Head-up Display Patents (Class 348/115)
  • Patent number: 8970451
    Abstract: A visual guidance system includes an image display to present an image overlaid on a windshield in front of a driver of a vehicle, a processor to output image information on a virtual line to display visual guidance to the image display, and a steering input detector to detect a steering input. The processor presents an attention attracting indication about an object outside of the vehicle in synchronization with the virtual line in such a manner that the virtual line extends from above the driver along a course of the vehicle seen within the windshield, and a pointing end of the virtual line is overlaid on a road surface on the course seen within the windshield. The processor outputs image information for changing the attention attracting indication to be less conspicuous than the virtual line in accordance with a steering input signal given by the steering input detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isamu Nagasawa, Noriyoshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8964024
    Abstract: An exterior light control system is provided for controlling exterior lights of a vehicle. The system includes an imaging system configured to image a forward external scene and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images; and a controller configured to receive and analyze the image data and for generating an exterior light control signal that is used to control the exterior lights in response to analysis of the image data. The controller is further configured to analyze the image data to detect a semi-truck. When a semi-truck is detected, the controller generates an exterior light control signal that indicates the detection of a semi-truck or simply the presence of an oncoming vehicle. The controller may detect groups of lights belonging to a semi-truck other than headlamps, e.g., cab lights, so that a semi-truck may be detected even when the headlamps of the semi-truck are not detected due to being blocked by a roadside barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy A. Schut, David M. Falb
  • Publication number: 20150015698
    Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to methods and systems for identifying air traffic. A method is provided in which images from a camera positioned on the aircraft are processed via a processor. The processor uses data from the images to identify air traffic within a field of view of the camera and displays an indication of the position of the air traffic relative to the aircraft on a display to provide air traffic information. A system is also provided that includes an aircraft that includes a camera configured to provide image data within a field of view of the camera to a processor for processing the image data to identify air traffic within the field of view of the camera. The processor displays an icon representing the position of the air traffic within the field of view of the camera on a display to provide air traffic information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Michael Knight
  • Patent number: 8896684
    Abstract: A system and method for enhancing display content includes receiving a video signal made up of video frames from at least one image sensor and identifying a driving path based at least in part on steering wheel data. The system and method also includes performing a first segmentation on the at least one video frame to divide the at least one video frame into a plurality of segments containing input pixel data, altering input pixel data based on a segment associated with the input pixel data to create output pixel data and providing the at least one video frame comprising the output pixel data to a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Valentin Muresan, William Todd Watson
  • Patent number: 8890774
    Abstract: A heads-up display associated with a user manipulated object in a gaming environment, particularly a racing game. According to one aspect the heads-up display may reduce the distance a user's eye travels between a focal area and the heads-up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Uphill, Christopher Francis, Dominic Jackson, James Whittamore, Ashleigh J. Pook
  • Patent number: 8885260
    Abstract: A headup display device includes a driving mirror configured to reflect a display light irradiated from an indicator to guide the reflected display light to a windshield of a vehicle. The driving mirror includes a base plate fixed to a bottom surface of a casing, a pair of opposite support plates which are upright on the base plate, a holder pivotally supported by the opposite support plates, a reflective mirror held by the holder, a driving motor configured to pivot the holder to change an angle of the reflective mirror, and a positioning projection provided on the support plate and protruding in a mounting direction of the base plate to the bottom surface of the casing. A holding recessed portion is formed on the casing to allow an insertion of the positioning projection therein and hold the positioning projection at a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Shimada, Junichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8885039
    Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus including a transceiver configured to communicate with at least one other vehicle near a vehicle including the vehicle navigation apparatus and configured to receive traveling information about the at least one other vehicle, a controller configured to calculate first movement information of the vehicle and second movement information of the at least one other vehicle based on the received traveling information, and a display unit configured to display a graphical representation of the vehicle and the at least one other vehicle based on the calculated movement information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Junyoung Jang, Sangyong Park
  • Patent number: 8878749
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for improving gaze estimation based on glints. An example method may be executable to receive glint-location data indicating a location for each of one or more glints that are reflected from an eye. The glint-location data may be captured by an imaging device that is attached to a head-mountable display (HMD). The method may be further executable to determine a plurality of normalized pupil locations comprising at least a first and a second normalized pupil location. Each normalized pupil location may be determined based on the glint-location data for a different combinatoric subset of the one or more glints. The method may be further executable to determine a regression model to fit the plurality of normalized pupil locations to an expected gaze location, and perform a gaze-tracking process based on the regression model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Wu, Yong Zhao, Thad Eugene Starner, Hayes Solos Raffle
  • Patent number: 8867137
    Abstract: A head-up display device includes an indicator configured to emit a display light, a lower casing to which the indicator is mounted, an upper casing which is mounted to an upper portion of the lower casing, a pair of support portions which are provided on the lower casing and extend toward the upper casing, guide grooves which are formed on the support portions at opposite sides thereof, and a reflective mirror which is inserted and mounted to the lower casing toward a bottom surface of the lower casing while both lateral edges of the reflective mirror are engaged with the guide grooves, to reflect the display light emitted from the indicator and guide the reflected display light to a windshield of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Shimada, Junichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8860867
    Abstract: The present invention provides a display apparatus and a display method for realizing control for display operations by a user precisely reflecting the user's status, i.e., the user's intentions, visual state and physical conditions. Worn as an eyeglass-like or head-mount wearable unit for example, the display apparatus of the present invention enables the user to recognize visibly various images on the display unit positioned in front of the user's eyes thereby providing the picked up images, reproduced images, and received images. As control for various display operations such as switching between the display state and the see-through state, display operation mode and selecting sources, the display apparatus of the present invention acquires information about either behavior or physical status of the user, and determines either intention or status of the user in accordance with the acquired information, thereby controlling the display operation appropriately on the basis of the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Masaaki Tsuruta, Taiji Ito, Masamichi Asukai
  • Patent number: 8854452
    Abstract: Methods and systems for using a multi-state button are described. A computing device may be configured to receive an input associated with a press state of a button. The computing device may be configured to cause an image-capture device to capture an image from a point-of-view (POV) of the computing device based on the input corresponding to a first press state on the button and cause the image-capture device to capture a video from the POV of the computing device based on the input corresponding to a second press state on the button. The computing device may be configured, based on the input corresponding to a partial press state of the button, to cause the image-capture device to capture the image and/or the video; and provide a search query based on the image and/or the video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Hayes Solos Raffle
  • Patent number: 8854462
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method of determining the ability of a vehicle to pass through a restricted gap in the roadway, including the steps of: detecting a restricted gap in the roadway, defining an image of the vehicle, and comparing the vehicle image with the restricted gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Anne Herbin, Patrice Reilhac
  • Patent number: 8830304
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, which provides images for stereoscopic viewing by synthesizing images obtained by capturing an image of real space by a main image sensing device and sub image sensing device to a virtual image, measures the position and orientation of the main image sensing device, calculates the position and orientation of the sub image sensing device based on inter-image capturing device position and orientation held in a holding unit and the measured position and orientation of the main image sensing device. Then the information processing apparatus calculates an error using the measured position and orientation of the main image sensing device, the calculated position and orientation of the sub image sensing device, and held intrinsic parameters of the main image sensing device and sub image sensing device. The information processing apparatus calibrates the held information based on the calculated error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sonoko Miyatani, Kenji Morita, Masakazu Fujiki
  • Patent number: 8824054
    Abstract: A head-up display device includes an indicator configured to emit a display light, a lower casing to which the indicator is mounted, an upper casing which is mounted to an upper portion of the lower casing, a pair of support portions which are provided on the lower casing and extend toward the upper casing, guide grooves which are formed on the support portions at opposite sides thereof, and a reflective mirror which is inserted and mounted to the lower casing toward a bottom surface of the lower casing while both lateral edges of the reflective mirror are engaged with the guide grooves, to reflect the display light emitted from the indicator and guide the reflected display light to a windshield of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Shimada, Junichi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8823881
    Abstract: A control device controls a television. The control device includes a touch module. The control device displays a menu containing a number of soft keys on a screen. The soft keys are activated to control the television to carry out corresponding functions. All positions on the menu are associated with all positions on the touch module correspondingly. As a result, a user can select desired soft keys to carry out corresponding functions by viewing the menu on the television and touching the touch module, rather than viewing the touch module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chih-Chun Chang
  • Patent number: 8817090
    Abstract: A method to display a projected parametric curve upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display includes monitoring a desired parametric curve comprising a plurality of control points and a plurality of graphic segments based upon the control points, determining a luminance indicator for each of the segments, and utilizing the luminance indicator to command uniform luminance among the plurality of graphic segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Joseph F. Szczerba, Thomas A. Seder, Dehua Cui
  • Patent number: 8817099
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein comprise a system and method for improving visibility of a roadway using an improved visibility system. The method comprising receiving data from a plurality of fog detectors located proximate a roadway and determining, based on the data from the plurality of fog detectors, that fog is present about the roadway. The method further comprising obtaining, after the determining that fog is present about the roadway, a plurality of images of the roadway by activating a plurality of cameras located proximate the roadway. The method further comprising creating a composite image by combining two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog and transmitting the composite image to a display device located in a vehicle traveling along the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Giuseppe Longobardi
  • Patent number: 8817092
    Abstract: A method and system for displaying a composite video image to a human viewer has a sub-system associated with a video camera to monitor position, viewing direction or depth of focus of the camera when positioned at a setting to view a modification scene at a recording time. A video recording of an image of the modification scene is made and stored. At a viewing time subsequent to the recording time, a viewer at the setting perceives an image of a foundation scene and a vantage position monitor sub-system associated with the viewer is used to monitor vantage position data related to the viewer's present vantage position at the time of perceives the foundation scene. Modification image data is selected and accessed from memory, the accessed data depending on the monitored vantage position data. The image data corresponding to the foundation scene and the modification scene are combined as a composite image and displayed to the viewer at the subsequent time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Inventor: Stuart Leslie Wilkinson
  • Patent number: 8736516
    Abstract: A Head Mounted Display (HMD) system that includes a wireless front end that interprets spoken commands and/or hand motions and/or body gestures to selectively activate subsystem components only as needed to carry out specific commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Kopin Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey J. Jacobsen, Christopher Parkinson, Stephen A. Pombo
  • Patent number: 8730319
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes an image data generating unit and a display unit. The image data generating unit generates image data on an image. The display unit presents a video including the image data to an image viewer on a moving body to superimpose the video on an actual outside scene. The image data includes a first display object and a second display object. The first display object includes a lower part object. The lower part object has a lower part, an upper right part and an upper left part. A length of the lower part along a normal direction is longer than lengths of the upper right and upper left parts. The second display object is disposed in the image with reference to a display position of the first display object. The second display object includes information on the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masahiro Sekine, Takashi Sasaki, Tsuyoshi Tasaki, Haruhiko Okumura, Noriko Odate, Shigeo Morimoto, Takahisa Yoneyama, Yugo Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 8717481
    Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) that enables a wearer to favorably view and recognize images even in a very bright environment, has a HMD in which image display light emitted from a display element is guided to an eye of an observer via a visor, whereby a virtual image of an observed subject is formed in front of the observer. In the HMD, light source devices are a first light source, outputting light of a high intensity, and a second light source, outputting light of a. low intensity. The light source devices have a switch to switch between the first and second light sources. The display element, the visor and the second light source are attached to a mount, worn on the head of the observer. The first light source is installed in a moveable body with the observer, and is connected to the mount via light transmission paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Naohiro Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8687056
    Abstract: Enhanced vision system for assisting aircraft piloting, the system including a line-of-sight detector for determining the line-of-sight of the pilot of the aircraft, a head mounted display (HMD) worn by the pilot, and a processor which receives the determined line-of-sight from the line-of-sight detector, receives a spatial image of the external scene to the aircraft, generates symbolic information respective of the aircraft piloting, and superimposes the symbolic information onto the spatial image to produce a combined spatial and symbolic image, the HMD displaying the combined spatial and symbolic image to the pilot in real-time, in alignment with the determined line-of-sight. The spatial image may be an image combined from a sensor image and a synthetic image. A communication interface may be coupled to the HMD allowing the pilot to receive and confirm flight instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Elbit Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Dror Yahav, Yaron Kranz, Asaf Ashkenazi, Itai Orenstein, Tal Waisman, Mike Abrahami
  • Patent number: 8687063
    Abstract: A method for predicting lane line is provided in the present invention, in which the method is capable of predicting and reconstructing the unidentified lane line according to a predetermined geometry relationship based on the recognized lane line data previously while one side of lane line is unable to be identified. In one embodiment, a lane predicting relationship formula is formed by describing the geometry relationship between the two identified lines defined the lane. When the one side of line of the lane is unable to be identified, a new predicted line can be reconstructed for representing the unidentified line of lane according to the lane predicting relationship curve. In another embodiment, a lane departure warning system utilizing the foregoing method is provided for monitoring vehicle moving status and alerting the driver so as to enhance the vehicle safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Hsi-Wen Hsieh, Yung-Sheng Liao, Che-Chung Lin, Chi-Wei Lin, Dau-Chen Huang
  • Patent number: 8681256
    Abstract: Display control that extends a user's visual ability is accomplished. By wearing an eyeglass-type or headgear-type mounting unit, he or she is allowed to see display means disposed in front of his or her eyes. By causing a part of a screen area of the display means to be in a through-state and a display with a display image signal to be executed, the user can see an image of a scene different from a scene that he or she ordinarily sees with a display of the display image signal while he or she can see the ordinary visual scene with the through-state area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Masaaki Tsuruta, Taiji Ito, Masamichi Asukai, Kan Ebisawa
  • Patent number: 8675061
    Abstract: A biocular display system is provided for use with a transmissive micro-LCD display and a biocular lens, where the biocular system includes a relay lens that can transfer a digital image from the transmissive micro-LCD display to a micro-resolution screen surface where a micro-diffusion surface is applied to a single planar transparent substrate that has a smooth surface on a side opposite the micro-diffusion surface, and the micro-diffusion surface has at least some surface features that can diffuse the light passing therethrough at greater than a 60-degree diffusion angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: Richard D. Balentine
  • Patent number: 8666189
    Abstract: An image filter and method of smoothing pixel values. A pixel value of a pixel to be smoothed is compared with block average pixel values of each of a plurality of pixel blocks. The pixel to be smoothed may be downstream from each of the pixel blocks. If the difference between the pixel value and each of the block average pixel values is less than a corresponding sigma threshold value for each of the pixel blocks, a first sigma filter utilizing the block average pixel values is applied to the pixel to be smoothed. If the difference between the pixel value and any one of the block average pixel values is not less than a corresponding sigma threshold value, a second sigma filter is applied to the pixel to be smoothed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Umesh Rao
  • Publication number: 20140043466
    Abstract: An environment image display apparatus for a transport machine including a plurality of cameras disposed at different positions on said transport machine for obtaining environment images around the transport machine. A mirror image is generated by projecting the transport machine on a virtual mirror using a portion or all of the images obtained by the plurality of cameras, and the generated mirror image is displayed. A display form of the mirror image is changed based on an operation performed by the user of the transport machine or a traveling condition of the transport machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Sato, Yuya Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 8648904
    Abstract: A projector projecting an image on an object by scanning the object with a light beam includes a light source; a divergence angle converter converting the divergence angle of the light beam; a light deflector deflecting the light beam in a light beam scanning direction and a direction perpendicular to the light beam scanning direction; alight deflector drive controller controlling the light deflector to form the focused light spots at the respective pixel positions of the object on the basis of positional data for the pixels; a light amount controller controlling light amount of the light beam on the basis of luminance data for the pixels; and an image processor correcting the luminance data on the basis of previously obtained deterioration data of the projected image and outputting the corrected luminance data to the light amount controller while outputting the positional data to the light deflector drive controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yukiko Hamano, Ryosuke Kasahara, Toshiyuki Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 8643724
    Abstract: A multi-camera vision system for a vehicle includes first, second and third image capture devices disposed at respective vehicle portions. The first image capture device field of view overlaps with the third image capture device field of view defining a first overlap zone, and the second image capture device field of view overlaps with the third image capture device field of view defining a second overlap zone. Responsive to processing by an image processor of received image data, a synthesized image is generated without duplication of objects present in the first overlap zone and in the second overlap zone. The synthesized image approximates a view as would be seen by a virtual camera at a single location exterior of the vehicle, and is displayed by a single display screen of a reconfigurable display device that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when normally operating the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Schofield, Mark L. Larson, Keith J. Vadas
  • Patent number: 8629903
    Abstract: A method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle includes monitoring informational inputs describing the operational environment for the vehicle, processing the informational inputs to synthesize an operational environment model, monitoring data related to an occupant eye location, converting the model into the graphical images registering the critical information according the model upon the transparent windscreen head up display based upon the monitored data related to the occupant eye location, and displaying the graphical images upon the transparent windscreen head up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Seder, Joseph F. Szczerba, Dehua Cui
  • Publication number: 20130321614
    Abstract: A driving safety device relates generally to a vehicle device designed to prevent dead angle or subsequent traffic accidents due to blocking of visual lines by the buildings or columns, and also to guarantee smooth turning avoiding traffic accidents. The driving safety device has at least two cameras set within the range defined from ? front side of the engine hood to the rear side of the bumper bar. These two cameras are covered by a casing, and fixed at a relative location of the central axis of the vehicle body along with the casing. Moreover, these two cameras cover separately the left and right sides in front of the vehicle, and also are linked to a controller in the vehicle, so as to simultaneously display images on the screen via the driving of the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventor: An-Sheng Liu
  • Patent number: 8587656
    Abstract: A face camera mount structure in a vehicle has a camera for imaging a driver's face being disposed on a reverse side of a dial at a portion that does not interfere with a speedometer design portion on the dial. A camera facing portion of the dial that faces a lens of the camera is covered with a print of a near-infrared light passing ink that selectively passes a near-infrared light. The high transparency factor of the near-infrared light through the ink makes it possible for the camera to image a sufficiently bright near-infrared light image without being recognized by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Koumura
  • Patent number: 8576142
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a display device, including: a luminous flux generator which generates luminous flux including image information; a reflector plate which reflects the luminous flux generated by the luminous flux generator toward one eye of a viewer; a head detector which detects a head of the viewer by using at least two pairs of distance sensors; a controller which controls a position of the reflector plate based on an output from the head detector; and a driver which drives the reflector plate based on an output from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihisa Moriya, Hiroaki Nakamura, Takashi Sasaki, Aira Hotta, Haruhiko Okumura
  • Patent number: 8537214
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjustment of a harmonization compensation applied to alleviate a discrepancy of conformity between a video image transmitted by a video transducer (1) and projected by a head-up display device (5, 6), of an aircraft, and an external scene ahead of the aircraft. At least one equipment item of the aircraft—preferably the said HUD device—equipped with at least one control element accessible in the cockpit, is programmed to be able to function according to a nominal mode and according to a maintenance mode, in which at least one of its control elements, known as a redirected control element, is used to define the applied harmonization compensation. An operator activates the maintenance mode and starts an adjustment operation, in which he modifies in real time the applied harmonization compensation, by manipulating at least one redirected control element, until the video image is matched with the external scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Sandra Poussin, David Bideau, Laurent Coloma, Stephane Gauthier
  • Patent number: 8477149
    Abstract: A method, system and computer readable media for real-time chromakey matting using image statistics. To identify the chroma key spectrum, the system/method executes in three stages. In an off-line training stage, the system performs semi-automatic calibration of the chroma key parameterization. In the real-time classification stage, the system estimates the alpha matte on a GPU. Finally, an optional error minimization stage improves the estimated matte, accounting for misclassifications and signal noise. Given the resulting matte, standard alpha blending composites the virtual scene with the video feed to create the illusion that both worlds coexist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Beato, Charles E. Hughes, Mark Colbert, Yunjun Zhang, Kazumasa Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 8462204
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes at least a first image capture sensor and a second image capture sensor disposed at a vehicle and spatially separated and having respective fields of view with respect to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle. A control receives a first image input from the first image capture sensor and a second image input from the second image capture sensor and generates a composite image synthesized from at least the first image input and the second image input. A display system displays the composite image on a single video screen located in a cabin of the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle. The single video screen of the display system may have a display luminance that is variable responsive to a sensing of an ambient light level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Schofield, Mark L. Larson, Keith J. Vadas
