3472 results about "Vision based" patented technology

A mental-model elicitation process and apparatus, called the Mental-Model Elicitation Device (MMED) is described. The MMED is used to give rise to more effective end-user mental-modeling activities that require executive function and working memory functionality. The method and apparatus is visual analysis based, allowing visual and other sensory representations to be given to thoughts, attitudes, and interpretations of a user about a given visualization of a mental-model, or aggregations of such visualizations and their respective blending. Other configurations of the apparatus and steps of the process may be created without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed.

The invention discloses a dynamic target tracking and positioning method of an unmanned plane based on vision, and belongs to the navigation field of the unmanned planes. The dynamic target tracking and positioning method comprises the following steps of: carrying out video processing, dynamic target detecting and image tracking; carrying out cloud deck servo control; establishing a corresponding relationship between a target in the image and a target in the real environment, and further measuring the distance between a camera and a dynamic target to complete precise positioning of the dynamic target; and enabling an unmanned plane control system to fly by automatically tracking the dynamic target on the ground. The dynamic target tracking and positioning method of the unmanned plane based on the vision can automatically realize the movement target detecting, image tracking and optical axis automatic deflecting without the full participation of the people, so that the dynamic target is always displayed at the center of an image-forming plane; and the distance between the unmanned plane and the dynamic target is measured in real time according to an established model on the basis of obtaining the height information of the unmanned plane. Therefore, the positioning of the dynamic target is realized; closed-loop control is formed by using the positioned dynamic target as a feedback signal, so that the tracking flight of the unmanned plane is guided.

A self-contained interactive video display system. A projector projects a visual image onto a screen for displaying the visual image, wherein the projector projects the visual image onto a back side of the screen for presentation to a user on a front side of the screen. An illuminator illuminates an object near the front side of the screen. A camera detects interaction of an illuminated object with the visual image, wherein the screen is at least partially transparent to light detectable to the camera, allowing the camera to detect the illuminated object through the screen. A computer system directs the projector to change the visual image in response to the interaction.

Methods of applying adaptive social computing systems are disclosed. The social computing systems include capabilities to generate adaptive recommendations and representations of social networks derived, at least in part, from inferences of the preferences and interests of system users based on a plurality of usage behaviors, spanning a plurality of usage behavior categories. The behavioral categories include system navigation behaviors, content referencing behaviors, collaborative behaviors, and the monitoring of physical location and changes in location. Privacy control functions and compensatory functions related to insincere usage behaviors can be applied. Adaptive recommendation delivery can take the form of visual-based or audio-based formats.

Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. Exemplary arrangements utilize the camera portions of such devices to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A system comprising at least one light source in a movable hand-held device, at least one light detector that detects light from said light source, and a control unit that receives data from the at least one light detector. The control unit determines the position of the hand-held device in at least two-dimensions from the data from the at least one light detector and translates the position to control a feature on a display.

Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Technologies involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One arrangement enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another uses the camera of a smartphone to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

An adaptive recommendation system and a mobile adaptive recommendation system are disclosed. The adaptive recommendation system and the mobile adaptive recommendation system include algorithms for monitoring user usage behaviors across a plurality of usage behavior categories associated with a computer-based system, and generating recommendations based on inferences on user preferences and interests. Privacy control functions and compensatory functions related to insincere usage behaviors can be applied. Adaptive recommendation delivery can take the form of visual-based or audio-based formats.

A method of manipulating a time based stream of information through use of a user interface to generate a presentation is provided in which a processing system is employed. The methods use references to a selected time based stream of information as editing tools. The user interface has functionality to display only a single time line for aligning reference elements to visual time based stream of information. The references may include a variety of edit features that enhance the presentation. Some mechanisms for moving the reference elements on the user interface are drag and drop and / or cut and paste procedures. Other aspects of the present invention relating to the processing system providing convenient user interface and editing tools for use in authoring a presentation of a time based stream of information are also described.

