Patents Examined by David L. Ometz
  • Intelligent mirror
    Patent number: 7714912
    Abstract: An intelligent imaging system, includes an image generator that projects multiple angle views of a user, a plurality of cameras for capturing a plurality of images of the user, an image processing unit, a style advisor, and a control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Faisman, Genady Grabarnik, David Nahamoo, Apostol Ivanov Natsev, Ganesh N. Ramaswamy
  • Method and device for the correction of the brightness of a raw image generated by a sensor matrix
    Patent number: 7714914
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the correction of the brightness of a raw image generated by a sensor matrix, in which an intensity matching is carried out at picture elements defined by a line coordinate and a column coordinate and at least one intensity value. The intensity matching comprises the application to the intensity values of the picture elements to be corrected of two intensity corrections independent of one another, in dependence on the line coordinate, on the one hand, and in dependence on the column coordinate, on the other hand. The invention furthermore relates to an optoelectronic sensor comprising a correction device. This correction device is matched to carry out the initially described intensity matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Sick AG
    Inventors: Jürgen Reichenbach, Carl Joseph Hafner, Ulrich Zwölfer
  • Image pick-up apparatus, method of controlling white balance, and program of controlling white balance
    Patent number: 7714902
    Abstract: In a camera apparatus of the present invention, a phase difference sensor, which is normally used for automatic focusing operation, is effectively used to detect a flicker of the fluorescent light (S104), and it is judged whether the flicker has been detected or not (S105). When the flicker has been detected, gain No. (3) prepared for the fluorescent light is selected to be set to a gain control circuit at a time of a capture (S106). The infrared light is detected (S107) based on an output used from an infrared light sensor, which is provided for receiving an infrared-light code signal from a remote control unit, and it is judged whether the infrared light has been detected or not (S108) . When the infrared light has been detected, gain No. (4) prepared for the incandescent light is selected to be set to a gain control circuit (S109).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masami Yuyama
  • Imaging apparatus
    Patent number: 7714891
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging section which captures an object to obtain a first image signal of interlace scan type, a motion vector detection section which detects a motion vector by use of the first image signal, a vibration correction section which corrects, according to the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection section, vibration of an object image included in the first image signal, and a conversion section which converts, according to the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection section, the first image signal to a second image signal of progressive scan type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiro Kawahara
  • Optical black level control circuit
    Patent number: 7714913
    Abstract: An optical black level control circuit comprises a digital black level adjusting circuit for generating a black level correction signal by digital processing using a given time constant when an output error between an optical black level and a reference optical black level signal is within a predetermined range so that an error becomes less than a predetermined value and an analog black level adjusting circuit for compensating for said error when said error exceeds the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Sase, Koichi Higashi
  • Pixel individual anti-eclipse circuit and its operation manner
    Patent number: 7710471
    Abstract: An anti-eclipse circuit of an image pixel includes a pixel coupled to a pixel output line and a circuit for receiving and storing a pixel reset voltage from the pixel on the pixel output line and for using the stored pixel reset voltage as a parameter to control a reset voltage level on the output line in a manner which maintains the pixel reset voltage on the pixel output line above a predetermined minimum voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Isao Takayanagi
  • Method for randomly accessing multiview videos
    Patent number: 7710462
    Abstract: A method randomly accesses multiview videos. Multiview videos are acquired of a scene with corresponding cameras arranged at poses, such that there is view overlap between any pair of cameras. V-frames are generated from the multiview videos. The V-frames are encoded using only spatial prediction. Then, the V-frames are inserted periodically in an encoded bitstream to provide random temporal access to the multiview videos.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Xin, Emin Martinian, Alexander Behrens, Anthony Vetro, Huifang Sun
  • Optical equipment and its control method, and computer-readable storage medium
    Patent number: 7710491
    Abstract: The object of this invention is to attain accurate control by correcting any deviation of a cam locus due to manufacturing errors and the like upon controlling a zoom lens and focus lens along a theoretical cam locus. To attain this object, a differential locus between the theoretical cam locus (stored cam locus) and a true cam locus due to an error obtained by a measurement is obtained, and is stored as cam correction data. The lens control is made while correcting the theoretical cam locus by the correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiya Ohta
