Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William F. Noval
  • Patent number: 6346707
    Abstract: An imaging system with an imaging assemblage including a prompt phosphor layer for converting an ionizing radiation image into a light image, and a transparent layer supporting the phosphor layer; wherein the light image is transmitted through the transparent layer; an electronic camera for converting the light image into an electronic image; and a light image transmission system between the imaging assemblage and the electronic camera for transmitting the light image to the electronic camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Douglas L. Vizard, Joel N. Helfer, William E. McLaughlin, David J. Steklenski
  • Patent number: 6342914
    Abstract: An apparatus for registering film in a drum scanner assembly including; a concave curved film platen having spaced first and second linear edges that are oriented horizontally and third and fourth curved side edges connected between the first and second edges, the concave, curved film platen having a curved surface defining a curved film path having a first downwardly curved position and a second upwardly curved position from the first to the second edges, first and second spaced film engagement assemblies independently and movably mounted relative to the platen at the second portion of the film path, the assemblies having film registration slides for engaging the leading edge of a sheet of film fed onto the concave, curved film platen from the first edge and along the curved film path the slides being mounted for movement over substantially the length of the second portion of the path and being adapted to register films of different lengths; and device associated with the slides for biasing the slides throug
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Johnson, Brian D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 6323869
    Abstract: A method of selecting a tone scale adjustment function for displaying a medical image on a display comprising the steps of: providing a medical image object having a header with image attributes including at least modality value and manufacturer value; extracting the image attribute values from the header of the medical image object; providing a plurality of tone scale adjustment look up tables, each of which is uniquely identified by at least two image attributes; selecting a tone scale adjustment table from a tone scale selection criteria table; applying the selected tone scale adjustment table to the provided medical image; and displaying the tone scale adjusted medical image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kevin S. Kohm, Richard L. VanMetter
  • Patent number: 6320669
    Abstract: A method for obtaining a consumer video segment for the creation of motion sequence cards having a first step of selecting from a consumer's recording media the motion segment that is to be recorded on a motion-sequence card, a second step of recording the selected motion segment on a copy recording media, a third step of marking key frames of the video segments in the selected motion segment with an audio tone, and lastly a forth step of forwarding the selected motion segments recorded on the copy recording media to a motion sequence card fabrication site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Raymond E. Wess, John A. Agostinelli
  • Patent number: 6309342
    Abstract: A method of determining the physiological reactivity of an individual with respect to images, comprising: measuring at least one physiological parameter of an individual during a baseline calm period of time; measuring the said at least one physiological parameter of said individual during a stress period of time and a succeeding rest period of time; dividing said measured data for each of said periods of time into a plurality of predetermined time segments; computing a histogram or Fourier analysis as appropriate on said predetermined time segments for each said period of time; standardizing said computed data; conducting a principal component analysis, a canonical discriminant analysis, or a neural network, on said data to establish a baseline calm or rest period set of scores and a stress period set of scores; measuring the said at least one physiological parameter of said individual during an image presentation period of time; repeating said time segmenting, said histogram or Fourier analysis, and said st
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard N. Blazey, Paige Miller, Elena A. Fedorovskaya, Girish V. Prabhu, Peter A. Parks, David L. Patton, John R. Fredlund, Cecelia M. Horwitz, Jose M. Mir
  • Patent number: 6306077
    Abstract: A method of managing a physiological or psychological state of an individual using images comprising: determining an individual's direction or preference for a state management session; based on the determination, deciding whether a current set of images selected through a personal image profile session, will achieve the desired management effect; if the current set are deemed satisfactory, presenting the set of images to the individual to achieve management of the individual's state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Girish V. Prabhu, Cecelia M. Horwitz, Paige Miller, Richard N. Blazey, Elena A. Fedorovskaya, Swatee N. Surve, David L. Patton, Laurie Schaefer, John R. Fredlund, Jose V. Mir, Peter A. Parks
  • Patent number: 6293904
    Abstract: A method of generating a personal image profile based on an individual's physiological and cognitive state compromising: presenting a master set of images to an individual wherein each image in the master set is characterized by a set of scene and image related classifiers that are relevant to producing an effect on an individual; measuring and recording one or more of said individual's physiological parameters while viewing a presented image; measuring the individual's cognitive state from cognitive responses to each presented image; and generating a personal image profile of the individual based on combining the physiological and cognitive measures from said measuring steps, said personal image profile including image classifiers for identifying activating or deactivating images for said individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard N. Blazey, Paige Miller, Elena A. Fedorovskaya, Girish V. Prabhu, Peter A. Parks, David L. Patton, John R. Fredlund, Cecelia M. Horwitz, Jose M. Mir
  • Patent number: 6292596
    Abstract: The present invention automatically and quickly digitizes small format films, such as dental radiographs, and processes digital images. The radiographs are scanned using a flat-bed scanner with a transparency adapter. A template is used during image capture to assist in proper exposure during the digitization step to minimize undesired flare. Exposure levels are adjusted to accommodate the wide variability that can be found in processed films. A user interface is provided that will automatically bound the region of the platen to be scanned so that image processing can be accommodated on an image by image basis. An image tonescaling algorithm is implemented to render the image for soft copy display on an electronic display or other output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Patricia D. Snyder, Charles A. Hasso, Louis P. Masi
  • Patent number: 6280374
