Patents Examined by Mike Rahmjoo
  • Patent number: 8290238
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatic optoelectronic detection and inspection of objects, based on capturing digital images of a two-dimensional field of view in which an object to be detected or inspected may be located, analyzing the images, and making and reporting decisions on the status of the object. Decisions are based on evidence obtained from a plurality of images for which the object is located in the field of view, generally corresponding to a plurality of viewing perspectives. Evidence that an object is located in the field of view is used for detection, and evidence that the object satisfies appropriate inspection criteria is used for inspection. Methods and apparatus are disclosed for capturing and analyzing images at high speed so that multiple viewing perspectives can be obtained for objects in continuous motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Cognex Technology and Investment Corporation
    Inventor: William M. Silver
  • Patent number: 8285030
    Abstract: A technique for determining a set of calibration parameters for use in a model of a photo-lithographic process is described. In this calibration technique, images of a test pattern that was produced using the photo-lithographic process are used to determine corresponding sets of calibration parameters. These images are associated with at least three different focal planes in an optical system, such as a photo-lithographic system that implements the photo-lithographic process. Moreover, an interpolation function is determined using the sets of calibration parameters. This interpolation function can be used to determine calibration parameters at an arbitrary focal plane in the photo-lithographic system for use in simulations of the photo-lithographic process, where the set of calibration parameters are used in a set of transmission cross coefficients in the model of the photo-lithographic process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Xin Zhou, Yaogang Lian, Robert E. Gleason
  • Patent number: 8285070
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for restoration of a digital image. In one embodiment, a method for repairing a defect in a digital image to provide a restored image comprises determining a plurality of pixel locations to form a neighborhood relating to the defect and whether or not the neighborhood has a well-defined, dark border along its edge. Should the neighborhood not have dark border, one embodiment of the method entails processing the neighborhood to bring the neighborhood approximately to uniform darkness, processing the neighborhood to match surroundings in the digital image, copying an edge of a neighborhood in the digital image into the processed neighborhood, processing pixels of the edge to repair the copied edge pixels, and outputting the restored image for display to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: The Trustees of Tufts College
    Inventors: Karen A. Panetta, Sos Agaian, Aaron Greenblatt
  • Patent number: 8280195
    Abstract: [Problem] To reduce omission of searched results and improve search efficiency in indexing by means of telop and another text information attached to a video. [Solving Means] A video indexing system has an index generating unit which generate an index, an index accumulating unit which accumulates the index together with attached information such as an index position, an image feature generating unit which generates an image feature, an image feature accumulating unit which accumulates the image feature together with the attached information such as the position, and an image feature checking unit which compares the image feature with past image features, and, when matched, outputs the index at the time of outputting the corresponding past image feature as a current index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Nec Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8270767
    Abstract: A system for providing stitched video from a first camera and a second camera to an electronic display system includes a processing circuit configured to associate a view a first camera with an approximate location. The processing circuit is further configured to build relationship data between the first camera and a second camera using the approximate location. The processing circuit is further configured to transform video from the first camera relative to video from the second camera, the transformation based on the relationship data. The processing circuit is further configured to use the transformed video to cause the stitched video to be provided to the electronic display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Youngchoon Park
  • Patent number: 8270727
    Abstract: The method, system, and apparatus of source statistics based intra prediction type is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes classifying a four-pixel square block in an edge class (e.g., may include a DC edge class, a vertical edge class, a horizontal edge class, a diagonal edge class, and/or a planar edge class) based on an edge classifier, classifying an eight-pixel square block having the four-pixel square block and other four-pixel square blocks as a homogenous class if the four-pixel square block and the other four-pixel square blocks of the eight-pixel square block belong to the edge class, assigning a direction to the edge class of the eight-pixel square block, and determining an optimal intra-prediction type through the classification such that empirical testing of all possible ones of the edge class and the direction is avoided when the homogenous class is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Soyeb Nagori
  • Patent number: 8265414
