Patents Examined by Brian Le
  • Patent number: 8244070
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that facilitate real-time personalization of an electronic image by overlaying a text string on a planar surface of an object in the electronic image. A linear or affine transform is executed on a selected text string to position the text string in a reference rectangle or text box. A non-linear or projective transform is applied to the rectangular text box to project the box into a user-defined quadrilateral on the planar surface in the image. A page description language (PDL) file is generated and includes the transformed quadrilateral text box overlaid on the electronic image. At print-time, a database (e.g., a spreadsheet or the like) containing multiple text strings is read, once for each text string, and multiple images are printed. Each printed image has one of the text strings overlaid thereon, on the planar surface defined by the quadrilateral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Chapman, Hengzhou Ding, Reiner Eschbach, Raja Bala
  • Patent number: 8244017
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for constructing a three dimensional (3D) tomographic image from an object's two dimensional (2D) panoramic image are provided. A first geometrical attribute set in a first coordinate system is assigned to one or more focal troughs. A second geometrical attribute set in a second coordinate system is assigned to the 2D panoramic image. Second geometrical attributes are correlated with first geometrical attributes for reconstructing the 2D panoramic image in multiple dimensions. Multiple defocused elements of the object are determined along the 2D panoramic image's horizontal dimension. A transverse dimension is determined for the reconstructed panoramic image by mapping the defocused elements to a translation along the transverse dimension in the first coordinate system on either side of the center of the focal troughs. The multiple dimensions of the reconstructed panoramic image are transformed into an orthogonal coordinate system to generate the 3D tomographic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: James Jiwen Chun, Andrew Youngho Chun, Jennifer Miseong Chun
  • Patent number: 8238658
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating an ordered set of shoreline boundary points by transforming data from remotely sensed imagery of shorelines is provided. A water data set and an edge data set are transformed into a set of 3-point boundary segments having a specific head and tail point and the segments are ordered from tail to head in a clockwise or counterclockwise manner relative to the water. Once the 3-point segments are created they are easily linked together into larger segments. These large multi-point segments in turn are linked together to create the shorelines for rivers or coastal areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Blain, Carolus M. Cobb, Alan Weidemann
  • Patent number: 8233701
    Abstract: Approaches to three-dimensional (3D) data reconstruction are presented. The 3D data comprises 2D images. In some embodiments, the 2D images are directionally interpolated to generate directionally-interpolated 3D data. The directionally-interpolated 3D data are then segmented to generate segmented directionally-interpolated 3D data. The segmented directionally-interpolated 3D data is then meshed. In other embodiments, a 3D data set, which includes 2D flow images, is accessed. The accessed 2D flow images are then directionally interpolated to generate 2D intermediate flow images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventors: David Frakes, Joseph Monaco, Mark Smith, Ajit Yoganathan
  • Patent number: 8229209
    Abstract: An image-based pattern recognizer and a method and apparatus for making such a pattern recognizer are disclosed. By employing positional coding, the meaning of any feature present in an image can be defined implicitly in space. The pattern recognizer can be a neural network including a plurality of stages of observers. The observers are configured to cooperate to identify the presence of features in the input image and to recognize a pattern in the input image based on the features. Each of the observers includes a plurality of neurons. The input image includes a plurality of units, and each of the observers is configured to generate a separate output set that includes zero or more coordinates of such units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Five Apes, Inc.
    Inventor: Williams J. F. Paquier
  • Patent number: 8224070
    Abstract: A three-dimensional measuring device includes an irradiation device configured to irradiate and switch among a multiplicity of light patterns having different periods and having a striped light intensity distribution on at least a measurement object, a camera having an imaging element capable of imaging reflected light from the measurement object irradiated by the light pattern, a rack configured to cause relative change in positional relationship between the imaging element and the measurement object, and a control device configured to perform three-dimensional measurements based on image data imaged by the camera. The control device performs the three-dimensional measurements by performing a phase shift method calculation of height data as a first height data for each pixel unit of image data based on a multiply phase-shifted image data obtained by irradiating on a first position a multiply phase-shifted first light pattern having a first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: CKD Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Umemura, Hiroyuki Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 8208691
    Abstract: A compact authentication device that prevents user from feeling pressure and is strong against external light, when capturing an image of a finger blood vessel pattern with transmitted light. The device includes a guidance part for determining the finger position, a light source disposed on at least one side of the guidance part to emit light to be transmitted though the finger, an image capture part for capturing the transmitted light, a shading unit for limiting an irradiation region of the light, a finger thickness measuring unit, a unit for controlling a light amount of the light source based on a result of the measurement, a unit for recording registered image patterns of the finger, a unit for collating a captured image pattern from the image capture part with the registered patterns, and a unit for controlling different processing according to the collation result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Nagasaka, Takafumi Miyatake, Naoto Miura, Yuichi Kashimura
  • Patent number: 8200036
    Abstract: A system for adjusting a sensitivity of a camera module includes a memory unit configured for storing a plurality of pre-initialized pixel adjusting maps; an image capturing unit configured for capturing an image from the camera module and acquiring pixel values of the image to determine a pixel value range of the pixel values; a comparison unit configured for comparing the pixel range with the input-ranges of the pixel adjusting maps to determine which one of the input ranges of the pixel adjusting maps the pixel value range of the image; and an adjusting unit configured for adjusting the pixel value of the image to adjusting the sensitivity of the camera module according to the determined pixel adjusting map and outputting adjusted pixel values. The system can not only breakthrough the limit of the self-character of the amplifier, but also decrease noise in course of adjusting the sensitivity of the camera module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Shuen Yen, Ching-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 8200012
    Abstract: A preprocessing section binarizes input image data and calculates a total black pixel ratio. A feature extracting section detects connected components contained in the binarized image data and detects circumscribing bounding boxes that circumscribe these connected components, respectively. Based on sizes of the circumscribing bounding boxes detected and numbers of black pixels contained therein, predetermined connected components are removed. A determining section generates an edge map by using the residual connected components, and performs two-dimensional fast Fourier transform thereon to generate spectral data. The determining section performs two-dimensional fast Fourier transform on template images to generate spectral data. The determining section determines, based on these pieces of spectral data, whether or not a circular shape is contained in the input image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jilin Li, Zhi-Gang Fan, Yadong Wu, Bo Wu
  • Patent number: 8194971
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a robot motion data generation method and a generation apparatus using image data, and more specifically to a robot action data generation method for perceiving motion of an object from a consecutive first image frame and a second image frame including image information on the moving object, and for generating robot action data from the perceived motion, comprising the steps of: a first step of performing digital markings at plural spots on top of the object of the first image frame, and storing first location coordinates values of the digital markings in tree type; a second step of storing peripheral image patterns of each digital marking in association with the first location coordinates values; a third step of recognizing image data identical with peripheral image patterns of each of the first location coordinates values from the second image frame, and finding out changed second location coordinates values from the first location coordinates values; a fourth step of extrac
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignees: KMC Robotics Co., Ltd., Hongik University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Robertyoungchul Kim, Wooyeol Kim, Hyunseung Son, Joonghee Han
  • Patent number: 8189891
    Abstract: Systems and methods for retrieving, manipulating, and viewing 3D image objects from 3D virtual microscope slide images (“3D digital slides”) are provided. An image library module provides access to the imagery data in a 3D digital slide and constructs 3D image objects that are coextensive with the 3D digital slide or a 3D sub-portion thereof. From within the 3D image object, cross layer planar views spanning various depths of the 3D digital slide are constructed as well as 3D prisms and other shaped image areas. The image library module allows a 3D image object to be sliced into horizontal and vertical views, skewed cross layer views and regular and irregular shaped 3D image areas for viewing by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Aperio Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ole Eichhorn
  • Patent number: 8175353
    Abstract: A method for producing an image of a layer of an object by a wide field optical element on a resolving detector. The object is illuminated in a focused manner on at least one object plane having at least two binary illuminating patterns. The corresponding images are detected. Light and/or the dark areas of the illuminating patterns completely cover the object when the illuminating pattern is superimposed. A layer image determined from the detected images, includes a partial segment that respectively reproduces a partial area of the object that is arranged inside the light area of one of the used illuminating patterns. Edges are arranged at a distance from the edges of the light area about at least one predefined minimum distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Peter Westphal, Daniel Bublitz
  • Patent number: 8175375
    Abstract: A method of compression of videotelephony images characterized by: creating (10) a learning base containing images; centering the learning base about zero; determining component images by principal component analysis (12); and keeping a number of significant principal components (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Christophe Bonnery, Jean-Yves Desbree, Chrisophe Flouzat, Daniel Le Guennec, David Mercier, Mickaël Remingol, Renaud Seguier, David Thomas, Gilles Vaucher
  • Patent number: 8170372
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and system to precisely locate objects of interest in any given image scene space, which finds the presence of objects based upon pattern matching geometric relationships to a master, known set. The method and system prepares images for feature and attribute detection and identifies the presence of potential objects of interest, then narrows down the objects based upon how well they match a pre designated master template. The method by which matching takes place is done through finding all objects, plotting its area, juxtaposing a sweet spot overlap of its area on master objects, which in turn forms a glyph shape. The glyph shape is recorded, along with all other formed glyphs in an image's scene space and then mapped to form sets using a classifier and finally a pattern matching algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventors: Michael B. Kennedy, Daniel Curtis
  • Patent number: 8165373
    Abstract: A computer-implemented data processing system for blind extraction of more pure components than mixtures recorded in 1D or 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Sparse component analysis is combined with single component points (SCPs) to blind decomposition of mixtures data X into pure components S and concentration matrix A, whereas the number of pure components S is greater than number of mixtures X. NMR mixtures are transformed into wavelet domain, where pure components are sparser than in time domain and where SCPs are detected. Mass spectrometry (MS) mixtures are extended to analytical continuation in order to detect SCPs. SCPs are used to estimate number of pure components and concentration matrix. Pure components are estimated in frequency domain (NMR data) or m/z domain (MS data) by means of constrained convex programming methods. Estimated pure components are ranked using negentropy-based criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Rudjer Boskovic Institute
    Inventors: Ivica Kopriva, Ivanka Jeric
  • Patent number: 8165389
    Abstract: An adaptive interpolation technique with artifact reduction is described that technique generates digital images with full-color RGB (red, green, blue) information, from raw pictures (e.g., Bayer-mosaiced single-color images) created by single-CCD digital cameras. The technique employs an improved criterion for choosing the interpolation criterion, which takes into account an output interpolated value. It employs small changes to filter coefficients, for better results and accommodation of “correction attenuation”. In one embodiment, the technique further employs a “correction attenuation” step, which reduces “color sprinkling” artifacts for certain kinds of diagonal edges. The technique makes only a single pass over the image; all colors are interpolated during that pass, vice the multiple passes required by other better performing algorithms (in some cases over ten).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corp.
    Inventor: Henrique S. Malvar
  • Patent number: 8165408
    Abstract: The position of a face image within an input image is detected based on results from applying a plurality of weak classifiers in sequence to each of sub-images extracted from the input image. A decision whether to interrupt the sequence and reject a currently extracted sub-image is made based on the sum of a total of weighted decision values obtained up to the current point in the sequence and a total of potential weighted decision values obtainable from the remaining weak classifiers if the extracted sub-image were a face image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Fukaya, Takashi Bando
  • Patent number: 8160388
    Abstract: A method and system for selectively transforming a spatially varying optical characteristic (F) of an image in a pixel array. The pixel array is segmented into stripes of contiguous rows. A two-dimensional convolution C(x, y) of F is determined at only selected pixels (x, y). C(x, y) is a function of a product of a horizontal kernel h(x) and a vertical kernel v(y). Determining C(x, y) at each selected pixel (x, y) includes determining n vertical convolutions, wherein each vertical convolution is equal to a scalar product of F and v(y) in a kernel space surrounding (x,y), forming an array (V) from the n vertical convolutions, and computing C(x,y) as a scalar product of V and a constant horizontal vector (H) formed from h(x). The stripes are collected to form a transformed image which is stored and/or displayed. A cache facilitates selective reuse of vertical convolutions for determining C(x,y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ahmed Hazem Mohamed Rashid El-Mahdy, Hisham ElShishiny
  • Patent number: 8160354
    Abstract: An image-based pattern recognizer and a method and apparatus for making such a pattern recognizer are disclosed. By employing positional coding, the meaning of any feature present in an image can be defined implicitly in space. The pattern recognizer can be a neural network including a plurality of stages of observers. The observers are configured to cooperate to identify the presence of features in the input image and to recognize a pattern in the input image based on the features. Each of the observers includes a plurality of neurons. The input image includes a plurality of units, and each of the observers is configured to generate a separate output set that includes zero or more coordinates of such units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Five Apes, Inc.
    Inventor: Williams J. F. Paquier
  • Patent number: 8144946
    Abstract: A method for identifying symbolic points on the image of a face including images of a right eye, left eye and mouth, includes: detecting and identifying elements with strong contrasts such as the irises, nostrils, or mouth; selecting zones of the image with respect to the elements with strong contrasts including a priori two sought-after symbolic points interrelated by a morphological criterion; searching within the zones for natural points through the convergence of lines of the image and, for each natural point, determining a signature, determining a score with respect to pre-established signatures and selecting the natural points having a score above a threshold value; in each zone, identifying pairs of natural points and determining for each identified pair a score with respect to pairs of standard symbolic points and selecting the pair of natural points having the best score as symbolic points of the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Automotive France
    Inventor: Bertrand Godreau