects reflected waves; a sheet material (1) attached to a surface of the inspection object and having two-dimensional patterns, the two-dimensional patterns being arranged on the inspection object and indicating positions on the inspection object; an imaging device (3) attached to the ultrasonic probe and imaging the two-dimensional patterns (1a); and a processing unit (21) that reads position information indicating a position on the inspection object from a captured image captured by the imaging device and relates a detection result of the ultrasonic probe to the position information, wherein the processing unit determines an index indicating the degree of quality of the detection result based on an air pocket area (HA) that is an area in which air pockets are shown in a predetermined area (H) of the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiaki Hamano
  • Patent number: 11867519
    Abstract: To provide navigation directions according to road surface types of road segments, a request for navigation directions from a starting location to a destination location is received. A set of candidate routes for navigating from the starting location to the destination location is identified. Then for each road segment within each candidate route, a road surface type for the road segment is determined. A route is selected from the set of candidate routes based at least in part on the road surface types of the road segments within the route. A set of navigation directions is provided for presentation on a client device for navigating from the starting location to the destination location via the selected route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Yan Mayster
  • Patent number: 11783472
    Abstract: A color tone correction system includes a reception unit that receives a target workpiece image and design information of a target workpiece, a reference image data storage unit that stores a reference workpiece image, an image determination unit that determines whether or not the target workpiece is inclined more than the reference workpiece, a calculation processing unit that estimates an inclination angle of the target workpiece based on the stored reference workpiece image and the target workpiece image, a color tone data storage unit that stores a relationship between the inclination angle and a color tone correction value, an image correction unit that corrects a color tone of the target workpiece image based on the estimated inclination angle and a color tone correction formula corresponding to the stored relationship, and an output unit that outputs the corrected target workpiece image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Tsubaki, Shun Sato
  • Patent number: 11743568
    Abstract: A electronic device includes a display panel including a first region in which a plurality of pixels and a second region having a higher transmittance than the first region, and an electronic module disposed under the display panel and overlapping the second region. The electronic module includes a camera module configured to image a subject to obtain a plurality of first images having a first resolution, an actuator configured to move the camera module while capturing each of the plurality of first images, and a processor configured to obtain a second image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution using the first images captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongwon Moon, Sungyoon Jo
  • Patent number: 11573538
    Abstract: A layer configuration prediction method is provided and includes: a specimen production step of producing multiple specimens by depositing layers of a material in configurations different from each other; a specimen measurement step of performing, on each specimen, measurement to acquire a texture parameter corresponding to a texture; a learning step of causing a computer to perform machine learning of a relation between each of the specimens and the texture parameter; a setting parameter calculation step of calculating a setting parameter corresponding to the texture set to a computer graphics image; and a layer configuration acquisition step of providing the setting parameter as an input to the computer having been caused to perform the machine learning, and acquiring an output representing the layering pattern of layers of the material corresponding to the setting parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignees: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD., NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION CHIBA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Norimichi Tsumura, Junki Yoshii, Keita Hirai, Wataru Arai
  • Patent number: 11466666
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and device for stitching wind turbine blade images, and a storage medium. The method includes performing edge detection on a plurality of images of the blade of the wind turbine to determine a blade region for each of the plurality of images; and for each pair of images among the plurality of images of the blade of the wind turbine, which are captured successively, stitching a front end of a former one of the pair of images captured successively and a rear end of a latter one of the pair of images captured successively, wherein the front end is far away from a root of the blade of the wind turbine, and the rear end is close to the root of the blade of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SHANGHAI CLOBOTICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenfeng Lin, Xun Liu, Yan Ke, George Christopher Yan
