Patents Represented by Attorney Kevin E. Spaulding
  • Patent number: 8342690
    Abstract: A light modulation assembly for a digital projection apparatus comprising: a solid-state light source that provides an illumination beam; a spatial light modulator having a plurality of tiltable micro-mirrors, each micro-mirror being actuable to tilt with respect to a tilt axis between a first tilt position that provides on-state light and a second tilt position that provides off state light, and wherein the micro-mirrors deflect the illumination beam along an arced path defining a deflection plane as they are tilted between the first tilt position and the second tilt position; and a light baffle disposed alongside the optical axis and in the path of the off state light from the micro-mirrors, the light baffle having a light-trapping surface adapted to absorb the off-state light from the micro-mirrors on the spatial light modulator, the light-trapping surface having a plurality of protruding fins that extend outward from the light-trapping surface at an oblique angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jesse J. Coleman, James Mazzarella, James R. Kircher
  • Patent number: 8345130
    Abstract: A method for reducing noise in an image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit, comprising: computing first weighted pixel differences by combining first pixel differences between the pixel value of a central pixel and pixel values for nearby pixels of the first channel in a plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; computing second weighted pixel differences by combining second pixel differences between pixel values for pixels of at least one different channel in the plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; and computing a noise-reduced pixel value for the central pixel by combining the first and second weighted pixel differences with the pixel value for the central pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James E. Adams, Jr., Mrityunjay Kumar, Efrain O. Morales
  • Patent number: 8339469
    Abstract: A process for using a terminal capable of capturing images to determine a probability of capturing the images according to information taken from contextual data provided by the image capture means. The process uses a terminal such as a mobile terminal comprising a first image data sensor and at least one contextual data sensor to automatically determine at least one probability of capturing an image or a sequence of images taking place within a time interval, the capture probability being calculated based on at least one response provided by one of the activated image data and/or contextual data sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Vau, Thierry Lebihen, Eric Masera, Christophe Edmond Maurice Papin, Santie Valérie LourdesMarie Adelbert
  • Patent number: 8335350
    Abstract: A method for analyzing a digital video sequence of a scene to extract background motion information and foreground motion information, comprising: analyzing at least a portion of a plurality of image frames captured at different times to determine corresponding one-dimensional image frame representations; combining the one-dimensional frame representations to form a two-dimensional spatiotemporal representation of the video sequence; using a data processor to identify a set of trajectories in the two-dimensional spatiotemporal representation of the video sequence; analyzing the set of trajectories to identify a set of foreground trajectory segments representing foreground motion information and a set of background trajectory segments representing background motion information; and storing an indication of the foreground motion information or the background motion information or both in a processor-accessible memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Hao Wu
  • Patent number: 8330827
    Abstract: A method for increasing the resolution of a digital image comprising: receiving an input digital image of a scene; interpolating a high-resolution image using an interpolation function; receiving a blur kernel associated with the interpolation function; initializing a candidate sharp high-resolution image; determining a plurality of differential images representing differences between neighboring pixels in the candidate sharp high-resolution image; determining a combined differential image by combining the differential images; repeatedly updating the candidate sharp high-resolution image responsive to the interpolated high-resolution image, the blur kernel, the candidate sharp high-resolution image and the combined differential image until a convergence criterion is satisfied; and storing the final candidate sharp high-resolution image in a processor-accessible memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Sen Wang
  • Patent number: 8330826
    Abstract: A method for measuring a photographer's progress over time toward producing images with a high level of aesthetic quality by assessing the aesthetic quality of a set of digital images captured by the photographer comprising: providing a set of digital images captured by a particular photographer, each digital image having and associated capture times captured by a particular photographer; using a processor to compute an aesthetic quality parameters for each digital image in the set; and producing an indication of the photographer's progress toward producing images with a high level of aesthetic quality using the aesthetic quality parameters for each digital image in the set and the corresponding associated capture times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Cathleen D. Cerosaletti, Alexander C. Loui, Andrew C. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8330825
    Abstract: A method for sharpening an input digital image captured using a digital camera having a zoom lens, determining a parameterized representation of lens acuity of the zoom lens as a function of at least the lens focal length and lens F# by fitting a parameterized function to lens acuity data for the zoom lens at a plurality of lens focal length and lens F/#; using a processor to sharpen the input digital image responsive to the particular lens focal length and lens F/#corresponding to the input digital image using the parameterized representation of the lens acuity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mrityunjay Kumar, Bruce H. Pillman
  • Patent number: 8311364
    Abstract: A method for estimating the aesthetic quality of an input digital image comprising using a digital image processor for performing the following: determining one or more vanishing point(s) associated with the input digital image by automatically analyzing the digital image; computing a compositional model from at least the positions of the vanishing point(s); and producing an aesthetic quality parameter for the input digital image responsive to the compositional model, wherein the aesthetic quality parameter is an estimate for the aesthetic quality of the input digital image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Cathleen D. Cerosaletti, Alexander C. Loui, Andrew C. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8305502
    Abstract: A beam combiner for combining a plurality of light beams onto an optical path, comprising: a first dichroic element having a dichroic coating that is disposed to transmit light of a first wavelength band along the optical path and to reflect light of a second wavelength band onto the optical path, and a second dichroic element having a dichroic coating that is disposed to transmit the light of the first and second wavelength bands along the optical path and to reflect light of a third wavelength band onto the optical path. The beam combiner further includes a phase difference compensation multilayer thin-film stack that provides at least one reflectance edge transition that lies outside any of the first, second, and third wavelength bands and which provides compensation for an accumulated phase difference for polarization states of the transiting in at least one of the first, second, and third wavelength bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Barry D. Silverstein, Andrew F. Kurtz, Jennifer D. Kruschwitz
