Range Or Distance Measuring Patents (Class 382/106)
  • Patent number: 9773188
    Abstract: A camera includes an unwanted object shape acquisition unit, a viewpoint selection unit, and an unwanted object removal unit. The viewpoint selection unit selects a plurality of viewpoints based on information regarding a shape of an unwanted object in a subject, which is acquired by the unwanted object shape acquisition unit. The unwanted object removal unit performs unwanted object removal processing with use of images corresponding to the viewpoints selected by the viewpoint selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Kato
  • Patent number: 9764467
    Abstract: A robot includes: a hand; and a control unit that operates the hand, in which the control unit generates three-dimensional point group information for a partial image forming a captured image obtained by an imaging unit, and causes the hand to hold an object included in the partial image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Harada, Koichi Hashimoto, Shogo Arai
  • Patent number: 9766041
    Abstract: A device and method for selectively illuminating and designating multiple targets in the air or on the ground simultaneously. The device comprises a light source, a switching array and a ball lens. Light from the light source is routed through the switching array, which can addressably output multiple light beams simultaneously. The light beams from the switching array illuminate the backside of a low F-number ball lens. The ball lens creates highly collimated output beams independently (and simultaneously) from any of the output source points of the switching array. These output beams can be used to simultaneously designate multiple targets. When the target illuminating device includes an optional detector array, light scattered from targets can be refracted by the balls lens to impinge on the detector array. Signals from the detector array representing the received light beams can be used for target imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Juha-Pekka Laine, Gregory Blasche, Robin Dawson, Sean McClain, Stephen P. Smith, Robert Larsen, Charles Arant, William Ostrowski
  • Patent number: 9767549
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus obtains, for each of a plurality of subjects, a data set including first shape data which indicates a shape of a subject measured in association with the subject in a first state, and second shape data which indicates a shape of the subject measured in association with the subject in a second state, obtains basis data required to express a deformation from the first state to the second state, based on the data sets for the plurality of subjects, and estimates, based on the generated basis data and data indicating a shape of a target subject measured in association with the target subject in the first state, a deformation from the first state to the second state in association with the target subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9749613
    Abstract: Provided are a three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition apparatus, and a method of generating a depth image in the 3D image acquisition apparatus. The method may include sequentially projecting a light transmission signal, which is generated from a light source, to a subject, modulating reflected light, which is reflected by the subject, using a light modulation signal, calculating a phase delay using a combination of a first plurality of images of two groups, from among a second plurality of images of all groups obtained by capturing the modulated reflected light, and generating a depth image based on the phase delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong-hwa Park, Sun-kwon Kim, Hee-sun Yoon
  • Patent number: 9741125
    Abstract: Techniques for a system, article, and method of background-foreground segmentation for image processing may include obtaining pixel data including both non-depth data and depth data for at least one image, where the non-depth data includes color data or luminance data or both and associated with the pixels; determining whether a portion of the image is part of a background or foreground of the image based on the depth data and without using the non-depth data; and determining whether a border area between the background and foreground formed by using the depth data are part of the background or foreground depending on the non-depth data without using the depth data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Gilad Baruch, Avigdor Eldar
  • Patent number: 9694498
    Abstract: Methods and systems for depth sensing are provided. A system includes a first and second optical sensor each including a first plurality of photodetectors configured to capture visible light interspersed with a second plurality of photodetectors configured to capture infrared light within a particular infrared band. The system also includes a computing device configured to (i) identify first corresponding features of the environment between a first visible light image captured by the first optical sensor and a second visible light image captured by the second optical sensor; (ii) identify second corresponding features of the environment between a first infrared light image captured by the first optical sensor and a second infrared light image captured by the second optical sensor; and (iii) determine a depth estimate for at least one surface in the environment based on the first corresponding features and the second corresponding features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventor: Kurt Konolige
  • Patent number: 9690988
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including a detection unit configured to detect a face area and an eye area from images that are sequentially input; a motion vector calculation unit configured to calculate, between two of the images, a first motion vector in the face area and second motion vectors in a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing the eye area; a similarity calculation unit configured to calculate, for each pair of the images, a value relevant to a similarity between the first motion vector and each of the second motion vectors; and a determination unit configured to determine whether blinking has occurred based on the value relevant to the similarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Jaikrishna Mohanakrishnan, Junichi Odagiri, Satoshi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9683842
