Patents Assigned to Sharp Laboratories
  • Patent number: 9081043
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for calculating power using a voltage waveform shape measurement from a contactless sensor. An electrically conductive medium carries alternating current (AC) electrical current, associated with an AC voltage, from a source node to a destination node. AC current is measured through the electrically conductive medium. Using a contactless sensor, an AC voltage waveform shape is measured. The power usage at the destination node is calculated in response to the AC current measurement, the measurement of the AC voltage waveform shape, and an AC voltage potential. For simplicity, the AC current and AC voltage waveform shape may both be measured at a first node located between the source node and the destination node. The AC voltage potential used in the power usage calculation may be an estimate, an actual measurement, or a value supplied by an external source (e.g., the power utility).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Park, James E. Owen, David Elrod
  • Patent number: 9076058
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are related to systems, methods and apparatus for determining the orientation of a text line or a page in a document image. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image of text blobs may be generated from a text mask associated with a document image. From the text-blob image, pixel-wise horizontal differences may be accumulated and compared to accumulated pixel-wise vertical differences. Text line orientation may be determined as horizontal when the accumulated pixel-wise horizontal differences are less than the accumulated pixel-wise vertical differences. According to a second aspect of the present invention, page orientation may be determined by reconciling an estimated text-line orientation with document language information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Ahmet Mufit Ferman
  • Patent number: 9076229
    Abstract: An image decoder includes a base layer to decode at least a portion of an encoded video stream into a first image having a first image format. The image decoder can generate a color space prediction by scaling a color space of the first image from the first image format into a color space corresponding to a second image format. The image decoder includes an enhancement layer to decode the encoded video stream to generate a second image in the second image format based, at least in part, on the color space prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Aghagolzadeh, Christopher A. Segall
  • Patent number: 9069361
    Abstract: A thermostat user interface (UI) is provided for presenting calculated set point ranges. The thermostat UI has a major thermostat scale for presenting a current temperature and an overall range of feasible temperatures. A set point indictor indicates a set point input (e.g., desired temperature) with respect to the major thermostat scale. A minor thermostat scale presents a set point range, where the set point range is a range of permitted temperature measurement variations from the set point input. The set point range brackets the set point indicator with a maximum temperature value representing a highest temperature in the set point range, and a minimum temperature value representing a lowest temperature in the set point range. If high and low temperature set point indictors are used, then there are first and second minor thermostat scales bracketing, respectively, the high and low temperature set point indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vitaliy Merkulov, David Elrod, Daniel Park
  • Publication number: 20150181679
    Abstract: A system that determines the task of the viewer and/or gestures made by the user. Based upon the determined task and/or the gestures, the lighting provided to the viewer may be modified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Miao LIAO, Xiao-Fan FENG, Xu CHEN
  • Publication number: 20150180868
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for determining a time-expiry algorithm based on a cached and verified security token, a disposition of the security token, and a cache table, where the disposition of the security token is based on whether the received security token is a single-use token or a multiple-use token and where the cache table is selected from two separate cache tables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Swee Huat Sng
  • Patent number: 9064449
    Abstract: A method for adapting refresh behavior on an electronic device is described. The method includes operating according to an adaptive state that adapts a refresh rate for a display based on at least one frame. The method additionally includes transitioning from the adaptive state to a self refresh state based on a first self refresh state indication. The method further includes transitioning from the self refresh state to the adaptive state based on a second self refresh state indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Joseph Kerofsky, Sachin G. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 9060735
    Abstract: A sleep monitoring method and device classify segments of an acoustic physiological signal captured during sleep as snore and apnea segments. The method and device employ a phase-locked loop array to rapidly detect snore segments for widely variant snoring rhythms exhibited by different people or the same person over time. The phase-locked loop array integrates seamlessly with an apnea timer-thresholding mechanism that detects apnea segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Te-Chung Isaac Yang, Yungkai Kyle Lai
  • Patent number: 9063353
    Abstract: A plasmonic optical device is provided operating in near ultra violet (UV) and visible wavelengths of light. The optical device is made from a substrate and nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have a core with a negative real value relative permittivity of absolute value greater than 10 in a first range of wavelengths including near UV and visible wavelengths of light, and a shell with an imaginary relative permittivity of less than 5 in the first range of wavelengths. A dielectric overlies the substrate, and is embedded with the nanoparticles. If the substrate is reflective, a reflective optical filter is formed. If the substrate is transparent, the filter is transmissive. In one aspect, the dielectric is a tunable medium (e.g., liquid crystal) having an index of refraction responsive to an electric field. The tunable medium is interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Akinori Hashimura, Douglas Tweet, Apostolos Voutsas
  • Publication number: 20150173120
    Abstract: A method for receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message by a user equipment (UE) is described. The method includes receiving an RRC connection reconfiguration message including mobility control information. In response to receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration message including mobility control information, a medium access control (MAC) entity of a secondary cell group (SCG) is released if any MAC entity of the SCG is established. In response to receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration message including mobility control information, a MAC entity of a master cell group (MCG) is reset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Shohei Yamada
  • Publication number: 20150173047
    Abstract: A method for receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message by a user equipment (UE) is described. The method includes receiving an RRC connection reconfiguration message including secondary cell group (SCG) configuration parameters for SCG addition. In response to receiving the RRC connection reconfiguration message including SCG configuration parameters for SCG addition, the method also includes ordering, by an RRC of the UE, a medium access control (MAC) of the SCG of the UE to initiate a random access procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Shohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9053391
    Abstract: A method for classification of samples comprising providing a trained statistical model based upon a set of initial samples. Receiving a set of first samples and training a first statistical model base upon the first set of samples, where the first statistical model is of the same class as the trained statistical model. Receiving a set of second samples and training a second statistical model base upon the second set of samples, where the second statistical model is of the same class as the trained statistical model. The trained statistical model, the first statistical model, and the second statistical model, being independent of each other and collectively used to classify another sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Fan Wang, Xinyu Xu, Chang Yuan, Petrus J. L. van Beek
  • Patent number: 9053531
    Abstract: A system for enhancing an input image including receiving an input image and filtering the input image with a plurality of non-linear smoothing filters providing a respective plurality of filtered outputs. The system processes a plurality of the filtered outputs with respect to at least one of another of the filtered outputs and the input image to determine a plurality of detail layers. The system filters the plurality of detail layers with a plurality of non-linear smoothing filters providing a respective plurality of smoothed layers. The system adjusts the plurality of smoothed layers in such a manner that regions closer to an edge are enhanced to a lesser extent than regions farther from an edge and combining the adjusted the smoothed layers to provide an enhanced output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Hae-Jong Seo, Christopher A. Segall
  • Patent number: 9047226
    Abstract: A computing device having an optimized file system and methods for use therein. File system optimizations include sector-aligned writes, anchored cluster searches, anchored index searches, companion caches dedicated to particular file management data types and predictive cache updates, all of which expedite processing on the computing device. The file system optimizations are especially advantageous for data collection systems where an embedded device is tasked with logging to a target memory data received in a continuous data stream and where none of the streamed data is deleted until after the target memory has been offloaded to another device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Renjit Tom Thomas, Bryan Severt Hallberg
  • Patent number: 9036580
    Abstract: A user equipment (UE) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE determines that a subframe is a flexible subframe. The UE determines whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe. The UE sets the flexible subframe as a downlink subframe if a downlink is indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhanping Yin, Shohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9036491
    Abstract: An evolved Node B (eNB) configured for converting a downlink subframe is disclosed. The eNB includes a processor and executable instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The eNB determines whether to convert a target downlink subframe to a special subframe type 2. The eNB also transmits physical (PHY) layer signaling indicating a subframe conversion for the target downlink subframe if it is determined to convert the target downlink subframe to the special subframe type 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhanping Yin, Shohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9031002
    Abstract: An evolved Node B (eNB) for sending feedback information is described. The eNB includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The eNB determines configuration parameters related to an Enhanced Physical Hybrid-Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) Indicator Channel (EPHICH). The eNB also sends a configuration signal based on the configuration parameters. The eNB additionally receives data in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The eNB further sends Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information based on the configuration parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Khoshnevis, Shohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9031090
    Abstract: An evolved Node B (eNB) for sending feedback information is described. The eNB includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The eNB determines configuration parameters related to an Enhanced Physical Hybrid-Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) Indicator Channel (EPHICH). The eNB also sends an uplink grant and an associated EPHICH resource indicator based on the configuration parameters. The eNB additionally receives data in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The eNB further sends Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information based on the configuration parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmad Khoshnevis, Shohei Yamada
  • Patent number: 9023683
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming an epoxy-based planarization layer overlying an organic semiconductor (OSC) film. Generally, the method forms a fluoropolymer passivation layer overlying the OSC layer. A photopatternable adhesion layer is formed overlying the fluoropolymer passivation layer, and patterned. A photopatternable planarization layer, comprising an epoxy-based organic resin, is formed overlying the photopatternable adhesion layer and patterned to expose the fluoropolymer passivation layer. Then, the fluoropolymer passivation layer is plasma etched to expose the OSC layer. More explicitly, the method can be used to fabricate a bottom gate or top gate organic thin-film transistor (OTFT). Top gate and bottom gate OTFT devices are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Karen Nishimura, Lisa Stecker, Themistokles Afentakis, Kurt Ulmer
  • Patent number: 9018081
    Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a light emitting diode (LED) using three-dimensional gallium nitride (GaN) pillar structures with planar surfaces. The method forms a plurality of GaN pillar structures, each with an n-doped GaN (n-GaN) pillar and planar sidewalls perpendicular to the c-plane, formed in either an m-plane or a-plane family. A multiple quantum well (MQW) layer is formed overlying the n-GaN pillar sidewalls, and a layer of p-doped GaN (p-GaN) is formed overlying the MQW layer. The plurality of GaN pillar structures are deposited on a first substrate, with the n-doped GaN pillar sidewalls aligned parallel to a top surface of the first substrate. A first end of each GaN pillar structure is connected to a first metal layer. The second end of each GaN pillar structure is etched to expose the n-GaN pillar second end and connected to a second metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Albert Crowder, Changqing Zhan, Paul J. Schuele