Abstract: An imaging device has an adjustable imaging surface that can be readily enlarged by a user from a first size to a second size and reduced by the user from the second size to the first size to meet imaging requirements. The imaging device thus permits imaging of larger documents than its desktop footprint would conventionally support. For example, when a user of such an imaging device has a full sheet document that requires flatbed scanning, the user can temporarily enlarge the imaging surface from half sheet size to full sheet size and scan the document. Once the user has scanned the document, the user can reduce the imaging surface from the full sheet size to the half sheet size to reduce the desktop footprint of the imaging device.
Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for: authorizing the transmission of audiovisual data based on an iterative changing bit budget, where the bit budget may be based on a value of a total size of the set of Network Abstraction Layer units and a value of an initial size of the group of frames; and determining a bit budget remainder and an adjusted bit budget remainder.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 25, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
Mehmet Umut Demircin, Petrus J. L. van Beek, Sachin G. Deshpande
Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to creation, modification and implementation of dither pattern structures applied to an image to diminish contouring artifacts. Some aspects relate to dither pattern structures with pixel values in a first color channel pattern that are spatially dispersed from pixel values in a corresponding pattern in a second color channel. Some aspects relate to application. Some aspects relate to systems and apparatus for creation and application of these dither pattern structures comprising pixel values dispersed across color channels.
Abstract: An electroluminescence (EL) device and a method are provided for fabricating said device with a nanotip electrode. The method comprises: forming a bottom electrode with nanotips; forming a Si phosphor layer adjacent the nanotips; and, forming a transparent top electrode. The Si phosphor layer is interposed between the bottom and top electrodes. The nanotips may have a tip base size of about 50 nanometers, or less, a tip height in the range of 5 to 50 nm, and a nanotip density of greater than 100 nanotips per square micrometer. Typically, the nanotips are formed from iridium oxide (IrOx) nanotips. A MOCVD process forms the Ir bottom electrode. The IrOx nanotips are grown from the Ir. In one aspect, the Si phosphor layer is a SRSO layer. In response to an SRSO annealing step, nanocrystalline SRSO is formed with nanocrystals having a size in the range of 1 to 10 nm.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 5, 2008
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
Sheng Teng Hsu, Fengyan Zhang, Gregory M. Stecker, Robert A. Barrowcliff
Abstract: A method for mapping/enhancing the color of an image to be displayed on a display includes receiving an image having a plurality of pixels where each of the pixels has a plurality of color components. The image is processed using a pair of gamut color mapping operations in combination with skin-tone pixels detection to modify the image in a suitable manner for presentation on the display, wherein the technique includes color temperature compensation.
Abstract: A four-transistor Schmitt trigger inverter is provided. The Schmitt trigger inverter is made from an n-channel MOS (NMOS) dual-gate thin-film transistor (DG-TFT) and a p-channel MOS (PMOS) DG-TFT, both DG-TFTs having a top gate, a back gate, and source/drain regions. A (conventional) NMOS TFT has a gate connected to an NMOS DG-TFT first S/D region and a PMOS DG-TFT first S/D region. The NMOS TFT also has a first S/D region connected to the NMOS DG-TFT back gate and the PMOS DG-TFT back gate. A (conventional) PMOS TFT has a gate connected to the NMOS TFT gate, and a first S/D region connected to the NMOS TFT first S/D region.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 22, 2009
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
Themistokles Afentakis, Apostolos T. Voutsas, Paul J. Schuele
Abstract: A system and method are provided for selectively functionalizing a transducer microarray. The method provides a microarray including a field of transducers exposed to a shared local environment. A difference in the pH associated with the transducers is created. As a result, functional molecules are selectively bound to transducers in response to the pH associated with the transducers. In one aspect, the micro-array also provides a field of transducer pH-generating electrodes, one pH-generating electrode for each transducer, and a counter electrode. The difference in pH associated with the transducers is created by selectively applying a voltage potential between pH-generating electrodes and the counter electrode, to create a difference of pH in regions adjacent to the transducers.
Abstract: A method of producing a precursor, active-matrix, fluid-assay micro-structure including the steps of (1) utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, establishing preferably on a glass or plastic substrate a matrix array of non-functionalized pixels, and (2) preparing at least one of these pixels for individual, digitally-addressed (a) functionalization, and (b) reading out, ultimately, of completed assay results.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele
Abstract: A digitally-addressable, pixelated, DNA fluid-assay, active-matrix micro-structure formed, utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, on a substrate preferably made of glass or plastic, and including at least one pixel which is defined by (a) an addressable pixel site, (b) a sensor home structure disposed within that site for receiving and hosting a functionalized assay site possessing a DNA oligonucleotide probe, and (c) an addressable, pixel-site-specific, energy-field-producing functionalizer (preferably optical) operable to functionalize such a probe on the assay site. Each pixel may also include a pixel-integrated optical detector. Further disclosed are related methodology facets involving (1) the making of such a micro-structure (a) in a precursor form (without a functionalized probe), and thereafter (b) in a finalized/functionalized form (with such a probe), and (2) the ultimate use of a completed micro-structure in the performance of a DNA assay.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele
Abstract: A firmware controller is configured to enhance or modify the processing capabilities of an imaging device by creating custom firmware for a particular imaging job. The firmware controller does so by dynamically linking firmware processing stages resident on the imaging device with additional firmware processing stages stored at a host device to form a sequence of firmware processing stages. The firmware controller then controls execution of the custom firmware by passing the output of each stage to the input of the next stage in the sequence. The firmware processing stages resident at the imaging device and the additional firmware processing stages stored at the host share a commonly defined interface for inputting data and/or control signals to and outputting data and/or control signals from each stage, which allows the firmware stages to be combined in a variety of different sequences.
