Patents Issued in November 1, 2016
  • Patent number: 9483672
    Abstract: A conveyor system for identifying an object (16) on which an identification tag (26) is affixed, comprising a conveyor frame (12) for supporting between its two opposite sides (12A, 12B) a plurality of transverse conveyor rollers (14) each having a roller shaft (14A) and an RFID interrogator exciting a radiant antenna for reading information from the identification tag, the radiant antenna being a first magnetic loop (22) formed by the conveyor frame and two adjacent roller shafts and excited by an excitation circuit (18) connected to, but distinct from, said RFID interrogator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Jean-Baptiste Pantaloni
  • Patent number: 9483673
    Abstract: A non-contact communication module may include a substrate including an antenna including an antenna coil placed annularly in the substrate, and a ground pattern for grounding formed in the substrate; an antenna-side land that is formed on an external surface of the substrate, and is electrically connected to the antenna; and a ground-side land that is formed on the external surface of the substrate, and is electrically connected to the ground pattern. A distance between the antenna-side land and the ground-side land may be such that the antenna-side land and the ground-side land can be connected by use of a solder bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9483674
    Abstract: The present invention provides an RFID-based torque sensor that can be used to quickly monitor off the shelf fasteners including fasteners that are used in expensive satellites or other uses where fastener failure can be very costly. In one embodiment, an antenna, RFID ring and spring comprise a sensor tag that can be interrogated with an interrogation signal produced by an interrogator device. When sufficient torque is applied to the fastener, an RFID circuit is connected, and produces a radio frequency (RF) signal that can be read by the interrogator. In one embodiment, the RFID circuit does not transmit when the spring member is not compressed, thereby indicating insufficient tensioning of the fastener. The present invention offers the ability to remotely, quickly, and inexpensively verify that any number of fasteners are torqued properly upon initial installation. Where applicable, the present invention allows low cost monitoring over the life of the fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Patrick W. Fink, Gregory Y. Lin, Phong H. Ngo, Timothy F. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 9483675
    Abstract: The invention provides an image display processing device and an image display processing program for displaying information concerning diagnosis of correspondence with an RF tag. The image display processing device includes a unit for obtaining diagnostic information concerning correspondence when correspondence between the RF tag and an RFID reader/writer has been successful, and a display controller configured to make a display unit display an image based on the diagnostic information. The diagnostic information includes correspondence margin based on a characteristic value obtained from the correspondence signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yahiro Koezuka, Shuichi Matsui
  • Patent number: 9483676
    Abstract: To provide a non-transitory computer-readable recording-medium storing an information acquiring program (IAP) that can be implemented by a computer controlling a mobile terminal (MT). The IAP includes five program codes (PCDs). The 1st-PCD causes the computer to use a camera for capturing an on-printed-matter marker. The 2nd-PCD causes the computer to detect a mobile state of the MT. The 3rd-PCD causes the computer to recognize the mark for creating a provision request based on recognition information of the recognized marker and mobile information representing the MT's mobile state detected by the 2nd-PCD. The 4th-PCD causes the computer to transmit the provision request to an information provision apparatus and to receive indication information as a reaction to the provision request from the IA. The 5th-PCD causes the computer to create image information (II) based on the indication information and causes a display part to display the II.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiro Kawaji
  • Patent number: 9483677
    Abstract: A variety of forms of machine-readable symbols are disclosed, as well as methods and systems of constructing machine-readable symbols, methods and systems of acquiring machine-readable symbols, and methods and systems of decoding machine-readable symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: HID GLOBAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Robert K. Rowe
  • Patent number: 9483678
    Abstract: A described system includes a feature matching circuit that determines a correspondence between a present-location landmark subsurface feature of a body part of an individual patient and a candidate reference landmark subsurface feature of the individual patient body part. The present-location landmark subsurface feature has a first spatial relationship to a distal end portion of a body-insertable device deployed in the individual patient. The candidate reference landmark subsurface feature has a second spatial relationship to a particular selected target region of interest of at least two selected target regions of interest. An event data circuit generates data indicative of a proximity event that includes the distal end portion of a body-insertable device being proximate to the particular target region of interest. A list management circuit adds the proximity event to a proximity event list. A computer-readable media maintains informational data corresponding to the proximity event list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: GEARBOX, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Eric C. Leuthardt, Erez Lieberman, Dennis J. Rivet, Elizabeth A. Sweeney, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9483679
    Abstract: A method of enrolling a fingerprint using a narrow-width fingerprint scanner is described. The method may include the steps of receiving first, second, and third fingerprint image strips, respectively representing overlapping portion of the fingerprint, extracting minutiae from each of the fingerprint image strips, matching the extracted minutiae to determine relative positions of the fingerprint image strips, combining the extracted minutiae based on their relative positions to produce a combined set of minutiae representing a larger portion of the fingerprint, and determining that the fingerprint has been successfully enrolled if a width of the larger portion is greater than a predetermined minimum width, or, if not, requesting further fingerprint image strips until the width of the larger portion of the fingerprint is greater than the predetermined minimum width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Zwipe AS
    Inventors: Milan Neskovic, Marko Nikolic
  • Patent number: 9483680
    Abstract: A method of recognizing a contactless fingerprint is provided. The method includes displaying a guide screen for recognizing the contactless fingerprint on a display, receiving an input image of a target object positioned according to the guide screen by using a camera, and determining whether the received input image is suitable for fingerprint recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Byung-jun Son, Jai-hie Kim, Jin-woo Yoo, Dong-hyun Noh, Won-june Lee
  • Patent number: 9483681
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a contactless 3D biometric feature identification system and the method thereof. The system comprises of a fixed-viewpoint image capturing means, a lighting module capable of producing different illuminations on the object of interest and a microprocessor configured to execute a biometric identification algorithm. The algorithm starts with capturing a plurality of images with different illuminations. The captured images are then utilized to reconstruct a three dimensional surface model. Different features, for instance 2D and 3D coordinates and orientations of the biometric feature, surface curvature of the object and the local surface orientation of the object, are extracted from the captured images and the reconstructed 3D surface model. Different matching scores are also developed based on the aforesaid features to establish the identity of the biometric features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    Inventors: Ajay Kumar, Cyril Kwong
  • Patent number: 9483682
    Abstract: An electronic device and method thereof are provided. The fingerprint recognition method includes: scanning a verifying fingerprint, obtaining a similarity value between the verifying fingerprint and a registered fingerprint, comparing the similarity value with a first threshold, determining that the verifying fingerprint matches the registered fingerprint if the similarity value is equal to or greater than the first threshold; comparing the similarity value with a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold; and storing the verifying fingerprint if the similarity value is equal to or smaller than the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Egis Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan-Lin Chiang, Yu-Chun Cheng
  • Patent number: 9483683
    Abstract: An alignment apparatus includes: a voting unit that generates multiple pairs of a first feature selected from multiple features representing a first target object represented on one image, and a second feature selected from multiple features representing a second target object represented on the other image, obtains, for each of the pairs, a first translation amount for aligning the first feature with the second feature, and votes, in a coordinate system with coordinates each representing a translation amount, a voting value for the coordinate corresponding to the first translation amount; and a translation amount calculating unit that calculates the total of the voting values for each of the coordinates in the coordinate system, and sets the translation amount corresponding to the coordinate with the largest total of the voting values, as a second translation amount for aligning the first target object with the second target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takahiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9483684
    Abstract: A medical image processor and storage medium are shown. According to one implementation, a medical image processor includes an input unit, an operation unit, a cell nucleus extracting unit, a fluorescent bright point extracting unit, a feature amount calculating unit, and an output unit. The input unit is used to input a cell shape image showing a shape of a cell and a fluorescent image showing expression of a specific protein as a fluorescent bright point. The operation unit is used to specify an analysis target region. The cell nucleus extracting unit extracts a region of a cell nucleus. The fluorescent bright point extracting unit extracts a fluorescent bright point. The feature amount calculating unit calculates a feature amount showing an expression amount of the specific protein. The output unit outputs the calculated feature amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akinori Tsunomori, Hisatake Okada, Kohsuke Gonda, Noriaki Ohuchi, Mika Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9483685
