Patents Examined by James Anderson
  • Patent number: 10771762
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires a parallax image generated based on a signal from one of a plurality of photoelectric converters that receive light beams passing through partial pupil regions of an imaging optical system different from each other, and a captured image generated by combining a plurality of signals from the plurality of photoelectric converters. A determination unit determines whether the parallax image contains a defect, and an image processing unit corrects, if the determination unit determines that the parallax image contains the defect, one or more pixel values of the parallax image that include the defect, using the captured image to calculate a correction value for each of the one or more pixels in the parallax image, and replaces the one or more pixels in the parallax image with the corresponding correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10090611
    Abstract: A cable includes: a core wire that is electrically conductive; a first inner insulation layer that covers an outer periphery of the core wire and has an exposing portion that exposes the core wire at a distal end side of the first inner insulation layer; and a first latching portion that is fixed to the core wire in the exposing portion, and is latched onto the first inner insulation layer and holds the core wire by coming into contact with the first inner insulation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Sekido
  • Patent number: 10088899
    Abstract: A gaze tracking system captures images of a vehicle operator. The gaze tracking system may detect facial features in the images and track the position of the facial features over time. The gaze tracking system may detect a triangle in an image, wherein the vertices of the triangle correspond to the facial features. The gaze tracking system may analyze the detected triangle to identify a surface normal for the triangle, and may track the surface normal (e.g., across multiple images) to track the eye gaze direction of the driver over time. The images may be captured and analyzed in near-real time. By tracking movement of the driver's head and eyes over time, the gaze analysis system may predict or estimate head position and/or gaze direction when one or more facial features are not detectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Bryan Allen Plummer, Parker Andrew Brown, Brian Mark Fields, Steve Roberson
  • Patent number: 9509980
    Abstract: A monoscopic low-power mobile device is capable of creating real-time images and videos for multiple viewpoints from a single captured view. The device uses statistics from an autofocusing process to create a block depth map of a single capture view. Artifacts in the block depth map are reduced and an image depth map is created. Alternate views are created from the image depth map using a Z-buffer based surface recover process and a disparity map which is a function of a geometric vision model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Haohong Wang, Hsiang-Tsun Li, Sharath Manjunath
  • Patent number: 9189859
    Abstract: A system generating a 3D depth profile of an object, including: a moveable video camera to continually capture 2D image data of the object as the camera moves, to capture plural 2D image frames each including plural pixels; a processor configured to: receive the 2D image data; determine position of the camera when each frame is captured; calculate depth of part of an object shown in a pixel in a first frame with respect to a reference, by identifying the part in at least one further frame and calculating the depth using camera positions of the first image and at least one further image; and determine depth profile of the object, for plural parts of the object shown in the pixels. A display displays the depth profile and indicates in real time, as data is gathered, the parts of the object for which the depth profile has been calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: George Vogiatis, Carlos Hernandez
  • Patent number: 9165467
    Abstract: Defining a handoff zone for tracking a vehicle between cameras is disclosed. Initially, a first image stream is received from a first camera having a first field of view. A second image stream is also received from a second camera having a second field of view, where the second field of view is different from and at least partially overlapping with the first field of view. Next, an overlap area that defines the overlap between the first image stream and the second image stream is determined. A handoff zone within the overlap area is then determined, where tracking of the vehicle is passed from the first camera to the second camera after the vehicle enters the handoff zone. Finally, boundaries of the handoff zone are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CLOUDPARC, INC.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9137466
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein may operate to compare an illuminance corresponding to a signal from an image sensor array (ISA) element in a production imaging system with an illuminance associated with optical flare incident to an ISA from which the ISA element is selected. The ISA element may be identified as unusable if the illuminance corresponding to the signal from the ISA element is less than the illuminance associated with the optical flare incident to the ISA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ilia Ovsiannikov
  • Patent number: 9121833
    Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus includes a first light source, a first image capture device that receives the reflection light emitted from the first light source and reflected by the outer peripheral surface of a lip part to grab the image of the outer peripheral surface of the lip part, a second light source, a second image capture device 8 that receives the reflection light emitted from the second light source and reflected by a load face to grab the image of the load face, a third light source, a third image capture device that receives the reflection light emitted from the third light source and reflected by a thread bottom face inspection zone 106 to grab the image of the thread bottom face inspection zone, and an inspection device for inspecting defects by processing the captured images grabbed by the first to third image capture devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Anayama, Toshiyuki Suzuma, Yoshiyuki Nakao, Masami Ikeda, Kenta Sakai
  • Patent number: 9064415
    Abstract: Tracking traffic violations within an intersection and use of a destination location are disclosed. Initially, two or more first images from a first camera having a first field of view are received. Next, a first unique identifier of a first vehicle and a violated traffic restriction within the intersection are determined based on the two or more first images. Next, two or more second images from a second camera having a second field of view are received. A second unique identifier and a first characteristic of a second vehicle are determined based on the two or more second images. Next, two or more third images from a third camera having a third field of view are received. That the second vehicle is stopped in a destination location at a first time and that the second vehicle has left the destination location at a second time are determined based on the two or more third images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: CLOUDPARC, INC.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9064414
    Abstract: Indicating payment for use of a destination location is disclosed. First, it is determined that a vehicle has approached the destination location. In response, it is determined that that the destination location is associated with automated parking services. In response, a first activation signal is forwarded to an indicator. Next, it is determined that the vehicle is within the destination location at a first time. In response, it is determined that an account associated with the vehicle is configured to make payment for parking of the vehicle within the destination location. Then, payment for the parking of the vehicle within the destination location is activated. Finally, in response, a second activation signal that differs from the first activation signal is forwarded to the indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: CLOUDPARC, INC.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9036027
