Patents Assigned to Sharp Laboratories
  • Patent number: 8629839
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for audibly interpreting a screen display. The method comprises: locating a display interpreter (DI) with a tactile matrix of sensors overlying a display screen; in response to sensing a proximate pointer, accepting a tactile matrix region selection; loading a first reference map, cross-referencing DI tactile matrix regions with a first field of screen icons; loading a second reference map, cross-referencing screen icons with audible recordings identifying the screen icons; mapping a screen icon to the selected tactile matrix region; and, audibly identifying the mapped screen icon. That is, the DI uses the second reference map to cross-reference the located screen icon to the audible recording identifying the screen icon, and plays the recording. In one aspect, the DI can be located over a touchscreen with touchscreen icons. Then, the method may further comprise engaging a touchscreen icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Burton Lee Levin, Charles Edward Pierson
  • Patent number: 8630498
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for detection of pictorial regions in an image using a masking condition, an entropy measure, and region growing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard John Campbell, Ahmet Mufit Ferman, Toyohisa Matsuda, Lawrence Shao-hsien Chen
  • Patent number: 8630518
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for using bubble structures to control the extraction of light from a waveguide top surface. The method determines a maximum angle (?) of light propagation through a waveguide medium relative to a first horizontal direction parallel to a waveguide top surface. A plurality of bubble structures is provided having a refractive index less than the waveguide medium. The bubble structures have a base, and sides formed at an acute angle upwards with respect to the base. The bubble structure bases are separated by gap (W), have a height (H), and have a top separated from a waveguide top surface by a space (h). The method varies the gap (W), the height (H), and the space (h). In response, the intensity of light extraction at even the maximum angle (?) of light propagation, can be controlled from the waveguide top surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiandong Huang, Apostolos T. Voutsas
  • Patent number: 8624824
    Abstract: A backlight display has improved display characteristics. An image may be displayed on the display where the image includes a liquid crystal material with a light valve. The display receives an image signal and uses the image signal to modify the light for a backlight array and a liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao-fan Feng
  • Patent number: 8619687
    Abstract: A base station configured for coordinating uplink resource allocation is described. The base station includes a processor and instructions stored in memory. The base station generates uplink resource allocation information for one or more wireless communication devices. The uplink resource allocation information is sent to one or more base stations. The base station allocates uplink resources based on the uplink resource allocation information. The base station sends an assignment to one or more wireless communication devices based on the uplink resource allocation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sayantan Choudhury, Ahmad Khoshnevis, Kimihiko Imamura
  • Patent number: 8619901
    Abstract: Input data may be coded in accordance with a coding method that allows for either coded data or messages to be transmitted with pre-determined, but unequal reliability over a communication channel. The coding method may allow the messages to be transmitted with higher reliability than the coded data. Messages may be transmitted when they are available. Otherwise, the coded data may be transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Kowalski, Lizhong Zheng
  • Patent number: 8619857
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for intra prediction. According to one aspect of the present invention, a macroblock may be partitioned into two, or more, sets of blocks. The pixel values for a block within a first set of blocks may be predicted using reconstructed values from only neighboring macroblocks. The pixel values for a block within another set of blocks may be subsequently predicted using reconstructed values from blocks in previously reconstructed sets of blocks and/or reconstructed values from neighboring macroblocks. The pixel values for blocks within a set of blocks may be predicted in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jie Zhao, Christopher A. Segall, Yeping Su
  • Patent number: 8620080
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for locating text in a digital image. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a multi-stage filtering technique may be used to progressively refine a set of candidate text components associated with a digital image. A first, refined set of candidate text components may be formed by filtering an initial set of candidate text components based on component properties. Text lines may reconstructed from the first, refined set of candidate text components. The first, refined set of candidate text components may be further filtered based on text-line properties measured on the reconstructed text lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Ahmet Mufit Ferman
  • Patent number: 8619607
    Abstract: A method and system for maintaining a high reliability logical connection between hosts employs adaptive transparent pinging, clone blocking and bandwidth leveling to realize improvements in the areas of connection status verification, security and bandwidth management. In adaptive transparent pinging, a ping interval that defines a frequency at which ping messages are transmitted from an initiating host to a receiving host to check connection status is dynamically regulated based on data indicative of the reliability of a connection. In clone blocking, the receiving host verifies that a new connection that appears redundant is a re-established connection from the initiating host rather than a cloned connection. In bandwidth leveling, data bursts pending on initiating hosts that exceed a predetermined size are scheduled for transmission to receiving hosts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Harold Scott Hooper, Eric Thomas Olbricht
  • Publication number: 20130344869
    Abstract: A method for performing a measurement procedure is described. Autonomous removal or modification of measurement objects related to the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) is performed. Removal or modification of measurement objects related to the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) due to a handover or a successful re-establishment is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Shohei Yamada
