Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110054545 | DISTAL INTERPHALANGEAL FUSION DEVICE AND METHOD OF USE - Embodiments of the invention are directed to a distal interphalangeal (“DIP”) fusion device for connecting a first bone of a patient to a second, adjacent bone of the patient. The device may include an anchor assembly and a compressor assembly. In another embodiment, a separate compressor base assembly is included. In yet another embodiment an access port assembly is included. The anchor assembly is rotationally coupled to one end of the compressor assembly, such that the compressor assembly may rotate about the anchor assembly within a semi-spherical zone (three degrees of rotational freedom) and translate axially (one degree of translational freedom). In an operative position, the anchor assembly is anchored in an intermediate phalanx of a digit of a patient, the compressor assembly is contained in a distal phalanx of the digit, and the distal phalanx is flexed relative to the intermediate phalanx to create a joint angle. The joint angle is then fixated for fusion by compressing the phalanges together in the flexed position by counter-rotation of the compressor assembly. An advantage of an embodiment of the invention is the screw threads may be matching which eliminates the need to pre-drill two different diameter pilot holes. | 03-03-2011 |
20110276099 | DISTAL INTERPHALANGEAL FUSION METHOD AND DEVICE - The various embodiments of the present invention provide a system, including methods, apparatus and kits for connecting bones and/or bone portions using a multi-part bone connector with one or more rotating joints. | 11-10-2011 |
20120065692 | PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL FUSION DEVICE - The various embodiments of the present invention provide a system, including methods, apparatus and kits for connecting bones and/or bone portions using a multi-part bone connector with one or more rotating joints. | 03-15-2012 |
20120197303 | COMPRESSION PLATE APPARATUS - The present invention provides a system, including methods, apparatus and kits for stabilizing and compressing bone fractures using a compression plate apparatus for stabilizing bone fragments with compression comprising a plate having at least two bone screw holes adapted to accept at least one bone screw each, the plate additionally having at least one elongate hole through the plate; a rack comprising rack teeth located along at least one linear edge of the elongate hole; a pinion axle assembly comprising a pinion axle having a head portion, a pinion gear having complementary gear teeth for engaging the rack teeth and a lower portion having threads for engaging bone. | 08-02-2012 |
20130325077 | DISTAL INTERPHALANGEAL FUSION METHOD AND DEVICE - A system, including methods, apparatus and kits for connecting bones and/or bone portions using a multi-part bone connector with one or more rotating joints is disclosed. A flexible bone fusion apparatus is provided having an anchor and a compressor, each of which engages with a coupler to provide axial and/or linear rotation of the apparatus. Alternatively, a compressor and an anchor may directly join with each other at a shared interface. Tools for installing and compressing the apparatus are provided. Also provided is a method for fusing two bones or bone portions to create a non-linear post-fusion orientation. A further aspect of the disclosure is a method for maintaining thread synchronization of a bone fusion apparatus having a discontinuous thread. | 12-05-2013 |
20140222091 | PROXIMAL INTERPHALANGEAL FUSION DEVICE - The various embodiments of the present invention provide a system, including methods, apparatus and kits for connecting bones and/or bone portions using a multi-part bone connector with one or more rotating joints. | 08-07-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110209834 | Window Covering Apparatus - Exemplary window covering apparatus, assemblies, and associated methods are disclosed herein. An exemplary window covering apparatus comprises a headrail, a covering attached to and extending vertically downward from the headrail, a pull cord configured to be operated by a user, a lift cord connecting a bottom of the covering to the pull cord by way of the headrail, the lift cord configured to lift the bottom of the covering to collapse the covering toward the headrail or drop the bottom of the covering to extend the covering away from the headrail when the pull cord is operated by the user, and an elongate sheath that ensheathes an otherwise exposed segment of the lift cord. | 09-01-2011 |
20120261852 | WINDOW COVERING COMPONENT MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES - Exemplary window covering component manufacturing systems, methods, and apparatuses are described herein. An exemplary window covering component manufacturing method includes 1) feeding two separate opposing surface sheets through a sizing channel space formed between opposing sizing elements, 2) depositing foam forming chemicals between the two separate opposing surface sheets before entry of the two separate opposing surface sheets into the sizing channel space, and 3) facilitating at least one reaction of the foam forming chemicals to form a foam material that expands in volume within the sizing channel space to press the two separate opposing surface sheets against the opposing sizing elements and then cures to form a rigid core disposed between and bonded to the two separate opposing surface sheets. Other exemplary window covering component manufacturing systems, methods, and apparatuses are also described herein. | 10-18-2012 |
20130287960 | PRESSURIZATION COATING SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES - Exemplary pressurization and coating systems, methods, and apparatuses are described herein. In certain embodiments, pressurization systems, methods, and apparatuses are used in conjunction with coating systems, methods, and apparatuses to control pressure about a substrate after a coating material is applied to a surface of the substrate. An exemplary system includes a die tool configured to apply a coating material to a substrate passing through the die tool and a pressurization apparatus attached to the die tool and forming a pressurization chamber. The pressurization apparatus is configured to receive the substrate from the die tool and control pressure about the substrate in the pressurization chamber. In certain embodiments, the die tool forms a coating chamber and is configured to apply the coating material on at least one surface of the substrate in the coating chamber. In other embodiments, the pressurization chamber further includes one or more sprayers which are configured to apply a coolant to one or more outer surfaces of the coated substrate. | 10-31-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140112528 | OBJECT RECOGNITION IN LOW-LUX AND HIGH-LUX CONDITIONS - A system for capturing image data for gestures from a passenger or a driver in a vehicle with a dynamic illumination level comprises a low-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in an environment with an illumination level below an illumination threshold, a high-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in the environment with the illumination level above the illumination threshold, and an object recognition module for activating the sensors. The object recognition module determines the illumination level of the environment and activates the low-lux sensor if the illumination level is below the illumination threshold. If the illumination level is above the threshold, the object recognition module activates the high-lux sensor. | 04-24-2014 |
20140244072 | System And Method For Incorporating Gesture And Voice Recognition Into A Single System - A system and method for combining two separate types of human machine interfaces, e.g., a voice signal and a gesture signal, performing voice recognition to a voice signal and gesture recognition to the gesture signal. Based on a confidence determination using the voice recognition result and the gesture recognition result the system can, for example, immediately perform the command/request, request confirmation of the command/request or determine that the command/request was not identified. | 08-28-2014 |
20140285664 | Object Recognition in Low-Lux and High-Lux Conditions - A system for capturing image data for gestures from a passenger or a driver in a vehicle with a dynamic illumination level comprises a low-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in an environment with an illumination level below an illumination threshold, a high-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in the environment with the illumination level above the illumination threshold, and an object recognition module for activating the sensors. The object recognition module determines the illumination level of the environment and activates the low-lux sensor if the illumination level is below the illumination threshold. If the illumination level is above the threshold, the object recognition module activates the high-lux sensor. | 09-25-2014 |
20140371955 | System And Method For Incorporating Gesture And Voice Recognition Into A Single System - A system and method for combining two separate types of human machine interfaces, e.g., a voice signal and a gesture signal, performing voice recognition to a voice signal and gesture recognition to the gesture signal. Based on a confidence determination using the voice recognition result and the gesture recognition result the system can, for example, immediately perform the command/request, request confirmation of the command/request or determine that the command/request was not identified. | 12-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120206573 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING DISPARITY OF TEXTURE - A method and system to determine the disparity associated with one or more textured regions of a plurality of images is presented. The method comprises the steps of breaking up the texture into its color primitives, further segmenting the textured object into any number of objects comprising such primitives, and then calculating a disparity of these objects. The textured objects emerge in the disparity domain, after having their disparity calculated. Accordingly, the method is further comprised of defining one or more textured regions in a first of a plurality of images, determining a corresponding one or more textured regions in a second of the plurality of images, segmenting the textured regions into their color primitives, and calculating a disparity between the first and second of the plurality of images in accordance with the segmented color primitives. | 08-16-2012 |
20120207383 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING SEGMENTATION OF AN IMAGE - A method and system for segmenting a plurality of images. The method comprises the steps of segmenting the image through a novel clustering technique that is, generating a composite depth map including temporally stable segments of the image as well as segments in subsequent images that have changed. These changes may be determined by determining one or more differences between the temporally stable depth map and segments included in one or more subsequent frames. Thereafter, the portions of the one or more subsequent frames that include segments including changes from their corresponding segments in the temporally stable depth map are processed and are combined with the segments from the temporally stable depth map to compute their associated disparities in one or more subsequent frames. The images may include a pair of stereo images acquired through a stereo camera system at a substantially similar time. | 08-16-2012 |
20120207388 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPARITY COMPUTATION IN STEREO IMAGES - A method and system for generating a disparity map. The method comprises the steps of generating a first disparity map based upon a first image and a second image acquired at a first time, acquiring at least a third image and a fourth image at a second time, and determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images. A disparity map update is generated for the one or more determined portions, and a disparity map is generated based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map. | 08-16-2012 |
20140037192 | Apparatus and Method for Disparity Map Generation - A method and system for generating a disparity map. The method comprises the steps of generating a first disparity map based upon a first image and a second image acquired at a first time, acquiring at least a third image and a fourth image at a second time, and determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images. A disparity map update is generated for the one or more determined portions, and a disparity map is generated based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map. | 02-06-2014 |
