Patents Examined by Bhavesh Mehta
  • Error estimates in quantitative functional imaging
    Patent number: 9364192
    Abstract: Systematic error is estimated as a function of location in quantitative functional imaging. The systematic error is estimated by perturbing the system matrix. The values of one or more variables of the system matrix are altered, and the reconstruction repeated. The differences in the resulting object or image data of the different reconstructions provide systematic error information as a function of location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Hans Vija
  • Video based method and system for automated side-by-side traffic load balancing
    Patent number: 9361690
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for side-by-side traffic location load balancing are disclosed. For example, the method receives one or more video images of a side-by-side traffic location, determines a number of cars in a first lane and a number of cars in a second lane of the side-by-side traffic location based upon the one or more video images, calculates a delta between the number of cars in the first lane and the number of cars in the second lane and recommends the first lane or the second lane based upon the delta and a respective weighting factor associated with the first lane and the second lane to provide a load balance of the cars at the side-by-side traffic location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edgar A. Bernal, Aaron Michael Burry
  • Method for reading vehicle identifications
    Patent number: 9361535
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for reading license plate numbers in a road network, comprising: recording an image of a license plate number at a first location, OCR-reading a license plate character string in the image, and storing an OCR data set in a database; recording an image of a license plate number at a second location, OCR-reading a license plate number character string in the image, and generating a current OCR data set; and, if a confidence measure of the current OCR data set falls below a first minimum confidence value, selecting a stored OCR data set with a license plate number image having a similarity exceeding a minimum similarity value and/or having the greatest similarity to the license plate number image of the current OCR data set, and using the selected OCR data set for improving the license plate number character string of the current OCR data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom
    Inventors: Dietrich Leihs, Alexander Abl, Oliver Nagy
  • Systems and methods for determining image safety
    Patent number: 9355406
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining the safety of an image, which may be used to determine whether an image is appropriate for a given purpose or for use in a given context. Determining the safety of the image may include analyzing the image to determine the amount of skin exposed in various key body areas of each human represented in the image, such as a photograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: GumGum, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Scott Rosen
  • System, a method and a computer program product for CAD-based registration
    Patent number: 9355443
    Abstract: A system for location based wafer analysis, the system comprising: (i) a first input interface; (ii) a second input interface; (iii) a correlator; and (iv) a processor, configured to generate inspection results for the inspected wafer, with the help of at least one frame run-time displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zvi Goren, Nir Ben-David Dodzin
  • Color balancing apparatus for multiple image synthesis and method therefor
    Patent number: 9355471
    Abstract: A color balancing apparatus for multiple image synthesis and a method therefore, in which an automatic white balance unit, with respect to each of a plurality of input images that are obtained by sequentially capturing adjacent scenes, is configured to compare a neutral color representing the input image with chromaticity of standard sources that are predefined, determine a standard source which is closest to the neutral color among the standard sources as a standard illuminant, and perform a white balance on the input image based on the standard illuminant, so that a natural wide-area synthesis image is generated by use of a light source estimation scheme considering multiple light sources, without complex computation of the conventional wide-area image synthesis, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Sung-Jea Ko, Seung-Kyun Kim, Seung-Won Jung
  • Vehicle external environment recognition device
    Patent number: 9349070
    Abstract: A vehicle external environment recognition device includes a three-dimensional position deriving module that derives three-dimensional positions in real space of subject parts in images that are obtained by imaging a detection area, an object identifying module that groups the subject parts of which differences in the three-dimensional position are within a predetermined range to identify an object, an edge intensity deriving module that horizontally divides an area containing the object to set divided areas, and derives an edge average that is an average value of edge intensities based on a luminance value of each pixel within each of the divided areas; and a floating matter identifying module that compares the edge average with a predetermined threshold, and identifies the object to be likely floating matters when the edge average is less than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seisuke Kasaoki
  • Extracting bullous emphysema and diffuse emphysema in E.G. CT volume images of the lungs
    Patent number: 9349177
    Abstract: An processor (118) includes a bullous emphysema identifier (206) that processes voxels of the volumetric image data and identifies voxels corresponding to bullous emphysema, a two dimensional projection image generator (206) that generates a 2D bullous emphysema projection image based on the voxels corresponding to bullous emphysema, wherein an intensity of a contour of a bulla in the 2D bullous emphysema projection image is based on a size of the bulla, and a feature highlighter (210) that highlights the bullous emphysema in the 2D bullous emphysema projection image using second first indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Rafael Wiemker, Tobias Klinder
  • Method for the optical identification of objects in motion
    Patent number: 9349047
    Abstract: The method includes the steps of acquiring, by at least one camera having a predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image containing at least one coded information and at least one object and properly associating the coded information with the at least one object on the basis of the position of the coded information and of the at least one object along an advancing direction with respect to a fixed reference system. The above-mentioned position of the coded information is determined starting from the position of the coded information within the image acquired by the camera and on the basis of the distance of the coded information from the camera. Such a distance is in turn determined on the basis of the magnification factor of a reference physical dimension detected at a surface of the object or of the coded information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Datalogic IP Tech S.r.l.