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optoelectronic distance measuring device having a transmitting unit having a driver stage for a light source for emitting optical pulses as pulsed-mode-intensity-modulated optical radiation, having a receiving unit for receiving a portion of the optical radiation, said portion being reflected from a target object, and converting it into an electrical reception signal, by means of a photosensitive electrical component. It also has an analogue-digital converter for digitizing the reception signal, and an electronic evaluation unit which is designed in such a way that a distance from the target object can be ascertained on the basis of a signal propagation time using the digitized reception signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Safran Vectronix AG
    Inventors: Luca Giacotto, Riccardo Tinivella
  • Patent number: 9675008
    Abstract: An unloading arrangement includes and agricultural harvester and a transport vehicle arrangement. The agricultural harvester includes an unloading conveyance and a wireless transmitter for transmitting information relating at least to a speed and direction of the harvester. The transport vehicle arrangement includes a transport vehicle; a transport implement coupled with the transport vehicle; a sensor arrangement for establishing an angular orientation of the transport implement relative to the transport vehicle; a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted information from the harvester; and an electrical processing circuit coupled with the sensor arrangement and the wireless receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Adam R. Rusciolelli, Tyson Dollinger, Brian R. Ray
  • Patent number: 9652084
    Abstract: A near-touch interface is provided that utilizes stereo cameras and a series of targeted structured light tessellations, emanating from the screen as a light source and incident on objects in the field-of-view. After radial distortion from a series of wide-angle lenses is mitigated, a surface-based spatio-temporal stereo algorithm is utilized to estimate initial depth values. Once these values are calculated, a subsequent refinement step may be applied in which light source tessellations are used to flash a structure onto targeted components of the scene, where initial near-interaction disparity values have been calculated. The combination of a spherical stereo algorithm, and smoothing with structured light source tessellations, provides for a very reliable and fast near-field depth engine, and resolves issues that are associated with depth estimates for embedded solutions of this approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Edge 3 Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tarek El Dokor
  • Patent number: 9645397
    Abstract: In a virtual reality or mixed reality environment, an HMD device is configured to use surface reconstruction data points obtained with a sensor package to identify a location of a floor of a real world environment in which the device operates by sorting the data points by height into respective buckets where each bucket holds a different range of heights. A bucket having the greatest number of data points that are below the height of a user of the HMD device is used to identify the height of the real world floor, for example, by calculating an average of height values of data points in that bucket. A floor for the virtual reality environment may then be aligned to the identified height of the real world floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Alexandre da Veiga, Ben Sugden, Tom Salter
  • Patent number: 9639763
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment includes a detection unit 11 and an identification unit 12. The detection unit 11 included in the image processing apparatus 10 detects a region in which a pixel value is changed between frames included in moving image data. The detection unit 11 outputs a detected result to the identification unit 12. The identification unit 12 sets a circumscribed rectangle to the region detected by the detection unit 11. The identification unit 12 specifies a frame including a detection target based on a filling ratio of the region to the circumscribed rectangle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kozo Baba, Norio Hashiguchi, Kunikazu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9626571
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining a valid lane marking using a vehicle camera system. A series of pictures are taken of an area in front of the vehicle. At least a first lane marking and a second lane marking different from the first lane marking are detected in corresponding image data. A vehicle driving ahead of the vehicle is detected in at least two successively taken pictures and its position relative to the first lane marking as well as its position relative to the second lane marking is determined. Dependent on the positions of the vehicle driving ahead determined with the aid of the pictures, one of the detected lane markings is selected as the valid lane marking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventor: Robert Spangenberg
  • Patent number: 9619922
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of distribution caching for direct lights in a scene. The system including a memory and a processor configured to execute a rendering software application to shoot a plurality of rays through a scene that includes a plurality of lights, generate a plurality of cache points at different locations throughout the scene based on the shooting of the plurality of rays, compute a list of lights for each cache point from the plurality of cache points, the list of lights including lights from the plurality of lights that provide illumination at a location of the cache point, and store the plurality of cache points in a memory. The processor may further be configured to execute the rendering software application to render the scene using the cache point database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Nichols, Peter Kutz, Christian Eisenacher
  • Patent number: 9621786
