Patents Examined by Francis G Geroleo
  • Patent number: 9106923
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) compressing method and apparatus is disclosed. The 3D video compressing apparatus determines whether a motion of consecutive frames exists when a depth of a multi-view video is estimated, performs a depth estimation when the motion exists, and compresses the 3D video by using a color video motion vector as a depth video motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaejoon Lee, Du-Sik Park, Ho Cheon Wey, Il Soon Lim, Seok Lee, Jin Young Lee
  • Patent number: 9100640
    Abstract: A monoscopic video camera may capture, via at least one image sensor, two-dimensional video, and may capture, via at least one depth sensor, corresponding depth information for the captured two-dimensional video. The monoscopic video camera may then configure color related processing of video information corresponding to objects in the captured 2D video based on the captured corresponding depth information. Configuring color processing may comprise setting and/or adjusting color information associated with the objects. In this regard, setting and/or adjusting color information may be based on shadow, shade, and/or edge related information associated with the objects, which may be generated and/or modified based on the captured corresponding depth information based on the captured corresponding depth information. Configuring color processing may be based on surrounding regions adjacent to the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Chris Boross, Nambirajan Seshadri, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Xuemin Chen
  • Patent number: 9092657
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein can be used to detect holes in a subset of pixels of a depth image that has been specified as corresponding to a user, and to fill such detected holes. Additionally, embodiments described herein can be used to produce a low resolution version of a subset of pixels that has been specified as corresponding to a user, so that when an image including a representation of the user is displayed, the image respects the shape of the user, yet is not a mirror image of the user. Further, embodiments described herein can be used to identify pixels, of a subset of pixels specified as corresponding to the user, that likely correspond to a floor supporting the user. This enables the removal of the pixels, identified as likely corresponding to the floor, from the subset of pixels specified as corresponding to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Anis Ahmad, Jonathan Hoof, Daniel Kennett
  • Patent number: 9082188
    Abstract: Methods and devices of studying a predefined portion of an object having a feature of interest are disclosed. The feature of interest defines a class of objects that includes the object. Light sources directly illuminate the object from different illumination directions. The light sources are maintained in a stable configuration relative to the object. For each illumination direction, an image is generated from light scattered from the object with a camera maintained in a stable configuration relative to the light sources. A methodology derived from machine learning for the class of objects is applied to filter the generated images are filtered for a characteristic consistent with the feature of interest. Surface gradients are determined from the filtered images and integrated to generate a topography of a surface of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: HID GLOBAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Horst Arnold Mueller, Ryan Eric Martin, Robert K. Rowe
  • Patent number: 9083977
    Abstract: A method facilitating random access to segments of compressed data stored in memory includes the steps of receiving a series of data segments, encoding the series of data segments into a series of compressed data segments of variable segment sizes, storing the series of compressed data segments in a memory, and generating a locator for each of the compressed data segments. Each locator is indicative of the location of an associated compressed data segment in the memory. A method for randomly accessing a segment of compressed data includes receiving a request for a compressed data segment, retrieving a locator associated with the requested segment, using the retrieved locator to locate the requested segment in the memory, and retrieving the requested segment from the memory. Thus, compressed data segments can be decoded in a different order than the order they were encoded in. Systems for implementing the methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Xuanming Du, Christopher Shane Coffman
  • Patent number: 9077977
    Abstract: An image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels arranged and formed in a two-dimensional array so that adjacent ones of the pixels constitute paired pixels and entrance pupils of a first pixel and a second pixel constituting the paired pixels are provided eccentrically in opposite directions to each other with respect to centers of the respective pixels; an incident angle of light from a subject in the first pixel is an incident angle ?cA as defined herein; the incident angle in the second pixel is an incident angle ??cB as defined herein; and light sensitivity characteristics of the first pixel and the second pixel with respect to the incident angles of the first pixel and the second pixel are flat characteristics within an incident angle range of the ?cA to the ??cB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kawai
  • Patent number: 9077996
    Abstract: A video encoder includes an entropy encoder that computes a predicted motion vector (PMV) for each of a plurality of macroblocks in a video frame based on motion vectors of multiple other macroblocks. The video encoder also includes a motion estimator that determines a predicted motion vector for a given macroblock by reusing, as the predicted motion vector for the given macroblock, only the PMV computed by the entropy encoder for a macroblock immediately on top of the given macroblock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Shyam Jagannathan, Naveen Srinivasamurthy
