Patents Issued in September 30, 2014
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Patent number: 8848963Abstract: An electro-acoustical transducer device includes a body structure (101) and a differential microphone (102) located in an aperture of a wall of the body structure. The microphone includes a front side for receiving an acoustical signal and a rear side for receiving the acoustical signal in modified form. The differential microphone is arranged to produce an electrical output signal proportional to the difference of the acoustical signals at the front and rear sides. The body structure is arranged to form a chamber (105) shared with the rear side of the microphone. There are tubular channels (107) to the chamber so that the channels and the chamber constitute an acoustical filter for filtering the acoustical signal falling to the rear side of the microphone. With proper design of the chamber and the channels, it is possible to achieve acoustical filtering for background noise rejection.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Savox Communications Oy Ab (Ltd)Inventors: Jorge Menyhart, Edwin F. Poppert, II
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Patent number: 8848964Abstract: A fitting provided for earbud-type personal audio speakers may be formed as a homogeneous, integral component molded from an elastomeric polymer, such as silicone, urethane, or other elastomeric resins. A sleeve fitted to the speaker engages the fitting to the speaker, while ribs extending from the sleeve terminate in flutes conformal to an ear canal of a user. Axial insertion of the fitting and speaker into an ear of a user results in localized deflection of flutes and ribs in order to accommodate size and shape of an ear canal, resulting in transmission of sound from the speaker directly through the sleeve into an ear canal of a user, while also permitting environmental sounds to pass along a parallel path over the outside of the sleeve, between the ribs.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Inventor: Tammy Erdel
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Patent number: 8848965Abstract: A device for preventing the tangling of cords associated with in-ear earphones is disclosed. The device includes an annular portion and a sectioned membrane disposed interior to the annular portion. The annular portion is formed of an elastomeric material. The sectioned membrane includes a plurality of separate sections where each section is configured to be displaced independently of another section. The sectioned membrane is configured to grip a cord associated with a pair of in-ear earphones.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Inventor: Garret W. Glaser
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Patent number: 8848966Abstract: An apparatus comprising a flexible strap, having a portion thereof in communication with at least a portion of a headphone cord is provided. The flexible strap is secured to an article of clothing for wearing the headphone cord in combination with the article of clothing.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Inventor: Shawn R. Alstad
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Patent number: 8848967Abstract: A mobile terminal includes a body having a front surface and a rear surface; a display unit formed on the front surface of the body; a frame disposed between the front surface and the rear surface, and configured to support the display unit; and a sound output device configured to transmit sound using bone conduction vibrations, and connected to the frame so as to transmit the vibration to the display unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventor: Wonseok Joo
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Patent number: 8848968Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to inventive methods and apparatus for a variable flux speaker subassembly for a loudspeaker. The variable flux speaker subassembly may contain at least one repositionable structure that is repositionable from at least a first position to a second position. The magnetic flux through a voice coil structure of the speaker subassembly is altered when the repositionable structure is moved from the first position to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Eminence Speaker, LLCInventors: Thomas A. James, Jr., Kevin E. Parrish, William L. Watts
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Patent number: 8848969Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating and distributing watermarked content are described. Content to be distributed is sliced into a plurality of segments, e.g., short portions. Individual segments are subjected to watermarking with multiple watermarked versions of a segment being generated. Different watermarked versions of a segment communicate different information, e.g., one or more numbers. Sets of watermarked segments corresponding to a program are supplied to a content distribution device. Based on a session number or other information corresponding to the destination of the content, the content distribution device selects watermarked segments from the sets of segments to provide to the user. The combination of segments communicates, via the watermarks, a sequence of numbers used to identify the streamed content without requiring the distribution node to perform image processing to generate the watermarks.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLCInventors: Scott Ramsdell, Craig Mahonchak, Bryan Santangelo
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Patent number: 8848970Abstract: A variety of methods and systems involving sensor-equipped portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are described. One particular embodiment decodes a digital watermark from imagery captured by the device and, by reference to watermark payload data, obtains salient point data corresponding to an object depicted in the imagery. Other embodiments obtain salient point data for an object through use of other technologies (e.g., NFC chips). The salient point data enables the device to interact with the object in a spatially-dependent manner. Many other features and arrangements are also detailed.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Joshua V. Aller, Robert Craig Brandis
