Patents Examined by Kanji Patel
  • Patent number: 7551807
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for searching for 3-dimensional shapes. The apparatus includes, an input means, an acquisition module, a storage means, a comparison and search module, an output means, and control means. The input means receives 3-dimensional image data. The acquisition module acquires a 2-dimensional image data group about the shape of an object represented by the 3-dimensional image data. The comparison and search module compares the respective data of the acquired 2-dimensional image data group with the respective data of the 2-dimensional image data groups that are previously stored in the storage means, and searches for 3-dimensional image data. The control means controls the modules and the means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Industrial Technology
    Inventors: Jeongkil Choi, Youngchul Lee, Chaeho Lim
  • Patent number: 7548665
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to attesting a document that contains encoded data, such as a barcode or DataGlyph. When a document contains encoded data that is not in human-readable form, the document is checked to determine whether content in the encoded data appears somewhere in the document in human-readable form. Based on the amount of content that appears in the document, the document may be marked with a seal that attests to the amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form. The seal may be visually distinctive to facilitate easy recognition by a user or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Gavan L. Tredoux
  • Patent number: 7545981
    Abstract: Embodiments herein acquire an image containing text, identify distinct regions of text within the image (using, for example, a document model), and separate sub-images of the image according to the distinct regions of text. The embodiments can then order the sub-images according to a predetermined order (which may be different than the order that the sub-images appeared in the original image) and display the regions of text in this predetermined order. The method and system presented herein make the graphic user interface more user-friendly by potentially changing the manner (order) in which the regions of text are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ann Sprague, Anne Stimson
  • Patent number: 7545993
    Abstract: An image processing device for correcting a deformation of a photographic image of an object to be photographed, the deformation resulting from a photographic position of the object, comprises an inputting unit that inputs the photographic image; an image correcting unit that corrects a deformation of the photographic image inputted by the inputting to produce a corrected image; and an image processing unit that performs different image processings that are different from each other for the corrected image corrected by the image correcting unit, the different image processings being performed in different manners in accordance with correction amount by the image correcting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Matsuda, Shigeki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7542618
    Abstract: A data processing method using a plurality of data processing apparatuses is provided. In the method, a current data processing apparatus adaptively processes data using data processing history information of a previous data processing apparatus. The method includes receiving data from one of the data processing apparatuses, receiving data processing history information regarding processing of the data by the data processing apparatus, and processing the data based on the data processing history information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Kang, Sung-hee Kim
  • Patent number: 7539357
    Abstract: An interface is provided for connecting a standard telephone line and/or a standard facsimile machine with a distributive communication network interface such as a personal computer, whereby facsimile signal present on the telephone line or at the facsimile machine may be transmitted via the Internet to a remote station without the use of long distance or international telephone signal carriers. The facsimile signal may be sent or received via the network using the network, without interfering with the capability to receive and send facsimile signals in the normal manner via a standard telephone line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Inventor: David A. Monroe
  • Patent number: 7539346
    Abstract: There is provided a H.264 decoding method for fast CAVLC, which searches multiple tables effectively and fast to obtain coefficients for CAVLC blocks within the shortest period of time such that a decoder with excellent efficiency can be designed for low frequency. The H.264 decoding method for fast CAVLC includes: a first step of obtaining the number of ‘0’s including the firstly inputted bit ‘0’ to the bit ‘0’ right before the bit ‘1’ firstly appearing to obtain a row index value; a second step of obtaining a fix index indicating the first bit ‘1’; a third step of obtaining a column index indicating a bit stream other than the row index and fix index; and a fourth step of obtaining a total coefficient and trailing ones T1s corresponding to the row index value and the column index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: C&S Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hae Yong Kang
  • Patent number: 7539352
