Patents Issued in March 4, 2014
  • Patent number: 8666099
    Abstract: A hearing aid (62, 72, 82, 92, 102, 112) adapted for alleviating tinnitus of a user (75), comprises an audio input means (83), a signal processing unit (88, 98, 108, 118) and an output transducer (80). The hearing aid further comprises a band stop filter (87) arranged to match a tinnitus of the user and switching means (86, 116) and switch control means (84, 114) for controlling the switching of said band stop filter (87) into and out of the signal path between the audio input means (83) and the output transducer (80), in response to a predefined trigger event. The invention further provides a method of adjusting a hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventors: Jakob Nielsen, Georg Stiefenhofer, Mike Lind Rank, Stine Kohrtz Andersen
  • Patent number: 8666101
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide an enclosure for a metal-air battery assembly for an extended wear hearing aid. The enclosure includes a diffusion control element having a dimensional property configured for controlling oxygen and moisture diffusion into the metal-air battery assembly to maintain a minimum battery voltage when the hearing aid is operating and worn in an ear canal of a user over an extended period. In an embodiment, the enclosure can comprise a shell with a base end having an opening therein forming a cavity within the shell and a base cap for covering the opening of the base end. A diffusion element is disposed on the base cap. In an embodiment, the diffusion element comprises a laser drilled precision micro hole having an aspect ratio of least about four and a diameter in the range of about 10 to 15 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: InSound Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Gable, Ross Baker, Tom O'Hara
  • Patent number: 8666102
    Abstract: A hearing system includes at least one earpiece having a shell, an elongate retention element attached to the shell, and an insert unit. The shell has a sound tube portion carrying a soft tip for insertion into the user's ear canal, an outwardly oriented interface portion for detachably receiving the insert unit, and an engagement portion between the sound tube portion and the interface portion for engaging with the tragus/antitragus region of the ear, wherein the material and the dimensions of the retention element are such that the retention element can engage the user's concha by manual deformation by the user, and wherein the insert unit is a filter unit with at least one sound attenuation filter, or is an active electronic unit with at least a loudspeaker, and with an external electronic unit, which is worn on the user's body below the user's neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Henning Bruckhoff, Wolfgang Huep, Juergen Brinkmann, Peter Boschung
  • Patent number: 8666103
    Abstract: A waterproof pillow with audio unit is described. The waterproof pillow with audio unit includes a waterproof pillow, a sound unit and a remote control unit. Either the sound unit scans a plurality of audio devices for identifying the audio devices or the audio devices respectively scan the sound unit for identifying the sound unit to establish the communication links between the sound unit and audio devices. The sound unit then utilizes a switch unit to switch for selecting one of the audio devices. An audio output device is used to output the audio output of the selected audio device. The remote control unit controls the sound unit for selecting the musical sound of the audio devices served as the audio output. The remote control unit further adjusts the volume of the audio output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Dartpoint Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chung-hsin Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8666104
    Abstract: A lighting and communication system with a horn enclosure for recessed ceiling panel or wall mounting, including a speaker with a horn expansion area to direct sound waves from the speaker to a horn enclosure front, at least one light enclosure located within the horn enclosure, the light enclosure defining a light cavity which is separated from said horn expansion area, with a light source inside the light cavity. The light source can be an LED array, which is capable of displaying text, colors or patterns in response to a control system signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mitek Corp., Inc.
