Patents Examined by Frank F Huang
  • Patent number: 11138887
    Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Patent number: 11102454
    Abstract: An image relaying device comprises a shaft, an objective lens at a distal end of the shaft, an optically transparent window region in a proximal end region of the image relaying device, an optical system in the shaft, the optical system relaying an image produced by the objective lens to the proximal end region in a way that the relayed image can be captured through the window region. The optical system's optical axis at the window region is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the optical system's optical axis in the shaft. An optical instrument makes use of a plurality of these image relaying devices and a corresponding plurality of image sensors where the optical path length of each image relaying device may be independently adjusted to correct for optical inconsistencies in the elements of each relaying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & Co KG
    Inventors: Markus Kupferschmid, Daniel Ulmschneider, Andreas Heni, Lawrence Natusch
  • Patent number: 11089289
    Abstract: An image processing device includes depth acquisition circuitry that uses a parallax corresponding to image data to electronically generate a depth map of an image and object detection circuitry that uses distance information and the depth map to electronically detect a specific object in the image by identifying specific pixels in the image data. The depth map includes information that pertains to distances from a reference position for each pixel in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Ohishi, Kazuyuki Yamamoto, Shuzo Sato, Takayuki Yoshigahara, Jun Murayama, Ken Nishida, Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 11089269
    Abstract: A medicine container includes a controller and a scale connected with the controller. The scale is configured to measure a weight of a content contained in the medicine container. An inertial measurement unit connects with the controller. The inertial measurement unit is configured to detect a position of the medicine container. The controller is configured to process the position information to ensure that the container is located in an upright position before the weight measurement is considered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Sanjay Mehrotra, Fatma Seda Memik, Ilya Mikhelson
  • Patent number: 11089330
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding a depth block in three-dimensional video coding are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention divide a depth block into depth sub-blocks and determine default motion parameters. For each depth sub-block, the motion parameters of a co-located texture block covering the center sample of the depth sub-block are determined. If the motion parameters are available, the motion parameters are assigned as inherited motion parameters for the depth sub-block. If the motion parameters are unavailable, the default motion parameters are assigned as inherited motion parameters for the depth sub-block. The depth sub-block is then encoded or decoded using the inherited motion parameters or a motion candidate selected from a motion candidate set including the inherited motion parameters. The depth block may correspond to a depth prediction unit (PU) and the depth sub-block corresponds to a depth sub-PU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: HFI INNOVATION INC.
    Inventors: Jicheng An, Kai Zhang, Jian-Liang Lin
  • Patent number: 11079923
    Abstract: A method and system for capturing, sharing, viewing, and/or displaying one or more videos. A user of a computing device performs a gesture involving contacting a touch sensitive display. In response, a video segment is captured while the user maintains contact with the touch sensitive display. Upon releasing contact with the touch sensitive display, recording of the video segment is ceased. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the user may then record one or more additional video segments to be included in a video vignette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Twitter, Inc.
    Inventor: Dominik Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11076147
    Abstract: Stereoscopic display technologies are provided. A computing device generates a stereoscopic display of an object by coordinating a first image and a second image. To reduce discomfort or to reduce diplopic content, the computing device may adjust at least one display property of the first image and/or the second image depending on one or more factors. The factors may include a time period associated with the display of the object, the vergence distance to the object, the distance to the focal plane of the display, contextual data interpreted from the images and/or any combination of these and other factors. Adjustments to the display properties can include a modification of one or more contrast properties and/or other modifications to the images. The adjustment to the display properties may be applied with varying levels of intensity and/or be applied at different times depending on one or more factors and/or contextual information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin J. MacKenzie, Anatolie Gavriliuc, Robert T. Held
  • Patent number: 11070832
    Abstract: Innovations in syntax and semantics of coded picture buffer removal delay (“CPBRD”) values potentially simplify splicing operations. For example, a video encoder sets a CPBRD value for a current picture that indicates an increment value relative to a nominal coded picture buffer removal time of a preceding picture in decoding order, regardless of whether the preceding picture has a buffering period SEI message. The encoder can signal the CPBRD value according to a single-value approach in which a flag indicates how to interpret the CPBRD value, according to a two-value approach in which another CPBRD value (having a different interpretation) is also signaled, or according to a two-value approach that uses a flag and a delta value. A corresponding video decoder receives and parses the CPBRD value for the current picture. A splicing tool can perform simple concatenation operations to splice bitstreams using the CPBRD value for the current picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Gary J. Sullivan, Lihua Zhu
  • Patent number: 11056001
    Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Patent number: 11039146
    Abstract: A method is presented for detecting visual artifacts such as macroblocking artifacts appearing in a rendering of a video stream. A decoded video stream that includes a plurality of frames is received. Edges appearing in the plurality of frames are detected and data characterizing the edges is directed to a neural network. The neural network determines a likelihood that a macroblocking artifact occurs in the video stream using the neural network. The neural network is trained using training data that includes (i) one or more video sequences having known macroblocking artifacts whose size and duration are known and (ii) user ratings indicating a likelihood that users visually perceived macroblocking in each of the one or more video sequences when each of the one or more video sequences are rendered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Gautam Babbar, Wayne D Woodruff
  • Patent number: 11025939
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a decoding device and a decoding method, and an encoding device and an encoding method that enable images that configure a packed image to be reliably displayed when an encoded stream is decoded and displayed. A decoding unit decodes an encoded data, the encoded data being an encoded packed image in which a plurality of images is packed, and generates the packed image. A display control unit identifies the images that configure the packed image based on packing SEI preferentially used when the packed image is displayed. The present technology can be applied to a decoding device, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironari Sakurai, Ohji Nakagami, Yoshitomo Takahashi, Teruhiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11016034
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a defect on a surface of a substrate includes an optical microlens array disposed adjacent to the substrate and including an array of microlenses configured to direct light incident on a second surface of the optical microlens array to exit a first surface of the optical microlens array opposite the second surface for irradiating the surface of the substrate and converge light emitted from the irradiated surface of the substrate, and an imaging member including a plurality of imaging units configured to receive the converged light of the optical microlens array. Each of the imaging units corresponds to a microlens of the optical microlens array and includes a plurality of pixels and a light transmission opening for transmitting a portion of the incident light. The apparatus requires significantly less time to detect surface defects than conventional substrate surface defect detection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manhua Shen, Qiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11012710
    Abstract: A method of decoding a coded image or a coded picture in a coded video sequence, into a picture representing a projection on a planar surface of a non-planar surface, is provided, and the method is performed by a decoder employing intra prediction. The method includes obtaining an intra prediction mode indicative of an intra prediction direction, for a block of the picture, determining at least one non-straight curve representative of a straight line on the non-planar surface, based on the projection and the obtained intra prediction mode, and creating, for the block, prediction samples along the determined at least one non-straight curve, from at least one boundary sample along the determined at least one non-straight curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Shan Liu, Stephan Wenger
  • Patent number: 11004185
    Abstract: A fingerprint capture system, a fingerprint capture device, an image processing apparatus, a fingerprint capture method, and a storage medium that can acquire a high quality fingerprint image are provided. A disclosed example includes: a capture unit that captures a fingerprint; an image processing unit that processes a transferred fingerprint image captured by the capture unit; a display unit on which the fingerprint image transferred to the image processing unit is displayed; a recording unit where the fingerprint image transferred to the image processing unit is recorded by the image processing unit; and an instruction unit that inputs, in the image processing unit, a record instruction that instructs the image processing unit to record the fingerprint image in the recording unit. The image processing unit records, in the recording unit, the fingerprint image displayed on the display unit at the time the record instruction is input by the instruction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teruyuki Higuchi, Yoshinori Koda
  • Patent number: 10992848
    Abstract: A drape configured to cover a handheld imager for use in a medical procedure, the drape including a frame that is removably mountable to a front portion of an enclosure of the imager; and at least one light transmissive component mounted to the frame and recessed with respect to a front of the frame such that the at least one light transmissive component is positioned in front of at least one enclosure window of the imager when the frame is mounted to the front portion of the imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Novadaq Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Gavin Michael Murray, Adam John Tynan
  • Patent number: 10992908
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras including a forward viewing camera and multiple color cameras, and includes a display device operable to display video images derived from image data captured by the color cameras. A processing unit includes a first processing chip that has an image processor for machine-vision processing of captured image data, and a second processing chip that receives vehicle data and receives image data captured by the color cameras. The first processing chip machine-vision processes image data captured by the cameras for object detection and classification of objects. The first processing chip controls operating parameters of the color cameras to enhance object detection based on machine-vision processing by the first processing chip of image data captured by the color cameras. The second processing chip controls operating parameters of the color cameras for display at the display device of video images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Krishna Koravadi
  • Patent number: 10984514
    Abstract: A fingerprint capture system, a fingerprint capture device, an image processing apparatus, a fingerprint capture method, and a storage medium that can acquire a high quality fingerprint image are provided. A disclosed example includes: a capture unit that captures a fingerprint; an image processing unit that processes a transferred fingerprint image captured by the capture unit; a display unit on which the fingerprint image transferred to the image processing unit is displayed; a recording unit where the fingerprint image transferred to the image processing unit is recorded by the image processing unit; and an instruction unit that inputs, in the image processing unit, a record instruction that instructs the image processing unit to record the fingerprint image in the recording unit. The image processing unit records, in the recording unit, the fingerprint image displayed on the display unit at the time the record instruction is input by the instruction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teruyuki Higuchi, Yoshinori Koda
  • Patent number: 10986289
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device for regulating imaging accuracy of a motion-sensing camera. The method comprises: acquiring an infrared speckle pattern in a target infrared scene; recognizing an actual definition, an actual speckle regularity, and an actual central region brightness of the infrared speckle pattern; comparing the actual definition with a preset definition, the actual speckle regularity with a preset speckle regularity, and the actual central region brightness with a preset brightness; and adjusting an imaging focal length according to a comparison result, and completing regulation of the imaging accuracy. In this way, the method for regulating imaging accuracy of a motion-sensing camera of the present invention can obtain an infrared speckle pattern having required imaging accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: NANJING HUAJIE IMI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xiaojun Zhou, Li Li, Hang Wang, Zan Sheng, Shuo Li
  • Patent number: 10979732
    Abstract: A method of decoding video data, including receiving an encoded block of video data that was encoded using an inter-prediction mode, receiving one or more syntax elements indicating a motion vector difference (MVD) associated with the encoded block of video data, determining a current MVD precision, from three or more MVD precisions, for the one or more syntax elements indicating the MVD, wherein the three or more MVD precisions include an N-sample MVD precision, where N is an integer indicating a number of samples indicated by each successive codeword of the one or more syntax elements indicating the MVD, and wherein N is greater than 1, decoding the one or more syntax elements indicating the MVD using the determined current MVD precision, and decoding the encoded block of video data using the decoded MVD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Jianle Chen, Wei-Jung Chien, Xiang Li, Li Zhang, Marta Karczewicz
  • Patent number: 10979705
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for video coding with spatial prediction mode for multi-mode video coding is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes coding a slice of video data, the slice including a plurality of pixels organized into a first line and a plurality of non-first lines. The coding of the slice further includes coding a current pixel of the first line in a spatial prediction mode using a previous pixel of the first line as a predictor and coding another pixel of a non-first line in a coding mode other than the spatial prediction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Natan Haim Jacobson, Vijayaraghavan Thirumalai, Rajan Laxman Joshi, Min Dai