Patents by Inventor Frank W. Bentrem

Frank W. Bentrem has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150294443
    Abstract: An automatic method for depicting texture in a digital image is provided. A category is automatically assigned to each pixel in the digital image based on one of a set of brightness values associated with the pixel. Each of the brightness values corresponds to a range of intensities associated with the pixels in the digital image, and one of a set of texture values associated with the pixel. Each of the texture values corresponds to a range of differences in the value between the intensity of the pixel and the intensity of neighbors of the pixel. A shading level is automatically assigned to each of the pixels based on the categories. A processed image is automatically produced based on the shading levels, the processed image indicating the texture in the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE US, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
    Inventor: FRANK W. BENTREM
  • Patent number: 9082190
    Abstract: A computationally efficient image segmentation method is provided that processes a grayscale digital image to more clearly show textures in the underlying object shown in the digital image. A grayscale digital image is converted to an intensity matrix based on the brightness of the pixels in the image, where each matrix element represents a pixel in the digital image and has a value corresponding to the intensity, i.e., the brightness, of that pixel. The value of each matrix element is compared to the value of its nearest neighbor matrix element, and the pixel represented by the matrix element is categorized as being “dark” or “bright” based on its value, and is categorized as being “smooth” or “rough” based on the values of the nearest neighbor matrix elements. As each pixel is categorized, it is assigned a shading level corresponding to the brightness/texture matrix element value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Frank W. Bentrem
  • Publication number: 20130308830
    Abstract: A computationally efficient image segmentation method is provided that processes a grayscale digital image to more clearly show textures in the underlying object shown in the digital image. A grayscale digital image is converted to an intensity matrix based on the brightness of the pixels in the image, where each matrix element represents a pixel in the digital image and has a value corresponding to the intensity, i.e., the brightness, of that pixel. The value of each matrix element is compared to the value of its nearest neighbor matrix element, and the pixel represented by the matrix element is categorized as being “dark” or “bright” based on its value, and is categorized as being “smooth” or “rough” based on the values of the nearest neighbor matrix elements. As each pixel is categorized, it is assigned a shading level corresponding to the brightness/texture matrix element value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as epresented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Frank W. Bentrem
  • Patent number: 8498480
    Abstract: A computationally efficient image segmentation method is provided that processes a grayscale digital image to more clearly show textures in the underlying object shown in the digital image. A grayscale digital image is converted to an intensity matrix based on the brightness of the pixels in the image, where each matrix element represents a pixel in the digital image and has a value corresponding to the intensity, i.e., the brightness, of that pixel. The value of each matrix element is compared to the value of its nearest neighbor matrix element, and the pixel represented by the matrix element is categorized as being “dark” or “bright” based on its value, and is categorized as being “smooth” or “rough” based on the values of the nearest neighbor matrix elements. As each pixel is categorized, it is assigned a shading level corresponding to the brightness/texture matrix element value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Frank W. Bentrem
  • Publication number: 20100232698
    Abstract: A computationally efficient image segmentation method is provided that processes a grayscale digital image to more clearly show textures in the underlying object shown in the digital image. A grayscale digital image is converted to an intensity matrix based on the brightness of the pixels in the image, where each matrix element represents a pixel in the digital image and has a value corresponding to the intensity, i.e., the brightness, of that pixel. The value of each matrix element is compared to the value of its nearest neighbor matrix element, and the pixel represented by the matrix element is categorized as being “dark” or “bright” based on its value, and is categorized as being “smooth” or “rough” based on the values of the nearest neighbor matrix elements. As each pixel is categorized, it is assigned a shading level corresponding to the brightness/texture matrix element value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Frank W. Bentrem