Abstract: A pixel-by-pixel, digitally-addressable, pixelated, precursor, fluid-assay, active-matrix micro-structure including plural pixels formed preferably on a glass or plastic substrate, wherein each pixel, formed utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, includes (a) at least one non-functionalized, digitally-addressable assay sensor, and (b), disposed operatively adjacent this sensor, digitally-addressable and energizable electromagnetic field-creating structure which is selectively energizable to create, in the vicinity of the at least one assay sensor, an ambient electromagnetic field environment which is structured to assist in functionalizing, as a possession on said at least one assay sensor, at least one digitally-addressable assay site which will display an affinity for a selected fluid-assay material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
August 7, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele
Abstract: A method for adaptive spatio-temporal filtering is disclosed. Local motion vectors between a current video frame and other nearby video frames are determined. Local motion-aligned temporal confidence parameters are determined. Local spatial orientation parameters are determined. The local motion vectors, the local motion-aligned temporal confidence parameters, and the local spatial orientation parameters are used to adaptively determine spatio-temporal kernel weights. The spatio-temporal kernel weights are used to perform spatio-temporal filtering on input video data.
Abstract: A system is provided for maintaining imaging device (IDev) accounting data. A primary accounting server (PAS) sends messages to an imaging device (IDev) and to a lightweight accounting back-up server (LABS). The PAS receives messages from the IDev and updates a primary IDev activity log (PIAL). The IDev receives messages from the Primary server and a LABS in communication with the IDev. The LABS sends and receives messages and data from the IDev and from the PAS. The IDev sends a record of its activity to the PAS when the PAS is available, and the PAS maintains a primary IDev activity log (PIAL). The IDev sends a record of its activity to the LABS when the PAS is not available and the LABs maintains a temporary IDev activity log (TIAL). The PAS updates the PIAL with the TIAL data after a period of unavailability.
Abstract: A system and method for combining at a single location selection of image finishing operations of multiple devices. The system comprises a first memory for storing imaging finishing operations of the source device; a second memory for storing imaging finishing operations of the destination device; a display; and a system processor, coupled to the first memory, the second memory and the display, for producing a representation of both imaging finishing operations of the source device and imaging finishing operations of the destination device, and causing that representation to be presented by the display.
Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for maintaining imaging device (IDev) accounting data in the event that an imaging device's primary accounting server becomes unavailable. Some aspects relate to the use of a lightweight accounting backup server (LABS) that may reside on an imaging device, a networked computer or another computing device for the purpose of storing and communication accounting data when a primary accounting server fails.
Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for predicting image elements, comprising scaling a received low dynamic range (LDR) image element value for an image element via a binary shift operation, where the binary shift operation is based on a received prediction shift value, and combining, via a received additive operation, the scaled LDR image element value with the received LDR image element value.
Abstract: A pixel-by-pixel digitally-addressable, pixelated, fluid-assay, active-matrix micro-structure including plural pixels formed preferably on a glass or plastic substrate, wherein each pixel, formed utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, includes (a) at least one functionalized, digitally-addressable assay sensor including at least one functionalized, digitally-addressable assay site which has been affinity-functionalized to respond to a selected, specific fluid-assay material, and (b) disposed operatively adjacent that sensor and its associated assay site, digitally-addressable and energizable electromagnetic field-creating structure which is selectively energizable to create, in the vicinity of the sensor and its associated assay site, a selected, ambient, electromagnetic field environment which is structured to assist, selectively and optionally only, in the reading-out of an assay-result response from the assay sensor and assay site.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele
Abstract: A method of performing a fluid-material assay employing a device including at least one active pixel having a sensor with an assay site functionalized for selected fluid-assay material. The method includes exposing the pixel's sensor assay site to such material, and in conjunction with such exposing, and employing the active nature of the pixel, remotely requesting from the pixel's sensor assay site an assay-result output report. The method further includes, in relation to the employing step, creating, relative to the sensor's assay site in the at least one pixel, a predetermined, pixel-specific electromagnetic field environment.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 31, 2007
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele, Andrei Gindilis
Abstract: A method and system for assessing the health status of a patient, such as the asthma status of a patient, provides an asthma status score and a confidence rating indicative of the score's reliability using continuous real-time data. In some embodiments, the assessment comprises a multidimensional analysis in which asthma status scores and respective confidence ratings are generated for multiple individual asthma health dimensions as well as a summary asthma health dimension indicative of overall asthma health. In some embodiments, the individual dimensions include an environmental trigger dimension based on sensor-based environmental data, a physiological burden dimension based on sensor-based physiological data, a medication adherence dimension based on patient diary data and a perceived symptom dimension based on patient diary data.
Abstract: A method for producing an active-matrix, fluid-assay micro-structure including, utilizing low-temperature TFT and Si technology, establishing preferably on a glass or plastic substrate a matrix array of digitally-addressable, assay-material-specific-functionalizable pixels, and employing pixel-specific digital addressing for selected, array-established pixels, individually functionalizing these pixels.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2007
Date of Patent:
July 31, 2012
Assignee:
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
Inventors:
John W. Hartzell, Pooran Chandra Joshi, Paul J. Schuele