    Abstract: A method of classifying ciliary motion includes receiving digital video data representing the ciliary motion generated by an image capture device, wherein the digital video data includes a plurality of frames. The method further includes receiving an indication of a region of interest applicable to each of the frames, wherein the region of interest includes a plurality of pixels in each of the frames, calculating time series elemental motion data for at least one elemental motion parameter for the region of interest based on the digital video data, and using the time series elemental motion data to classify the ciliary motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Chakra S. Chennubhotla, Shannon P. Quinn, John R. Durkin, Maliha Zahid, Richard John Bruce Francis, Cecilia Wen Ya Lo
  • Patent number: 9483686
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying platelets within a whole blood sample. The method includes the steps of: a) adding at least one colorant to the whole blood sample, which colorant is operable to tag platelets; b) disposing the blood sample into a chamber defined by at least one transparent panel; c) imaging at least a portion of the sample quiescently residing within the chamber to create one or more images; and d) identifying one or more platelets within the sample using an analyzer adapted to identify the platelets based on quantitatively determinable features within the image using a analyzer, which quantitatively determinable features include intensity differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Abbott Point of Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Changhua Yu, Min Xie, Yiming Wu
  • Patent number: 9483687
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for ensuring a desired distribution of images in a multimedia document (e.g., yearbook, slideshow). A desired distribution of facial signatures in a multimedia document to be created by the user is received. Upon receiving an image to be added to the multimedia document by the user, a facial signature for a face detected in the image is generated. The current number of instances of the facial signature in the multimedia document is then determined. A determination is then made as to whether the current number of instances of the facial signature meets the desired distribution. An indication is then provided to the user as to whether the current number of instances of the facial signature meets or does not meet the desired distribution. In this manner, the user can ensure a desired distribution of images in the multimedia document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa M. Bradley, Brian O'Donovan, Aaron J. Quirk, Lin Sun
  • Patent number: 9483688
    Abstract: Provided are a system and method for evaluating the face recognition performance of a service robot using an ultra high definition (UHD) facial video database. The system includes a video output unit configured to output a registration-purpose or test-purpose UHD facial video, a robot test controller configured to control transmitting identification (ID) information on a video currently being output to a service robot having a face recognition function when the video currently being output is a registration-purpose video, and control performing evaluation of the face recognition function of the service robot using a recognition result received from the service robot when the video currently being output is a test-purpose video, and a wired/wireless communication unit configured to transmit the ID information and usage information indicating whether the video currently being output is a registration-purpose video or a test-purpose video to the service robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTIT
    Inventors: Young Sook Jeong, Mi Young Cho
  • Patent number: 9483689
    Abstract: Biometric matching technology, in which a watch list is managed, multiple images of a potential suspect are accessed, and parallel pre-processing of the multiple images is controlled. Based on the pre-processing, an image of the potential suspect to use in matching against the watch list is determined and the determined image is used to search sorted biometric data included in the watch list. A subset of persons from the watch list is identified based on the search and parallel analysis of the determined image of the potential suspect against detailed biometric data associated with the subset of persons in the watch list is controlled. Based on the parallel analysis, it is determined whether the potential suspect matches a person in the watch list and a result is outputted based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Abhinav Tiwari, Sanjoy Paul
  • Patent number: 9483690
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program calibrate a vision system. An image of a human gesture is received that frames a display device. A boundary defined by the human gesture is computed, and gesture area defined by the boundary is also computed. The gesture area is then mapped to pixels in the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Eric Zavesky
  • Patent number: 9483691
    Abstract: A system and method for computer vision based tracking of a human form may include detecting a shape of an object in an image of a space and determining the probability of object having a human form shape based on movement of the object. If the probability of the object of being of a human form is above a predetermined threshold the object is tracked and if the probability is below the threshold then the tracking is terminated. Occupancy in the space may be determined based on the tracking of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: POINTGRAB LTD.
