Patents Issued in February 16, 2016
  • Patent number: 9262763
    Abstract: Various embodiments of systems, methods, and software provide attachment-based mass data input and output for a distributed application system. Software for interactive, attachment-based data management may comprise computer readable instructions operable when executed to receive a request from a logically remote client via a network interface, where the request indicates a data file and a business object associated with a business application. The business object is then updated with a message in a format associated with the business application based on the data file. The data file is then stored in a repository and a dependent object (included in, or referenced by, or otherwise associated with the business object) is then updated with a logical location of the data file in the repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Markus A. Peter, Shabana Ansari, Peter Eberlein, Markus Schmidt-Karaca
  • Patent number: 9262764
    Abstract: A brand engine receives a request from a user device operated by a first user to display user information of a second user. User information of the first user is mapped to at least the user information of the second user by the brand engine. The mapping may map the user information of the first user to user information of further users in a social network. The mapping may map of any combination of spatial, temporal, social, and topical data related to the users. A modified representation of received content is generated by the brand engine based on the mapping. The modified representation is transmitted to the user device. The user device displays the modified representation for the first user. The modified representation of the received content may include any combination of filtered and/or sorted content items, recommended content items, and/or modified content items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Trout, Christopher Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez
  • Patent number: 9262765
    Abstract: A system, method, and program product for identifying and providing suggestions includes registering information of a behavior of a user in an environment within a domain. Behavior processes identify the behavior, identify an item associated with the behavior, identify an identity of the user, and store the identified information. Task processes prepare a suggestion list using the information and a stored configuration. A participant account in the environment requests suggestions to serve to the user where the participant account belongs to a participant belonging to a group of affiliated participants. Suggestion processes identify a request item, identify the identity of the user and attributes associated with the request, aggregate suggestions using the stored configuration and a suggestion list set, and record served suggestions. The participant account receives the served suggestions where the participant account can offer the served suggestions on behalf of an affiliated participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Smartfocus Holdings Limited
    Inventor: Darci Louise Swift
  • Patent number: 9262766
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for processing advertisement opportunities when a user views content on a mobile device. An agent on a mobile device may contextualize a portion of a page being viewed to identify and send contextual data to a contextualization service. The contextualization service may use the contextual data to select a campaign from a plurality of campaigns to deliver an in line banner advertisement for content being viewed. Based on the selected campaign, the contextualization service may send the agent an advertisement or campaign information for display, such as an inline banner at a natural break in the content being viewed. Instead of having an advertisement predetermined or fixed prior to the display of the content, the present systems and methods may dynamically contextualize the page at the point of viewing based on the content of the page being viewed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: VIBRANT MEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Mark Mason, Alistair Russell
  • Patent number: 9262767
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes calculating first statistics about a user-identified event within a first subset of a database of events; selecting a second subset of the database of events based on said first statistics; calculating second statistics about the user-identified event within the second subset of the database of events; merging the first and second statistics as statistics of the user-identified event within the entire database of events; and generating a result including at least a portion of the merged statistics of the user-identified event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Olcan Sercinoglu, Artem Boytsov, Jeffrey A. Dean
  • Patent number: 9262768
    Abstract: A system for determining preference, including a client device with feedback controls, a server and addressable URIs; the device and server in communication over an electronic network and the URIs' content retrievable over the network; the server automatically receiving and storing ratings, tracking URIs, using ratings to create a preference model for URIs, and using the preference model to suggest URIs; the stored ratings include a record having a rated item URI, a rater having a unique identification, a rating value provided by the rater, and at least one metadatum for creating subsets of ratings. Also, a method for automatically creating a chimeric preference vector, the method steps including identifying a multiplicity of datasets of rated items; automatically combining the datasets to form a combined dataset; automatically identifying ratings collisions; treating ratings collisions to form a data subset; and generating a chimeric preference vector based on the data subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Joseph Anthony Carsanaro
    Inventors: Joseph Anthony Carsanaro, Christopher Lawrence Mills
  • Patent number: 9262769
    Abstract: Computer implemented methods for protecting and promoting products of a given brand by using machine readable codes, including assigning, by a given brand, a particular value to a machine readable code localized in a packaging of a product; a user scanning the machine readable code by using a mobile computing device having installed therein a processor adapted to read the machine readable code; upon the scanning being performed, establishing communication between the processor and a remote server for storing the scanned code and performing a series of checkings of the scanned code; depending on the result of the checkings the remote server assigns a monetary compensation from the brand to the user that is delivered through the processor; and the processor informing the user about the checking, wherein the machine readable code contains information regarding a marketing campaign of the given brand, a product code and the particular value encrypted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CODIWISE S.L.
