Alien Technology Corporation

Capsovision Inc.

Ruizhang Technology Limited Company

Other

Trollsas, Mikael

Hadley, Mark

Mark Alfred Hadley

John Stephen Smith

Gordon S W Craig

Jeffrey Jay Jacobsen

Glenn Wilhelm Gengel

Paul Stephen Drzaic

Kenneth David Schatz

Kang-Huai Wang

Jay Tu

Gordon Cook Wilson

Tom Pounds

Frank Lowe

Chenyu Wu

Roger Green Stewart

Curtis Lee Carrender

Edward John Boling

Curt Carrender

Scott John Herrmann

Randolph W Eisenhardt

Ann Chiang

Eric Kanemoto

James Harold Atherton

Mikael Trollsas

Paul Franklin Nealey

Ganyu Lu

Phat Bao Trinh

Susan Swindlehurst

Ali A Tootoonchi

Omar R Alvarado

Chang-Wei Lin

Lily Liong

Thomas Lloyd Credelle

Eric Snyder

Chung-Ta Lee

Cornelius Vladimir Sutu

Ming X Chan

John Berhard Hattick

Scott Hermann

Aly Tootoochi

Hoang Pham

Hai Huynh

Kam Wing Chow

Torn Pounds

Gordon Craig

Gordon Samuel Wiggins Craig

Method for leveraging battery residue energy and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. The capsule endoscope is capable of performing one or more functions at a first throughput or a first peak current when the battery has sufficient energy. According to this method, whether the battery energy is sufficient is determined. Upon determining the battery energy being insufficient, at least one function of the one or more functions is performed at a second throughput lower than the first throughput, or at least one function of the one or more functions is switched to another function requiring a second peak current lower than the first peak current.

Method and apparatus for leveraging residue energy of capsule endoscope

A method of processing images captured using an endoscope comprising a camera is disclosed. According to this method, regular images captured by the camera are received while the endoscope travels through a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The regular images are mosaicked to determine any missed or insufficiently imaged area in a section of the human GI tract already travelled by the endoscope. If any missed or insufficiently imaged area is detected, information regarding any missed or insufficiently imaged area is provided. When a target area in the regular images is lack of parallax, the target area is determined as one missed area and an edge corresponding to a structure of the human lumen is highlighted. For a capsule endoscope, the endoscope can be configured to be controlled or steered to move so as to re-image the missed or insufficiently imaged area.

Method and apparatus for detecting missed areas during endoscopy

An endoscopy capsule having an image collecting capacity includes a deformable member configured to inflate when exposed to body liquid. The deformable member includes an effervescent material. When the effervescent reacts with water the resulting Carbon-Dioxide gas reduces the specific gravity of the endoscopy capsule. The capsule is contained within a shell or dome when swallowed. The shell or dome is configured dissolve in either a low or high pH environment.

Capsule device having variable specific gravity

A method and apparatus for estimating or measuring a physical area or physical volume of an object of interest in one or more images captured using an endoscope are disclosed. According to the present method, one or more structured-light images and one or more regular images captured using an imaging apparatus are received. An object of interest in the regular images is determined. Distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to the imaging apparatus is derived from the structured-light images. The physical area size or physical volume size of the object of interest is determined based on the regular images and the distance information. The imaging apparatus can be a capsule endoscope or an insertion endoscope.

Method and apparatus for estimating area or volume of object of interest from gastrointestinal images

A method and apparatus of capturing non-structured light images and structured light images for deriving depth information are disclosed. According to the method, one or more non-SL (non-structured light) images without structured light and one or more initial SL (structured light) images formed on a common image plane are captured by projecting structured light patterns in a visible spectrum with the structured light source adjusted to generate initial structured light at an initial intensity level. The signal quality of structured light patterns reflected from one or more objects is evaluated based on the non-SL images and the initial SL images. If the signal quality of structured light patterns is below a threshold, a next set of SL images are captured by increasing the structured light level from a previous level until the signal of the structured light patterns is satisfactory.

Method and apparatus for capturing images and associated 3D model based on a single image sensor and structured-light patterns in the visible spectrum

A method and apparatus for estimating or measuring a physical area or physical volume of an object of interest in one or more images captured using an endoscope are disclosed. According to the present method, an object of interest in an image or images is determined. Also, the endoscope captures one or more structured-light images to derive distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to the camera of the endoscope. The physical area size or physical volume size of the object of interest is then determined based on the image or images, and the distance information.

A method and apparatus for estimating or measuring a physical area or physical volume of an object of interest in one or more images captured using an endoscope are disclosed. According to the present method, an object of interest in an image or images is determined. Also, distance information associated with the object of interest with respect to an image sensor of the endoscope is received. The physical area size or physical volume size of the object of interest is then determined based on the image or images, and the distance information.

Method and apparatus for area or volume of object of interest from gastrointestinal images

A method and apparatus for capturing an image sequence using a capsule camera are disclosed. According to the present invention, a first energy-based frame time for the special images is determined based on first light energy perceived by the image sensor and a second energy-based frame time for the regular images is determined based on second light energy perceived by the image sensor. The capsule camera captures the image sequence comprising one or more sets of mixed-type images by configuring the capsule camera to cause a mixed-frame distance between the first energy-based frame time for one special image in a target set of mixed-type images and the second energy-based frame time for one regular image in the target set of mixed-type images smaller than an average frame period.

Single image sensor control for capturing mixed mode images

A method of reducing ghost in images captured using a capsule endoscope while travelling in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The captured images contain ghost caused by reflections of multiple light sources by capsule housing of the capsule endoscope. The method derive, from the plurality of images, a ghost model comprising multiple ghost coefficients for relating light energies from the multiple light sources for a given image with ghost signals at multiple pixel locations for the given image. De-ghosted images are generated by compensating the plurality of images using estimated ghost signals based on derived ghost coefficients and the light energies from the multiple light sources. The process of deriving, from the plurality of images, the ghost model comprises removing any sensor gamma or any other non-linearity in pixel values of the plurality of images associated with the light energy.

De-ghosting of images captured using a capsule camera

Methods and apparatuses for selecting a subset of RFID tags are provided in some embodiments. These methods and apparatuses utilize the susceptibility to light by persistent nodes found in passive tags. Light can be used to intentionally reduce persistence times in a particular subset tags or even an individual tag. Then, persistent nodes can be used as a selection criterion to distinguish previously illuminated tags from non-illuminated tags. In other embodiments, a power circuit receives a RF input source and generates a direct current (DC) output voltage. The circuit includes a bias circuit to supply a gate to source bias, which is independent of the DC output voltage. The circuit further includes a voltage multiplier circuit that is coupled to the bias circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit has MOS transistors with one transistor to receive the gate to source bias.

Subset selection of RFID tags using light

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag comprises a flexible substrate and an integrated circuit embedded within the flexible substrate. The top surface of the integrated circuit is coplanar with the flexible substrate. At least one conductive element is formed on the flexible substrate. The conductive element is electrically connected to the integrated circuit. The conductive element serves as an antenna for the RFID tag.

RFID tags and processes for producing RFID tags

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Mark Alfred Hadley