Patents by Inventor Lingfei Meng
Lingfei Meng 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).
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Patent number: 10660512Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2017Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff, Lingfei Meng, Nikhil Balram
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Patent number: 10502556Abstract: Certain embodiments are directed to 3D surface measurement systems and methods configured to direct engineered illumination of beams in one or more ray bundles to N illumination directions incident a sample surface. The systems and methods can measure a map of surface normals, a depth map, and a map of surface properties using intensity images captured while the engineered illumination is directed to the sample surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: Mura Inc.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Jun Jiang
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Patent number: 10327627Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope captures images used in making a medical diagnosis. For example, the plenoptic data can be processed to produce enhanced imagery of the ear interior, and this enhanced imagery can be used in making a medical diagnosis.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2014Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Lingfei Meng, Ivana Tosic, Nikhil Balram
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Patent number: 10117579Abstract: A multimode fundus camera enables three-dimensional and/or spectral/polarization imaging of the interior of the eye to assist in improved diagnosis. In one aspect, the multimode fundus camera includes a first imaging subsystem, a filter module, and a second imaging subsystem. The first imaging subsystem is positionable in front of an eye to form an optical image of an interior of the eye. The filter module is positioned at a pupil plane of the first imaging subsystem or at a conjugate thereof. The second imaging subsystem include a microimaging array and a sensor array. The microimaging array is positioned at the image plane or a conjugate thereof, and the sensor array is positioned at the pupil plane or a conjugate thereof.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2016Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Liang Gao, Lingfei Meng, Noah Bedard
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Patent number: 9918077Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
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Patent number: 9888229Abstract: This invention presents an approach to first estimate a depth/disparity map using spectrally coded plenoptic camera, and then based on the disparity map the parallax between different spectral channels is rectified. Based on our new technique, we can reconstruct not only multispectral images but also a depth/disparity map. Moreover, the quality of reconstructed spectral images is significantly improved using our parallax rectification.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2014Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner
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Patent number: 9883798Abstract: A multimode fundus camera enables three-dimensional and/or spectral/polarization imaging of the interior of the eye to assist in improved diagnosis.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Noah Bedard, Lingfei Meng, Vipin Namboodiri, Krishna Prasad Agara Venkatesha Rao, Kathrin Berkner
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Publication number: 20180023947Abstract: Certain embodiments are directed to 3D surface measurement systems and methods configured to direct engineered illumination of beams in one or more ray bundles to N illumination directions incident a sample surface. The systems and methods can measure a map of surface normals, a depth map, and a map of surface properties using intensity images captured while the engineered illumination is directed to the sample surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2017Publication date: January 25, 2018Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Jun Jiang
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Patent number: 9797716Abstract: A plenoptic camera captures a plenoptic image of an object illuminated by a point source (preferably, collimated illumination). The plenoptic image is a sampling of the four-dimensional light field reflected from the object. The plenoptic image is made up of superpixels, each of which is made up of subpixels. Each superpixel captures light from a certain region of the object (i.e., a range of x,y spatial locations) and the subpixels within a superpixel capture light propagating within a certain range of directions (i.e., a range of u,v spatial directions). Accordingly, optical properties estimation, surface normal reconstruction, depth estimation, and three-dimensional rendering can be provided by processing only a single plenoptic image. In one approach, the plenoptic image is used to estimate the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the object surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2015Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic
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Patent number: 9741100Abstract: The spatial resolution of captured plenoptic images is enhanced. In one aspect, the plenoptic imaging process is modeled by a pupil image function (PIF), and a PIF inversion process is applied to the captured plenoptic image to produce a better resolution estimate of the object.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2014Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Sapna A. Shroff, Kathrin Berkner, Lingfei Meng
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Patent number: 9706116Abstract: Color plenoptic images captured by a spectrally-coded plenoptic imaging system are combined with higher resolution higher resolution images captured by a conventional imaging system, resulting in color images with higher resolution than those captured by the plenoptic imaging system alone.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2013Date of Patent: July 11, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Co., LTD.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Kathrin Berkner
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Publication number: 20170127928Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff, Lingfei Meng, Nikhil Balram
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Publication number: 20170084034Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: March 23, 2017Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
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Patent number: 9565996Abstract: A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2013Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Kathrin Berkner, Sapna A. Shroff, Lingfei Meng, Nikhil Balram
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Patent number: 9544583Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2015Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
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Publication number: 20160278637Abstract: A multimode fundus camera enables three-dimensional and/or spectral/polarization imaging of the interior of the eye to assist in improved diagnosis. In one aspect, the multimode fundus camera includes a first imaging subsystem, a filter module, and a second imaging subsystem. The first imaging subsystem is positionable in front of an eye to form an optical image of an interior of the eye. The filter module is positioned at a pupil plane of the first imaging subsystem or at a conjugate thereof. The second imaging subsystem include a microimaging array and a sensor array. The microimaging array is positioned at the image plane or a conjugate thereof, and the sensor array is positioned at the pupil plane or a conjugate thereof.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Liang Gao, Lingfei Meng, Noah Bedard
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Patent number: 9392933Abstract: Various types of illuminators for plenoptic otoscopes. The illuminators provide illuminating light to image the inside of the ear.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2014Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Noah Bedard, Lingfei Meng
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Publication number: 20160205394Abstract: A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2015Publication date: July 14, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Noah Bedard, Kathrin Berkner
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Publication number: 20160202048Abstract: A plenoptic camera captures a plenoptic image of an object illuminated by a point source (preferably, collimated illumination). The plenoptic image is a sampling of the four-dimensional light field reflected from the object. The plenoptic image is made up of superpixels, each of which is made up of subpixels. Each superpixel captures light from a certain region of the object (i.e., a range of x,y spatial locations) and the subpixels within a superpixel capture light propagating within a certain range of directions (i.e., a range of u,v spatial directions). Accordingly, optical properties estimation, surface normal reconstruction, depth estimation, and three-dimensional rendering can be provided by processing only a single plenoptic image. In one approach, the plenoptic image is used to estimate the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the object surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2015Publication date: July 14, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Lingfei Meng, Liyang Lu, Kathrin Berkner, Ivana Tosic
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Publication number: 20160135682Abstract: A multimode fundus camera enables three-dimensional and/or spectral/polarization imaging of the interior of the eye to assist in improved diagnosis.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2014Publication date: May 19, 2016Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Noah Bedard, Lingfei Meng, Vipin Namboodiri, Krishna Prasad Agara Venkatesha Rao, Kathrin Berkner