Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Michael J. Nickerson
  • Patent number: 8228561
    Abstract: An image processing system utilizes an image type classification circuit to identify inputted image data as picture image data or text/graphics image data. A halftone circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, converts the inputted image data, identified as picture image data, to halftone image data. Moreover, a tile pattern circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, to replace the inputted image data, identified as text/graphics image data, with tile patterns. The tile patterns are encoded with a predetermined pattern. A bitmap rendering circuit combines the halftone image data with the encoded tile patterns to render a bitmap, wherein the bitmap can be used by a print engine to reproduce the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Dale Stevens
  • Patent number: 6829509
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart G. MacDonald, Patrick R. Connelly
  • Patent number: 6819954
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick R. Connelly
  • Patent number: 6819958
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Weiner, Jeffrey L. Helfer, Stuart G. MacDoanld, Patrick R. Connelly, Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 6799069
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Weiner, Patrick R. Connelly, Stuart G. MacDonald, Jeffrey L. Helfer, Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 6778856
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick R. Connelly, Stuart G. MacDonald, Wilson Greatbatch, Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 6763268
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart G. MacDonald, Patrick R. Connelly
  • Patent number: 6760628
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Weiner, Stuart G. MacDoanld, Patrick R. Connelly
  • Patent number: 6757566
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Weiner, Jeffrey L. Helfer, Patrick R. Connelly, Stuart G. MacDonald, Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 6725092
    Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation immune medical assist system includes a medical assist device; a photonic lead having a proximal end and a distal end; and an adapter to operatively connect the medical assist device with the photonic catheter. The adapter includes a housing, an interface to provide an operative communication connection between the adapter and the medical assist device, a transducer to convert information from the medical assist device into optical energy, and an optical interface to provide an operative connection between the adapter and the photonic catheter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart G. MacDonald, Jeffrey L. Helfer, Michael L. Weiner
  • Patent number: 6718207
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick R. Connelly
  • Patent number: 6718203
    Abstract: An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Weiner, Jeffrey L. Helfer, Patrick R. Connelly, Stuart G. MacDonald, Victor Miller
  • Patent number: 6711440
    Abstract: An optical sense signal generator for medical device's having a photonic catheter containing optical conductors conducting light energy in two directions between electronics at a catheter proximal end and electrical stimulation and sensing components at a catheter distal end. An optical unit receives light delivered from the catheter proximal end and transmits a first portion of the light while diverting a second portion of the light. The transmitted light is fed to an opto-electrical converter for conversion into electrical stimulation signals. The diverted light is directed to one or more optical modulators that modulate the diverted light output under an applied electrical signal. An electrical circuit generates electrical sense signals corresponding to one or more sensed physiological conditions and provides the signals to the optical modulator(s). This results in modulation of the diverted light output into optical sense signals that are transmitted to the catheter proximal end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Biophan Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Deal, Wilson Greatbatch
  • Patent number: 6603575
    Abstract: A system and method for processing image data converts a pixel of image data having a first resolution to a plurality of subpixels, the plurality of subpixels representing a second resolution, the second resolution being higher than the first resolution. The plurality of subpixels are thresholded to generate a group of subpixel values for each pixel and a threshold error value. It is then determined if the group of subpixel values from the thresholding process produce a pattern containing an isolated subpixel. If the group of subpixel values from the thresholding process produce a pattern containing an isolated subpixel, the group of subpixel vales is modified to produce a pattern without an isolated subpixel. The modification process produces a subpixel error value which is compensated for localized error before being diffused to adjacent pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart A. Schweid, David J. Metcalfe
  • Patent number: 6557017
    Abstract: A method and device for describing a complex color raster image as a collection of objects in a hierarchical and device independent format. The purpose of structured imaging (SI) is to expand the scope of a raster image to a collection of individually manipulable component objects. An SI is a hierarchical description of a single output image raster which may be used as one component of a page in a structured document. Objects contributing to the output raster may originate from text, graphics, other rasters or a combination thereof, and all maintain their heritage for selectability and modification. The SI describes not only the source data but also the image processing operations required for rendering the output raster. SI technology supports re-editability, customization and enhancement, automatic image assembly and high performance imaging. Thus, such a model has implications not only in an image editing and processing arena, but also in the filing and printing services used for image handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis L. Venable
  • Patent number: 6549658
    Abstract: A system and method classify a pixel of image data as one of a plurality of image types. A first image characteristic value for the pixel, a second image characteristic value for the pixel, a third image characteristic value for the pixel, and a fourth image characteristic for the pixel is determined. Some of these determinations may be resolution dependent. The values from these determination are utilized in assigning an image type classification to the pixel. Moreover, if at least one of the image characteristic values is greater than a predetermined threshold value the pixel is classified as a halftone peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stuart A. Schweid, Jeng-Nan Shiau
  • Patent number: 6549656
    Abstract: A digital image processing system for automatically segmenting a set of input image signals into a combination of predetermined classes of imagery, the set of input image signals forming part of a video image generated by an image input terminal. The system includes a classification circuit that receives the set of input image signals and classifies them as a ratio of the predetermined classes of imagery. A plurality of image processing circuits also receives the set of input image signals, each of which is adapted to process a unique class of imagery selected from the predetermined classes of imagery to generate a set of output image signals for that predetermined class of imagery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Ying-wei Lin
  • Patent number: 6449061
    Abstract: A process eliminates pattern shifting artifacts in a printed image rendered using a hybrid high addressable error diffusion process by perturbing a threshold/image signal value relationship when a multi-level grey level is binarized. The process utilizes a programmable multi-level grey signal modifying circuit for modifying the multi-level grey signal by a predetermined value according to its grey level. The modified multi-level grey signal is binarized to a binary pixel signal according to a relationship between the modified multi-level grey signal and a threshold value. The process further generates an error corresponding to the relationship and diffuses the error to neighboring pixels. The multi-level grey signal is modified with either random noise multiplied by a grey level dependent coefficient value. The coefficient value is dependent upon an image classification of the pixel being processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Metcalfe
  • Patent number: 6385342
    Abstract: A method detects if an image is compressed. The method determines a block grid within the image and establishes blocks from the determined grid. The method then computes differences between samples inside the established blocks and differences between samples across the established blocks. The method determines that the image is compressed based on characteristics derived from statistics of the computed differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Ricardo L. de Queiroz
  • Patent number: 6353687
    Abstract: A system and method for processing image data converts a pixel of image data having a first resolution to a plurality of subpixels, the plurality of subpixels representing a second resolution, the second resolution being higher than the first resolution. The plurality of subpixels are thresholded to generate a group of subpixel values for each pixel and a threshold error value. It is then determined if the group of subpixel values from the thresholding process produce a pattern containing an isolated subpixel. If the group of subpixel values from the thresholding process produce a pattern containing an isolated subpixel, the group of subpixel vales is modified to produce a pattern without an isolated subpixel. The modification process produces a subpixel error value which is compensated for localized error before being diffused to adjacent pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Stuart A. Schweid