Patents Examined by Yon Couso
  • Patent number: 8917953
    Abstract: Disclosed is a layout software routine which automatically creates complex and aesthetically pleasing layouts without any user interaction, though user interaction is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
    Inventors: Kadir Rathnavelu, Jeff Leitner, Jackie Nowell, Christine McKee, Steve Blanding
  • Patent number: 8917949
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising: an acquiring unit configured to acquire a correction target image and user information indicating characteristics of a user requesting a correction; an image accumulating unit configured to accumulate images therein; an extracting unit configured to extract an image from the image accumulating unit based on the user information acquired by the acquiring unit, the image matching the characteristics of the user requesting the correction; a setting unit configured to set a correction target value based on the image extracted by the extracting unit; and a correcting unit configured to correct the correction target image based on the correction target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yasunobu Shirata
  • Patent number: 8908965
    Abstract: An image processor includes: a first calculator configured to calculate similarity between a first region including a target pixel and a second region including a reference pixel and calculate a multiplication coefficient which increases as the similarity increases; a second calculator configured to calculate a random number; a sum-of-products arithmetic unit configured to multiply a pixel value of each reference pixel by the multiplication coefficient and the random number and compute a sum of the products; a coefficient summation unit configured to multiply the multiplication coefficient by the random number and compute a sum of the products; and a division unit configured to divide the result of the sum-of-products arithmetic unit by the result of the coefficient summation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Taro Imagawa
  • Patent number: 8908955
    Abstract: A method of providing a stereoscopic X-ray image is provided. The method includes acquiring X-ray images captured at respective rotation angles with respect to a part of a patient to be examined while rotating around the part to be examined, and in response to information regarding a viewpoint with respect to the part to be examined being input, using X-ray images at respective rotation angles corresponding to the viewpoint from among the acquired X-ray images to generate a three-dimensional (3D) X-ray image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kang-eui Lee, Myung-jin Chung, Young-hun Sung, Jong-ha Lee, Kwang-eun Jang
  • Patent number: 8908991
    Abstract: A high-resolution image obtained by an image sensing operation by an image sensing unit, and a low-resolution image having a resolution lower than the high-resolution image are acquired. An object which satisfies a predetermined condition is detected from the low-resolution image, and an object recognition processing for a region corresponding to the object in the high-resolution image is performed, thus correcting geometric distortions of the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuo Bamba
  • Patent number: 8891829
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a depth acquisition unit and a smoothing processing unit. The depth acquisition unit acquires a depth to a subject in correlation with a pixel in a captured image of the subject, and the smoothing processing unit designates a pixel in a region excluding a predetermined region in the image as a target pixel, and performs a smoothing process of the degree according to the depth corresponding to the target pixel for a pixel value of the target pixel in a predetermined direction. This causes a pixel in a region excluding the predetermined region in the image to be blurred, thereby generating a panning image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Hirasawa, Natsuki Kano
  • Patent number: 8879797
    Abstract: An imaging flow cytometry system and method which includes a flow chamber, fluorescence analysis and imaging optics, image capturing system, device to regulate fluid flow through the chamber, and backlighting generator. The flow cell is configured so as to enhance the fluorescence signal collection by the system with total internal reflections. The fluorescence collection optics are configured to enhance the collection of the fluorescence from the side of the flow cell and concentrate it on light detectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Fluid Imaging Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian K. Sieracki, Kent A. Peterson, Matthew A. Duplisea, Corie F. Drake
  • Patent number: 8867784
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus for detecting a vertex of an image and a method for the same detecting the vertex with the high degree of accuracy and reducing time to detect the vertex by minimizing the interaction operations of the user to detect the vertex even in a touch input part having the low degree of sensing precision. The method includes inputting a vertex position of an image, setting an ROI, detecting a plurality of edges, detecting a candidate straight line group based on the edges, and removing a candidate straight line forming forms an angle less than a critical angle with respect to a base candidate straight line set from the candidate straight line group, and determining an intersection point between a remaining candidate straight line and the base candidate straight line provided at a position making a minimum distance from the input vertex position as an optimal vertex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Woontack Woo, Youngkyoon Jang
  • Patent number: 8855412
    Abstract: Embodiments include a method of image processing including decomposing a reflectance spectrum for a test surface into a linear combination of reflectance spectra of a set of test targets. The coefficient vector calculated in this decomposition is used to predict a response of an imaging sensor to the test surface. A plurality of such predicted responses may be used for various applications involving color detection and/or classification, including human skin tone detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Shuxue Quan, Chinchuan Andrew Chiu, Xiaoyun Jiang
  • Patent number: 8848983
    Abstract: Systems and methods for ranking geographic features in a geographic information system are provided. In particular, geographic features can be assigned ranking scores based on characteristics of viewsheds associated with the geographic features. In particular, characteristics of a viewshed associated with a geographic feature can be analyzed to assess the visibility of the geographic feature. A ranking score can be assigned to the geographic feature based on the characteristics of the viewshed. The ranking score can be used prioritize information in a geographic information system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Edmond Brewington, Mark A. Limber, Igor V. Guskov, Peter Hamel, Kong M. Cheung, Morten Just Petersen
  • Patent number: 8849070
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a graphical document are provided. A graphical document is processed to identify one or more ideas associated with the graphical document. The identified ideas may be used to determine concepts to associate with the first electronic document and suggest those concepts for association with the first electronic document for use in a document distribution system that distributes documents based on a price parameter associated with concepts and a performance parameter. A request for a document associated with a concept is received. Responsive to the request, the graphical document is delivered if an association between the one or more ideas and the concept is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Wesley T. Chan, Sumit Agarwal, Rama Ranganath
  • Patent number: 8837827
    Abstract: This disclosure pertains to apparatuses, methods, and computer readable media for red-eye removal techniques using multiple recognition channels. In the following examples, red, golden, and white recognition channels are used. A recognition channel is the monochrome extraction from a color photograph in a manner designed to make one kind of red-eye artifact glow with maximum contrast. Once the red-eye artifact has been characterized by, e.g., size and location, the techniques disclosed herein may then discern whether the red-eye artifact is, for example, a red-, golden-, or white-eye case by examining the configuration and characteristics of prominence bitmasks created for the various recognition channels. Once the type of red-eye case has been discerned, the techniques disclosed herein may then replace the artifact with a photographically reasonable result based on the type of red-eye case being repaired. Specular reflection may also be re-added to the photograph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Zimmer
  • Patent number: 8831274
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an application program execution method which allows information held in an image to be analyzed by means of a mobile device's image recognition function, depends on specific content of information held in the image to call a corresponding application program, and complete an execution. The information held in the image comprises the application program's exclusive username, password and connecting mode, for instance, a web hard drive, network video, or a decoding key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Walton Advanced Engineering Inc.