    Inventors: Loyd Ivey, Bruce Marlin, Alan Cross, Brad Diedrich
  • Patent number: 8666105
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a speaker mounting assembly. In one such embodiment, the speaker mounting assembly comprises a speaker housing having a housing support surface, a speaker mounting bracket having a base surface, a projection extending from one of the speaker housing and the speaker mounting bracket and a mounting structure formed on the other of the speaker housing and the speaker mounting bracket. The mounting structure is configured to receive the projection such that the housing support surface contacts the base surface when the projection is received in the mounting structure. The mounting structure has an anti-rotation structure configured to prevent rotation of the speaker housing with respect to the speaker mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: William Walker, Chris Matthews
  • Patent number: 8666106
    Abstract: A sound reproducing device includes parametric speakers disposed to a display, a loudspeaker, drivers, a human-body sensor, and a controller. The loudspeaker has a wider directivity than the parametric speakers. The drivers change directions of the parametric speakers, respectively. The parametric speakers and the drivers constitute at least two parametric speaker units each composed of respective one of the parametric speakers and respective one of the drivers. The controller reproduces sound information based the number of persons in front of the display detected from an output from the human-body senor. The sound reproducing device reduces the possibility for a number of persons to hear the sound noisily, and allows drawing more attention to the content, e.g. an advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Fumiyasu Konno, Katsu Takeda
  • Patent number: 8666107
    Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a housing, a conducting sound element, a rotating element, and a modulating element slidably mounted to the rotating element. The housing defines an insertion chamber and a notch. The conducting sound element is mounted in a front of the insertion chamber. The rotating element is rotatablely mounted in a rear of the insertion chamber. A rear end of the rotating element defines a holding groove. A portion of the rear surface of the rotating element is recessed forward to form a sliding groove. A front surface of the modulating element is equipped with an audio plug and defines a sliding element slidably located in the sliding groove. The audio plug is capable of being inserted into the holding groove or projecting out of the holding groove and the notch under a rotation of the modulating element together with the rotating element with respect to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guan-Hua Tzeng
  • Patent number: 8666108
    Abstract: Each bit of information that is impressed upon a video signal is impressed upon each pixel of a block of pixels of the video signal a video signal so as to reduce errors in transmission of the additional information. Prior to impression, the additional information may be further coded, e.g., using channel coding, interleaving, and differential encoding. A receiver performs complimentary processes to recover the additional data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Mohsen Sarraf, Mohammad Hossein Zarrabizadeh
  • Patent number: 8666109
    Abstract: A system and method for recording emergency data during a 911 call. The emergency data recorded may be in the form of a digital image. The digital image may be of the event prompting the 911 call. The digital image may be a single image, a series of images, or streaming video. The emergency data may be received on a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone, through a digital imaging device, such as a digital camera. The emergency data may then be transmitted to a server, wherein the emergency data is stored. The emergency data may be accessed by a 911 dispatcher during a 911 call to review the image data to aid in assessing the emergency recorded in the emergency data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Paul V. Hubner, Kristopher A. Pate, Steven T. Archer, Robert A. Clavenna
  • Patent number: 8666110
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for masking a privacy area of an image. The method for masking a privacy area of an image includes: detecting a privacy area required to be protected in an image; and performing masking on the image. An important area (a face area of a person, a number plate area of a vehicle, a window area of a house, etc.) detected from an image inputted through a CCTV camera can be effectively and easily encrypted, scrambled, decoded, and descrambled. Also, the position of the important area detected before or after the important area is scrambled can be maintained to be consistent without having to use a metadata file. In addition, a scrambling algorithm of the same key value can be applicable regardless of the size of the important area. As a result, the system efficiency can be enhanced by effectively protecting personal information compared with a CCTV-based video security system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jang Hee Yoo, Geon Woo Kim, Jong Wook Han, Hyun Sook Cho
  • Patent number: 8666111
    Abstract: The present application provides a robust system and method for detecting the watermark in an electronic media, wherein the electronic media had gone through various kinds of attacks and their combinations thereof which may not be known while detecting the watermarks. The watermark detection system and method can be trained to detect or reject a particular pattern. The watermark detection system and method are based on correlation and are useful in any kind of digital watermarking applications. The watermark detection system and method perform well even when the amount of distortion is not precisely known, wherein the disclosure provides a set of templates or correlation filters, being designed for detection of watermark to cover any kind and combination of attacks. For synchronous attacks, the correlation filter designing is carried out dynamically. Particularly, the template i.e. correlation filter is an attack adaptive frequency domain pattern for watermark detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Srinivasa Rao Chalamala, Jyoti Dhillon, Krishna Rao Kakkirala, Krithika Venkataramani
