Patents Assigned to Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5587742
    Abstract: A system for converting a digital input signal having a vertical and horizontal dimension into a digital output signal having a different horizontal and vertical dimension than that of the digital input signal. The digital input signal is fed into a first memory which stores the input signal. A horizontal resampling filter is used for converting the horizontal dimension of the digital input signal to the horizontal dimension of the desired output signal. The output from the horizontal resampling filter is transposed so that the vertical dimension of the output signal is oriented in a horizontal orientation. The transposed signal is then stored in a second memory. The transposed signal with the resampled horizontal dimension from the second memory is fed into a vertical resampling filter which converts the vertical dimension information of the transposed signal to the desired format of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence J.-Y. Hau, Kevin J. Stec, Kenneth E. Vavreck
  • Patent number: 5586200
    Abstract: An image processing system encodes a natural image into a segmented or mosaic image having well-defined edges and a residual image. The segmented image is encoded using a lossless encoding technique while the residual image is encoded using a lossy technique. This encoded image may be recorded on a video tape such that the segmented image may be recovered in picture-in-shuttle modes such as fast forward and fast rewind. In addition, the recorded image may be decoded and reencoded through several generational levels without experiencing significant degradation in perceived image quality. The segmented image is produced by an encoder which employs a multi-scale edge finder that is able to resolve transitions occurring over two, four and eight pixels into an edge located between two pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Devaney, Daniel Gnanaprakasam, Peter Westerink, Robert Topper
  • Patent number: 5581704
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for maintaining coherency between a server processor and a client processor that has a cache memory. The server may, for example, be a fixed location mobile unit support station. The client may, for example, be a palmtop computer. The server stores a plurality of data values, and the client stores a subset of the plurality of data values in the cache. The server processor periodically broadcasts invalidation reports to the client processor. Each respective invalidation report includes information identifying which, if any, of the plurality of data values have been updated within a predetermined period of time before the server processor broadcasts the respective invalidation report. The client processor determines, based on the invalidation reports, whether a selected data value in the cache memory of the client processor has been updated in the server processor since the selected data value was stored in the cache memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Barbara, Tomasz Imielinski
  • Patent number: 5580471
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for the precision treatment of a material using a semiconductor diode for generating a plurality of laser light beams, optical fibers coupled to the diode for transmitting and combining the light beams, and a scanner for scanning the combined light beams onto the material to be treated. Also, channels micromachined onto a fixture are provided for supporting the fibers in optimum alignment with the diode. Also provided are a camera and a thermal image capturing system for generating optical and thermal images of the material. An image processing unit is provided for receiving and processing the image to generate and transmit control signals to a diode controller to control intensity and timing of the light beams, and to a controller of the scanner to control positioning of the scanner to deflect the laser beam over the material as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Fukumoto, Paul Laferriere, Abdelkrim Tatah
  • Patent number: 5579431
    Abstract: The device detects the beginning and ending portions of speech contained within an input signal based on the variance of frequency band limited energy within the signal. The use of the variance allows detection which is relatively independent of an absolute signal-to-noise ratio with the signal, and allows accurate detection within a wide variety of backgrounds such as music, motor noise, and background noise, such as other speakers. The device can be easily implemented using off-the-shelf hardware along with a high-speed special purpose digital signal processor integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignees: Panasonic Technologies, Inc., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Reaves
  • Patent number: 5577134
    Abstract: An image processing system encodes a segmented or mosaic image into a set of fixed-length data packets, from which the segmented image may be reproduced with no significant loss of detail. The exemplary system includes a chain coder which translates the segmented image into a form in which the image segments are represented as respective sequences of border values, each border value indicating a direction to the next border value. This image is further encoded such that each pair of border values becomes a single further border value and a pair of complementary codes. These further border values are processed in the same manner, to further reduce the number of border values needed to represent the image. When the number of border values has been reduced to a level such that the image may be encoded in a single packet, the encoding system provides these border values and all complementary code values that have been generated as the code representing the segmented image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Westerink
  • Patent number: 5574513
