Patents Examined by Kimberly Williams
  • Patent number: 9860693
    Abstract: A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for processing a text message are disclosed. For example, the method receives the text message, analyzes the text message for an indication that a sender of the text message is requesting location information of an individual that the text message is addressed to, receives a permission to provide the location information of the individual receiving the text message, and transmits the location information of the individual to an endpoint device of the sender, wherein the location information of the individual is continually updated and sent to the endpoint device of the sender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Mostafa Tofighbakhsh
  • Patent number: 9846951
    Abstract: A method may include obtaining an image that includes a connected component that includes a set of pixels, calculating a representative color for the set of pixels, mapping the representative color to an application color in an application color palette of an application, and generating an electronic document that includes a revised version of the connected component in the application color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Jason James Grams, Douglas Walter Obrecht, Stuart Guarnieri
  • Patent number: 9832329
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable programs. The programs cause an information processing apparatus provided with a display unit having a display surface and an operation unit configured to output a signal depending on user operations to perform: displaying a target image which is an image to be selected in a first area of the display surface; specifying a selected area corresponding to a part of the target image or a whole of the target image, based on the signal outputted from the operation unit depending on the user operation with respect to the target image; and displaying a selected-area image which is an image corresponding to the selected area that has been specified, in a second area which is different from the first area, with a size same as a size of the selected area that has been specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9811926
    Abstract: A method for drawing shapes includes receiving first input from a touch screen display indicating a first user touch continuing for a first touch time delay, then subsequent to said first touch time delay, receiving second input from the display indicating a second user touch in a pattern on the display. The method includes correlating the first input and the second input with a drawing shape. The drawing shape includes a standard geometric shape. The method includes forming an image on the display that corresponds to the drawing shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Paul D. Kangas, Daniel M. Ranck
  • Patent number: 9799137
    Abstract: A graphics processing system performs hidden surface removal and texturing/shading on fragments of primitives. The system includes a primary depth buffer (PDB) for storing depth values of resolved fragments, and a secondary depth buffer (SDB) for storing depth values of unresolved fragments. Incoming fragments are depth tested against depth values from either the PDB or the SDB. When a fragment passes a depth test, its depth value is stored in the PDB if it is a resolved fragment (e.g. if it is opaque or translucent), and its depth value is stored in the SDB if it is an unresolved fragment (e.g. if it is a punch through fragment). This provides more opportunities for subsequent opaque objects to overwrite punch through fragments which passed a depth test, thereby reducing unnecessary processing and time which may be spent on fragments which ultimately will not contribute to the final rendered image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John Howson
  • Patent number: 9779540
    Abstract: A virtual reality (VR) console receives slow calibration data from an imaging device and fast calibration data from an inertial measurement unit on a virtual reality headset. Using a model of the VR headset, the VR console identifies model locators corresponding to locators on the VR headset and generates estimated positions for locators included in slow calibration data. The VR console adjusts calibration parameters so a relative distance between estimated positions of the locators and positions of their corresponding model locators is less than a threshold value. From the estimated positions, the VR console generates calibrated positions of a reference point on the VR headset associated with images from the slow calibration data. The VR console determines predicted positions of the reference point from the calibrated positions and adjusts calibration parameters so intermediate estimated positions of the reference point are within a threshold distance of the predicted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Oculus VR, LLC
    Inventors: Dov Katz, Maksym Katsev, Neil Konzen, Steven LaValle, Michael Antonov
  • Patent number: 9764838
    Abstract: A method with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) associated with a cell site includes causing the UAV to fly at or near the cell site, wherein the UAV comprises one or more manipulable arms which are stationary during flight; physically connecting the UAV to a structure at the cell site and disengaging flight components associated with the UAV; and performing one or more functions via the one or more manipulable arms while the UAV is physically connected to the structure, wherein the one or more manipulable arms move while the UAV is physically connected to the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: ETAK Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Lee Priest
  • Patent number: 9767723
    Abstract: A device and a method for processing a waited display picture of an OLED display device are provided. The device includes a block dividing unit for dividing a waited display picture into multiple blocks; an average grayscale determining unit for determining an average grayscale value of each block; a high grayscale determining unit for determining a block having an average grayscale value greater than a preset threshold value as a high grayscale block; an adjacent grayscale determining unit for determining an adjacent grayscale value of each high grayscale block; and a regulation unit for adjusting grayscale values of pixels of each high grayscale block. The present invention adjusts grayscale values using a block as a unit. Besides, the difference of luminous efficiency or light transmittance of different color components is also considered so as to effectively improve the life of the OLED display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Ping-sheng Kuo, Li-wei Chu
  • Patent number: 9747692
    Abstract: Provided are a rendering method and a rendering apparatus performing the rendering method. The rendering method includes receiving a request to output a hierarchical depth value stored in a hierarchical depth buffer, outputting the hierarchical depth value from the hierarchical depth buffer, storing the hierarchical depth value, in response to the request, and performing rendering using the stored hierarchical depth value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangoak Woo, Changmoo Kim, Seungin Park, Haewoo Park, Minsu Ahn, Soojung Ryu, Hyongeuk Lee
  • Patent number: 9741159
    Abstract: To simulate the effect of shadows in an image being rendered a light source bounding frustum is produced for a tile for a light source, and used to determine a set of geometry for the tile that could cast a shadow in the tile. The determined set of geometry is then used to determine a light source visibility parameter for each sampling position in the tile by determining for each tile screen space sampling position, whether rays cast between the tile sampling position and a set of sampling positions representing the light source would intersect occluding geometry or not. The determined number of visible light source sampling positions for each tile sampling position is used to determine a light source visibility parameter value for each tile sampling position, and the determined light source visibility parameters are then used to modulate the light source when shading the geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: GEOMERICS LTD
