Patents Examined by Hee-Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 9438923
    Abstract: To support encoding a control circuit determines a primary prediction mode to employ when encoding a block of video data and then determines a corresponding companion prediction mode to correspond to the primary prediction mode. The control circuit can then generate a mixed prediction for the block of video data by mixing a prediction formed using the primary prediction mode with a prediction formed using the companion prediction mode. By one approach the control circuit determines the corresponding companion prediction mode by accessing a companion prediction mode lookup table. In such a case, if desired, upon generating the mixed prediction for the block of video data the control circuit can also automatically update the companion prediction mode lookup table. By one approach a corresponding decoder infers the employed companion prediction mode (or modes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Dake He, Gaƫlle Christine Martin-Cocher
  • Patent number: 9438898
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed relating to modifications to reference picture lists used for multiple layer video coding. A bitstream that may include a reference picture list of a slice may be received. An indication to reposition a reference picture within the reference picture list from a first position to a second position may be received. An indication to insert a reference picture within the reference picture list at a position may be received. The reference picture may be repositioned and/or inserted in the reference picture list in response to receiving the indication. A reference picture previously associated with the position may be shifted in the reference picture list according to the indication to reposition and/or insert the reference picture, although an indication to reposition the reference picture previously associated with the position may not be received. The slice may be decoded using the reference picture list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: VID SCALE, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaoyu Xiu, Yong He, Yan Ye, Yuwen He
  • Patent number: 9432667
    Abstract: An apparatus for coding video information may include computing hardware configured to: when a current picture is to be predicted using at least inter layer motion prediction (ILMP): process a collocated reference index value associated with the current picture, wherein the collocated reference index value indicates a first reference picture that is used in predicting the current picture using inter layer prediction (ILP); and determine whether the first reference picture indicated by the collocated reference index value is enabled for ILMP; when the current picture is to be predicted using at least inter layer sample prediction (ILSP): process a reference index value associated with a block in the current picture, wherein the reference index value indicates a second reference picture that is used in predicting the block in the current picture using ILP; and determine whether the second reference picture indicated by the reference index value is enabled for ILSP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Vadim Seregin, Ye-Kui Wang
  • Patent number: 9426461
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for binarizing an intra prediction mode are provided. The method includes: acquiring an intra prediction mode of a luma component; if the intra prediction mode of the luma component is one kind of prediction mode in M, modifying a value of a serial number of a prediction mode Luma Angle of a chroma component to I; sequencing all prediction modes of the chroma component according to a preset rule; and performing binarization on the modified Luma Angle, and sending the binarized Luma Angle to a decoding end. A method for coding an intra prediction mode and a method and an apparatus for decoding an intra prediction mode are further provided. According to the present invention, coding efficiency is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiali Fu, Haitao Yang, Jingjing Dai, Zilian Qu
  • Patent number: 9426018
    Abstract: A system for managing delivery of video content. The system includes a controller and one or more players. The controller may be configured to control generation of a plurality of streams containing the video content based upon feedback regarding decoding at least one of the plurality of streams. The one or more players may be configured to select a stream from the plurality of streams, generate decoding statistics for the selected stream, and send the decoding statistics to the controller as the feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory K. Truax
  • Patent number: 9420295
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for optimizing encoding and decoding when using embedded block coding, in which each block is independent coded is described. Instead of coding the whole block in response to a single mode decision, the block is separated into multiple sub-blocks sharing the same block bit budget. A block is divided for example in response to color or spatial considerations. A joint mode decision is then made where mode (DPCM/PCM) as well as qn are independently determined for each sub-block, while optimizing the use of the overall bit budget by sharing bits between the sub-blocks through refinement bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hye-Yeon Cheong, Ali Tabatabai, Masaru Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9420256
    Abstract: A method of acquiring image signal and an image signal acquisition device are proposed. The method includes steps: measuring brightness signals of gray-scale switched images in a sample gray scale, and nonlinear interpolating the brightness signals of the gray-scale switched images in the sample gray scale to acquire brightness signals of full gray-scale switched images. The nonlinear interpolating is cubic spline interpolating. the image signal acquisition method and the image signal acquisition device in the present invention nonlinear interpolates brightness signals of gray-scale switched images in sample gray scale to acquire brightness signals of full gray-scale switched images, and thus it efficiently acquires brightness signals of switched images in different gray scales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Lixuan Chen, Bin Fang, Hongjiang Qin
  • Patent number: 9403603
    Abstract: Provided is a system in which a camera monitors safety of a galley arranged in a cabin of an aircraft. A galley 100 includes a storage space 130 of carts divided by structural members 110, and carts 150 are stored. Turn retainers 200 in closed positions prevent the carts 150 from flying out. Hinged doors 310 are attached to front sides of compartments 300, and latches 320 lock the hinged doors 310. A monitoring camera 500 determines safety or unsafety of the turn retainers 200 and the latches 320 by an image and displays the safety or unsafety on a display device 600 or on a PDA terminal device 800 carried by a cabin attendant CA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: JAMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hozumi, Jun Suzuki, Syuichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9403482
    Abstract: Network connectivity is used to share relevant visual and other sensory information between vehicles, as well as delivering relevant information provided by network services to create an enhanced view of the vehicle's surroundings. The enhanced view is presented to the occupants of the vehicle to provide an improved driving experience and/or enable the occupants to take proper action (e.g., avoid obstacles, identify traffic delays, etc.). In one example, the enhanced view comprises information that is not visible to the naked eye and/or cannot be currently sensed by the vehicle's sensors (e.g., due to a partial or blocked view, low visibility conditions, hardware capabilities of the vehicle's sensors, position of the vehicle's sensors, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Behzad Shahraray, Alicia Abella, David Crawford Gibbon, Mazin E. Gilbert, Michael J. Johnston, Horst J. Schroeter, Jay Gordon Wilpon
  • Patent number: 9390530
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer program are provided. The method includes analyzing first and second images, the first image being captured by a first image sensor portion and the second image being captured by a second image sensor portion, wherein at least one position on the first and second images, at which the analysis of the first and second images is initiated, depends upon at least one contextual characteristic; determining, from the analysis of the first and second images, an overlapping capture region for the first image sensor portion and the second image sensor portion; and stitching the first and second images together using the overlapping capture region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Herman Scherling
  • Patent number: 9380283
    Abstract: An apparatus and method which display a three dimensional (3D) video signal, the apparatus comprising: a receiver which receives a video signal; a video signal processor which processes the received video signal; a display unit which displays thereon the processed video signal; and a controller which, in response to the received video signal being a 3D video signal, controls the video signal processor to convert the received 3D video signal into a two dimensional (2D) video signal, and displays the 2D video signal on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chang-seog Ko, Ji-youn Han
  • Patent number: 9369710
    Abstract: A video coder may, in some cases, signal whether one or more initial reference picture lists are to be modified. When an initial list is to be modified, the video coder can signal information indicating a starting position in the initial reference picture list. When the starting position signaled by the video coder is less than a number of pictures included in the initial reference picture list, then the video coder signals the number of pictures to be inserted into the initial reference picture list, and a reference picture source from which a picture can be retrieved to insert into the initial reference picture list to construct a modified reference picture list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Ye-Kui Wang, Adarsh Krishnan Ramasubramonian
  • Patent number: 9350996
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for encoding and decoding transform unit coefficients is disclosed. In one embodiment, the encoding of the transform unit coefficients is performed by determining if all of the coefficients of a portion of the transform unit disposed on a portion of a scan pattern are zero, setting a flag associated with the portion of the transform unit to a first value if at least one of the coefficients of the portion of the transform unit coefficients disposed on the portion of the scan pattern are non-zero, and setting the flag associated with the portion of the transform unit coefficients to a second value if all of the coefficients of the portion of the transform unit coefficients disposed in the portion of the scan pattern are zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Xue Fang, Wei-Ying Kung, Limin Wang
  • Patent number: 9344702
    Abstract: A method of encoding an image pair (L,R) corresponding with two views of a multi-view signal, the method comprising generating a first combined image (LeRo) based on a first low pass filtered version of a first image of the image pair and a first low-pass filtered version of the second image of the image pair, generating a base-layer (LR-bas) by encoding the first combined image (LeRo), generating first and second disparity based predictors (LpredD,RpredD) and respectively associated first and second block-based displacement vectors (LHvec,RHvec) associated with the image information encoded in the base layer (LeRo?), the first and second block-based displacement vectors (LHvec,RHvec) being generated using disparity information present in the first and second images (L,R), the image information encoded in the base-layer (LeRo?) and the respective first and second images (L,R), generating an enhancement-layer (LR-enh; L-enh,R-enh) by encoding the first and second images (L,R) using the first and second dispari
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Hendrikus Alfonsus Bruls
  • Patent number: 9344737
    Abstract: A video encoder generates, based on a reference picture set of a current view component, a reference picture list for the current view component. The reference picture set includes an inter-view reference picture set. The video encoder encodes the current view component based at least in part on one or more reference pictures in the reference picture list. In addition, the video encoder generates a bitstream that includes syntax elements indicating the reference picture set of the current view component. A video decoder parses, from the bitstream, syntax elements indicating the reference picture set of the current view component. The video decoder generates, based on the reference picture set, the reference picture list for the current view component. In addition, the video decoder decodes at least a portion of the current view component based on one or more reference pictures in the reference picture list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Ye-Kui Wang, Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 9340156
    Abstract: A method for detecting an object in an environmental region of a motor vehicle by a camera system of the motor vehicle is disclosed. A first image of the environmental region is provided by a camera of the camera system with illumination of the environmental region using a light source of the motor vehicle such that a shadow of the object caused by the illumination is depicted in the first image. A second image of the environmental region is also provided by the camera in an inactive state of the light source, in which the illumination is omitted. Then, a subtraction image is generated by subtracting one of the images from the other image by an image processing device of the camera system. Then, an edge image is generated from the subtraction image, and the object is detected based on edges of the edge image by the image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Diarmad O'Cualain, Martin Glavin, Edward Jones
  • Patent number: 9342147
    Abstract: Examples relating to using non-visual feedback to alert a viewer of a display that a visual change has been triggered are disclosed. One disclosed example provides a method comprising using gaze tracking data from a gaze tracking system to determine that a viewer changes a gaze location. Based on determining that the viewer changes the gaze location, a visual change is triggered and non-visual feedback indicating the triggering of the visual change is provided to the viewer. If a cancel change input is received within a predetermined timeframe, the visual change is not displayed. If a cancel change input is not received within the timeframe, the visual change is displayed via the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Weerapan Wilairat, Ibrahim Eden, Vaibhav Thukral, David Nister, Vivek Pradeep
  • Patent number: 9338474
    Abstract: Techniques are described related to modifying an initial reference picture list. The example techniques may identify a reference picture in at least one of the reference picture subsets used to construct the initial reference picture. The example techniques may list the identified reference picture in a current entry of the initial reference picture list to construct a modified reference picture list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen, Ye-Kui Wang
  • Patent number: 9325888
    Abstract: A method for measuring the height of an object, including projecting a light pattern having successive coded picture elements extending in a direction of a transversal axis onto the object by a light source. Each of the picture elements has at least one coding feature and the picture elements together define a code word. The picture element groups from a sequence of a predetermined number of successive picture elements each define individual partial code words, existing exactly once within the code word. Capturing the light pattern by a picture sensor arranged off-set to the light source. Determining the positions of the picture element groups and determining the height of the object the determined position of the picture element groups in comparison to a respective reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: VITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein Bildverarbeitungssyteme GmbH
    Inventors: Burghard Hoffmann, Ingo Tzschichholtz
  • Patent number: 9314148
    Abstract: A motionless adaptive focus stereoscopic scene capture apparatus employing tuneable liquid crystal lenses is provided. The apparatus includes at least two image sensors preferably fabricated as a monolithic stereo image capture component and at least two corresponding tuneable liquid crystal lenses preferably fabricated as a monolithic focus adjustment component. Using a variable focus tuneable liquid crystal lens at each aperture stop provides constant magnification focus control. Controlled spatial variance of a spatially variant electric field applied to the liquid crystal of each tuneable liquid crystal lens provides optical axis shift enabling registration between stereo images. A controller implements coupled auto-focusing methods employing multiple focus scores derived from at least two camera image sensors and providing multiple tuneable liquid crystal lens drive signals for synchronous focus acquisition of a three dimensional scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: LENSVECTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Tigran Galstian, Peter P Clark, Suresh Venkatraman