    Abstract: Tracking the use of at least one destination location is disclosed. Initially, three or more first images are received from a first camera having a first field of view. It is then determined that the first vehicle is stopped within the at least one destination location at a first time and that the first vehicle has left the at least one destination location at a second time that is after the first time. Next, a unique identifier of a vehicle is received from a third-party parking payment system. The unique identifier is associated with the first vehicle. Finally, the first time, the second time and the unique identifier of the first vehicle are indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CLOUDPARC, INC.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9030532
    Abstract: Stereoscopic image display is described. In an embodiment, a location of the eye pupils of a viewer is determined and tracked. An image is displayed within a first focus for viewing with the left eye of the viewer, and the image is displayed within a second focus for viewing with the right eye of the viewer. A positional change of the eye pupils is tracked and a sequential image that corresponds to the positional change of the eye pupils is generated for stereoscopic viewing. In another embodiment, an image is displayed for stereoscopic viewing and a head position of a viewer relative to a center of the displayed image is determined. A positional change of the viewer's head is tracked, and a sequential image that corresponds to the positional change of the viewer's head is generated for stereoscopic viewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Gary K. Starkweather, Michael J. Sinclair, Sing Bing Kang
  • Patent number: 9031851
    Abstract: A method of processing a signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a maximum number of band and a code value of at least one section length, calculating a bit number corresponding to the code value of the at least one section length using the maximum number of the band, and obtaining the section length information by decoding the code value of the section length based on the bit number. A method of processing a signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving factor information of a current frame, receiving flag information indicating whether a coding mode of the factor information is an absolute value mode or a relative value mode, and obtaining factor data of the current frame using factor data of a previous frame and the received factor information based on the flag information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Yong Yoon, Hee Suk Pang, Dong Soo Kim, Hyun Kook Lee, Jae Hyun Lim
  • Patent number: 9019358
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for simultaneous spectral decomposition suitable for image object identification and categorization for scenes and objects under analysis. The present system captures different spectral planes simultaneously using a Fabry-Perot multi-filter grid each tuned to a specific wavelength. A method for classifying pixels in the captured image is provided. The present system and method finds its uses in a wide array of applications such as, for example, occupancy detection in a transportation management system and in medical imaging and diagnosis for healthcare management. The teachings hereof further find their uses in other applications where there is a need to capture a two dimensional view of a scene and decompose the scene into its spectral bands such that objects in the image can be appropriately identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Lalit Keshav Mestha, Beilei Xu, Peter Paul
  • Patent number: 9001890
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for video intraprediction encoding and decoding are provided. The method includes dividing an input block into at least two areas; performing intraprediction on pixels of a first area using pixels of a neighboring block; determining spatial characteristics of pixels of the first area around a pixel of a second area, and determining reference pixels of the first area for prediction of the pixel of the second area based on the spatial characteristics; and predicting the pixel of the second area based on the determined reference pixels of the first area. The apparatus includes a block division unit which divides a block into at least two areas; an intraprediction unit which performs intraprediction; and an interpolation unit which determines spatial characteristics of pixels of the first area, determines reference pixels, and predicts the pixel of the second area based on the reference pixels of the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Byung-cheol Song
  • Patent number: 8994883
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a sight line detection unit that detects a line of sight of a user by analyzing user video information, an enhancement processing unit that detects an intersection point of the line of sight of the user detected by the sight line detection unit and a video display surface of a monitor as an attention point, which is a point on which the user focuses attention, and performs enhancement processing for the monitor by setting a higher gain amount in stages from a position of a longer distance from the attention point toward a position of a smaller distance, and a display video output control unit that outputs video via the monitor based on the gain amount set by the enhancement processing unit and display video information whose input is received by a display video information input unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tsutomu Nagai
  • Patent number: 8988506
    Abstract: Transcoders are provided for transcoding three-dimensional content to two-dimensional content, and for transcoding three-dimensional content of a first type to three-dimensional content of another type. Transcoding of content may be performed due to user preference, display device capability, bandwidth constraints, user payment/subscription constraints, device loading, and/or for other reason. Transcoders may be implemented in a content communication network in a media source, a display device, and/or in any device/node in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: James D. Bennett, Jeyhan Karaoguz
  • Patent number: 8988504
    Abstract: An imaging system may include an integrated stereo imager that includes first and second imager arrays on a single integrated circuit. Image readout circuitry may be located between the first and second imager arrays and a horizontal electronic rolling shutter may be used to read image data out of the arrays. The layout of the arrays and image readout circuitry on the integrated circuit may help to reduce the size of the integrated circuit while maximizing the baseline separation between the arrays. Memory buffer circuitry may be used to convert image data from the arrays into raster-scan compliant image data. The raster-scan compliant image data may be provided to a host system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Richard L. Baer
  • Patent number: 8982215
    Abstract: Tracking use of a destination location is disclosed. A first unique identifier of a first vehicle is received based on a sensor located within the first vehicle. A first location of the first vehicle is determined based on a first vehicle image taken at a second time. A second location of the first vehicle is determined based on a second vehicle image taken at a third time. Finally, it is indicated that the first vehicle began use of the destination location at the second time and that the first vehicle completed use of the destination location at the third time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 8982214
    Abstract: Tracking use of a destination location is disclosed. Based on a first vehicle image showing a first vehicle, a first unique identifier of the first vehicle is determined. Next, based on a first location of the first vehicle received based on a sensor located within the first vehicle, it is determined that the first vehicle is occupying the destination location at a second time. Next, based on a second location of the first vehicle received based on the sensor located within the first vehicle, it is determined that the first vehicle has left the destination location at a third time. Finally, it is indicated that the first vehicle began use of the destination location at the second time and that the first vehicle completed use of the destination location at the third time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong