Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8022984 | System and method for reducing jitter during an optical navigation operation A system and method for reducing jitter during an optical navigation operation operates to automatically switch the current resolution based on jitter-resolution correlation data. ... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7430303 | Target detection method and system A method and system detects candidate targets or objects from a viewed scene by simplifying the data, converting the data to gradient magnitude and direction data which is thresholded to simplify the data. Horizontal edges within the data are softened to reduce thei... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7420588 | Measuring method, measuring system and storage medium There are provided a measuring method and a measuring system which enable creation of a measurement route with ease to thereby enable three-dimensional measurement to be quickly performed even if an object to be measured has a complicated shape or configuration. An ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7406193 | Image processing method and image processing apparatus for making luminance correction An image processing method of making luminance correction on the basis of a luminance histogram showing luminance level distribution of image data expressing an image by a numerical value. A luminance average value, a luminance standard deviation, and a peak distanc... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7366323 | Hierarchical static shadow detection method There is provided a hierarchical shadow detection system for color aerial images. The system performs well with highly complex images as well as images having different brightness and illumination conditions. The system consists of two hierarchical levels of process... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7319790 | Image comparing apparatus, image comparing method, computer readable medium recording program for image comparison, photographing apparatus, and photographing method An image comparing apparatus for comparing a particular inspect image with a search image containing a subject shown on the inspect image, including a search-image supplying unit storing therein a plurality of search images, an image acquisition unit acquiring infor... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7313263 | Method and apparatus for measuring coaxial relation between two mechanical parts According to a measuring method, shapes of two mechanical parts of a measuring object are shot by a camera at their respective axial both ends so that image information of the shapes are obtained. Then a center coordinate of the detected shape is respectively calcul... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7302100 | Method for increasing detectable light energy without changing shape content in radial and angular or rotational analysis of images for shape content and matching A segmented radial spatial light modulator has an active optic area comprising a plurality of radially extending active optic modulators disposed at various angular orientations with respect to a central axis. The segmented radial spatial light modulator is used in ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7298919 | System and method for displaying an image indicating a positional relation between partially overlapping images A camera system includes a display monitor which displays an image of an object, taken by an optical unit, on a screen of the monitor. A reading unit reads a preceding image and a current image among a plurality of partially overlapping images, from a memory device,... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7274812 | Image processing device and method In an image processing device capable of collectively estimating an object based upon results of plural times of inspection, regions (1(1)) and (1(2)) to be photographed are defined on opposite end portions of an object (w). When an image... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7233841 | Vision system A vision system and method for calibrating motion of a robot disposed in a processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a vision system for a processing system includes a camera and a calibration wafer that are positioned in a processing system. The camera is p... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7230694 | Method for determining an axle geometry and sensor for its execution Method for determining an axle geometry by recording and evaluating a topographical image of a face (6) of a wheel (1) fitted to an axle (2), and a sensor (10) for execution of the method. The method includes projecting light with a codin... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7227925 | Gantry mounted stereoscopic imaging system A radiation therapy treatment machine that has a stereoscopic imaging system, which includes a rotatable open gantry on which is placed a first diagnostic radiation source, a first diagnostic imager, and a therapeutic radiation source. ... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7215363 | System and method for scanning a surface of a moving object The present invention relates to a system and method for the imaging of surfaces of box like objects conveyed along a path. The objects are conveyed past at least one camera which is positioned at an angle to the object's surface. The at least one camera comprises a... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7212293 | Optical determination of pattern feature parameters using a scalar model having effective optical properties Optical characterization of lateral features of a pattern is provided. A plane-wave optical response is calculated for each feature. At least one of these plane-wave responses is calculated from an effective optical property (e.g., a waveguide modal refractive index... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7209161 | Method and apparatus for aligning a pair of digital cameras forming a three dimensional image to compensate for a physical misalignment of cameras An apparatus and method for detecting and correcting for physical misalignments of a pair of digital cameras creating a composite, three dimensional (3D) image of a target. The method involves using the distances from each of a pair of digital cameras to a target an... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7200260 | Teaching model generating device A workpiece W serving as an object for detection is fixed in place. A camera 20 is mounted to the end of a robot RB. The camera is turned about an axis, which passes through the center position of the workpiece W and is perpendicular to the optical axis of th... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7197176 | Mark position detecting apparatus and mark position detecting method A mark position detection apparatus includes: an illumination unit that illuminates a substrate having a mark formed thereupon; an image-capturing unit that captures an image of the substrate by using reflected light from the substrate and outputs image signals; a s... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7177459 | Robot system having image processing function A robot system having an image processing function capable of detecting position and/or posture of individual workpieces randomly arranged in a stack to determine posture, or posture and position of a robot operation suitable for the detected position and/or posture... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7171285 | Mobile robot using image sensor and method for measuring moving distance thereof In a mobile robot and a method for measuring a moving distance thereof, by including an image capture unit for photographing the bottom surface according to motion of a mobile robot at a certain intervals and capturing images; a displacement measurer for measuring d... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7154531 | Detecting objects by digital imaging device A system for detecting objects includes a digital image device such as CCD camera to control a defined area for unauthorized intrusions. The digital imaging device views a predetermined pattern positioned across the defined area from the device. A processor periodic... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7145595 | Image processing and inspection system An image processing and inspection system includes a master device (10) having a video camera (40) and a first controller (20) responsible for processing and inspecting the image of an object (1) in accordance with inspection criteria. In... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7139410 | Apparatus for protecting occupant in vehicle An apparatus for protecting an occupant in a vehicle includes a pair of image sensors for taking images of an area on a seat in the vehicle. Transverse-direction shifts between corresponding portions of the images are calculated. Longitudinal-direction positions of ... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7133573 | Document skew accommodation A method to be used within a document image capture device, such as a document scanner (10) of detecting and measuring the document skew (25) while the document is still entering the imaging area and then effecting a rotation of the camera to accommoda... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7120288 | Accuracy analyzing apparatus for machine tool The present invention relates to an accuracy analyzing apparatus which is capable of efficiently analyzing accuracies of a machine tool including the perpendicularity of a spindle axis and the thermal displacement of a spindle with a higher level of accuracy at lowe... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7113647 | Removal of background noise of image data by an image processing device or image reading apparatus An image processing device includes a background noise detecting device configured to detect from image data of an image, background noise data of the image data. An image memory stores the image data, and an inputting/outputting device inputs and outputs the image ... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7103223 | Apparatus and method for radial and angular or rotational analysis or images for shape content and matching A segmented radial spatial light modulator has an active optic area comprising a plurality of radially extending active optic modulators disposed at various angular orientations with respect to a central axis. The segmented radial spatial light modulator is used in ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7103210 | Position detection apparatus and exposure apparatus A position detection apparatus for detecting a position of a mark on an object includes a camera which captures an image of the mark, an extraction section which extracts a plurality of edge positions of the mark based on a signal derived from the image of the mark,... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7095904 | Method and apparatus for determining best focus using dark-field imaging A method and apparatus (10) for determining a best focus position of an object (30) relative to a reference position (e.g., axis A) of a dark-field optical imaging system (20), with an effective focusing range up to 10 times of the depth of fiel... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7084900 | Image processing apparatus An image processing apparatus capable of detecting position and posture of individual workpieces randomly arranged in a stack and having identical shapes. Reference models are created from two-dimensional images of a reference workpeace captured in a plurality of di... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7085622 | Vision system Generally a method and apparatus for viewing images within a processing system is provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plate having a camera, transmitter and battery coupled thereto. The plate is adapted to be transported about a semiconductor proces... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7068825 | Scanning system and calibration method for capturing precise three-dimensional information of objects A scanning system includes a hand-held scanning device that generates two-dimensional images of a pattern reflected off an object. The system also includes a memory and processing unit. The memory stores a calibration table for the scanner and received scanned bitma... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7068836 | System and method for mapping a surface In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, an image is projected upon a surface. The image can include a pattern having a plurality of individual shapes used to measure and map the surface. The plurality of individual shapes include features ... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7061522 | Optical fiber fusion-splicer In an optical fiber observing image processing apparatus, at least two different capturing modes is provided in an image capturing means for capturing image data from two or more television cameras, so that, by automatically switching capturing modes in synchronous ... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7027642 | Methods for registration of three-dimensional frames to create three-dimensional virtual models of objects A method and system are provided for constructing a virtual three-dimensional model of an object using a data processing system, and at least one machine-readable memory accessible to the data processing system. A set of at least two digital three-dimensional frames... | 04/11/2006 |
| 7006681 | Inspection method of electrical part, inspection apparatus of electric junction box and inspection apparatus of terminal fittings An inspection apparatus of an electric junction box is provided, by which improper mounting of electric parts can be detected. The inspection apparatus 1 has a CCD camera 5, an image-processing device 7 and a control device 8. The CCD cam... | 02/28/2006 |
| 7002728 | Electrophoretic particles, and processes for the production thereof Copper chromite particles can advantageously be used as black particles in electrophoretic media and displays. Preferably, the copper chromite particles are coated with a silica coating and a polymer coating. ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6969033 | Camera mount An omni-positional camera mount for the photographing of small objects (24). The mount has a support (4) to hold an object to be photographed. A first frame (9) is pivotally mounted to the support such that the first frame can pivot on a first p... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6961081 | Positioning and inspecting system and method using same A system for inspecting signals of the circuits on a panel includes a moveable stage with a transparent work area for holding the panel to be tested; a probe for contacting the panel; a tester for receiving a signal via the probe; an image sensing device disposed in... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6954681 | Board align image acquisition device with improved interface An electronics assembly system includes an image acquisition system that is coupled to a controller through an improved interface. The coupling facilitates advanced monitoring and control of the image acquisition system. Multiple image acquisition systems can be cou... | 10/11/2005 |
