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).
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Patent number: 8498453Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 30, 2009Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Lifetouch, Inc.Inventors: Keith Alan Benson, Thomas Mark Ellis, Charmaine O. Light, Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson
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Patent number: 8457480Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 13, 2012Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.Inventors: Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Brent Peterson
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Patent number: 8319797Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 26, 2012Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
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Patent number: 8233785Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 16, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.Inventors: Michael John Surma, Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Brent Peterson
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Publication number: 20120120281Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2012Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: LIFETOUCH INC.Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
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Patent number: 8134576Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 4, 2010Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
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Publication number: 20110134141Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2010Publication date: June 9, 2011Applicant: LIFETOUCH INC.Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
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Patent number: 7834894Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 3, 2007Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Lifetouch Inc.Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash
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Publication number: 20080246777Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2007Publication date: October 9, 2008Inventors: Richard Lee Swanson, Earl John Adolphi, Michael John Surma, John Robert Reinert Nash