20140037193 | Apparatus and Method for Performing Segment-Based Disparity Decomposition - A method and system for generating a disparity map. The method comprises the steps of generating a first disparity map based upon a first image and a second image acquired at a first time, acquiring at least a third image and a fourth image at a second time, and determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images. A disparity map update is generated for the one or more determined portions, and a disparity map is generated based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map. | 02-06-2014 |
20140132732 | Apparatus and Method for Determining Disparity of Tetured Regions - A method and system to determine the disparity associated with one or more textured regions of a plurality of images is presented. The method comprises the steps of breaking up the texture into its color primitives, further segmenting the textured object into any number of objects comprising such primitives, and then calculating a disparity of these objects. The textured objects emerge in the disparity domain, after having their disparity calculated. Accordingly, the method is further comprised of defining one or more textured regions in a first of a plurality of images, determining a corresponding one or more textured regions in a second of the plurality of images, segmenting the textured regions into their color primitives, and calculating a disparity between the first and second of the plurality of images in accordance with the segmented color primitives. | 05-15-2014 |
20140219559 | Apparatus and Method for Segmenting an Image - A method and system for segmenting a plurality of images. The method comprises the steps of segmenting the image through a novel clustering technique that is, generating a composite depth map including temporally stable segments of the image as well as segments in subsequent images that have changed. These changes may be determined by determining one or more differences between the temporally stable depth map and segments included in one or more subsequent frames. Thereafter, the portions of the one or more subsequent frames that include segments including changes from their corresponding segments in the temporally stable depth map are processed and are combined with the segments from the temporally stable depth map to compute their associated disparities in one or more subsequent frames. The images may include a pair of stereo images acquired through a stereo camera system at a substantially similar time. | 08-07-2014 |
20140267612 | Method and Apparatus for Adaptive Exposure Bracketing, Segmentation and Scene Organization - A method, system and computer program are provided that present a real-time approach to Chromaticity maximization to be used in image segmentation. The ambient illuminant in a scene may be first approximated. The input image may then be preprocessed to remove the impact of the illuminant, and approximate an ambient white light source instead. The resultant image is then choma-maximized. The result is an adaptive Chromaticity maximization algorithm capable of adapting to a wide dynamic range of illuminations. A segmentation algorithm is put in place as well that takes advantage of such an approach. This approach also has applications in HDR photography and real-time HDR video. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120162378 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISION-BASED INTERACTION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to features indicative of motion of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and one or more other portions of the subject, and presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens. The plurality of fixed position sensors are used to track motion of the features of the subject to manipulate the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on one or more of the one or more three dimensional display screens. | 06-28-2012 |
20120194422 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISION-BASED INTERACTION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display. | 08-02-2012 |
20120196660 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISION-BASED INTERACTION IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject within a video game. The method includes receiving data from a plurality of fixed position sensors comprising a distributed network of time of flight camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to features indicative of movement of the subject relative to the fixed position sensors and the subject, presenting one or more objects as the subject of a video game on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the features of the subject to determine interaction of one or more of the features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on one or more of the one or more the three dimensional display screens. | 08-02-2012 |
20120293412 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING OF A SUBJECT - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display. | 11-22-2012 |
20120319946 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL INTERACTION OF A SUBJECT - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display. | 12-20-2012 |
20130150159 | Method and Apparatus for Tracking of a Subject in a Video Game - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display. | 06-13-2013 |
20130150160 | Method and Apparatus for Tracking of a Plurality of Subjects in a Video Game - Method, computer program and system for tracking movement of a subject. The method includes receiving data from a distributed network of camera sensors employing one or more emitted light sources associated with one or more of the one or more camera sensors to generate a volumetric three-dimensional representation of the subject, identifying a plurality of clusters within the volumetric three-dimensional representation that correspond to motion features indicative of movement of the motion features of the subject, presenting one or more objects on one or more three dimensional display screens, and using the plurality of fixed position sensors to track motion of the motion features of the subject and track manipulation of the motion features of the volumetric three-dimensional representation to determine interaction of one or more of the motion features of the subject and one or more of the one or more objects on the three dimensional display. | 06-13-2013 |
20130241826 | Three-Dimensional Interface System and Method - A three-dimensional virtual-touch human-machine interface system ( | 09-19-2013 |