M assachusetts Institute of Technology The M edia … · M assachusetts Institute of Technology The M edia Laboratory U nited States Patents O cto b er 2 0 0 8 M IT M ed ia Lab o

1

MassachusettsInstitute of Technology

The Media LaboratoryUnited States Patents

October 2008

MIT Media LaboratoryIntellectual Property AdministrationBuilding E15-22320 Ames StreetCambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307

[email protected] 253-5695617 258-6264 fax

2

CaseNumber

11615T

10743T

9771T

10274T

10040T

9960T

8313T

9867T

9840T

9320T

9981T

10109T

8313T

9940T

9705T

9770T

9308T

9704T

8407T

9320T

7646T

9230T

9231T

9198T

8148T

8646T

8090T

Inventor(s)

Gauri Nanda

Kenneth R. Brown, Aram W. Harrow,Isaac L. Chuang

Benjamin Tarquinn Fielding Piper,Carlo Filippo Ratti, Hiroshi Ishii

Yao Wang, Assaf Biderman,Carlo Ratti, Benjamin Piper, Hiroshi Ishii

Benjamin Vigoda, Neil Gershenfeld

Ernest Post, John Strachan,Neil Gershenfeld

Richard Fletcher, Neil Gershenfeld

Richard Fletcher, Olufemi Omojola

Joseph Jacobson, David Mosley,Kie-Moon Sung

H. Winston Maue (Lear), Richard Meinzer(Lear), Joseph Paradiso, Mark Feldmeier

Scott Manalis

Ted Selker


Joseph Paradiso, Hongshen Ma,Andrew Lippman

Wendy Plesniak, Michael Halle

Richard Fletcher, David Cavallo,Alex Pentland, Amir Hasson

Isaac Chuang, Daniel Gottesman

Angela Chang, Benjamin Resner, HiroshiIshii, Bruce Blumberg, Brad Koerner,Xing Wang

Saul Griffith, Joseph Jacobson,Scott Manalis

H. Winston Maue (Lear), Richard Meinzer(Lear), Joseph Paradiso, Mark Feldmeier

Christopher Turner, Joseph Jacobson,Barret Comiskey

Joseph Jacobson, Kimberly Hamad,John Schwartz, Shuguang Zhang

Joseph Jacobson, John Schwartz

Joseph Paradiso, Ara Knaian

Richard Fletcher, Neil Gershenfeld,Paul Yarin, Hiroshi Ishii

Benjamin Vigoda

Jeremy Levitan, Neil Gershenfeld,Ernesto Blanco

Fiscal YearFiling Year

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

U.S. PatentNumber

7,355,928

7,423,427

7,181,363

7,181,362

7,209,867

6,891,382

7,221,275

7,216,805

7,311,943

6,933,655

7,387,889

6,863,220

6,693,540

7,109,865

6,927,886

7,327,705

7,246,240

6,940,493

6,664,027

6,700,310

6,480,182

6,953,656

6,953,659

6,662,099

6,791,452

6,724,805

6,460,557

Media Lab U.S. Patents (listed by filing date)

Title

Mobile Wakeup Device

Method for Arbitrarily High Order Elimination of PulseErrors in NMR and Coherent Control

A Three Dimensional Tangible Interface for Interactingwith Spatial-Temporal Data Using a Laser Scanner

A Three Dimensional Tangible Interface for Interactingwith Spatial-Temporal Data Using Infrared Light Sourcesand Infrared Detectors

Analog Continuous Time Statistical Processing

Three-Dimensional Characterization Using a One-Dimensional Electrode Array

Tuneable Wireless Tags Using Spatially InhomogeneousStructures

Measuring Element Number and Position ThroughResonance Interactions

Templated Monolayer Polymerization and Replication

Self-Powered Wireless Switch

Measurement of Protein Concentrations and BindingEnergetics

Manually Operated Switch For Enabling and Disabling anRFID Card

Wireless Monitoring and Identification Using SpatiallyInhomogeneous Structures

Tag Interrogation with Observable Response Signal

Reconfigurable Image Surface Holograms

Hybrid Wireless Network for Data Collection andDistribution

Quantum Digital Signatures

Socializing Remote Communication

Methods and Apparatus for Manufacturing Electronic andElectromechanical Elements Devices by Thin-FilmDeposition and Imaging


Printable Electronic Display

Direct, Externally Imposed Control of Polypeptides

Direct, Externally Imposed Control of Nucleic Acids

Wireless Roadway Monitoring System

Platform for Item Sensing and Identification

Nonlinear Dynamic System for Spread Spectrum CodeAcquisition

Transmissionless Pressure-control Valve

3

2001(continued)

2000

1999

Media Lab U.S. Patents (listed by filing date) continued

Flexible Electronic Circuitry and Method of Making Same

Sensing and Display of Skin Conductivity

Frequency-based Wireless Monitoring and IdentificationUsing Spatially Inhomogeneous Structures

High-density Data Storage Using Atomic ForceMicroscope

High-Sensitivity Interferometric Accelerometer

Wireless Monitoring and Identification Using SpatiallyInhomogeneous Structures

Multi-Axis Tracking of Passive Resonant Structures

Methods and Apparatus for Manufacturing BioelectricDevices

Wireless Monitoring of Temperature

Fabrication of Finely Featured Devices by LiquidEmbossing

Rolling Toy with Motion Recording and PlaybackCapability

Methods for Manufacturing Electronic andElectromechanical Elements and Devices by Thin-filmDeposition and Imaging

Management of Properties for Hyperlinked Video

Identification and Verification Using Complex, Three-Dimensional Structural Features

Method and Apparatus for Touch-Activated Identificationand Information Transfer

High Density Mechanical Memory and Tuning Machine

Nanoparticle-Based Electrical, Chemical, andMechanical Structures and Methods of Making Same

Parametric Audio System

Memory Structures and Methods of Making Same

Dynamic Holographic Video with Haptic Interaction

Apparatus for Resolving Presence and Orientationwithin a Defined Space

Heterogeneous Display Elements and Methods forTheir Fabrication

Method and Apparatus for Determining Three-Dimensional Position, Orientation and MassDistribution

Method and Apparatus for Characterizing Movementof a Mass within a Defined Space

Autostereoscopic Display System

Nonemissive Displays and Piezoelectric Power SuppliesTherefor

Multiple Viewer Auto-Stereoscopic Display Systems

Apparatus and Methods for Reversible Imaging ofNonemissive Display Systems

Rehmi Post, Neil Gershenfeld

Jocelyn Scheirer, Rosalind Picard,Nancy Tilbury, Jonathan Farringdon


Emily Cooper, Hongjie Dai,Hongbin Fang, Scott Manalis,Kazuhiko Matsumoto, Calvin Quate

Scott Manalis

Neil Gershenfeld, Richard Fletcher

Joseph Paradiso, Kai-yuh Hsiao

Joseph Jacobson, Scott Manalis,Brent Ridley


Joseph Jacobson, Colin Bulthaup,Eric Wilhelm, Brian Hubert

Philipp Frei

Saul Griffith, Joseph Jacobson,Scott Manalis

Jonathan Dakss, Nuno Vasconcelos,Edmond Chalom, V. Michael Bove, Jr.

Neil Gershenfeld, Ravikanth Pappu,Joshua Smith

Benjamin Vigoda, Neil Gershenfeld

Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert,Brent Ridley

Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert,Brent Ridley, Babak Nivi, Sawyer Fuller

Joseph Pompei

Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert

Wendy Plesniak, Ravikanth Pappu,Stephen Benton

Neil Gershenfeld, Joshua Smith

Joseph Jacobson, Hidekazu Yoshizawa



Stephen Benton

Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

Paul Christie

Joseph Jacobson

6,493,933

6,415,176

6,724,310

6,519,221

6,473,187

6,472,987

5,404,340

6,815,218

6,208,253

6,517,995

6,354,842

6,348,295

6,642,940

6,584,214

6,642,837

6,587,408

6,294,401

6,775,338

6,072,716

6,211,848

6,066,954

6,241,921

6,025,726

6,051,981

6,351,280

6,130,773

6,593,957

6,291,925

TitleFiscal YearFiling Year

CaseNumber Inventor(s)

U.S. PatentNumber

8283T

8599T

8313T

8634T

8678T

8313T

8780T

8492T

8217T

8661T

8367T

8407T

8643T

8375T

8334T

8215T

8216T

8077T

8214T

8010T

7295T C2

7690T

7294T P2

7295T D2

8155T

7514T C1

7746T

7932T

4

Title

Method and Apparatus for Automated, Context-Dependent Retrieval of Information

System and Method for Multicast Video-on-DemandDelivery System

Method and Apparatus for Data Hiding in Printed Images

Method and Apparatus for Multi-Bit Zoned Data Hidingin Printed Images

Electrically Active Resonant Structures for WirelessMonitoring and Control

Method and Apparatus for Data Hiding in Images

Method and Apparatus for Transbody Transmission ofPower and Information

Method of Fabricating Electro-Mechanical Devices byMultilayer Deposition

Method for Resolving Presence, Orientation and Activityin a Defined Space

Electrically Active Textiles and Articles Made Therefrom

Digital Communication, Programmable Functioning andData Transfer Using Modular, Hinged Processor Elements

Method of Creating a High Resolution Still ImageUsing a Plurality of Images and Apparatus for Practiceof the Method

Non-Contact System for Sensing and Signalling byExternally Induced Intra-Body Currents

Self-Organizing Network

Rear View Mirror with Integrated Matrix Display

Method and Apparatus for Producing Binaural Audiofor a Moving Listener

Apparatus and Method for Characterizing Movementof a Mass within a Defined Space


Microencapsulated Electrophoretic Display

Apparatus for Controlling Continuous Behaviorthrough Hand and Arm Gestures

Efficient Synthesis of Complex, Driven Systems

Nonemissive Displays and Piezoelectric Power SuppliesTherefor

Method and Apparatus for Quantum InformationProcessing

Program-listing Appendix

System Employing Dissipative Pseudorandom Dynamicsfor Communication and Measurement

