Patents Examined by O'Neal R. Mistry
  • Patent number: 7158661
    Abstract: This invention provides a radiographic image processing method of processing a group of radiographs including a moving-state radiographic image consisting of a plurality of radiographs representing a moving state of an object. The method includes specifying a region of interest for a plurality of radiographs included in the group of radiographs, and outputting diagnosis assisting information for assisting in diagnosis based on the group of radiographs, in accordance with the specified region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7149333
    Abstract: A system for determining a dimension of an anatomical structure using an appropriate set of 2-D slice images obtained by scanning the anatomical structure, the system comprising: assembling apparatus for assembling the set of scanned 2-D slice images into a 3-D database; extracting apparatus for extracting an anatomical feature from the information contained in the 3-D database; specifying apparatus for specifying a measurement to be ade based on the extracted anatomical feature; and calculating apparatus for calculating the measurement so specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Medical Media Systems
    Inventors: Steven D. Pieper, Michael A. McKenna, David T. Chen
  • Patent number: 7149331
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and software for improving thresholding of coronary calcium scoring. In exemplary embodiments, the present invention applies an automatic search algorithm to slice images of an image scan to generate an individualized signal threshold for each particular patient. In other embodiments, an individualized signal threshold is generated for each slice image of the image scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Cedara Software Corp.
    Inventors: Leon Kaufman, Friederike Greiss
  • Patent number: 7142695
    Abstract: An image qualification method. A movements-determining method utilizes the image qualification, the image qualification method of which requires only an image frame to determine if the image frame is qualified. Thus, the image qualification proceeds in real time. The image qualification counts peaks of images of the frame to determine if a number of the peaks exceed a certain number, depending on application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventor: Chun-Huang Lin
  • Patent number: 7136506
    Abstract: A video correlation tracking system captures a first image frame and identifies one or more reference patches in that image frame. In a successive image frame, the new location of a reference patch is estimated with a dead reckoning algorithm, and a trial patch is placed at that location. The system cross correlates each reference patch with its corresponding trial patch, the results of which are used to make corrections to the dead reckoning algorithm, register successive image frames, and determine at which reference patch processing resources should be concentrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Robert J. Howard
  • Patent number: 7130444
    Abstract: A method for authenticating a printed or scanned embedded image is disclosed that utilizes a prediction of the effect of a print or scanning process on the embedded message based upon characteristics of the printer or scanner. These values are measured directly at the time of authentication and compared to the predicted. Based on the comparison a decision is made regarding authenticity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Chris W. Honsinger, Gustavo R. Paz-Pujalt, Donald R. Williams, Jerry Carmen
  • Patent number: 7127093
    Abstract: A system and method for integrated image registration of cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion data are provided, where the system includes an estimation unit for estimating an edge parameter, a registration unit in signal communication with the estimation unit for registering the edge parameter in correspondence with a template-match between pixels in a first input image and pixels in a second input image, and a CPU in signal communication with said estimation unit and said registration unit for detecting a changed pixel location in accordance with said registration when the entropy of said second image is increased; and where the corresponding method for integrated image registration is of cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion data includes providing a contoured region of interest on a first image having a plurality of pixels, receiving a second image corresponding to a time other than that of said first image, calculating pixel intensities for the second image, estimating edge parameters for at least one of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Bansal, Gareth Funka-Lea
  • Patent number: 7076091
    Abstract: A method of resampling medical imaging data from a first spatial distribution of data points onto a second spatial distribution of data points, including determining a matrix of reverse interpolation coefficients for resampling data from said second spatial distribution onto said first spatial distribution, inverting a matrix based on said reverse interpolation matrix to determine forward resampling coefficients for resampling data from said first spatial distribution to said second spatial distribution, and resampling data from said first spatial distribution onto said second spatial distribution using said forward resampling coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Daniel Rosenfeld
  • Patent number: 7072488
    Abstract: An encrypted image C(i, j) is generated by exclusively ORing pseudo random number values, which are generated using a key k0 as a key, and respective bits, except for the LSBs, of B pixel data at respective pixel positions (i, j) of digital image data I(i, j). First check bits B(i, j) corresponding to the pixel positions of pixels are generated based on the image C(i, j) and a conversion table. A digitally watermarked image I?(i, j) is obtained by embedding the first check bits in the LSBs of the corresponding pixel data of the digital image data. Check bits U(i, j) are obtained by encrypting pixel data by exclusively ORing respective bits, except for the LSBs, of B pixel data at positions (i, j) of the image I?(i, j) and the pseudo random numbers. If each check bit U(i, j) matches the LSB of the corresponding B pixel data, it is determined that the corresponding pixel is free from tampering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichi Iwamura
  • Patent number: 7046835
    Abstract: Method and system for processing vascular radiography images which have been reconstructed by three-dimensional modelling, in which: from this three-dimensional modelling there is determined a three-dimensional model known as the masked model which features the calcified elements and the prosthetic elements, but not the vascular elements; a three-dimensional model known as the subtracted model, which features the vascular elements alone, is determined; these two models are merged, weighting their voxels so as to increase the contrast between the images of the masked model and the images of the subtracted model; and summing the voxels thus weighted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Laurent Launay, Fabienne Betting, Jerome Knoplioch
  • Patent number: 7046833
