Patents by Inventor James D. Zimmerman

James D. Zimmerman 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: 20210076045
    Abstract: Embodiments herein describe dividing a video into chunks with varying lengths based on the content within those frames. In contrast, dividing the video at a fix interval is prone to generating chunks starting at the middle of hard to encode areas, which can lead to a loss of encoder rate-control efficiency and produce visual quality gaps at the beginning of such chunks. The embodiments herein can identify a set of boundaries for dividing the video into chunks having similar lengths and with little to no impact on visual quality. In one embodiment, the boundaries of the chunks are placed at locations (or frames) that are far from the complex (or hard to encode) areas of the video. To do so, the system evaluates the video using various complexity metrics to identify the complex areas that require more bits to encode relative to less complex areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Yuanyi XUE, Erika Elizabeth VARIS DOGGETT, Christopher R. SCHROERS, James D. ZIMMERMAN, Jared P. MCPHILLEN, Scott C. LABROZZI
  • Patent number: 9877553
    Abstract: A walking cane is provided having an elongated length, a handle grip, a forward-directed illumination source, and an ambient light sensor. The device provides a cane-user with forward illumination during twilight and dark periods, whereby the ambient light sensor operably energizes the light source when in an appropriate operational mode. A secondary mode allows the user to manually operate or deactivate the light source by hand controls, wherein each option is selectable from a three-way switch at the base of the handle grip. The length of the cane may be adjustable and its structure may take on an ergonomic shape, while the lower distal end is capped with a cane ferrule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Inventor: James D. Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20140192516
    Abstract: A walking cane is provided having an elongated length, a handle grip, a forward-directed illumination source, and an ambient light sensor. The device provides a cane-user with forward illumination during twilight and dark periods, whereby the ambient light sensor operably energizes the light source when in an appropriate operational mode. A secondary mode allows the user to manually operate or deactivate the light source by hand controls, wherein each option is selectable from a three-way switch at the base of the handle grip. The length of the cane may be adjustable and its structure may take on an ergonomic shape, while the lower distal end is capped with a cane ferrule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventor: James D. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 7864840
    Abstract: A scene-by-scene (S×S) compression process enables improved visual quality within applicable compression constraints to be obtained. A compressed video signal is analyzed, generating compression statistics. A scene of the video signal is identified for re-compression and a maximum target bit rate for re-compressing the identified scene is determined based on the compression statistics and applicable compression constraints. A target bit rate for re-compressing the scene is selected based on the maximum target bit rate, and compression parameters for the scene are determined based on the scene's compression statistics and the selected target bit rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Inlet Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott C. Labrozzi, James D. Zimmerman, Philip G. Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 5803570
    Abstract: A calibration system and method for a display optical system including a projector and a projection screen. A calibration camera is inserted between the projector and the screen to receive the radiation directly from the projector. The image focused by the camera lens is captured by a charge-coupled device, and processed by a controller. The result is fed back to the image generator of the projector for further improvement in the image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Chungte W. Chen, James D. Zimmerman, David A. Ansley
  • Patent number: 5677788
    Abstract: A high efficiency, high performance full color projection system. The system includes a one-to-one relay and a refractive projection lens system. The one-to-one relay combines the outputs from two different spectral image sources, such as blue and red image sources. The refractive projection lens further combines the output from a third spectral image source, such as a green image source, with the combined images from the other two image sources relayed through the one-to-one relay to produce a single output. The one-to-one relay includes three modules, a spherical primary module, a spherical secondary module and a spectral combining module. The refractive projection lens system includes a beam combiner and a projection optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics
    Inventors: Chungte W. Chen, James D. Zimmerman, David A. Ansley
  • Patent number: 5541769
    Abstract: A uniform-brightness, high-gain projection screen is especially suited for reflecting radiation from a projector to a viewer who is spaced from the projector along a projection axis. The screen is formed with a plurality of reflective faces that each form at least a portion of a ring that is transverse to the projector axis, have different spacings from the projector and are axially tilted to set the projector-face angle equal to the viewer-face angle. The faces are preferably defined by a plurality of tiles that are bonded to the interior of a projection dome such as a flight simulator dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Hughes Training, Inc.
    Inventors: David A. Ansley, James D. Zimmerman, Ashok Sisodia