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Patent number: 8848971Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element (1), comprising: an optical system, comprising: a transparent or translucent substrate (2), on the side of a first surface (2a, 2b) of the substrate (2) is a combined image (I) comprising a plurality of encoded interleaved images (I1), a exposing screen (4) placed on top of the combined image, enabling the encoded images (I1) to be observed during a change in the direction of observing the security element (1) relative to the optical system, the exposing screen (4) being: located on the side of the first surface (2a, 2b), the combined image then being located between the exposing screen (4) and the substrate (2), in which case the security element (1) comprises, on the side of the second surface (2a, 2b), a reflective surface that enables the encoded images (I1) to be observed through exposing screen (4).Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Arjowiggins SecurityInventor: Rémi Vincent
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Patent number: 8848972Abstract: A method for proactively creating a photobook includes identifying a group of images by a computer system and automatically creating a design for a photobook by the computer system without receiving a user's request for designing a photobook if the number of images in the group is determined to be within a predetermined range. Pages of the photobook incorporate a plurality of images in the group. The method further includes presenting the design of the photobook to a user for preview and receiving an order from the user for a physical manifestation of the photobook based on the design.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Shutterfly, Inc.Inventors: Eugene Chen, Preeti Nathan, Trynne Anne Miller, Wiley H. Wang
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Patent number: 8848973Abstract: A system for authenticating an optical pattern created by exposing a magnetically sensitive material to one or more magnetic field sources. The system includes illumination sources configured to illuminate the optical pattern, sensors configured to generate sensed optical characteristic data when the optical pattern is illuminated, a memory configured to store a reference optical data associated with a reference optical pattern, and a processor configured to access the memory and compare the reference optical data to the sensed optical characteristic data in order to authenticate the optical pattern.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Correlated Magnetics Research LLCInventors: Larry W. Fullerton, Mark D. Roberts, Robert Scott Evans
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Patent number: 8848974Abstract: A system and method for tracking, identifying, and labeling objects or features of interest is provided. In some embodiments, tracking is accomplished using unique signature of the feature of interest and image stabilization techniques. According to some aspects a frame of reference using predetermined markers is defined and updated based on a change in location of the markers and/or specific signature information. Individual objects or features within the frame may also be tracked and identified. Objects may be tracked by comparing two still images, determining a change in position of an object between the still images, calculating a movement vector of the object, and using the movement vector to update the location of an image device.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2008Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Restoration Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Shehrzad A. Qureshi, Kyle R. Breton, John A. Tenney
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Patent number: 8848975Abstract: A method of tracking an object in an input image stream, the method comprising iteratively applying the steps of: (a) rendering a three-dimensional object model according to a previously predicted state vector from a previous tracking loop or the state vector from an initialization step; (b) extracting a series of point features from the rendered object; (c) localizing corresponding point features in the input image stream; (d) deriving a new state vector from the point feature locations in the input image stream.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2009Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Seeing Machines Pty LtdInventor: Dennis Tell
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Patent number: 8848976Abstract: The present invention relates to a video tracker which allows automatic tracking of a selected area over video frames. Motion of the selected area is defined by a parametric motion model. In addition to simple displacement of the area it can also detect motions such as rotation, scaling and shear depending on the motion model. The invention realizes the tracking of the selected area by estimating the parameters of this motion model in the complex discrete wavelet domain. The invention can achieve the result in a non-iterative direct way. Estimation carried out in the complex discrete wavelet domain provides a robust tracking opportunity without being effected by noise and illumination changes in the video as opposed to the intensity-based methods. The invention can easily be adapted to many fields in addition to video tracking.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2009Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim SirketiInventor: Sener Yilmaz
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Patent number: 8848977Abstract: The tracking and compensation of patient motion during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition is an unsolved problem. A self-encoded marker where each feature on the pattern is augmented with a 2-D barcode is provided. Hence, the marker can be tracked even if it is not completely visible in the camera image. Furthermore, it offers considerable advantages over a simple checkerboard marker in terms of processing speed, since it makes the correspondence search of feature points and marker-model coordinates, which are required for the pose estimation, redundant. Significantly improved accuracy is obtained for both phantom experiments and in-vivo experiments with substantial patient motion. In an alternative aspect, a marker having non-coplanar features can be employed to provide improved motion tracking. Such a marker provides depth cues that can be exploited to improve motion tracking. The aspects of non-coplanar patterns and self-encoded patterns can be practiced independently or in combination.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: Roland Bammer, Christoph Forman, Murat Aksoy
