Patents Examined by Brian P. Werner
  • Patent number: 9177206
    Abstract: A social photo curation system is used to automatically identify a subset of photos for an album to provide to a viewing user. The album and its photos are associated with metadata indicating information about the photos, such as individuals tagged in the photos, locations where the photos were taken, keywords or concepts associated with the photos, and the quality and variety of the photos. The social photo curation system uses this metadata to score and select the photos for a particular viewing user. The scoring and selection of photos for the album may be independent of the viewing user, or it may be customized based on the viewing user's interests and connections to other users in a social networking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Dolson, Paul Francois Carduner
  • Patent number: 9177382
    Abstract: To provide a solution by which adjustment of the depth display of the image can be easily carried out by the user at will in a technique for forming a 3-D image from plural images, from the plural feed images, one feed image is extracted as the reference feed image, with an object recognition process being carried out to extract the object region having the prescribed characteristic features. The reference feed image IL is displayed on the display unit 108 together with the markers MK indicating the object regions, and the user selects one object region. A region that is similar in image content with the selected region is detected from each other feed image, with the images being shifted so that the regions overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kan Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9172947
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a multi-view image are provided. A priority may be assigned to each hole pixel in a hole region generated when an output view is generated. The priority of each hole pixel may be generated by combining a structure priority, a confidence priority, and a disparity priority. Hole rendering may be applied to a target patch including a hole pixel having a highest priority. The hole pixel may be restored by searching for a source patch most similar to a background of the target patch, and copying a pixel in the found source patch into a hole pixel of the target patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Ho Cho, Du-Sik Park, Ho Young Lee, Kyu Young Hwang
  • Patent number: 9171195
    Abstract: An object recognition system may recognize an object in a query image by matching the image to one or more images in a database. The database may include images corresponding to multiple viewpoints of a particular device. Key points of the query image are compared to key points in the database images. Database images with many overlapping key points to the query image are selected as potential matches. The geometry of objects in the potential matches is verified to the geometry of the object in the query image to determine if the overlapping key points have a similar geographic relationship to each other across images. Objects in geometrically verified database images may be selected as potentially matching objects to the object in the query image. When a potential matching image is found, the system may confirm the match by performing matching with a second image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Oleg Rybakov, Avinash Aghoram Ravichandran, Matias Omar Gregorio Benitez
  • Patent number: 9171232
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for selecting a solution technique from a plurality of solution techniques for accomplishing a task is provided. The plurality of solution techniques are ranked according to a set of parameters. A first set of solutions are then obtained based on each of the plurality of solution techniques until at least the first predefined number of solutions from the first set of solutions matches with the corresponding solution from the second set of solutions. The second set of solutions corresponds to correct solutions for the task. Thereafter, one of the plurality of solution techniques is selected for which at least the first predefined number of solutions from the first set of solutions matches with the corresponding solution from the second set of solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Shailesh Vaya
  • Patent number: 9165220
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to image object recognition based on a feature vector with context information. A processor may create an expanded feature vector related to a first area of an image including context information related to the first area. The processor may determine the presence of an object in the image based on the feature vector and output information about the determined object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Henry “Hoa” Tang
  • Patent number: 9165178
    Abstract: A device is not able to detect the forgery of a finger with high accuracy by the comparison of a reflected light image and a transmitted light image that are obtained from the same finger. A determination device is provided with an input means for receiving the reflected light image obtained by photographing a fingerprint of a finger with light reflected from the surface of the finger and the transmitted light image obtained by photographing the fingerprint of the finger with light transmitted through the finger, and a determination means for comparing the reflected light image and the transmitted light image, and outputting a real-forgery determination result of the fingerprint of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Teruyuki Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9160922
    Abstract: A subject detection device includes: a first detection unit that detects a region of a first detection target from an image; a second detection unit that detects from the image a region of a second detection target from which the region of the first detection target can be estimated; and a control unit that controls to display in a predetermined mode indicating the region of the first detection target if a predetermined condition is satisfied, wherein when the first detection unit detects the region of the first detection target and the second detection unit detects the region of the second detection target when the control unit controls to not display in the predetermined mode, the control unit reduces the predetermined condition as compared with when the region of the second detection target is not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyasu Hongu, Makoto Yokozeki, Kazunori Ishii
  • Patent number: 9152848
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus generates, for each person, a first face dictionary storing face data concerning a face of the person included in an image. The apparatus receives, from an imaging apparatus, a second face dictionary which is stored face data of a person corresponding to the first face dictionary and which may be updated the face data using images obtained on the imaging apparatus, and stores. The information processing apparatus transmits the first face dictionary to the imaging apparatus when an update date and time of the second face dictionary is older than a date and time of the first face dictionary. The information processing apparatus does not transmit the first face dictionary to the imaging apparatus when the first face dictionary includes face data of the person included in an image captured outside of a predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Matsushita
  • Patent number: 9152873
    Abstract: An image processing device selects an image in which sharpness of a photographic subject is relatively high compared with sharpness of a background. The image processing device includes a photographic subject detection unit that identifies a photographic subject region on an image, which includes a predetermined photographic subject, by detecting the predetermined photographic subject from the image, a background region identifying unit that identifies a background region on the image, which is other than the photographic subject region, a sharpness identifying unit that identifies sharpness of the photographic subject region and sharpness of the background region, a score calculation unit that calculates a score based on a difference in the sharpness between the photographic subject region and the background region, and a determination unit which determines the image as an optimum image when the score indicates that photographic subject region is clearer than the background region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Sakai, Motoo Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Tatsuya Murakami, Yuki Hanzawa, Takahiro Takayama
  • Patent number: 9147122
    Abstract: A method for estimating camera pose includes: obtaining an image of a location captured via a camera, where the image includes a target object and edge line features outside of the target object; and calculating a pose of the camera with respect to the target object based on the edge line features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Hui Chao, Yanghai Tsin, Faraz Mohammad Mirzaei
  • Patent number: 9147117
    Abstract: Tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for evaluating the identities of different entities to protect business enterprises, consumers, and other entities from fraud by combining biometric activity data with facial recognition data for end users. Risks associated with various entities can be analyzed and assessed based on a combination of user liveliness check data, facial image data, social network data, and/or professional network data, among other data sources. In various embodiments, the risk assessment may include calculating an authorization score or authenticity score based on different portions or combinations of the collected and processed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Socure Inc.
    Inventors: Sunil Madhu, Xinyu Li, Justin Kamerman
  • Patent number: 9141884
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of management of image data in data storage. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and device for automatic detection of duplicate images in data storage and corresponding device while taking into account user perception of what he considers to be duplicate images, which method and device are particularly efficient with regard to the personalized, automatic management of large amounts of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Luis Montalvo, Serge Defrance, Remy Gendrot, Frederic Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 9142023
    Abstract: Techniques are described for maintaining synchronization of inspection data when a web roll is converted into intermediate smaller rolls prior to cutting the web into individual parts. A system comprises a database that stores anomaly data acquired from a manufactured web. The anomaly data specifies positions anomalies within a manufactured web relative to a set of fiducial marks on the manufactured web. A conversion processing line comprises a fiducial mark reader to output position information for the set of fiducial marks on the manufactured web, a slitter that cuts the manufactured web into slit rolls, and a fiducial mark printer to print a set of fiducial marks on each slit roll. A position monitoring system maintains spatial synchronization of the anomaly data by computing an updated position for the anomalies relative to the set of fiducial marks printed on the slit rolls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Steven P. Floeder, Carl J. Skeps, James A. Masterman, Matthew V. Rundquist
  • Patent number: 9142021
    Abstract: Systems and methods for aligning ground based images of a geographic area taken from a perspective at or near ground level and a set of aerial images taken from, for instance, an oblique perspective, are provided. More specifically, candidate aerial imagery can be identified for alignment with the ground based image. Geometric data associated with the ground based image can be obtained and used to warp the ground based image to a perspective associated with the candidate aerial imagery. One or more feature matches between the warped image and the candidate aerial imagery can then be identified using a feature matching technique. The matched features can be used to align the ground based image with the candidate aerial imagery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Maxwell Seitz, Carlos Hernandez Esteban, Qi Shan
  • Patent number: 9134792
    Abstract: A system, a method, and a computer program product for managing information for an interface device are provided. The system detects for one of a present physical encounter between a user of the interface device and a person, and a non-physical encounter between the user and a person. The system determines if a detected present physical encounter is an initial encounter or a subsequent encounter, and adds content associated with the person to a database of previously encountered persons when the present physical encounter is an initial encounter. When the present physical encounter is a subsequent encounter or a present non-physical encounter is detected, the system determines if the person is known by the user, and presents information to the interface device corresponding to the person when the person is not known by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Babak Forutanpour, Shivakumar Balasubramanyam, Vitor R. Carvalho
  • Patent number: 9135631
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to sponsored story generation from an photo upload in an organic activity stream in a social networking site. A social networking system may apply computer image algorithms to detect image objects in user-uploaded images and videos, and promote them as sponsored stories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Mitchell, Samuel Odio, David Harry Garcia
  • Patent number: 9129143
    Abstract: A finger sensing structure for a capacitive fingerprint recognition IC is provided here. The structure comprises a finger sensing metal layer with fish bone shape. When fingers approach or touch the surface of the capacitive fingerprint recognition IC, capacitive sense is induced between the fingers and the metal patterned layer to wake up the IC. Before the fingers approach or touch the IC, the IC is hibernated; once the fingers are detected, the IC is woken up. The metal patterned layer can reduce energy consumption of the IC especially for portable fingerprint recognition IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: IMAGE MATCH DESIGN INC.
    Inventors: Jin-Shown Shie, Ting-Sing Wang
  • Patent number: 9129385
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing device, an image processing method and an apparatus so as to improve at least the precision of extracting document corners in image processing performed on an image captured for a document. The image processing device includes: an extracting unit for extracting boundaries of a document in a first direction and roughly-detected document corners, where the first direction is a horizontal direction or a vertical direction of the document image; a determining unit for determining candidate page corners on the boundaries in the first direction around the roughly-detected document corners; and a selecting unit for determining document corners of the document among the candidate page corners. With the foregoing technology of the invention, more precise document corners can be extracted, a better effect of image processing can be obtained, and applications in the field of image processing are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Shufu Xie, Yuan He, Jun Sun, Hao Yu, Satoshi Naoi
  • Patent number: 9122956
    Abstract: Novel methods and systems for automated data analysis are disclosed. Data can be automatically analyzed to determine features in different applications, such as visual field analysis and comparisons. Anomalies between groups of objects may be detected through clustering of objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Wolfgang Fink