Method and Apparatus for Automatic Alignment ofVolumetric Images Containing Common Subject Matter

Method and Apparatus for Echo Data Hiding in AudioSignals

Bradley Rhodes, Thad Starner,Pattie Maes, Alex Pentland

Roger Kermode, Henry Holtzman

Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl

Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl

Neil Gershenfeld, Richard Fletcher

Walter Bender, Norishige Morimoto,Daniel Gruhl

Rehmi Post, Babak Nivi, NeilGershenfeld

Joseph Jacobson, Jonathan Albert,Neil Gershenfeld


Rehmi Post, Margaret Orth,Emily Cooper, Joshua Smith

Matthew Gorbet, Margaret Orth

Walter Bender, Laura Teodosio

Neil Gershenfeld, Thomas Zimmerman,David Allport

Robert Poor

Stephen Buckley, Betty Lou McClanahan

William Gardner


Christopher Turner, Joseph M.Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey,Jonathan Albert

Teresa Marrin, Joseph Paradiso,Tod Machover, Christopher Verplaetse,Margaret Orth

Neil Gershenfeld, Bernd Schoner,Eric Metois

Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

Neil Gershenfeld, Isaac Chuang

Henry Lieberman

Neil Gershenfeld

V. Michael Bove, Jr., Tamas Sandor

Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl,Norishige Morimoto

6,236,768

6,018,359

6,212,285

6,411,392

6,025,725

5,870,499

6,211,799

6,200,508

5,936,412

6,210,771

5,941,714

5,920,657

5,914,701

6,028,857

6,106,121

6,243,476

5,914,610

6,980,196

5,961,804

5,875,257

6,000,833

5,930,026

5,917,322

6,353,822

5,729,388

5,946,425

5,893,067

1998

1997

1996


Fiscal YearFiling Year


U.S. PatentNumber

7870TS

7973T

7754T

8049T

7550T

7116T C1

7802T

7457T

7295T C1

7813T

7700T

5717TCIP1C1

6788T C1

7552T

8322T

7633T

7295T D1

7646T

7645T

7566T

7523T

7514T

7490T

7333TS

6781T D1

7118T

7115T

5

TitleFiscal YearFiling Year


U.S. PatentNumber

1996(continued)

1995

1994

1993

Method and Apparatus for Producing Digital ImagesHaving Extended Dynamic Ranges

Method for Three-Dimensional Positions, Orientationand Mass Distribution

Bistable, Thermochromic Recording Method forRendering Color and Gray Scale

Method and Apparatus for Data Hiding in Images

Method and Apparatus for Logo Hiding in Images

Method and Apparatus for Relating and CombiningMultiple Images of the Same Scene or Object(s)

System Employing Dissipative Pseudorandom Dynamicsfor Communications and Measurement

Layered Representation for Image Coding

Detection, Recognition and Coding of Complex ObjectsUsing Probabilistic Eigenspace Analysis

Method and System for Facilitating Wireless,Full-Body, Real-Time User Interaction with a DigitallyRepresented Visual Environment

Method and Apparatus for Three-Dimensional,Textured Models from Plural Video Images

System for Encoding Image Data into Multiple LayersRepresenting Regions of Coherent Motion and AssociatedMotion Parameters

Method of Creating a High Resolution Still ImageUsing a Plurality of Images and Apparatus for Practiceof the Method

Computer Method and Apparatus for Matching betweenLine Drawings

Fractal-Based Image Compression and Interpolation

Method and Apparatus for Electromagnetic Non-ContactPosition Measurement with Respect to One or More Axes

Noise Reduction System

Antialiasing Apparatus and Method for Computer Printers

Automobile Navigation System Using Real Time SpokenDriving Instructions

Method and Facility for Dynamic Video Compositionand Viewing

Multiscale Coding of Images

7347T

7294TCIP1

7296T

7116T

7117T

7113T

6781T

5763T

6567T

6773T

6499T

6262T

5717T

5831T

5189T

5677T

5684T

5651T

5088TS

5170T

4789T

Steve Mann


Joseph Jacobson, V. Michael Bove, Jr.



Steve Mann, Rosalind Picard

Neil Gershenfeld

Edward Adelson

Baback Moghaddam, Alex Pentland

Pattie Maes, Bruce Blumberg,Trevor Darrell, Thad Starner, MichaelJohnson, Kenneth Russell, AlexPentland

Ali Azarbayejani, Tinsley Galyean,Alex Pentland

John Wang, Edward Adelson

Walter Bender, Laura Teodosio

Tomaso Poggio, Stephen Librande

Alex Pentland, Eero Simoncelli,Thomas Stephenson

Neil Gershenfeld

Edward Adelson, William Freeman

V. Michael Bove, Jr., Christopher Mayer

James Davis, Christopher Schmandt

Glorianna Davenport, Hans Brondmo

Andrew Lippman, William Butera

5,828,793

5,844,415

6,022,648

5,689,587

6,201,879

5,706,416

5,612,973

5,706,417

5,710,833

5,563,988

5,511,153

5,557,684

5,657,402

5,325,475

5,148,497

5,247,261

5,526,446

5,185,852

5,177,685

5,101,364

4,987,480


6

Media Lab U.S. Patents Transferred to Public Domain (listed by filing date)

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1984

Finite-Element Method for Image Alignment andMorphing

Video Image Compositing Techniques

Face Recognition System

Optical Ranging Apparatus

Method for Estimating Solutions to Finite ElementEquations by Generating Pyramid Representations,Multiplying to Generate Weight Pyramids, andCollapsing the Weighted Pyramids

Three-Dimensional Display System

Multidimensional Range Mapping with Pattern Projectand Cross Correlation

System for Ascertaining Direction of Blur in aRange-from-Defocus Camera

Holographic Color Control Systems

Method and Apparatus for Image Processingto Obtain Three-Dimensional Motion and Depth

Self-Contained Compact Multi-Color Edge-LitHolographic Display

Video-Graphic Arthroscopy System

Receiver-Compatible Enhanced Definition TelevisionSystem

Extended Definition Television System

Real Image Holographic Stereograms

Unrecordable Video Signals

Stanley Sclaroff, Alex Pentland

Andrew Lippman, Walter Bender,Patrick McLean, Henry Holtzman

Matthew Turk, Alex Pentland

Edward Adelson

Alex Pentland

Stephen Benton, Joel Kollin

Bernd Girod, Edward Adelson

Bernd Girod, Edward Adelson

Julie Walker, Stephen Benton

David Heeger, Allan Jepson

Stephen Benton, Sabrina Birner

Ernesto Blanco, Pascal Chesnais,Phyllis Kristal, Andrew Lippman

William Schreiber, Andrew Lippman,Edward Adelson, Aran Netravali

Andrew Lippman, Edward Adelson,William Butera

Andrew Lippman, V. Michael Bove, Jr.,Jerome Wiesner

Stephen Benton

6160T

5529T

5404T

5222T

5349T

4942T

5025T

5025T

5040T

5156TS

4901T

4730T

4851T

4906T

4509T

3858T

5,590,261

5,262,856

5,164,992

5,076,687

5,287,529

5,172,251

5,003,166

4,965,442

4,986,619

4,980,762

5,121,229

5,005,559

5,010,405

5,003,377

4,834,476

4,673,981

Fiscal YearFiliing Year Title


U.S. PatentNumber

7

Mobile Wakeup Device

Filing Date August 11, 2005MIT Case Number 11615TU.S. Patent Number 7,355,928Issue Date April 8, 2008

Inventor Gauri Nanda

Method for Arbitrarily High Order Eliminationof Pulse Errors in NMR and Coherent Control

Filing Date May 16, 2005MIT Case Number 10743TU.S. Patent Number 7,423,427Issue Date September 9, 2008

Inventors Kenneth R. Brown, Aram W. Harrow,Isaac L. Chuang

A Three Dimensional Tangible Interface forInteracting with Spatial-Temporal Data Usinga Laser Scanner

Filing Date April 16, 2004MIT Case Number 9771TU.S. Patent Number 7,181,363Issue Date February 20, 2007

Inventors Benjamin Tarquinn Fielding Piper,Carlo Filippo Ratti, Hiroshi Ishii

A mobile wake-up device responds to a snooze-button inan alarm clock. The mobile wakeup device includes amechanism for making the device mobile, a controller fordirecting the movement of the device and responding toinput, and an alarm off input. When the alarm clock’salarm goes off and an individual activates the snoozebutton, the mobile wake-up device moves forward, dropsfrom a table to the floor, and moves to a remote location.While moving, the device may use sensors to avoid ob-jects in its path. After the mobile wake-up device hasreached the remote location, the alarm signals again. Toturn off the alarm, the individual must get out of bed andlocate the mobile wake-up device.

The present invention is a method for constructing fully-compensating composite pulses of arbitrary accuracythat can correct pulse power errors to any desired order.The invention has two preferred embodiments, theTrotter-Suzuki (TS) embodiment and the Solovay-Kitaev(SK) embodiment. Each preferred embodiment can berepresented by a mathematical algorithm, which can beeasily implemented on a computer, for constructing a listof phases {.phi..sub.1, . . . , .phi..sub.l} and rotationangles {.theta..sub.1, . . . , .theta..sub.l} that amounts toa composite pulse. The pulses can then be used fornuclear magnetic resonance, quantum computing, or anyother application based on pulsed excitations. Thepresent invention, as embodied in the pulse sequencesSK n and TS n, allows the user to transform a pulsesequence of error .epsilon. to a robust pulse sequencewith error O(.epsilon..sup.n) for arbitrary n. The se-quences can be implemented using any existing quan-tum computer or NMR hardware.