  • Patent number: 9055294
    Abstract: A method is provided for encoding at least one image, divided into macroblocks, one macroblock including a set of blocks de pixels. The method includes, for at least one current macroblock of a current image, at least two iterations of the following steps: allocation of a priority level for encoding to at least one pixel of the current macroblock, selection of a pixel with the highest priority level called the priority pixel, prediction of a set of pixels including the priority pixel and a step of encoding a remainder from prediction for a region made up of predicted pixels of the macroblock, called the predicted region, the encoding step being used as and when the predicted region meets a predetermined encoding criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: France Telecom
    Inventors: Isabelle Amonou, Matthieu Moinard, Nathalie Cammas
  • Patent number: 9047745
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein provide, for some embodiments, infrared cameras and target position acquisition techniques for various applications. For example, in one embodiment, a system may include a portable imaging/viewing subsystem having a target position finder and may also include a fixed mount camera subsystem having a camera and a camera positioner. A communications link may be configured to communicate a signal from the target position finder to the camera positioner. The signal may be representative of a position of a target being imaged/viewed with the portable imaging/viewing subsystem. The camera positioner may aim the camera toward the target in response to the signal. The target may, for example, be a man overboard. Thus, the system may be useful in search and rescue operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Terre, Jeffrey D. Frank, James T. Woolaway, Austin A. Richards, Patrick B. Richardson, Nicholas Högasten
  • Patent number: 9041773
    Abstract: Two dimensional data is converted into three dimensional picture data in a method that can provide a real time high quality display during conversion. Pixels of a frame of picture data are segmented to create pixel segments by applying a k-means algorithm. The k-means algorithm groups pixels based on closeness of a combined value that includes luma, chroma, and motion information. By balancing this information the algorithm collects pixels into groups that are assigned relative depths to turn the two-dimensional information into three-dimensional information for display. Another method includes determining a depth map for the different pixel segments by determining an amount of motion of one of the pixel segments between two frames of a video and scaling the three-dimensional depth of one of the pixel segments based on the amount of motion between the two frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Corel Corporation
    Inventors: Caifu Chen, Junhua Zhou
  • Patent number: 9042458
    Abstract: Multi-threaded implementations of deblock filtering improve encoding and/or decoding efficiency. For example, a video encoder or decoder partitions a video picture into multiple segments. The encoder/decoder selects between multiple different patterns for splitting operations of deblock filtering into multiple passes. The encoder/decoder organizes the deblock filtering as multiple tasks, where a given task includes the operations of one of the passes for one of the segments. The encoder/decoder then performs the tasks with multiple threads. The performance of the tasks is constrained by task dependencies which, in general, are based at least in part on which lines of the picture are in the respective segments and which deblock filtering operations are in the respective passes. The task dependencies can include a cross-pass, cross-segment dependency between a given pass of a given segment and an adjacent pass of an adjacent segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Wenfeng Gao, Yongjun Wu, Shyam Sadhwani
  • Patent number: 9036002
    Abstract: A system for making a panoramic image includes a digital camera (20) for capturing a first image (30) defining a first overlap region (115) and a second image (40) defining a second overlap region (215). Two points (150, 151) in the first overlap region are identified and a first vector (175) overlap region connecting the two points is defined. Two points (250, 251) in the second overlap region which correspond to the two points in the first overlap region are identified and a second vector (275) of the two points is defined. If the points in the first vector match points in the second vector, determine if the first and second vectors are parallel. If the vectors are not parallel, rotate the second vector image until the second vector is parallel to the first vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, Gary P. Lawniczak, Nelson A. Blish
  • Patent number: 9036701
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to enable the provision of efficient processing in the area of video coding and decoding by employing complexity balanced entropy coding in order to provide a high level of capability with respect to video coding and decoding in a cost effective manner. A method includes categorizing a plurality of syntax elements of video content into first and second categories based on a frequency of occurrence of the syntax elements in the video content. The method also entropy codes symbols that correspond to the first category of syntax elements and that have been subjected to a context update. Further, the method entropy codes symbols that correspond to the second category of syntax elements and that have bypassed context updating. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Jani Lainema, Kemal Ugur, Antti Olli Hallapuro
  • Patent number: 9025010