  • Publication number: 20130344868
    Abstract: A method for performing a measurement procedure is described. A measId in a measIdList within a VarMeasConfig is selected. Autonomous removal of measurement identities related to the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) is performed. Removal of measurement identities related to the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) due to a handover or a successful re-establishment is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Shohei Yamada
  • Publication number: 20130342581
    Abstract: A method for image navigation on an electronic device is described. The method includes displaying an image. The method also includes detecting at least one contact with a touch sensor to obtain a first position. The method further includes obtaining an updated position corresponding to a contact movement. The method additionally includes determining a modified position by applying at least one scaling function based on the first position and the updated position. The method also includes moving the image based on the modified position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin K. Gibbs, William Phillip Hough
  • Publication number: 20130340825
    Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) is provided, made from an anode layer of tin oxide (SnO2) coated titanium oxide (TiO2) nanostructures that overlie a substrate top surface. A dye overlies the anode layer, and a cathode overlies the dye. The cathode may be a hole conducting layer having a solid state phase or a redox electrolyte, with a counter electrode. The TiO2 nanostructures may be TiO2 nanoparticles, TiO2 nanowires, or TiO2 nanotubes. In the case of TiO2 nanowires or TiO2 nanotubes, their center axes are perpendicular to the substrate top surface. Regardless of the TiO2 nanostructure morphology, the SnO2 coating thickness is in the range of 2 to 10 nanometers (nm). In one aspect, the SnO2 coated TiO2 nanostructures have a dielectric layer shell, which may have a thickness in the range of 0.3 to 2 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jong-Jan Lee, Karen Yuri Nishimura, Wei Pan, Sean Andrew Vail
  • Publication number: 20130333693
    Abstract: An energy-generating transparent (EGT) structure is provided, in addition to a method for generating energy from light incident to an EGT structure. The EGT structure is made up of a window pane with an interior surface adjacent a reflective structure. The method accepts light incident to an exterior surface of the window pane, and transmits light in the visible spectrum through the window pane and reflective structure. However, light in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum is reflected back from the reflective structure into the window pane, so that reflected NIR, spectrum light is supplied to an edge of the window pane. For example, reflected NIR spectrum light is supplied to the window pane edge if the light has an angle greater than or equal to an angle TIR occurring between the window pane exterior surface and air. This reflected NIR spectrum light can be converted to electrical or thermal energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Akinori Hashimura, Douglas Tweet, Gary Hinch, Byron Cocilovo
  • Publication number: 20130335309
    Abstract: A method for adapting display behavior on an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining an image. The method also includes determining a backlight level based on the image. The method further includes determining a compensated image based on the image and the backlight level. The method additionally includes determining a refresh indicator based on the image. The method also includes determining pixel data based on the backlight level, the compensated image and the refresh indicator. The method further includes sending the pixel data, the refresh indicator and the backlight level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Joseph Kerofsky, Sachin G. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 8610654
    Abstract: A display that includes at least one gray level being provided to a plurality of pixels that illuminates each of the pixels with the gray level. The display applies interpolated corrective data for the pixels so as to reduce the mura effects of said display and modifies the backlight of the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Joseph Kerofsky, Yasuo Ozawa
  • Publication number: 20130331092
    Abstract: A wireless communication device for determining whether to scan for cellular service is described. The wireless communication device includes a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. Executable instructions are stored in the memory. The wireless communication device obtains a location of the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device also obtains a distance between the wireless communication device and a cellular service area. The wireless communication device also determines whether the distance is less than a threshold. The wireless communication device additionally avoids scanning for cellular service if the distance is not less than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8607262
    Abstract: A method of providing popularity ratings to users includes monitoring experiences of users with programs, generating popularity ratings associated with the programs in response to the monitoring, and communicating at least one of the popularity ratings as at least one of the users experiences at least one of the programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America
    Inventor: Bryan S. Hallberg
  • Patent number: 8605124
    Abstract: A method of illuminating a display includes spatially varying the luminance of a multi-colored light source illuminating a plurality of pixels of the display in response to receiving a plurality of pixel values, and varying the transmittance of a light valve of the display having filters corresponding to the multi-colored light source in response to receiving the plurality of pixel values. The illumination is modified for a plurality of pixel values based upon modification of the luminance of the light source and varying the transmittance of the light valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiao-fan Feng
  • Patent number: 8606782
    Abstract: A segmentation description scheme for video material that includes references to segments of video contained in different programs. The segmentation description scheme may also interact with a presentation device to present the referenced segments to a user contiguously, without first storing the segments respectively referenced from the different programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Petrus J. L. van Beek, Ahmet Mufit Ferman