  • Patent number: 11460003
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a plurality of wind turbines can include a turbine categorizer, executing on one or more computing platforms that categorizes each of a plurality of wind turbines as being damaged or undamaged to form a list of potentially damaged wind turbines. The system can also include a damage evaluator executing on the one or more computing platforms that predicts a damage type and a stage for each wind turbine in the list of potentially damaged wind turbines. The system can further include an impact engine executing on the one or more computing platforms that assigns a repair window and a priority for each wind turbine in the list of potentially damaged wind turbines based on a respective predicted damage type and stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: INVENTUS HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Huiyi Zhang, Norman Jeffrey Hammitt, Joseph D Prusa
  • Patent number: 11430089
    Abstract: An image correction method is provided. The image correction method includes receiving an input image from a first camera; receiving a guide image from a second camera; generating a corrected image by performing image correction on the input image using the guide image, the image correction being performed by an image generation unit having a pre-learned image generation parameter learned using a training image; generating a quality value of the corrected image by an image evaluation unit having an pre-learned image evaluation parameter learned using the training image; and performing the image correction on the corrected image again when the quality value of the corrected image is less than a set value, and outputting the corrected image as a final image when the quality value of the corrected image is greater than the set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae-Ui Kim, Kai Guo
  • Patent number: 11425356
    Abstract: A system and method to calibrate an uncollimated laser diode for three-dimensional imaging applications. A method includes providing an optical comparator having an uncollimated laser diode as a light source to generate a shadow with sharp boundaries when used to illuminate an opaque occluder, wherein a two lines source model of light propagation is used to describe a behavior of the uncollimated laser diode, the two lines source model defined by two three-dimensional (3D) lines as model parameters, the uncollimated laser diode calibrated by estimating the two lines as a function of a sample of a ray field emitted by the uncollimated laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Brown University
    Inventors: Gabriel Taubin, Wook Yeon Hwang
  • Patent number: 11394864
    Abstract: A system for operating surgical imaging devices using configurable processing resources of a virtual camera control unit connected to a network includes an allocation manager for allocating processing resources, a primary imaging device, a secondary imaging device, a feature module, and a load balance module. The load balance module adjusts one or more settings of one or more features of the primary and secondary imaging devices based on the available processing resources and the desired settings of the one or more features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KARL STORZ Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lietz, Eric Hale
  • Patent number: 11333492
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an optical device includes a light selection unit, an imaging element, and a deriving unit. The light selection unit splits an irradiated light beam into a plurality of spectral beams of different wavelength regions. The imaging element captures a subject irradiated with the spectral beams including beams of at least two different wavelengths to acquire a spectral image. The deriving unit derives a surface property or shape information of the subject from a specified result obtained by specifying, by the deriving unit, an irradiation region irradiated with each of the spectral beams on the subject based on a mixing ratio of the spectral beams and received light intensity of each of the spectral beams included in the spectral image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohno, Hiroya Kano, Hideaki Okano
  • Patent number: 11216929
    Abstract: A decorative print inspection apparatus includes: a type selecting unit that selects a type of decoration; a region selecting unit that selects a decorative region regarding the type of decoration based on data for inspection for a printed material; a setting unit that sets a determination criterion in accordance with the type of decoration; and an inspection unit that determines a state of decoration by inspecting the decorative region in an image acquired by reading the printed material, based on the determination criterion that is set in accordance with the type of decoration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Koji Kita
  • Patent number: 11205262