  • Method and apparatus for controlling a camera module to compensate for the color spectrum of a white LED
    Patent number: 7710466
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus enabling use of a light source emitting a spectrum of light not following characteristics of a blackbody source of light with a camera module programmed for use with light sources following characteristics of blackbody sources of light, wherein a white-balance patch is transmitted to the camera module to cause the camera module to accept color coordinates representing a point on a chromaticity chart that partly defines a region of color coordinates on the chromaticity chart into which color coordinates of the light source fall and to which color coordinates of a reference white color derived by a white-balance routine of the camera module are constrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Marc Drader, Ken Wu, Michael Purdy
  • Image photographing and recording device and method
    Patent number: 7710464
    Abstract: An image photographing and recording device and method. In the device and method, a scene is repeatedly photographed at a predetermined frame rate as a static image of a predetermined resolution. Static image data outputted by photographing is successively recorded on a recording medium, the static image data being in non-compressed or compressed by a compression method which does not utilize correlation between frames. A static image or a dynamic image as an object of output is designated. When a static image is designated, static image data corresponding to the static image is read-out from the recording medium. When a dynamic image is designated, a static image data group corresponding to the dynamic image is read-out, and image processing for a dynamic image is carried out thereon, and data obtained by the image processing for a dynamic image is outputted as dynamic image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kenkichi Hayashi
  • Method and apparatus for video decoding and de-interlacing
    Patent number: 7705916
    Abstract: A method for video decoding in a video decoding/de-interlacing display apparatus that utilizes a storage device having four frame buffers is provided. The method includes following steps: (a) decoding video data of a next picture; (b) if the next picture is a B picture, buffering the decoded video data of the next picture into a frame buffer of the storage device not stored with a reference picture nor a present display picture nor a previous display picture; and (c) if step (b) is not applicable, buffering the decoded video data of the next picture into a frame buffer of the storage device stored with the previous display picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Mediatek, Inc.
    Inventor: Chi-Chin Lien
  • Solid-state image-pickup device, camera system, and method for driving same
    Patent number: 7705897
    Abstract: A solid-state image-pickup device having a plurality of analog-to-digital converters that has a plurality of pixels converting an incident-light quantity into an electrical signal and that converts an analog signal obtained from each of the pixels into a digital signal is provided. The analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of comparators, wherein each of the comparators compares a reference voltage changing over time to the analog signal and wherein different reference voltages are transmitted to the comparators, and at least one counter that counts a time period required to finish the comparison made by the comparator, that stores information about a result of the counting, and that has different count numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Muramatsu
  • Imaging apparatus and flicker reduction method
    Patent number: 7705893
    Abstract: An XY address scanning-type imaging apparatus, such as a CMOS imaging apparatus, having a high-speed shutter which is capable of reducing fluorescent-lamp flicker components and which enhances electronic camera-shake correction. When the vertical synchronization frequency is denoted as fv (Hz) and N is a positive integer, the shutter is set to N/120 seconds when 120/fv is an integer, and the shutter is set to N/100 seconds when 100/fv is an integer. In the NTSC system, when camera-shake correction is ON, the shutter speed is set to fraction ( 1/120) seconds, and when camera-shake correction is OFF, the shutter speed is set to fraction ( 1/60) seconds. In the PAL system, when camera-shake correction is ON, the shutter speed is set to fraction ( 1/100) seconds, and when camera-shake correction is OFF, the shutter speed is set to fraction ( 1/50) seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Kinoshita
  • System for and method of synchronous acquisition of pulsed source light in performance of monitoring aircraft flight operation
    Patent number: 7705879
