Patents by Inventor Ramesh Raskar

Ramesh Raskar 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).

  • Multi-Image Deblurring
    Publication number: 20100246989
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a method for reducing a blur in an image of a scene. First, we acquire a set of images of the scene, wherein each image in the set of images includes an object having a blur associated with a point spread function (PSF) forming a set of point spread functions (PSFs), wherein the set of PSFs is suitable for null-filling operation. Next, we invert jointly the set of images and the set of PSFs to produce an output image having a reduced blur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Amit Agrawal, Yi Xu, Ramesh Raskar
  • 4D light field cameras
    Patent number: 7792423
    Abstract: A camera acquires a 4D light field of a scene. The camera includes a lens and sensor. A mask is arranged in a straight optical path between the lens and the sensor. The mask including an attenuation pattern to spatially modulate the 4D light field acquired of the scene by the sensor. The pattern has a low spatial frequency when the mask is arranged near the lens, and a high spatial frequency when the mask is arranged near the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Amit Kumar Agrawal
  • Apparatus and method for reducing glare in images
    Patent number: 7780364
    Abstract: Glare is reduced by acquiring an input image with a camera having a lens and a sensor, in which a pin-hole mask is placed in close proximity to the sensor. The mask localizes the glare at readily identifiable pixels, which can then be filtered to produce a glare reduce output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Cyrus A. Wilson, Amit K. Agrawal
  • Method and apparatus for deblurring images
    Patent number: 7756407
    Abstract: A method and system deblurs images acquired of a scene by a camera. A light field acquired of a scene is modulated temporally according to a sequence of ons and offs. The modulated light field is integrated by a sensor of a camera during an exposure time to generate an encoded input image. The encoded input image is decoded according to a pseudo-inverse of a smearing matrix to produce a decoded output image having a reduced blur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Ramesh Raskar
  • Stylized rendering using a multi-flash camera
    Patent number: 7738725
    Abstract: A method generates a stylized image of a scene including an object. A set of n input images are acquired of the scene with a camera. Each one of the n input images is illuminated by one of a set of n light sources mounted on a body of the camera at different positions from a center of projection of a lens of the camera. Ambient lighting can be used to illuminate one image. Features in the set of n input images are detected. The features include depth edges, intensity edges, and texture edges to determine qualitative depth relationships between the depth edges, the intensity edges and the texture edges. The set of n input images are then combined in an output image to enhance the detected features according to the qualitative relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Rogerio Feris
  • Method and Apparatus for Determining 3D Shapes of Objects
    Publication number: 20100098323
    Abstract: An apparatus and method determine a 3D shape of an object in a scene. The object is illuminated to cast multiple silhouettes on a diffusing screen coplanar and in close proximity to a mask. A single image acquired of the diffusing screen is partitioned into subview according to the silhouettes. A visual hull of the object is then constructed according to isosurfaces of the binary images to approximate the 3D shape of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Amit K. Agrawal, Ramesh Raskar, Douglas Robert Lanman, Gabriel Taubin
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MARKING SCENES AND IMAGES OF SCENES WITH OPTICAL TAGS
    Publication number: 20100079481
    Abstract: A method and system marks a scene and images acquired of the scene with tags. A set of tags is projected into a scene while modulating an intensity of each tag according to a unique temporally varying code. Each tag is projected as an infrared signal at a known location in the scene. Sequences of infrared and color images are acquired of the scene while performing the projecting and the modulating. A subset of the tags is detected in the sequence of infrared images. Then, the sequence of color image is displayed while marking a location of each detected tag in the displayed sequence of color images, in which the marked location of the detected tag corresponds to the known location of the tag in the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Li Zhang, Neesha Subramaniam, Robert Lin, Shree K. Nayar, Ramesh Raskar
  • Increasing object resolutions from a motion-blurred image
    Patent number: 7639289
    Abstract: A method increases a resolution of a moving object in an image acquired of a scene by a camera. The image scene is temporally modulated according to a temporally encoding pattern, while integrating the image in a camera sensor to produce a blurred input image. The blurred input image is resolved according to the temporally encoding pattern to produce an enhanced and deblurred output image in which the object has an increased resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Agrawal, Ramesh Raskar
  • Apparatus and Method for Reducing Glare in Images
    Publication number: 20090273843
    Abstract: Glare is reduced by acquiring an input image with a camera having a lens and a sensor, in which a pin-hole mask is placed in close proximity to the sensor. The mask localizes the glare at readily identifiable pixels, which can then be filtered to produce a glare reduce output image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Cyrus A. Wilson, Amit K. Agrawal
  • Method for deblurring images using optimized temporal coding patterns
    Patent number: 7580620
    Abstract: A method and system deblurs images acquired of a scene by a camera. A light field acquired of a scene is modulated temporally according to a sequence of ons and offs. An optimal coding pattern is selected. The modulated light field is integrated by a sensor of a camera during an exposure time to generate an encoded input image. The encoded input image is decoded according to a pseudo-inverse of a smearing matrix to produce a decoded output image having a reduced blur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Jack Tumblin, Amit Agrawal
  • Agile Spectrum Imaging Apparatus and Method
    Publication number: 20090201498
