Patents Examined by Luis M Perez
  • Patent number: 9057711
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus and method, which can perform defect determination and estimate a defect on a mask and the resultant influence on a wafer. Each of the transfer images is reviewed in order of following (1) to (3): (1) when the degree of defect identified in the first comparing unit is at or exceeding a third threshold and an error ratio corresponding to the defect is at or exceeding a fourth threshold; (2) when the degree of a defect identified in the first comparing unit is less than the third threshold, and an error ratio corresponding to the defect is at or exceeding a fourth threshold; and (3) when the degree of a defect identified in the first comparing unit is at or exceeding a third threshold, and an error ratio corresponding to the defect is less than the fourth threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideo Tsuchiya, Takafumi Inoue, Nobutaka Kikuiri
  • Patent number: 9055226
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for using tracking data to control the functions of an automated fixture. Examples of automated fixtures include light fixtures and camera fixtures. A method includes obtaining a first position of a tracking unit. The tracking unit includes an inertial measurement unit and a visual indicator configured to be tracked by a camera. A first distance is computed between the automated fixture and the first position and it is used to set a function of the automated fixture to a first setting. A second position of the tracking unit is obtained. A second distance between the automated fixture and the second position is computed, and the second distance is used to set the function of the automated fixture to a second setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: CAST Group of Companies Inc.
    Inventors: Gilray Densham, Justin Eichel, Kwok Wai William Law, Weibo Qin, Florentin Christoph von Frankenberg
  • Patent number: 9041804
    Abstract: An input device, wherein the screen (18a) of a display device (18) is divided into two regions, a region (A1) and a region (A2), and the icon switch displayed in the region including the position of an invisible pointer (P?) is selected. Thus, one of an icon switch (1) and an icon switch (2) that are displayed on the screen (18a) is selected at any time. Consequently, the user will no longer have to watch the screen carefully and perform an operation for moving an instruction marker such as a visible pointer to a desired icon switch, for example as in conventional devices. Accordingly, the user can enter a desired instruction in a short time by selecting a desired icon switch in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignees: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taketoshi Fujii, Haruka Iga, Yoji Inui, Atsuo Fukaya, Keiichi Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 9036693
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for a region-of-interest compression methodology wherein a variety of encoders may be utilized to perform video compression on a plurality of filtered video frames without the need to generate specific instructions for each of the variety of encoders. Embodiments of the present invention receive a video frame and create a region-of-interest map based on the received video frame. The region-of-interest map is utilized to create a filtered video frame based on the received video frame. This process may be repeated for each video frame within a video stream, thereby creating a plurality of filtered video frames. The plurality of filtered video frames is transmitted to an encoder for video compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Isnardi, Arkady Kopansky
  • Patent number: 9001112
    Abstract: Disclosed is a display apparatus with an improved structure of its display unit and main body. The display apparatus includes: a display unit which includes a display connector and displays an image; and a main body which includes a power supply unit for supplying power to the display unit, an image processing unit for outputting image signals, and a main body connector which is directly or indirectly connected to the display connector in order to supply the power and the image signals output from the power supply unit and the image processing unit, respectively, to the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hoon Choi, Hyeon-Joo Lee
  • Patent number: 8989260
    Abstract: Scalable codecs are used for transmitting channel zapping data for one or more programs using timeslicing. The main codec layer may be utilized also for the zapping data, and the higher layers may be used in the primary channels. Zapping data may be provided to mobile terminals via a wireless multicast network, such as a DVB-H network, using timeslicing and providing the scalably encoded zapping data as part of the source stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Kalervo Mikael Kontola, Roope Olavi Jarvinen
  • Patent number: 8988516
    Abstract: The depth of field is extended by using a simple structure. Provided is an imaging device comprising: an objective optical system that comprises an aperture stop that is disposed at an intermediate position on an optical axis and that has an opening that allows incident light from an object to pass therethrough; and an imaging element that acquires an optical image of the object, which is formed by the objective optical system, wherein pixels of the imaging element are arranged in a square along two mutually orthogonal axial directions, and the aperture stop includes a light-blocking portion at a portion aligned with the optical axis, the light-blocking portion having a square shape with sides inclined at 45° relative to the directions in which the pixels are arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 8982942
