Patents Examined by Katrina Fujita
  • Patent number: 9087370
    Abstract: A flow diverter is automatically detected from medical imaging data. The appearance of the flow diverter as represented in the data as well as the geometry or shape of the flow diverter is used in the detection. Using scoring for appearance relative to the centerline and cross-section of the centerline, the flow diverter is detected for increasing visualization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Reinhard Boese, Ursula Boese, Antje Schulte
  • Patent number: 9082037
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically determining the issuing state of a license plate. An image of a license plate acquired by an ALPR engine can be processed via one or more OCR engines such that each OCR engine among the OCR engines is tuned to a particular state. Confidence data output from the OCR engine(s) can be analyzed (among other factors) to estimate the issuing state associated with the license plate. Multiple observations related to the issuing state can be merged to derive an overall conclusion and assign an associated confidence value with respect to the confidence data and determine a likely issuing state associated with the license plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Burry, Vladimir Kozitsky
  • Patent number: 9082165
    Abstract: An imaging system for inspection of a region of interest. The system includes a data processing and analyzing utility responsive to input data indicative of one or more images of a region of interest and identifying one or more objects therein. The data processing and analyzing utility includes a visualization processor utility and a computer aided detection processor connected to the visualization processor utility. The visualization processor utility is configured and operable for receiving the input image data, converting the received image data into a desired representation, and decomposing image data of said desired representation into different components. The computer aided detection processor is configured and operable for scoring said components according to one or more predetermined scoring schemes, and classifying the blobs and contours according to a degree of match with reference data indicative of one or more predetermined objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: DVP TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventor: Rami Guissin
  • Patent number: 9076075
    Abstract: A method for following an object in a sequence of at least two images, termed previous and current, comprises a step of forming a first set Ep of points E p={Pp(1), . . . , Pp(i), . . . , Pp(N)} by extracting N characteristic points Pp(i) of the object present in the previous image and of forming a second set Ec of points Ec={Pc(1), . . . , Pc(i), . . . , Pc(M)} by extracting M characteristic points Pc(j) of the object present in the current image. The method further comprises a step of estimating the parameters of a model of movement of the object between the two images on the basis of pairs of matched points thus formed, and a step of selecting the pairs of matched points used to estimate the parameters of the movement model. The pairs of matched points may be selected solely from among those which are related to points of the first set of points which are singular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Morpho
    Inventors: Benoit Thouy, Jean-François Boulanger
  • Patent number: 9076201
    Abstract: A method of deformable image registration for thoracic 4-D computed tomography (CT) images includes: receiving, by a processing device, a set of thoracic 4-D CT images; and iteratively solving, by the processing device, an energy function applied to subsequent images of the set of thoracic 4-D CT images to transform the subsequent images into respective optical flow fields between the subsequent images, the energy function enforcing the following constraints on the subsequent images: intensity constancy; mass conservation; gradient constancy; and spatio-temporal smoothness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammadrreza Negahdar, Amir A. Amini, Neal Dunlap, Shiao Woo
  • Patent number: 9076197
    Abstract: A PDF estimator for determining a probability that a detected object is a specific type of object is provided. Training data from a known set is used to functionally describe the relevant neighborhood for specific representation points. The neighborhood is selected based on the measured features of the object to be classified and weights are calculated to be applied to the representation points. A probability is determined based upon the stored training data, the measured features of the object to be classified, and the weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: VuComp, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Wehnes
  • Patent number: 9060684
    Abstract: An observation device (1) is provided with: a general observation unit (10) for observing sample cells by observing an entire container (C) containing the cells and a culture solution; and a magnification observation unit (20) for magnifying a region within the container (C) and observing the cells, the general observation unit (10) and the magnification observation unit (20) each individually having lighting for illuminating the cells with light, and an optical system for observing the cells. The general observation unit (10) and the magnification observation unit (20) are thereby each provided with an individual optical system and lighting, making it possible to configure an appropriate observation unit for use both when the cells are observed by observing the entire container (C) and when a part within the container (C) is magnified and the cells are observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio Houjou, Atsushi Oda