  • Patent number: 8666112
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for determining the location where an image was captured. In general, a device such as a smartphone may capture one or more images from a location, such as images of buildings, street signs and the like, and a central system may compare the submitted images to images in an image library to identify matches. The location of the match may then be provided back to the smartphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Yushi Jing, Jian Yuan
  • Patent number: 8666113
    Abstract: Disclosed methods include: acquiring a first sequence of multiple images of a sample, with each image in the first sequence corresponding to a different spectral weighting function; unmixing the first sequence of images into data corresponding to a first set of unmixed images, where each unmixed image in the first set corresponds to a spatial distribution in the sample of a different one of multiple components at a first time; acquiring one or more additional images of the sample and combining the additional images with one or more of the images in the first sequence to form a second sequence of images; unmixing the second sequence of images into data corresponding to a second set of unmixed images; and displaying information about the sample as a function of time based on the data corresponding to the first and second sets of unmixed images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Determan, Peter J. Miller
  • Patent number: 8666114
    Abstract: An apparatus includes at least one memory unit and at least one processing unit. The memory unit is configured to receive and store information associated with a particular geographical region. The processing unit configured to execute a computer program for discretizing an image of the geographical region into a plurality of sub-regions. Using these sub-regions, the processing unit may generate a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges in which the nodes comprise the sub-regions. The processing unit may also geospatially partition an image of the geographical region according to the information that is associated with each of the sub-regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kirk Schloegel, Valerie Guralnik, Scott McCloskey, Ben Miller
  • Patent number: 8666115
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a device based on computer vision. Embodiments of the system and method of the invention are based on receiving a sequence of images of a field of view; detecting movement of at least one object in the images; applying a shape recognition algorithm on the at least one moving object; confirming that the object is a user hand by combining information from at least two images of the object; and tracking the object to control the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pointgrab Ltd.
    Inventors: Haim Perski, Amir Kaplan, Eran Eilat
  • Patent number: 8666116
    Abstract: A method of facilitating obtaining a first signal, for analysis to characterize at least one periodic component, includes obtaining two second signals representative of intensities of electromagnetic radiation. The first signal is at least derivable from an output signal obtainable by applying a transformation to the second signals such that any value of the output signal is based on values from each respective second signal at corresponding points in time. The method further includes obtaining a value of a variable determining influences of components of respective second signals on the output signal when the signals corresponding to the second signals are captured and the transformation is applied, by (i) analyzing the first, second and/or the output signals to select a value of a parameter corresponding to a respective one of the variables; or (ii) calculating values of at least one time-varying factor corresponding to a respective one of the variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Ihor Olehovych Kirenko, Vincent Jeanne, Gerard De Haan, Adriaan Johan Van Leest
  • Patent number: 8666117
    Abstract: A method for determining a parking violation includes receiving video data as a sequence of frames provided by a camera. The method includes defining a location of an exclusion zone in the video data. The method includes detecting a vehicle located in the defined exclusion zone. The detecting includes determining a background in an initial frame of the video data and determining a background in a select frame by applying a predetermined updating process. The detecting includes subtracting the background of the select frame from the initial frame to obtain an image difference. The detecting includes classifying the pixels in the image difference as foreground or background pixels and classifying the pixels in the foreground image as vehicle or non-vehicle pixels. The method includes determining a duration that the detected vehicle is in the exclusion zone based on a number of the sequence of frames including the detected vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Orhan Bulan, Yao Rong Wang, Robert P. Loce, Edgar A. Bernal, Zhigang Fan, Graham S. Pennington, David P. Cummins
  • Patent number: 8666118
    Abstract: Controlling an image element associated with a distance from an energy measuring device, in a reflected energy measurement system involves producing at least one signal for controlling a common visible characteristic of the image element, in response to a plurality of signals representing respective intensities of reflected energy at respective different frequencies, measured at the energy measuring device at a time corresponding to the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Imagenex Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Craig Calder Lindholm, Yingchun Lu
  • Patent number: 8666119