    Inventors: Haim Perski, David Bitton
  • Patent number: 9483692
    Abstract: A gesture recognition apparatus capable of recognizing a hand by means of a binary image regardless of direction of light contacting the hand. A binarizing processing section binarizes an input image from a camera to a hand recognizing section to prepare a first binary image by a predetermined method. A rebinarizing processing section only rebinarizes a predetermined area of the input image to prepare a second binary image. A contraction processing section performs a contraction processing on the second binary image. The rebinarizing processing can increase the possibility of recognizing the hand by classifying a portion of the hand that was classified into black in the first binary image into white. The hand is determined to be recognizable if the hand can be recognized in the first binary image and/or in the second binary image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignees: NIPPON SYSTEMWARE CO., LTD., HONDA ACCESS CORP.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kondou, Teruo Uchimura, Shinichi Horisaki, Atsuki Kakinuma, Toshiaki Hosogai
  • Patent number: 9483693
    Abstract: Various methods and devices that involve character recognition on a touch display, or other input device, are disclosed. Some of these may facilitate the recognition of characters that are input by people with physical impairments such as those with limited eyesight. A disclosed free-hand character recognition device comprises: an input device having stroke detection circuitry to accept input data from a user; a character recognition engine instantiated using a processing system and a data store; and a network connection to a server. The device additionally comprises a memory storing instructions to: conduct an unobtrusive user recognition procedure to obtain a user identifier from the user; download a cipher from the server to the data store using the network connection and the user identifier; and generate a prediction vector using the character recognition engine, the input data, and the cipher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Clover Network, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Antonio de Menezes Pereira, John Daniel Beatty
  • Patent number: 9483694
    Abstract: An imaging device comprising a flexible sensor attached to a control case. The flexible sensor provides both a source of illumination to the image being captured and a method of capturing the image. The method of capture comprises a field of reactors disbursed across the facial area of the sensor, the output of which produces a dot-pattern capture of the intended image which is passed to a storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Inventors: Sang Hun Kim, Peter Wayne de Fremery
  • Patent number: 9483695
    Abstract: A cost-effective and robust method for localizing and tracking drowsiness state of the eyes of driver by using images captured by near infrared (IR) camera disposed on the vehicle, the said method comprising the processor implemented steps of: Real-time tracking of the face and localizing eye bounding box within the face bounding box in the captured image by comparing the gray values with threshold using the segmentation process; tracking the eyes by computing the centroid of the eye, target model histogram and target candidate model histogram for one location to another by comparing them to identify distance and calculating the displacement of the target center by the weighted means, wherein the target model histogram and target candidate model histogram are computed based on the feature space; and detecting the drowsiness state of the eyes using histogram equalization, Morphological operations and texture based parameters using histogram and grey level co-occurrence matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Chidanand K. S., Brojeshwar Bhowmick
  • Patent number: 9483696
    Abstract: A system and method for generating compact iris representations based on a database of iris images includes providing full-length iris codes for iris images in a database, where the full-length iris code includes a plurality of portions corresponding to circumferential rings in an associated iris image. Genuine and imposter score distributions are computed for the full-length iris codes, and code portions are identified that have a contribution that provides separation between imposter and genuine distributions relative to a threshold. A correlation between remaining code portions is measured. A subset of code portions having low correlations within the subset is generated to produce a compact iris representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Coproation
    Inventors: Jonathan H. Connell, II, James E. Gentile, Nalini K. Ratha
  • Patent number: 9483697
    Abstract: Method and device are described for customizing the content selection to present on a display device based on identifying the viewer of the device. In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to selecting from among a group of digital images, those images that are most likely to be of interest to the viewer. In general, many of the images available to the display device will be comprised of images containing subject faces. Using the relationship information to predict subject affinity, the display device computes an image affinity for each image by accumulating the individual subject affinity predictions between the viewer and each subject identified in each image. The image affinities are used to select images for presentation on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Hugh Blake Svendsen
  • Patent number: 9483698
    Abstract: A method includes generating a disparity map according to two sets of image data, identifying at least one object in the disparity map, mapping the at least one object onto a plane view, tracking at least one object on the plane view, and providing a robust algorithm about a cross-line time interval and a cross-line degree. The robust algorithm includes detecting whether the at least one object enters a predetermined region when the at least one object crosses a predetermined boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Huper Laboratories Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Hsiang Tsai, Chao-Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 9483699
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting traffic lanes in real time are disclosed. The disclosed real-time lane detection apparatus may include: a candidate area establisher unit configured to establish as a candidate area for lane detection an area having an intensity value which corresponds to the intensity of a traffic lane marking from among the intensity values in a color space of a color image; and a lane-marking determiner unit configured to determine a traffic lane marking from the established candidate area by using a line component of the candidate area. According to the present invention, traffic lanes can be detected accurately and quickly, even in environments where the lighting conditions of the road vary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
    Inventors: Kwang-Hoon Sohn, Jong-In Son
  • Patent number: 9483700
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and a system for vehicle localization. The method includes identifying expected lane lines based on a lane level map and a position of a vehicle and identifying observed lane lines based on images captured by an imaging device of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle. The method includes matching the expected lane lines to the observed lane lines and determining a likelihood score based on the matching. The method includes determining a best vehicle pose based on the likelihood score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuncong Chen, Aniket Murarka
  • Patent number: 9483701
    Abstract: A computing device segments an image into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment of the plurality of segments has a segment location and a set of pixels that share visual characteristics. The computing device determines an initial set of bounding boxes for the image based on the plurality of segments. The computing device determines a reduced set of bounding boxes based on combining bounding boxes of the initial set of bounding boxes, the reduced set of bounding boxes corresponding to one or more objects in the image, each of the one or more objects having an object class and an object location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Vivek Kwatra, Jay Yagnik, Alexander T. Toshev
  • Patent number: 9483702
    Abstract: A method of determining a saliency map (e.g., 900) for an input image (e.g., 600) is disclosed. Pre-determined data defining relative salience of image features is accessed. The input image (600) is decomposed according to the predetermined data to identify features of the input image (600) corresponding to the image features in the predetermined data. A portion of the predetermined data corresponding to a range of the identified image features is selected. A perceptual scale is determined using the selected portion of the predetermined data. The saliency map (900) for the input image using the determined perceptual scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Clement Fredembach
  • Patent number: 9483703
    Abstract: A product may receive each image in a stream of video image of a scene, and before processing the next image, generate information indicative of the position and orientation of an image capture device that captured the image at the time of capturing the image. The product may do so by identifying distinguishable image feature points in the image; determining a coordinate for each identified image feature point; and for each identified image feature point, attempting to identify one or more distinguishable model feature points in a three dimensional (3D) model of at least a portion of the scene that appears likely to correspond to the identified image feature point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Gerard Medioni, Zhuoliang Kang
  • Patent number: 9483704
    Abstract: The techniques include an image recognition system to receive a realogram image including a plurality of organized objects and to detect and identify objects in the realogram image of one or more items on a retail shelf, identify shelf fronts and labels on the shelf fronts, identify empty space under shelves, identify areas where unidentified products may be, and identify areas where products are “out of stock”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Edward Schwartz
  • Patent number: 9483705
    Abstract: Based on a long diameter of a set specific region, a first region estimated as the specific region and a second region estimated as a background region are set within an input image. Based on a density histogram of each pixel in the first region and a density histogram of each pixel in the second region, a first evaluation value which indicates a likelihood that a density value represents the specific region is calculated for each density value. For each pair of two adjacent pixels within the input image, based on the first evaluation values, a second evaluation value which indicates a likelihood that the two adjacent pixels represent a contour is calculated. Based on the second evaluation value, connection costs between a plurality of nodes respectively representing each pair of the two adjacent pixels are set. The plurality of nodes are connected based on the connection costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuanzhong Li
  • Patent number: 9483706
    Abstract: One of the challenges in bringing computational imaging to a mass market is that computational imaging is inherently computationally expensive. The computational challenges associated with computational imaging are apparent with the computation of a histogram of gradient descriptors. Oftentimes, generating a histogram of gradient descriptors involves computing gradients of an image, binning the gradients according to their orientation, and, optionally, normalizing the bins using a non-linear function. Because each of these operations is expensive, the histogram of gradient descriptor computations is generally computationally expensive and is difficult to implement in a power efficient manner for mobile applications. The present application discloses a computing device that can provide a low-power, highly capable computing platform for computing a histogram of gradient descriptors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Linear Algebra Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Richard Richmond, Cormac Brick, Brendan Barry, David Moloney
  • Patent number: 9483707
    Abstract: A method for recognizing a known object in a field of view of a three-dimensional (3D) vision system includes capturing a bitmap image file of the field of view and executing a first feature extraction to generate appearance features including a color histogram and an edge direction histogram. A reduced search space is identified based upon the appearance features including the color histogram and the edge direction histogram. A second feature extraction of the bitmap image file is executed to identify geometric features including a viewpoint feature histogram and an ensemble of shape functions. The appearance features and the geometric features are fused with contents of the reduced search space. The fused appearance features, geometric features and contents of the reduced search space are compared with a plurality of predetermined partial views of a plurality of known objects to recognize one of the known objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Zhichao Chen
  • Patent number: 9483708
    Abstract: A method for recognizing an object reflection in at least one image generated by a camera of a motor vehicle includes: recognizing at least one first object candidate in the image; identifying at least one first reflection indicator as a function of the first object candidate; evaluating the first reflection indicator to analyze whether the first object candidate is an object reflection; and outputting an evaluation signal as a function of the evaluation, the evaluation signal characterizing the first object candidate as at least one of an object reflection and an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Fischer
  • Patent number: 9483709
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for deriving a saliency measure for images and video are described. In an embodiment, a process includes decomposing, by a processor, an image into elements, wherein elements cluster the image and each element consists of spatially connected pixels. The processor then calculates a first image measure indicative of each element's uniqueness in the image on a per element basis, and calculates a second image measure indicative of each element's spatial distribution in the image on a per element basis. The processor then provides a per element saliency measure by combining the first image measure and the second image measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Federico Perazzi, Alexander Hornung, Philipp Krähenbühl, Yael Pritch
  • Patent number: 9483710
    Abstract: A processor configured to execute a process includes receiving image information including biometric information, extracting, from the image information, a first phase component image representing a phase component included in the image information, converting the image information into first frequency information and converts the first phase component image into second frequency information, extracting a first feature vector and a second feature vector respectively on the basis of amplitude information of the first frequency information and the second frequency information determined in advance, and combining the first feature vector and the second feature vector on the basis of a prescribed rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Narishige Abe
  • Patent number: 9483711
    Abstract: An object detection system including a storage unit, image acquisition module, feature searching module, calculation module, and confirmation module is provided. The image acquisition module obtains a first, second, and third image respectively corresponding to a first, second, and third timepoint of a video sequence from the storage unit, where time difference between the first and second timepoint is less than or equal to that between the second and third timepoint. The feature searching module searches for at least one feature from the first image. When the feature is within a near-distance detected region, the calculation module calculates a motion vector of the feature according to the first and second image; otherwise, it calculates the motion vector of the feature according to the third and one of the first and second image. The confirmation module confirms the existence of a moving object according to the motion vector of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Altek Autotronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ching-Sung Yeh, Ming-Jiun Liaw, Chi-Fang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9483712
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to detecting the number, position, and orientation of objects when a plurality of recognition target objects are present in a search target image. Dictionary image data is provided, including a recognition target pattern, a plurality of feature points of the recognition target pattern, and an offset (Ox, Oy) from the coordinates at the center of the image to the coordinates of the feature point. The sizes (Rt) and directions (?t) of feature vectors for the coordinates (Tx, Ty) of a plurality of feature points in the target image are also provided. The coordinates (Fx, Fy) of a virtual center point in the target image is derived. Additional virtual center points within a radius of the coordinates (Fx, Fy) is counted. Presence of a recognition target object is recognized near the virtual center point coordinates of the search target image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Oishi Chiaki, Yumi Mori, Hiroki Nakano
  • Patent number: 9483713
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a common region sum of absolute differences (SAD) calculation unit configured to define each of a common target region in which a plurality of target regions predetermined for each target pixel overlap and a common reference region in which a plurality of reference regions predetermined for each corresponding reference pixel overlap and output a common SAD calculation result obtained by performing SAD calculation based on values represented by pixel signals of pixels included in the common target region and the common reference region; and addition processing units equal in number to the target pixels to be simultaneously correlated and configured to correspond to the target pixels and output SAD calculation results obtained by performing addition processes based on the common SAD calculation result and an SAD calculation result of a region which is not included in the common target region within a target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryusuke Tsuchida, Yoshinobu Tanaka, Takashi Yanada