  • Patent number: 9031277
    Abstract: Disclosed inventions relates to methods and systems for encoding at least one watermark into a stereoscopic conjugate pair of images. An example method comprises the step of encoding the at least one watermark by shifting selected pixels of said pair of images in one or more directions. The one or more directions include a horizontal direction. In the disclosed embodiments, ancillary information is not required to support decoding of encoded watermarks in addition to the transmitted left and right images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Virginia Venture Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Abeloe
  • Patent number: 9020216
    Abstract: A method for medical image segmentation includes accessing and updating a knowledge-base. First, a medical image is received and a sparse landmark signature is computed based on the medical image. Next, either a representative or a cohort average reference image set is selected. A portion of either representative reference image set or the cohort average reference image set is deformed to generate mappings to the medical image set. A segmentation for each structure of interest of the medical image set is determined. The knowledge-base is searched for representative matches to form a plurality of sub-volume base sets comprising a plurality of reference image set sub-volumes. A portion of the plurality of reference image set sub-volumes of the plurality of sub-volume base sets is deformed to generate mappings from the plurality of sub-volume base sets to corresponding structures of interest of the medical image set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Corey Zankowski
  • Patent number: 9014434
    Abstract: A method for scoring and controlling the quality of dynamic food products transitioning in the processing steps is performed using image analysis. An image of a plurality of moving food products on a conveyor system is captured by on-line vision equipment and image analysis is performed on the image via an algorithm that determines the percentage of pixels having varying intensities of colors and applies predetermined preferences to predict consumer dissatisfaction. The entire group of food products of one or more images is given an overall appearance score and each individual food product is also scored such that each may be ranked from least to more acceptable. The ranked food products can then be ejected in the order of worst to better rank to increase the overall quality score of the entire group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Frito-Lay North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick Wendell Bajema, Garrett Fox, Kevin Matthew Trick, David Ray Warren, Sheila Wright-Henry, Sonchai Lange, Wilfred Marcellien Bourg, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9002057
    Abstract: A collaborative object analysis capability is depicted and described herein. The collaborative object analysis capability enables a group of cameras to collaboratively analyze an object, even when the object is in motion. The analysis of an object may include one or more of identification of the object, tracking of the object while the object is in motion, analysis of one or more characteristics of the object, and the like. In general, a camera is configured to discover the camera capability information for one or more neighboring cameras, and to generate, on the basis of such camera capability information, one or more actions to be performed by one or more neighboring cameras to facilitate object analysis. The collaborative object analysis capability also enables additional functions related to object analysis, such as alerting functions, archiving functions (e.g., storing captured video, object tracking information, object recognition information, and so on), and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Abdelkader Outtagarts, Muy-Chu Ly
  • Patent number: 8995706
    Abstract: A method and system of detecting colluders conducting a collusion attack including a minority-type collusion attack on a digital product includes the generation of codewords used as watermarks in the digital product. The inner code of the codewords is generated using permutations of rows in a Hadamard matrix and concatenating them together. A typical outer code of the codeword is the Reed Solomon code. An adaptive detector is able to accurately detect one of three or more colluders of a minority-type attack. Prior art schemes using an error correcting code-based watermarking mechanism with an inner code fail to detect colluders with a minority-type collusion attack which includes three colluders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Wan-Yi Lin, Shan He, Jeffrey Adam Bloom
  • Patent number: 8965092
    Abstract: In a control method and a control unit to control a high-energy, tomosynthesis scan in a contrast agent-assisted dual-energy tomosynthesis, image data of a first tomosynthesis scan are evaluated in order to determine the respective greyscale values for all volume segments. A tube current-time product value for every greyscale value is stored in a memory. For every projection angle, a calculation unit can thereupon calculate a tube current-time product value and acquisition parameters and result with which the second high-energy tomosynthesis scan is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Mathias Hoernig
  • Patent number: 8958625
    Abstract: An image analysis embodiment comprises generating a bulge mask from a digital image, the bulge mask comprising potential convergence hubs for spiculated anomalies, detecting ridges in the digital image to generate a detected ridges map, projecting the detected ridges map onto a set of direction maps having different directional vectors to generate a set of ridge direction projection maps, determining wedge features for the potential convergence hubs from the set of ridge direction projection maps, selecting ridge convergence hubs from the potential convergence hubs having strongest wedge features, extracting classification features for each of the selected ridge convergence hubs, and classifying the selected ridge convergence hubs based on the extracted classification features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Vucomp, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Wehnes, David S. Harding
  • Patent number: 8953838
    Abstract: Systems, devices, features, and methods for detecting geographic features in images, such as, for example, to develop a navigation database are disclosed. For example, a method of detecting a path marking from collected images includes collecting a plurality of images of geographic areas along a path. An image of the plurality of images is selected. Components that represent an object on the path in the selected image are determined. In one embodiment, the determined components are independent or invariant to scale of the object. The determined components are compared to reference components in a data library. If the determined components substantially meet a matching threshold with the reference components, the object in the selected image is identified to be a path marking corresponding to the reference components in the data library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Xiangheng Yang
  • Patent number: 8923594
    Abstract: An image analysis embodiment comprises generating a bulge mask from a digital image, the bulge mask comprising potential convergence hubs for spiculated anomalies, detecting ridges in the digital image to generate a detected ridges map, projecting the detected ridges map onto a set of direction maps having different directional vectors to generate a set of ridge direction) projection maps, determining wedge features for the potential convergence hubs from the set of ridge direction projection maps, selecting ridge convergence hubs from the potential convergence hubs having strongest wedge features, extracting classification features for each of the selected ridge convergence hubs, and classifying the selected ridge convergence hubs based on the extracted classification features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: vuCOMP, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Wehnes, David S. Harding
  • Patent number: 8917907
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention include systems and methods for segmentation and recognition of action primitives. In embodiments, a framework, referred to as the Continuous Linear Dynamic System (CLDS), comprises two sets of Linear Dynamic System (LDS) models, one to model the dynamics of individual primitive actions and the other to model the transitions between actions. In embodiments, the inference process estimates the best decomposition of the whole sequence into continuous alternating between the two set of models, using an approximate Viterbi algorithm. In this way, both action type and action boundary may be accurately recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Jinjun Wang, Jing Xiao
  • Patent number: 8917928
    Abstract: A search processing unit of a central server searches for radiographing information matched with a designated radiographing part, among all items of the radiographing information of a medical facility having radiographing information matched with a detection device ID from a storage device. A sorting unit performs classification into medical facilities (first group), in which the radiation dose after an X-ray image detection device of the designated detection device ID is introduced has changed from that before the introduction, and medical facilities (second group) in which the radiation dose after the X-ray image detection device of the designated detection device ID is introduced has not changed. A statistical data generation unit generates a histogram, in which the range of radiation dose is set as the class on the horizontal axis and the number of medical facilities is set as the frequency on the vertical, for each of first and second groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Koishi
  • Patent number: 8917916
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method of simulating the output of a medical imaging device, the medical imaging device being operable to image an anatomical structure, and the method including: accessing model data representing a model of the anatomical structure; accessing selection data representing a selected region of the anatomical structure to be imaged; and processing the selection data and the model data to generate output data representing a simulation of the output of the medical imaging device when imaging the selected region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Inventors: Colin Bruce Martin, Susan Jane Wright, Andrew Smith, Adam William Jon Cubitt
  • Patent number: 8917910
    Abstract: A system and a method for image segmentation use segmentation maps of one or more similar images as a basis for the segmentation. The method includes generating an image signature for an input image to be segmented and identifying at least one similar image from a set of images, based on the image signature of the input image and image signatures of images in the set of images. The similarity may be computed after first projecting the image signatures into a feature space where similarity is more likely to agree with segmentation map similarity. The input image is segmented, based on the segmentation map of one or more of the at least one identified similar images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jose Antonio Rodriguez Serrano