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Patent number: 8848978Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting obstacles using a single camera positioned on an apparatus in motion over an area of motion, or stationary over a moving area of motion. In an example method, a video stream of images is captured of the area of motion. The images in the video stream may be corrected for lens distortion prior to further processing. An Nth image frame is selected from a sequence of N images in the video stream. A set of N?1 difference images is calculated by subtracting each of the N?1 previous images from the Nth image. The N?1 difference images are added to one another to generate a combined difference image. A perspective transformation is performed on the combined difference image to generate a transformed image. The transformed image is analyzed to detect edges of obstacles in the transformed image. A signal indicating detection of an obstacle in the area of motion may then be generated.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Harman International (China) Holdings Co., Ltd.Inventors: Zhang Yankun, Hong Chuyang, Norman Weyrich
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Patent number: 8848979Abstract: Determination whether a moving object appearing in input video is an object tracked and captured by a cameraman is enabled. It is determined that a moving object is a subject image to which a cameraman pays attention based on a time difference between time when a movement state determined by a motion vector of the moving object changes and time when a shooting state determined by a motion vector of a camera motion changes.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Masumi Ishikawa
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Patent number: 8848980Abstract: A method for detecting a front vehicle comprises: a moving light detecting step of detecting a front moving light area of an own vehicle in at least one image of a front scene of the own vehicle obtained at a time; a vehicle candidate generating step of extracting a light area pair from the detected front moving light area so that a front vehicle candidate is generated; and a vehicle candidate verifying step of verifying that the front vehicle candidate is the front vehicle in cases where the front vehicle candidate meets predetermined characteristics of a vehicle light.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Cheng Du, Liyan Liu, Xiaomeng Wang, Ping Hu
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Patent number: 8848981Abstract: A processing-target image generation device generates a processing-target image which is an object to be subjected to an image conversion process for acquiring an output image based on an input image taken by an image-taking part. A coordinates correspondence part causes input coordinates, spatial coordinates, and projection coordinates to correspond to each other, the input coordinates being on an input image plane on which the input image is located, the spatial coordinates being on a space model on which the input image is projected, the projection coordinates being on a processing-target image plane on which the processing-target image is positioned and the image projected on the space model is re-projected.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Yoshihisa Kiyota
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Patent number: 8848982Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus provide the ability to reconstruct an image from an object. A hand-held image acquisition device is configured to acquire local image information from a physical object. A tracking system obtains displacement information for the hand-held acquisition device while the device is acquiring the local image information. An image reconstruction system computes the inverse of the displacement information and combines the inverse with the local image information to transform the local image information into a reconstructed local image information. A display device displays the reconstructed local image information.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Jian Ren, Changhuei Yang
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Patent number: 8848983Abstract: Systems and methods for ranking geographic features in a geographic information system are provided. In particular, geographic features can be assigned ranking scores based on characteristics of viewsheds associated with the geographic features. In particular, characteristics of a viewshed associated with a geographic feature can be analyzed to assess the visibility of the geographic feature. A ranking score can be assigned to the geographic feature based on the characteristics of the viewshed. The ranking score can be used prioritize information in a geographic information system.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Brian Edmond Brewington, Mark A. Limber, Igor V. Guskov, Peter Hamel, Kong M. Cheung, Morten Just Petersen
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Patent number: 8848984Abstract: Disclosed is a method (160) for identifying potential tamper in a candidate document having content affected by noise. A candidate content value for each of a plurality of sub-regions of the candidate document and an original content value for each of a plurality of sub-regions of a corresponding original document are determined. The content values are desirably determined based on at least one characteristic of the content in the corresponding sub-region. The candidate content values (330) are associated with the corresponding original content values and a distribution of the candidate content values based on the corresponding original content values is determined. The method characterizes (340) the noise in the candidate document by determining an expected content value range based on the spread of a selected part of the distribution of candidate content values. The method can then identify (350) candidate content values outside the expected content value range as potential tamper.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Neil Yager, Roger David Butler, Junya Arakawa
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Patent number: 8848985Abstract: A face-image registration device extracts, from a moving image which is inputted thereto, a face image showing a face of a person and registers the face image in a dictionary. The face-image registration device includes representative-face-image extracting means for extracting, from the moving image, at least one face image which satisfies a predetermined representative condition, so as to obtain a representative face image, and registration-face-image extracting means for extracting, from the moving image, at least one face image which shows the person shown in the representative face image but is not the representative face image and which satisfies a predetermined registration condition, so as to obtain a registration face image. The face-image registration device also includes face-image registration means for registering, in the dictionary, the registration face image in association with the representative face image.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2007Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: OMRON CorporationInventors: Tomohiro Inoue, Masahiro Senga, Takashi Kakiuchi
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Patent number: 8848986Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a method of verifying the presence of a living face in front of a camera (112), the method including: capturing by said camera a sequence of images of a face; detecting a plurality of features of said face in each of said images; measuring parameters associated with said detected features to determine whether each of a plurality of liveness indicators is present in said images; determining whether or not said face is a living face based on the presence in said images of a combination of at least two of said liveness indicators.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Accenture Global Services LimitedInventor: Alessio Cavallini
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Patent number: 8848987Abstract: An image that includes editing comments is generated on a medical display unit which is arranged in a sterile working area of a medical facility. An input device for generating input data representing the editing comments is also arranged in the sterile working area. First, the display unit displays a primary image, such as an endoscopic photograph from inside of a patient's body. A physician can generate the input data using the input device. Both the primary image and the input data are transmitted to an image processing unit arranged outside the sterile area. The image processing unit combines the input data and the primary image to form a secondary image including the editing comments. The secondary image is subsequently retransmitted to the display unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2006Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Martin Nölle, Hans-Uwe Hilzinger, Heinz-Werner Stiller
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Patent number: 8848988Abstract: The invention relates to a method for quantitative determination of test results from diagnosis methods with the aid of an optoelectronic evaluation appliance, and to the evaluation appliance itself, characterized in that the digital pixel information per color level or grey level is represented in its intensity in the microprocessor as one column per pixel, wherein the column height corresponds to the intensity, and these columns are displayed alongside one another on one plane, such that the intensity distribution is displayed over the test area as a surface contour or surface profile, the height profile of which corresponds to the intensity profile of the color intensity received by the CCD. Fields of application for the invention are test methods in biochemical laboratories, such as medical diagnosis, forensic medicine, foodstuff diagnosis, molecular biology, biochemistry, gene technology and all other related fields, as well as patient monitoring for home users or in pharmacies.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2009Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Optricon GmbHInventors: Volker Plickert, Lutz Melchior, Wilko Hein, Thorsten Jödicke
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Patent number: 8848989Abstract: A system for visualizing a myocardium represented by a cardiac image comprises a resampling means and a visualizing means. The resampling means resamples the intensity levels at sampling points on a plurality of curved surfaces, each curved surface enclosing at least part of a heart cavity and zero or more of the plurality of curved surfaces and being enclosed by the remaining curved surfaces of the plurality of curved surfaces, the plurality of curved surfaces together covering a hollow region in the cardiac image, the hollow region comprising the outer cavity walls of a group of at least one heart cavity. The visualizing means is arranged for visualizing at least part of at least one of the plurality of curved surfaces, using resampled intensity levels obtained from the resampling means. The group of at least one heart cavity may be the left atrium alone. It may also be the complete heart.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Pascal Allain, Sherif Makram-Ebeid, Oudom Somphone
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Patent number: 8848990Abstract: A method for performing motion compensation in a series of magnetic resonance (MR) images includes acquiring a set of MR image frames spanning different points along an MR recovery curve. A motion-free synthetic image is generated for each of the acquired MR image frames using prior knowledge pertaining to an MR recovery curve. Each of the acquired MR images is registered to its corresponding generated synthetic images. Motion within each of the acquired MR image is corrected based on its corresponding generated synthetic image that has been registered thereto.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Hui Xue, Saurabh Shah, Jens Gühring, Andreas Greiser, Christophe Chefd'hotel, Christoph Guetter, Marie-Pierre Jolly, Sven Zuehlsdorff
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Patent number: 8848991Abstract: A non-contact type dental shade matching device is provided, comprising a camera body for capturing image of one or more target teeth; an opaque intra-oral compartment snugly adapted for a human mouth; an opaque cover shield body connected between the camera body and the intra-oral compartment; one or more holders for holding one or more shade tabs; and a color matching module being operably connected to the camera body to receive the captured images containing color and translucency information of the target tooth and/or shade tab information, and then to process the images based on a content-based algorithm for automatic shade matching between the target tooth and the shade tabs for each of the captured images, so as to achieve an optimal dental prosthesis.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Inventors: Soek Gam Tjioe, Weng Kong Tam
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Patent number: 8848992Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining a susceptibility gradient map, the method comprising acquiring (300) a magnetic resonance k-space dataset, said dataset comprising magnetic resonance echo data, wherein a recursive iteration is used to determine the susceptibility gradient map. Further, the invention relates to a method of determining a susceptibility gradient map, the method comprising acquiring a magnetic resonance k-space dataset, said dataset comprising magnetic resonance echo data, wherein the acquired dataset comprises magnetic resonance echo data of multiple echoes with different echo times, wherein a susceptibility gradient map is determined separately for each echo time resulting in a temporary susceptibility gradient map, wherein the method further comprises calculating a total susceptibility gradient map by combining all determined temporary susceptibility gradient maps.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Julien Senegas, Thomas Perkins
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Patent number: 8848993Abstract: In a method and a magnetic resonance (MR) system to generate MR images based on an MR measurement of the magnetic resonance system, MR data are acquired in three-dimensional k-space along straight lines proceeding in parallel. Each of these lines is defined by a point in a plane which intersects each line and that is situated orthogonal to each line. The points in the plane are arranged such that a distribution of the points obeys spiral phyllotaxis.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Michael Zenge
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Patent number: 8848994Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image receiver which receives a predetermined image obtained by photographing a fetus; and a controller which detects a head region and a torso region of the fetus from the predetermined image, and which models a shape of the fetus by using at least one of a first contoured shape corresponding to the detected head region, a second contoured shape corresponding to the detected torso region, a first axis that is the central axis of the detected head region, and a second axis that is the central axis of the detected torso region, to model the fetus so that biometric data of the fetus can be easily measured.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hyun-taek Lee, Hee-chul Yoon, Hae-kyung Jung, Jae-chool Lee
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Patent number: 8848995Abstract: A method of classification of image portions corresponding to fecal residues from a tomographic image of a colorectal region, which comprises a plurality of voxels (2) each having a predetermined intensity value and which shows at least one portion of colon (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) comprising at least one area of tagged material (10). The area of tagged material (10) comprises at least one area of fecal residue (10a) and at least one area of tissue affected by tagging (10b). The image further comprises at least one area of air (8) which comprises an area of pure air (8a) not influenced by the fecal residues. The method comprises the operations of identifying (100), on the basis of a predetermined identification criterion based on the intensity values, above-threshold connected regions comprising connected voxels (2) and identifying, within the above-threshold connected regions, a plurality of connected regions of tagged material comprising voxels (2) representing the area of tagged material (10).Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2007Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: IM3D S.p.A.Inventors: Silvia Delsanto, Lia Morra, Ivan Dmitriev
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Patent number: 8848996Abstract: A system generates medical image data representing smaller vessels including capillaries of a region of patient anatomy. An image data processor identifies pixels of larger vessels in individual images of difference images where the larger vessels have a size exceeding a predetermined threshold size. The image data processor generates an enhanced visualization small vessel image comprising substantially peak luminance values of individual pixels exclusive of pixels of the identified larger vessels. A peak luminance value of an individual pixel is generated in response to a peak luminance value of luminance values of pixels, spatially corresponding to the individual pixel and present in images comprising the plurality of temporally sequential individual difference images. An output processor outputs substantially peak luminance values as a vessel image.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.Inventor: John Baumgart
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Patent number: 8848997Abstract: In a medical image acquisition, and operating method, before acquiring a current planning image data set from a subject, a statistical atlas is generated from multiple planning image data sets using a specific measurement protocol, as a statistical compilation including an average image data set electronically associated with association information that identifies different anatomical entities represented by the statistical compilation. After the current planning image data set is acquired, the stored average image data set is transformed into the current planning image data set, with the association information being accurately associated with the current planning image data set. A diagnostic image acquisition of the subject is then controlled using the association information that is now associated with the current planning image data set.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2009Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Matthias Fenchel, Andreas Schilling, Stefan Thesen
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Patent number: 8848998Abstract: This invention provides an automated system and method for determining contrast media arrival in vessels near tissues of interest that have been imaged using a predetermined imaging system that produces a plurality of temporally phased images. The system and method reliably distinguishes between actual contrast arrival and potential false positives that can render basic automated techniques inoperable or unreliable. In an illustrative embodiment, the system and method for determining a contrast arrival phase in a plurality of temporal phases of a medical image dataset of tissue includes an image pre-processor or process that, for each of at least a subset of the temporal phases of the medical image dataset, with at least a subset of the signal intensity values respectively in each of the temporal phases, computes signal intensity frequency distributions.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: iCad, Inc.Inventor: Naira Muradyan
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Patent number: 8848999Abstract: A method for reconstruction of an actual three-dimensional image dataset of an object during a monitoring process is proposed. Two-dimensional X-ray projection images which correspond to a recording geometry are continuously recorded from different projection angles. The three-dimensional image dataset are reconstructed from a first number of these projection images, especially by a back projection method. The proportion of the oldest projection image contained in the current three-dimensional image dataset is removed from the three-dimensional image dataset and the proportion of the actual projection image is inserted in the three-dimensional image dataset after each recording of the actual projection image.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Jan Boese, Frank Dennerlein
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Patent number: 8849000Abstract: A method and devices are disclosed to detect bright brain regions (BBRs) from clinical non-enhanced computed tomography images through large grayscale, large grayscale asymmetry with respect to the midsagittal plane (MSP), and large grayscale local contrast. An adaptive approach is disclosed to determine thresholds of the 3 features and adjust the window width for data conversion. The substantial grayscale variability of BBRs for a subject is addressed by finding the bright portion followed by recovering. Those BBR voxels symmetrical to the MSP are recovered, partial volume effects are compensated and the high grayscale regions which may not correspond to intracerebral hemorrhage are excluded. The disclosed method and system could be a useful tool to aid classifying stroke types, quantifying intracerebral hemorrhage and enhancing stroke therapy.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2009Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of SciencesInventor: Qingmao Hu
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Patent number: 8849001Abstract: A voxel-based transformation method includes: a) obtaining a MRI dataset in a subject space associated with subject voxel coordinates, subject sampling directions, and subject voxel spin amounts, and a dataset of a co-registration template associated with template voxel coordinates, each subject voxel coordinate corresponding to a template voxel coordinate according to a mapping function; b) through an inverse of the mapping function, obtaining subject voxel coordinates and a Jacobian matrix; and c) obtaining template voxel spin amounts, each being a function of a template sampling direction and a template voxel coordinate, using the Jacobian matrix and image data.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: National Taiwan UniversityInventors: Isaac Wen-Yih Tseng, Fang-Cheng Yeh
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Patent number: 8849002Abstract: Compressed sensing (CS) estimation approaches rely on a priori sparsity to significantly reduce the number of samples needed to provide high sampling fidelity, relative to the normal Shannon-Nyquist limit. Accordingly, CS approaches are of considerable interest for detector multiplexing in applications which have inherently sparse signals (e.g., the two correlated photon detection events in PET imaging). However, CS approaches also tend to fare poorly in the presence of noise, which has limited their applicability in practice. In this work, we show that CS estimation can be used to provide an estimate of the support of an image. This estimated support is then used as a constraint for maximum likelihood image reconstruction. This approach has robust noise performance and provides high reconstruction fidelity.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: Garry Chinn, Peter D. Olcott, Craig S. Levin
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Patent number: 8849003Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to process cardiac images to detect heart motion abnormalities are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes using a filter coefficient based on a plurality of cardiac images to characterize motion of a heart; computing an information-theoretic metric from the filter coefficient; and comparing the information-theoretic metric to a threshold to determine whether the motion of the heart is abnormal.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2013Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignees: General Electric Company, London Health Sciences Centre Research Inc.Inventors: Kumaradevan Punithakumar, Shuo Li, Ismail Ben Ayed, Ian Ross, Ali Islam, Richard Rankin
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Patent number: 8849005Abstract: A method for tracking coronary artery motion includes constructing (11) a centerline model of a vascular structure in a base phase image in a sequence of 2D images of coronary arteries acquired over a cardiac phase, computing (12), for each pixel in a region-of-interest in each subsequent image, a velocity vector that represent a change in position between the subsequent image and base phase image, calculating (13) positions of control points in each phase using the velocity vectors, and applying (14) PCA to a P×2N data matrix XT constructed from position vectors (x, y) of N centerline control points for P phases to identify d eigenvectors corresponding to the largest eigenvalues of XXT to obtain a d-dimensional linear motion model {circumflex over (?)}p, in which a centerline model for a new image at phase p+1 is estimated by adding {circumflex over (?)}p to each centerline control point of a previous frame at phase p.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Hari Sundar, Yang Gao
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Patent number: 8849006Abstract: The disclosure is directed at a system and method for darkfield imaging system and method for automated cell screening of cells. The system and method acquires multi- or hyperspectral digital darkfield images of cells and then processes the images to obtain measurements which can then be supplied or displayed to a user to analyze.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Quorum Technologies Inc.Inventor: John D. Arbuckle
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Patent number: 8849007Abstract: A method is provided for determining which of a plurality of possible lines is most likely to be an actual line passing through a possible corner of a pallet. The method may comprise: providing a Ro image comprising pixels valued to generally correspond to an orthogonal distance from an origin point in the Ro image to one or more possible lines in a corresponding grey scale image; providing, using a computer, a location in the Ro image corresponding to a possible pallet corner; defining, using the computer, a plurality of possible lines passing through the possible pallet corner, each of the possible lines being respectively oriented at one angle within a range of angles to an axis of the Ro image; and determining, using the computer, which of the plurality of possible lines is most likely to be the actual line passing through the possible pallet corner.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Crown Equipment CorporationInventors: Lee F. Holeva, Edwin R. Elston, Eric L. Jensen, Michael J. Seelinger
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Patent number: 8849008Abstract: A technique for determining a set of calibration parameters for use in a model of a photo-lithographic process is described. In this calibration technique, images of a test pattern that was produced using the photo-lithographic process are used to determine corresponding sets of calibration parameters. These images are associated with at least three different focal planes in an optical system, such as a photo-lithographic system that implements the photo-lithographic process. Moreover, an interpolation function is determined using the sets of calibration parameters. This interpolation function can be used to determine calibration parameters at an arbitrary focal plane in the photo-lithographic system for use in simulations of the photolithographic process, where the set of calibration parameters are used in a set of transmission cross coefficients in the model of the photo-lithographic process.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventors: Xin Zhou, Yaogang Lian, Robert E. Gleason
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Patent number: 8849009Abstract: Provided are an image processing method and apparatus, and an image reproducing method and apparatus. The image processing method includes receiving three-dimensional (3D) image data; generating additional information about the 3D image data; and inserting the additional information in a blanking interval of the 3D image data.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2008Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jae-jun Lee, Jae-seung Kim
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Patent number: 8849010Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for rectifying images. An original stereo image pair is obtained, and the epipolar lines corresponding to the original stereo image pair are parallelized to obtain a first transformed stereo image pair. Epipolar lines corresponding to the first transformed stereo image pair are collinearized to obtain a second transformed stereo image pair. The present invention parallelizes and collinearizes the epipolar lines corresponding to the stereo image pair after the images are rectified.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kai Li, Jing Wang, Yuan Liu, Ping Fang
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Patent number: 8849011Abstract: A method is used for compensating a boundary of an image, in which each scan line in the image is shifted by a corresponding line shift amount. The method determines a boundary region for the image and moves each pixel in a scan line from an original position to a new position within the boundary region, in which the new position is determined according to the width of the boundary region, the original position, and a line shift amount, and the scan line is shifted by the line shift amount. Then, the method interpolates at least one pixel into the scan line according to the moved pixels for generating a compensated image.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2010Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Himax Media Solutions, Inc.Inventor: Wei-Ting Suen
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Patent number: 8849012Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus, a method, and a program capable of appropriately adjusting the stereoscopic effect in a stereoscopic image with a person. The attention point serving as the provisional cross point position is set to a person's eye, and the cross point position is shifted backwards from the attention point as the percentage of the image occupied by the face increases, thereby adjusting the stereoscopic effect so as to increase an area of the object which is projected forward from the cross point. Regarding the calculation of the back shift amount, the back shift amount is set to increase as the percentage of the face occupied in the standard image increases, and the coefficient is set to be smaller as the number of pixels of the positions nearer than the attention point increases, and the set coefficient kb is multiplied by the back shift amount.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventor: Masaya Tamaru
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Patent number: 8849013Abstract: A method of image processing comprising receiving a plurality of interpolated images, interpolated from two adjacent camera positions having different image planes, applying a transformation to each interpolated image to a respective one of a plurality intermediate image planes, wherein each intermediate image plane is oriented intermediate to the image planes of the two adjacent camera positions depending on a viewing angle of that interpolated image relative to the adjacent camera positions. Also an integrated circuit or processor, an apparatus for capturing images and an apparatus for displaying images.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2011Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Jin Xu, Chao Hsu Lee, Jian Zhang, Takayuki Yoshigahara