Patents Examined by Kathleen V Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11838653
    Abstract: Our present invention relates to a 180 degrees wide angle multi-camera system with the following unique features. The cameras are placed diagonally and facing inwards (100, 101, 102). The cameras are rotated 90 degrees around their optical axes to provide higher FOV for a wider view (302). In the illustrated embodiment of our invention, three cameras are placed in an inward position at particular angles to each other (105) to reduce the blind spot, parallax error and closer working distance. The multiple cameras are placed in an inward position and to avoid the adjacent camera in preview, each camera is placed diagonally. The inward position ensures the high horizontal FOV (202). The illustrated embodiment of our invention can be used in high Horizontal FOV and high Vertical FOV required applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: E-CON SYSTEMS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventor: G. Balasubramaniyam
  • Patent number: 11806193
    Abstract: A guidance apparatus is provided for use with a portable imaging apparatus and an image display device. The guidance apparatus includes a sleeve portion structured for receiving an imaging apparatus and a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism has a rotating portion and first and second connecting portions structured for coupling the image display device to the imaging apparatus. During use, the coupling mechanism facilitates orienting the image display device relative to the imaging apparatus to provide a direct line of sight of an area imaged by the imaging apparatus. The coupling mechanism may be adjustable for facilitating rotation of the image display device about a longitudinal axis of the imaging apparatus. Also, the coupling mechanism can be structured to allow the combination of the coupling mechanism, the image display device, and the imaging apparatus to be held in a single hand of a user during performance of a medical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: V.E.I.N., LLC
    Inventor: Max L. Moss, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11810327
    Abstract: A data acquisition system of a vehicle includes an image capture device, a communication interface, and a controller communicatively coupled to the image capture device and communicatively coupled to the communication interface. Processors of the controller are configured to calibrate an image-distance relationship value of an identified component of a first image captured by the image capture device corresponding to a known feature based on established metrics of the known feature. The processors are also configured to provide control of the vehicle or activation of an alert system of the vehicle via the communication interface based on the image-distance relationship value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventor: Jess W. Gingrich
  • Patent number: 11802966
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a tracker and a surveying apparatus comprising the tracker, which improve the reliability of tracking a target. The tracker comprises a first imaging region having a plurality of pixels for taking a first image of a scene including the target; a second imaging region having a plurality of pixels for taking a second image of a scene including the target; a control unit to receive a timing signal indicating a time duration during which an illumination illuminating the target in the scene is switched on and off, control the first imaging region to take the first image of the scene when the timing signal indicates that the illumination unit is switched on, and control the second imaging region to take the second image when the illumination is switched off; and a read out unit configured to read out the first image from the first imaging region and the second image from the second imaging region and to obtain a difference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Trimble Jena GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Vogel
  • Patent number: 11805270
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to motion vector refinement. As a first step, an initial motion vector and a template for the block are obtained. Then, the refinement of the initial motion vector is determined by template matching with said template in a search space. The search space is located on a position given by the initial motion vector and includes one or more fractional sample positions, wherein each of the fractional sample positions belonging to the search space is obtained by interpolation filtering with a filter of a predefined tap-size assessing integer samples only within a window, said window being formed by integer samples accessible for the template matching in said search space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Semih Esenlik, Anand Meher Kotra, Zhijie Zhao, Han Gao
  • Patent number: 11794359
    Abstract: A system, method, and device for a remotely controlled robot unit affixed to a boom assembly. The robot unit comprises at least one arm for performing an action, a remotely controlled movable six-degree-of freedom camera mount, at least one camera disposed on the camera mount to capture visual information, and at least one depth camera disposed on the camera mount to capture three-dimensional depth information. Captured sensory information may be transmitted to an operator using a head mount and motion controls for controlling movement of the robot unit. Operator movement captured by the head mount and motion controls may be compared to a digital representation generated from the three-dimensional depth information to aid in positioning and moving the robot unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Altec Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Westin Sykes, Timothy J. Mourlam, David Lindquist, William Naber, Robert Nichols
  • Patent number: 11786407
    Abstract: Systems of presenting environmental data include a frequency emitting device, a frequency receiving device, wherein the frequency receiving device is tuned to receive a reflected signal from the frequency emitting device, a processor, and a sound emitting device adapted to play a sound transmission. The processor is programmed to compile data from the reflected signal and convert the data from the reflected signal into a sound transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Associated Universities, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Steven Spuck
  • Patent number: 11792521
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus (300) for capturing a 360 degree panoramic photograph or sequence of photographs of a subject located at a stage portion (302) of an enclosure (100) thereof. The imaging apparatus (300) comprises a modular enclosure (100), and a motor assembly (200) coupled to a top portion of the enclosure (100). The motor assembly (200) includes an output shaft (202) adapted to rotate a support member (206) around a subject located at the stage portion (302). The support member (206) has a first arm (206-1) coupled with a fixture (210) adapted to mount one or more imaging devices and a second arm (206-2) coupled with a counter-balance member (212) configured to balance weight of the imaging devices while the support member (206) is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventor: Tu Le
  • Patent number: 11780382
    Abstract: A vehicle mountable camera is provided which includes an imaging device, an exposure controller, and an image processor. The imaging device is configured to be installed behind a windshield of a subject vehicle to capture an image of a forward view in front of the subject vehicle. The exposure controller controls the degree of exposure of the imaging device. The image processor executes an image processing operation on the captured image. The camera determines whether a brightness boundary exists in front of the subject vehicle and, when the brightness boundary is determined to exist, controls the exposure of the imaging device and/or adjustment of brightness of the image quickly when the subject vehicle passes the brightness boundary. This minimizes a risk that the captured image may be darkened or brightened suddenly immediately after the subject vehicle moves from a sunny area to a shaded area or vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masato Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 11778316
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus provided inside a vehicle is provided. The imaging apparatus is capable of capturing images with different degrees of sensitivity, and the imaging apparatus captures an image for recognizing an inside of the vehicle with high sensitivity, and captures an image for recognizing an outside of the vehicle with low sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Kanehara, Yuji Yasui
  • Patent number: 11750930
    Abstract: A panoramic image system with parallax mitigation includes a controller that can generate on a display an IFOV that includes image data from both a first image sensor having a first FOV and a second image sensor having a second FOV which are overlapping FOVs. The IFOV includes a portion of the non-overlapping section of a first FOV, the overlapping sections of both the first and second FOVs, and a portion of the non-overlapping section of the second FOV. The overlapping section of the first FOV is blended with the overlapping section of the second FOV, wherein the first FOV and the second FOV both have a level of contribution to the blended overlapping section. The level of contribution to the blending from the first FOV increases as the viewer's head moves in a first angular direction and decreases as the viewer's head moves in a second angular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: John G. Suddreth, Kenneth M. Leiphon
  • Patent number: 11750923
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a sensor; a first controller configured to output a first control signal for controlling the sensor via the first signal line; and a second controller configured to output a second control signal for controlling the sensor via the first signal line and the second signal line, wherein the sensor is configured to operate according to the first control signal output from the first controller via the first signal line when a vehicle state that indicates a state of a vehicle is a first state, and operate according to the second control signal output from the second controller via the first signal line and the second signal line when the vehicle state is a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Inoue, Tomoaki Iida, Satoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11750841
    Abstract: Video processing methods and apparatuses in a video encoding or decoding system for processing residual data of transform blocks. A current transform block in a video picture is divided into multiple sub-blocks, and each sub-block in the current transform block is entropy encoded or decoded using multiple sub-block coding passes. Each transform coefficient level in each sub-block is visited once according to a pre-defined scanning order in each sub-block coding pass. Two or more syntax elements associated with transform coefficient levels in the current transform block are aggregated and coded in one single sub-block coding pass. The video processing method is applied if the current transform block contains at least one non-zero transform coefficient level and the current transform block is coded in Transform Skip Mode (TSM) according to some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HFI INNOVATION INC.
