Abstract: A surgical instrument is disclosed herein. The surgical instrument can include an end effector that includes jaws configured to transition between an opened condition and a closed condition, a plurality of electrodes positioned within the jaws of the end effector, a control circuit, and a memory configured to store an algorithm configured to cause the control circuit to determine an impedance signal based on signals received from the plurality of electrodes, detect a media positioned between the jaws of the end effector based on the determined impedance signal, determine a position of the detected media based on the received signals, and generate an alert associated with the detected media and the determined position.

Abstract: A protective structure, to protect an antenna from damage, is provided. The protective structure includes a body. The body defines one or more prong-receiving apertures in a first surface of the body, wherein through each aperture of the one or more prong-receiving apertures, the body is configured to receive a prong of one or more prongs of the antenna. The body defines a radio frequency (RF) connection aperture extending from the first surface of the body to a second surface of the body, wherein the body is configured to receive a cable through the RF connection aperture to couple a cable connector of the cable to an RF connector of the antenna.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to devices, methods, and computer readable media for performing image registration. A few generalized steps may be used to carry out the image registration techniques described herein: 1) acquiring image data from an image sensor; 2) selecting a pair of overlapping image portions from the acquired image data for registration; 3) determining an area of “maximum energy” in one of the image portions being registered; 4) placing an image registration window over both image portions at the determined location of maximum energy; 5) registering the overlapping image portions using only the image data falling within the image registration windows; and 6) determining, according to one or more metrics, whether the image registration window should be shifted from a current location before registering subsequently acquired image portions.

Abstract: A method for dynamically calibrating rotational offset in a device includes obtaining an image captured by a camera of the device. Orientation information of the device at the time of image capture may be associated with the image. Pixel data of the image may be analyzed to determine an image orientation angle for the image. A device orientation angle may be determined from the orientation information. A rotational offset, based on the image orientation angle and the device orientation angle, may be determined. The rotational offset is relative to the camera or orientation sensor. A rotational bias may be determined from statistical analysis of numerous rotational offsets from numerous respective images. In some embodiments, various thresholds and predetermined ranges may be used to exclude some rotational offsets from the statistical analysis or to discontinue processing for that image.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to register images in real-time and that are capable of producing reliable registrations even when the number of high frequency image features is small. The disclosed techniques may also provide a quantitative measure of a registration's quality. The latter may be used to inform the user and/or to automatically determine when visual registration techniques may be less accurate than motion sensor-based approaches. When such a case is detected, an image capture device may be automatically switched from visual-based to sensor-based registration. Disclosed techniques quickly determine indicators of an image's overall composition (row and column projections) which may be used to determine the translation of a first image, relative to a second image. The translation so determined may be used to align/register the two images.

Abstract: A method for dynamically calibrating rotational offset in a device includes obtaining an image captured by a camera of the device. Orientation information of the device at the time of image capture may be associated with the image. Pixel data of the image may be analyzed to determine an image orientation angle for the image. A device orientation angle may be determined from the orientation information. A rotational offset, based on the image orientation angle and the device orientation angle, may be determined. The rotational offset is relative to the camera or orientation sensor. A rotational bias may be determined from statistical analysis of numerous rotational offsets from numerous respective images. In some embodiments, various thresholds and predetermined ranges may be used to exclude some rotational offsets from the statistical analysis or to discontinue processing for that image.

Abstract: A method for dynamically calibrating rotational offset in a device includes obtaining an image captured by a camera of the device. Orientation information of the device at the time of image capture may be associated with the image. Pixel data of the image may be analyzed to determine an image orientation angle for the image. A device orientation angle may be determined from the orientation information. A rotational offset, based on the image orientation angle and the device orientation angle, may be determined. The rotational offset is relative to the camera or orientation sensor. A rotational bias may be determined from statistical analysis of numerous rotational offsets from numerous respective images. In some embodiments, various thresholds and predetermined ranges may be used to exclude some rotational offsets from the statistical analysis or to discontinue processing for that image.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to register images in real-time and that are capable of producing reliable registrations even when the number of high frequency image features is small. The disclosed techniques may also provide a quantitative measure of a registration's quality. The latter may be used to inform the user and/or to automatically determine when visual registration techniques may be less accurate than motion sensor-based approaches. When such a case is detected, an image capture device may be automatically switched from visual-based to sensor-based registration. Disclosed techniques quickly determine indicators of an image's overall composition (row and column projections) which may be used to determine the translation of a first image, relative to a second image. The translation so determined may be used to align/register the two images.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to devices, methods, and computer readable media for performing image registration. A few generalized steps may be used to carry out the image registration techniques described herein: 1) acquiring image data from an image sensor; 2) selecting a pair of overlapping image portions from the acquired image data for registration; 3) determining an area of “maximum energy” in one of the image portions being registered; 4) placing an image registration window over both image portions at the determined location of maximum energy; 5) registering the overlapping image portions using only the image data falling within the image registration windows; and 6) determining, according to one or more metrics, whether the image registration window should be shifted from a current location before registering subsequently acquired image portions.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for generating an animatable object. A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are static components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and a constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for providing an animatable character displayed via a computer system. The character can be made animatable by utilizing ajoint which connects two portions of the character. When one portion of the character is rotated, or moved, with respect to the other portion of the character, then the dimensions of the portion which is being moved remain the same as prior to motion. Accordingly, the present invention can provide an animatable character by utilizing a single image of the character and moving various portions of the character while maintaining the integrity of the character's dimensions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for determining one or more characteristics of a sub-image within an electronic image.In one embodiment, the present invention includes an alpha image generator and a characterizer. The alpha image generator provides an alpha image of the subject being characterized, separated from a background of the input image. In another embodiment, the alpha image generator also may provide a summed area table. The characterizer determines a characteristic of the subject from the alpha image.In another embodiment, a first characteristic of the subject is derived from the alpha image. The characterizer determines a second characteristic based upon the first characteristic. In yet another embodiment, the determination of the second characteristic is simplified by eliminating all the unlikely estimates of the second characteristic in the overall potential estimates of the second characteristic.