    Abstract: A first pixel group containing a pixel of interest, a second pixel group containing the first pixel group, and a third pixel group containing the second pixel group are defined. A first reference pixel value is calculated based on the first pixel group, and a second reference pixel value is calculated based on the third pixel group. The second pixel group is divided into two sub-groups with respect to the second reference pixel value. The sub-group containing the pixel of interest is selected as a target set. In the target set, a pixel with a pixel value close to the first reference pixel value is selected as a corrective pixel. The pixel value of the pixel of interest is replaced with the pixel value of the corrective pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: MegaChips LSI Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromu Hasegawa, Munehiro Mori, Nobuhiro Minami
  • Patent number: 7536025
    Abstract: A system for the determination of the percentage of area of a parcel of land available for development or preservation which comprises at least one privately gathered data base having at least one file relating to at least one geographic area and its privately gathered corresponding map, physical, geographic, geologic, edaphic, and flora parameters present in and relating to said geographic area; a Software Decision Control Framework connected to the privately gathered data base; a Geographic Information System connected to and interacting with both the Software Decision Control Framework and the privately gathered data base; a network connected and interfaced to the Software Decision Control Framework and at least one data base interfaced with the network, the data base comprising physical, geographic, geologic, edaphic and flora parameters present in and relating to various geographic areas worldwide, whereby the Software Decision Control Framework interacts with the privately gathered data base, the Geogra
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Inventors: John E. Folchetti, J. Robert Folchetti
  • Patent number: 7532752
    Abstract: A non-photorealistic technique is described for transforming an original image into a sketch image. The technique includes: segmenting the original image into plural regions to produce a segmented image, wherein the regions are demarcated by respective boundaries; shrinking a boundary of at least one of the plural regions in the segmented image to produce a boundary-shrunk image; and modifying at least one color in the boundary-shrunk image to produce the sketch image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Fang Wen, Ying-Qing Xu, Heung-Yeung Shum, David P. Vronay
  • Patent number: 7529432
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus for converting discrete original image data into interpolated image data having a different number of sampling data from the original image data, including generating means for generating a plurality of the interpolated image data from the original image data, first virtualizing means for generating first virtual data including a virtual succession of the original image data, second virtualizing means for generating second virtual data including a virtual succession of each of the plural interpolated image data, error calculating means for calculating error between each of the second virtual data with respect to the plural interpolated image data and the first virtual data, and selecting means for selecting either one of the plural interpolated image data based on the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Fujishiro, Ikuo Someya
  • Patent number: 7529428
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a CPU and an imaging unit. In this image processing apparatus, an image captured by the imaging unit is displayed on an LCD together with an imaging index, indicative of a predetermined region of a face. In response to a shutter operation by an operator, a portion, matching with a position of the imaging index, is extracted from the image data as a region image. Furthermore, in response to a shutter operation, another image captured by the imaging unit is stored as a still image. Then the region image and the still image are composed with each other to display a composite image, obtained by pasting the image of the predetermined region of the face on to another image. In addition, with respect to the composite image, the region image is deformed according to a feature of the data from the imaging unit, an elapsed time without an operation input, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Soichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7519231
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for detecting blur within digital images using Cepstrum analysis blur detection techniques that are able to detect motion blur and/or out-of-focus blur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mingjing Li, Hao Wu, Hong-Jiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 7515768
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a corrector for correcting a pixel value of each of a plurality of pixels forming each access unit to be processed, based on at least one of the parameter values corresponding to the access unit to be processed. The corrector includes an acquisition unit for acquiring input pixel values, a first mean value calculating unit for calculating a first mean pixel value, a second mean value calculating unit for calculating a second mean pixel value, a correction value determination unit for determining a correction value, and an adding unit for adding the correction value to the input pixel value of a target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Nishi, Kazuhiko Ueda, Mitsuyasu Asano
  • Patent number: 7515766
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for hardware-base edge handling in video post-processing. In one embodiment, the method includes the identification of at least one unstored input pixel required to compute an output pixel during output pixel computation. Once identified, a pixel value is generated for the at least one unstored input pixel according to a detected edge handling mode. The generation of the pixel value for the unstored input pixel is performed, in one embodiment, if a position of the unstored input pixel is outside a pixel frame boundary. For example, in one embodiment, for output pixel computation of a scaling operation, the frame boundaries include a left (top) edge and a right (bottom) edge for which input pixels required to compute output pixels at or near the frame boundaries do not exist. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sreenath Kurupati, Brian R. Nickerson, Samuel Wong, Sunil Chaudhari, Jonathan W. Liu
  • Patent number: 7512255
    Abstract: A method for identifying an individual includes the steps of collecting data from an individual's face using visible and infrared cameras, processing the acquired data, fitting a geometric model template of the face to the data according to a mathematical method, processing the fitted model to extract relevant first metadata, storing the first metadata in a machine readable format, and comparing second metadata to the first metadata, to determine their degree of similarity in order to identify the individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Board of Regents, University of Houston
    Inventors: Ioannis Kakadiaris, Theoharis Theoharis
  • Patent number: 7512288
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for blending image data such that noise, texture and/or high-frequency data may be better preserved in a resulting blended image. In general, in one implementation, the techniques include blending a first image and a second image to form a blended image including a blended image component formed by a non-affine interpolation of components from the first and second images. The techniques also include blending a first image component corresponding to a first image region with a second image component corresponding to a second image region to produce a first blended component, blending a third image component corresponding to the first image region with a fourth image component corresponding to the second image region using blend coefficients, which sum to a value other than one, to produce a second blended component, and merging the first blended component with the second blended component to produce a blended image region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Gregg D. Wilensky, Todor G. Georgiev, Mark Hamburg
  • Patent number: 7508998
    Abstract: This invention realizes, with low cost, an image search apparatus which can quickly obtain adequate search results upon searching for document images which are identical or similar to a predetermined document image. To this end, an image search apparatus of this invention has the following arrangement. That is, an image search apparatus for searching for images similar to a query image, includes a region division unit (204, 209) which extracts a plurality of partial regions which form an image, a region feature extraction unit (205, 210) which calculates the number of partial regions and center of gravity positions, and a feature amount updating unit (206) which saves the calculated number of partial regions and center of gravity positions in an image region management DB (216) as an index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Shiiyama
  • Patent number: 7502522
    Abstract: An automatic video enhancement system and method for automatically enhancing video. The automated video enhancement method uses frame-to-frame motion estimation as the basis of the video enhancement. Motion estimation includes the computation of global motion (such as camera motion) and the computation of local motion (such as pixel motion). The automated video enhancement method includes generating global alignment transforms, generating optic flow vectors, and using these global alignment transforms and optic flow vectors to enhance the video. The invention also includes video processing and enhancement techniques that use the frame-to-frame motion estimation. These techniques include a deinterlace process, a denoise process, and a warp stabilization process that performs both damped and locked stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andreas Soupliotis, Padmanabhan Anandan
  • Patent number: 7502526
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for filtering time-varying MR signal data prior to image reconstruction. A one-dimensional FT is applied to the time-varying MR signal data along each frequency-encode line of k space. The phase p of each complex pair (R,I) of the FT transformed data is calculated to create a phase profile for each frequency-encode line. This process is repeated for all time points of the time-varying MR signal data. The time course of each point within the phase profile is then transformed into Stockwell domain producing ST spectra. Frequency component magnitudes indicative of an artifact are determined and replaced with a predetermined frequency component magnitude. Each of the ST spectra is then collapsed into a one-dimensional function. New real and imaginary values (R?,I?) of the complex Fourier data are calculated based on the collapsed ST spectra which are transformed using one-dimensional inverse Fourier transformation for producing filtered time-varying MR signal data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Calgary Scientific Inc.
    Inventors: J. Ross Mitchell, T. Chen Fong, Bradley G. Goodyear, Hongmei Zhu