A mobile query and response system and method that is based on visual cues, in which a user captures and transmits an image with a networked mobile device such as a cell phone or PDA with image capture and transmission capabilities. Searchable records that include stored image data and response information associated with such data are provided. The image transmitted by the user is used to perform a search of the records, to find in the records an image that matches the transmitted image. If a match is found, the response information associated with the stored image data for the matching image is retrieved, and that response information is used to send a reply to the user.

An enhanced object tracking system for tracking and controlling access to a plurality of objects such as keys is disclosed. The object tracking system implements many improvements including automated user identification using biometric data extracted from the user with a minimum of user interaction, tracking of objects both inside and outside their storage units, the locking of objects within slots of their storage unit to guard against illicit removal and return of keys and to insure random slot rotation, image and visual based inventory verification methodologies, and tracking of objects during times when they are checked out of the system. The result is an intelligent object tracking system with automated control functions and high reliability.

Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

In a real time food production management system and method, real time data about consumers inside or in the vicinity of a food outlet and an amount of prepared food available to serve and / or an amount of food being prepared is electronically generated. Based on the real time data, a demand for an amount of food to be ordered by the consumers in a specified interval immediately succeeding the generation of the real time data is electronically predicted. In addition, at least one of the following is electronically determined based on the real time data: a predicted amount of additional food requiring preparation; the time at least one prepared food product has been available; a length of time that a cooked food component has been cooked; and an amount of a food component, a condiment and / or a topping resides in a food product assembly buffer.

A method designed to include a number of features which facilitate fast and accurate reading of text documents. The design of these features is based on research in the fields of visual perception, ergonomics, and usability. The method applies this research to create software which provides various assisted-reading modes.

Using various embodiments, methods, systems, and apparatuses for controlling a camera pivoting device (e.g., mechanical gimbal) are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises a main computing device, a gimbal stabilizer controller, and a computer vision camera, and / or a user camera. The system is able to track a target object using the computer vision camera even while the target object is moving, the base of the pivoting device is moving (e.g., when a user controlling the camera moves), or a combination of thereof. The camera pivoting device of the embodiments disclosed herein can be mounted on to any number of devices / objects that can provide mobility and / or transportation.

A system, method, and computer program product for providing a user with a virtual environment in which the user can perform guided activities and receive feedback are described. The user is provided with guidance to perform certain movements. The user's movements are captured in an image stream. The image stream is analyzed to estimate the user's movements, which is tracked by a user-specific human model. Biomechanical quantities such as center of pressure and muscle forces are calculated based on the tracked movements. Feedback such as the biomechanical quantities and differences between the guided movements and the captured actual movements are provided to the user.

Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

An image sequence is inputted from a camera and vertical motion is estimated. A windowed horizontal edge-projection is extracted from the inputted image sequence and corresponding horizontal edges are projected. The horizontal edge-projection and the vertical motion estimation are combined in a horizontal segmentation and tracking element, and are forwarded to an object parameter estimation element, where the object's distance and height are estimated. This data is combined in a fusion with a radar detection element. By correctly matching the overhead objects sensed by the radar detection element and the video camera, the proximity and relative speed can be ascertained. Once overhead objects have been identified they can be isolated and not considered for collision avoidance purposes.

The invention discloses a positioning method and system based on visual inertial navigation information fusion. The method comprises steps as follows: acquired sensor information is preprocessed, wherein the sensor information comprises an RGB image and depth image information of a depth vision sensor and IMU (inertial measurement unit) data; external parameters of a system which the depth visionsensor and an IMU belong to are acquired; the pre-processed sensor information and external parameters are processed with an IMU pre-integration model and a depth camera model, and pose information isacquired; the pose information is corrected on the basis of a loop detection mode, and the corrected globally uniform pose information is acquired. The method has good robustness in the positioning process and the positioning accuracy is improved.

The PMP Growth algorithm described herein provides for image tracking, segmentation and processing in environments where the camera system moves around a great deal, i.e., causing image jumps from one image frame to the next. It also is operative in systems where the objects themselves are making quick movements that alter their path. Attributes of the PMP Growth algorithm allow tracking systems using the PMP Growth algorithm to follow objects a long distance in a scene. This detection and tracking method is designed to track objects within a sequence of video image frames, and includes detecting keypoints in a current image frame of the video image frames, assigning local appearance features to the detected keypoints, establishing Point-Motion-Pairs between two successive image frames of the video image frames, and accumulating additional matches between image locations to form complete coherent motion object models of the objects being tracked. The segmentation aspect permits for the discovery of different coherently moving regions in the images.

A method and system for facilitating cost effective, reliable, system redundant, self-driving vehicles involves the employment of specialized lane marking components that permit unprecedented sensor feedback, and in particular, a system and method that enables accurate lane marking recognition despite adverse weather conditions, which presently pose problems experienced by self-driving systems that rely upon vision based camera systems.

The invention discloses a binocular stereo vision based intelligent three-dimensional human face rebuilding method and a system; the method comprises: preprocessing operations including image normalization, brightness normalization and image correction are carried out to a human face image; a human face area in the human face image which is preprocessed is obtained and human face characteristic points are extracted; the object is rebuilt by projection matrix, so as to obtain internal and external parameters of a vidicon; based on the human face characteristic points, gray level cross-correlation matching operators are expanded to color information, and a parallax image generated by stereo matching is calculated according to information including polar line restraining, human face area restraining and human face geometric conditions; a three-dimensional coordinate of a human face spatial hashing point cloud is calculated according to the vidicon calibration result and the parallax image generated by stereo matching, so as to generate a three-dimensional human face model. By adopting the steps, more smooth and vivid three-dimensional human face model is rebuilt in the invention.

Improved techniques and systems for utilizing a portable electronic device to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a remote sensor during a physical activity session are disclosed. The portable electronic device offers a convenient user interface that can be visual and / or audio based customized to a particular application, user-friendly and / or dynamic. The portable electronic device can pertain to a personal media device and thus also provide media playback.

The invention discloses a robot indoor positioning and navigating method based on vision, belonging to the field of vision navigation. According to two-dimension codes, the method designs a manpower road sign which is simple and convenient, is easy to recognize, internally contains absolute position coordinates and has certain error correction capability; the road sign is arranged on a ceiling; a camera arranged on the robot, with the optical axis vertical to the ceiling, is used for photographing; the coordinate information included in the road sign is analyzed by road sign positioning of a series of steps such as threshold segmenting of images, extracting of communicating region, profile curve matching and recognizing of road sign characteristic; and the current absolute position and course angle of the robot can be finally obtained by the position estimation arithmetic of the robot. The method has the advantages of reducing the blocking and noise interference, and greatly reducing the processing time and the complexity of surrounding environments of the image processing method.

Arrangements involving portable devices (e.g., smartphones and tablet computers) are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another utilizes a device camera to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A mobile query and response system and method that is based on visual cues, in which a user captures and transmits an image with a networked mobile device such as a cell phone or PDA with image capture and transmission capabilities. Searchable records that include stored image data and response information associated with such data are provided. The image transmitted by the user is used to perform a search of the records, to find in the records an image that matches the transmitted image. If a match is found, the response information associated with the stored image data for the matching image is retrieved, and that response information is used to send a reply to the user.

The invention provides gesture identification method and system based on visual sense. The system comprises a gesture image acquisition device and a controller which are mainly used for realizing gesture image acquisition, image data entry, gesture image identification and operation command execution, wherein the gesture image identification comprises image binaryzation, gesture split, feature extraction and feature matching. The invention has real-time performance, obtains identification results by extracting and matching the features of gesture images of a user, and executes corresponding commands according to the identification results. In the invention, hands are used as input devices, only the acquired images need contain complete gestures, and the gestures can be allowed to translate, change in dimension and rotate within a certain angel, thereby greatly improving the use convenience of devices.