The Illuminated Workbench is a novel approach to humancomputer interaction. Users of the system can alter thegeometry of a given physical form (such as a clay modelrepresenting a landscape topography). This dynamicallychanging geometry is captured in real-time by a 3d cap-ture device (such as a 3d laser scanner). This geometricdata serves as the input to the computational system andis analyzed in real time. The graphical results of this anal-ysis are projected back onto the surface of the initialphysical form. The output analysis results are preciselyregistered with the physical input geometry.

Media Lab U.S. Patents(listed by filing date)

8

An interface that allows a user to model and analyze theproperties of three dimensional surface and the regionssurrounding such surfaces. The user manipulates adeformable bed of translucent glass beads that definesthe geometry of a surface. An array of light emittingdiodes underneath the beads transmits infrared lightupwardly through the beads such that the intensity ofradiation from each position on the surface of the beadsis related to the depth of the beads at that position. Adigital camera captures radiation image data which isthen processed to create elevation data specifying thegeometry of the surface. A processor processes theelevation data using a selected analysis function to pro-duce result data representing computed characteristicsof the surface or its surrounding region. The result data isprojected as an image onto the surface of the beads. Theinterface permits the user to modify a surface geometryand directly visualize the characteristics of the modifiedgeometry in real time.

Methods and apparatus for applications such as signalprocessing, analysis, and coding/decoding replace digitalsignal processing elements with analog components. Bycombining soft logic gates and filters, the functionality ofcomplex finite state machines can be implemented.

A method is described to sense user interaction with atwo-dimensional manifold, i.e., a flat or curved surface.The sensing surface incorporates a conformal resistivemedium to guide electric fields in a preferred manner.These electric fields arise in response to boundary con-ditions imposed by connections to the sensing instru-mentation. The boundary conditions are chosen toproject measurement of current sources/sinks (e.g., theuser’s finger) onto observables of the circuit comprisingthe resistive manifold and the variable distribution ofimpendances arising from, user interaction. By projectingthe 2D impedance distribution onto observables of themaifold’s 1D boundary curve(s) the dimensionality ofmeasurement (and its associated cost and complexity)are likewise reduced. The original 2D impedance distribu-tion may then be reconstrcuted to an arbitrary degree,determined by the number of boundary measurements.

Tags encode information by means of spatial inhomoge-neities that may be detected in the time domain; in effect,characteristics in space are transformed into time forsensing purposes. Such tags may be very inexpensivelyproduced yet carry appreciable quantities of data. Theinhomogeneities may be obtained by simple physicalmodifications to, or externally applied field biases operat-ing on, materials that are very inexpensive to procure.

A Three Dimensional Tangible Interface forInteracting with Spatial-Temporal Data UsingInfrared Light Sources and Infrared Detectors

Filing Date April 16, 2004MIT Case Number 10274TU.S. Patent Number 7,181,362Issue Date February 20, 2007

Inventors Yao Wang, Assaf Biderman, Carlo Ratti,Benjamin Piper, Hiroshi Ishii

Analog Continuous Time Statistical Processing

Filing Date10/15/2003MIT Case Number 10040TU.S. Patent Number 7,209,867Issue Date April 24, 2007

Inventors Benjamin Vigoda, Neil Gershenfeld

Three-Dimensional Characterization Usinga One-Dimensional Electrode Array

Filing Date October 14, 2003MIT Case Number 9960TU.S. Patent Number 6,891,382Issue Date May 10, 2005

Inventors Ernest Post, John Strachan, Neil Gershenfeld

Tuneable Wireless Tags Using SpatiallyInhomogeneous Structures

Filing Date September 3, 2003MIT Case Number 8313TU.S. Patent Number 7,221,275Issue Date May 22, 2007

Inventors Richard Fletcher, Neil Gershenfeld

9

Measuring Element Number and PositionThrough Resonance Interactions

Filing Date 7/23/2003MIT Case Number 9867TU.S. Patent Number 7,216,805Issue Date 5/15/2007

Inventors Richard Fletcher, Olufemi Omojola

Templated Monolayer Polymerization andReplication

Filing Date 7/17/2003MIT Case Number 9840TU.S. Patent Number 7,311,943Issue Date 12/25/2007

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, David Mosley, Kie-Moon Sung


Filing Date March 14, 2003MIT Case Number 9320TU.S. Patent Number 6,933,655Issue Date August 23, 2005

Inventors H. Winston Maue (Lear), Richard Meinzer (Lear),Joseph Paradiso, Mark Feldmeier

Measurement of Protein Concentrations andBinding Energetics

Filing Date January 2, 2003MIT Case Number 9981TU.S. Patent Number 7,387,889Issue Date 6/17/2008

Inventor Scott Manalis

Manually Operated Switch For Enabling andDisabling an RFID Card

Filing Date December 31, 2002MIT Case Number 10109TU.S. Patent Number 6,863,220Issue Date March 8, 2005

Inventor Ted Selker

Methods and apparatus for counting or measuring therelative positions of a number of resonant tag elements inproximity to each other. By measuring the resonant fre-quency of a given set of tags using a reader antenna andcomparing the measured frequency to a reference reso-nant frequency, the observed frequency shift is used toascertain certain properties of the set of tags, such as thenumber of tags present or the relative positions thereof.

This invention generally relates to solution-based molecu-lar shuttle devices. More particularly, this invention relatesto solution-based molecular switches, molecular assem-blies, and molecular memory devices and methods forproducing the same. In some embodiments the devicesare made from molecular chains constructed frommolecular subunits which define binding positions andshuttles that are capable of moving along the chains.

A wireless switch is provided having a twenty-year lifeenergy harvesting arrangement for self-powering a wire-less transmitter. The energy harvesting arrangement isimplemented in one embodiment using a piezoelectricswitch element. A tritium light source and photovoltaicdevice are used in a second embodiment, while a blacklight source and photovoltaic device are used in a thirdembodiment. The energy harvesting wireless switcharrangement of the present invention can be combined,for example, with a vehicle side mirror switch, to reducethe complexity of the wire harness feeding the door. Thewireless switch can be located without regard to access-ability of a wiring harness or connector.

Free-standing microfluidic channels are used to bothtransport and analyze molecules of interest. In a bio-chemical context, such molecules may be polypeptides,nucleic acids, or other biomolecules. The free-standingchannels provide a real-time readout of concentrationwithout the need for labeling with reporter molecules.The channels can also measure enthalpy values andequilibrium constants by detecting heat released from orabsorbed by the sample.

A radio operated data card whose outer jacket forms asealed protected housing for internal electrical compo-nents, including an RFID integrated circuit which incorpo-rates data storage and a radio frequency transceiver, anon card antenna, and manually operated, normally openelectrical switch contacts connected between the on-card electronic circuitry and the antenna. The openswitch contacts normally disable the card, protecting thedata on the card from being surreptitiously read until theswitch contacts are intentionally closed by the cardholder,

10

to enable data transfer to occur. The cardholder mayactivate the card by applying external pressure to thesurface of the card at a predetermined position, closingthe switch contacts which open again automatically whenpressure is removed. A tactile indicia on the surface of thecard allows the cardholder to determine by touch wherethe card should be pressed to enable data transfers tooccur. In an alternate embodiment, a mating key in thepossession of the cardholder may be brought into prox-imity with the card to close the normally open switch topermit information to be read from the card.


An identification tag identifies a unique item from amonga plurality of items with a similar appearance. Taggeditems are searched by scanning the items with an inter-rogation signal. The tag emits an observable signal toindicate when it receives an identification that matchesthe identification contained in the tag. When the reader’sinterrogation is not present, the tag either sleeps at a verylow power level or is passively unpowered.

The invention provides systems and methods for gene-rating and displaying computational holographic stereo-grams having a hologram surface and a spatially distinctimage surface. A three-dimensional object or scene iscaptured or synthesized as a stack of views. Theholographic stereogram is computed by obtaining adiffractive fringe vector e and a pixel slice v through thestack of views, and generating the holopixel representa-tion f = ev. The holographic stereogram is displayed usingone or more image surfaces that are spatially distinctfrom the hologram surface. The surfaces can be any two-dimensional structures defined on a three-dimensionalspace, including, but not limited to planar, cylindrical,spherical, or other surfaces. The holographic stereo-grams are adjustable through variations in an imagesurface depth, an image surface resolution, a number ofimage surfaces, and a scene parallax resolution.

Wireless Monitoring and Identification UsingSpatially Inhomogenous Structures

Filing Date October 16, 2002MIT Case Number 8313TU.S. Patent Number 6,93,540Issue Date February 17, 2004


Tag Interrogation with Observable ResponseSignal

Filing Date September 26, 2002MIT Case Number 9940TU.S. Patent Number 7,109,865Issue Date September 15, 2006

Inventors Joseph Paradiso, Hongshen Ma, AndrewLippman

Reconfigurable Image Surface Holograms

Filing Date August 2, 2002MIT Case Number 9705TU.S. Patent Number 6,927,886Issue Date August 9, 2005

Inventors Wendy Plesniak, Michael Halle

11

An electronic data transport system includes a mobileaccess point and a carrier for moving the mobile accesspoint over a surface and/or water route. The mobileaccess point includes a communications module forwirelessly transmitting data to and receiving data fromone or more client devices when the client device is inproximity to the mobile access point.

Systems and methods for providing secure quantumdigital signatures. In one embodiment, a digital signatureuser creates a plurality of identical “public” keys havingone or more bits and a corresponding quantum mechani-cal one-way function. Quantum digital signature recipi-ents use a “swap test” to check the validity of a copy ofthe key, and compare the test results with others. Thequantum digital signature user sends a signed messageover any channel, including an insecure channel. Therecipients evaluate the signed message, and quantify thenumber of incorrect keys. The message is deemed validand original, or forged and/ or tampered with, when thenumber of incorrect keys is less than a lower threshold, orexceeds an upper threshold, respectively. For an inter-mediate number of incorrect keys, the recipients deter-mine message authenticity by comparing observations.Hardware useful for application of the method is dis-closed.