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that acquires a focusing distance from a plurality of images each having different degrees of blur, includes: a misalignment detection unit that detects misalignment among the plurality of images; a distance information acquisition unit that acquires, based on the plurality of images, distance information, which is information to indicate a focusing distance in an area of the images; and a reliability information acquisition unit that creates, based on the detected misalignment, reliability information, which is information to indicate reliability of the focusing distance acquired for each area, wherein the distance information acquisition unit changes the acquired distance information based on the reliability information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9589368
    Abstract: A system and method for tracking, identifying, and labeling objects or features of interest, such as follicular units is provided. In some embodiments, tracking is accomplished using unique signature of the follicular unit and image stabilization techniques. According to some aspects pixel data of a region of interest in a first image is compared to pixel data of the regions of interest in a second image, and based on a result of the comparison of pixel data in the region of interest in the first and second images and the signature of the follicular unit, locating the follicular unit in the second image. In some embodiments the follicular unit is searched for in the direction of a motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Restoration Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shehrzad A. Qureshi, Kyle R. Breton, John A. Tenney
  • Patent number: 9582894
    Abstract: Method for analyzing the beating of a derived human cardiomyocyte (CM) includes obtaining the derived human CM, capturing a sequence of images depicting the derived human CM over an analysis period, and determining at least one signal descriptive of the beating of the derived human CM during the analysis period on basis of the sequence of captured images. Apparatuses, and a computer program for analyzing the beating of a derived human CM are configured to obtain: the sequence of images depicting the derived human CM over an analysis period, information indicative of the region of the images depicting the derived human CM, information indicative of two or more sub-regions within the region, and determine two or more signals characterizing the displacement within the region of images depicting the derived human cardiomyocyte, each signal characterizing the extent of displacement within a respective sub-region of the region as a function of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: TAMPEREEN YLIPOISTO, TTY-SAATIO
    Inventors: Katriina Aalto-Setala, Anna Kiviaho, Jari Hyttinen, Antti Ahola, Markus Honkanen, Henna Venalainen
  • Patent number: 9576209
    Abstract: A system, method, and device may include software and hardware which simplify and quicken configuration of the system for testing a device, enhance testing procedures which may be performed, and provide data via which to easily discern a cause and nature of an error which may result during testing. A camera may capture still images of a display screen of a tested device and another camera may capture video images of the tested device and a partner device. A wizard may be used to generate a configuration file based on one previously generated for a similar device. A mount for a tested device may be structured so that: it is suitable for mounting thereon a plurality of differently structured devices; and adjustments in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in a plane and adjustments of an angle of the device relative to the plane may be easily made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventors: David Jenkinson, Bobby Lee, Gavin Liaw
  • Patent number: 9569213
    Abstract: In various implementations, an abstraction is generated from an asset associated with an asset-modifying workflow. The abstraction can be embedded into an activity stream generated from an asset-modification application and communicated to a remote server device for collection and analysis. The remote server device, upon receiving at least the abstraction, can determine a contextual identifier for association with the abstraction and the asset associated with the asset-modifying workflow. The remote server device can conduct usage analysis on data received from the activity stream in association with the contextual identifier, and further send a signal to the asset-modification application to customize the workflow based on the contextual identifier determined to be associated with the abstraction and asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Jonathan Brandt
  • Patent number: 9548014
    Abstract: A plurality of types of arrangement pattern candidates are generated. Each arrangement pattern candidate is an arrangement pattern candidate of a plurality of indices in a physical space used to calculate the position and orientation of the viewpoint. The arrangement pattern candidate enables observation of a predetermined number or more of indices from a position in an area where mixed reality can be experienced in the physical space. Information representing the arrangement pattern of a plurality of indices in the physical space is generated by using the generated types of arrangement pattern candidates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasumi Tanaka, Colin Fahey
  • Patent number: 9542729
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a depth acquisition unit and a smoothing processing unit. The depth acquisition unit acquires a depth to a subject in correlation with a pixel in a captured image of the subject, and the smoothing processing unit designates a pixel in a region excluding a predetermined region in the image as a target pixel, and performs a smoothing process of the degree according to the depth corresponding to the target pixel for a pixel value of the target pixel in a predetermined direction. This causes a pixel in a region excluding the predetermined region in the image to be blurred, thereby generating a panning image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Hirasawa, Natsuki Kano
  • Patent number: 9541379