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses an online detection method of circular weft knitting stripe defects based on a gray gradient method, and belongs to the technical field of textile product detection. The method provides a defect detection and positioning method based on the gray gradient method. Before the detection on a new product, only a model needs to be trained to obtain stripe defect feature images with different stitch types and different stitch densities, and the detection is directly performed in a subsequent process. Defects can be fast and accurately recognized, and a cam position causing the stripe defects can be calculated according to a quantity of shot images between the feature images and a marked image, courses in which marks in the marked image are located, courses in which defects in a defect image are located, and machine operation parameters. Moreover, a defect detection device required by the disclosure can be modified on an original circular knitting machine, so the detection cost is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Jiangnan University
    Inventors: Gaoming Jiang, Honglian Cong, Fenglin Xia, Qi Zhang, Peixiao Zheng
  • Patent number: 11150498
    Abstract: A detection method and device of a display panel are disclosed. The detection method includes: selecting at least two comparison points for a detection point with a set comparison pitch, the detection point corresponding to a separation cell or a pixel cell; detecting a first defect and a second defect of a display substrate according to gray scale values of the detection point and 2 comparison points, wherein the first defect includes a normal separation cell and a pixel defect and the second defect includes a pixel defect and a defected separation cell; and determining the defected separation cell according to the first defect and the second defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: HKC Corporation Limited
    Inventor: Huailiang He
  • Patent number: 11105614
    Abstract: A device for detecting defects on at least one surface may include: a source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in at least one first spectral band; a video camera sensitive in at least one second spectral band; and a diffuser configured to intercept at least part of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source and to make more homogeneous a spatial distribution of intensity of the electromagnetic radiation over the at least one surface. The source may be further configured to project a beam of the electromagnetic radiation onto the at least one surface. An intersection of the at least one first spectral band and the at least one second spectral band may determine a spectral working band. A bandwidth of the spectral working band may be less than or equal to 200 nanometers (nm). The spectral working band may be between 300 nm and 1,100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TEKNO IDEA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Bruno De Nisco, Alessandro Di Girolamo
  • Patent number: 11073828
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of motion planning and an autonomous agent that executes that method are presented. The method includes generating a first set of indices that represent a predicate in a continuous state space, accessing a library of candidate motions, wherein each of the candidate motions has a second set of indices that represent a trajectory in the continuous state space, compressing the first set of indices and the second set of indices to generate a first set of compressed indices and a second set of compressed indices, and determining whether there is an intersection between the first set of indices and the second set of indices. The compressing may be done by partitioning the state space into regions, each region being occupied by the same set of candidate motions. Alternatively, the compressing may be done by applying run-length-encoding to binary vectors generated using a locality preserving, space filling curve such as a Hilbert curve or Z-order curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Brian A. Paden
  • Patent number: 11042831
    Abstract: Drone-based systems and methods for conducting a modified inspection of a delivery vehicle are described. A system has a delivery vehicle transceiver and an inspection drone paired to the vehicle that aerially inspects the vehicle. The delivery vehicle transceiver has a user interface and a wireless radio, while the paired inspection drone has a housing, onboard controller, memory storage, lifting engines, and a communication interface. The drone's onboard controller is operative to identify different existing delivery vehicle inspection points from an inspection profile record; receive an inspection update message from the communication interface; update the existing delivery vehicle inspection points with additional inspection points to yield a targeted inspection points corresponding to respective parts of the delivery vehicle; and conduct the modified inspection of the delivery vehicle by gathering the detected sensor-based inspection information related to each of the targeted inspection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Federal Express Corporation
    Inventors: Reuben F. Burch, V, David A. Doyle, Brian D. Popp
  • Patent number: 11036978
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating out a defect image from a thermogram sequence based on weighted naive Bayesian classifier and dynamic multi-objective optimization, we find that different kinds of TTRs have big differences in some physical quantities. The present invention extracts these features (physical quantities) and classifies the selected TTRs into K categories based on their feature vectors through a weighted naive Bayesian classifier, which deeply digs the physical meanings contained in each TTR, makes the classification of TTRs more rational, and improves the accuracy of defect image's separation. Meanwhile, the multi-objective function does not only fully consider the similarities between the RTTR and other TTRs in the same category, but also considers the dissimilarities between the RTTR and the TTRs in other categories, thus the RTTR selected is more representative, which guarantees the accuracy of describing the defect outline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Chun Yin, Yuhua Cheng, Ting Xue, Xuegang Huang, Haonan Zhang, Kai Chen, Anhua Shi