Remote, non-verbal interpersonal communication isfacilitated between communication stations locatedremotely from each other. A first communication stationregisters proximity of a user thereto and communicates toa second communication station a signal indicative of theregistered proximity. The first communication station alsoregisters a physical gesture and communicates a signalindicative of the gesture to the second communicationstation. The second communication station, in turn,receives the signals and, in response thereto, produces avisual output indicative of proximity and of the gesturalinput.

Electrically (and, possibly, mechanically) active patternsare applied using a colloidal suspension of nanoparticlesthat exhibit a desired electrical characteristic. The nano-particles are surrounded by an insulative shells that maybe removed by therefrom by application of energy (e.g.,in the form of electromagnetic radiation or heat). Thenanoparticle suspension is applied to a surface, forminga layer that is substantially insulative owing to the nano-particle shells. The applied suspension is exposed toenergy to remove the capping groups and fuse the par-ticles into cohesion. If the nanoparticle suspension wasdeposited as a uniform film, the energy is applied in adesired pattern so that unexposed areas remain insula-tive while exposed areas exhibit the electrical behavior

Hybrid Wireless Network for Data Collectionand Distribution

Filing Date July 3, 2002MIT Case Number 9770TU.S. Patent Number 7,327,705Issue Date February 5, 2008

Inventors Richard Fletcher, David Cavallo,Alex Pentland, Amir Hasson

Quantum Digital Signatures

Filing Date April 26, 2002MIT Case Number 9308TU.S. Patent Number 7,246,240Issue Date July 17, 2007

Inventors Isaac Chuang, Daniel Gottesman

Socializing Remote Communication

Filing Date March 29, 2002MIT Case Number 9704TU.S. Patent Number 6,940,493Issue Date September 6, 2005

Inventors Angela Chang, Benjamin Resner, Hiroshi Ishii,Bruce Blumberg, Brad Koerner, Xing Wang

Methods and Apparatus for ManufacturingElectronic and Electromechanical ElementsDevices by Thin-Film Deposition and Imaging

Filing Date January 30, 2002MIT Case Number 8407TU.S. Patent Number 6,664,027Issue Date December 16, 2003

Inventors Saul Griffith, Joseph Jacobson, Scott Manalis

12


Filing Date September 7, 2001MIT Case Number 9320TU.S. Patent Number 6,700,310Issue Date March 2, 2004

Inventors H. Winston Maue (Lear), Richard Meinzer (Lear),Joseph Paradiso, Mark Feldmeier


Filing Date July 20, 2001MIT Case Number 8646TU.S. Patent Number 6,480,182Issue Date November 12, 2002

Inventors Christopher Turner, Joseph Jacobson,Barrett Comiskey

Direct, Externally Imposed Control ofPolypeptides

Filing Date July 13, 2001MIT Case Number 9230TU.S. Patent Number 6,953,656Issue Date October 11, 2005

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Kimberly Hamad,John Schwartz, Shuguang Zhang

associated with the nanoparticles. If the nanoparticlesuspension was deposited in a desired pattern, it may beuniformly exposed to energy. Additional layers may beapplied in the same manner, one over the other, to forma multilayer device.

A wireless switch is provided having a twenty-year lifeenergy harvesting arrangement for self-powering a wire-less transmitter. The energy harvesting arrangement isimplemented in one embodiment using a piezoelectricswitch element. A tritium light source and photovoltaicdevice are used in a second embodiment, while a blacklight source and photovoltaic device are used in a thirdembodiment. The energy harvesting wireless switcharrangement of the present invention can be combined,for example, with a vehicle side mirror switch, to reducethe complexity of the wire harness feeding the door. Thewireless switch can be located without regard to access-ability of a wiring harness or connector.

A display system includes a substrate upon which thedisplay system is fabricated; a printable electroopticdisplay material, such as a microencapsulated electro-phoretic suspension; electrodes (typically based on atransparent, conductive ink) arranged in an intersectingpattern to allow specific elements or regions of thedisplay material to be addressed; insulating layers, asnecessary, deposited by printing; and an array of non-linear elements that facilitate matrix addressing. Thenonlinear devices may include printed, particulateSchottky diodes, particulate PN diodes, particulatevaristor material, silicon films formed by chemical reduc-tion, or polymer semiconductor films. All elements of thedisplay system may be deposited using a printingprocess.

Methods and compositions for rendering proteins directlyresponsive to an external signal utilizing modulators thatthemselves respond to the external signal and are asso-ciated with the proteins. In response to the externalsignal, the modulator alters physical properties of thespecific protein molecule(s) with which it is associated,thereby altering the structural and functional propertiesthereof. The modulator may, for example, transfer appliedenergy to a protein, or to a portion of the protein, therebychanging the protein structure and function.

13

Direct, Externally Imposed Control of NucleicAcids


Inventors Joseph Jacobson, John Schwartz

Wireless Roadway Monitoring System

Filing Date May 22, 2001MIT Case Number 9198TU.S. Patent Number 6,662,099Issue Date October 8, 2002

Inventors Joseph Paradiso, Ara Knaian

Platform for Item Sensing and Identification

Filing Date December 27, 2000MIT Case Number 8148TU.S. Patent Number 6,791,452Issue Date September 14, 2004

Inventors Richard Fletcher, Neil Gershenfeld,Paul Yarin, Hiroshi Ishii

Nonlinear Dynamic System for SpreadSpectrum Code Acquisition

Filing Date November 15, 2000MIT Case Number 8646TU.S. Patent Number 6,724,805Issue Date April 20, 2004

Inventor Benjamin Vigoda

Methods and compositions for rendering necleic acidsdirectly responsive to an external signal utilizing modula-tors that themselves respond to the external signal andare associated with the nucleic acid. In response to theexternal signal, the modulator alters physical properties ofthe specific nucleic acid molecule(s) with which it isassociated, thereby altering the structural and funtionalproperties thereof. The modulator may, for example,transfer applied energy to a nucleic acid, or to a portionof the nucleic acid, thereby changing the nucleic acidstructure.

A wireless, in-road traffic sensor system using sensorsthat are small, low-cost, and rugged. The sensors maybe capable of measuring the speed of passing vehicles,identifying the type of passing vehicle and measuringinformation about roadway conditions, e.g., wet or icy.The sensor includes a wireless transmitter and may beconfigured for installation beneath a roadway surface.The sensors may be configured as a traffic sensor systemincluding distributed sensors across a roadway system,concentrators for receiving the sensor broadcasts and acentral computer for accumulating and organizing thesensed information. The sensed information may also bemade available responsive to user requests via the Webthrough such reports as traffic delays, alternate routeplanning and travel time estimates. Alternatively, thesensed information may also be used to control trafficthrough a traffic control means, such as a traffic signal.

The response of an object to a single time-varying mag-netic field is sensed to determine object position and/ormanipulation on a horizontal or vertical surface. A time-varying interrogation signal, which interacts with tagsdisposed on the surface, is read by an array of sensingcoils. Control circuitry receives signals from the sensingcoils representing this interaction and, based thereon,determines the identity, position, and manipulation ofeach of the objects based on the sensed signals and theknown positions of the sensing coils. Feedback to theuser can be provided in the form of a localized output(e.g. light, sound, heat, etc.) physically coincident withthe object.

Nonlinear dynamic systems for generating and acquiringa spread spectrum signal pseudo-random noise (PN)signal are disclosed. An actuating signal is delayed by afirst and second period to produce delayed actuatingsignals. A continuous, nonlinear function is applied toinput that corresponds to the delayed actuating signals toproduce an output signal. The function has values thatcorrespond to the binary integer values of the mod 2addition function of a linear feedback shift register, and anon-zero slope at those values. The output signal be-comes a PN signal over time when it is fed back to theactuating signal. The output signal synchronizes with a

14

Transmissionless Pressure-control Valve

Filing Date October 27, 2000MIT Case Number 8090TU.S. Patent Number 6,460,557Issue Date October 8, 2002

Inventors Jeremy Levitan, Neil Gershenfeld,Ernesto Blanco

Flexible Electronic Circuitry and Method ofMaking Same

Filing Date October 18,2000MIT Case Number 8283TU.S. Patent Number 6,493,933Issue Date December 17, 2002

Inventors Rehmi Post, Neil Gershenfeld

Sensing and Display of Skin Conductivity

Filing Date October 18, 1999MIT Case Number 8599TUS Patent Number 6,415,176Issue Date July 2, 2002

Inventors Jocelyn Scheirer, Rosalind Picard, Nancy Tilbury,Jonathan Farringdon

Frequency-based Wireless Monitoring andIdentification Using Spatially InhomogenousStructuresFiling Date October 10, 2000MIT Case Number 8313TU.S. Patent Number 6,724,310Issue Date March 20, 2004Inventors Richard Fletcher, Neil Gershenfeld

spread spectrum reference input signal when it is super-posed on the reference input signal to produce the actu-ating signal. The system may be incorporated into atransmitter or a receiver, either of which may be part of alarger communication system.

In a hydraulic or pneumatic flow-control valve, the valvestem itself is made a part of a solenoid arrangement thateffects its reciprocation. The valve stem is magneticallyresponsive (e.g., magnetically permeable or ferromag-netic), and a magnetic field is applied to the stem tocause it to move within the bore of the valve housing;there is no external element required to urge the valvestem into movement. The valve stem is typically sealedpermanently within the bore.

Stitchable electrical components have flexible, conductiveleads and are encased, at least partially, in sealed pack-ages. Conductive threads, yarns, or fiber bundles arepatterned onto a flexible substrate (e.g., a textile panel).To form a circuit, the component leads are conductivelystitched, spot welded, or otherwise joined to a textilepanel so as to form connections between at least someof the stitched leads so as to form an electrical circuit.Alternatively, leads stitched into or otherwise joined to atextile pattern may be welded or otherwise permanentlyjoined to flexible or non-flexible component leads to forma circuit. Multiple panels of circuitry so formed may thenbe physically and electrically joined at various locations bya combination of stitching, welding, and/or other joiningmeans, preferably with interposed insulating layers, toform a multilayer flexible circuit.