    Abstract: A displacement detection device includes an image sensor, a light source and a processing unit. The image sensor is configured to successively capture images. The light source provides light with an emission frequency and an emission duration for the image sensor in capturing the images. The processing unit is configured to calculate a displacement according to the images and to adjust both the emission frequency and the emission duration according to the displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC
    Inventors: Yu-Hao Huang, Ming-Tsan Kao, Sen-Huang Huang
  • Patent number: 9528828
    Abstract: A method for determining position and orientation of a first measuring instrument is disclosed. A second MI and at least one reflective target including a retroreflector unit are arranged in the vicinity of the first MI. At least one imaging module is arranged in the first MI for determining orientation thereof. The at least one imaging module in the first MI can be used in a similar manner as a tracker unit of an optical total station, by way of detecting optical radiation emitted from the second MI and reflected by the at least one TGT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Trimble AB
    Inventor: Johan Von Matern
  • Patent number: 9519286
    Abstract: The proposed system, Delayed Telop Aid (DTA), improves the teleoperator's ability to control the vehicle in a three step process. First, DTA predicts robot motion given the operators commands. Second, DTA creates synthetic images to produce a video feed that looks as if the robot communication link had no delay and no reduced bandwidth. Finally, DTA performs closed loop control on the robot platform to ensure that the robot follows the operator's commands. A closed loop control of the platform makes sure that the predicted pose after the delay (and therefore the image presented to the operator) is achieved by the platform. This abstracts away the latency-sensitive parts of the robot control, making the robot's behavior stable in the presence of poorly characterized latency between the operator and the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Robotic Research, LLC
    Inventors: Alberto Daniel Lacaze, Karl Murphy, Karl Kluge
  • Patent number: 9521320
    Abstract: Conventionally, on a subject in which range, refocus can be performed at the time of image capturing or at the time of editing an image is not specified clearly, and therefore, it is difficult for a user to capture an image or to edit an image in a manner the user intends. An image processing apparatus has an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image including a plurality of subject areas and distance information corresponding to the plurality of subject areas and a generation unit configured to generate a shifted image in which positions of the plurality of subject areas are shifted in the image based on the distance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shohei Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 9519994
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing and rendering 3D depth information are described. Specifically, the 3D depth information includes z-axis values provided in a normalized percentage format, that defines the position of an object relative to an infinity plane, a display screen, and a viewer, and can be used to render one or more images independent of display screen size and viewing distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Welsh, Christian Ralph
  • Patent number: 9509977
    Abstract: An image processing system includes an image acquisition unit, a candidate value estimation unit, a band characteristics evaluation unit, an effective frequency determination unit and a candidate value modification unit. The acquisition unit acquires images. The estimation unit estimates, for each pixel of the images, a candidate value of a 3D shape. The evaluation unit calculates, for each pixel, a band evaluation value of a band included in the images. The determination unit determines an effective frequency of the pixel based on statistical information of the band evaluation value. The modification unit performs data correction or data interpolation for the candidate value based on the effective frequency and calculates a modified candidate value representing the 3D shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9509886
    Abstract: Embodiments provide techniques for stabilizing coloration for video content containing a plurality of frames. Embodiments include selecting a reference frame from the plurality of frames. A plurality of reference points are identified within the reference frame. Embodiments further include adjusting the coloration of each of two or more unselected frames in the plurality of frames, by identifying a second reference point within the unselected frame, corresponding to one of the plurality of reference points within the reference frame, determining a coloration difference between a depiction of the second reference point and a depiction of the corresponding reference point within the reference frame, and adjusting the coloration of the unselected frame, based on the determined coloration difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Sorkine Hornung, Matthias Schelker
  • Patent number: 9489741
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of first image (I1) and second image (I2) of a scene. Cost volume between images I1 and I2 for set of foreground labels (FL) and set of background labels (BL) is determined that includes matching costs of pixels in I1 and corresponding pixels in I2 for FL and BL. Reduced cost volume is determined from the cost volume, including matching costs of pixels in I1 and corresponding pixels in I2 for FL and a background label (L1) of BL, where matching cost of an individual pixel in I1 and corresponding pixel of the individual pixel in I2 for L1 includes minimum matching cost from a set of matching costs of the individual pixel for BL. A disparity map is generated by performing cost aggregation of the reduced cost volume in I1 and I2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Soumik Ukil, Veldandi Muninder, Krishna Annasagar Govindarao
  • Patent number: 9482524
    Abstract: A measuring system for determining 3D coordinates of measurement points on an object surface which has a scanning apparatus for measuring the measurement points on the object surface and for determining inner measurement point coordinates in an inner scanning coordinate system. Furthermore, a referencing arrangement for producing referencing information for referencing the inner measurement point coordinates in the outer object coordinate system and an evaluation unit for determining the 3D coordinates of the measurement points in the outer object coordinate system on the basis of the inner measurement point coordinates and the referencing information are provided such that the inner measurement point coordinates are in the form of 3D coordinates in the outer object coordinate system. The scanning apparatus is in this case carried in an unmanned, controllable, automotive air vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: HEXAGON TECHNOLOGY CENTER GMBH
    Inventors: Bernhard Metzler, Knut Siercks
  • Patent number: 9478029
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for selecting a part of SLAM map information of a first device for transmission to a second device in a collaborative SLAM environment. In one embodiment, the functions implemented include: determining whether a 3D registration transformation between a map of the first device and a map of the second device is available; and transmitting a part of map information of the first device to the second device according to one of a first strategy or a second strategy based on whether or not a 3D registration transformation between the map of the first device and the map of the second device is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Winston Yll, Gerhard Reitmayr, Peter H. Rauber, Qi Pan, Zsolt Szalavari, Michael Gervautz
  • Patent number: 9465115
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for processing a sequence of samples of a received signal R reflected by a target surface and having a delay and a frequency shift relative to a reference signal D to obtain a delay Doppler map for the reflected signal. A first correlation module can obtain partial correlations z(n?, k) between samples corresponding to the reflected signal R and a samples corresponding to the reference signal D, across a set of delays. An inverse discrete fourier transform (DFT) of a sequence of samples can be derived from at least DFTs of a first reflected signal sequence and second reference signal sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE LIMITED
    Inventor: Alexander Walker Wishart
  • Patent number: 9453708
    Abstract: A method for determining the position data of a target object in a reference system from an observation position at a distance. A three-dimensional reference model of the surroundings of the target object is provided, the reference model including known geographical location data. An image of the target object and its surroundings, resulting from the observation position for an observer, is matched with the reference model. The position data of the sighted target object in the reference model is determined as relative position data with respect to known location data of the reference model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: LKF-Lenkflugkoerpersysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Holicki, Nikolaus Schweyer, Johannes Speth, Juergen Zoz
  • Patent number: 9448064
    Abstract: A method operational on a receiver device for decoding a codeword is provided. At least a portion of a composite code mask is obtained, via a receiver sensor, and projected on the surface of a target object. The composite code mask may be defined by a code layer and a carrier layer. A code layer of uniquely identifiable spatially-coded codewords may be defined by a plurality of symbols. A carrier layer may be independently ascertainable and distinct from the code layer and may include a plurality of reference objects that are robust to distortion upon projection. At least one of the code layer and carrier layer may have been pre-shaped by a synthetic point spread function prior to projection. The code layer may be adjusted, at a processing circuit, for distortion based on the reference objects within the portion of the composite code mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Kalin Mitkov Atanassov, James Wilson Nash, Vikas Ramachandra, Sergiu Radu Goma
  • Patent number: 9436682
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique can include receiving, at a server from a mobile computing device, the server having one or more processors, an image including a text. The technique can include obtaining, at the server, optical character recognition (OCR) text corresponding to the text, the OCR text having been obtained by performing OCR on the image. The technique can include identifying, at the server, non-textual context information from the image, the non-textual context information (i) representing context information other than the text itself and (ii) being indicative of a context of the image. The technique can include based on the non-textual context information, obtaining, at the server, a translation of the OCR text to a target language to obtain a translated OCR text. The technique can include outputting, from the server to the mobile computing device, the translated OCR text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Arne Mauser, Alexander Jay Cuthbert, John Sturdy DeNero
  • Patent number: 9410902
    Abstract: An overlay measurement method includes providing three predetermined patterns, including a first predetermined pattern, a second predetermined pattern and a third predetermined pattern. An inspection process is then performed on said three predetermined patterns, to obtain three image points, including a first image point, a second image point and a third image point respectively. Next, a defining process is performed to define a default position, and a calculating process is performed to obtain a real offset value x=(p?q)*(c?a)/(a?b)+p.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: En-Chiuan Liou, Yi-Jing Wang
  • Patent number: 9412168
    Abstract: In a calibration device, an image-integration averaging processing unit integrates/averages an image so as to generate an integrated and averaged image, and an edge extracting unit extracts the edges from the integrated and averaged image. A vanishing-point extracting unit calculates vanishing lines by using the edges and identifies the coordinates of the intersection point of the vanishing lines as the coordinates of the vanishing point. An error determining unit compares the coordinates of the current vanishing point with the coordinates of the previous vanishing point so as to determine whether a parameter of the camera needs correcting. In accordance with the result of the determination, a correction processing unit corrects a parameter of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Seiya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9406156
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an association unit, a setting unit, and an arrangement unit. The association unit associates an image with a display region reference point through an image reference point of the image. Here, a number of display region reference points disposed in a display region is equal to or more than the number of images to be arranged in the display region. The setting unit sets, in the display region and for each image, an image reference point arrangement region based on a size of the image associated with the display region reference point and based on a position of the display region reference point associated with the image. The arrangement unit arranges each image in the display region by positioning the image reference point of the image within the image reference point arrangement region associated with the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yousuke Sugai
  • Patent number: 9395180
    Abstract: A plurality of distance sensors are used to measure the surface shape map of objects in the presence of relative motions between the object and sensor in the measurement directions of the sensors. The method involves making multiple sequential measurements from a group of sensors while the object moves longitudinally relative to the sensors. The central idea of the invention is the observation that surface shape features appear in delayed sequence as the observed surface moves longitudinally relative to the sensor array, while any relative motions in the measurement directions appear simultaneously at all sensors. Mathematical procedures are used to identify the relative motions from within the measurements. These motions are then subtracted from the sensor reading to determine the surface shape map of the measured object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: FPINNOVATIONS
    Inventor: Gary Stephen Schajer
  • Patent number: 9396541
    Abstract: A positioning control method, suitable for an electronic device moving along with a vehicle, is provided in this disclosure. The electronic device includes an image-capturing module and a satellite-based positioning module. The positioning control method includes steps of: capturing a first image; extracting an icon object from the first image; capturing a second image; identifying the corresponding icon object in the second image; calculating a separation distance between the electronic device and the icon object according to a variance of the icon object between the first and the second images and a displacement distance of the vehicle; searching a point-of-interest (POI) corresponding to the icon object from a POI database; and, calculating/calibrating positioning data of the electronic device according to the separation distance and known coordinates of the POI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY
    Inventor: Ching-Hao Lai
  • Patent number: 9386232
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which composes a plurality of images shot under different exposure conditions, comprises a detection unit which detects an exposure error according to a position on a screen using, out of the plurality of images shot under different exposure conditions, an image whose exposure amount is smaller than a predetermined value as a detection target image, a calculation unit which calculates correction information to correct the exposure error detected by the detection unit in accordance with the position on the screen, an adjustment unit which performs level adjustment according to the exposure amount of the detection target image in accordance with the correction information and position information on the screen, and an image composition unit which generates a composite image by composing the plurality of images including the image that has undergone the level adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Makino
  • Patent number: 9383209
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the relative attitude between an inertial measurement unit (IMU), present on a mobile device, and the frame of reference of the vehicle carrying mobile device is estimated. The estimated relative attitude is used to translate the IMU measurement to the vehicle frame of reference to determine the velocity and position of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle position and velocity are determined accurately in the event of undocking and re-docking of the mobile device from a docking system in the vehicle. The relative attitude is estimated in terms of pitch, roll, and yaw angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Sachin Bhardwaj, Sriram Murali, Jaiganesh Balakrishnan, Jayawardan Janardhanan, Yogesh Shekar, Goutam Dutta
  • Patent number: 9367952
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method of obtaining data from a 2D image in order to determine the 3D shape of objects appearing in said 2D image, said 2D image having distinguishable epipolar lines, said method comprising: (a) providing a predefined set of types of features, giving rise to feature types, each feature type being distinguishable according to a unique bi-dimensional formation; (b) providing a coded light pattern comprising multiple appearances of said feature types; (c) projecting said coded light pattern on said objects such that the distance between epipolar lines associated with substantially identical features is less than the distance between corresponding locations of two neighboring features; (d) capturing a 2D image of said objects having said projected coded light pattern projected thereupon, said 2D image comprising reflected said feature types; and (e) extracting: (i) said reflected feature types according to the unique bi-dimensional formations; and (ii) locations of said reflected feature
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: MANTISVISION LTD.