    Inventors: Hong-Chi Yu, Mao-Ting Chang
  • Patent number: 8824832
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image reducing section generating at least one reduced image by generating a reduced pixel with reference to pixel values by each predetermined area of a target image being a process object, a noise extracting section extracting a noise component at a frequency band according to a reduction ratio of the reduced image for each reduced pixel based on the reduced image, a noise subtraction section subtracting the noise component of the reduced pixel from each of pixels at the predetermined area being referred to generate the reduced pixel, and an area smoothing section smoothing the pixels with each other at the predetermined area being referred to generate the reduced pixel based on the noise component of the reduced pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Utsugi
  • Patent number: 8818093
    Abstract: In a method for analyzing an image of an image recording device for a vehicle, a piece of brightness information of the image is determined, taking an exposure characteristic of the image recording device into account, and a threshold value is set as a function of the piece of brightness information. An image structure of the image is furthermore determined, and a blindness value for the image is determined on the basis of the image structure, using the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Ehlgen, Ulrich Seger, Paul Ruhnau
  • Patent number: 8811702
    Abstract: In order to perform accurate evaluation for enhanced depth imaging (EDI) in which a tomographic image of a retina has a low luminance value in large part, provided is an optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus for acquiring an image of an object to be inspected by irradiating the object to be inspected with measuring light and causing return light from the object to be inspected to interfere with reference light, the optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus including: a unit for setting an imaging parameter of the image; a unit for selecting an image quality evaluation index in accordance with the imaging parameter; a unit for acquiring an image characteristic amount from the acquired image in accordance with the set imaging parameter; and a unit for evaluating image quality of the image based on the image characteristic amount and the image quality evaluation index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryoji Kurosaka
  • Patent number: 8811740
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for automatic color correction of image and video content are provided. A computer-implemented method may include generating an auto-level linear transform and a histogram equalization transform of a color distribution histogram for an original image among a set of sequential images. The auto-level linear transform and the histogram equalization transform are blended to create a modified image. Pixel color is adjusted in the modified image so that a color difference between a pixel and neighboring pixels in the modified image corresponds to a color difference between respective pixels in the original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: William Brendel
  • Patent number: 8805109
    Abstract: A computerized method for independent disjoint block-level recompression of a first image generated by independent coding of disjoint blocks in a precursor image, the first image having at least one first quantization matrix associated therewith, the method comprising performing at least one independent disjoint block-level compression operation, using a processor on the first image, thereby to generate a re-compressed second image including generating a new quantization matrix and using the new quantization matrix for the independent disjoint block-level compression, including computing a rounding error created by the quantization process utilizing the new quantization matrix and, if needed, adjusting at least one value of the new quantization matrix to reduce a rounding error created by the quantization process utilizing the new quantization matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: I.C.V.T. Ltd.
    Inventors: Sharon Carmel, Dror Gill, Tamar Shoham
  • Patent number: 8805012
    Abstract: The present invention allows to grasp a problem area of a system quickly and accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Teruya Ikegami
  • Patent number: 8805069
    Abstract: An m×n pixel cell may be obtained from an input image, each of the pixels having a respective color value. A characterization of the cell may be determined, including determining a lowest color value and a highest color value of the pixels cell. A difference between the highest color value and the lowest color value may be calculated. If the difference is less than or equal to a threshold difference, an output color value inclusively between the highest color value and the lowest color value may be selected, and a first representation of the output color value may be written to an output medium. If the difference is greater than the threshold difference, multiple output color values may be selected, and a second representation of the multiple output color values may be written to the output medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Guo Li, Kenneth A. Schmidt, Dongpei Su, Stephen L. Schafer, Alfred Abkarian, Sheng Li, Michael M. Chang