  • Patent number: 8462205
    Abstract: A landing aid device for an aircraft generates video images of a portion of the field of vision using a sensor situated in front of the aircraft intended for picture-taking during poor visibility conditions, and extracts contours from the video images making it possible to delimit at least one first known shape included in each image. A first head up display includes a display zone, which occupies a portion of the visor of the cockpit superimposed on the exterior landscape, and a symbology for generating information representing symbols intended to aid piloting is displayed on the display, wherein at least one first symbol comprising landing aid information is generated on the basis of the contours of the first shape and displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: Michel Soler
  • Patent number: 8442355
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a multi-dimensional image of an object in a scene is disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a spectral estimation module configured to convert a two-dimensional (2D) high-resolution light intensity image of the scene to a spectral-augmented image of a selected channel. The system further includes a high-resolution depth image generation module configured to generate a high-resolution depth image of the object based on a three-dimensional (3D) low-resolution depth image of the scene and the spectral-augmented image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Francisco H. Imai
  • Patent number: 8437087
    Abstract: The observation optical system introduces light from a first display element and light from a second display element to an exit pupil to present an enlarged combined image of first and second original images. The optical system includes a first optical element allowing the light from the first display element to enter thereinto, a second optical element allowing the light from the second display element to enter thereinto, and a third optical element. The optical system introduces a first light component from a first display area in the second display element to the exit pupil through the second optical element and at least the first optical element, and introduces a second light component from a second display area in the second display element to the exit pupil through the second and third optical elements, not through the first optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Tohara, Shoichi Yamazaki, Kazutaka Inoguchi, Kenichi Saito, Motomi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 8416294
    Abstract: A positioning device comprising: a movement measurement unit that measures relative position variation; a positioning unit that enables measurement of positional information; and a control unit that starts continuous measurement of position variation by the movement measurement unit and measurement of positional information by the positioning unit at each predetermined timing for at least a specified position, and determines a position determination spot based on positional information of any of the at least two positions in a case that the difference between the amount of position variation and the amount of relative position variation is determined by the determining unit to be within a predetermined range, and calculates positional information of the specified position based on positional information of the position determination spot and information of position variation that has been continuously measured by the movement measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoto Toda
  • Patent number: 8411365
    Abstract: An image-pickup display device includes an optical system which guides lights from a display element 1 to an exit pupil 3 and from an external to an image-pickup element 2. The optical system includes an optical element 10 which is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1. The optical element includes a first surface 7 at an external side and includes a diffraction element portion 13. The optical system guides the light from the display element to the exit pupil via reflection on a second surface 5 and the first surface and via transmission on the second surface, and diffracts the light from the external in the diffraction element portion to be transmitted through the first surface to enter the optical element, and is reflected on the second surface to be transmitted through a third surface 5 to be guided to the image-pickup element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Saito
  • Patent number: 8384730
    Abstract: A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for generating HUD image data from synthetic image data is disclosed. Based on a multi-channel pixel intensity data set generated by a synthetic vision system, a single-channel pixel intensity data set representative of a lighted solid image of terrain comprised of a plurality of intensities of one color may be generated. The single-channel pixel intensity image data set may be determined as a function of multi-channel pixel intensity data set and channel weighting, where channel weighting may be based on sky and/or terrain colors employed by an SVS. Based on the multi-channel pixel intensity data set, a three-dimensional perspective scene outside the aircraft may be presented to the pilot on a HUD combiner. Also, the multi-channel pixel intensity data set may be modified by using at least one chroma key, where such chroma key may be assigned to a specific multi-channel pixel intensity value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Travis S. VanDerKamp, Daniel Y. Chiew, Jeffrey D. Russell
  • Patent number: 8384777
    Abstract: An apparatus and method in which a light control signal comprising successive computer generated images are retrieved from a storage medium and played back in an image space with a point of view with respect to a frame of reference of the image space synchronized with a changing point of view of images acquired in an object space by an image acquisition device sensed in an object space changing in its point of view with respect to a frame of reference of the object space, the frame of reference of the image space corresponding to the frame of reference of the object space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Simulated Percepts, LLC
    Inventor: Francis J. Maguire, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8339255
    Abstract: A display system of the present invention includes a liquid crystal platform section (200) which outputs display data for displaying, on a liquid crystal display section (100), an image in accordance with information obtained from an automobile. The liquid crystal platform section (200) includes a DIC (201) which generates display data and calculates a display position of the image to be displayed on the liquid crystal display section (100) from the obtained information and which causes the generated display data to be displayed in the calculated image display position. The DIC (201) updates display so that the image moves at frame intervals from a start position of image display to the image display position calculated from the automobile information currently obtained, when an interval at which the information is obtained is longer than each of the frame intervals for displaying the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yoda, Masayuki Fujisawa, Fumiaki Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8334899
    Abstract: A protective laser beam viewing system or device including a camera selectively sensitive to laser light wavelengths and a viewing screen receiving images from the laser sensitive camera. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the camera is worn on the head of the user or incorporated into a goggle-type viewing display so that it is always aimed at the area of viewing interest to the user and the viewing screen is incorporated into a video display worn as goggles over the eyes of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Jefferson Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: George R. Neil, Kevin Carl Jordan
  • Patent number: 8330811
    Abstract: Methods and an apparatus responsive to sensed orientation and translatory position of an image acquisition device with respect to a three-dimensional reference frame of an object space for providing and storing successive computer generated images with respect to a three-dimensional frame of reference of an image space synchronized with successive images acquired by the electronic image acquisition device with respect to the three-dimensional reference frame of the object space, the successive computer generated images having a changing point of view that changes direction between images, the successive computer generated images stored on a storage medium for playback and presentation to a viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Simulated Percepts, LLC
    Inventor: Francis J. Macguire, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8330673
    Abstract: A method for creating an efficient scan loop for displaying a vector projection graphic upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display includes determining a plurality of candidate scan loops to create a desired vector projection graphic, determining an efficiency metric for each of the plurality of candidate scan loops, determining the efficient scan loop for displaying the vector projection graphic based upon comparing the efficiency metrics, and utilizing the efficient scan loop to create the desired vector projection graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Dehua Cui, Thomas A. Seder, Joseph F. Szczerba, Jan H. Aase
  • Patent number: 8330812
    Abstract: Apparatus and method of (1) navigating an image acquisition device with both translatory and attitudinal movements while acquiring successive images in an object space and at the same time sensing the translatory and attitudinal movements of the device with respect to a three-dimensional reference frame of the object space, (2) providing successive computer generated (CG) images produced by a computer workstation from the successive images captured by the device in synchronization with the sensed translatory and attitudinal movements of the device with respect to the three-dimensional reference frame, and (3) storing the successive CG images on a non-transitory storage medium for later retrieval by a playback device for presentation by the playback device of said successive CG images to at least one eye of a viewer in an image space for perception of the successive CG images. A non-transitory storage medium storing the successive CG images is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Simulated Percepts, LLC
    Inventor: Francis J. Maguire, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE45062
    Abstract: A head guide with a display is attitudinally controlled for guiding the head of a passive viewer wherein the display is for viewing images that are emulative of images viewed by a cameraman with head mounted cameras whose head attitude is monitored for controlling the head guide in synchronism with the images gathered by the cameras. Additionally, the viewer's eyes may be induced to follow a sequence of visual fixations at the same time as the passive viewer's head is induced to execute attitudinal movements consistent therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventor: Susan C. Maguire
  • Patent number: RE45114
    Abstract: A head guide with a display is attitudinally controlled for guiding the head of a passive viewer wherein the display is for viewing images that are emulative of images viewed by a cameraman with head mounted cameras whose head attitude is monitored for controlling the head guide in synchronism with the images gathered by the cameras. Additionally, the viewer's eyes may be induced to follow a sequence of visual fixations at the same time as the passive viewer's head is induced to execute attitudinal movements consistent therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Inventor: Susan C. Maguire