A skin-conductivity sensor is configured as a wearabledevice, such as an article of clothing worn on the handbut covering it only partially. The device may include anon-board power source and a source of illumination thatprovides a continuous visual indication of skin conduc-tivity.

Wireless tags have a plurality of non-equivalent currentpathways, each of which responds differently to an inter-rogation signal and collectively represent encoded infor-mation. The element is subjected to the signal, stimulat-ing the current pathways, each of which contributes toan overall element response. The individual contributionsand, hence, the information may be recovered from thisoverall response. The response of each of the pathwaysto the signal may vary in terms of one or more of resonantfrequency, amplitude, damping, and Q factor.

15

High-density Data Storage Using Atomic ForceMicroscope

Filing Date October 6, 2000MIT Case Number 8634TU.S. Patent Number 6,519,221Issue Date February 11, 2003

Inventors Emily Cooper, Hongjie Dai, Hongbin Fang,Scott Manalis, Kazuhiko Matsumoto, Calvin Quate

High-Sensitivity Interferometric Accelerometer

Filing Date January 7, 2000MIT Case Number 8678TU.S. Patent Number 6,473,187B1Issue Date October 29, 2002

Inventor Scott Manalis

Wireless Monitoring and Identification UsingSpatially Inhomogeneous Structures


Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Richard Fletcher

Multi-Axis Tracking of Passive ResonantStructures

Filing Date June 19, 2000MIT Case Number 8780TU.S. Patent Number 6,404,340Issue Date June 11, 2002

Inventors Joseph Paradiso, Kai-yuh Hsiao

An atomic force microscope (AFM) tipped with a single-wall conductive nanotube is operated to write bits onto ametal substrate by oxidizing the surface. The oxidizedmicroregions project above an otherwise flat surface, andcan therefore be detected—that is, the written bits canbe read—using the same AFM arrangement.

An accelerometer facilitates optical, interferometricmeasurement of acceleration. The device includes aproof mass having a first set of spaced-apart, elongatedfingers projecting therefrom, and a stationary housing orsubstrate comprising a second set of similarly arrangedprojecting fingers. A spring connects the proof mass tothe substrate such that, in a rest configuration, the firstand second set of fingers interdigitate. When the struc-ture is accelerated, the substrate fingers remain station-ary, while the alternating fingers of the proof mass aredisplaced therefrom. This creates a phase-sensitivediffraction grating which, when illuminated, facilitatesdetermination of the relative displacement between thesets of fingers by measuring the intensity of the dif-fracted modes. This displacement, in turn, indicates theacceleration experienced by the accelerometer structure.


A preferred reader circuit for energizing the coils anddetecting loading variations is shown in Figures 3A and3B. It was designed for tabletop operation at relativelylow frequencies; the amplitudes, frequencies, and timecon-straints listed below can be shifted as desired forother applications. The depicted schematic includesdriver circuitry for three coils, it being understood thatfurther drivers can be added as indicated in the figure.Each driver circuit includes an inductive bridge wherein asearch coil 305.sub.1, 305.sub.2, 305.sub.3 is balancedagainst a series of reference inductors 307.sub.1,307.sub.2, 307.sub.3 ; 309.sub.1, 309.sub.2, 309.sub.3;and 331.sub.1, 311.sub.2, 311.sub.3 (the latter beingvariable to trim residuals in the search coil’s inductance).

16

Methods and Apparatus for ManufacturingBioelectric Devices

Filing Date June 8, 2000MIT Case Number 8492TU.S. Patent Number 6,815,218Issue Date November 9, 2004

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Scott Manalis, Brent Ridley

Wireless Monitoring of Temperature

Filing Date April 12, 2000MIT Case Number 8217TU.S. Patent Number 6,208,253Issue Date March 27, 2001


Fabrication of Finely Features Devices byLiquid Embossing

Filing Date March 14, 2000MIT Case Number 8661TU.S. Patent Number 6,517,995Issue Date February 11, 2003

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Colin Bulthaup, Eric Wilhelm,Brian Hubert

Rolling Toy with Motion Recording andPlayback Capability

Filing Date March 9, 2000MIT Case Number 8367TU.S. Patent Number 6,354,842Issue Date March 12, 2002

Inventor Philipp Frei

A representative pair of search coils 305.sub.1,305.sub.2 are identically wound and driven together, andthe sensing volume between them is once again indi-cated at 200. Coil 305.sub.3 may be one of another coilpair, or may instead be a non-aligned search coil used toresolve orientation-related ambiguities with respect tocoils 305.sub.1, 305.sub.2.

Bioelectronic components are formed using nanoparti-cles surrounded by attached shells of at least one bio-logical material. The nanoparticles are deposited (e.g.,using a printing process) onto a surface, and by associat-ing the deposited nanoparticles with one or more elec-trical contacts, electrical measurement across the nano-particles (and, consequently, across the biological mate-rial) may be made. A finished component may includemultiple layers formed by nanoparticle deposition.

The present disclosure pertains to a wireless sensorwhich is capable of measuring temperature. This sensoris made entirely of materials and contains no chip or elec-tronics. This sensor can monitor continuous temperatureor just respond to a particular temperature setpoint. Thesensor can also be made to record history, in the sensethat it can be made to undergo a permanent changewhen subjected to a temperature above a certain thres-hold. Such a sensor can be integrated into so-called“smart labels” or “smart packaging materials” where ameasurement or history of temperature is of interest (e.g.food products).

Elastomeric stamps facilitate direct patterning of electri-cal, biological, chemical, and mechanical materials. A thinfilm of material is deposited on a substrate. The depos-ited material, either originally present as a liquid or sub-sequently liquefied, is patterned by embossing at lowpressure using an elastomeric stamp having a raised pat-tern. The patterned liquid is then cured to form a func-tional layer. The deposition, embossing, and curing stepsmay be repeated numerous times with the same or dif-ferent liquids, and in two or three dimensions. The variousdeposited layers may, for example, have varying electricalcharacteristics, interacting so as to produce an integratedelectronic component.

A rolling device in the form of a two-wheeled toy canrecord and play back physical motion. In a “trainingmode,” the user grasps the device and draws it along asurface on a desired path. The motion is sensed andrecorded in an internal memory. In a “playback mode,”the previously imparted motion is repeated—i.e., exe-cuted by internal circuitry based on the recorded motion,preferably over and over.

17

Methods for Manufacturing Electronic andElectromechanical Elements and Devices byThin-film Deposition and Imaging


Inventors Saul Griffith, Joseph Jacobson, Scott Manalis

Management of Properties for HyperlinkedVideo

Filing Date March 3, 2000MIT Case Number 8643TU.S. Patent Number 6,642,940Issue Date November 4, 2003

Inventors Jonathan Dakss, Nuno Vasconcelos,Edmond Chalom, V. Michael Bove, Jr.

Identification and Verification Using Complex,Three-Dimensional Structural Features

Filing Date October 19, 1999MIT Case Number 8375TUS Patent Number 6,584,214Issue Date June 24, 2003

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Ravikanth Pappu,Joshua Smith

Method and Apparatus for Touch-ActivatedIdentification and Information Transfer

Filing Date October 19, 1999MIT Case Number 8334TUS Patent Number 6,642,837Issue Date November 4, 2003

Inventors Benjamin Vigoda, Neil Gershenfeld

Electrically (and, possibly, mechanically) active patternsare applied using a colloidal suspension of nanoparticlesthat exhibit a desired electrical characteristic. The nano-particles are surrounded by an insulative shells that maybe removed by therefrom by application of energy (e.g.,in the form of electromagnetic radiation or heat). Thenanoparticle suspension is applied to a surface, forminga layer that is substantially insulative owing to the nano-particle shells. The applied suspension is exposed toenergy to remove the capping groups and fuse theparticles into cohesion. If the nanoparticle suspensionwas deposited as a uniform film, the energy is applied ina desired pattern so that unexposed areas remain insu-lative while exposed areas exhibit the electrical behaviorassociated with the nanoparticles. If the nanoparticlesuspension was deposited in a desired pattern, it may beuniformly exposed to energy. Additional layers may beapplied in the same manner, one over the other, to forma multilayer device.

The process of identifying and associating informationwith objects in a hyperlinked video sequence is auto-mated by creating an accessible list of object information,including semantic representations, which updates withthe identification of new objects. Because objects appearin more than one shot in many video sequences, theinvention makes guesses about the identification of ob-jects in a newly segmented sequence. If it guesses theobject correctly, the author is relieved of the need tomanually search a database of object information tomake the association.

Three-dimensional characteristics of a complex physicalstructure are used to generate a unique identifier. In ef-fect, the characteristics reperesent the basis of a “physi-cal one-way hash function” that faciliates ready derivationof an identifier based on the physical structure, the struc-ture itself being very difficult to reproduce given only theidentifier. The characteristics may be read using a non-contact probe and without the need for precise registra-tion.

Physical structures respond to proximity or touch, con-veying to a reader information such as the identity of thestructure or some data associated therewith. In its sim-plest form, the structure comprises an electrical load anda pair of electrodes connected thereto. The electrodesare spaced apart (by air or other dielectric medium). Asignal generator, which acts as a “reader,” is connectedto a larger electrode that may be embedded in an envi-ronmental surface. When the structure is placed in prox-imity to the reader electrode, application of the signalresults in capacitive coupling between the reader and theelectrodes of the structure. The structure is not detectedby the reader, however, because the capacitive coupling

18

High Density Mechanical Memory and TuningMachine

Filing Date September 30, 1999MIT Case Number 8215TU.S. Patent Number 6,587,408Issue Date July 1, 2003

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert, Brent Ridley

Nanoparticle-Based Electrical, Chemical,and Mechanical Structures and Methods ofMaking Same

Filing Date June 17, 1999MIT Case Number 8216TU.S. Patent Number 6,294,401Issue Date September 25, 2001

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert, Brent Ridley,Babak Nivi, Sawyer Fuller

Parametric Audio System

Filing Date April 27, 1999MIT Case Number 8077TU.S. Patent Number 6,775,388Issue Date August 10, 2004

Inventor Joseph Pompei

Memory Structures and Methods of MakingSame

Filing Date April 14, 1999MIT Case Number 8214TU.S. Patent Number 6,072,716Issue Date June 6, 2000

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Brian Hubert

is comparable for both electrodes, so the load experi-ences only a small electrical gradient. But if one of theelectrodes is grounded, this symmetry is broken andcurrent is drawn through the load. In general, groundingoccurs when a person, coupled (even weakly) to environ-mental ground—e.g., by virtue of standing on the floor—touches one of the electrodes. The resulting loading,which may be varied over time by the structure, isdetected by the signal generator.

