Patents Examined by Brian P. Werner
  • Patent number: 9794348
    Abstract: A method of using voice commands from a mobile device to remotely access and control a computer. The method includes receiving audio data from the mobile device at the computer. The audio data is decoded into a command. A software program that the command was provided for is determined. At least one process is executed at the computer in response to the command. Output data is generated at the computer in response to executing at least one process at the computer. The output data is transmitted to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Inventor: Todd R. Smith
  • Patent number: 9792484
    Abstract: A sensor acquires the same type of biometric information from plural fingers in association with an ID. A processor generates feature data used for verification from the biometric information, and generates characteristic data used for calculation of similarity between the plural fingers from the biometric information. Next, the processor compares the characteristic data and calculates the similarity between the plural fingers. The processor determines whether the feature data is registrable based on the similarity, and a memory stores the feature data in association with the ID when the feature data is registrable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Shigefumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9785830
    Abstract: Methods to select and extract tabular data among the optical character recognition returned strings to automatically process documents, including documents containing academic transcripts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KOFAX INTERNATIONAL SWITZERLAND SARL
    Inventors: Johannes Hausmann, Ralph Meier, Harry Urbschat, Thorsten Wanschura
  • Patent number: 9779304
    Abstract: A system and methodology provide for annotating videos with entities and associated probabilities of existence of the entities within video frames. A computer-implemented method identifies an entity from a plurality of entities identifying characteristics of video items. The computer-implemented method selects a set of features correlated with the entity based on a value of a feature of a plurality of features, determines a classifier for the entity using the set of features, and determines an aggregation calibration function for the entity based on the set of features. The computer-implemented method selects a video frame from a video item, where the video frame having associated features, and determines a probability of existence of the entity based on the associated features using the classifier and the aggregation calibration function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Balakrishnan Varadarajan, George Dan Toderici, Apostol Natsev, Nitin Khandelwal, Sudheendra Vijayanarasimhan, Weilong Yang, Sanketh Shetty
  • Patent number: 9779328
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for range image generation. An input image and a reference image are used to compute raw and optimized disparity-space correlation disparity results for each pixel in the reference image. A bilateral filter is applied to both the raw and optimized disparity space correlation disparity results within a neighborhood of a given pixel. For each pixel in the neighborhood, a mean of sub-pixel disparity estimates includes the raw disparity-space correlation disparity result, and another mean of sub-pixel disparity estimates is computed using optimized disparity-space correlation disparity results. The output of the bilateral filter is a weighted sum of the means, with the weights being proportional to the ratio of valid, non-optimized sub-pixel correlation disparity results to optimized sub-pixel correlation disparity results, thereby favoring non-optimized estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL Corporation
    Inventors: Brett Miller, John Woodfill
  • Patent number: 9778007
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel system, and method for matching a spent firearm cartridge. The method starts with applying a directed self-assembly (DSA) process to produce a nano-scale pattern on a tip of a firing pin for a firearm. The DSA process including: a) disposing a neutral substrate on the firing pin; b) lithographically placing two or more base polymer chains on the neutral substrate, at least two of the two or more base polymer chains being different lengths, so that the two or more base polymer chains align end-to-end in an alternating structure, and c) extracting at least one of the two or more base polymer chains leaving at least one of the base polymer chains remaining thereby forming a randomly oriented pattern. Next, the randomly oriented pattern is used as blocking mask to form a randomly oriented metallization pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin D. Briggs, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Bartlet H. DeProspo, Michael Rizzolo
  • Patent number: 9773194
    Abstract: A homography is determined between a test image and a plurality of database images based on a location of a character along a main line of text of the test image. A similarity score is determined for each of the plurality of database images based on the determined homography. The similarity score may measure a similarity of a characteristic between the test image and the corresponding database image. The characteristic may be at a location separate from the main line of text of the test image. A type of the test image may be selected based on the similarity scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: LONGSAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Tom Rosoman, David Bettinson, Chris Smith, Unai Ayo Aresti
  • Patent number: 9766185
    Abstract: Block-to-block reticle inspection includes acquiring a swath image of a portion of a reticle with a reticle inspection sub-system, identifying a first occurrence of a block in the swatch image and at least a second occurrence of the block in the swath image substantially similar to the first occurrence of the block and determining at least one of a location, one or more geometrical characteristics of the block and a spatial offset between the first occurrence of the block and the at least a second occurrence of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Abdurrahman Sezginer, Patrick LoPresti, Joe Blecher, Rui-fang Shi, Yalin Xiong, John Fielden
  • Patent number: 9760996
    Abstract: Point cloud data sets representing overlapping physical areas are received. Surface feature points are extracted from the point cloud data sets and coordinates are determined for each point of the point cloud data sets. The point cloud data sets are aligned based on matching surface feature points between the point cloud data sets. Matched surface feature points are moved toward the coordinates of corresponding matched surface feature points and the remaining points are moved based on the moved matched surface feature points and the determined coordinates for each point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Ruigang Yang
  • Patent number: 9760765
    Abstract: In a digital signage apparatus, a controller makes an imaging unit photograph in a first image quality mode and performs face recognition to a captured image obtained by the imaging unit. When the predetermined condition is satisfied in which the behavior of the person in front of the digital signage apparatus is assumed to be interested in the digital signage apparatus, the controller makes the imaging unit photograph in the second image quality mode higher than the first image quality and performs the face recognition to the captured image obtained by the imaging unit. The above case includes cases where the user operation has been detected, where the size of the face recognized from the captured image is equal to or larger than the predetermined size, and where the moving amount of the face recognized from the captured image is equal to or less than the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Shibutani
  • Patent number: 9756306
    Abstract: Artifact reduction method and apparatus, and image processing method and apparatus are provided. The artifact reduction apparatus includes a scaling-down unit, a buffer unit, an artifact detection unit, a scaling-up unit and a filter unit. The scaling-down unit scales down a resolution of a current original image frame to obtain a current low-resolution image frame. The artifact detection unit performs an artifact detection to the current low-resolution image frame to obtain low-resolution weights in accordance with a relation of the current low-resolution image frame and a previous low-resolution image frame provided by the buffer unit. The scaling-up unit scales up a number of the low-resolution weights to obtain a high-resolution weights. By using the high-resolution weights, the filter unit performs an image processing procedure to the current original image frame for reducing artifact of the current original image frame and obtaining an adjusted image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Shih-Sung Wen, Chih-Chia Kuo
  • Patent number: 9747670
    Abstract: Improvement of wafer surface inspection sensitivity includes acquiring a first inspection image from the surface of the wafer, generating a reference image by applying a thresholding function to the first image in order to isolate a speckle signal component of the first image induced by wafer surface roughness, acquiring one or more measurement inspection images from the surface of the wafer, and generating a difference image by subtracting the generated one or more reference images from the acquired one or more measurement inspection images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Pettibone
  • Patent number: 9747488
    Abstract: An acoustic fingerprint imaging system having a plurality of acoustic elements, each acoustic element including a transducer, and independent drive and sense circuitry is disclosed. Drive circuitry may require higher voltage than low voltage sense circuitry. Many embodiments described herein include a ground shifting controller to apply a voltage bias to the low voltage sense circuitry during a drive operation, in order to prevent electrical damage to the sense circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, Giovanni Gozzini, Jean-Marie Bussat
  • Patent number: 9740964
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for performing object classification through semantic mapping. Such an object classification system includes a system processor, a system memory, and an object categorizing unit stored in the system memory. The system processor is configured to execute the object categorizing unit to receive image data corresponding to an object, and to transform the image data into a directed quantity expressed at least in part in terms of semantic parameters. The system processor is further configured to determine a projection of the directed quantity onto an object representation map including multiple object categories, and to associate the object with a category from among the multiple object categories based on the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Ju Hwang, Jonghyun Choi, Leonid Sigal
  • Patent number: 9734401
    Abstract: Technologies are generally described for detection and tracking of item features. In some examples, features of an object may be initially found through detection of one or more edges and one or more corners of the object from a first perspective. In addition, determination may be made whether the detected edges and corners of the object are also detectable from one or more other perspectives. In response to an affirmative determination, the detected edges and of the object may be marked as features to be tracked, for example, in subsequent frames of a camera feed. The perspectives may correspond to distributed locations in a substantially umbrella-shaped formation centered over the object. In other examples, lighting conditions of an environment where the object is being tracked may be programmatically controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: RoboticVISIONTech, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn Hunt
  • Patent number: 9734411
    Abstract: A method assists in locating objects using their images. One or more processors receive a set of one or more machine readable reference images of an object, and then distribute the set of one or more machine readable reference images to a plurality of computing devices, where each computing device from the plurality of computing devices is capable of capturing an image. Each computing device from the plurality of computing devices captures a set of one or more images. For each set of one or more images in each computing device from the plurality of computing devices, machine logic within each computing device determines whether each set of one or more images includes an image portion corresponding to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Simon A. S. Briggs, James K. Hook, Hamish C. Hunt, Nicholas K. Lincoln
  • Patent number: 9734563
    Abstract: An image is sharpened by using a frequency component exceeding a Nyquist frequency. In particular, an image processing apparatus 100 of the disclosure herein for generating an output image by sharpening an input image includes a first nonlinear processing unit 101 configured to generate a first signal by carrying out nonlinear processing on an input image signal representing the input image, a sharpening processing block 102 configured to generate a second signal containing a frequency component higher than a frequency component contained in the first signal by carrying out sharpening processing on the first signal, and an adder 103 configured to generate an output image signal representing the output image by adding the second signal to the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: KEISOKU GIKEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichi Gohshi, Jin Ogasawara, Shinichiro Nakamura, Keisuke Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9734433
    Abstract: A system determines what regions in a scene captured by a camera include highly reflective (specular) surfaces. The system illuminates the scene by outputting images to a display screen such as a television screen so as to illuminate the scene from different angles. Images of the scene are captured by the camera under the different illuminations. The images are analyzed to determine which regions in the scene exhibit changes in reflected luminance that correspond to the changes in illumination, indicating a specular surface. Regions containing diffuse surfaces are also identified based on such regions exhibiting a reflected luminance that is substantially independent of the changes in illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Rohith Mysore Vijaya Kumar, Paul Aksenti Savastinuk
  • Patent number: 9721145
    Abstract: A central person determining system includes an information terminal having a plurality of image data; and a server; wherein the information terminal performs face detection processing and generates a face detection result for each of a plurality of images based on the plurality of image data, generates a plurality of face image data by cropping, on the basis of the face detection result, a face image from the plurality of images based on the plurality of image data, and transmits the plurality of face image data to the server; and wherein the server performs central person determining processing on the basis of the plurality of face image data acquired from the information terminal, generates the central person determining result, and transmits the central person determining result to the information terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Toshimitsu Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9715642
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for image processing using deep neural networks. One of the methods includes receiving data characterizing an input image; processing the data characterizing the input image using a deep neural network to generate an alternative representation of the input image, wherein the deep neural network comprises a plurality of subnetworks, wherein the subnetworks are arranged in a sequence from lowest to highest, and wherein processing the data characterizing the input image using the deep neural network comprises processing the data through each of the subnetworks in the sequence; and processing the alternative representation of the input image through an output layer to generate an output from the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Szegedy, Vincent O. Vanhoucke