  • Patent number: 8295631
    Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a color image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit. The method comprises, for a first color channel, determining noise reduced-pixel values using a first noise reducing process that includes computing weighted pixel differences by combining the pixel differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values. The method further comprises a second noise reducing process that includes computing weighted chroma differences by combining chroma differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James E. Adams, Jr., Mrityunjay Kumar, Efrain O. Morales
  • Patent number: 8287129
    Abstract: An imaging system having reduced susceptibility to thermally induced stress birefringence, comprising; a relay lens, which images the object plane onto an intermediate image plane; a projection lens, which images the intermediate image plane onto the display surface. The lens elements that are immediately adjacent to a relay lens aperture stop and a projection lens aperture stop are fabricated using glasses having a negligible susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence, and the other lens elements are fabricated using glasses having at most a moderate susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence as characterized by the thermal stress birefringence metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Joseph R. Bietry, Barry D. Silverstein
  • Patent number: 8290208
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to systems and methods that provide enhanced eye safety for image projection systems. In particular, the instant invention provides enhanced eye safety for long throw laser projection systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Andrew C. Blose, Michael A. Marcus
  • Patent number: 8287072
    Abstract: A method for using a processor to process image data received from an image data source in preparation for multipass printing, comprising multitoning the image data to produce a multitoned image, using the multitone level of a pixel in the multitoned image to select a plane of a print mask, using the location of the pixel in the multitoned image to select a cell of output pixels in the selected plane of the print mask, and copying the selected cell of output pixels to corresponding locations within a print buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Christopher Rueby, Douglas W. Couwenhoven
  • Patent number: 8291001
    Abstract: A method for identifying a type of recording medium using a time-varying output signal from a photosensor includes amplifying the time-varying output signal of the photosensor; converting the amplified time-varying output signal of the photosensor to digitized data points using an analog to digital converter thereby creating a first set of digitized data; filtering the first set of digitized data to provide a low pass data set; filtering the first set of digitized data to provide a high pass data set; computing the standard deviation of the low pass data set; computing the standard deviation of the high pass data set; and identifying the recording medium type using values from both the standard deviation of the low pass data set and the standard deviation of the high pass data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Greg M. Burke, Yang Shi
  • Patent number: 8290205
    Abstract: A method for dating photographic prints comprising scanning a front side of a photographic print forming an image scan; scanning a back side of the photographic print forming a back scan; defining a database of photographic print watermarks, each photographic print watermark comprising a representation of a watermark pattern and an associated date range; analyzing the back scan using a cross-correlation process between the back scan and the watermark patterns in the database of photographic print watermarks to identify a matching photographic print watermark; determining a date range for the image scan responsive to the identified matching photographic print watermark; and associating the determined date range with the image scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Anthony Scalise, Andrew C. Blose
  • Patent number: 8272710
    Abstract: A method for reducing banding artifacts for bi-directional multi-pass printing on an inkjet printer utilizing a printhead with a plurality of ink nozzles includes defining different print masks to be used for leftward and rightward printing passes such that both the order of ink laydown and the timing between ink laydown on different passes are each substantially constant for a given horizontal position within the image, independent of the vertical position within the image; and printing an input image on the inkjet printer with the defined print masks using a bi-directional multi-pass print mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kevin E. Spaulding, Douglas W. Couwenhoven, Richard C. Reem, Christopher Rueby
  • Patent number: 8274592
    Abstract: A method for browsing a collection of digital images on a display screen with a touch screen user interface, comprising: forming an ordered sequence of digital images; entering an image review mode and displaying a first digital image from the ordered sequence of digital images on the display screen; initiating a sequential image display process in response to a user touching the touch screen, wherein the sequential image display process sequentially displays digital images in the ordered sequence of digital images on the touch screen until such time that the user stops touching the touch screen, wherein a time interval between the display of sequential images is specified by a scroll rate which is controlled responsive to the position that the user is touching the touch screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Christopher Watkins, Timothy J. White
  • Patent number: 8270682
    Abstract: Segmenting scalp and facial hair of a human subject depicted in an image by identifying from metadata associated with the image or semantic information extracted from the image information indicating a possible distribution of the scalp hair or the facial hair, identifying from hair distribution information an expected-hair region within the image wherein the expected-hair region includes at least a portion of a head area of the subject, and identifying a hair region within the expected hair region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Peter O. Stubler
  • Patent number: 8270731
    Abstract: A method of identifying an image classification for an input digital image comprising receiving an input digital image for a captured scene; receiving a range map which represents range information associated with the input digital image, wherein the range information represents distances between the captured scene and a known reference location; identifying the image classification using both the range map and the input digital image; and storing the image classification in association with the input digital image in a processor-accessible memory system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sen Wang, Jie Yu
  • Patent number: 8235531
    Abstract: A laser projection system comprising a laser source system configured to emit coherent light, an optical integrating system configured to uniformize coherent light it receives, a randomizing optical element configured to spatially move over time in order to temporally randomize the phase, angle or spatial location of coherent light it receives, an image forming system configured to interact with laser light that has been both uniformized by the optical integrating system and randomized by the randomizing optical element, thereby forming a laser light image, and a projection system configured to project the laser light image onto a viewing screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Barry D. Silverstein, Gary E. Nothhard, Joseph R. Bietry, Robert Metzger