    Abstract: An image processing device to process a moving image, which is shot by a video shooting device, in increments of access units, includes: a correcting unit to correct the access unit to be processed by changing the properties of a low-pass filter which indicates imaging blur according to parameter values showing the properties of imaging blur which occurs at the time that the moving image is shot with the video shooting device, generating an inverse filter having inverse properties as to the low-pass filter, and performing processing to apply the inverse filters as to the access unit to be processed; wherein, with a frequency of which the frequency property of the low-pass filter indicating the imaging blur is zero being zero points, performing processing to apply the inverse filter is forbidden for predetermined frequency components of the frequency components of the access unit to be processed including the zero points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Nishi, Kazuhiko Ueda, Mitsuyasu Asano
  • Patent number: 8265430
    Abstract: An image processing system includes a plurality of clients, a plurality of servers, and a computer. The computer includes a user application and a multi-target controller. The user application interactively operates with a user. The multi-target controller causes the plurality of clients to synchronously access the plurality of servers in response to a request from the user application, acquire from the plurality of servers a plurality of pieces of target data corresponding to a plurality of sub-regions in a draw region of the user application, and expand the plurality of pieces of target data into a plurality of pieces of draw data. The multi-target controller further combines the plurality of pieces of draw data returned from the plurality of clients into single draw data and passes the single draw data to the user application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8254696
    Abstract: A method is provided for detection of an airborne contaminant in a atmospheric environment. The method comprises capturing an air sample from the atmospheric environment; separating candidate particles of interest from particles of non interest in the air sample; generating an image of the candidate particles; identifying a contaminant from among the candidate particles by comparing the image of candidate particles with a plurality of stored reference images, each of which reflects a respective identified contaminant; and notifying a remote third party in response to detecting a contaminant from among the candidate particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Matteoni, Jeffery P. Bertram, Wayne K. Moore, Daniel B. Nickell
  • Patent number: 8249329
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatic optoelectronic detection and inspection of objects, based on capturing digital images of a two-dimensional field of view in which an object to be detected or inspected may be located, analyzing the images, and making and reporting decisions on the status of the object. Decisions are based on evidence obtained from a plurality of images for which the object is located in the field of view, generally corresponding to a plurality of viewing perspectives. Evidence that an object is located in the field of view is used for detection, and evidence that the object satisfies appropriate inspection criteria is used for inspection. Methods and apparatus are disclosed for capturing and analyzing images at high speed so that multiple viewing perspectives can be obtained for objects in continuous motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Cognex Technology and Investment Corporation
    Inventor: William M Silver
  • Patent number: 8233674
    Abstract: An image is acquired including a red eye defect and non red eye defect regions having a red color. An initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions is performed. A location and orientation of one or more faces within the image are determined. The candidate redeye regions are analyzed based on the determined location and orientation of the one or more faces to determine a probability that each redeye region appears at a position of an eye. Any confirmed redeye regions having at least a certain threshold probability of being a false positive are removed as candidate redeye defect regions. The remaining redeye defect regions are corrected and a red eye corrected image is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation Europe Limited
    Inventors: Eran Steinberg, Alexandru Drimbarean, Florin Nanu
  • Patent number: 8233747
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a super-resolution image are provided. The method may include obtaining a first set of RAW data representing a first image captured at a first resolution and obtaining, from the first set of RAW data, at least one first sample of data associated with the first image. The method may also include obtaining a second set of RAW data representing a second image captured at the first resolution, and performing image registration as a function of the first set of RAW data and the second set of RAW data so as to obtain at least one second sample of data associated with the second image. The first set of RAW data is used as a reference for the second set of RAW data. The method further includes combining the at least one first sample of data with at least one second sample of data to form a collection of samples, and interpolating the collection of samples to form the super-resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gazi Ali, Ming-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 8233676
    Abstract: In a human feature recognition system that is intended to provide substantially real-time recognition of body segments, various methods and structures are provided to facilitate real-time recognition with reduced computation requirements, including a face detection module employing an active boosting procedure and a lazy boosting procedure on a hybrid cascade structure, a human body segmentation module and a boundary matting module. The hybrid cascade structure is in the form of a tree where one type of node represents a strong classifier learned from active boosting, another type of classifier is obtained by low-computation-load lazy boosting, and weak classifiers are obtained from the previous layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: King Ngi Ngan, Hongliang Li
