Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

Livengood Engineering, Inc.

Heather Noel Bean

Mark Nelson Robins

Christopher Andrew Whitman

Matthew Flach

Matt Flach

Mark John Bianchi

Donald J Stavely

Kirk Steven Tecu

Amy E Battles

David Kay Campbell

William Robert Haas

John M Baron

Barry T Phillips

Ted B Ziemkowski

Scott A Woods

Joseph C Livengood

Amy L Livengood

Jerry Swinford

Philip A Livengood

Gerod Melton

Joseph D LoBue

A method, of selectively reading less than all information from an image sensor for which member-pixels of a subset of the entire set of pixels are individually addressable, may include: sampling information from a targeted member-pixel of the subset without having to read information from the entire set of pixels; and adaptively reading information from another one or more but fewer than all member pixels of the entire set based upon the sampling information without having to read all pixels on the image sensor. A related digital camera may include features similar to elements of the method.

Adaptively reading one or more but fewer than all pixels of image sensor

A patient support platform or mobile support cart is provided. The mobile support cart includes a transmission system that allows the patient and/or medical staff member to choose a stop, walk or roll mode. In the stop mode, the castor wheels are prevented from rolling across the floor by a braking mechanism. In the walking mode, the transmission causes a tracking wheel to engage the floor for providing tracked or guided motion to the mobile support cart. In a roll mode, the tracking wheel is raised and is disengaged from the floor, and the castor wheels are free to rotate. The platform is capable of supporting devices that may be attached or associated with a patient throughout their stay at a healthcare facility. The braking mechanism can include a cable and an associated brake arm, with the cable positioned to allow braking without inhibiting the ability of the castor wheel to swivel with respect to a castor mounting plate.

Modular patient support system

A camera with a selector device that may be used for adjusting frame rate while capturing video; and associated subsystems and methodologies.

Video camera with variable image capture rate and related methodology

A power management method and associated apparatus allows a device to make maximum use of its battery before replacement or recharging. After a battery failure, the device may be shut down properly and disabled until the battery is replaced or recharged. An exemplary embodiment is described in the context of a digital camera.

Device power management method and apparatus

A pixel-differentiated CCD imager architecture may include: a plurality of photo-sensing pixels arranged in a matrix, each pixel being classified according to type from among a plurality of photo-sensing pixel types; and read circuitry controllable to respectively read one or more of a second type of pixel independently of reading a first type of pixel, the reading of one or more first type pixels representing a sampling of fewer than all of the plurality of pixels, the sampling being obtainable without having to read all of the plurality of pixels. A related method and digital camera may include features similar to elements of the pixel-differentiated CCD imager architecture.

Methods and apparatus for reading a CCD architecture in a sampling mode and a non-sampling mode

A scanning method that provides a quick start to the first scan and maintains the quality level of the final scan is disclosed. The first scan, or preview scan, is done without waiting for the lamp to stabilize. The time between the preview scan and the final high quality scan is used to stabilize the lamp.

Method for scanner lamp warm-up optimization

An image capturing device includes an electronic image sensor, a memory, and a processor. The memory includes a motion detect routine, a predetermined image interval, and at least one predetermined motion threshold. The processor conducts the capturing of images separated by the predetermined image interval, compares a current image to one or more previous images, determines when motion between the current image and the previous image is below the at least one predetermined motion threshold, and stores the current image as a final image when the current image is stable.

Motion detection in an image capturing device

Adaptive battery conditioning employs battery chemistry determination to establish how, when and whether to condition a battery. As a result, the conditioning is optimized for the determined battery chemistry. Further, conditioning of a battery that is not conditionable, such as a nonrechargeable battery, is prevented. A device determines battery chemistry in situ from a measurement of a characteristic of an installed battery, and conditions the installed battery in situ. The device can be a battery-powered consumer electronic device or a battery charging and conditioning system that is independent of an electronic device that uses the conditioned battery. A method of adaptive battery conditioning includes determining a chemistry of a battery from a measurement of a battery characteristic, and conditioning the battery according to the determined battery chemistry.

Adaptive battery conditioning employing battery chemistry determination

A device for scanning a first image on a document surface and printing a second image on the document surface comprising a mechanism operable to engage a document and drive the document along a feed path, a scanner apparatus operable to generate a scanned image of the first image on the document surface as the document is driven past the scanner apparatus during a first document traversal of the feed path, and a printer apparatus operable to print the second image on the document surface as the document is driven past the printer apparatus during the traversal of the document through the feed path is provided.

Device and method for scanning a first image of a document and printing a second image on the document

Disclosed is an eye-start system that includes a light source adapted to be housed within a viewfinder of a device, and a light sensor also adapted to be housed within the device viewfinder, the light sensor being configured to sense light from the light source that reflects off of a user looking into the viewfinder. With this system, light reflected off of the user is sensed by the light sensor and, upon such an occurrence, a device action is activated.

Device incorporating eye-start capability

An image capturing device includes an electronic image sensor and a memory including a dark frame buffer that stores one or more dark frames generated by the electronic image sensor. A processor controls the electronic image sensor to substantially continuously capture and store a newest dark frame from the electronic image sensor when the electronic image sensor is not performing an image capture. The processor subtracts the newest dark frame from an image upon an image capture.

Noise reduction in an image capturing device

Image capture device control marks are automatically generated within a computer or printer and automatically printed on pages output from the printer. The control marks when detected by a control mark capable image capture device communicate information to the image capture device such as which areas of the printed page are text that require optical character recognition, which areas of the page are photos that require high-resolution full-color, which areas of the page are line drawings that require medium-resolution black and white, and which areas of the page are not to be scanned. Image capture device control marks may be configured in a wide range of sizes, styles, and locations on the printed page.

Method and apparatus for the automatic generation of image capture device control marks

A print medium that is expandable and collapsible comprises two sheets separated by at least one collapsible brace. The collapsible brace includes a first wall attached to one of the sheets and a second wall that swings in relation to the first wall. The swinging motion of the second wall in one direction expands a distance between the two sheets, while a swinging motion of the second wall in the opposite direction collapses the distance between the two sheets. At least one sheet of the paper may include an ink receiving layer. When the collapsible brace is expanded, the print medium becomes a substantially rigid structure.

Expandable print medium

A system and method for protecting the integrity of a group of images is provided. One embodiment for protecting the integrity of a group of images comprises watermarking each one of a plurality of images in an image group with a unique watermark having at least an image digest, the image digest comprising information that identifies the watermarked image as an original image, and the plurality of images having a predefined order in the image group; and including in selected ones of the unique watermarks a unique decryption key, each one of the unique decryption keys configured for decrypting the unique watermark of a next image in the image group.

Apparatus and method for image group integrity protection

A still image capturing device includes an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel elements. An electronically actuatable shutter device includes a plurality of individually addressable and actuatable shutter elements. A shutter element substantially corresponds to one or more pixel elements. A memory stores an exposure threshold and one or more exposure patterns. A processor controls the plurality of shutter elements according to the exposure threshold or according to an exposure pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Heather Noel Bean