Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8077200 | Image capture system and method of capturing labeled image An image capture system is provided. The image capture system for capturing an image of an object includes a light emitting module, a lens, a base unit and a filter unit. The light emitting module provides a plurality of light beams to form a reference area. The bas... | 12/13/2011 |
| 7990415 | Image input device and calibration method Provided is an image input device which includes a laser range finder and a camera, and is capable of automatically calibrating the laser range finder and the camera at an appropriate timing without using special equipment. The image input device includes the laser ... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7423666 | Image pickup system employing a three-dimensional reference object The present invention provides a three-dimensional chart, a parameter acquiring method and an information processing device that are used for carrying out camera calibration in a wide range with high precision. For this reason, a plurality of unit graphic forms the ... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7411486 | Lane-departure warning system with differentiation between an edge-of-lane marking and a structural boundary of the edge of the lane A driver assistance device for warning a driver of a motor vehicle of a risk of departure from the lane or from the lane is described, having at least one image-transmitting sensor, an evaluation device, connected to the image-transmitting sensor, for detecting edge... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7289230 | Wireless substrate-like sensor A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the se... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7283255 | Wireless substrate-like sensor A wireless substrate-like sensor is provided to facilitate alignment and calibration of semiconductor processing systems. The wireless substrate-like sensor includes an optical image acquisition system that acquires one or more images of targets placed within the se... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7227611 | Adaptive and interactive scene illumination Apparatus for adaptively and interactively lighting a scene includes a digital light projector that includes a light emitter and a digital light processor optically coupled to the emitter such that the emitter light is projected onto respective individual fields of ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7140544 | Three dimensional vision device and method, and structured light bar-code patterns for use in the same The present invention is a system and method for three dimensional machine vision including a projector and camera. The projector casts a structured light Quadratic Residue Bar Code on the surface to be mapped. The camera then images the surface. The projected image... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7134707 | Selective light attenuation system A system for selectively attenuating light from a source of light, such as the sun, to a person's eyes in a vehicle. The system includes an electro-optical element (10) interposed between the source of light (16) and the person's eyes (14). The ... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7133574 | Method for recognizing position of honeycomb structure A position of a honeycomb structure, which is comprised of an outer shell, separation walls arranged in the form of a honeycomb within the outer shell, and a number of axially extending cells which are defined by the separation walls, is recognized. When the positio... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7079666 | System for simultaneous projections of multiple phase-shifted patterns for the three-dimensional inspection of an object A three-dimensional image grabber allowing for the simultaneous projection of multiple phase-shifted patterns onto an object, and the simultaneous acquisition of multiple images of these phase-shifted patterns is described herein. The grabber comprises a pattern pro... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7009635 | Method for modifying a visible object shot with a television camera A method for modifying a visible object shot with a television camera, in which method the object is marked by one or more marking surfaces disposed in the area of the object or in its vicinity, these marking surfaces being identifiable on the basis of radiation dif... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6997716 | Continuous aimpoint tracking system The Continuous Aimpoint Tracking System is comprised of a position detection device (PDD) and a laser pointing device (LPD) that projects an infrared crosshair onto the PDD. The PDD is coupled to a computer and comprises a multitude of photodiodes and associated cir... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6993255 | Method and apparatus for providing adaptive illumination An illumination system (20, 72, 110, 142) for illuminating a scene comprising: an illuminator (24, 74, 116) having a plurality of substantially contiguous independently controllable light (26, 76) providing regions each of which provides light t... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6985609 | Method for identifying an object image A method for identifying the position, quantity, kind, etc. of an object. A Standard Object image is positioned on a picture so as to be around an arbitrary point (Arrangement Point), normal vector group is determined along the outline of the Standard Object image b... | 01/10/2006 |
| 6628322 | Device and method for positioning a measuring head on a noncontact three-dimensional measuring machine A positioning device for a measuring machine wherein a measuring head is movable in a three-dimensional space with respect to a first reference system, and supports a visual sensor having a television camera and a source of a laser beam. The device displa... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6600475 | Single camera system for gesture-based input and target indication The position of a target lying on a plane is indicated by inputting a pointing direction which is computationally projected onto a plane. If the target is known to lie on a contour, the position is specified unambiguously. Alternatively, the position of a... | 07/29/2003 |