    Inventor: Graham Hazel
  • Patent number: 9740282
    Abstract: Various examples are directed to systems and methods that measure the gaze direction of a user. For example, gaze direction may be utilized to generate an eye-equivalent representation for the user, where the eye-equivalent representation depicts eyes directed according to the gaze direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael James McInerny
  • Patent number: 9738382
    Abstract: The system comprises a drone and a ground station with a console adapted to be directed towards the drone, and virtual reality glasses rendering images taken by a camera of the drone. The system further comprises means for modifying the framing of the images taken by the camera as a function of framing instructions received from the ground station. It further comprises relative heading determination means (302-324) for periodically elaborating an angular difference between the orientation of the glasses and the orientation of the console, and means (316) for elaborating framing instructions for the drone as a function said angular difference. The sudden changes of framing when the user simply turns the console and his whole body, head included, towards the drone to follow it in its displacements, are hence avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Parrot Drones
    Inventors: Nicolas Brulez, Arsene Ferrand, Henri Seydoux
  • Patent number: 9736319
    Abstract: Mobile device application usage history is collected across a plurality of mobile device applications. A mobile device application usage trigger event is received. For each of a plurality of candidate push notifications, a quality score adjustment is determined as a function of the collected mobile device application usage history and the trigger event. An opportunity to push a notification to the first mobile device is auctioned based on the adjusted quality scores. The notification of the auction winner is pushed to the first mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Wong O'Connor, Luis German Benavides Oyaga
  • Patent number: 9726885
    Abstract: A preferred system and method for projecting a business information model at a construction site includes a network, a system administrator connected to the network, a database connected to the system administrator, a set of registration markers positioned in the construction site, and a set of user devices connected to the network. The system includes a hard hat, a set of headsets mounted to the hard hat, a set of display units movably connected to the set of headsets, a set of cameras connected to the set of headsets, and a wearable computer connected to the set of headsets and to the network. The cameras capture an image of the set of registration markers. A position of the user device is determined from the image and an orientation is determined from motion sensors. A BIM is downloaded and projected to a removable visor based on the position and orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Inventor: Timothy A. Cummings
  • Patent number: 9726965
    Abstract: A projection device includes a projection unit including a display element in which pixel lines each formed by pixels arranged in a first direction are arranged in a second direction and an optical system that projects light emitted from the display element and projecting an image based on input image data, a first correction unit for correcting a scale of each line data of the image data that corresponds to each of the pixel lines, a second correction unit for correcting a second-direction scale of each pixel data of the image data after the correction performed by the first correction unit, and an image cutting-out unit for cutting out image data of an area, which is projected from the projection unit, of the image data after the correction performed by the second correction unit and input the image data of the area to the projection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: JVC KENWOOD Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Watanuki, Hironobu Fukutomi, Ryo Nishima
  • Patent number: 9727798
    Abstract: A system for generating a predictive virtual personification includes receiving, from an AV data source, a data store, and a saliency recognition engine, wherein the AV data source is configured to transmit one or more AV data sets to the saliency recognition engine, each AV data set includes a graphical representation of a donor subject, and the saliency recognition engine is configured to receive the AV data set and one or more identified trigger stimulus events, locate a set of saliency regions of interest (SROI) within the graphical representation of the donor subject, generate a set of SROI specific saliency maps and store, in the data store, a set of correlated SROI specific saliency maps generated by correlating each SROI specific saliency map a corresponding trigger event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Inventor: James Michael Caldwell
  • Patent number: 9721367
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for editing symbol images can convert characters of various languages or numerals to symbol images, or can output the characters or numerals by analyzing the symbol images. The symbol images may symbolically represent the Korean characters, and at least one of symbolized objects may be arranged in a part of divided spaces by dividing the space so as to separate initial consonants, medial consonants, and final consonants of the character in the predetermined divided spaces for expressing at least one character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventor: Jungha Ryu
  • Patent number: 9721380
    Abstract: An environment includes different objects that are each made up of one or more 3-dimensional volumes. These volumes can overlap one another, resulting in situations in which a particular volume that is overlapped is redundant and can be removed from the set of volumes describing the environment. A two-phase approach is applied in determining whether a particular volume is redundant. In the first phase, a candidate list of source volumes is quickly generated with a small amount of computational effort. In the second phase, the source volumes on the candidate list are analyzed to determine whether the particular volume is fully overlapped by one or a combination of the source volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael John Schoenberg, Michael Jason Gourlay
  • Patent number: 9721533
    Abstract: An image compensating device includes a transmission ratio calculator configured to output a red transmission ratio of a user's crystalline lens, a green transmission ratio of the crystalline lens, and a blue transmission ratio of the crystalline lens based on the user's age, and a compensator configured to receive red input data, green input data, and blue input data and compensate the red input data, the green input data, and the blue input data based on the red transmission ratio, the green transmission ratio, and the blue transmission ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun-Min Cho, Jae-Byung Park, Jae-Woong Kang, Jong-Hyuk Kang, Hyun-Deok Im, Sung-Jin Hong
  • Patent number: 9716976
    Abstract: Systems (100) and methods (200) for operating a sensor system. The methods comprise: performing first operations by a Wireless Sensor Network (102) to (a) configure operations of WSN end nodes (104, 134-138) and (b) control Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”) link activity within a BLE network; and performing second operations by the BLE network to (a) find people or objects (156) within a specified area and (b) provide services to users of mobile communication devices which are BLE enabled (152) and reside within the specified area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH
    Inventors: Paul B. Rasband, Jorge F. Alicot