  • Patent number: 8229245
    Abstract: Video processing method and means for enhancing a video stream, by computing transform coefficients using a spatio-temporal transform comprising a spatial subband transform and a causal time wavelet transform performing filterings with multiscale causal wavelets, modifying the transform coefficients with a nonlinear processing, and computing a processed video stream from the modified transform coefficients using a spatio-temporal reconstruction transform comprising an inverse subband transform and a short delay inverse time wavelet transform, where the short delay inverse time wavelet transform is implemented with wavelet filters modified with window functions to control the processing delay of the entire video processing method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Zoran (France)
    Inventors: Stephane Mallat, Christophe Bernard, Joan Bruna, Nicolas Laveau
  • Patent number: 8224072
    Abstract: A method normalizes a feature of an object in an image. The feature of the object is extracted from a 2D or 3D image. The feature is displaceable within a displacement zone in the object, and wherein the feature has a location within the displacement zone. An associated description of the feature is determined. Then, the feature is displaced to a best location in the displacement zone to produce a normalized feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Fatih M. Porikli, Mohamed E. Hussein
  • Patent number: 8218872
    Abstract: An information processing system includes an image output unit, an image reception unit, and a determination unit. The image output unit outputs an image to a document to include first and second images. The first image includes at least one of a character and a symbol which represent at least part of a pair of an attribute name and an attribute value which are included in electronic data. The second image includes a first information image representing at least part of the attribute value, or a second information image representing a storage location of the electronic data. The image reception unit receives the output image of the document and an image of a paper document. The determination unit determines as to whether or not allowing the image of the paper document to be registered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 8218829
    Abstract: A system and method are provided which utilize biometrics technology in a conference environment. A biometrics engine detects facial images of a user, generates biometrics of the detected facial images, and compares the generated biometrics with biometrics information of authorized users. If a match is found, then the user is authorized and is automatically logged into the conference network. Once logged in, conferences may be automatically established, the user may be tracked by at least one video sensor, user preferences may be automatically set, and/or conference content may be easily accessed and shared with remote conference participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Kenoyer
  • Patent number: 8218871
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for detecting behavioral deviations in members of a cohort group. In one embodiment, a member of a cohort group is identified. Each member of the cohort group shares a common characteristic. Respiratory metadata associated with the member of the cohort group is received in real-time as the respiratory metadata is generated. The respiratory metadata describes respiration associated with the member of the cohort group. Patterns of respiratory changes are identified using the respiratory metadata. The respiratory metadata is analyzed to identify the patterns of respiratory changes. In response to the patterns of respiratory changes indicating behavioral deviations in the member of the cohort group, the member of the cohort group is identified as a person of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Lee Angell, James R. Kraemer
  • Patent number: 8208718
    Abstract: In the present invention, processing for setting a parameter expressing a measurement condition of three-dimensional measurement to a value necessary to output a proper recognition result is easily performed. The three-dimensional measurement is performed to stereo images of real models WM1 and WM2 of a workpiece using a measurement parameter set by a user, and positions and attitudes of the workpiece models WM1 and WM2 are recognized based on the measurement result. An image expressing the recognition result is displayed, and numerical data indicating the selected recognition result is set to sample data in response to a user manipulation for selecting the recognition result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shiro Fujieda, Atsushi Taneno, Hiroshi Yano, Yasuyuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8204328
    Abstract: A method for simultaneously optimizing a digital image taken in or through a scattering medium and obtaining information regarding optical properties of the scattering medium is provided. Data of the digital image is received by a computer. The digital image is evaluated according to an objective image quality metric and a resulting image quality value is compared to a previously stored image quality value for the image. A revised optical transfer function is derived by modeling the optical properties of the medium to be used to generate a restored digital image, which is derived from the original image and the revised optical transfer function. The restored digital image is evaluated according to the objective image quality metric and an optimized restored image is identified. The optical properties associated with the optical transfer function producing the optimized restored image are retrieved and represent a close approximation of the true optical properties of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Wellin Hou, Alan Weidemann