    Inventors: Llorenç Bové Bofill, Alexandre Barceló Llauger, Jordi Gili Tremoleda
  • Patent number: 9262770
    Abstract: Particular embodiments comprise a method for estimating the value of an organic marketing campaign. A computing device receives an identification of one or more entry pages associated with a website, as well as one or more keywords related to the entry pages. The computing device may determine conversion data, wherein the conversion data is based on traffic information identifying visits to at least one of the entry pages, and wherein the visits comprise organic referrals from a search engine. Using the keywords, the computing device may retrieve organic search results from the search engine, and then analyze the organic search results to determine rank positions of the entry pages. Finally, the computing device may identify a correlation between the rank positions of the entry pages, the conversion data, and the keywords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BrightEdge Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jimmy Yu, Lemuel S. Park, Rolland Yip
  • Patent number: 9262771
    Abstract: A mobile device with a display, processor(s), and memory: displays promotional offers; detects a user input selecting one of the promotional offers; and initiates performance of a transaction with an automatic retail machine to purchase a product stocked by the automatic retail machine. The mobile device also: receives a transaction completion notification from the payment module indicating that the product corresponding to the selected promotional offer was vended by the automatic retail machine; and, in response to receiving the transaction completion notification, provides a prompt to the user of the mobile device to obtain a product code for the vended product to validate the promotional offer. The mobile device further: obtains the product code for the vended product; transmits the product code to the server; and, in response: receives promotion validation information from the server; and displays the promotion validation information indicating whether the respective promotion offer was validated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: PAYRANGE INC.
    Inventor: Paresh K. Patel
  • Patent number: 9262772
    Abstract: The methods and systems described herein may involve determining at least one lifeotype of at least one individual, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and delivering content to at least one individual based on the analysis. The methods and systems described herein may involve providing a game, determining at least one lifeotype of at least one player of the game, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and affecting the game play based on the analysis. The methods and systems described herein may involve providing an interactive space, determining at least one lifeotype of at least one individual in the space, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and modifying at least one attribute of the space based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BodyMedia, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Stivoric, Eric Teller, David Andre, John A. Monocello, III
  • Patent number: 9262773
    Abstract: A social media platform and method for displaying and ranking content from an individual user against content from other users. The method prompts the individual user to input user-generated information; receives the user-generated information; acquires related information; receives at least one visual recording related to the user-generated information; associates the user-generated information, the related information, and the captured visual recording to create a user single trophy entry in a remote database; ranks the user single trophy entry relative to a plurality of single trophy entries in the remote database to determine a relative rank; and displays the user single trophy entry with the determined rank. The social media platform displays and ranks trophies taken by a plurality of users utilizing a database, a ranking module, and an output module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Trophy Stack, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Bradsher
  • Patent number: 9262774
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems allowing a company to market and advertise its brands, products and/or services in a mobile platform by use of an application converting words and texts into logos and displaying the same. Particularly, this application allows company logos to be inserted and displayed in any mobile texts and messages whenever corresponding keywords are entered or selected by end users in a mobile communication application, such as SMS/text, IM, iMessage, and any social networking application, for example, Facebook and Twitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventors: Mark Tung, Isaac Cheah, Brandon Foster
  • Patent number: 9262775
    Abstract: Methods, systems, software, computer-readable media, and the like relate to providing and receiving relevant data from one or more entities. Data is received by a wireless user device directly from a wireless transmitter. The data may be provided to a stationary or moving user. A consumer in a vehicle, for instance, may have a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet PC, navigation system, or other similar mobile device, and can use such device to interact with a geographically proximate advertising module having a wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter may also be stationary or moving, and can be incorporated into structures such as a vehicle, a billboard, a building, a road sign, a traffic light, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: Carl Lamont
  • Patent number: 9262776
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, system, and computer program product include one or more processors providing a framework for building a visual representation of a product concept, the visual representation including one or more of a textual component and a graphical component; one or more processors receiving a designation of an element within at least one of the textual component and the graphical components as a dynamic element; one or more processors associating the dynamic element with a variant list including one or more element variants; one or more processors receiving a selection of a first element variant from the variant list; and one or more processors generating a first instantiation of the visual representation including the first element variant as the dynamic element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Steven Howard Lamoureux, Mahesh Pai, Waleed Mohammed Ali Al-Atraqchi, Kamal Moussa Malek, Angel Ismael Municio, Jeremy David Blanchard
  • Patent number: 9262777
    Abstract: A card reader is provided with a read head with a slot and is configured to be coupled to a mobile device and has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a raw magnetic signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. A power supply is coupled to wake-up electronics and a microcontroller. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver an output jack signal to the mobile device. The wake-up electronics is powered by a microphone bias of a mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Square, Inc.
    Inventors: Kartik Lamba, Amish Babu, Michael Shyh-yen Ho, Adam David Peter Rothschild, Gerald Thomas Ryle, Jack Dorsey, James M. McKelvey
  • Patent number: 9262778
    Abstract: A method and a system to generate mobile storefronts are described. The storefront application is executable by a user device to allow a user of the user device to access the storefront and purchase an item from a merchant. The system comprises an initialization module that provides an initialization interface to an identified merchant that is used to initialize creation of a storefront application. A storefront module provides a generation interface that receives, from the merchant, an appearance for the storefront application. An inventory module receives an inventory information describing items for sale. A policy module provides a policy interface that receives policies of the storefront. A platform module generates source code that when compiled, becomes the storefront application. The source code is generated based at least on one or more templates and the inventory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: EBAY INC.
    Inventor: Kent Griffin
  • Patent number: 9262779
    Abstract: A data model and associated systems and methods enable comprehensive and robust analysis based on a member-, employee-, and branch-centric data model. The data model is integrated in a manner in which common data entities for member, branch, employee and time, are related centrally to other data entities. This data structure enables breadth in reporting and analysis. The data model also provides depth in analysis and insight that may be gained from the data quickly, in real-time and without manual manipulation. Automation of reporting and analysis processes is also supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: OnApproach, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Ablack, James A. Rohde
  • Patent number: 9262780
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling dynamic product and vendor identification and the display of relevant purchase information are described herein. According to embodiments of the invention, a recognition process is executed on sensor data captured via a mobile computing device to identify one or more items, and to identify at least one product associated with the one or more items. Product and vendor information for the at least one product is retrieved and displayed via the mobile computing device. In the event a user gesture is detected in response to displaying the product and vendor information data, processing logic may submit a purchase order for the product (e.g., for an online vendor) or contact the vendor (e.g., for an in-store vendor).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Petrou, Hartwig Adam, Laura Garcia-Barrio, Hartmut Neven
  • Patent number: 9262781
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments for systems and methods for self-payment and verification of the purchase of retail goods and services. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for verifying the purchase using a mobile electronic device in wireless communication with a payment verification system and a code generating system is provided, the method comprising the steps of: receiving from a consumer information identifying an item for purchase; receiving from a consumer information identifying payment means for purchasing the item for purchase; processing the information identifying the item for purchase and information identifying payment means and generating a unique QR code indicating a purchase of the item; sending the unique QR code to a mobile device for display by a consumer to the vendor of the item for purchase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Digital Retail Apps. Inc.
    Inventor: Wendy MacKinnon Keith
  • Patent number: 9262782
    Abstract: A secure transaction processing system/method allowing injection and execution of credit card and ACH payment forms in a third party web page via cross domain requests is disclosed. The system/method provides a mechanism to inject and execute payment forms into a third (customer) party's website via Cross Domain Requests by providing a set of client application instructions that retrieves presentation and behavior logic and delivers it in a third party application. A browser based client application detects and manages style and behavior conflicts to render forms within in an existing third party web page. The client application then submits the forms via Cross Domain Requests to the transaction processing web server and directs the client application to a new navigation target within the third party website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Doing Good Better, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Coleman, Carl Christopher Tierney
  • Patent number: 9262783
    Abstract: A method and system for evaluating service definitions in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) system which provides service offerings categorized according to service categories using a taxonomy. A specification field receives a formal definition of a service. The formal definition is for inclusion to define one of service offerings of the SOA. A current grammar is determined which is currently in effect as a specification-requirement of acceptable definitions for a service category in which the service is categorized. The current grammar is a common grammar. The system determines whether the formal definition in the specification field is acceptable, by adhering to the current grammar determined to be currently in effect as the specification-requirement for the category of the service. The formal definition is accepted for the service when it is determined to be acceptable according to the current grammar. Otherwise, the formal definition is rejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Software AG
    Inventors: Harald Schöning, Juliane Harbarth, Gunther Rademacher
  • Patent number: 9262784
    Abstract: Embodiments of computer implemented systems and methods for comparison shopping are described. One example embodiment includes receiving a data resource associated with a web page, the web page including an offering of a product and product offering terms, extracting product descriptors from the data source, requesting a search of marketplace offerings of the product based on the product descriptors, receiving results of the search (the results including marketplace offering terms of the marketplace offerings of the product), and displaying the marketplace offering terms, thereby facilitating comparison of the product offering terms with the marketplace offering terms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Kenny Shi
  • Patent number: 9262785
    Abstract: An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive at least in part to data read from data bearing records. The automated banking machine is operative to communicate with at least one remote computer that generates an alert message when a calculated number of transactions on a particular account exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventors: Ralph E. Jocke, Patricia A. Walker, Daniel D. Wasil
  • Patent number: 9262786
    Abstract: Configuring composite ratebooks includes receiving configuration parameters associated with a composite ratebook; receiving a selection of one or more rate routines to be associated with the composite ratebook; receiving input defining one or more rate tables to be included in the composite ratebook; and generating a composite ratebook including the configuration parameters, the one or more rate routines, and the defined one or more rate tables. A rate routine includes operations used to determine a premium for an insurance coverage. The one or more rate tables include insurance factors used by the one or more selected rate routines to determine premiums for insurance coverages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Guidewire Software, Inc.
    Inventors: Gaurav Marwaha, Richard Ian Berlin, Douglas E. McCreary, Marilyn Joyce Schneider Hollinger
  • Patent number: 9262787
    Abstract: A method includes receiving first sensor data representing information collected, during a first time period, by a sensor located on or in a vehicle configured to sense an environment external to the vehicle, storing the data in a memory, processing the data to determine a first set of one or more characteristics of the external environment, and determining, based on the first set of characteristics, a first risk indicator representing a risk of loss during the first time period. The method also includes receiving second sensor data representing information collected, during a second time period, by the sensor, storing the data in the memory, and processing the data to determine a second set of one or more characteristics of the external environment. The method also includes determining, based on the second set of characteristics, a second risk indicator representing a risk of loss during the second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Todd Binion, Joe Harr, Brian Fields, Steven Cielocha, Steve J. Balbach
  • Patent number: 9262788
    Abstract: In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D scanner generates 3D data. A point cloud or 3D model is constructed from the 3D data. The point cloud or 3D model is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: James M. Freeman, Roger D. Schmidgall, Patrick Harold Boyer, Nicholas U. Christopulos, Jonathan D. Maurer, Nathan L. Tofte, Jackie O. Jordan, II
  • Patent number: 9262789
    Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods automatically assess claims. A device may receive one or more images of a claimed object, such as a building or vehicle, compare the images to reference images and generate an estimate of financial damages to the object. The device may then generate a claim assessment based on previous comparisons and generated estimates. The claim assessment may be sent directly to a client or to an agent for review and/or processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventor: Nathan Tofte
  • Patent number: 9262790
    Abstract: Provided are a system and method for determining rankings of keywords according to a user group. The keyword ranking determining system includes a data grouping unit to group data of a weblog according to a predetermined theme, a weight application unit to calculate a document concentration that denotes a concentration degree, with respect to the theme, of a document corresponding to the data grouped according to the theme and to apply a weight corresponding to the document concentration to the data, a data set generation unit to generate at least one data set by grouping the data applied with the weight according to a search intention and a ranking determination unit to determine rankings of the at least one data set according to the theme, and a main keyword determination unit to determine a main keyword representing each of the at least one data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: NHN Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Keol Choi, Yu Won Kim, Yeun Ha Park, Hae-Young Kim, Dong Hyun Ban
  • Patent number: 9262791
    Abstract: A story describing an activity performed by an interacting user is distributed to viewing users according to the influencer scores for the viewing users. Each influencer score can be calculated based at least in part on the influence of a viewing user on those users connected to the viewing user, and on the influencer scores for the users connected to the viewing user. Based on the determined influencer scores, at least one of the viewing users can be provided with the story describing the activity performed by the interacting user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Antonio Felipe Garcia-Martinez, Rong Yan
  • Patent number: 9262792
    Abstract: An arbitrator receives a request to use a plurality of content in an aggregation. The arbitrator determines whether there exist proper rights to use the plurality of content in the aggregation. The requestor is communicated whether permission is granted. The determination may include negotiating for extending right of use by an arbitrator. This negotiation may communicate with content hosting service(s) or the content author(s). The determining step retrieves, stores, and maintains rights information to and from an information store which is accessible by the rights management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Denilson Nastacio
  • Patent number: 9262793
    Abstract: Methods, devices, systems and computer program products facilitate embedding and extraction of transactional watermarks into and from a video content. One such method includes selecting a first number of frames from a video content and performing temporal and a spatial psychovisual analysis on the selected frames. For each selected frame, at least one area for insertion of watermarks is identified. A first and a second watermark symbol is embedded separately in the identified area(s), and the embedded frames are re-encoded to obtain a first and a second alternative data. An inserter manifest is formed that includes the first and the second alternative data to enable insertion of a watermark into the video content by selecting one or the other of the first and second alternative data for insertion into the video content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Verance Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Zhao, Guillaume Mercier
  • Patent number: 9262794
    Abstract: Methods, devices, systems and computer program products facilitate embedding and extraction of transactional watermarks into and from a video content. One method for selecting an area for watermark insertion includes selecting a candidate area within a frame of the video content that is smaller in size that the frame itself, adding a first and a second watermark value to obtain corresponding first and second versions of the area, add noise to each of the first and second versions, and perform watermark extraction operations to obtain corresponding correlation values for the selected area. The above operations are repeated using different areas that are selected at pseudo-random offset values from the previously selected areas until the entire video frame is exhausted. One or more areas with the highest correlation value(s) are selected and designated as areas that are suitable for watermark insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Verance Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Zhao, Guillaume Mercier
  • Patent number: 9262795
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for enhanced graphics rendering performance in a hybrid computer system are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a graphical element in a frame, application, or web page, which is to be presented to a user via a web browser, is rendered either by a first processor or a second processor based on indications of whether the first or the second processor is equipped or configured to provide faster rendering. A rendering engine may utilize either processor based on historical or anticipated rendering performance, and may dynamically switch between the hardware decoder and general purpose processor to achieve rendering time performance improvement. Switches between processors may be limited to a fixed number switches or switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kangyuan Shu, Junyong Ding, Yongnian Le, Weiliang Lion Lin, Xuefeng Deng, Yaojie Yan
  • Patent number: 9262796
    Abstract: In an agent function, when a character image in motion is displayed, a number of the character images to be displayed is changed, depending on whether or not a speech utterance of a user is being received. In other words, during receipt the speech utterance of the user, the communication apparatus sends the character images to the vehicle-mounted apparatus at a first reduced frequency. Thus, even when a process of receiving the speech utterance and a process of displaying the character images are concurrently performed, the vehicle-mounted apparatus is not overloaded with the processes. Therefore, a stopping state of a process caused by overload of the vehicle-mounted apparatus with processes can be prevented and stoppage of the motion of the character image can also be prevented even during the receipt of the speech utterance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuu Nagata
  • Patent number: 9262797
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and an encoding state associated with the multi-sample pixel data is determined. Data for one sample of a multi-sample pixel and the encoding state are provided to a processing unit. The one sample of the multi-sample pixel is processed by the processing unit to generate processed data for the one sample that represents processed multi-sample pixel data for all samples of the multi-sample pixel or two or more samples of the multi-sample pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Lev Minkin, Henry Packard Moreton, Yury Uralsky, Eric Brian Lum, Dale L. Kirkland, Steven James Heinrich, Rui Manuel Bastos, Emmett M. Kilgariff, Jeffrey Alan Bolz, Tyson Bergland, Patrick R. Brown
  • Patent number: 9262798
    Abstract: A graphics system may include one or more processing units for processing a current display frame, each processing unit including a plurality of parameter registers for storing parameter settings used in processing the current display frame. A parameter buffer in the graphics system may store frame packets, with each frame packet containing information corresponding to parameter settings to be used for at least one display frame. A control circuit coupled to the buffer and to the one or more processing units may retrieve and process a top frame packet from the parameter buffer to update one or more of the parameter registers according to the contents of the top frame packet. The control circuit may issue DMA requests to fill the parameter buffer with frame packets transferred from system memory, where the frame packets may be written by an application (or software) executing on a central processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Bratt, Peter F. Holland, Shing Horng Choo, Timothy J. Millet
  • Patent number: 9262799
    Abstract: A method for computing eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a square matrix in a high performance computer involves dynamically reallocating the computer's computing cores for various phases of the computation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
    Inventor: Cheng Liao
  • Patent number: 9262800
    Abstract: A system and method for an omnidirectional camera for use in recording events around a police vehicle is disclosed. The system and method include an omnidirectional camera and a digital processor for processing the omnidirectional images captured by the omnidirectional camera. The digital processor may be operable to locate one or more regions of interests disposed within the omnidirectional images. A recordable medium is also disclosed for storing at least some of the captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Enforcement Video, LLC
    Inventor: Andrew Cilia
  • Patent number: 9262801
    Abstract: Multiple cameras are arranged in an array at a pitch, roll, and yaw that allow the cameras to have adjacent fields of view such that each camera is pointed inward relative to the array. The read window of an image sensor of each camera in a multi-camera array can be adjusted to minimize the overlap between adjacent fields of view, to maximize the correlation within the overlapping portions of the fields of view, and to correct for manufacturing and assembly tolerances. Images from cameras in a multi-camera array with adjacent fields of view can be manipulated using low-power warping and cropping techniques, and can be taped together to form a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy MacMillan, Scott Patrick Campbell
  • Patent number: 9262802
    Abstract: Provided are a computer-aided system (medical device), a computer-aided method, and a computer program product useful in digital templating for prosthetic arthroplasty, for example, total hip arthroplasty. The invention includes digital image capture and scaling features that can be used in conjunction with any digital radiographic image stored using picture archiving and communication system (PACS), regardless of PACS provider or PACS format. Patient radiographic images are captured, imported, and scaled, e.g., to actual size, to match the scale of a digital template of any prosthesis selected by the user. The computer program product is a stand-alone product, used independently of any software interface, including software accessed through connection to a network or the internet. The software, method, and system are suitable for use with a stand-alone computer and permit improved and cost-effective selection of prostheses for any particular clinical situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ARTHROMEDA, INC.