  • Patent number: 10969318
    Abstract: A hardness tester that loads a predetermined test force and forms an indentation in a surface of a sample using an indenter, and measures the hardness of the sample by measuring dimensions of the indentation includes a CCD camera that acquires an image of the surface of the sample before and after the indentation is formed. The CPU can execute a plurality of indentation region extraction processes that use mutually distinct methods, the indentation region extraction processes each extracting an indentation region based on the images acquired by the CCD camera. The CPU also makes a determination determining whether the indentation region extracted by the plurality of indentation region extraction processes matches a predefined reference indentation region, and based on an indentation region that is determined to match, the CPU calculates the hardness of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Sadahiro
  • Patent number: 10878555
    Abstract: An image processing system, an image processing device and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium are provided. A collection condition setting part sets a collection condition for collecting processing information from the buffer area, an output format of the collected processing information, and an output destination of the collected processing information. The collecting part collects, among pieces of processing information temporarily stored in the buffer area, a piece of processing information that satisfies an image collection condition set by the collection condition setting part, and sends the collected processing information to the output part. The output part outputs the sent processing information according to an image collection rule set by the collection condition setting part. The condition setting part updates an image collection condition and an image collection rule stored in a storage condition DB on the basis of setting information input from an operation display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Tsunehiko Araki
  • Patent number: 10872418
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an edge detection device includes a light source, an imaging part, and a detector. The light source includes at least three light-emitting parts for irradiating a plurality of objects adjacent with a light. The imaging part images a surface of the objects irradiated by each of the light-emitting parts, and generates a plurality of image data of the surface. The detector detects edges of the surface imaged, based on at least two different combinations of the plurality of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroya Kano, Hideaki Okano
  • Patent number: 10807623
    Abstract: A system and method for inspecting a railway track using sensors oriented at an oblique angle relative to a rail vehicle on which the system is traveling. The orientation of the sensors allows for different data to be gathered regarding a particular rail including rail design specifications (gathered based on manufacturer markings detected and analyzed by the system), rail seat abrasion values based on direct measurement of rails from the oblique angle, and other analysis of rail features including joint bars, rail welds, bond wires, rail holes, and broken rails. The use of an air blower, ducts, and one or more air distribution lids over the sensors helps remove debris from blocking the sensors and structured light generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TETRA TECH, INC.
    Inventor: Darel Mesher
  • Patent number: 10810729
    Abstract: Inspecting an air data probe for physical degradation includes generating a silhouette of the air data probe based on an identification of the air data probe to be inspected. The silhouette is simultaneously displayed with an image of the air data probe produced by a camera, and the displayed image of the air data probe is caused to conform to the silhouette on the display. An image of the air data probe is captured while the displayed image of the air data probe conforms to the silhouette on the display. The captured image is analyzed to identify physical degradation of the air data probe. A maintenance recommendation for the air data probe is generated based on the identified physical degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: William Kunik, Brian Brent Naslund, Scott J. Braun
  • Patent number: 10792890
    Abstract: A method for manufacture of a digitally printed decorative surfacing material includes applying a textured layer upon a substrate, processing a digital image to compensate for additional surface area provided by the textured layer so as to produce a resultant digital image, digitally printing the resultant digital image upon the textured layer, applying a top coat layer over the digitally printed image. A digitally printed decorative surfacing material in accordance with the method described above is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Wilsonart LLC
    Inventors: Arvind S. Karthikeyan, Jerry Wayne Kerzee
  • Patent number: 10775161
