Patents Examined by Kanjibhai Patel
  • Patent number: 9317933
    Abstract: The present technique relates to image processing devices and methods for enabling more appropriate removals of block distortions. When the difference between the quantization parameter QPc of a current region C and the quantization parameter QPN of a neighboring region N is determined to be larger than a predetermined threshold value, a deblocking filter adjusts the deblocking filtering operation so that stronger filtering is performed on a boundary between the current region and the neighboring region. This disclosure can be applied to image processing devices, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushi Sato
  • Patent number: 9313495
    Abstract: Computer processor hardware receives image data specifying element settings for each image of multiple original images in a sequence. The computer processor hardware analyzes the element settings across the multiple original images. The computer processor hardware then utilizes the element settings of the multiple original images in the sequence to produce first encoded image data specifying a set of common image element settings, the set of common image element settings being a baseline to substantially reproduce each of the original images in the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Inventors: Luca Rossato, Guido Meardi
  • Patent number: 9305339
    Abstract: Multi-feature image haze removal is described. In one or more implementations, feature maps are extracted from a hazy image of a scene. The feature maps convey information about visual characteristics of the scene captured in the hazy image. Based on the feature maps, portions of light that are not scattered by the atmosphere and are captured to produce the hazy image are computed. Additionally, airlight of the hazy image is ascertained based on at least one of the feature maps. The calculated airlight represents constant light of the scene. Using the computed portions of light and the ascertained airlight, a dehazed image is generated from the hazy image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Jianchao Yang, Jue Wang, Ketan Tang
  • Patent number: 9307206
    Abstract: An improved automatic image capture system for an intelligent mobile device having a camera guides a user to position the camera so only a single image needs to be automatically captured. Syntactic features, using a view finder on a display of the intelligent mobile device, are used to guide a user to maximize the occupancy of the view finder with the document so that the document is maximized within the view finder based upon detected corners of the document. When occupancy is maximized, the camera automatically captures the image of the document for post-processing using semantic knowledge of the document. A confidence level is computed based on the semantic knowledge to qualify an image with greater accuracy, and without user intervention, prior to transmission to a remote site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: IPARSE, LLC
    Inventor: Christopher E. Tilt
  • Patent number: 9300964
    Abstract: In a case that a pixel shape in a luma domain is not similar to a pixel shape in a chroma domain in an input image, a prediction image that is generated in the reuse of a luma prediction mode is made more accurate. A moving image decoding apparatus 1 includes a gradient deriving unit 1453B that references a chroma gradient definition DEFANG1C, and derives a chroma prediction direction from a prediction mode based on a luma prediction direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yasugi, Tomoyuki Yamamoto, Tomohiro Ikai, Takeshi Tsukuba
  • Patent number: 9300857
    Abstract: An approach for sharpening an image, a raw digitized image is provided. One or more processors receive a raw digitized image. One or more processors identify a first set of one or more focus points of the raw digitized image that are in focus, wherein the first set of one or more focus points are associated with a first area of the raw digitized image. One or more processors may cause a depth map, including the raw digitized image and a mask, to be displayed. One or more processors apply sharpening of a first sharpening strength to the first set of one or more focus points of the raw digitized image that are in focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Kelley, Stanley B. Lyzak, Jr., Kristin S. Moore, Todd P. Seager
  • Patent number: 9292908
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for enhancing an image utilizing a hyper-clarity transform. In use, an image is identified. Additionally, the identified image is enhanced, utilizing a hyper-clarity transform. Further, the enhanced image is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Edwin Stewart
  • Patent number: 9292940
    Abstract: An apparatus generates an image coding signal comprising for each image a first pixelized picture and a second pixelized picture having a luminance component and a chroma component. The apparatus comprises a first picture processor (203, 211) which includes image encoding data for an encoded first image in the first pixelized picture. A second picture processor (205, 207, 209, 211) includes dynamic range extension data in the second pixelized picture. The dynamic range extension data may be dynamic range extension data included in a chroma component of the second pixelized picture for generating an increased dynamic range image on the basis of the encoded first image. The compensation data may e.g. be compensation data for correcting another LDR-to-HDR transform, e.g. a prefixed global gamma transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Philip Steven Newton, Wiebe De Haan, Mark Jozef Willem Mertens
