Patents Examined by Joseph Becker
  • Patent number: 10057467
    Abstract: A camera module for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a first Printed Circuit Board (PCB) configured to have an image sensor mounted on its surface; a second PCB configured to supply a power source to the first PCB; an outer shield installed to surround the side of the first and the second PCBs and to shield the first and the second PCBs from electromagnetic interference (EMI); and a plurality of support units disposed at positions where the supports units interfere with the first and the second PCBs of the outer shield and configured to support the first and the second PCBs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangyeal Han, Bumsig Cho, Daeseung Kim, Seungho Lee
  • Patent number: 10049458
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing interference between multiple infra-red depth cameras are described. In an embodiment, the system comprises multiple infra-red sources, each of which projects a structured light pattern into the environment. A controller is used to control the sources in order to reduce the interference caused by overlapping light patterns. Various methods are described including: cycling between the different sources, where the cycle used may be fixed or may change dynamically based on the scene detected using the cameras; setting the wavelength of each source so that overlapping patterns are at different wavelengths; moving source-camera pairs in independent motion patterns; and adjusting the shape of the projected light patterns to minimize overlap. These methods may also be combined in any way. In another embodiment, the system comprises a single source and a mirror system is used to cast the projected structured light pattern around the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Shahram Izadi, David Molyneaux, Otmar Hilliges, David Kim, Jamie Daniel Joseph Shotton, Stephen Edward Hodges, David Alexander Butler, Andrew Fitzgibbon, Pushmeet Kohli
  • Patent number: 10043091
    Abstract: A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera and an image processor. The camera is configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera to classify patterns of retroreflective reflectors present in the field of view of the camera. The image processor compares determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors to a database of patterns and classifies patterns of retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors generally match a pattern of the database. The image processor may compare movement of determined patterns of retroreflective reflectors and pattern movements of the database over multiple frames of captured image data and may classify the retroreflective reflectors at least in part responsive to determination that the movements generally match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Harjeet Singh, Manuel Edo-Ros, Ruediger Boegel, Martin Solar
  • Patent number: 10034023
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are implementations of systems, methods, and apparatuses for extended protection of digital video streams. The disclosed implementations include a method for transmitting a video stream over a network with forward error correction protection including encoding a current frame of the plurality of frames, producing a plurality of data packets from the encoded frame, generating a plurality of protection packets including data usable for restoring one or more lost data packets of the plurality of data packets, wherein at least one of the plurality of protection packets also includes data usable for restoring a lost protection packet of the protection packets, and wherein a protection packet of the plurality of protection packets includes a packet mask that indicates which of the plurality of data packets and plurality of protection packets are protected by the protection packet, and transmitting the data packets and the protection packets over the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Marco Paniconi
  • Patent number: 10013617
    Abstract: A method for determining a snow covered surface condition of a path of travel. A beam of light is emitted at a surface of the path of travel by a light emitting source. An image of a path of travel surface is captured by an image capture device. The image capture device is mounted on the vehicle and captures an image in a downward direction. The captured image captures the beam of light emitted on the path of travel surface. Analyzing a subsurface scattering of the light generated on the path of travel surface by a processor. A determination is made whether snow is present on the path of travel. A snow covered path of travel surface signal is generated in response to the identification of snow on the path of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations
    Inventors: Qingrong Zhao, Jinsong Wang, Qi Zhang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi, Wende Zhang
  • Patent number: 9992472
    Abstract: The disclosure describes optoelectronic devices for collecting three-dimensional data without determining disparity. The approach permits significant flexibility relative to state-of-the-art approaches for collecting three-dimensional data. For example, the illuminations (e.g., patterns) generated by the disclosed devices need not exhibit the same degree of complexity or randomness of illuminations generally required by structured-light approaches. Further, the devices described in the present disclosure exhibit, in some instances, optimal resolution over a wide distance range. An optoelectronic device described herein is operable to generate an illumination comprising a plurality of high-intensity features that exhibit a distance-dependent alteration when imaged by an imager incorporated into the optoelectronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Heptagon Micro Optics Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Florin Cutu
  • Patent number: 9986239
    Abstract: Provided is an image encoding apparatus capable of encoding a region important to a user with high quality. An update interval index calculation unit calculates an update interval index representing an index having a long update interval in an entire update tile overlapping the update region for each update region. An importance region specification unit specifies an important region, from each update region by using the update interval index. An quality control unit allocates a code amount, which is larger than a result obtained by dividing the total target code amount per one frame proportionally according to a ratio of an area of an entire important region with respect to an area of an entire update region, as a target code amount of the entire important region and specifies a quality value of the entire important region on the basis of the target code amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Takada
  • Patent number: 9961371
    Abstract: An image processing method of performing filtering on image blocks using a plurality of deblocking filters having different filter strengths includes: a first parameter calculating step of calculating a first parameter indicating a boundary strength; a second parameter calculating step of calculating a second parameter indicating a limit value for each of the deblocking filters, based on the first parameter and a quantization parameter; and a selecting step of selecting a deblocking filter to be used in the filtering from among the deblocking filters, using one or more threshold values which are determined based on the second parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: SUN PATENT TRUST
    Inventors: Matthias Narroschke, Thomas Wedi
  • Patent number: 9916659
    Abstract: Exterior orientation parameters of a camera are easily determined by, for example, a reference image being obtained by photographing a building 131 with a camera 112, in which exterior orientation parameters are determined, while a vehicle 100 travels, and a comparative image being simultaneously obtained by photographing the building 131 with a camera 113, in which exterior orientation parameters are undetermined. Then, points that match between the reference image and the comparative image are selected, and relative orientation and scale adjustment using a predetermined scale are performed, whereby the exterior orientation parameters of the camera 113 are calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOPCON
    Inventors: You Sasaki, Tadayuki Ito
  • Patent number: 9888232
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a 3D picture processing device comprising an input unit for receiving a video signal, an output unit for providing a video signal for a 2D display device, preferably a TV set, and a 3D shutter glasses driver unit for generating a driving signal to control 3D shutter glasses. A delay compensation unit is coupled to the driver unit and adapted to compensate for the processing delay present in the display device, preferably the TV set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Enenkl, Ralf Mueller
  • Patent number: 9883166
    Abstract: A 3-D image pick-up device is disclosed, the device including: a PCB mounted with two camera modules including an image sensor; and a reinforcing member mounted with two exposure windows, wherein the PCB and the reinforcing member are mutually adhered to allow the camera modules of the PCB to be exposed through the exposure window of the reinforcing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangyun Oh, Seongcheol Jeong
  • Patent number: 9860566
    Abstract: Circuitry configured to generate an ROI mask by determining whether each of quantized wavelet coefficients constituting quantized image data is associated with an ROI or a non-ROI in an original image on the basis of the scaling amount of the Max-shift method, generate first image data by performing inverse quantization on the quantized image data after being scaled down, generate second image data having a specified decomposition level by performing inverse wavelet transformation on the first image data, generate a restored ROI mask having the same decomposition level as that of the second image data by performing a predetermined process on the ROI mask once or a plurality of times, generate masked image data by applying the restored ROI mask to the second image data, and perform the inverse wavelet transformation on the masked image data until a decomposition level becomes zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: MegaChips Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9800872
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding a video by using block merging and a method and apparatus for decoding a video by using block merging. The method of encoding includes: determining an encoding mode indicating a current data unit for encoding of a picture and an encoding method including prediction encoding performed for the current data unit; determining an occurrence of merging with at least one neighboring data unit based on at least one of the encoding mode and a prediction mode; and determining prediction mode information, merging related information, and prediction related information, and determining encoding information of the data unit including the prediction mode information, the merging related information, and the prediction related information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tammy Lee, Woo-jin Han, Il-koo Kim, Sun-il Lee
  • Patent number: 9774853
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for decoding a video bitstream comprises the steps of: (a) receiving a video bitstream; (b) deriving processed video data from the bitstream; (c) partitioning the processed video data into blocks, wherein each of the blocks is equal to or smaller than a picture; (d) deriving an SAO type from the video bitstream for each of the blocks, wherein the SAO type is associated with a specific nonbiased coding scheme; (e) determining an SAO sub-class associated with the SAO type for each of the pixels in each of the blocks; (f) deriving intensity offset from the video bitstream for the sub-class associated with the SAO type; and (g) applying SAO compensation to each of the pixels in a processed video block, wherein the SAO compensation is based on the intensity offset of step (f).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: David M. Baylon, Koohyar Minoo
  • Patent number: 9760783
    Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for vehicle occupancy detection comprises collecting image data of a vehicle, creating a first value according to a plurality of characteristics of a driver position of the vehicle, and then creating at least one other value according to a plurality of characteristics of at least one other candidate occupant position in the vehicle. The characteristics of the driver position of the vehicle and candidate occupant position of the vehicle are compared in order to determine the vehicle occupancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Beilei Xu, Peter Paul, Florent Perronnin
  • Patent number: 9740942
    Abstract: A moving object location/attitude angle estimation device acquires a fish-eye lens image capturing a surrounding environment of a moving object with a fish-eye lens, and acquires a less distorted pinhole image for a predetermined region of the fish-eye lens image. Then, a bend degree of a driving road in a travelling direction of the moving object is detected. When the detected bend degree is less than a predetermined value, the pinhole image is selected. On the other hand, when the bend degree is not less than the predetermined value, the fish-eye lens image is selected. Thereafter, a location and an attitude angle of the moving object are estimated by matching edge information of the selected image with a three-dimensional map data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ichiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9736347
    Abstract: A camera module for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a first Printed Circuit Board (PCB) configured to have an image sensor mounted on its surface; a second PCB configured to supply a power source to the first PCB; an outer shield installed to surround the side of the first and the second PCBs and to shield the first and the second PCBs from electromagnetic interference (EMI); and a plurality of support units disposed at positions where the supports units interfere with the first and the second PCBs of the outer shield and configured to support the first and the second PCBs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangyeal Han, Bumsig Cho, Daeseung Kim, Seungho Lee
  • Patent number: 9706175
    Abstract: In an image processing device configured to be installed in a vehicle, an image acquirer acquires camera images captured by cameras provided on the vehicle. A synthetic image generator generates synthetic images, which include downward views of the vehicle and a periphery thereof viewed from viewpoints different from one another, based on the camera images. A display image provider outputs, to the display device installed in the vehicle, information corresponding to a display image in which the synthetic images are continuously reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohtaroh Kinoshita, Masahiro Koharazawa, Sunja Imu
  • Patent number: 9696127
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to method and system for detecting improvised explosive devices or the like. According to the present disclosure, the method is of the image-correlation type and involves continuously delivering current images representative of said path followed by a vehicle, in replacing some of said current images with pre-recorded earlier images taken at the same point, and in displaying said current images and said replacement earlier images in succession in order to detect said explosive devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: THE FRENCH-GERMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF SAINT LOUIS (ISL), MBDA FRANCE
    Inventors: Christophe Hubert-Habart, David Monnin
  • Patent number: 9674434
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including an interface that receives an input identifying a subject, and a processor that generates a panoramic image based on captured image data so that the subject is positioned in a reference position in the panoramic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Arai, Junichiro Goto