    Inventor: Mehran S. Aghazadeh
  • Patent number: 9262804
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for interpolating an image. The method includes: selecting a first filter, from among a plurality of different filters, for interpolating between pixel values of integer pixel units, according to an interpolation location; and generating at least one pixel value of at least one fractional pixel unit by interpolating between the pixel values of the integer pixel units by using the selected first filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Elena Alshina, Alexander Alshin, Nikolay Shlyakhov, Byeong-doo Choi, Yoon-mi Hong, Woo-jin Han, Tammy Lee
  • Patent number: 9262805
    Abstract: A method for processing an image in Bayer format is provided. The method may include: performing a binning process in a horizontal and/or vertical direction on an image which is to be processed, so that an arrangement mode of pixels in a processed image after binning is the same with that in the image to be processed, wherein the binning process may include: determining a position of an output pixel; selecting, from the image to be processed, a plurality of pixels which have the same color component with that of the output pixel, and calculating a weighted average of the plurality of pixels, so as to obtain a pixel value of the output pixel, wherein the plurality of pixels are selected from particular positions, so that the weighted average of the plurality of pixels can be calculated. According to the present disclosure, quality of image processing can be guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SPREADTRUM COMMUNICATIONS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaofeng Peng, Yuchun Huang, Fuhuei Lin
  • Patent number: 9262806
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system (1) and method (100) for resolution enhancement which enables the depth resolution to be enhanced without using gimbal, performs depth description independent from lighting conditions and camera parameters in high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ASELSAN ELEKTRONIK SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI
    Inventor: Lutfi Murat Gevrekci
  • Patent number: 9262807
    Abstract: A method for correcting a distorted input image includes determining a local region of an image to be displayed and dividing the region into an array of rectangular tiles, each tile corresponding to a distorted tile with a non-rectangular boundary within the input image. For each tile of the local region, maximum and minimum memory address locations of successive rows of the input image sufficient to span the boundary of the distorted tile are determined. Successive rows of the distorted input from between the maximum and minimum addresses are read. Distortion of the non-rectangular portion of the distorted input image is corrected to provide a tile of a corrected output image which is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Fotonation Limited
    Inventors: Piotr Stec, Alexei Pososin, Mihai Constantin Munteanu, Corneliu Zaharia
  • Patent number: 9262808
    Abstract: An input image is denoised by first constructing a pixel-wise noise variance map from the input image. The noise has spatially varying variances. The input image is partitioned into patches using the noise variance map. An intermediate image is determined from the patches. Collaborative filtering is applied to each patch in the intermediate image using the noise variance map to produce filtered patches. Then, the filtered patches are projected to an output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Fatih Porikli, Akshay Soni
  • Patent number: 9262809
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for filtering noise of low frequency from an image of the surface characteristics of an object expressed with reference to orthogonal first and second axis and obtained with linear light scanning, involve calculating a difference between pixel values of an image column vector along the second axis adjacent a selected reference image column vector and respective pixel values of the selected reference image column vector to obtain a pixel difference vector. The pixel difference values not mainly associated with a corresponding atypical change of surface characteristics as compared with noise are then selected, and a mean value from the selected pixel difference values are calculated as an estimated value of the noise. The estimated noise value are subtracted from the adjacent image column vector to obtain a corrected image column vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CENTRE DE RECHERCHE INDUSTRIELLE DU QUEBEC
    Inventors: Richard Gagnon, Jean-Pierre Couturier
  • Patent number: 9262810
    Abstract: A method denoises a noisy image by, for each pixel in the noisy image, first constructing a key from a patch, wherein the patch includes locally neighboring pixels around the pixel. A function is selected from a function library using the key. Then, the function is applied to the patch to generate a corresponding noise free pixel for the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, inc.
    Inventors: Oncel Tuzel, Jay Thornton, Jeroen van Baar
  • Patent number: 9262811
    Abstract: A method for improving quality of low light video images including: receiving a current video frame; temporally enhancing it by applying a first weight matrix including higher weight factors for stationary regions and lower weight factors for moving regions to the received frame and a reference frame to generate an enhanced temporal video frame; spatially enhancing the enhanced temporal video frame by applying a second weight matrix including higher weight factors for stationary regions and lower weight factors for moving regions to generate an enhanced spatial video frame; and motion enhancing the enhanced temporal video frame by extracting matched rigid moving objects in a previous or future frame and processing each of the extracted matched rigid moving objects with a corresponding rigid object in the enhanced temporal or spatial or raw current video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ARECONT VISION, LLC.
    Inventor: Sri Rama Prasanna Pavani
  • Patent number: 9262812
    Abstract: A method for the reduction of noise in an image including identifying neighboring pixel values in pixels proximate to a subject pixel; comparing the neighboring pixel values to a preset tolerance range; using neighboring pixel values within the tolerance range to calculate a pixel intensity correction value; and applying the pixel intensity value to the subject pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: Arthur Menikoff
  • Patent number: 9262813
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for generating corrected image data from a plurality of input image data by performing an iterative calculation process includes an input unit configured to input the plurality of input image data, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a photographing parameter used for photographing to acquire the input image data, a setting unit configured to set for each image area a number of iterations for generating the corrected image data based on the photographing parameter, and a generation unit configured to generate correction data from the plurality of image data by performing an iterative calculation process on each image area based on the number of iterations set for each image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Kotani