Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120056994 | SINGLE-SHOT PHOTOMETRIC STEREO BY SPECTRAL MULTIPLEXING - Single-shot photometric stereo techniques are disclosed in which chromaticity is assumed to be a variable. Scene illumination includes three or more spectrally distinct light sources. A scene image is taken with a camera system configured to measure five or more different bands, or channels, of the visible light spectrum. The light sources can include narrow-band colored LED lights, possibly combined with color filters to refine the spectral distributions. In each configuration, a beam splitter assembly is used to align two or more color cameras having different color filters placed over their lenses. By use of such techniques, a single multispectral photograph of a subject provides enough information to recover both the full-color reflectance and the surface normals on a per-pixel basis. | 03-08-2012 |
20120062719 | Head-Mounted Photometric Facial Performance Capture - A camera may capture a sequence of images of a face while the face changes. A camera support may cause the field of view of the camera to remain substantially fixed with respect to the face, notwithstanding movement of the head. A lighting system may light the face from multiple directions. A lighting system support may cause each of the directions of the light from the lighting system to remain substantially fixed with respect to the face, notwithstanding movement of the head. Sequential images of the face may be computed as it changes based on the captured images. Each computed image may include least per-pixel surface normals of the face that are calculated based on multiple, separate images of the face. Each separate image may be representative of the face being lit by the lighting system from a different one of the separate directions. | 03-15-2012 |
20140268160 | SPECULAR OBJECT SCANNER FOR MEASURING REFLECTANCE PROPERTIES OF OBJECTS - An apparatus to measure surface orientation maps of an object may include a light source that is configured to illuminate the object with a controllable field of illumination. One or more cameras may be configured to capture at least one image of the object. A processor may be configured to process the image(s) to extract the reflectance properties of the object including an albedo, a reflection vector, a roughness, and/or anisotropy parameters of a specular reflectance lobe associated with the object. The controllable field of illumination may include limited-order Spherical Harmonics (SH) and Fourier Series (FS) illumination patterns with substantially similar polarization. The SH and FS illumination patterns are used with different light sources. | 09-18-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100278009 | Storage and Management System for Seismic Data Acquisition Units - A configuration for the deck of a marine vessel, wherein parallel and perpendicular travel paths, for movement of individual OBS unit storage baskets, are formed along a deck utilizing, in part, the storage baskets themselves. A portion of the deck is divided into a grid defined by a series of low-to-the-deck perpendicular and parallel rails and each square in the grid is configured to hold an OBS unit storage basket. Around the perimeter of the grid is an external containment wall which has a greater height than the rails. Storage baskets seated within the grid are configured to selectively form internal containment walls. Opposing internal and external containment walls define travel paths along which a storage basket can be moved utilizing a low, overhead gantry. A basket need only be lifted a minimal height above the deck in order to be moved along a path. The containment walls and the deck itself constraining uncontrolled swinging of baskets, even in onerous weather or sea conditions. The system is flexible to meet the needs of a desired operation since the internal walls of the grid can be reconfigured as desired in order to free up a particular storage basket or define a particular travel path. | 11-04-2010 |
20110286800 | DEPLOYMENT METHOD FOR OCEAN BOTTOM SEISMOMETERS - A method and apparatus for deployment and retrieval of ocean bottom seismic receivers. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a carrier containing a plurality of receivers attached to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The carrier comprises a frame in which is mounted a structure for seating and releasing said receivers. The structure may comprise a movable carousel or a movable conveyor or fixed parallel rails or a barrel. In the case of the barrel, the receivers are axially stacked therein. The structure is disposed to deliver said receivers to a discharge port on said frame, where the receivers are removable from said carrier. The apparatus includes a discharge mechanism for removing said receivers from said carrier. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of loading a carrier with a plurality of receivers, attaching said carrier to an ROV, utilizing said ROV to transport the carrier from a surface vessel to a position adjacent the seabed and thereafter utilizing said ROV to remove receivers from said carrier and place the receivers on the seabed. In yet another embodiment, an ROV adjacent the seabed engages a deployment line extending from the vessel. The deployment line is used to guide receivers attached thereto down to the ROV for “on-time” delivery and placement on the seabed. | 11-24-2011 |
20120087206 | Apparatus for Deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers - A deployment and retrieval apparatus for ocean bottom seismic receivers, the apparatus being a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) having a carrier attached thereto and carrying a plurality of receivers. The carrier includes a frame in which is mounted a structure for seating and releasing the receivers. The structure includes one or more movable conveyors disposed to move receivers along a linear path relative to the frame in order to discharge and retrieve ocean bottom seismic receivers. | 04-12-2012 |
20120087208 | Method for Deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers - A deployment and retrieval method for ocean bottom seismic receivers, the method employs a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) having a carrier attached thereto to carry a plurality of receivers. The receivers are individually placed on the ocean bottom floor by utilizing a conveyor to move the receivers along a linear path to remove the receivers from the carrier. In one embodiment, multiple linear conveyors may be operated independently to alter the relative positions of the receivers on the respective conveyors to adjust the weight distribution of the receivers within the carrier. | 04-12-2012 |
20140186122 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEPLOYMENT OF OCEAN BOTTOM SEISMOMETERS - Systems and methods for deployment and retrieval of ocean bottom seismic receivers. In some embodiments, the system includes a carrier containing receivers. The carrier can include a frame having a mounted structure (e.g., a movable carousel, movable conveyor, fixed parallel rails, or a barrel) for seating and releasing the receivers (e.g., axially stacked). The structure can facilitate delivering receivers to a discharge port on the frame. The system can include a discharge mechanism for removing receivers from the carrier. In some embodiments, the method includes loading a carrier with receivers, transporting the carrier from a surface vessel to a position adjacent the seabed, and using an ROV to remove receivers from the carrier and place the receivers on the seabed. In some embodiments, an ROV adjacent the seabed engages a deployment line that guides receivers from the vessel down to the ROV for “on-time” delivery and placement on the seabed. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186123 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DEPLOYMENT OF OCEAN BOTTOM SEISMOMETERS - Systems and methods for deployment and retrieval of ocean bottom seismic receivers. In some embodiments, the system includes a carrier containing receivers. The carrier can include a frame having a mounted structure (e.g., a movable carousel, movable conveyor, fixed parallel rails, or a barrel) for seating and releasing the receivers (e.g., axially stacked). The structure can facilitate delivering receivers to a discharge port on the frame. The system can include a discharge mechanism for removing receivers from the carrier. In some embodiments, the method includes loading a carrier with receivers, transporting the carrier from a surface vessel to a position adjacent the seabed, and using an ROV to remove receivers from the carrier and place the receivers on the seabed. In some embodiments, an ROV adjacent the seabed engages a deployment line that guides receivers from the vessel down to the ROV for “on-time” delivery and placement on the seabed. | 07-03-2014 |