    Abstract: A light amount adjusting apparatus includes: a two-dimensional (2D) aperture assembly that adjusts an opening area of a via hole through which light is transmitted; a three-dimensional (3D) aperture plate that forms a first opening and a second opening by blocking a part of the via hole, or moving to outside of the via hole to open the via hole; a first shielding plate that is movable to open or close the first opening; and a second shielding plate that is movable so as to close the second opening when the first shielding plate opens the first opening and to open the second opening when the first shielding plate closes the first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chi-young Park, Kwang-seok Byon, Jung-soo Kim, Jin-young Bang, Young-jae Hwang
  • Patent number: 9020038
    Abstract: A system and method for generating compressed video with geographically-anchored-video functionality includes processing frames from a source video sequence by matching image content of the frames to image data from a geographic database to derive the geographic locations of pixels within at least part of the frames. The source video sequence is then compressed by a lossy video compression technique to generate a compressed video sequence, and the compressed video sequence is encoded together with data indicative of the geographic locations of pixels as a composite data stream. Also disclosed are methods for selective video archiving and retrieval based on the geographical footprint of the image content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Elon Littwitz, Yehudit Oliker, Idan Adi
  • Patent number: 9013552
    Abstract: A monoscopic video camera may capture, via at least one image sensor, two-dimensional video, and may capture, via at least one depth sensor, corresponding depth information for the captured two-dimensional video. The monoscopic video camera may then adaptively configure scaling operations applicable to the captured two-dimensional video based on the depth information, which may comprise variably scaling different portions of the two-dimensional video. In this regard, the monoscopic video camera may determine, based on the depth information, a plurality of depth planes. The different portions of the two-dimensional video that are subjected to variable scaling may be determined based on the plurality of depth planes. Configuration of scaling operations may be performed in response to user input, which may comprise a zoom command. In this regard, scaling operations may be configured to focus on one or more of the different portions of the two-dimensional video based on zoom commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Chris Boross, Nambirajan Seshadri, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Xuemin Chen
  • Patent number: 9013565
    Abstract: An image display system includes an image display apparatus and a shutter device. The image display apparatus includes an image display section, a sync signal sending section which sends a sync signal for synchronizing display timings of the left-eye image and the right-eye image with the shutter device to the shutter device, and a protocol sending section which sends protocol information to the shutter device. The shutter device include a shutter section which transmits the left-eye image and the right-eye image, a shutter drive section which analyzes the sync signal received through a sync signal receiving section using the protocol information stored in a protocol storing section and drives the shutter section on the basis of the analysis result, and a protocol updating section which updates the protocol information stored in the protocol storing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masafumi Oura
  • Patent number: 9001893
    Abstract: A transfer unit configured to transfer a motion vector of a co-located macroblock corresponding to a w-th macroblock from an external memory to a buffer when a determining unit determines that the motion vector of the co-located macroblock corresponding to the w-th macroblock is necessary for calculating the motion vector for the w-th macroblock. Additionally, the transfer unit does not transfer the motion vector of the co-located macroblock corresponding to the w-th macroblock from the external memory to the buffer when the determining unit determines that the motion vector of the co-located macroblock corresponding to the w-th macroblock is not necessary for calculating the motion vector for the w-th macroblock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Amano
  • Patent number: 8994806
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus organizes and stores a plurality of types of image information acquired by a plurality of image acquisition methods at different timings. The microscope apparatus includes a time counting unit for counting time, a plurality of different image acquisition units, and a storage unit for storing image information, when acquired by any one of the image acquisition units, and timing information counted by the time counting unit, by having them associated with each other. Even if the image acquisition units acquire different types of image information at different timings, the timing information can be used to call up the image information stored in the storage unit in a chronological order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nakano, Tatsuo Nakata
  • Patent number: 8989277
    Abstract: An embodiment of a video processing system can include an alignment detector block configured to determine whether a video signal is misaligned and, responsive to determining that the video signal is misaligned, generate notifications indicating misalignment of the video signal. The video processing system also can include an unlock detector block coupled to the alignment detector block that is configured to determine an amount of time that the video signal is misaligned according to the notifications from the alignment detector block. The unlock detector block can be configured to ignore misalignment of the video signal until the video signal is misaligned for an amount of time exceeding a threshold amount of time. Another embodiment of the video processing system can include a buffer, a packetizer block that is coupled to the buffer, and a buffer controller that is coupled to the buffer and the packetizer block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkata V. Dhanikonda, Arun Ananthapadmanaban