    Abstract: A roll object inspection apparatus includes a shooting part that shoots a surface of a roll molded body which is the uncut roll object and is injection-molded and then continuously fed in a predetermined feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Akinori Tadokoro
  • Patent number: 10755582
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for a drone physical and data interface for enhanced distance coverage. An unmanned aerial vehicle or a drone may be unable to operate over a distance due to range limitations. The drone may utilize onboard systems and communications with other devices and servers to detect another vehicle operating over at least a portion of the distance, where connecting to the vehicle and using the vehicles resources for travel over the portion of the distance decreases the flight time of the drone. The drone may utilize a camera and communications with the vehicle or server to determine a connection point to the vehicle, and may connect to the vehicle to travel the portion of the distance. If the drone has not yet arrived at the destination and still requires further assistance reaching it, the drone may locate another vehicle to further use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Todasco, Timothy Resudek, Titus Woo, Anush Vishwanath, Gautam Madaan, Zachary Joseph Berman, Braden Christopher Ericson, Lars Holger Alexander Steinmetzger
  • Patent number: 10747314
    Abstract: A system includes an infrared light source, an infrared camera, and a controller. The controller includes processing circuitry configured to control a pulse illumination of the infrared light source, capture a sequence of images from the infrared camera including infrared noise combined with a captured reflection of the pulse illumination, filter the infrared noise from the sequence of images based on a comparison of the captured reflection of the pulse illumination to an expected result of the pulse illumination, and track a feature of interest in the sequence of images after filtering of the infrared noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Kai-Han Chang, Thomas A. Seder
  • Patent number: 10740875
    Abstract: An oblique imagery application receives an oblique image captured by an oblique camera at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to a ground plane and map data including a map tile corresponding to geographic coordinates. A principal axis is determined that is orthogonal to an image plane defined by the oblique image and intersecting a center of the oblique image. For each pixel of the oblique image, a pixel vector is determined and a set of deviation coordinates based on a deviation of the pixel vector from the principal axis is determined for the pixel, with the pixel vector of a pixel passing through a focal point of the oblique camera and ending at the pixel. The map tile is associated to the pixels of the oblique image based on the camera parameters, the deviation coordinates of the pixels, the oblique camera parameters, and the geographic coordinates of the map tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Mapbox, Inc.
    Inventor: Damon Burgett
  • Patent number: 10712286
    Abstract: In an example, a method for non-destructive evaluation of a structure is described. The method comprises identifying a portion of a surface of the structure for evaluation. The method further comprises controlling an armature to align a two-dimensional array of sensors with the portion of the surface. The method further comprises causing the two-dimensional array of sensors to engage the portion of the surface. The method further comprises, responsive to determining that the two-dimensional array of sensors has engaged with the portion of the surface, (i) releasing the two-dimensional array of sensors from the armature, and (ii) scanning, the portion of the surface to collect sensor data. The method further comprises, after scanning the portion of the surface, (i) controlling the armature to couple to the two-dimensional array of sensors, and (ii) causing the two-dimensional array of sensors to disengage with the portion of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Barry A. Fetzer, Gary E. Georgeson
  • Patent number: 10657485
    Abstract: Drone-based systems and methods for conducting a modified inspection of a delivery vehicle are described. A system has a delivery vehicle transceiver and an inspection drone paired to the vehicle that aerially inspects the vehicle. The delivery vehicle transceiver has a user interface and a wireless radio, while the paired inspection drone has a housing, onboard controller, memory storage, lifting engines, and a communication interface. The drone's onboard controller is operative to identify different existing delivery vehicle inspection points from an inspection profile record; receive an inspection update message from the communication interface; update the existing delivery vehicle inspection points with additional inspection points to yield a targeted inspection points corresponding to respective parts of the delivery vehicle; and conduct the modified inspection of the delivery vehicle by gathering the detected sensor-based inspection information related to each of the targeted inspection points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reuben F. Burch, V, David A. Doyle, Brian D. Popp
  • Patent number: 10634617
    Abstract: An installation for the optical inspection of surface regions of objects, such as painted vehicle bodies, includes a test light device, by which objects located in a test region can be irradiated with a test light and by which a test pattern can be generated on the surface region. A lighting system includes a plurality of lighting units, by which test light can be emitted. The light intensity of the test light or both the color of light and the light intensity of the test light can be optionally adjusted by the lighting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: EISENMANN SE
    Inventors: Jürgen Röckle, Jan Reiner Hammermann, Axel Halbmeyer
  • Patent number: 10632658
    Abstract: An injection molding system includes: an injection molding machine; a physical quantity acquisition unit configured to obtain a physical quantity regarding the injection molding; a molded product image acquisition unit configured to obtain an image of a molded product; a molded product image storage unit configured to store an image of a molded product; an image storage condition setting unit configured to set a condition used for determining whether to store an image of a molded product corresponding to the physical quantity obtained by the physical quantity acquisition unit; and an image storage determination unit configured to determine whether to store the image of the molded product corresponding to the physical quantity, according to the physical quantity obtained by the physical quantity acquisition unit and the condition set by the image storage condition setting unit, and store the image in accordance with the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuusuke Imai
  • Patent number: 10622233
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a technology related to the amelioration (e.g., correction) of global wafer distortion based on a determination of localized distortions of a semiconductor wafer. Herein, a distortion is either an out-of-plane distortion (OPD) or in-plane distortion (IPD). The reference plane for this distortion is based on the plane shared by the surface of a presumptively flat semiconductor wafer. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Joshua Hooge, Nathan Ip, Joel Estrella, Anton Devilliers
  • Patent number: 10623658
    Abstract: A return device for empties includes an optical capturing apparatus for optically capturing features of an empty container. The capturing apparatus includes light sources and cameras. The light sources and the cameras are arranged around a capturing region in a horseshoe-shaped manner. One of the light sources and one of the cameras are arranged such that the camera is arranged in the beam path of the light source such that, when an empty container has been brought into a capturing region, the camera captures a modified luminous energy from the light source compared to the case where there are no empty containers in the capturing region. The return device further includes a circuit connected to the plurality of cameras and configured to activate an additional camera or an additional light source of the light sources on the basis of the luminous energy captured by the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
    Inventor: Domenic Hartung
  • Patent number: 10565719
    Abstract: A first image and a second image of a scene are obtained for use in detecting the location of the floor in the scene. A first of the images is mapped onto a candidate plane that is perpendicular to a gravity vector, thereby creating a texture-mapped plane. The texture-mapped plane is projected into the geometry of the camera utilized to take the second image to create an artificial first image. A comparison is then performed between the first image and the artificial first image to generate a similarity score. Multiple candidate planes are processed in this manner for the first and second images, and the candidate plane generating the highest associated similarity score is chosen as the floor. This process can be repeated for multiple sets of stereo images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bleyer, Yuri Pekelny, Christopher Stephen Messer
  • Patent number: 10545095
    Abstract: The invention comprises a method and system for grading and verifying the grading of an animal hide. The animal hide is inspected on a light table to determine the grade of the hide. A tag on the hide is read by a reader to identify the hide. The hide is displayed on a monitor connected to a computer. Touch screen commands are be used for inputting information into the computer database to make a record of the inspection and grading of the hide. A camera connected to the computer is used to photograph the animal hide on the light table and store the data and image in a computer database to make a record of the inspection and provide the ability to verify the condition of the animal hide when it was inspected. The photograph of an animal hide and all information relating to the animal hide is stored in a database to identify the hide and to verify the inspection grade of the animal hide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph A. Spicola, David Fairbanks, Bryan C. Parent
  • Patent number: 10502691
    Abstract: A method of inspecting an article with a defect detection tool includes receiving one or more articles at an inspection station and inspecting one of the received one or more articles at the inspection station by evaluating the article for at least one physical defect with the defect detection tool. The defect detection tool includes a clear body including a surface element sized to correspond to the at least one physical defect in the article, and an inspection surface configured to contact a surface of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: CAASTLE, INC.
    Inventors: Alyssa Packard, Shannon Gramley, Lindsey Winland
  • Patent number: 10490463
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing tool. The tool includes a housing enclosing a processing chamber, and an input/output port configured to pass a wafer through the housing into and out of the processing chamber. A back-side macro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image a back side of the wafer. A front-side macro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image a front side of the wafer according to a first image resolution. A front-side micro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image the front side of the wafer according to a second image resolution which is higher than the first image resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Han Lin, Chien-Fa Lee, Hsu-Shui Liu, Jiun-Rong Pai, Sheng-Hsiang Chuang, Surendra Kumar Soni, Shou-Wen Kuo, Wu-An Weng, Gary Tsai, Chien-Ko Liao, Ya Hsun Hsueh, Becky Liao, Ethan Yu, Ming-Chi Tsai, Kuo-Yi Liu
  • Patent number: 10474124
    Abstract: An image processing system which can execute various image processings in an operation process of a robot is provided. The image processing system includes: a robot for performing a predetermined operation on a workpiece; a photographing unit for photographing the workpiece; an acquisition unit for acquiring a position of the robot; a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for reconfiguring an internal circuit configuration; a storage unit for storing area information where circuit information for implementing predetermined image processing on an image obtained from the photographing unit as information for defining the circuit configuration of the FPGA is defined for each operation area of the robot; and a reconfiguration unit for reconfiguring the circuit configuration of the FPGA with the circuit information associated with the operation area based on that a position of the robot sequentially acquired by the acquisition unit belongs to one operation area defined in the area information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Toshinori Tamai
  • Patent number: 10438340
    Abstract: An automatic optical inspection system includes a first AOI machine and a second AOI machine, and the second AOI machine is electrically connected to the first AOI machine. The first AOI machine is configured to use a first resolution to inspect an object, so as to detect a possible defective region(s) of the object. The second AOI machine is configured to use a second resolution higher than the first resolution of the first AOI machine to inspect within the possible defective region(s) only, so as to detect whether there is/are any defect(s) within the possible defective region(s) of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Test Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuang-Pu Wen, Wen-Ming Wu, Chun-Yen Huang
  • Patent number: 10438370
    Abstract: Described herein are apparatus, systems and methods for shadow assisted object recognition and tracking. The methods performed by the apparatus and system include identifying a blob within a video image, the video image having at least one object and at least one shadow of the at least one object, the at least one shadow of the at least one object cast by at least one light source. Identifying the blob includes identifying an object projection corresponding to the at least one object and a shadow projection corresponding to the at least one shadow. A location of an object portion of the at least one object is determined based on the shadow projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuecheng Zhang, Ilke Akin
  • Patent number: 10366484
    Abstract: A robot operates according to predetermined path data, and changes a relative position between a work and an imaging apparatus. A processing unit makes the imaging apparatus pick up an image of the work, while changing the relative position between the work and the imaging apparatus, and acquires a plurality of images. The processing unit determines the relative position between the work and the imaging apparatus, at the time when having made the imaging apparatus pick up the image of the work. The processing unit detects a defect of the work from each of the plurality of images acquired during moving by the moving apparatus according to the predetermined path data, and identifies a position of the defect in the work, based on the relative position between the work and the imaging apparatus that has been calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naokazu Takazawa
  • Patent number: 10281714
    Abstract: A projector that is capable of correcting optical characteristics without degrading gradation of a projected image. The projector includes a projection optical system for projecting a projected image on a projection plane. When performing projection based on RAW data obtained through image pickup, the RAW data is corrected based on correction parameters and developed, whereby image data is generated. A projected image corresponding to the image data is projected on the projection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiro Kawahara
  • Patent number: 10282845
    Abstract: A method for determining a mark in a data record with three-dimensional surface coordinates of a scene includes ascertaining a first collection of edge points in a three-dimensional coordinate system of the data record, fitting an equalization area into at least a subset of the edge points of the first collection of edge points to permit the edge points in the three-dimensional coordinate system to be partly positioned on a first side of the equalization area and partly positioned on a second side, lying opposite the first side, of the equalization area, displacing edge points of the first collection of edge points into the equalization area to permit a corrected collection of edge points to be formed, and determining the mark in the three-dimensional coordinate system based on the corrected collection of edge points or the corrected closed circumferential edge line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Florian Seeleitner
