Patents Examined by Christopher Findley
  • Patent number: 9414091
    Abstract: A video encoder with an integrated temporal filter, which has an output carrying a sequence of encoded frames, includes: an input receiving input frame data; a temporal filter receiving the input frame data from the input and producing filtered frame data; motion processing modules receiving reconstructed frames derived from the sequence of encoded frames and the filtered frame data from the temporal filter and producing a residual error signal output; and a coder module which receives the input frame data and the residual error signal and produces the sequence of encoded frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Eran David Pinhasov, Yuri Dolgin, Victor Pinto
  • Patent number: 9411072
    Abstract: A weather surveillance system includes a data ingest module for receiving weather forecasts of a region, and multiple cameras for viewing targets of interest and providing imagery of the targets of interest, wherein the targets of interest are located within the region. The data ingest module also receives the imagery from the multiple cameras. The system also includes an analytics module for selecting at least one of the multiple cameras; a data fusion module for combining the received weather forecasts of the region with received imagery of the selected camera; and an output module which provides fused data to a user for verifying the weather forecast in the target of interest. The output module includes a web-based service module for collecting, storing and disseminating the fused data to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Exelis, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Marlin Dixon
  • Patent number: 9405115
    Abstract: An automated adaptive optics and laser projection system is described. The automated adaptive optics and laser projection system includes an adaptive optics system and a compact laser projection system with related laser guidance programming used to correct atmospheric distortion induced on light received by a telescope. Control of the automated adaptive optics and laser projection system is designed in a modular manner in order to facilitate replication of the system to be used with a variety of different telescopes. Related methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Reed Riddle, Christoph Baranec
  • Patent number: 9407878
    Abstract: An integrated surveillance system combining video surveillance and data from other sensor-based security networks is used to identify activities that may require attention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher J. Buehler
  • Patent number: 9402087
    Abstract: In picture encoding that generates prediction pictures from picture information of frames previously encoded and encodes picture information for each area, the encoding efficiency is improved. A plurality of motion vector candidates are stored in advance in a motion vector storage memory (107). A motion vector selection section (109) selects a motion vector to be used from the plurality of motion vectors stored in advance in the motion vector storage memory (107). A prediction picture generation section (104) generates a prediction picture from a reference picture using the selected motion vector. A differential encoding section (103) encodes a differential between the picture information of the present area and the prediction picture. A motion vector designation encoding section (110) encodes information that designates the motion vector selected by the motion vector selection section (109).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kimata, Masaki Kitahara
  • Patent number: 9389418
    Abstract: The invention relates to an objective (4) and to a method for designing said objective (4) for a dental camera (1), the objective (4) comprising at least two lenses (9, 10, 20, 21) and the dental camera (1) comprising a light source (3) and an image sensor (7). An illuminating beam emitted by the light source (3) is focused by the objective (4), imaged on an object (8) to be measured, and reflected by the object (8) to be measured to form a monitoring beam (12). The monitoring beam (12) passes through the objective (4) and is directed toward the image sensor (7), the illuminating beam (11) being partially reflected by surfaces (9?, 9?, 9?, 10?, 10?, 20?, 20?, 21?, 21?) of the lenses (9, 10, 20, 21) to form reflected beams (17.1 to 17.8). The objective (4) comprises means (27) for tilting each lens (9, 10, 20, 21) relatively to the illuminating beam (11) such that the optical axis (9?? 10??, 15.1, 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: SIRONA DENTAL SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventor: Volker Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9380294
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, controller and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the controller, facilitate performance of operations that include receiving a media content including three-dimensional image content for presentation on a display device. A presence is determined of a viewer within a line-of-sight of the display device, wherein the viewer is without a viewing apparatus that facilitates viewing of the three-dimensional image content. The media content is adapted to include two-dimensional image content, based on the determining of the presence of the viewer within the line-of-sight and without the viewing apparatus. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, LP