Micron-scale, self-contained, ultra-high density and ultra-high speed storage devices include a read/write headand a surface, containing bit-storage domains, that actsas the storage medium. The read/write element of thememory device may consist of a single or multiple heads.The read/write head may be mounted on microelectro-mechanical structures driven at mechanical resonance.Addressing of individual bits is accomplished by position-ing of the head element in close proximity to bit domainssituated on the storage medium.

Nanoparticles are utilized to create, through depositionand patterning, functional electronic, electromechanical,and mechanical systems. At sizes ranging from 1 to 999nm, the ratio of surface atoms to interior atoms becomesnon-negligible, and particle properties therefore lie be-tween those of the bulk and atomic materials. Monodis-perse (i.e., uniformly sized) or polydisperse nanoparticlescan form stable colloids or suspensions in appropriatedispersing media, facilitating their deposition and pro-cessing in a liquid state. As a result, printing technologycan be utilized to deposit and pattern nanoparticles formass production or for personal desktop manufacturing.

Sonic transducers utilize resonant cavities of varyingdepths to achieve wide operational bandwidth. The trans-ducers may include a conductive membrane spacedapart from one or more backplate electrodes. In oneapproach, spacing is achieved using a dielectric spacerhaving a series of depressions arranged in a pattern, thedepressions forming cavities each resonant at a predeter-mined frequency. In another approach, the conductivemembrane is piezoelectrically active, and the transduceris simultaneously driven in both piezoelectric and elec-trostatic modes.

Electrically erasable and rewritable memory structureswith reversible states and good retention times may beconstructed on flexible substrates using simple room-temperature deposition (e.g., printing) processes andcuring temperatures below 110˚ C. The memory struc-tures are based on a polymer matrix having dispersedtherein a particulate conductive or semiconductive mate-rial. When electrodes of suitable composition and geo-metry are used to apply electrical pulses of oppositepolarity to the matrix material, reversible memory switch-

19

Dynamic Holographic Video with HapticInteraction

Filing Date February 9, 1999MIT Case Number 8010TU.S. Patent Number 6,211,848Issue Date April 3, 2001

Inventors Wendy Plesniak, Ravikanth Pappu,Stephen Benton

Apparatus for Resolving Presence andOrientation within a Defined Space

Filing Date January 25, 1999MIT Case Number 7295T C2U.S. Patent Number 6,066,954Issue Date May 23, 2000

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Joshua Smith

Heterogeneous Display Elements and Methodsfor Their Fabrication

Filing Date December 7, 1998MIT Case Number 7690TU.S. Patent Number 6,241,921Issue Date June 5, 2001

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Hidekazu Yoshizawa

ing behavior is observed. In particular, subjection to posi-tive or negative voltage pulses causes the devices tomake fully-reversible transitions between low-resistanceand high-resistance states.

We describe the implementation of a system whichenables a user to interact with and modify an electronicholographic image using a force-feedback device. Theforce-feedback (or haptic) device is capable of sensingand reporting the 3D position of its hand-held stylus anddisplaying appropriate forces to the user. Thus, a usercan feel and modify algorithmically specified shapes inthe haptic workspace. We precisely register the hapticworkspace with the free-standing, spatial image dis-played by the MIT second generation holographic videosystem (holovideo). In the coincident visuo-haptic work-space, a user can see, feel, and interact with syntheticobjects that exhibit many of the properties one expectsof real ones, and the spatial display enables syntheticobjects to become a part of the user’s manipulatoryspace. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is thefirst time that such an interactive holographic system hasbeen built.

Apparatus for resolving movement of a mass within adefined space utilizes at least one electrode proximate tothe space to be observed. An AC signal is applied to theelectrode, and the current measured from that electrodeand also to any other electrodes included in the system,and which are effectively connected to the ground returnof the AC-coupled electrode. A person (or object) to besensed intercepts a part of the electric field extendingbeween the AC-coupled “sending” electrode and theother “receiving” electrodes, the amount of the fieldintercepted depending on the size and orientation of thesensed person, whether or not the person provides agrounding path, and the geometry of the distributedelectrodes. Given the nonlinear spatial dependence of thefield, multiple electrodes can reliably distinguish among aset of expected cases. The invention detects motion bytaking sequential measurements at different times andutilizing the time variation in signal magnitudes as well asthe absolute magnitudes themselves.

Optically heterogeneous display elements utilize fusedpigment particles, which may be manufactured withpolymer shells having desired charge, photoresponse, ordensity characteristics. The particles may be microencap-sulated prior to formation of the display element, so thatthe element is formed internally within the container inwhich it is permanently housed. The element may func-tion as a bichromal display, a light valve, or a program-mable magnetic element.

20

Method and Apparatus for DeterminingThree-Dimensional Position, Orientation andMass Distribution

Filing Date November 30, 1998MIT Case Number 7294T P2U.S. Patent Number 6,025,726Issue Date February 15, 2000


Method and Apparatus for CharacterizingMovement of a Mass within a Defined Space

Filing Date November 30, 1998MIT Case Number 7295T D2U.S. Patent Number 6,051,981Issue Date April 18, 2000


A quasi-electrostatic sensing system surrounds an elec-trically conductive mass with an electric field, the magni-tude of which is sensed at one or more locations toresolve a property of interest concerning the mass. Theobject intercepts a part of the electric field extendingbetween the AC-coupled “sending” electrode and theother “receiving” electrodes, the amount of the field inter-cepted depending on the size and orientation of thesensed mass, whether or not the mass provides agrounding path, and the geometry of the distributedelectrodes. Because the response of the field to an objectis a complex nonlinear function, adding electrodes canalways distinguish among more cases. In other words,each electrode represents an independent weighting ofthe mass within the field; adding an electrode providesinformation regarding that mass that is not redundant tothe information provided by the other electrodes. A“forward model” that relates the behavior of the systemto variations in the property to be measured is estab-lished, and “inversion” of this model facilitates recovery ofthe property based on system behavior. The invention isamenable to a wide variety of usages including the detec-tion of user positions and gestures as a means of con-veying two- and/or three-dimensional information to, forexample, computers, appliances, televisions, furniture,etc.; provision of data input or instructional commands toa device; or sensing of proximity to a reference object forsecurity purposes, to warn of danger, or to conserveenergy by withholding power until a potential userapproaches the object.

Apparatus and methods for resolving movement of amass within a defined space utilizes at least one elec-trode proximate to the space to be observed. An ACsignal is applied to the electrode, and the current mea-sured from that electrode and also to any other elec-trodes included in the system and which are effectivelyconnected to the ground return of the AC-coupledelectrode. A person (or object) to be sensed intercepts apart of the electric field extending beween the AC-coupled “sending” electrode and the other “receiving”electrodes, the amount of the field intercepted dependingon the size and orientation of the sensed person, whetheror not the person provides a grounding path, and thegeometry of the distributed electrodes. Given the non-linear spatial dependence of the field, multiple electrodescan reliably distinguish among a set of expected cases.The invention detects motion by taking sequential mea-surements at different times and utilizing the time varia-tion in signal magnitudes as well as the absolute magni-tudes themselves.

21

Autostereoscopic Display System

Filing Date November 20,1998MIT Case Number 8155TUS Patent Number 6,351,280Issue Date February 26, 2002

Inventor Stephen Benton

Nonemissive Displays and Piezoelectric PowerSupplies therefor

Filing Date November 10, 1998MIT Case Number 7514T C1U.S. Patent Number 6,130,773Issue Date October 10, 2000

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

Multiple Viewer Auto-Stereoscopic DisplaySystems

Filing Date September 2, 1998MIT Case Number 7746TU.S. Patent Number 6,593,957Issue Date July 15, 2003

Inventor Paul Christie

An autostereoscopic display system is capable of track-ing one or more users within a viewing zone and present-ing complementary stereo images to each of the viewer’s(or viewers’) eyes. Polarization is used to segregate theimages that are to be directed to different spatial regions.The two images are interdigitated within a single display—that is, each band of image points from the first imagealternates with a band of image points from the secondimage on the display. The bands of the first image arepolarized in a first mode and the bands of the secondimage are polarized in a second mode orthogonal tothe first, e.g., through use of a liquid-crystal display (LCD)in which alternating, contiguous bands of pixels corre-spond to bands of one or the other image, and a “pat-terned polarizer” also organized into bands and alignedwith the pixel bands. Autostereoscopic viewing is facili-tated by a display (such as an LCD) that is illuminated bylight from an outside source whose polarization can becontrolled. Illumination from the light source passesthrough a focusing lens and then through the patternedpolarizer and display so as to form a “real” or “aerial”image of the display in the viewing zone, with the differentimages directed to different regions of the viewing zone.

An electrophoretic display has a substantially two-dimensional arrangement of microcapsules each havingtherein an electrophoretic composition of a dielectric fluidand a suspension of particles that visually contrast withthe dielectric liquid and also exhibit surface charges; apair of electrodes, at least one of which is visually trans-parent, disposed on and covering opposite sides of themicrocapsule arrangement; and a power source forcreating a potential difference between the two elec-trodes, the potential difference causing the particles tomigrate toward one of the electrodes. The display maybe powered by one or more piezoelectric elements,which are also suitable for powering other types ofnonemissive displays.

