Patents Examined by Frank Huang
  • Patent number: 10130262
    Abstract: A camera head of a dental camera for detecting caries in an interdental space has an illuminating device for illuminating a tooth adjacent to the interdental space, which includes an infrared light source. The camera head further includes optics which have an image plane and an object plane, wherein an image sensor is located in the image plane, and the object plane divides the space into two half spaces, wherein a first half space contains the optics and is located in front of the object plane, and a second half space is located behind the object plane, both as seen from the optics. The illuminating device and the optics are designed and arranged with respect to one another in such a way that the illuminating device is arranged in the first half space and infrared light exiting the illuminating device is aimed in the direction of the second half space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Dürr Dental AG
    Inventors: Herbert Gebhardt, Peter Lais, Raimund Maier
  • Patent number: 10129465
    Abstract: A system mountable in a motor vehicle. The system includes a camera and a processor configured to receive image data from the camera. The camera includes a rolling shutter configured to capture the image data during a frame period and to scan and to read the image data into multiple image frames. A near infra-red illuminator may be configured to provide a near infra-red illumination cone in the field of view of the camera. The near infra-red illumination oscillates with an illumination period. A synchronization mechanism may be configured to synchronize the illumination period to the frame period of the rolling shutter. The frame period may be selected so that the synchronization mechanism provides a spatial profile of the near infra-red illumination cone which may be substantially aligned vertically to a specific region, e.g. near the center of the image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Gideon Stein, Efim Belman
  • Patent number: 10101154
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the signal to noise ratio performance of a depth camera system are described. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing a portion of a pixel array of a rolling camera sensor, and activating a portion of a rolling projector to generate a portion of a projection pattern during the exposure of the portion of the pixel array. The method may also include capturing image data for the generated portion of the projection pattern with the exposed portion of the pixel array of the rolling camera sensor. Furthermore, the method may include performing depth reconstruction based, at least in part, on the captured image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Krishna Swaminathan, Anders Grunnet-Jepsen
  • Patent number: 10095040
    Abstract: A fluorescence imaging system including a light source, an optical system, camera and an excitation light filter, the optical system produces a non-uniform fluence excitation illumination beam for illuminating an object and promoting fluorescence emissions, the optical system is positioned between the light source and the object, the optical system modifies the non-uniform fluence illumination beam into a uniform fluence illumination beam and changes the divergence of the uniform fluence illumination beam, the camera has an array of pixels, the camera detects the fluorescence emissions and performs pixel intensity measurements for each of the pixels, the excitation light filter is positioned between the object and the camera and filters out the excitation illumination beam, such that the excitation illumination beam does not reach the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Visionsense Ltd.
    Inventors: Udi Ronen, Nadav Haresh, Alex Chanin, Ofer Braude
  • Patent number: 10096093
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for performing motion compensated interpolation using a previous frame and a current frame of a displayable output, the method comprising: detecting the speed of an object in the displayable output relative to the speed of a background in the displayable output; and blending results from a halo reducing interpolator and a median interpolator, wherein the results of each of the interpolators are weighted based on the speed of the object, to arrive at an interpolated frame using the previous frame and the current frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gordon Petrides
  • Patent number: 10091468
    Abstract: A system and a method include a medicine container having a bottle and a cap. The medicine container includes a controller and can include a camera located in the cap. The container can include a scale in the base. The controller controls the camera to take an image of the inside of the container to detect the contents, along with a weight measurement to determine usage of the content. A memory connects with the camera and the scale to store the image and weight data. The container can communicate data with a backend server using a wired or wireless connection upon a trigger event. Multiple containers can be connected to form a network of containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Northwestern University
    Inventors: Sanjay Mehrotra, Fatma Seda Memik, Ilya Mikhelson
  • Patent number: 10070940
    Abstract: An end effector is provided for connecting to a positioning arm of a positioning device of a medical navigation system. The end effector comprises a mating component for connecting to an output flange of the positioning arm, a handle portion having a first end and a second end, the first end extending from the mating component, the handle portion including a cable cut-out at the first end, and a camera mount connected to the second end of the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Synaptive Medical (Barbados) Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Andrew Bailey, Mariana Garcia Coni
  • Patent number: 10064552
    Abstract: An embodiment of a mind-view communication apparatus includes a first portable unit and a second portable unit. The first portable unit includes an eyeglass frame, at least one first optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one scene image corresponding to a field of view of a user, and at least one second optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one eye image corresponding to at least a portion of at least one eye of the user. The second portable unit is in communication with the first portable unit and includes at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one scene image and the at least one eye image, determining a direction within the field of view to which the at least one eye is directed based upon the at least one eye image, and generating a subset of the at least one scene image based on the determined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Inventor: Masoud Vaziri
  • Patent number: 10057548
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a smart closure unit for a writing apparatus. The closure unit comprises a diaphragm film, a camera and a control unit. The diaphragm film comes in contact with writing nib of the writing apparatus when the writing apparatus is closed by the closure unit. The camera captures an image of the diaphragm film when the writing nib of the writing apparatus is in contact with the diaphragm film. The control unit compares the captured image received from the camera with one or more predefined images, wherein each of the predefined images is associated with an ink intensity value. The ink intensity value indicates percentage of ink present in the writing apparatus. The control unit further detects the ink intensity value corresponding to the matched predefined image. Furthermore, a user interface in the closure unit displays one or more information related to the writing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: WIPRO LIMITED
    Inventors: Vijay Kumar, Thomas Chittakattu Ninan
  • Patent number: 10032273
    Abstract: Described are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for calibrating machine vision systems. A system includes: one or more cameras; a motion rendering device; and a calibration module. The calibration module is configured to acquire, from a first camera of the one or more cameras, a plurality of images of a calibration target comprising a calibration pattern that provides a plurality of calibration features; extract calibration features of the plurality of calibration features from the plurality of images, wherein physical positions of the plurality of calibration features are in a calibration target length unit associated with the calibration target; determine a ratio between the calibration target length unit and a motion rendering device length unit associated with the motion rendering device; and provide a first calibration for the first camera based on the ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Gang Liu, David Li, Lei Wang
  • Patent number: 10024968
    Abstract: An optical module, for use in a depth camera, includes a plurality of laser emitting elements, each of which emits a corresponding laser beam, and a micro-lens array (MLA) that includes a plurality of lenslets. Laser beams emitted by adjacent laser emitting elements at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the MLA For each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets of the MLA, the lenslet is at least partially filled by light corresponding to laser beams emitted by at least two of the laser emitting elements. The inclusion of the plurality of laser emitting elements is used to reduce speckle contrast. The overlap of the laser beams, and the at least partially filling of the lenslets of the MLA with light corresponding to laser beams emitted by multiple laser emitting elements, is used to reduce diffraction artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Hudman, Marshall DePue
  • Patent number: 10027866
    Abstract: Example refrigerators having internal content cameras, and methods of operating the same are disclosed. A disclosed example refrigerator includes a cabinet, an internal compartment disposed within the cabinet, a closing member operatively coupled to the cabinet providing selective access to the internal compartment, two cameras disposed in the compartment and positioned to capture images of different portions of the compartment, two light sources disposed in the compartment, and a controller communicatively coupled with the cameras and light sources and configured to control the light sources to provide two different illuminations for respective ones of the two cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Victor Henrique Sfoggia Carlotto, Michael Todd Moore, Sushanth Purandhar, Ryan Michael Post, Michael S. Richards
  • Patent number: 10019634
    Abstract: An embodiment of an Eye Tracking Wearable Computer apparatus includes a first portable unit for data gathering and communicating feedback and a second portable unit for processing the at least gathered data from the first unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Inventor: Masoud Vaziri
  • Patent number: 10015387
    Abstract: A focus adjustment method and a device for the same are capable of realizing automatic focusing on a feature point of an arbitrary object selected from an image in which objects having various shapes are captured. The focus adjustment method includes a first step of obtaining a partial captured image in which a portion of the substrate is captured by the image capture device, and displaying the partial captured image in the image display region having a plurality of divided regions, a second step of causing the in-focus determination device to perform in-focus image determination for one divided region that is selected by a user through the input device, and a third step of displaying the captured image, which has been determined as the in-focus image, in the image display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: MUSAHI ENGINERRING, INC.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Ikushima
  • Patent number: 10000155
    Abstract: A method and a device are for detecting and reproducing a lateral and/or rear surrounding area of a vehicle with a trailer, so that the driver can monitor the surrounding area. The surrounding area is detected by at least one image capturing device which produces image data of the surrounding area. The image data is reproduced by at least one image reproducing device arranged in a field of vision of the vehicle driver. A characteristic of the reproduced image section is adapted dependent on an alignment of the trailer relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Application Solutions (Electronics and Vision) Ltd.
    Inventor: Joerg Schrepfer
  • Patent number: 9998654
    Abstract: A control method for controlling an information processing device 101 including a camera 10 for receiving an image and a display 14 having a display surface on the same side as an image-receiving side of the camera 10 according to an embodiment causes a computer 18A of the information processing device 101 for receiving an image of a face 21 of a subject from the camera 10, horizontally inverting the received image, and displaying the horizontally-inverted image on the display 14, to execute: detecting a distance between the information processing device 101 and a reference portion included in the face 21 of the subject; determining a scaling factor based on a ratio between a reference distance used for evaluating the image of the face 21 of the subject and the detected distance; and displaying, on the display 14, as a guide image 35 for guiding the subject in such a direction as to change a distance between the information processing device and the subject, an image corresponding to at least one part include
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Toshiya Arai, Shinji Uchida, Masako Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9992413
    Abstract: A method for displaying images captured by a distributed aperture system (DAS) includes determining a display line of sight (LOS) and display field of view (FOV) corresponding to an operator display of a DAS, mapping the display LOS and the display FOV to a set of sensors of a plurality of sensors of the DAS, for each sensor of the set of sensors: identifying a set of sensor elements that define a minimum image capture area corresponding to the display LOS and the display FOV, processing image data collected by the identified set of sensor elements; and generating an image for the operator display from the processed image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Gregory S. Hawkins
  • Patent number: 9992470
    Abstract: A method and system for capturing, sharing, viewing, and/or displaying one or more video 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: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Twitter, Inc.
    Inventor: Dominik Hofmann
  • Patent number: 9988007
    Abstract: An occlusion control device includes: a map obtaining unit that obtains map data with a close observation detecting criterion set in each of one or more close observation regions in which presence or absence of a moving object should be closely observed; a proportion calculator that calculates proportion of a blind spot for a host vehicle with respect to the close observation detecting criterion; and a behavior determining unit that selects coping behavior of the host vehicle based on the proportion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Yoshihira, Seigo Watanabe, Norimasa Kishi
  • Patent number: 9977230
    Abstract: A microscope system includes a virtual-slide microscope that acquires a virtual-slide image of a specimen when mounted on a first stage, and a fluorescence microscope that acquires a fluorescence image of the specimen when mounted on a second stage. The virtual-slide microscope includes a display and an image-capturing-condition setting portion that sets image capturing conditions, including a fluorescence-image acquisition position, on the virtual-slide image. The fluorescence microscope includes a memory portion that stores coordinate transformation data between the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the first stage and the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the second stage, a condition input portion to which the image capturing conditions are input, and a driving-condition setting portion that sets a driving condition on the basis of the image capturing conditions and the coordinate transformation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMNPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Yuri