    Inventors: Robert King, Sharon E. Carter
  • Patent number: 9338457
    Abstract: In an image information encoder (10) supplied with an interlaced image in a 4:2:0 format, a color-difference signal phase correction unit (22) shifts, for motion estimation and compensation, the phase of the color-difference signal in a reference image block adaptively to a selected motion estimate mode and the value mv of vertical component in motion vector information so that the reference image block will coincide in phase of the color-difference signal with an input image block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazushi Sato, Osamu Sunohara, Teruhiko Suzuki, Peter Kuhn, Yoichi Yagasaki
  • Patent number: 9332270
    Abstract: An interpolation unit receives an incoming video bit stream comprising a plurality of frames including first macroblocks encoded using block-matching motion compensation and second macroblocks encoded using global motion compensation. A translation unit converts global motion parameters included in a current frame of the incoming video bit stream into a global motion vector. The interpolation unit performs luminance and chrominance interpolation operations on each macroblock contained in each frame of the incoming video bit stream. When processing a current macroblock, if the current macroblock is encoded using global motion compensation, the interpolation unit performs the luminance interpolation operations according to the global motion vector at half-pel resolution, and performs the chrominance interpolation operations at quarter-pel resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Chi-Cheng Ju
  • Patent number: 9332243
    Abstract: A system and methods for real-time or near-real time processing and post-processing of RGB-D image data using a handheld portable device and using the results for a variety of applications. The disclosure is based on the combination of off-the-shelf equipment (e.g. an RGB-D camera and a smartphone/tablet computer) in a self-contained unit capable of performing complex spatial reasoning tasks using highly optimized computer vision algorithms. New applications are disclosed using the instantaneous results obtained and the wireless connectivity of the host device for remote collaboration. One method includes steps of projecting a dot pattern from a light source onto a plurality of points on a scene, measuring distances to the points, and digitally reconstructing an image or images of the scene, such as a 3D view of the scene. A plurality of images may also be stitched together to re-position an orientation of the view of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: DOTPRODUCT LLC
    Inventors: Mark Klusza, Rafael Spring
  • Patent number: 9316597
    Abstract: Methods and systems detect markings or flaws on the backs of playing cards. The method includes: providing ambient radiation at a gaming table and reflecting some of that radiation off a back surface of a playing card; capturing reflected radiation with a radiation sensor; the radiation sensor transmitting signals based on the reflected radiation captured by the radiation sensor; the transmitted signals providing data that contains image data of the back of the playing card; and displaying an image of the back of the playing card based on the image data. The transmitted signals provide image data of the back of the playing card and are also received by a processor that evaluates or compares that data. The system may be an installed casino system (with eye-in-the-sky technology), a portable box, or a component within a shuffling device or dealer shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Inventor: Mladen Blazevic
  • Patent number: 9294738
    Abstract: A system and method of security monitoring is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method includes determining a channel of a television system associated with video content from a security camera. In a particular embodiment, a method includes sending a first alert to a display device and sending a second alert to a remote control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Goangshiuan Ying, Eugene L. Edmon, Kent G. McCammon, Steve Aspell, Ronald Brost, Edward Walter, Steven Michael Wollmershauser, Yolius Diroo
  • Patent number: 9277270
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about field of view associated with a plurality of video data, and an extraction unit configured to extract, from video data with a wide field of view which includes an area indicated by information about the field of view of the video data displayed in timing at which an instruction for setting frame video data extracted from video data is input and is associated with the information about the field of view indicating an area wider than the area among the plurality of the video data, the frame image data corresponding to the timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Youhei Sekiguchi, Atsushi Mizutome
  • Patent number: 9264730
    Abstract: When a block (MB22) of which motion vector is referred to in the direct mode contains a plurality of motion vectors, 2 motion vectors MV23 and MV24, which are used for inter picture prediction of a current picture (P23) to be coded, are determined by scaling a value obtained from averaging the plurality of motion vectors or selecting one of the plurality of the motion vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Satoshi Kondo, Shinya Kadono, Makoto Hagai, Kiyofumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9258545
    Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging apparatus which uses contrast AF to obviate disadvantages of phase-difference AF, shorten processing time of contrast AF, and improve focusing accuracy. A stereoscopic imaging apparatus including a single photographing optical system, an image sensor for forming a first image which passed through a first region and a second image which passed through a second region, wherein the first region and the second region are pupil-split in a predetermined different direction in the photographing optical system, and a contrast AF controlling part for controlling the positions of a lens in the photographing optical system by using the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 9241156
    Abstract: A method for estimating the type of the GoP structure of a plurality of video frames in a video stream by estimating their frame types includes: capturing frame sizes in bytes of every video frame subsequent to an initial I-frame to obtain an array of frame sizes by exploiting features of a transport layer carrying the video stream; converting, after a number of frames, the array of frame sizes into an array of zeros and ones; matching the binarized array of frame sizes to a number of predefined short basic binary patterns, said predefined binary patterns depicting all GoP structures to be considered; converting the result of said matching to form a single score value; and determining the particular pattern of the number of predefined patterns of binaries having the best score value, according to a predefined metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
    Inventors: Savvas Argyropoulos, Bernhard Feiten, Marie-Neige Garcia, Peter List, Alexander Raake
  • Patent number: 9204078
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a detector configured to detect an operator of a remote control for remote-controlling a video display apparatus is provided. The detector includes a face detector, a remote control detector, and an operator identifier. The face detector is configured to detect a first position of a viewer's face from a taken video. The remote control detector is configured to detect a second position of the remote control from the taken video. The operator identifier is configured to identify a viewer operating the remote control based on the detected first position of the viewer's face and the detected second position of the remote control when a plurality of viewer's faces are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshihiro Morohoshi
  • Patent number: 9188542
    Abstract: An apparatus for viewing images of a gemstone is described. The apparatus comprises a support structure for supporting the gemstone at an observation position. An illumination structure comprises a plurality of directional light sources directed towards the observation position so as to illuminate the gemstone. The support structure and illumination structure are relatively rotatable relative to one another about a rotation axis. An imaging device is arranged to obtain images of the gemstone at the observation position at a variety of relative rotational positions between the illumination structure and support structure: the imaging device has an imaging axis passing through the observation position. The support structure is arranged so that the gemstone can be placed at the observation position in such a way that the normal to a selected facet of the gemstone is within a range of tilt angles from the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: De Beers UK Ltd.
    Inventors: James Gordon Charters Smith, Michael Peter Gaukroger, Peter Stanley Rose
  • Patent number: 9191666
    Abstract: A variable length coding method is comprised of: a coefficient value scanning step in which an RL sequence generation unit, a reordering unit, and a binarization unit scan coefficient values within a block in a predetermined scanning order starting at a higher-frequency component toward a lower-frequency component; and an arithmetic coding step in which an arithmetic coding unit and a table storage unit perform arithmetic coding on the absolute values of the coefficient values according to the scanning order used in the coefficient value scanning step, by switching between probability tables for use, wherein, in the arithmetic coding step, a probability table to be used is switched to another probability table in one direction, when the arithmetic-coded absolute values of the coefficient values include an absolute value exceeding a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: GODO KAISHA IP BRIDGE 1
    Inventors: Satoshi Kondo, Shinya Kadono, Makoto Hagai, Kiyofumi Abe
  • Patent number: 9185410
    Abstract: An image coding method includes: selectively adding a motion vector of each of one or more associated blocks to a list; selecting a motion vector from the list as a selected motion vector; and coding a current block to be coded or a motion vector of the current block using the selected motion vector, and for each of the associated blocks, when a specific block that is one of the associated block and the current block is coded with reference to another picture that temporally matches a specific picture including the specific block, the motion vector of the associated block is not scaled and is added to the list at the time of adding the motion vector to the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Sugio, Takahiro Nishi, Youji Shibahara, Kyoko Tanikawa, Hisao Sasai, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada