Patents Examined by Michael A Newman
  • Patent number: 8630461
    Abstract: A system stores reference data generated by associating image feature point data with an image-capturing position and a recorded vehicle event. The system generates data for matching by extracting image feature points from an actually-captured image. The system generates information on an actual vehicle event, extracts first reference data whose image-capturing position is located in a vicinity of an estimated position of the vehicle, and extracts second reference data that includes a recorded vehicle event that matches the actual vehicle event. The system performs matching between at least one of the first reference data and the second reference data, and the data for matching, and determines a position of the vehicle based on the matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Miyajima, Yuusuke Morita
  • Patent number: 8625843
    Abstract: A monitoring system includes a plurality of image-capturing apparatuses each including an event detector that executes on a corresponding captured image at least one of a plurality of processing algorithms for detection of a monitor event, and a transmission controller that outputs to a network only a processing result of the executed processing algorithm when a monitor event is not detected and that outputs to the network at least the captured image when a monitor event is detected; and a management apparatus managing the plurality of image-capturing apparatuses via the network and including an event determination unit that determines occurrence of a monitor event in accordance with the received processing result and a record controller that records the received captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Oosawa
  • Patent number: 8620060
    Abstract: The present invention provides a model image acquisition support apparatus, a model image acquisition support method, and a model image acquisition support program that can easily and swiftly obtain an optimum model image for an image processing apparatus that performs matching processing based on a model image set in advance with respect to a measurement image that is obtained by imaging an object. A plurality of model image candidates, serving as candidates for model image, are extracted from a reference image obtained by imaging an object which can be a model. Matching processing with the plurality of extracted model images is executed on measurement images actually obtained by a visual sensor, so that trial results are obtained. A trial result is generated upon evaluating each of the trial results of the matching processing with the model image. An optimum model image is determined based on the evaluation result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Takayama, Daisuke Mitani
  • Patent number: 8611591
    Abstract: Described herein are tracking algorithm modifications to handle occlusions when processing a video stream including multiple image frames. Specifically, system and methods for handling both partial and full occlusions while tracking moving and non-moving targets are described. The occlusion handling embodiments described herein may be appropriate for a visual tracking system with supplementary range information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: 21 CT, Inc.
    Inventors: Thayne R. Coffman, Ronald C. Larcom
  • Patent number: 8605989
    Abstract: Information of different scans of physical objects may require comparison, for example to determine if the scans are of the same object or if an object has changed, or better information for a three dimensional model may be desired. Different scans of physical objects may be compared by determining lines or planes tangent to a surface at a discrete number of points, registering three dimensional information provided by the scans using the tangent lines or planes, and determining a measure of discrepancy between the surfaces. Three dimensional information of different scans of the same object may also be merged after determining lines or planes tangent to a surface at a discrete number of points and performing registration and merging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Cognitech, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonid I. Rudin, Jose L. Lisani, Jean-Michel Morel
  • Patent number: 8606009
    Abstract: Techniques and tools for high dynamic range (HDR) image rendering and generation. An HDR image generating system performs motion analysis on a set of lower dynamic range (LDR) images and derives relative exposure levels for the images based on information obtained in the motion analysis. These relative exposure levels are used when integrating the LDR images to form an HDR image. An HDR image rendering system tone maps sample values in an HDR image to a respective lower dynamic range value, and calculates local contrast values. Residual signals are derived based on local contrast, and sample values for an LDR image are calculated based on the tone-mapped sample values and the residual signals. User preference information can be used during various stages of HDR image generation or rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Shijun Sun
  • Patent number: 8605978
    Abstract: Extracting a branch structure and a surrounding structure area in which a surrounding structure of the branch structure exists from a three-dimensional medical image, setting an attention branch structure in the branch structure, estimating an attention surrounding structure area functionally associated with the attention branch structure from the surrounding structure area based on the branch structure, obtaining an evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area, and generating a mapped image which is an image generated by mapping the evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area to a morphological image representing morphology of at least one of the attention branch structure and the attention surrounding structure area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8600147
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for measuring full field deformation characteristics of a deformable body. The method includes determining optical setup design parameters for measuring displacement and strain fields, and generating and applying a dot pattern on a planar side of a deformable body. A sequence of images of the dot pattern is acquired before and after deformation of the body. Irregular objects are eliminated from the images based on dot light intensity threshold and the object area or another geometrical cutoff criterion. The characteristic points of the dots are determined, and the characteristic points are matched between two or more of the sequential images. The displacement vector of the characteristic points is found, and mesh free or other techniques are used to estimate the full field displacement based on the displacement vector of the characteristic points. Strain tensor or other displacement-derived quantities can also be estimated using mesh-free or other analysis techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secreatary of the Navy
    Inventors: Athanasions Iliopoulos, John G. Michopoulos, Nikos Andrianopoulos
  • Patent number: 8594410
    Abstract: An image-based biomarker is generated using image features obtained through object-oriented image analysis of medical images. The values of a first subset of image features are measured and weighted. The weighted values of the image features are summed to calculate the magnitude of a first image-based biomarker. The magnitude of the biomarker for each patient is correlated with a clinical endpoint, such as a survival time, that was observed for the patient whose medical images were analyzed. The correlation is displayed on a graphical user interface as a scatter plot. A second subset of image features is selected that belong to a second image-based biomarker such that the magnitudes of the second image-based biomarker for the patients better correlate with the clinical endpoints observed for those patients. The second biomarker can then be used to predict the clinical endpoint of other patients whose clinical endpoints have not yet been observed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Definiens AG
    Inventors: Guenter Schmidt, Gerd Binnig, Ralf Schoenmeyer, Arno Schaepe
  • Patent number: 8588471
    Abstract: A mapping method is provided. The environment is scanned to obtain depth information of environmental obstacles. The image of the environment is captured to generate an image plane. The depth information of environmental obstacles is projected onto the image plane, so as to obtain projection positions. At least one feature vector is calculated from a predetermined range around each projection position. The environmental obstacle depth information and the environmental feature vector are merged to generate a sub-map at a certain time point. Sub-maps at all time points are combined to generate a map. In addition, a localization method using the map is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Hsiang-Wen Hsieh, Hung-Hsiu Yu, Yu-Kuen Tsai, Wei-Han Wang, Chin-Chia Wu
  • Patent number: 8582906
    Abstract: Compression and decompression of image data, including a first image of an object. The first image may be divided into portions. For each portion, it may be determined whether the portion includes a part of the object. The image data may be compressed based on said determining. If a threshold ratio of portions that do not include a part of the object is reached, portions including a part of the object may be compressed according to a first compression method and portions not including a part of the object may not be compressed, where background information is stored for the portions not including a part of the object. If the threshold ratio of portions that do not include a part of the object is not reached, each portion of the object may be compressed according to the first compression method. The compressed data may be decompressed in a reverse fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: AOD Technology Marketing, LLC
    Inventors: Wai C. Chu, David J. Pattridge
  • Patent number: 8582918
    Abstract: An imaging device of the present invention comprises an imaging section for forming a subject image and outputting image data, a face detection section for detecting a person's face based on the image data, a decoration image selection section for selecting a decoration image from a plurality of decoration image data, in accordance with a face detected by the face detection section, and a first combining section for combining the selected decoration image and the face image. Also, an image composition and display device of the present invention comprises a storage section for storing image data, a decoration image selection section for selecting a decoration image from a plurality of decoration image data, in accordance with a face detected from image data, and a first combining section for combining the selected decoration image and the face image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventors: Naohisa Nakada, Akira Tani, Yuiko Uemura, Masashi Takahashi, Osamu Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8577181
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining content to be displayed includes determining a first size aspect of first content that is to be presented in a graphical user interface. The method includes obtaining second content and causing the second content to be presented in the graphical user interface with the first content, wherein the second content has a second size aspect with a predefined relationship to the first size aspect. A system includes a size determining module determining a first size aspect of first content that is to be presented in a graphical user interface. The system includes a content module obtaining second content based on the first size aspect, the second content having a second size aspect with a predefined relationship to the first size aspect. The system includes a page generating module causing the second content to be presented in the graphical user interface with the first content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Joseph Badros, Matthew I. Lloyd
  • Patent number: 8571272
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein facilitate or enhance the implementation of image recognition processes which can perform recognition on images to identify objects and/or faces by class or by people.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Salih Burak Gokturk, Dragomir Anguelov, Lorenzo Torresani, Vincent Vanhoucke, Munjal Shah, Diem Vu, Kuang-Chih Lee
  • Patent number: 8559722
    Abstract: An image recognition apparatus detects a specific object image from an image to be processed, calculates a coincidence degree between an object recognizability state of the object image and that of an object in registered image information, and calculates a similarity between the image feature of the object image and the image feature in the registered image information. Based on the similarity and coincidence degree, the image recognition apparatus recognizes whether the object of the object image is that of the registered image information. When the similarity is lower than the first threshold and the coincidence degree is equal to or higher than the second threshold, the image recognition apparatus recognizes that the object of the object image is different from that of the registered image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryosuke Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8559724
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating additional information about moving picture content, including: comparing image feature information about each image frame in moving picture content with image feature information about each image frame in web information, searching for an image frame in the moving picture content, the image frame matching the image frame in the web information, determining location information about the found image frame in the moving picture content, and generating additional information by use of the determined location information and the web information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-hee Choi, Il-hwan Choi, Hee-seon Park
  • Patent number: 8548226
    Abstract: In stereo matching based on standard area matching, in order to suppress a decrease in matching accuracy, it is effective to adaptively change a matching area in accordance with the local properties of an image. However, this requires high calculation costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morihiko Sakano, Mirai Higuchi, Takuya Naka, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8548267
    Abstract: Systems and methods for removing artifacts from a page of digital image are presented. More particularly, a digital image is obtained, the digital image having at least one page of content to be processed. A content bounding box is determined for the content of the page. Additionally, a set of segments is generating, the set corresponding to particular areas of the content within the content bounding box, each area associated with a type of content. For each segment of the set of segments, the following are performed. Despeckling criteria are selected for identifying artifacts according to the type associated with the segment. Artifacts are identified in the segment according to the despeckling criteria. The identified artifacts are then removed from the page. Thereafter, the updated digital image is stored in a content store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sherif M. Yacoub, Jian Liang, Hanning Zhou
  • Patent number: 8542872
    Abstract: A method of autonomously monitoring a remote site, including the steps of locating a primary detector at a site to be monitored; creating one or more geospatial maps of the site using an overhead image of the site; calibrating the primary detector to the geospatial map using a detector-specific model; detecting an object in motion at the site; tracking the moving object on the geospatial map; and alerting a user to the presence of motion at the site. In addition thermal image data from a infrared cameras, rather than optical/visual image data, is used to create detector-specific models and geospatial maps in substantially the same way that optical cameras and optical image data would be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Pivotal Vision, LLC
    Inventors: John R. Gornick, Craig B. Moksnes
  • Patent number: 8526666
    Abstract: Methods and systems for rendering watermarks in a computer system are provided. One technique renders a content unit based on a call from an application, and renders a watermark for the content based on a call from a tool separate from the application. Another technique for rendering a watermark for content displayed on a display screen renders the content via a content window on the display, and renders the watermark via another window on the display that overlays at least a portion of the content window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Allen D. Hadden, Christopher A. Hebert