    Abstract: A first frame includes a first 2D image of a motion capture subject in the real 3D space. A 3D model is deformed into a first deformation and placing the deformed 3D model in a virtual 3D space in a first location so that the deformed 3D model corresponds to the first 2D image. A second frame includes a second 2D image of the motion capture subject in the real 3D space. 2D changes in the second 2D image relative to the first 2D image are tracked. The 2D changes are projected on the virtual 3D space as 3D constraints. Based on the second 2D image, the 3D model is again deformed into a second deformation and placing the 3D model in the virtual 3D space in a second location in conformance with the 3D constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Ronald Mallet, Kiran S. Bhat, Kevin Wooley
  • Patent number: 8666120
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are presented for estimating the velocity field based on a multi-image frame sequence having an integer number M frames, M is greater than two, in which a set of M?1 displaced frame difference (DFD) equations is solved including a motion compensated prediction (MCP) equation, M?2 motion compensated interpolation (MCI) equations for solving a velocity field at a first time using a set of iteration equations to determine a velocity field, and 2×(M?2) conservative velocity constraint (CVC) equations for solving a velocity field at times t2, . . . , tM?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 8666121
    Abstract: An authentication device includes: a vein information extraction section that extracts a piece of vein information representing a vein from an image containing a vein of a finger; an extraction section that extracts a piece of information representing the position of the finger's outline at an intermediate stage of the process of extracting the piece of vein information; and a determination section that determines, based on the degree of similarity between the piece of information and a piece of information associated with a piece of registration-target vein information, a verification target to be compared with the piece of vein information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mohammad Abdul Muquit, Hiroshi Abe
  • Patent number: 8666122
    Abstract: A biometric sample training device, a biometric sample quality assessment device, a biometric fusion recognition device, an integrated biometric fusion recognition system and example processes in which each may be used are described. Wavelets and a boosted classifier are used to assess the quality of biometric samples, such as facial images. The described biometric sample quality assessment approach provides accurate and reliable quality assessment values that are robust to various degradation factors, e.g., such as pose, illumination, and lighting in facial image biometric samples. The quality assessment values allow biometric samples of different sample types to be combined to support complex recognition techniques used by, for example, biometric fusion devices, resulting in improved accuracy and robustness in both biometric authentication and biometric recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Weizhong Yan, Frederick W. Wheeler, Peter H. Tu, Xiaoming Liu
  • Patent number: 8666123
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to creating groups in a social network system. In one embodiment, a method includes recognizing at least one person in the at least one photo associated with a target user in a social network system, where the recognizing is based at least in part on social relevance. The method also includes creating a group in the social network system, where the group includes the at least one person recognized in the at least one photo. The method also includes associating the group with the target user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Rich Gossweiler, James Brooks Miller
  • Patent number: 8666124
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for tracking faces in an image stream iteratively receives an acquired image from the image stream including one or more face regions. The acquired image is sub-sampled at a specified resolution to provide a sub-sampled image. An integral image is then calculated for a least a portion of the sub-sampled image. Fixed size face detection is applied to at least a portion of the integral image to provide a set of candidate face regions. Responsive to the set of candidate face regions produced and any previously detected candidate face regions, the resolution is adjusted for sub-sampling a subsequent acquired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation Europe Limited
    Inventors: Stefan Petrescu, Peter Corcoran, Eran Steinberg, Petronel Bigioi, Alexandru Drimbarean
  • Patent number: 8666125
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for tracking faces in an image stream iteratively receives an acquired image from the image stream including one or more face regions. The acquired image is sub-sampled at a specified resolution to provide a sub-sampled image. An integral image is then calculated for a least a portion of the sub-sampled image. Fixed size face detection is applied to at least a portion of the integral image to provide a set of candidate face regions. Responsive to the set of candidate face regions produced and any previously detected candidate face regions, the resolution is adjusted for sub-sampling a subsequent acquired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation European Limited
    Inventors: Stefan Petrescu, Peter Corcoran, Eran Steinberg, Petronel Bigioi, Alexandru Drimbarean
  • Patent number: 8666126
    Abstract: There is provided a fingerprint detection sensor and a method of detecting a fingerprint. The fingerprint detection sensor according to embodiments of the present invention includes a plurality of piezoelectric sensors arranged on a two-dimensional plane; and a fingerprint detection unit detecting a fingerprint by using ultrasonic signals discharged from the plurality of respective piezoelectric sensors, wherein the fingerprint detection unit determines whether the fingerprint is a forged fingerprint by detecting bloodstreams within a first region on the two-dimensional plane in which the ultrasonic signals discharged from the plurality of respective piezoelectric sensors overlap one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Seoup Lee, Il Kwon Chung, Jae Hyouck Choi, Jun Kyung Na
  • Patent number: 8666127