    Inventors: Eyal Gordon, Gur Arie Bittan
  • Patent number: 9366759
    Abstract: Provided is a depth image generating apparatus and method. The light-receiving unit may include a first gate and a second gate and a depth calculator to calculate a depth based on first light information through fourth light information. The first gate may obtain the first light information from a reflected light of a light emitted based on a first pulse and the second gate may obtain the second light information from a reflected light of a light emitted based on a second pulse, and then the first gate may obtain the third light information from a reflected light of a light emitted based on a third pulse and the second gate may obtain the fourth light information from a reflected light of a light emitted based on a fourth pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byong Min Kang, Kee Chang Lee, Seong Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 9361412
    Abstract: A method for simulating sensor range data includes providing a pulse model configured to generate a sequence of discrete energy pulses. A sequences of flashes associated with the pulse model are electronically generated. Each flash in the sequence of flashes has at least one range value. A sequence of scans is electronically generated from the sequence of flashes. Each scan in the sequence of scans has at least one flash. The sequences of scans is a simulation of sensor range data. The simulation of sensor range data is output in a tangible medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: The United Sates of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Jeffrey J. Hilde
  • Patent number: 9349292
    Abstract: A vehicle system having at least one sensor configured to output a range signal and a range-rate signal. The range signal represents a distance from a host vehicle to the front vehicle and the range-rate signal represents range-rate information of the front vehicle relative to the host vehicle. A processing device is configured to output an alarm signal based on the range signal, the range-rate signal, and whether a driver of the host vehicle is determined to be distracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Hsin-hsiang Yang, Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Gary Steven Strumolo
  • Patent number: 9338438
    Abstract: A range-finding system includes two imaging devices to capture multiple images from two different viewpoints and a parallax calculator to calculate parallax based on the multiple images captured by the two imaging devices. The parallax calculator includes an estimation unit to estimate a correction value based on the amount of image deviation in a lateral direction corresponding to pixel position in the images captured by the two imaging devices and a correction unit to correct a pre-correction parallax or an image based on the correction value estimated by the estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shin Aoki, Fumiko Sakoh
  • Patent number: 9338424
    Abstract: A signal processing device for processing three-dimensional image data, having two-dimensional (2D) image data and 2D depth data, includes an input for receiving the 2D image data and the 2D depth data. Further, a first outlier detector is used for establishing a statistical depth deviation of a depth value from other depth values in a first spatial neighborhood of the 2D depth data. A second outlier detector is used for establishing a statistical image deviation of an image value from other image values in a second spatial neighborhood of the 2D image data. The signal processing device also includes a depth value generator for, in dependence on the statistical depth deviation and the statistical image deviation, providing a replacement depth value when the statistical depth deviation exceeds the statistical image deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijlke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Patrick Luc Els Vandewalle, Mathias Hubertus Godefrida Peeters
  • Patent number: 9296393
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for recognizing a vehicle. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to provide point cloud data corresponding to a front object detected by using a LiDAR; a shape determiner configured to determines a shape corresponding to the front object by analyzing the point cloud data provided by the sensor; a receiving sensitivity analyzer configured to analyze a receiving sensitivity change corresponding to each point of the point cloud data provided by the sensor based on the shape of the vehicle; a decider configured to decide whether the front object is a vehicle according to the shape corresponding to the front object and the receiving sensitivity change corresponding to points of the point cloud; and a detector configured to recognize and detect the front object as the vehicle based on the result decided by the decider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Young Chul Oh, Myung Seon Heo