| 6480678 | Light transmitting member driving device for a contour measuring apparatus A three-dimensional measuring apparatus or similar contour measuring apparatus of the present invention includes a projector for emitting light, a lattice film or similar light transmitting member, and a camera. Light issuing from the projector is transmi... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6408089 | Device, method and recording medium for video inspection A device is provided which detects image patterns which may cause photosensitive attacks, based on the contrast intensity and values of frequency bands having a peak value. A frame image constituting video is image analyzed for contrast intensity and spat... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6262763 | Actual size image display A video camera captures image data and determines parameters indicative of a size of an image. Such data may, for example, be recorded on a recording medium or may be broadcasted. A video apparatus reproduces the recorded data from the recording medium or... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6191812 | Method of providing background patterns for camera tracking An improved method of tracking a camera in dynamic chroma-keying of the type in which a foreground object is photographed against a multicolored chroma-key screen. The multicolor patterns are created by projection on a monochrome screen, for example by pr... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6163374 | Bending angle detection system A bending angle detection system capable of detecting a bending angle of a workpiece with high accuracy, wherein taking into account the fact that the brightness of a linear image formed on a surface of a workpiece is higher than that of a linear image fo... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6067112 | Interactive desktop display system for automatically adjusting pan and zoom functions in response to user adjustment of a feedback image An interactive desktop system for automatically adjusting pan and zoom functions to change a field of view in response to user actions relative to a feedback image projected on a source document. The interactive desktop system includes an image capture sy... | 05/23/2000 |
| 5978077 | Non-contact method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel A method and apparatus for determining camber and caster of a vehicle wheel in which the camber angle is determined in a manner that accounts for the influence of any existing toe angle. This is accomplished by detecting the displacement of one or more po... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5969754 | Contrast enhancing illuminator An apparatus which enhances the visual contrast between bright and dark features of an object by projecting an image of the object onto the object. The features of the projected object image overlay the features of the object such that an observer of the ... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5815274 | Method for dimensional weighing by spaced line projection The invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the dimensions of a parcel for use in a parcel processing application. The invention includes the placing of a parcel on a weighing scale. A movably mounted emitter apparatus projects lines of a known ... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5731870 | Intelligent sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine A sensor method and apparatus for an optical wheel alignment machine utilizes one or more light sources, such as lasers, to project a laser line or other shaped light onto various locations about the sidewall of a tire undergoing measurement. The sensor i... | 03/24/1998 |
| 5669871 | Endoscope measurement apparatus for calculating approximate expression of line projected onto object to measure depth of recess or the like A line projection part provided on a distal-end part of an endoscope for projecting a light of a line toward the side of an object. A plurality of points are assigned on a line which is projected so as to pass through a recess or the like which resides in... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5628033 | Accident investigation and reconstruction mapping with aerial photography A method and apparatus for creating a pictorial illustration of a site to be mapped, such as for reconstruction of a vehicle accident site. In accordance with the method, the site is marked with visible indicia of scale, a camera is then suspended over th... | 05/06/1997 |
| 5619031 | Variable magnification apparatus for reticle projection system A magnifying lens system is fixed to the lower end of a vertically adjustable support plate to overlie a workpiece, and to project an image thereof upwardly through a beamsplitter to the image sensor of a video camera that is mounted for vertical adjustme... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5309229 | Dual optic video display bearing inspection system Methods and apparatus for inspecting surfaces are disclosed. The present invention provides a system which is particularly useful for inspecting the inner race of a bearing and uses two video probes to create dual displayed views of the inner surface. The... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5285397 | Coordinate-measuring machine for non-contact measurement of objects A plurality of video cameras (7a-d) are mounted on a table which is adapted support a workpiece or other object to be measured, and the mounting of each camera to the table provides for controlled universal orientation of each camera via an articulating h... | 02/08/1994 |
| 5280542 | XYZ coordinates measuring system XYZ coordinates of an object are measured by projecting pulse slit light onto the object, imaging the slit line formed on the surface of the object by a TV camera, and processing the video signal from the camera according to the scanning signals from the ... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5157487 | Distance information obtaining device A distance information obtaining device which uses an image pickup device, to pick up an optical image of an object and produce a picture signal, and a signal processor which process the signal picture and calculates therefrom the distance between the obj... | 10/20/1992 |
| 5129010 | System for measuring shapes and dimensions of gaps and flushnesses on three dimensional surfaces of objects A system for measuring three-dimensional shapes and dimensions includes: an imaging unit which faces an object with shape changes on the surface and images by means of a TV camera the slit line formed on the object surface by projecting slit light from a ... | 07/07/1992 |
| 4929843 | Apparatus and method for determining a dimension of an object The height of an object is determined by projecting a beam of light there across to form a light stripe. A camera views the object obliquely, and forms an image of the light stripe. As a result of the oblique view, the light stripe is imaged as a series o... | 05/29/1990 |
| 4920273 | Z-axis measurement system This invention concerns an optical system for use with a television camera for detecting the surface location of an object. A preferred optical image having a distinct, unique, recognizable pattern is projected on a surface along a defined path that ultim... | 04/24/1990 |
| 4914460 | Apparatus and methods of determining distance and orientation A method for determining position of and/or for positioning an object relative to both (a) its distance to a surface and (b) the orientation of its longitudinal axis to such surface involves emitting in a first plane toward such surface a plurality of fir... | 04/03/1990 |
| 4834070 | Endoscope with device for shape recognition An endoscope is disclosed which incorporates an easily maneuverable device for recognizing the shapes of imaged objects. The endoscope includes device to project patterned beams on the objects, device to identify positions of spots made on the objects by ... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4832049 | Apparatus for detecting abnormality of the spinal column An apparatus for detecting an abnormality of the spinal column is provided with apparatus for obliquely applying at least one light beam to each of the left and right backs of a subject in parallel with an imaginary spinal line, and apparatus for comparin... | 05/23/1989 |