    Inventors: Daniele Fiorini, Ricky Darrell Owen, Luigi Pellegrino
  • System and derivation method
    Patent number: 9345442
    Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a memory, an aneurysm identification device, a distortion-degree evaluation device, and a rupture risk derivation device. The memory stores medical image data. The aneurysm identification device identifies an aneurysm in the medical image data. The distortion-degree evaluation device quantitatively evaluates a distortion degree of the aneurysm. The rupture risk derivation device derives a rupture risk of the aneurysm from a result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Ohishi
  • Image inspection system, image inspection method, and recording medium storing image inspection program
    Patent number: 9342898
    Abstract: An image inspection system, an image inspection method, and an image inspection program acquires a read image obtained by reading an output image, generates an inspection image for inspecting the read image based on data of a to-be-output image, acquires an inspection result including a determination whether the read image is defective, based on a difference between the inspection image and the read image, acquires coloring-material usage data indicating extent of coloring-material usage in the output image, the coloring-material usage data being read when the read image is generated, generates coloring-material usage defect rate data indicating a defect rate in association with coloring-material usage, based on the inspection result and the coloring-material usage data, and obtains coloring-material usage of the to-be-output image, based on data of pixels forming the to-be-output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Kitai
  • Tree-based linear regression for denoising
    Patent number: 9342870
    Abstract: Image denoising techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a denoising result is computed by a computing device for a patch of an image. One or more partitions are located by the computing device that correspond to the denoising result and a denoising operator is obtained by the computing device that corresponds to the located one or more partitions. The obtained denoising operator is applied by the computing device to the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Zhe Lin, Hailin Jin
  • Character recognition apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium, and character recognition method
    Patent number: 9342739
    Abstract: A character recognition apparatus includes an extracting unit that extracts a numerical value reading region in which a numerical value that is a character string of a numeral is read from an image that is a character recognition target, a character recognizing unit that performs character recognition on the extracted numerical value reading region and obtains plural recognition candidates for each numerical value, and a selecting unit that selects a potential candidate from the plural recognition candidates on the basis of a numerical value range set for each numerical value reading region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Suguru Nakaso
  • Video face recognition
    Patent number: 9336433
    Abstract: The present invention is a complete end-to-end video face recognition system. The invention performs a track-by-track labeling of all tracks within a video. A novel algorithm Mean Sequence SRC (MSSRC) is applied to a face track to perform video face recognition using a joint optimization to leverage all of the available video data and the knowledge that the face track frames belong to the same individual. Additionally the system constructs a probabilistic affinity graph combining appearance and co-occurrence similarities to model the relationship between face tracks in a video. Finally, using this relationship graph, random walk analysis is employed to propagate strong class predictions among similar face tracks, while dampening weak predictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Enrique Ortiz, Mubarak Shah, Alan Wright
  • Safety monitoring system for human-machine symbiosis and method using the same
    Patent number: 9333652
    Abstract: A safety monitoring system for human-machine symbiosis is provided, including a spatial image capturing unit, an image recognition unit, a human-robot-interaction safety monitoring unit, and a process monitoring unit. The spatial image capturing unit, disposed in a working area, acquires at least two skeleton images. The image recognition unit generates at least two spatial gesture images corresponding to the at least two skeleton images, based on information of changes in position of the at least two skeleton images with respect to time. The human-robot-interaction safety monitoring unit generates a gesture distribution based on the at least two spatial gesture images and a safety distance. The process monitoring unit determines whether the gesture distribution meets a safety criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jhen-Jia Hu, Hau-Wei Wang, Chung-Ning Huang
  • Image-related handling support system, information processing apparatus, and image-related handling support method
    Patent number: 9338311
    Abstract: An image handling support system extracts an image corresponding to a support target image from images associated with a user with use of information indicating association established between the user and the images, from a user's activity on an SNS. Then, the image handling support system supports handling of the support target image based on the extracted image. The image handling support system provides support for acquisition of an output image that matches various image conditions and complies with a user's preference without requiring a complicated operation to be performed in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kobayashi
  • Generation of ghost-free high dynamic range images
    Patent number: 9338349
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for reading a set of images to merge together into a high dynamic range (HDR) output image are described. Images have a respective HDR weight and a respective ghost-free weight. Images are merged together using the weighted average of the set of input images using the ghost-free weight. A difference image is determined based on a difference between each pixel within a HDR output image and each respective pixel within a reference image used to create the HDR output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Piyush Sharma, Nitesh Shroff, Ramin Rezaiifar, Chiachi Sung
  • Systems and methods for image editing
    Patent number: 9336583
    Abstract: Various embodiments are disclosed for image editing. A frame is obtained from a frame sequence depicting at least one individual, and facial characteristics in the frame are analyzed. A utilization score is assigned to the frame based on the detected facial characteristics, and a determination of whether to utilize the frame is made based on the utilization score. A completeness value is assigned, and a determination is made based on the completeness value of whether to repeat the steps above for an additional frame in the frame sequence based on the completeness value. Regions from the frames are combined to generate a composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: CYBERLINK CORP.
    Inventors: Ho-Chao Huang, Huan-Wen Hsiao, Chung-Yi Weng, Cheng-da Chung
  • Method and device of skin tone optimization in a color gamut mapping system
    Patent number: 9336571
    Abstract: In a method of skin tone optimization in a color gamut mapping system, an image signal is first transformed from a predetermined color domain to an HSV color domain for generating an HSV image signal. Next, a skin tone optimization is performed on the HSV image signal for generating an adjusted saturation gain. Then, a color enhancement is performed on the HSV image signal according to the adjusted saturation gain and a color shift signal so as to generate a color enhancement signal. Finally, the color enhancement signal is transformed from the HSV color domain to the predetermined color domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: FOCALTECH SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hung-Chu Wu, Edward Jan-Ruei Lin
  • Noise reduction in image domain for spectral computed tomography
    Patent number: 9330443
    Abstract: A computed tomography (CT) imaging system is provided including processing circuitry configured to obtain a plurality of basis images that are combined to generate a target image; de-noise the basis images using a noise-reduction method to generate de-noised basis images; calculate noise maps of the basis images by subtracting the de-noised basis images from the basis images; calculate a weight for each of the noise maps using the target image and the calculated noise maps; and generate a reduced-noise target image using the target image, the calculated noise maps, and the calculated weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Zou, Dan Xu, Sachin Moghe