    Abstract: From CT images having captured an abdomen, a two-dimensional characteristic space is assumed, in which X and Y axes indicate CT values of image data taken in first and second time phases different from each other. In this space, a two-dimensional histogram concerning respective pixels located at the same position in the two time phases is taken as a sample distribution of pixels. A two-variable distribution function is applied to this sample distribution, so as to estimate a matrix distribution of pixels corresponding to the whole liver region. According to this matrix distribution, a range of CT value of pixels corresponding to the liver region is estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: AZE Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Masumoto, Yoshinobu Sato, Masatoshi Hori, Takamichi Murakami, Takeshi Johkoh, Hironobu Nakamura, Shinichi Tamura, Masaki Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 7039242
    Abstract: An image processing device includes an image processing part configured to process supplied image data, an image compression part configured to compress image data, a data supply part configured to sequentially supply the image data to the image processing part in a horizontal direction, the image data having a vertical data size defined by adding the size of peripheral data to an integer multiple of the vertical data size of a basic data size, a setting part configured to set the processing operations of the image processing part and image compression part, a storage part configured to store the image data, which is obtained by causing the image processing part to process the image data, and a sending part configured to read out the image data, for each basic data size and sequentially send the data to the image compression part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Ueno
  • Patent number: 7027614
    Abstract: The present invention relates to digital watermarking. In a preferred embodiment, a multi-channel media signal is embedded with first and second digital watermark components. The first component is embedded in a first of the channels and a second component is embedded in a second of the channels. The second component is registered with the first component so as to reduce visible attributes that are attributable to the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
    Inventor: Alastair M. Reed
  • Patent number: 7024017
    Abstract: There is disclosed a digital information system which has a digital contents protection function using WM information. The system uses the WM information during a first ripping processing to execute a first verification processing for verifying validity regarding use of contents. In this case, ID information of music contents as a ripping object is registered. The system uses the ID information to execute a second verification processing for verifying the validity regarding the use of the contents without executing the first verification processing using the WM information during the ripping processing of the music contents corresponding to the registered ID information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kosuke Haruki
  • Patent number: 6993166
    Abstract: A method for enrolling biometric images including the steps of: a) capturing (310) a plurality of images for a user into a capture folder; b) selecting (318) one of the plurality of images in the capture folder and removing the selected image from the capture folder to an enroll folder; c) comparing (322) the selected image to each of the remaining images in the capture folder to generate a corresponding similarity score for each of the remaining images; d) determining (326) whether any of the corresponding similarity scores are at least equal to a predetermined score threshold, and removing each image having a corresponding similarity score at least equal to the predetermined score threshold from the capture folder to a delete folder (330); and e) determining (334) whether there is at least one image in the capture folder and if so repeating steps b) through d).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Z. Lo, Behnam Bavarian
  • Patent number: 6993159
    Abstract: A driving support system for enabling a driver to appropriately confirm environmental conditions of a moving body is provided. A plurality of imaging means for taking an image of the rear of the moving body is installed on the moving body. The plurality of imaging means have an area (OL) where their imaging areas overlap with each other, and the overlap area (OL) includes an area in the vicinity of a vanishing point (VP). Detection means obtains a stereo parallax (VD) between one imaging means and another imaging means in the overlap area (OL), and obtains a distance to an object based on the stereo parallax (VD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Ishii, Atsushi Morimura, Masamichi Nakagawa, Shusaku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6975760
    Abstract: A shared image generation apparatus generates a basis matrix on the basis of a graph, the vertex set of which corresponds to a set of a plurality of members to which shared images are to be distributed, and generates a plurality of shared images to be distributed to the plurality of members on the basis of the basis matrix and an externally input secret image to be shared. The plurality of generated shared images form the secret image when they are stacked up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Suga
  • Patent number: 6975751
    Abstract: A method for reconstructing non-uniformly sampled data to create an image includes: receiving a new partial data set, the new partial data set including a vector of non-uniformly sampled data at k-space positions; subtracting an old partial data set at the same k-space positions from the new partial data set to create a difference vector; gridding the difference vector to create a difference matrix; adding the difference matrix to a frame of previously gridded data to create a new frame; and transforming the new frame to create the image. In one embodiment, gridding includes constructing a gridding table for a data point in a complete data set, and convolving a data point in the difference vector with the gridding table. In another embodiment at least one of a grid size and a first parameter of the window function is optimized using input parameters for at least one of aliasing energy and computation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignees: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
    Inventors: John Mark Pauly, Juan Manuel Santos, Graham Arnold Wright
  • Patent number: 6961481
    Abstract: A method of processing image data is described. The method comprises receiving first image data corresponding to a first image and second image data corresponding to a second image, wherein pixels of the first image data and pixels of the second image data are registered to each other. The method also comprises shifting at least a portion of the first image data by a first fractional pixel displacement and at least a portion of the second image data by a second fractional pixel displacement to generate first shifted data and second shifted data, respectively. The method also comprises interpolating the first shifted data and the second shifted data to generate first interpolated data and second interpolated data, respectively. The method further comprises differencing the first interpolated data and the second interpolated data to generate residue data. An image processing system comprising a memory and a processing unit configured to carry out the above-noted steps is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Harry C. Lee, Jason Sefcik