    Abstract: An apparatus for accurately cutting a multi-view print from a sheet of print material is disclosed comprised of a lower body portion and a cutter blade residing in the lower body portion. The cutter blade has a cutting outline corresponding to the outline of the to be cut multi-view print. An upper body portion is rigidly positioned with respect to the lower body portion and has a first opening therethrough corresponding to the outline of the cutter blade and second openings that are defined by the upper body portion for receiving a user's fingers so as to enable the movement of a sheet of print material when positioned between the upper and the lower body portions whereby a lenticular or barrier type cover sheet, positioned in the first opening, permits viewing of the multi-view print to enable the guiding of the sheet of print material into accurate alignment with the cover sheet prior to cutting with the cutter blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joseph A. Manico, John H. Rosenburgh, Roman Lucyszyn
  • Patent number: 6281926
    Abstract: Image answering apparatus comprising: an interface for connecting to a public telephone system; and memory for storing audio and image information received over the public telephone system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James D. Allen, Allen D. Heberling, Omid A. Moghadam, John R. Squilla
  • Patent number: 6278126
    Abstract: A transport device for X-ray cassettes, each having a phosphor sheet stimulable by X-rays, is provided in a cassette processing apparatus (100), which is of simple physical construction and allows rapid and reliable processing of X-ray cassettes of different formats in a space-saving and user-friendly fashion. The apparatus has a plurality of transporters (11, 12, 21, 22) which are arranged in a horizontal plane (E) and are spaced apart from one another in the transport direction (T) and also perpendicular thereto. A conveying mechanism (30) which, in the area of the spacings (A1, A2, A3) between the transport means, can be conveyed vertically in and out as far as the plane (E) in such a way that lowering effects a transfer of an X-ray cassette into a cassette receiving device (50), and raising effects a transfer out of the receiving device (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Gerd Hoitz
  • Patent number: 6275869
    Abstract: A medical imaging system for communicating image information between a plurality of different medical imaging modalities having different input protocols and a plurality of different laser imagers having different output protocols takes advantage of a reusable, object-oriented software architecture having a plurality of functionally independent components. The individual components can be configured in a communication pipeline to communicate image information between a medical imaging modality and a laser imager according to desired protocols in a networked manner. Each component can be interchanged with a differently configured component to facilitate communication of image information according to a different protocol, thereby reconfiguring the pipeline to achieve significant flexibility. The software architecture is scalable to produce a plurality of communication pipelines, each of which can be configured according to desired protocols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kent J. Sieffert, Andrew R. Ihlenfeldt
  • Patent number: 6270931
    Abstract: A method of exposing an integral imaging element having: an integral lens sheet with opposed front and back surfaces; a light sensitive layer positioned behind the back surface; and an anti-halation layer between the light sensitive layer and the back surface; the method comprising the steps of: simultaneously exposing a major portion of the area of the light sensitive layer with light from behind the light sensitive layer, or simultaneously exposing the light sensitive layer to all of an integral image from behind the light sensitive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Roger Roy Morton
  • Patent number: 6272234
    Abstract: A method of processing a digital image comprising the steps of: providing a digital medical image; and processing the digital medical image for contrast as follows: for contrast <0 use a linear function to calculate the entire contrast look-up-table; for contrast 0, the contrast look-up-table is an identity table, and for contrast greater than 0, a linear function is used to calculate the linear region and for regions near Dmin and Dmax, the nonlinear function y=xn is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Robert T. Krogstad
  • Patent number: 6269193
    Abstract: A method of automatically compressing and decompressing a digital image that is comprised of the following steps: acquiring a digital image through an image acquisition system; generating a look-up-table (companding function) based upon noise characteristics of the image acquisition system; applying the companding function to the image; processing the image using a lossless compression algorithm; reconstructing the image using the associated decompression algorithm; and applying the inverse of the companding function to the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Susan S. Young, Bruce R. Whiting, David H. Foos
  • Patent number: 6268899
    Abstract: A lenticular imaging product comprising: a lenticular lens element having an array of lenticules; and means for encoding characteristics of the lenticular lens element for use in processing the lenticular lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James L. Edwards, Roger A. Morton
  • Patent number: 6269176
    Abstract: We demonstrate a comprehensive image processing system to automatically detect the use of a stationary anti-scatter device (also referred to as a linear grid) and suppress the artifacts that such a device creates in a digital radiographic images. The detection process consists of the stages of determining an appropriate region of the image from which to perform the analysis; performing a spectral analysis to identify the grid frequencies; and identifying the most likely grid line frequency. When a grid is detected, the results of the detection process are used to perform adaptive grid suppression using custom designed blurring filters and a plurality of adaptation methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lori L. Barski, Xiaohui Wang
  • Patent number: 6260842
    Abstract: A film supply system for use within a photosensitive film imager. The film supply system includes a cartridge receiving apparatus and a film pick-up mechanism. The cartridge receiving apparatus includes a tray, a guide frame and an elevator mechanism. The guide frame is configured to be disposed within an imager housing. The tray includes a floor and extending walls for maintaining a film cartridge and is pivotably received by the guide frame. The tray further defines a cartridge insertion passage and moves between an elevated position and a retracted position relative to the guide frame. In the elevated position, the cartridge insertion passage is normal to a film travel path of the imager. Finally, the elevator mechanism is disposed within the imager housing and drives the tray between the elevated position and the retracted position. The film pick-up mechanism includes a retention frame, a drive frame, a drive means, a heel plate, and a cup plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Brian D. Nelson, James R. Gilbertson, Robert J. Mattila, John J. Allen
  • Patent number: 6253220
    Abstract: The method comprises the steps of sorting the images according to a principal criterion (width or height) and a secondary criterion (height or width) and after having indexed these images, automatically associating the image p−j and the image p+1+j with the same editing row so as to minimize the total useful width of the aggregation of the images, and calculates the maximum enlargement ratio for editing the aggregation of the images on a medium arranged in portrait or landscape mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Le Beux, Michel F. Buff
  • Patent number: D452521
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Bruce E. Nelson, Henry C. Gydesen, James R. Gilbertson