    Abstract: A video signal processor controls aperture correction of the video signal by detecting the occurrence of particular colors in the image produced by the video signal. The particular color, for example, fleshtone, is detected as a ratio of the amplitude of an in-phase color signal and the magnitude of its corresponding quadrature phase color signal. This defines a range of color phases which are classified as the particular color, regardless of their saturation. The detected color is converted into a control signal which changes the amplitude of the aperture correction signal. In one embodiment the control signal has a value of zero if the detected color is within the range of color phases and a value of one otherwise. This control signal is used as a multiplier for the aperture correction signal. In another embodiment, a second range of colors is defined around the defined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Topper
  • Patent number: 5562842
    Abstract: Apparatus for laser treatment of a material includes a source that generates a laser beam which a lens focuses into a focused beam having a predetermined cross-sectional diameter defining a spot. A dichroic mirror directs the focused beam along an optical axis such that the spot is produced on the material for treatment. A video camera monitors the treatment of the material and has an optical path extending at least partially along the optical axis of the focused beam. A ring illuminator is disposed around the optical axis to directly illuminate the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Laferriere
  • Patent number: 5554993
    Abstract: A global position determining system conserves battery power in a battery powered user terminal by transmitting its approximate position initially and then inhibiting transmission of a homing beacon until a homing terminal is in the vicinity of the user terminal. After user activation, the user terminal determines its own approximate position and transmits an approximate position signal to a satellite. The satellite then relays the approximate position signal to a mobile homing terminal. After moving the mobile homing terminal toward the approximate position, an activate homing beacon command is transmitted to the user terminal. When the transmitted command is received, the homing beacon is activated. Upon activation of the homing beacon, a directional antenna of the mobile homing terminal can be oriented toward a first direction which has a strong homing beacon reception relative to other directions and moved towards that direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John W. Brickell
  • Patent number: 5553284
    Abstract: A method for indexing electronic handwritten documents is provided. Each document includes a plurality of output symbols in an output sequence, and is modeled by a respective Hidden Markov Model (HMM). The HMMs share a common alphabet and a common sequence length. A tree is established, having linked nodes stored in a memory. Each node has n pointers, each identifying a different node in the next level of the tree. Each path from the root to a different one of the leaf nodes defines a respective sequence of pointers. An indexing procedure is performed, for each of a subset of the nodes in one of the levels of the tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Barbara, Walid Aref
  • Patent number: 5551023
    Abstract: A priority scheme is used to control concurrent access to a database. The priority scheme takes advantage of the usual delay in a process after a first full set of data is accessed in order to improve the overall impression of the speed of the system. Access to the database is granted on the basis of priority. In the disclosed exemplary embodiment of the invent ion, three priorities are established: a first priority for fast-response type transactions which have not yet accessed a set of data, a second priority for fast-response transactions which have accessed a set of data, and a third priority for batch transactions. When a fast-response transaction is initiated, it is given the first priority. Once a predefined number of data values have been obtained from the database, enough to produce a full screen display, the transaction receives the second priority. A transaction may be assigned the first priority periodically, when it needs to access a further set of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rafael Alonso
  • Patent number: 5548697
    Abstract: A color corrector for changing pixels in an image where the color corrector includes a neural fuzzy classifier to generate a membership value which defines a degree of membership of each pixel in a group of pixels to be transformed. A pixel color changer is also provided to transform the pixel according to its membership in the group of pixels to be changed. The color corrector can also include a pixel group classifier for identifying groups of pixels in the image to train the neural fuzzy classifier to generate the membership value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony E. Zortea
  • Patent number: 5548332
    Abstract: A technique is disclosed for correcting black shading errors in a video camera. The technique involves calculating a horizontal correction waveform as a function of the average pixel values for the columns of a field. Next, a vertical correction waveform is calculated as a function of the average pixel values for the rows of a field. Then, calculation of a diagonal correction waveform as a function of the average pixel values along predetermined diagonals is performed. Finally, an input video signal representing real images is combined with the correction waveforms to produce a video output signal having substantially reduced black shading errors. Correction waveforms can be determined in any order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Topper, Lee R. Dischert
  • Patent number: 5536171
    Abstract: This invention includes a speech training system that allows a student to enter any utterance to be learned and have the articulatory model movements required to produce the utterance displayed on a CRT screen. The system accepts a typed utterance, breaking it down into a set of speech units which could be phonemes or syllables and the onset and offset of the speech units. The set of speech units is sent to a synthesizer, which produces a set of parameters indicating the acoustic characteristics of the utterance. The acoustic parameters are converted into articulatory parameters emphasizing the frequency and nasality required to produce the typed utterance. The speech units and onset and offset of each are used to generate tongue-palate contact patterns required to produce the typed utterance. The articulatory parameters are displayed on the CRT screen. The acoustic parameters are also sent to a formant synthesizer which converts the parameters into speech output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hector R. Javkin, Elizabeth G. Keate, Norma Antonanzas-Barroso, Brian A. Hanson
  • Patent number: 5535438
    Abstract: A low earth orbiting satellite communication terminal includes a data signal generator, a modulator, and a class E switching amplifier. The modulator converts a data signal from the data signal generator into a phase modulated signal which is then amplified by the class E switching amplifier for transmission to a low earth orbiting satellite. In a preferred embodiment, the modulator converts the data signal into a symmetric differential phase shift keyed data signal. The class E switching amplifier amplifies the phase modulated signal at frequencies between about 148 and 150 MHz. The class E switching amplifier includes a switching transistor, an input matching network, a class E load network, and an output matching network. The class E load network is electrically connected to the switching transistor and loads the transistor for phase linear class E operation over a predetermined bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Sevic
  • Patent number: 5528701
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for matching input data representing a continuous combination of input objects to a plurality of objects in a trie database structure. This data structure has a plurality of nodes partitioned into a plurality of levels. Each node in the Trie includes a plurality of elements where each element corresponds to a respective one of the component objects. In addition, a hidden Markov model corresponding to the component object is associated with the element in the database. According to the method, the input object is applied to each of the hidden Markov models associated with the respective plurality of elements of a node to generate a respective plurality of acceptance values. The element which generates the largest acceptance value is identified with a segment of the input data. The component object for this element is recorded and the identified segment is deleted from the input data string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Walid G. Aref
  • Patent number: 5528301
    Abstract: A system and method for converting a first digital input signal having a first sample size per unit length and a first bandwidth to a digital output signal having a second sample size per unit length. The input signal is passed through a first filter means which decimates the signal to a smaller sample size and outputs a decimated signal. A second filter limits that bandwidth of the decimated signal and outputs a bandlimited signal. Next, a third filter interpolates the bandlimited signal to produce a digital output signal having the desired sample size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence J.-Y. Hau, Kevin J. Stec
  • Patent number: 5528195
    Abstract: A quadrature demodulator for demodulating an input signal which includes respective data signals modulating in-phase and quadrature carriers. The demodulator includes a voltage controlled oscillator responsive to a control signal for generating an oscillatory signal. A demodulator, coupled to receive the oscillatory signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and the input signal, provides the in-phase and quadrature components of the input signal. Phase comparison circuitry, responsive to the in-phase and quadrature components of the input signal generates a phase error signal. The phase error signal represents the difference, in phase and magnitude, between a vector defined by the in-phase and quadrature components of the input signal and reference vectors. Filter circuitry, responsive to the phase error signal, generates a control signal for the voltage controlled oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng-Youn Lu, Robert S. Burroughs
  • Patent number: 5524240
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating an indexed database stored in a computer system. A database is established. The database includes a plurality of data objects. Each data object is defined by a respective tuple of attributes. The attributes include at least one attribute having a domain of values that includes handwritten objects. Each handwritten object includes a plurality of symbols ordered in an output sequence. An index is established, having a root node and a plurality of leaf nodes. Each leaf node is connected to the root node by a respective path, such that each path from the root node to one of the plurality of leaf nodes corresponds to a respective input sequence of symbols. The input sequence for the respective leaf node includes a set of pointers to a subset of the tuples. A respective Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is executed to analyze the output sequence of each handwritten object and to determine a respective probability that each input sequence matches the output sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Barbara, Henry F. Korth
  • Patent number: 5522045
    Abstract: The invention relates to general purpose interprocessor communication implemented through a distributed shared memory network connecting a plurality of processors, computers, multiprocessors, and electronic and optical devices. The invention teaches a method and means for shared memory based data transfer between a multiplicity of asynchronously operating devices (processors, computers, multiprocessors, etc.) each using possibly distinct memory address translation architectures. The invention further teaches shared virtual memory network communication and administration based on a unique network memory address translation architecture. This architecture is compatible with and augments the address translation and cache block replacement mechanisms of existing devices. More particularly, the invention teaches an adapter for insertion into an operating device, or node, whereby all address translation, memory mapping and packet generation can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Panasonic Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Sandberg