  • Patent number: 10276128
    Abstract: A display control device and a display system are provided. The display control method includes: detecting if a glare is presented on the surface of the semi-translucent polarizing film layer on the emergent light side of the display device; generating a driving signal for driving the display device to display a non-black image in a glare compensation region if a glare is detected to be presented on the surface of the semi-translucent polarizing film layer; in which the glare compensation region corresponds to a glare region in the semi-translucent polarizing film layer and the glare region is an region in which a glare is presented. The display control method of the present disclosure may reduce glare intensity when a glare is created on a mirror surface such as a rearview mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yanbing Wu
  • Patent number: 10274313
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of measuring a surface of an object having a curved shape by measuring a distance from a measurement head to the object, includes: setting a measuring region of the object and a threshold value of concave and convex; acquiring shape reference data including the curved shape of the object; acquiring three-dimensional data of the surface of the object by measuring the distance between the object in the measuring region and the measurement head; acquiring curve removed data by removing the shape reference data from the three-dimensional data; calculating second reference data by calculating first reference data based on the curve removed data, by removing data exceeding the threshold value with respect to the first reference data, from the curve removed data, and by averaging the curve removed data; and calculating shape data of the concave and convex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakai, Yutaka Watanabe, Yasuhiro Takahama, Harumasa Ito, Yuji Kudo
  • Patent number: 10256859
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method may be implemented by an immersive and interactive multimedia generation system. The method may comprise projecting, by a first component of the system, a plurality of patterns to a physical environment in which a second component of the system is located, acquiring, by the second component of the system, a first image and a second image of at least a part of the physical environment, the first and second images including, respectively, first and second pixel data corresponding to at least some of the plurality of projected patterns, and determining, by the second component of the system, a change in at least one of an orientation or a position of the second component within the physical environment based on a relationship between the first and the second pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: uSens, Inc.
    Inventors: Yue Fei, Anli He
  • Patent number: 10247544
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a shape measurement apparatus that is capable of measuring the amount of warpage in the width direction of a strip-shaped body with higher sensitivity. [Solution] Provided is a shape measurement apparatus including: a light source configured to irradiate a surface of a moving strip-shaped body with linear light at a prescribed angle of incidence; a screen configured such that reflected light of the linear light on the surface of the strip-shaped body is projected on the screen; an imaging unit configured to image the reflected light of the linear light projected on the screen; and an arithmetic processing unit configured to acquire the amount of warpage in a width direction of the strip-shaped body on the basis of a line length of the reflected light of the linear light imaged by the imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Hibi, Yusuke Konno, Toshio Akagi, Nobuhiro Furuya, Tomohiro Kuroiwa, Akihito Nakazaki
  • Patent number: 10203201
    Abstract: An on-machine measurement device comprises: a moving mechanism that makes scanning irradiation with a laser beam by moving a cutting target as a measurement target relative to a laser source; a half mirror that causes the beam from the laser source to enter the cutting target vertically; a lens that focuses the beam scattered, diffracted, and reflected on the cutting target; a projection plane for a focal image of the beam having passed through the lens; a light-receiving element array that converts an optical signal at the projection plane to an electrical signal and outputs an analog signal; and a calculator that stores received beam information in chronological order acquired by the light-receiving element array, converts the received beam information stored in chronological order to space information to generate an optical diffraction image, and acquires a beam intensity distribution based on the generated optical diffraction image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazunori Iijima
  • Patent number: 10134140
    Abstract: A surveillance system 1, which is an example of a surveillance system to which the present invention is applied, includes a surveillance region storage means 2 and an image analyzing means 3. Also, the surveillance system 1 includes an effective area information storage means 4 and an object criterion information storage means 5. A detection subject can be detected efficiently by setting a first step criterion of whether or not a portion of an object in an image is included in a range of a surveillance region and a predetermined second step criterion and determining whether or not these criteria are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignees: Ramrock Video Technology Laboratory Co., Ltd., Syusei Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshikazu Akama