  • Patent number: 9483714
    Abstract: In a case where generating a training image of an object to be used to generate a dictionary to be referred to in image recognition processing of detecting the object from an input image, model information of an object to be detected is set, and a luminance image of the object and a range image are input. The luminance distribution of the surface of the object is estimated based on the luminance image and the range image, and the training image of the object is generated based on the model information and the luminance distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masato Aoba
  • Patent number: 9483715
    Abstract: When each pixel forming image data is classified into one of N labels (where N>2) which are ordered from 0 to N?1, a binary graph setting unit sets a binary graph where the i-th layer i is a boundary between the label i?1 and the label i of the N labels, a class to which a label equal to or higher than i is assigned corresponds to a virtual label 0, and a class to which a label equal to or smaller than i?1 is assigned corresponds to a virtual label 1, a layer-by-layer labeling unit performs a graph cut operation on the binary graph of each layer, and then a label determining unit determines which of the N labels each pixel belongs to based on the virtual labels assigned to all the binary graphs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 9483716
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a display control device includes: a control unit configured to control the display and output of image data; a display information generating unit configured to generate display information including at least an image ID for identifying the image data and a display period whenever the image data is output by the control unit for display; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the display information to an external device so that the display information is managed by the external device as one unit information item serving as a unit of image formation together with other display information items having a predetermined relation with the display information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Sachiko Abe
  • Patent number: 9483717
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for stocking and/or restocking an item. During operation, an RFID reader will determine items to be stocked/restocked. This determination may be made by performing a first scan and determining all items within range. Once determined, the RFID reader will continuously scan items that are within range. When the RIFD reader encounters an additional item that is similar to an item to be stocked/restocked, a notification is provided to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Judith A. Murrah
  • Patent number: 9483718
    Abstract: Examples of techniques for encoding data in a 2D symbology are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for encoding data in a 2D symbology is provided. The method includes assigning a first color representative of a 0-bit and a second color representative of a 1-bit. The method further includes designating a starting indicator and an ending indicator. The method also includes generating, by a processor, the 2D symbology, the 2D symbology includes a series of data segments and null segments representing a binary string. The series of data segments and null segments starts with the starting indicator and ends with the ending indicator. The data segments include 0-bit segments of the first color and 1-bit segments of the second color. The null segments are positioned between each of the data segments and are of a third color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erich Guenter, Mark E. Maresh, Colm Nolan, Juan F. Vargas, Michael J. Whitney
  • Patent number: 9483719
    Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in substrates and in particular to new substrates having magnetic and visual security features, which provide security against imitation. A security substrate comprising a transparent polymer carrier layer bearing indicia formed from a plurality of opaque and non-opaque regions and a transparent magnetic layer supported by the carrier layer containing a distribution of particles of a hard magnetic material of a size and distributed in a concentration at which the magnetic layer remains transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: De La Rue International Limited
    Inventors: Roland Isherwood, James Snelling, Alan Brown
  • Patent number: 9483720
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a stimulus monitoring system. The system includes an RFID device, item, interrogation device, and reception device. The RFID device includes a brace affixed to an inductor or capacitor. The brace is constructed from a material structurally responsive to a predetermined stimulus, such that stimulus-responsive structural alterations to the brace structurally alters the inductor, capacitor, or other RFID subcomponent of the RFID circuit capable of generating a current alteration, which in turn alters the signal frequency of the RFID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: U.S. Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Conner, Ryan Giedd
  • Patent number: 9483721
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a stimulus monitoring process. The process includes exposing an RFID device to an environment. The RFID has characteristics that alter based on exposure to the environment, which in turn alter a response signal emanating from the RFID device in response to an interrogation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: U.S. Photonics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Conner, Ryan Giedd