Patents by Inventor Stephen Edward Ecob

Stephen Edward Ecob 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).

  • Publication number: 20180075721
    Abstract: A system for detecting and reporting the separation of two entities including where the entities are people or items. In some implementations, the system performs separation checking triggered by movement conditions, or by checking of the state of an entity upon separation, and additionally adapts checking methods according to a condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 9854385
    Abstract: A system for detecting and reporting the separation of two entities including where the entities are people or items. In some implementations, the system performs separation checking triggered by movement conditions, or by checking of the state of an entity upon separation, and additionally adapts checking methods according to a condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 9551611
    Abstract: A reporting system includes a mobile computing device that wirelessly communicates with one or more sensors to track the use of a protective product. Reports are provided on the mobile computing device to remind and motivate a user of the protective product to use it at times most beneficial for receiving the intended protection from it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 9355293
    Abstract: A method (2304) of decoding a QR code having two initially detected finder patterns (2901, 2902; 2911, 2912) is provided. The method forms (2402) a pattern matching template (2700, 2800) based on characteristics of the detected finder patterns and determines (2403) at least one candidate region (2904, 2905; 2913, 2914) about the detected finder patterns. The candidate region is typically based at least on the relative positions of the detected finder patterns. The method detects (2404) a previously undetected third finder pattern of the QR code in the at least one candidate region by correlating content of the candidate region with the pattern matching template. With the identified third finder pattern and each of the two initially detected finder patterns, decoding (2305) the QR code can then be performed. Also disclosed is a method of detecting a two-dimensional code comprising known target features and coded data in an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: James Swayn, Alvin Wai Leong Yeap, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Publication number: 20150156567
    Abstract: A system for detecting and reporting human activity. In some implementations, the system reports, records or rewards detected human activities including correct and incorrect human activities, behaviours or habits including additionally remotely communicating the report, record or reward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2014
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Publication number: 20150079579
    Abstract: An integrated physical sensor grid system includes a plurality of nodes, a processor, and a computing device. One or more nodes consisting of electrical contacts and one or more sensors to detect electrical properties at each electrical contact are connected to a processor. The computing device is configured to display instructions to a user. The processor and mobile computing measure and compares readings of the one or more sensors against expected values indicated in the lesson plan. The computing device is configured to display results to the user in response to the comparison of readings against expected progress. The lesson plan consists of instructions and expected values to verify. The lesson plan may be shared by access to a database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Publication number: 20150041663
    Abstract: A reporting system includes a mobile computing device that wirelessly communicates with one or more sensors to track the use of a protective product. Reports are provided on the mobile computing device to remind and motivate a user of the protective product to use it at times most beneficial for receiving the intended protection from it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Ian James Oliver, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 8244067
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for identifying a constellation of alignment marks within an arrangement of computer readable marks in an image (1412), the arrangement of computer readable marks (1412) including alignment marks (1401-1406) and data carrying marks (1407-1410). The alignment marks (1401-1406) define a reference grid within the arrangement of computer readable marks and the data carrying marks (1407-1410) are modulated with respect to the reference grid to encode data. The method selects at least two marks (1501, 1502) from the arrangement of computer readable marks and determines a rotation center with reference to the selected marks (1501, 1502). The method then determines rotated positions for the selected marks by rotating each of the selected marks by a predetermined angle about the rotation center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michael Chun Tao Chan, Eric Lap Min Cheung, Dmitri Katchalov, Kapil Batra, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Publication number: 20100155464
    Abstract: A method (2304) of decoding a QR code having two initially detected finder patterns (2901, 2902; 2911, 2912) is provided. The method forms (2402) a pattern matching template (2700, 2800) based on characteristics of the detected finder patterns and determines (2403) at least one candidate region (2904, 2905; 2913, 2914) about the detected finder patterns. The candidate region is typically based at least on the relative positions of the detected finder patterns. The method detects (2404) a previously undetected third finder pattern of the QR code in the at least one candidate region by correlating content of the candidate region with the pattern matching template. With the identified third finder pattern and each of the two initially detected finder patterns, decoding (2305) the QR code can then be performed. Also disclosed is a method of detecting a two-dimensional code comprising known target features and coded data in an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: James Swayn, Alvin Wai Leong Yeap, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Publication number: 20090161957