    Inventor: Shih-Ta Hsiang
  • Patent number: 11750814
    Abstract: A method for transforming high dynamic range (HDR) video data into standard dynamic range (SDR) video data and encoding the SDR video data so that the HDR video data may be recovered at the decoder includes generating a tone map describing a transformation applied to the HDR video data to generate the SDR video data. The generated tone map describes the transformation as the multiplication of each HDR pixel in the HDR video data by a scalar to generate the SDR video data. The tone map is then modeled as a reshaping transfer function and the HDR video data is processed by the reshaping transfer function to generate the SDR video data. The reshaping transfer function is then inverted and described in a self-referential metadata structure. The SDR video data is then encoded including the metadata structure defining the inverse reshaping transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
    Inventors: Koohyar Minoo, Zhouye Gu, David M. Baylon, Ajay Luthra, Yue Yu
  • Patent number: 11750830
    Abstract: A method for decoding a picture block is disclosed. The decoding method comprises: —decoding (10) at least one stream S_diff into decoded data and into one information for identifying a reconstructed reference picture in a decoder picture buffer; —reconstructing (12) a special reference picture from at least the identified reconstructed reference picture and from the decoded data; —reconstructing (16) the picture block from at least the special reference picture, wherein the at least the special reference picture is not displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: InterDigital VC Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Philippe Bordes, Franck Hiron, Pierre Andrivon, Patrick Lopez, Philippe Salmon
  • Patent number: 11747003
    Abstract: An illumination device selectively disposed on an object having a first side and a second side is provided. The illumination device comprises a light-emitting module, a camera unit and a rotation mechanism. The lighting direction of the light-emitting module points towards the front of the first side. The central filming direction of the camera unit points towards the front of the first side. The light-emitting module is coupled to the rotation mechanism such that the light-emitting module is capable of rotating about an axis of the rotation mechanism. When the lighting direction falls in a first angular range relative to the axis of the rotation mechanism, the light-emitting module provides a first mode illumination. When the lighting direction falls in a second angular range relative to the axis of the rotation mechanism, the light-emitting module provides a second mode illumination. Said first angular range is different from said second angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventor: Chih-Lung Huang
  • Patent number: 11729511
    Abstract: Provided in embodiments of the disclosure are methods, apparatuses, and devices for spatial modeling. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring a panoramic image captured in a space; determining wall lines in the panoramic image based on Manhattan-World structural features of wall surfaces; and constructing a three-dimensional model for the space based on the wall lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED
    Inventors: Dinghuang Ji, Xiaoxu Leng, Zijing Huang, Siwang Li, Jingming Yu, Mengyi Liu
  • Patent number: 11729509
    Abstract: Disclosed are a 360-degree panorama image selective displaying camera and method, including a 360-degree panoramic image camera body that is provided, on an outside thereof, with at least one wide-angle lens module and a triggering section, at least one image displaying processing unit arranged inside the 360-degree panoramic image camera body, and a displaying-position triggering sensing mechanism. The image displaying processing unit is connected to the wide-angle lens module to process and output a 360-degree panorama image photographed and captured by the wide-angle lens module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Magic Control Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Pei-Chung Liu
  • Patent number: 11722755
    Abstract: A dome camera has a base, two camera heads and a dome cover. The base is configured for mounting the dome camera to a surface. The two camera heads are arranged on the base. The dome cover is arranged over the camera heads and the base. The dome cover includes at least two dome-shaped sections, wherein each dome-shaped section covers a camera head, and a center section joining the dome-shaped sections. The dome cover is formed in a single piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Axis AB
    Inventors: Andreas Hertzman, Åke Södergård, Magnus Ainetoft
  • Patent number: 11721005
    Abstract: In a video image recording device, when a scene outside of a vehicle is recorded through a wind shield, a scene on the inside of a vehicle room is reflected by the wind shield and reflection glare is produced. In order to reduce the influence of this reflection glare, the video image recording device is provided with a video image capture device which obtains a first data on a general video image and a second data on a predetermined part in a vehicle room, wherein the general video image is with a reflection video image, of the predetermined part and also with a transmission video image, a graphical image conversion device which converts the second data into a third data, the third data corresponding to a reflection video image by the wind shield, and a graphical image correction device which corrects the first data based on the third data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Kato, Nariaki Takehara, Takuya Taniguchi, Kunio Ueda