    Abstract: An optical system performs agile spectrum imaging. The system includes a first lens for focusing light from a light source. The focused light is dispersed over a spectrum of wavelengths. A second lens focuses the dispersed light onto a mask. The mask selectively attenuates the wavelengths of the spectrum of the light source onto an image plane of the light destination. Depending on the arrangement of the light source and destination, the system can act as a 2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the light source is a scene and the light destination is sensor, and the apparatus operates as an agile spectrum camera, viewer, spectrum projector, or light source. The arrangement can also be combined to provide a stereo vision system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Ankit Mohan, Jack Tumblin
  • Retargeting images for small displays
    Patent number: 7574069
    Abstract: A method retargets an image to a different size. An input image is segmented into regions. Selected regions are cut from the input image to construct a background image. The background image is scaled to a predetermined size, and the selected regions are pasted back into the scaled background image to produce an output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Vidya Setlur, Michael Gleicher, Bruce Gooch, Saeko Takagi, Ramesh Raskar
  • Method and System for Locating and Picking Objects Using Active Illumination
    Publication number: 20090116728
    Abstract: A method and system determines a 3D pose of an object in a scene. Depth edges are determined from a set of images acquired of a scene including multiple objects while varying illumination in the scene. The depth edges are linked to form contours. The images are segmented into regions according to the contours. An occlusion graph is constructed using the regions. The occlusion graph includes a source node representing an unoccluded region of an unoccluded object in scene. The contour associated with the unoccluded region is compared with a set of silhouettes of the objects, in which each silhouette has a known pose. The known pose of a best matching silhouette is selected as the pose of the unoccluded object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Amit K. Agrawal, Ramesh Raskar
  • Method and apparatus for acquiring HDR flash images
    Patent number: 7454136
    Abstract: A method generates a high dynamic range image by first acquiring a set of images of a scene illuminated by different lighting conditions. The set of images are then combined to generate a high dynamic range image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Amit Agrawal, Shree K. Nayar, Yuanzhen Li
  • Method and apparatus for enhancing flash and ambient images
    Patent number: 7443443
    Abstract: A method and system generate an enhanced output image. A first image is acquired of a scene illuminated by a first illumination condition. A second image is acquired of the scene illuminated by a second illumination condition. First and second gradient images are determined from the first and second images. Orientations of gradients in the first and second gradient images are compared to produce a combined gradient image, and an enhanced output image is constructed from the combined gradient image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Amit Agrawal
  • Light pen system for pixel-based displays
    Patent number: 7421111
    Abstract: An interactive display system includes a pixel-based display surface and a light pen. A sequence of patterns is projected onto the display surface. The sequence of patterns has a unique sequence of light intensities for each location of the display surface. Intensities of light at an arbitrary location are sensed by the light pen while projecting the sequence of patterns. The intensifies of light are decoded to determine coordinates of the arbitrary location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul H. Dietz, Darren L. Leigh, Ramesh Raskar, Johnny Chung Lee
  • 4D light field cameras
    Publication number: 20080187305
    Abstract: A camera acquires a 4D light field of a scene. The camera includes a lens and sensor. A mask is arranged in a straight optical path between the lens and the sensor. The mask including an attenuation pattern to spatially modulate the 4D light field acquired of the scene by the sensor. The pattern has a low spatial frequency when the mask is arranged near the lens, and a high spatial frequency when the mask is arranged near the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Amit Kumar Agrawal
  • Method for estimating camera settings adaptively
    Patent number: 7403707
    Abstract: A camera is configured to adaptively determine camera settings. The camera includes a plurality of sensors elements configured to acquire a current image of a scene according to a current set of camera settings. A number of sensor elements having a set of desirable properties is measured. Then, a next set of camera settings that maximize an overall number of sensor elements having the set of desirable properties is determined to acquire a next better image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Amit Agrawal, Shree K. Nayar, Yuanzhen Li
  • Enhancing low quality videos of illuminated scenes
    Patent number: 7359562
    Abstract: A method enhances a low quality video. An input video Vjin is acquired of a scene under uncontrolled illumination. The input video Vjin is smoothed to produce a noise-reduced video Sj. Temporal gradients Gtj (x, y) are determined for each frame j of the noise reduced video Sj. The gradients Gtj (x, y) are thresholded to generate a binary mask Mj(x, y). For each frame, weights are determined according Wj (x, y)=F(Mk(x, y), and a spatial gradient field is determined according to Gxyj (x, y). Then, an output video Vjout is constructed from the spatial gradient field Gxyj.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramesh Raskar, Adrian Dumitru Ilie
  • Increasing Object Resolutions from a Motion-Blurred Image
    Publication number: 20080062287
    Abstract: The embodiments of the invention provide a method for increasing a resolution of a moving object in an image acquired of a scene by a camera. An image acquired of a scene including a moving object is temporally modulated, according to a temporally encoding pattern, while integrating the image in a camera sensor to produce a blurred input image. The blurred input image is resolved according to the temporally encoding pattern to produce an enhanced and deblurred output image in which the object has an increased resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Amit K. Agrawal, Ramesh Raskar