Patents by Inventor Richard Lee Swanson

Richard Lee Swanson 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).

  • Patent number: 8498453
    Abstract: An image processing system includes an image analysis module and an error detection module. The image analysis module is configured to analyze a digital image and to locate a plurality of head points of a subject in the digital image. The image analysis module is configured to detect a high hair condition of a subject, and to compute an adjusted top of head point if a high hair condition is present. The error detection module is configured to evaluate the head points identified by the image analysis module by performing a geometry test to evaluate a geometry of the head points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Lifetouch, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Alan Benson, Thomas Mark Ellis, Charmaine O. Light, Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson
  • Patent number: 8457480
    Abstract: A photography station operates to capture digital images of a subject with at least one digital camera. The photography station includes foreground lighting and background lighting. The foreground lighting is configured to illuminate the subject, while the background lighting is configured to illuminate a background. The photography station includes a computing device having a setup module operable to perform tests to check a configuration of the photography station, and a photography module operable to capture digital images of the subject with the digital camera. In some embodiments, the tests performed by the setup module include a plurality of initial checking operations and a plurality of background processing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Brent Peterson
  • Patent number: 8319797
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
  • Patent number: 8233785
    Abstract: A photography station operates to capture digital images of a subject with at least one digital camera. The photography station includes foreground lighting and background lighting. The foreground lighting is configured to illuminate the subject, while the background lighting is configured to illuminate a background. The photography station includes a computing device having a setup module operable to perform tests to check a configuration of the photography station, and a photography module operable to capture digital images of the subject with the digital camera. In some embodiments, the tests performed by the setup module include a plurality of initial checking operations and a plurality of background processing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.
    Inventors: Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Brent Peterson
  • Publication number: 20120120281
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: LIFETOUCH INC.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
  • Patent number: 8134576
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
  • Publication number: 20110134141
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: LIFETOUCH INC.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
  • Patent number: 7834894
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
  • Publication number: 20080246777
    Abstract: A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash