IP Library Granted Patent US 10,491,796
Granted Patent B2
US 10,491,796 · App. 14/838,128 · Granted Nov 26, 2019

Devices, methods and systems for visual imaging arrays

Inventors: Ehren Brav (Bainbridge Island, WA); Russell Hannigan (Sammamish, WA); Roderick A. Hyde (Redmond, WA); Muriel Y. Ishikawa (Livermore, CA); 3ric Johanson (Seattle, WA); Jordin T. Kare (San Jose, CA); Tony S. Pan (Bellevue, WA); Phillip Rutschman (Seattle, WA); Clarence T. Tegreene (Mercer Island, WA); Charles Whitmer (North Bend, WA); Lowell L. Wood, Jr. (Bellevue, WA); Victoria Y. H. Wood (Livermore, CA)
Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, LLC
H04N5/23206G06F3/011G06K9/00624H04N5/23229H04N5/23293H04N5/23296H04N7/181H04N21/2183H04N21/21805H04N21/2393H04N21/23418H04N21/2662H04N21/812G06T2207/30196G06T2207/30221
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,491,796
App. No.
14/838,128
Granted
Nov 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include acquiring a request for particular image data that is part of a scene, transmitting the request for the particular image data to an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture the scene that is larger than the requested particular image data, receiving only the particular image data from the image sensor array, and transmitting the received particular image data to at least one requestor. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims (92)

1. A device comprising:

a wireless communication link;

an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene;

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target;

circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data;

circuitry configured for selecting at least some of the image data to obtain one or more pixels corresponding to the selected area at a resolution that is higher than the lower resolution; and

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene comprises:

an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a street scene.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area of a license plate, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area of an object, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for determining at least one portion of the scene that contains an object through identification of the object in cached scene data.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein said circuitry configured for determining at least one portion of the scene that contains an object through identification of the object in cached scene data comprises:

circuitry configured for determining at least one portion of the scene that contains an object through identification of the object in cached scene data that was previously transmitted.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for acquiring a second request for an at least partially overlapping area that is part of the scene.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for combining the request with at least one other request.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein said circuitry configured for combining the request with at least one other request comprises:

circuitry configured for combining the request with at least one other request to consolidate one or more overlapping areas.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for decimating at least some of the image data in an amount that is at least one hundred times less than the image data.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for removing at least some of the image data corresponding to an object.

12. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for identifying at least one portion of the image data for removal that was previously stored in a memory.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for discarding at least some of the image data.

14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for storing at least some of the image data corresponding to other than the selected area.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene comprises:

an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene in near-real-time or real-time.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting unrequested image data from the scene corresponding to other than the selected area at a time at which bandwidth is available.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area without other image data corresponding to outside the selected area to reduce bandwidth load on the wireless communication link.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for adding supplemental data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein said circuitry configured for adding supplemental data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area comprises:

circuitry configured for adding advertisement data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein said circuitry configured for adding advertisement data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area comprises:

circuitry configured for adding context-based advertisement data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

21. The imago device of claim 18 , wherein said circuitry configured for adding supplemental data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area comprises:

circuitry configured for adding supplemental visual data to the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

22. The imago device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least some additional image data from the scene corresponding to other than the selected area.

23. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for storing at least some static image data to satisfy one or more subsequent requests.

24. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least some additional image data from the scene corresponding to other than the selected area to reduce latency associated with a subsequent request.

25. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting at least some additional image data from the scene at one or more specified intervals.

26. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for transmitting non-live image data of the scene.

27. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for trashing unselected image data corresponding to other than the selected area.

28. The imago device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for decimating at least some of the one or more pixels corresponding to the selected area based at least partly on a bandwidth capacity of the wireless communication link and/or a screen resolution of a requesting device.

29. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured for comparing the image data of the scene to previously captured image data to identify one or more unchanged pixels.

30. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data associated with an entirety of the scene for identifying a target.

31. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data associated with one or more regions surrounding one or more potential targets.

32. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a plurality of different low resolution versions of the image data for identifying a target.

33. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying at least one of the following types of targets: address, person, point-of-interest, or number.

34. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for computer-identification of a target.

35. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target comprises:

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for user-selection of a target.

36. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is surrounds the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data.

37. A system comprising:

a wireless communication link;

an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene;

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target;

circuitry configured for acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data;

circuitry configured for selecting at least some of the image data to obtain one or more pixels corresponding to the selected area at a resolution that is higher than the lower resolution; and

circuitry configured for transmitting via the wireless communication link the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

38. A system comprising:

a wireless communication link;

an image sensor array that includes more than one image sensor and that is configured to capture image data of a scene; and

at least one processing component configured to perform operations including at least:

transmitting via the wireless communication link a low resolution version of the image data for identifying a target;

acquiring via the wireless communication link a request for a selected area that is part of the scene and that is associated with the target, at least partly in response to transmission of the lower resolution version of the image data;

selecting at least some of the image data to obtain one or more pixels corresponding to the selected area at a resolution that is higher than the lower resolution; and

transmitting via the wireless communication link the at least some of the image data corresponding to the selected area.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2017
From: ELWHA LLC
To: THE INVENTION SCIENCE FUND II, LLC
Reel/Frame 044258/0189 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CITY NAME AND ZIP CODE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 043175 FRAME: 0876. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT . Recorded Oct 4, 2017
From: BRAV, EHREN; HANNIGAN, RUSSELL; HYDE, RODERICK A.; ISHIKAWA, MURIEL Y.; JOHANSON, 3RIC; KARE, JORDIN T.; PAN, TONY S.; RUTSCHMAN, PHILLIP; TEGREENE, CLARENCE T.; WHITMER, CHARLES; WOOD, LOWELL L., JR.; WOOD, VICTORIA Y.H.
To: ELWHA LLC
Reel/Frame 044126/0935 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2017
From: BRAV, EHREN; HANNIGAN, RUSSELL; HYDE, RODERICK A.; ISHIKAWA, MURIEL Y.; JOHANSON, 3RIC; KARE, JORDIN T.; PAN, TONY S.; RUTSCHMAN, PHILLIP; TEGREENE, CLARENCE T.; WHITMER, CHARLES; WOOD, LOWELL L., JR.; WOOD, VICTORIA Y.H.
To: ELWHA LLC
Reel/Frame 043175/0876 →
Continuity (11)
Continuation 14838114 · Aug 27, 2015
Continuation In Part 14714239 · May 15, 2015
Continuation In Part 14791160 · Jul 2, 2015
Continuation 14791127 · Jul 2, 2015
Provisional Application 62081559 · Nov 18, 2014
Provisional Application 62081560 · Nov 18, 2014
Provisional Application 62082001 · Nov 19, 2014
Provisional Application 62082002 · Nov 19, 2014
Provisional Application 62156162 · May 1, 2015
Provisional Application 62180040 · Jun 15, 2015
Related Publication 20160227259A1 · Aug 4, 2016