    Abstract: Methods and Apparatus are provided for fake fingerprint detection. In one embodiment, an apparatus for fake fingerprint detection includes a prism having a first side configured to be touched by a fingerprint, an IR LED located near the second side of the prism, a light source located near the third side of the prism, where both the IR LED and the light source are configured to illuminate the fingerprint simultaneously to produce a captured image of the fingerprint, one or more lenses configured to direct the captured image of the fingerprint for storage, one or more CMOS sensors configured to collect the captured image of the fingerprint for analysis, and a controller configured to determine validity of the fingerprint using the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: SecuGen Corporation
    Inventors: Young-Jae Kim, Byung-Jin Lee, Sang-Hoon Shin, Daniel Riley
  • Patent number: 8666128
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable media for mapping a model of an object comprising an anatomical structure in a planning image and an intervention target region within it to intervention-guiding image data are disclosed. According to one method, an initial medial representation object model (m-rep) of an object comprising an anatomical structure is created based on image data of at least a first instance of the object. A patient-specific m-rep is created by deforming the initial m-rep based on planning image data of at least a second instance of the object, wherein the at least second instance of the object is associated with the patient. An intervention target region within the m-rep is identified in an image registered with the planning image. The patient-specific m-rep is correlated to the intervention-guiding image data of the at least second instance of the object, deformed from the planning image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Edward L. Chaney, Stephen Pizer, Lester Kwock, Eric Wallen, William Hyslop, Robert Broadhurst
  • Patent number: 8666129
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for processing an output image of an examination object, with the output image having been reconstructed from measuring data acquired during a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object. An image frequency division of an output image takes place in at least a first and a second image. In at least one embodiment, the first image is changed by way of a first function, with the first function effecting a contrast intensification within the first image, and the changed first image and the second image are merged together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernhard Krauss, Rainer Raupach
  • Patent number: 8666130
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer program products for bio-image calibration are described. One aspect provides a bio-image calibration device including: a calibration portion comprising predetermined color areas; wherein the predetermined color areas are arranged in a predetermined pattern corresponding to a watermark; wherein the predetermined color areas are a predetermined size and a predetermined shape; and wherein the predetermined color areas are located on one or more edges of the bio-image device. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Medical Image Mining Laboratories, LLC
    Inventor: Sean Erich Elwell
  • Patent number: 8666131
    Abstract: A system for capturing specified biometric self-capture specimens to create a record used for verification comprising a processor, scanner, printer, and secure database. The processor is programmed to 1) activate the scanner to create a digital image of the biometric self-capture specimens in a uniquely flexible predetermined format, 2) link the image to information assigned to the specimens, 3) assign a score to individual components of the image based on quality according to a standard for that component, 4) display the score to a user, 5) retain the components with the highest scores, 6) arrange the retained components and the linked information in the predetermined format to create a record, active the printer to print the record either as an electronic file or a paper file, and 7) transmit the electronic file to a secure database in a secure manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: David Allburn
  • Patent number: 8666132
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a data compression apparatus for compressing Doppler data including a plurality of types of measurement data obtained by ultrasound measurement, the apparatus including: a first compression unit configured to compress first measurement data according to a first compression parameter to thereby generate first compressed data; a second compression unit configured to compress second measurement data according to a second compression parameter different from the first compression parameter to thereby generate second compressed data; and a combining unit configured to combine the first compressed data and the second compressed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hidenori Takeshima
  • Patent number: 8666133
    Abstract: Calibration phantom and method for measuring and correcting geometric distortions in an image of a body part of a patient Calibration phantom (5) for a medical imaging system, comprising a plurality of separate detection elements (20) arranged in a determined pattern, each detection element (20) containing a product that is visible by the medical imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
    Inventors: Maximilien Vermandel, Jean Rousseau, Nacim Betrouni, Pascal Briche, Romain Viard
  • Patent number: 8666134
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for segmenting an organ from volume data sets in medical imaging. A likelihood data set is generated. A binary data set is generated with the aid of a threshold value method, in which the organ region is eroded step by step. When the organ region is separated into a number of subregions, only one of the subregions, which is most likely to contain the organ, is selected for further erosion in each instance. This subregion is identified from geometrical features of the organ, which are known from the training data sets. In the likelihood data set the likelihood values of voxels of the subregions separated in the binary data set are reduced, so that a correspondingly corrected likelihood data set results. On the basis of this corrected likelihood data set the organ from the likelihood data set is segmented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Oliver Gloger