  • Patent number: 9288489
    Abstract: To make available a HDR image encoding mechanism with strongly improved usability, we describe an image encoding unit (301) arranged to encode a high dynamic range image (IM_HDR-in) comprising: —an LDR selector (311) for identifying a low dynamic range of luminances (R_Norml_LDR) or corresponding range of luma code values (R_LDR) within the total range of luminances (Range_HDR) covered by the high dynamic range image; —a HDR selector for selecting at least one complementary range (R_above) within the total range of luminances (Range_HDR), comprising mostly luminances not covered by the low dynamic range of luminances (R_Norml_LDR); —a code mapping unit (315) arranged to encode in a first image (Im_1*), having a luma component comprising N bit code words, pixel luminances of the high dynamic range image (IM_HDR-in) falling within the low dynamic range of luminances (R_Norml_LDR) to code values (Y_out) according to a first mapping (CMAP_L), and pixel luminances of the high dynamic range image (IM_HDR-in) fallin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Mark Jozef Willem Mertens
  • Patent number: 9288453
    Abstract: The invention proposes modification of quantized coefficients for signalling of a post-processing method. Therefore, it is proposed a method for lossy compress-encoding data comprising at least one of image data and audio data. Said method comprises determining quantized coefficients using a quantization of a discrete cosine transformed residual of a prediction of said data. Said method further comprises modifying said quantized coefficients for minimizing rate-distortion cost wherein distortion is determined using a post-processed reconstruction of the data, the post-processed reconstruction being post-processed according to a postprocessing method, and compress-encoding said modified coefficients. In said proposed method, the post-processing method is that one of n>1 different predetermined post processing method candidates whose position in an predetermined order of arrangement of the post processing method candidates equals a remainder of division, by n, of a sum of the modified coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: Wenfei Jiang, Zhibo Chen, Fan Zhang
  • Patent number: 9264581
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an image is received by a computing device, the image corresponding to a first color space. A color profile is created for transforming the image from the first color space to a second color space, the creation of the color profile being based on an approximation function for transforming the image. The approximation function is determined by a polyline which comprises a number of line segments. The polyline is separated from an ideal function curve for transforming the image by an error value that is within a pre-determined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos Lerios, Ryan David Mack
  • Patent number: 9262805
    Abstract: A method for processing an image in Bayer format is provided. The method may include: performing a binning process in a horizontal and/or vertical direction on an image which is to be processed, so that an arrangement mode of pixels in a processed image after binning is the same with that in the image to be processed, wherein the binning process may include: determining a position of an output pixel; selecting, from the image to be processed, a plurality of pixels which have the same color component with that of the output pixel, and calculating a weighted average of the plurality of pixels, so as to obtain a pixel value of the output pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are selected from particular positions, so that the weighted average of the plurality of pixels can be calculated. According to the present disclosure, quality of image processing can be guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SPREADTRUM COMMUNICATIONS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaofeng Peng, Yuchun Huang, Fuhuei Lin
  • Patent number: 9253415
    Abstract: A simulated tracking shot is generated from an image sequence in which a foreground feature moves relative to a background during capturing of the image sequence. The background is artificially blurred in the simulated tracking shot in a spatially-invariant manner corresponding to foreground motion relative to the background during a time span of the image sequence. The foreground feature can be substantially unblurred relative to a reference image selected from the image sequence. A system to generate the simulated tracking shot can be configured to derive spatially invariant blur kernels for a background portion by reconstructing or estimating a 3-D space of the captured scene, placing virtual cameras along a foreground trajectory in the 3-D space, and projecting 3-D background points on to the virtual cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Jue Wang, Sunghyun Cho, Shuaicheng Liu
  • Patent number: 9251574
    Abstract: Image compensation value computation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an image key value is calculated, by a computing device, for image data based on values of pixels of the image data. A tuning value is computed by the computing device using the image key value. The tuning value is configured to adjust how the image data is to be measured to compute an image compensation value. The image compensation value is then computed by the computing device such that a statistic computed in accordance with the tuning value approaches a target value. The image compensation value is applied by the computing device to adjust the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark C. Hamburg, Eric Chan
  • Patent number: 9244941
    Abstract: A method for proactively creating an image product includes storing a library of specification terms for image products by a computer system, receiving a command from a user, tokenizing the command into a plurality of tokens by the computer system, matching one or more of the tokens to the specification terms in the library to determine specification parameters for an image product by the computer system, automatically identifying images based on the specification parameters by the computer system, and automatically creating a design for the image product that incorporates at least some of the images identified based on the specification parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Shutterfly, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene Chen, Preeti Nathan, Trynne Anne Miller, Wiley H. Wang, Shay Litvak, Marco Santini, Chris M. Denend
  • Patent number: 9241169
    Abstract: A system for raster to block conversion in a compressed domain may include a raster to block encoder, a raster to block decoder, and a memory partitioned into a number of memory stripes having widths of a number of bits. The raster to block encoder may be configured to receive image information associated with pixels of an image in raster order, compress the image information associated with the pixels of the image to generate compressed bits that correspond to at least one of memory stripes, and write the compressed bits to the at least one of the memory stripes. The raster to block decoder may be configured to read, from at least one of the memory stripes of the memory, a number of the compressed bits that correspond to at least one block, and decode the number of the compressed bits to generate the at least one block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander Garland MacInnis
  • Patent number: 9235881
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method. An intensity gradient between first and second optical image data of an optical image produced by an optical scanning device is determined. The first optical image data is a first optical image pixel and the second optical image data is a second optical image pixel. An intensity gradient image comprising a plurality of intensity gradient image pixels is determined, each intensity gradient image pixel representing the magnitude of an intensity gradient. One or more anomalies in the optical image in dependence on the magnitude of the intensity gradient being greater than or equal to a threshold value is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Optos PLC
    Inventor: David Clifton
  • Patent number: 9235876
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to reduce noise in thermal images. In one example, a method includes receiving an image frame comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The pixels comprise thermal image data associated with a scene and noise introduced by an infrared imaging device. The image frame may be processed to determine a plurality of column correction terms, each associated with a corresponding one of the columns and determined based on relative relationships between the pixels of the corresponding column and the pixels of a neighborhood of columns. In another example, the image frame may be processed to determine a plurality of non-uniformity correction terms, each associated with a corresponding one of the pixels and determined based on relative relationships between the corresponding one of the pixels and associated neighborhood pixels within a selected distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Högasten, Malin Ingerhed, Mark Nussmeier, Eric A. Kurth, Theodore R. Hoelter, Katrin Strandemar, Pierre Boulanger, Barbara Sharp
  • Patent number: 9235903
    Abstract: An image processing system and method of operation includes: a source image having source pixels; a homogeneity image module for forming a homogeneity image having homogeneity pixels each with a homogeneity value indicating the local homogeneity of source pixels of the source image; a watershed image module, coupled to the homogeneity image module, for forming a watershed image having watershed segments with a segment weight, the watershed image formed by segmenting the homogeneity image, and for merging one of the watershed segments with another of the watershed segments both having the segment weight less than or equal to a segment threshold; a contour map module, coupled to the watershed image module, for forming a segmentation contour map having boundaries of the watershed segments formed by merging the watershed segments; and a composite image module for forming a composite image with the segmentation contour map for display on a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Bi Song, Ming-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 9224213
    Abstract: Techniques for compressing images based on context are provided. A first image and a second image may be identified for display on a client device. One or more contexts of the first image may be identified. One or more contexts of the second image may be identified. A first image quality for the first image may be determined based on the one or more contexts of the first image. A second image quality for the second image may be determined based on the one or more contexts of the second image. The first image may be compressed at the first image quality and the second image at the second image quality. The compressed first image and the compressed second image may be transmitted to the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jan Jezabek, Barak Reuven Naveh