    Abstract: A system for and a method of synchronous acquisition of pulsed source light performs monitoring of aircraft flight operation. Diode sources of illumination (18, 108, 208) are pulsed (16, 106, 206) at one-half the video frame rate of an imaging camera (36, 136, 236). Alternate frames view the world-scene with lights of interest pulsed on, and then off, respectively. Video differencing (34, 134, 234) eliminates the background scene, as well as all lights not of interest. Suitable threshholding over a resulting array of camera pixel-differences acquires the desired lights and represents them as point symbology on a display (40, 140, 240). In an enhanced vision landing system embodiment, the desired lights (symbols) overlay or are fused on a thermal image of the scene; alternatively, the symbols overlay a visible scene (TV) image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Max-Viz, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Richard Kerr, Gregory A. Zuro, Michael E. Fossey
  • Image capture device and controller of image capture device
    Patent number: 7701495
    Abstract: An image capture device capable of capturing high quality images is disclosed. The image capture device comprises a shift register, each pixel of which has a plurality of transfer electrodes extending in a direction crossing a transfer direction of information charges. A potential well formed by function of the transfer electrodes is used to store and transfer information charges generated in response to light incident on a pixel. In this image capture device, during image capture, information charges are stored in a plurality of potential wells substantially separated from each other, and, during transfer, information charges stored in at least two of the plurality of potential wells are combined by addition to be transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Higashitsutsumi, Yuzo Otsuru
  • Accurate motion detection for the combination of motion adaptive and motion compensation de-interlacing applications
    Patent number: 7701508
    Abstract: A method for de-interlacing is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a plurality of target mode values for a target pixel being synthesized to convert a current field into a current frame, wherein at least two of the target mode values are based on both (i) a plurality of original pixels and (ii) a plurality of synthesized pixels in a plurality of synthesized frames, (B) generating a plurality of candidate values for the target pixel using a plurality of interpolation techniques that includes a motion estimation interpolation utilizing a particular one of the synthesized frames and (C) selecting a particular one of the candidate values for the target pixel in response to the target mode values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Nien-Tsu Wang, Shi-Chang Wang, Hsi-Chen Wang
  • Digital television broadcast signal receiver
    Patent number: 7701511
    Abstract: In a digital television broadcast signal receiver (TV receiver), when closed caption information of digital TV (DTV-CC) is detected, a DTV-CC logo (first annunciation image) 31 is displayed with superimposing on an image of TV program for announcing that the DTV-CC is included in the digital TV signal, and when closed caption information of NTSC (NTSC-CC) is detected, an NTSC-CC logo (second annunciation image) 32 is displayed with superimposing on the image of TV program for announcing that the NTSC-CC is included in the digital TV signal. Thus, a user can easily recognize whether the DTV-CC and/or NTSC-CC are/is included in the digital TV signal or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurose, Takahiro Katayama, Toshihiro Takagi
  • Image processing apparatus and image processing method
    Patent number: 7697044
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes an RGB-YUV converter for converting a color image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal and a YUV false color remover for removing false color based on the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals U, V. The false color remover includes an edge intensity calculator for calculating edge intensity based on the luminance signal Y, a modulation coefficient calculator for calculating a modulation coefficient so that a degree of modulation is greater as the edge intensity is higher, and a UV modulator for modulating a color difference signal having a value smaller than a prescribed threshold based on the degree of modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuki Mishina
  • Image processing system with horizontal line registration for improved imaging with scene motion
    Patent number: 7697073
    Abstract: An image processing system and method. The image processing system acquires a first set of scan lines in at first field of image data and a second set of scan lines in a second field of image data; the second set of scan lines are interlaced relative to the first set of scan lines and performs a line by line correlation therebetween to provide an error signal or value. The first and second fields are buffered and coupled to a line-to-line correlator. The error signal is used to adjust either the first or the second set of scan lines to correct for skew or blur in the second field of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Stephen R. Nash, Christopher A. Leddy, Eric P. Lam
  • Information processing apparatus, information processing method and its program
    Patent number: 7698725
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus arranged to refer to image capture limitation information to judge whether an image capture range after control includes a limitation area, the image capture limitation information defining the limitation area corresponding to an attribute of a user of a terminal, and effect control so that if it is judged that the image capture range includes the limitation area, the terminal is controlled so as to perform secure communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Kurosawa, Tomoaki Kawai