  • Patent number: 8666135
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image input section via which a medical image picked up of a mucous surface of a living body is inputted; a setting section that sets a region of interest as a first region and a second region including a unit region in the medical image; a feature value calculating section that calculates a first feature value relating to a shape of the region of interest based on pixel values of the region of interest and a region in a periphery thereof and a second feature value relating to a shape of the unit region based on pixel values of the unit region and a region in a periphery thereof; and an matching section that matches the region of interest with a predetermined shape based on distributions of the first feature value and the second feature value calculated by the feature value calculating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Yusuke Tomoto
  • Patent number: 8666136
    Abstract: An imaging system includes storage (12) for storing radionuclide imaging data including quantitative radiation detection event energy values, the radionuclide imaging data having been acquired of a subject by a radionuclide imaging device (10); an energy window selection module (20) selecting an energy window and a data filtering module (14) configured to filter the stored radionuclide imaging data respective to the stored quantitative radiation detection event energy values using the selected energy window to generate a filtered radionuclide imaging data set; and a reconstruction module (30) configured to reconstruct the filtered radionuclide imaging data set to generate a reconstructed image of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Kolthammer
  • Patent number: 8666137
    Abstract: The invention relates to a projection values processing apparatus (1) for processing acquired projection values. A first image is reconstructed from acquired projection values under consideration of a reconstruction assumption by a reconstruction unit (13). A simulated projection values determining unit (14) determines simulated projection values by simulating a projection through the reconstructed first image under consideration of the reconstruction assumption, and inconsistency values are determined for the acquired projection values by an inconsistency determining unit (15), wherein an inconsistency value is indicative of a degree of inconsistency of a respective acquired projection value with the reconstruction assumption, by comparing the acquired projection values and the simulated projection values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Tim Nielsen, Thomas Koehler, Bernhard Brendel
  • Patent number: 8666138
    Abstract: One embodiment of these teachings includes an imaging modality that is based on the ability of imaging technologies to detect wave-induced tissue deformation at depth, that allows viewing the propagation of action potentials deep within myocardial tissue, thereby helping to clarify clinical and physiological dynamical issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Niels F. Otani, Stefan Luther, Robert F. Gilmour, Jr., Rupinder Singh
  • Patent number: 8666139
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel method of high-resolution quantifiable pulmonary regional ventilation imaging using a package of computer programs, including deformable image registration and local volume change calculation on 4-D or breath-hold CT images. High resolution 3D ventilation images have been generated using this technique with superior quality. The deformation matrices between different respiration phases are calculated using deformable image registration and applied to calculate local volume change ?V between respiration phases. The invention provides less image-noise and mismatch sensitivity than other techniques based on CT images, and is less expensive than nuclear medicine imaging. Implemented clinically, the method can derive a patient's pulmonary ventilation information from the same set of 4-D CT images, providing a cheaper but more accurate method to generate clinical lung ventilation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Geoffrey G. Zhang, Kenneth M. Forster
  • Patent number: 8666140
    Abstract: A defect inspection method for a wafer is provided. The wafer comprises a component pattern. The method comprises the following steps: providing a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the defects on the wafer to obtain a defect distribution map; providing a photo mask, wherein the photo mask comprises a exposure pattern corresponding to the component pattern; and comparing the defect distribution map with the exposure pattern and dividing the defects in the defect distribution map into a first killer defect group and a first non-killer defect group according to their corresponding locations in the exposure pattern. In addition, a wafer defect inspection system applying the same method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Kai-Ping Huang
  • Patent number: 8666141
    Abstract: A robot system includes a robot having a movable section, an image capture unit provided on the movable section, an output unit that allows the image capture unit to capture a target object and a reference mark and outputs a captured image in which the reference mark is imaged as a locus image, an extraction unit that extracts the locus image from the captured image, an image acquisition unit that performs image transformation on the basis of the extracted locus image by using the point spread function so as to acquire an image after the transformation from the captured image, a computation unit that computes a position of the target object on the basis of the acquired image, and a control unit that controls the robot so as to move the movable section toward the target object in accordance with the computed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Inazumi
  • Patent number: 8666142
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a predetermined object pattern representing a portion of a three-dimensional object, modifying the predetermined object pattern to correct for geometric distortion of a pattern generator, and generating the modified pattern using the pattern generator. The generated pattern interacts with a reactive material to form the portion of the three-dimensional object defined by the predetermined object pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Global Filtration Systems
    Inventors: Alexandr Shkolnik, Ali El-Siblani
  • Patent number: 8666143
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that configures a single frame by determining a central image of a certain viewpoint as an original resolution, and frame another single frame by combining a left image of a left viewpoint and a right image of a right viewpoint. The image processing apparatus may generate three-dimensional (3D) image data configured using the frames, and may encode, decode, and render an image based on the 3D image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok Lee, Ho Cheon Wey, Il Soon Lim
  • Patent number: 8666144
    Abstract: A method and system to determine the disparity associated with one or more textured regions of a plurality of images is presented. The method comprises the steps of breaking up the texture into its color primitives, further segmenting the textured object into any number of objects comprising such primitives, and then calculating a disparity of these objects. The textured objects emerge in the disparity domain, after having their disparity calculated. Accordingly, the method is further comprised of defining one or more textured regions in a first of a plurality of images, determining a corresponding one or more textured regions in a second of the plurality of images, segmenting the textured regions into their color primitives, and calculating a disparity between the first and second of the plurality of images in accordance with the segmented color primitives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Edge 3 Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tarek El Dokor, Joshua King, Jordan Cluster, James Edward Holmes
  • Patent number: 8666145
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying a region of interest in a digital image. A first and second images of a scene may be obtained from a respective first and second points of view. Following an acquisition of a first image from a first point of view, a subsequent image may be automatically acquired upon determining that a second view point is achieved. Based on two or more images of a scene, a background object may be removed from an image to produce an image that only includes a foreground object or a region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Superfish Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Chertok, Adi Pinhas
  • Patent number: 8666146
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a stereoscopic pair of images from a monoscopic image input are described. At least one brushstroke input corresponding to a location in the monoscopic image is received. A saliency map and edge map of the monoscopic image are computed. A first image warp and a second image warp are computed using the at least one brushstroke, the saliency map, and the edge map. A stereoscopic pair of images are generated from the first image warp and the second image warp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Aljosa A. Smolic, Manuel Lang, Alexander Hornung, Oliver Wang, Markus Gross
  • Patent number: 8666147
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a multi-view image generating method includes synthesizing images having a same depth value into a single image from among a plurality of images, based on depth values each being associated with one of the plurality of images and indicating image position in the depth direction of the image; shifting, with respect to each of a plurality of viewpoints each giving a different disparity, a synthesized image obtained at the synthesizing, according to a shift vector corresponding to the viewpoint and the depth value of the synthesized image in a direction and with an amount indicated in the shift vector, so as to generate an image having disparity given thereto; and generating a multi-view image in which the images that are shifted and that are given disparity at the shifting are arranged in a predetermined format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kokojima, Akira Morishita
  • Patent number: 8666148
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to automatically adjusting images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a regression model trained with a database of raw and adjusted images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by both a database of raw and adjusted images and a small set of images adjusted by a different user. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by a database of raw and adjusted images and predicted differences between a user's adjustment to a small set of images and a predicted adjustment based on the database of raw and adjusted images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Sylvain Paris, Frederic P. Durand, Vladimir Leonid Bychkovsky, Eric Chan
  • Patent number: 8666149
    Abstract: A computer system and a hybrid method for combining multipoint statistic and object-based methods include creating a multi-point statistics (MPS) model using a MPS method that satisfies conditioning data and constraints, the multi-point statistics being derived from a training image created using training-image generation parameters; generating one or more object-shape templates and depositional coordinates of each facies type using the parameters; positioning the templates within the MPS model such that the templates maximally correlate to the MPS model; assigning to each of the positioned templates a unique event; determining which cells are available for editing; and assigning the cells that are available for editing to facies if the cells are contained by a facies template positioned within the MPS model at its optimally correlating location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Julian Thorne