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are tools and techniques for storing and using video processing tool configuration information that can identify combinations of video processing tools to be used for processing video. In one exemplary embodiment, video processing tools of a computing system are identified. The performance of a combination of the video processing tools is measured. The performance measurement is compared with another performance measurement of another combination of the video processing tools. Based on the comparison, video processing tool configuration information is set. In another exemplary embodiment, video processing tool configuration information indicating a combination of video processing tools is accessed, and video data is processed using the combination of video processing tools based on the video processing tool configuration information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Wenfeng Gao, Shyam Sadhwani
  • Patent number: 8971406
    Abstract: An image coding method includes: writing, into a sequence parameter set, buffer description defining information for defining a plurality of buffer descriptions; selecting one of the buffer descriptions for each processing unit that is a picture or a slice, and writing buffer description selecting information for specifying the selected buffer description, into a first header of the processing unit which is included in the coded bitstream; and coding the processing unit using the selected buffer description, and the buffer description defining information includes long-term information for identifying, among a plurality of reference pictures indicated in the buffer descriptions, a reference picture to be assigned as a long-term reference picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Viktor Wahadaniah, Chong Soon Lim, Sue Mon Thet Naing, Hai Wei Sun, Takahiro Nishi, Hisao Sasai, Youji Shibahara, Toshiyasu Sugio, Kyoko Tanikawa, Toru Matsunobu, Kengo Terada
  • Patent number: 8964115
    Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus configured to instruct a redundancy encoder to increase a level of redundancy of a media stream, an error rate determination to determine an error rate of a communication path conveying the media stream with increased redundancy, a comparator configured to compare a bandwidth used to convey the encoded media stream at the increased redundancy level with a bandwidth for conveying the encoded media stream at a second quality level greater than the first quality level, the apparatus being further configured to provide a switching signal to a media encoder to start encoding the media stream at the second quality level responsive to the used bandwidth being sufficient for conveying the media stream encoded at the second quality level and the determined error rate being less than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Lars René Eggert
  • Patent number: 8965140
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding a frame from a mixed content image sequence. In one embodiment, the method, executed under the control of a processor configured with computer executable instructions, comprises (i) generating, by an encoding processor, an image type mask that divides the frame into an unchanged portion, an object portion and a picture portion; (ii) producing lossless encoded content, by the encoding processor, from the object portion and the image type mask; (iii) generating, by the encoding processor, a filtered facsimile from the frame, the filtered facsimile generated by retaining the picture portion and filling the unchanged portion and the object portion with neutral image data; and (iv) producing, by the encoding processor, lossy encoded content from the filtered facsimile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Teradici Corporation
    Inventors: Zhan Xu, David Victor Hobbs
  • Patent number: 8947508
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which employs a basic configuration including an image processing controller which processes images captured by a stereo camera and a recognition processing controller which recognizes an object based on information from the image processing controller includes a target object area specifying unit, feature amount extracting unit and smoke determining unit as functions of enabling recognition of a smoky object. The target object specifying unit specifies an area of an object which is a detection target, by canceling the influence of the background, the feature amount extracting unit extracts an image feature amount for recognizing a smoky object in a target object area and the smoke deciding unit decides whether the object in the target object area is a smoky object or an object other than the smoky object, based on the extracted image feature amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Morimitsu
  • Patent number: 8934530
    Abstract: Systems and methods for using redundant pictures and slice groups to encode spatially scalable H.264 Baseline profile conformant video and to route that video to endpoints of varying capabilities without using the Scalable Video extension of H.264 or transcoding. Reduced resolution versions of primary coded pictures are encoded as slice groups in a full-resolution composite pictures, which are added to the video bitstream as redundant pictures. A router then processes the spatially scaled video bitstream into separate streams having different resolutions and routes these to endpoints of varying capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Vidyo, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Horowitz
  • Patent number: 8929448
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a macroblock is determined in an incoming bitstream. In one example, the macroblock may be a 16×16 macroblock for a first coding standard, such as MPEG-2. The macroblock is then divided into a plurality of segmented blocks. For example, an arbitrary sized segment of blocks may be used to divide the macroblock into segmented blocks. In one example, the macroblock is divided into four 8×8 segmented blocks. A plurality of statistical measures are then determined for the plurality of segmented blocks. For example, for each segmented block, a sum of absolute differences (SAD) is determined. Then, one or more sizes for the sub-blocks are determined based on the comparison. For example, a variable sub-block size for an AVC bitstream is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jeongnam Youn
  • Patent number: 8922628
    Abstract: A system and process is provided for the conversion of a stream of two-dimensional images into a pair of streams of images for providing the perception of a stream of three-dimensional images. Each complimentary image in the image stream undergoes the application of a selection and remapping process to independently alter portions of the image, so that the remappings shift the image elements in a manner which produces a stereo depth effect when the images are viewed through the appropriate viewing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Prime Focus VFX Services II Inc.
    Inventor: Chris Bond
  • Patent number: 8908756
    Abstract: An image transmission apparatus may include a transmission unit that transmits a moving image compressed by lossy compression as first image data to an external apparatus through wireless communication, the transmission unit transmitting image data corresponding to one image in the moving image as second image data, the second image data being image data compressed at a lower compression rate than the lossy compression or not compressed, an instructing unit that outputs a disconnection signal to disconnect the wireless communication in response to an external manipulation, and a control unit that receives the disconnection signal from the instructing unit, the control unit controlling to disconnect the wireless communication in the transmission unit after the transmission of the second image data in the transmission unit has been completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignees: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Shinya Kawasaki, Takemitsu Honda
  • Patent number: 8908768
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for video coding/decoding with motion resolution switching and sub-block transform coding/decoding are described. For example, a video encoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion estimation and compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions; a corresponding video decoder adaptively switches the resolution of motion compensation between quarter-pixel and half-pixel resolutions. For sub-block transform sizes, for example, a video encoder adaptively switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 DCTs when encoding 8×8 prediction residual blocks; a corresponding video decoder switches between 8×8, 8×4, and 4×8 inverse DCTs during decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Pohsiang Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Ming-Chieh Lee, Thomas W. Holcomb, Sridhar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8908958
    Abstract: A method of forming at least one three dimensional (3D) color image of at least one object in a target space. The method comprises projecting, each of a plurality of projection cycles, a sequence comprising a plurality of gray coded light patterns, each colored in one of red green or blue, on a target space, capturing a plurality of two dimensional (2D) images of the target space during a plurality of acquisition cycles, each the acquisition cycle being timed to correspond with the projection of at least a sub sequence of the sequence, the sub sequence comprising red, green, and blue gray coded light patterns of the plurality of gray coded light patterns, extracting range data and color texture information of at lea one object in the target space from the plurality of 2D images, and forming a 3D color image of the range data and color texture information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Inventors: Ron Kimmel, Yaron Honen
  • Patent number: 8879001
    Abstract: A method is provided for block artifact detection and block artifact determination using multiple features in coded images and video. A method includes identifying a plurality of overlapping blocks in a picture with respect to a current block. Each of the plurality of overlapping blocks covers a portion of the current block and a portion of an adjacent block. The method further includes transforming at least one of the plurality of overlapping blocks into respective coefficients corresponding to at least one of a luminance component and a chrominance component. The method also includes identifying a block artifact for the at least one of the plurality of overlapping blocks when coefficients corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of overlapping blocks are larger than a predefined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Gokce Dane, Cristina Gomila
  • Patent number: 8879619
    Abstract: A system encoding and decoding video that uses a parallel encoding and decoding technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Segall, Jie Zhao