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for identifying a constellation of alignment marks within an arrangement of computer readable marks in an image (1412), the arrangement of computer readable marks (1412) including alignment marks (1401-1406) and data carrying marks (1407-1410). The alignment marks (1401-1406) define a reference grid within the arrangement of computer readable marks and the data carrying marks (1407-1410) are modulated with respect to the reference grid to encode data. The method selects at least two marks (1501, 1502) from the arrangement of computer readable marks and determines a rotation centre with reference to the selected marks (1501, 1502). The method then determines rotated positions for the selected marks by rotating each of the selected marks by a predetermined angle about the rotation centre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michael Chun Tao Chan, Eric Lap Min Cheung, Dmitri Katchalov, Kapil Batra, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 7425955
    Abstract: A method of rendering a scan line of a graphic object image in a scan line renderer for spans of pixels laying between consecutive x-ordered edges intersecting the scan line includes maintaining a set of depths present in the rendering of the scan line, with the set being maintained in depth order. For each span, the set contains at least those depths that are active in the span, and the set is subject to removal of at least one depth at a subsequent span on the scan line where the corresponding depth is no longer active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Timothy Merrick Long, Scott Bradley, Stephen Edward Ecob, Benjamin Michael Lever
  • Patent number: 7292256
    Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging engine system (699) generally intended for the reproduction of graphical object images using apparatus having limited computing resources, such as so-called “thin clients”. Numerous developments of traditional image processing and rendering enable high quality image generation. One such development takes advantage of temporal coherence between one frame in an animation sequence and the succeeding frame. In particular, there will often be some edges (233, 235) of graphical objects that remain “static” across several contiguous frames. One example of this includes those edges used to draw image background detail. Another development performs antialiasing during scan line rendering of a graphic object image where sub-pixel resolution coverage bit-masks (A-buffers 29-34) are generated for a limited number of scan lines at a time. Preferably the A-buffers are generated for only one pixel at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michael Jan Lawther, Christopher James Cormie, Stephen Edward Ecob
  • Patent number: 7280120
    Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging engine system (699) generally intended for the reproduction of graphical object images using apparatus having limited computing resources, such as so-called “thin clients”. Numerous developments of traditional image processing and rendering enable high quality image generation. One such development takes advantage of temporal coherence between one frame in an animation sequence and the succeeding frame. In particular, there will often be some edges (233, 235) of graphical objects that remain “static” across several contiguous frames. One example of this includes those edges used to draw image background detail. Another development performs antialiasing during scan line rendering of a graphic object image where sub-pixel resolution coverage bit-masks (A-buffers 29-34) are generated for a limited number of scan lines at a time. Preferably the A-buffers are generated for only one pixel at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Ecob, Scott Bradley, Michael Jan Lawther
  • Patent number: 7178151
    Abstract: A method (200) for generating a device driver in an information processing apparatus (101) for a device connected thereto, such as a printer (115), is disclosed. The method (100) obtains a Printer Characterization File (PCF) which contains a characterization of the device (115) or a group of devices. The device driver is then generated by using the PCF to configure a Device Model Independent Printer Driver (DMIPD) stored with an application on an unchangeable memory, such as a CD-ROM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Ecob, Alexander Vincent Danilo
  • Patent number: 7148897
    Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging engine system (699) generally intended for the reproduction of graphical object images using apparatus having limited computing resources, such as so-called “thin clients”. Numerous developments of traditional image processing and rendering enable high quality image generation. One such development takes advantage of temporal coherence between one frame in an animation sequence and the succeeding frame. In particular, there will often be some edges (233, 235) of graphical objects that remain “static” across several contiguous frames. One example of this includes those edges used to draw image background detail. Another development performs antialiasing during scan line rendering of a graphic object image where sub-pixel resolution coverage bit-masks (A-buffers 29–34) are generated for a limited number of scan lines at a time. Preferably the A-buffers are generated for only one pixel at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Ecob, Scott Bradley
  • Publication number: 20020062404
    Abstract: A method (200) for generating a device driver in an information processing apparatus (101) for a device connected thereto, such as a printer (115), is disclosed. The method (100) obtains a Printer Characterization File (PCF) which contains a characterization of the device (115) or a group of devices. The device driver is then generated by using the PCF to configure a Device Model Independent Printer Driver (DMIPD) stored with an application on an unchangeable memory, such as a CD-ROM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen Edward Ecob, Alexander Vincent Danilo