Autostereoscopic image displays provide highly realisticthree-dimensional images to one or a plurality of viewerswithout the need for wearable appliances. In someembodiments, the images are viewed through abeamsplitter, while in other embodiments the viewerobserves the images on a display screen. A viewer-tracking system monitors the viewer’s movements anddirects each image of a stereopair to the proper eye ofthe viewer. In some embodiments, the stereoimages arekept independent and separately directed throughdifferential polarization. In other embodiments, this isaccomplished through selective intensity modulation.

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The present invention teaches a reversible printingsystem comprising an electrostatic write head which mayreversibly address a bistable electronic ink surface. Sucha system may be employed to reversibly write text orimages on an arbitrary surface with no consumable suchas a credit card, phone card, cash card, transportationcard, paper or newspaper sized sheet, book, cloth orclothing, toy or product. Another implementation of thesystem is a reversible electrophotographic system. Otheraspects of the invention include a hybrid electroniccamera.

Documents stored in a database are searched forrelevance to contextual information, instead of (or inaddition to) similar text. Each stored document is indexedin terms of meta-information specifying contextual infor-mation about the document. Current contextual informa-tion is acquired, either from the user or the current com-putational or physical environment, and this “meta-information” is used as the basis for identifying storeddocuments of possible relevance.

Traditional Video-on-Demand (VoD) schemes scale indirect proportion to the available head end server storageand network bandwidth. Each viewer is allocated a dedi-cated network channel and an access slot on a remoteserver. When no more network channels or server accessslots are available subsequent requests for service aredenied. Some VoD schemes achieve greater scalabilityby merging requests from multiple viewers and requirereceivers to store data temporarily before playback.These schemes are called user-centered since networkchannel allocation is determined in response to user orviewer requests. Data-centered schemes take the otherapproach and allocate network channels in advance.Receivers then determine on their own which channelsto listen to in order to receive a movie segment in timefor playback.

Our scheme is data-centered and incorporates severalnew features not present in previous schemes. In ourscheme movies are divided into a number of segments.Each segment is transmitted continuously in a loop on itsown network channel. Receivers tune in to at most twochannels at any given time.The length of each segment ischosen so that the receiver is able to receive and cachethe segment’s entire contents before playing it back.Furthermore, segment lengths are chosen so that suc-cessive segments increase in size at a maximum rate,thereby reducing the overall access latency and storagerequirement at the receiver. Performance is further in-creased by allowing the transmission rate of a segmentover a network channel to occur at a greater rate thanthe single speed playback rate of the original movie.Smaller segment sizes are avoided by allowing receiversto cache the first segment from multiple movies ahead of

Apparatus and Methods for Reversible Imagingof Nonemissive Display Systems

Filing Date July 10, 1998MIT Case Number 7932TU.S. Patent Number 6,291,925Issue Date September 18, 2001

Inventor Joseph Jacobson

Method and Apparatus for Automated,Context-Dependent Retrieval of Information

Filing Date May 1, 1998MIT Case Number 7870TSU.S. Patent Number 6,236,768Issue Date May 22, 2001

Inventors Bradley Rhodes, Thad Starner, Pattie Maes,Alex Pentland

System and Method for MulticastVideo-on-Demand Delivery System

Filing Date April 24, 1998MIT Case Number 7973TU.S. Patent Number 6,018,359Issue Date January 25, 2000

Inventors Roger Kermode, Henry Holtzman

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time. Access to these pre-cached movies is instanta-neous. Access to other movies is still possible withslightly increased latency. Finally, our scheme incorpo-rates pruned multicast transmission, thereby allowing thenetwork channels of unused segments to be turned overto segments of other movies. These final two featuresincrease the total number of movies that can be carriedfor a given amount of network bandwidth.

A technique for embedding a mark in a printed imageallows its interpretation by an inexpensive printing system.Values of a characteristic parameter are altered in a por-tion of the host image confined to a thread, i.e. a regionof contiguous points in the image, small enough to beincluded in the print space treated by the printer in asingle pass of the printing head.

A technique for embedding a tracking number as a seriesof bits in a printed image alters characteristic parametervalues at a set of pseudo-random locations chosen foreach bit in an embedding zone. The alteration markedlychanges the expectation value of some linear combina-tion of mathematical functions of the values at that set oflocations. A marker bit encoded to a higher certainty thanother bits in the string aids in orienting the zones in de-coding. The tracking number is detected and identifiedby exploiting the behavior of sums of a large number ofrandom variables, based on the Patchtrack approach.

A planar electromagnetic resonator utilizes an electro-magnetically active material located between the capaci-tive or inductive elements of the resonator. A microscopicelectrical property of this material is altered by an externalcondition, and that alteration, in turn, affects the behaviorof the resonator in a consistent and predictable manner.

A method of hiding a pattern in a host image increasesand decreases parameter values at randomly selectedhost image locations assigned to respective first andsecond groups. The alteration modifies the statisticalbehavior of a test statistic equivalent to a linear combina-tion of a large number of instances of respective func-tions, associated with the pattern, of the parametervalues at first and second group locations. The presenceor absence of the pattern in a test image is determinedby comparing the experimental value of the test statisticassociated with the pattern with the expected value ofthe same sum for an unaltered host image.

Method and Apparatus for Data Hiding inPrinted Images

Filing Date April 15, 1998MIT Case Number 7754TU.S. Patent Number 6,411,392Issue Date June 25, 2002

Inventors Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl

Method and Apparatus for Multi-Bit ZonedData Hiding in Printed Images

Filing Date April 15, 1998MIT Case Number 8049TU.S. Patent Number 6,212,285Issue Date April 3, 2001

Inventors Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl

Electrically Active Resonant Structures forWireless Monitoring and Control

Filing Date December 4, 1997MIT Case Number 7550TU.S. Patent Number 6,025,725Issue Date February 15, 2000

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Richard Fletcher

Method and Apparatus for Data Hiding inImages

Filing Date November 17, 1997MIT Case Number 7116T C1U.S. Patent Number 5,870,499Issue Date February 9, 1999

Inventors Walter Bender, Norishige Morimoto, Daniel Gruhl

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Method and Apparatus for TransbodyTransmission of Power and Information

Filing Date November 6, 1997MIT Case Number 7802TU.S Patent Number 6,211,799Issue Date April 3, 2001

Inventors Rehmi Post, Babak Nivi, Neil Gershenfeld

Method of Fabricating Electro-MechanicalDevices by Multilayer Deposition

Filing Date October 27, 1997MIT Case Number 7457TU.S. Patent Number 6,200,508Issue Date March 13, 2001

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Jonathan Albert,Neil Gershenfeld

Prior art has shown that the human body can be used asa communications channel, by generating and sensinggradient electrostatic fields that perturb the body’s aver-age potential relative to the environment. This is advanta-geous over conventional radio frequency wireless com-munications for applications such as wearable computersbecause the small signal external to the body minimizesthe occurrence of unintentional interference and inten-tional eavesdropping, and it permits physical gestures tobe associated with digital content so that information canbe exchanged by touching people or things. A limitationof this prior art is that the transmitters and receivers re-quire power sources. Using and replacing batteries canbe inconvenient, particularly if there are many such ele-ments, and if they are embedded in articles such asshoes.

This invention shows that the signalling fields can safelyand simply be designed to contain sufficient energy toenergize remote processing elements, permitting powerto be distributed from locations where it is easily availableto those where it is not. In one embodiment, a powerconversion device in a shoe that recovers energy fromwalking can excite other devices such as a wristwatch; inanother embodiment the power source is external to thebody in a location such as a doorknob or floor mat. Thisscheme therefore permits the remotely-powered ele-ments to be permanently encapsulated without requiringlater access.

The energy recovery is performed by a processing ele-ment that rectifies and stores the current induced by alocal gradient field, possibly enhanced by a resonantcircuit attached to the detection antenna. This energy isused to energize the local circuitry, in either a steady-stateor pulse-ringdown method of operation. The result of thelocal processing may then be directly transmitted back bymodulating a locally-generated gradient field, or for low-power operation it may also be done by modulating thepower loading presented to the remote excitation source.

Printing techniques are used to build three-dimensionalstructures by depositing successive layers of the deviceonto a substrate. The layers and/or portions thereof aredifferent materials, e.g., conductors and insulators, whichprovide the desired functional characteristics of thedevice. The substrate may be used only to provide asupport for the printing process, in which case it willusually be removed after the device is fabricated, or mayinstead be a functioning part of the fabricated device.

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Method for Resolving Presence, Orientationand Activity in a Defined Space

Filing Date October 8, 1997MIT Case Number 7295T C1U.S. Patent Number 5,936,412Issue Date August 10, 1999


Electrically Active Textiles and Articles MadeTherefrom

Filing Date September 24, 1997MIT Case Number 7813TU.S. Patent Number 6,210,771Issue Date April 3, 2001

Inventors Rehmi Post, Margaret Orth, Emily Cooper,Joshua Smith

Digital Communication, ProgrammableFunctioning and Data Transfer Using Modular,Hinged Processor Elements

Filing Date September 23, 1997MIT Case Number 7700TU.S. Patent Number 5,941,714Issue Date August 24, 1999

Inventors Matthew Gorbet, Margaret Orth

A method for resolving presence, orientation and activityof a person within a defined space utilizes at least twoelectrodes proximate to the space to be observed. Acharacterization of the position and orientation is ob-tained by providing a pattern of measurement clusterseach associated with a position and an orientation. AnAC signal is applied to one electrode, and the currentmeasured from that electrode to any other electrodesincluded in the system, and which are effectively con-nected to the ground return of the AC-coupled electrode.A person (or object) to be sensed intercepts a part of theelectric field extending between the AC-coupled “send-ing” electrode and the other “receiving” electrodes, theamount of the field intercepted depending on the sizeand orientation of the sensed person, whether or not theperson provides a grounding path, and the geometry ofthe distributed electrodes. Given the nonlinear spatialdependence of the field, multiple electrodes can reliablydistinguish among a set of expected cases. The inventioncan be configured to detect not only static positions andorientations, but also motion through a defined space.This is accomplished by taking sequential measurementsat different times and utilizing the time variation in signalmagnitudes as well as the absolute magnitudes them-selves.

The present invention teaches both a new type ofelectronic sensing device, hereinafter called electronictextile switches and sensors, and a means of fabricatingelectronic textile devices in general, including touch-and humidity-sensitive keyboards and surfaces. Suchelectronic textile devices may be used to interface towearable computing systems, toys, and other digitalsystems requiring light weight, durability, mechanicalflexibility, and washability. The electronic textile devicesare described in a manner which lends itself to manufac-ture using current textile processes.

A computational device, consisting of a group of (two ormore) tiling geometric objects (tiles) which pass digitalinformation through a flexible (hinge-like), conductingedge connector, such that specific information about theiridentities and spatial relationships (the overall topographyof the system) and any changes (connection or discon-nection events) can be known to an internal processor orcommunicated to an external processor. These tiles canalso perform special-purpose electronic or computationtasks, depending on the device’s application (such assensing or visual display).

Essential properties of the edge connectors include (a)the ability to pass data signals of the form commonlyused by computation devices, (b) the ability to simulta-neously create an electrical data connection and amechanical joint by immediate physical contact, and (c)the ability to hinge, maintaining contact while flexing, inorder to construct two dimensional or three dimensional

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structures. Examples of applicable connection mecha-nisms include magnetic connectors, conductive hookand loop fasteners (Velcro®), and conductive fabric-based connectors. Such a system has the prospect ofbecoming a new interface (input/output) device to exist-ing or future computational systems, or acting asa stand-alone modular computational device.

The invention is a method for generating a still image,comprising the steps of producing a plurality of images,each of the plurality having been produced at a distinctfocal length, scaling each of the images to a commonfocal length and combining each of the scaled images toa final image of a single focal length, portions of whichare of a relatively high resolution, as compared to theimages of the original sequence. The invention also in-cludes combining a sequence of still images of varyingfields of view into a panoramic image of an overall field ofview, which overall field of view includes all of the fieldsof view of the sequence. In addition to combining imagesgenerated at different fields of view, the method of theinvention can be used to combine images generated withrespect to different fields of view of an overall scene,such as a panoramic scene into a combined panoramicfield of view. This aspect of the invention may also becombined with the varying focal length aspect. Evenwithout varying the focal length or the field of view, theinvention can be used to produce a composite image ofenhanced resolution relative to the resolution of any ofthe images of the original sequence. The invention is alsoan apparatus for generating a still image, comprisingmeans for producing a plurality of images, each of theplurality having been produced at a distinct focal length,the focal lengths differing from each other, means forscaling each of the plurality of images to a common focallength and means for combining each of the scaledimages into a single image of a single focal length. Theapparatus of the invention also includes apparatus tocombine images generated with respect to different fieldsof view of an overall scene into a combined panoramicfield of view.

Small (typically nanoamp) current flow in biological tissuein a weak varying applied electric field (typically 1V/cm)will, with adequate shielding, sensitive current amplifiers,and coherent detection, be easily and inexpensivelymeasured. Such a current can remotely be injected intoone part of the body (for example, by electrodes under acarpet or the seat of a chair) and then received fromanother (for example, by electrodes in the wall or thearmrests) in order to measure the strength and therebylocate the relevant part (the body in the room, or the armsin space around the chair). Alternatively, the current canbe induced by an appliance in a field (such as a pen witha metallic interior) and then coupled (by the arm in thisexample) to a receive electrode (under the handrest in theexample) in order to use the body to replace the wires

Method of Creating a High Resolution StillImage Using a Plurality of Images andApparatus for Practice of the Method

Filing Date August 8, 1997MIT Case Number 5717T CIP1 C1U.S. Patent Number 5,920,657Issue Date July 6, 1999

Inventors Walter Bender, Laura Teodosio

Non-Contact System for Sensing and Signallingby Externally Induced Intra-Body Currents

Filing Date August 6, 1997MIT Case Number 6788T C1U.S. Patent Number 5,914,701Issue Date June 22, 1999

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Thomas Zimmerman,David Allport

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Self-Organizing Network

Filing Date July 25, 1997MIT Case Number 7552TU.S. Patent Number 6,028,857Issue Date February 22, 2000

Inventor Robert Poor

Rear View Mirror with Integrated Matrix Display

Filing Date July 10, 1997MIT Case Number 8322TU.S. Patent Number 6,106,121Issue Date August 22, 2000

Inventors Stephen Buckley, Betty Lou McClanahan

Method and Apparatus for Producing BinauralAudio for a Moving Listener

Filing Date June 18, 1997MIT Case Number 7633TU.S. Patent Number 6,243,476Issue Date June 5, 2001

Inventor William Gardner

carrying signals from the appliance. Finally, informationcan be encoded in the varying current to communicatebetween intelligent devices on or near the body and theexternal environment via receiving electrodes (for examplein chairs or carpets). This provides a wireless, low-powerpersonal data network that does not require radiated RFenergy.

A self-organizing wireless network includes a plurality ofnodes, each of which is configured to originate mes-sages, be a destination of messages and relay mes-sages. Each message is transmitted in a frame thatincludes the cost of conveying the message to the des-tination node for the message and also the cost so farexpended in the conveying of the message. Each timethe message frame is transmitted, either by the originat-ing node or by a relaying node, the node ascertainswhether the cost to convey the message from that nodeto the destination node is less than the conveying costcontained in the received frame. If it is, the node retrans-mits the frame after having incremented the incurred costby the relay cost of that node and decremented the costto convey by the same value. Otherwise the nodediscards the message.

A rear view mirror includes a transparent front glass thatcovers a matrix display, for example an LCD display. Thematrix display is translucent when activated and transpar-ent when inactive, and behind the matrix display is amirror-backed rear glass. Thus, light can pass throughthe matrix display and reflect back off the mirror-backedrear glass. Consequently, the rear view mirror can as-sume its conventional function of presenting images ofobjects that are behind the vehicle, while the pixels of thematrix display can be activated to superimpose alpha-numeric characters on the images. The characters canrepresent vehicle speed, time, radio station data, or othervehicle control data.

A system for generating loudspeaker-ready binauralsignals comprises a tracking system for detecting theposition and, preferably, the angle of rotation of a listen-er’s head; and means, responsive to the head-trackingmeans, for generating the binaural signal. The systemmay also include a crosstalk canceller responsive to thetracking system, and which adds to the binaural signal acrosstalk cancellation signal based on the position (and/or the rotation angle) of the listener’s head. The inventionmay also address the high-frequency components notgenerally affected by the crosstalk canceller by consider-ing these frequencies in terms of power (rather thanphase). By implementing the compensation in terms ofpower levels rather than phase adjustments, the inventionavoids the shortcomings heretofore encountered in at-tempting to cancel high-frequency crosstalk.

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Apparatus and Method for CharacterizingMovement of a Mass within a Defined Space

Filing Date April 2, 1997MIT Case Number 7295T D1U.S.Patent Number 5,914,610Issue Date June 22, 1999



Filing Date March 18, 1997MIT Case Number 7646TU.S.Patent Number 6,980,196Issue Date December 27, 2005

Inventors Christopher Turner,Joseph M. Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

Microencapsulated Electrophoretic Display

Filing Date March 18, 1997MIT Case Number 7645TU.S. Patent Number 5,961,804Issue Date October 5, 1999

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey,Jonathan Albert

Apparatus and methods for resolving movement of amass within a defined space utilizes at least one elec-trode proximate to the space to be observed. An ACsignal is applied to the electrode, and the current mea-sured from that electrode and also to any other elec-trodes included in the system and which are effectivelyconnected to the ground return of the AC-coupledelectrode. A person (or object) to be sensed intercepts apart of the electric field extending beween the AC-coupled “sending” electrode and the other “receiving”electrodes, the amount of the field intercepted dependingon the size and orientation of the sensed person, whetheror not the person provides a grounding path, and thegeometry of the distributed electrodes. Given the non-linear spatial dependence of the field, multiple electrodescan reliably distinguish among a set of expected cases.The invention detects motion by taking sequential mea-surements at different times and utilizing the time varia-tion in signal magnitudes as well as the absolute magni-tudes themselves.

A display system includes a substrate upon which thedisplay system is fabricated; a printable electroopticdisplay material, such as a microencapsulated electro-phoretic suspension; electrodes (typically based on atransparent, conductive ink) arranged in an intersectingpattern to allow specific elements or regions of the dis-play material to be addressed; insulating layers, asnecessary, deposited by printing; and an array of non-linear elements that facilitate matrix addressing. Thenonlinear devices may include printed, particulateSchottky diodes, particulate PN diodes, particulatevaristor material, silicon films formed by chemical reduc-tion, or polymer semiconductor films. All elements of thedisplay system may be deposited using a printing pro-cess.

An application-ready electrophoresis material includes acarrier and a dispersion of microcapsules therein, themicrocapsules each containing a plurality of phasestherein. At least some of the phases contrast visually andexhibit differential responsiveness to an electric field, suchthat application of the field determines the visual appear-ance of the microcapsules. The material exhibits stabilitysuch that the visual appearance persists despite removalof the field. In one aspect, the invention provides forenhanced stability of the visual appearance. In anotheraspect, the reflectivity of at least one of the phases isenhanced. In another aspect, one of the phases isparticulate in nature and emits visible radiation.

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Apparatus for continuous sensing of hand and armgestures comprises hand-held means for continuouslysensing at least tempo and emphasis. These sensedparameters are represented quantitatively, and trans-duced by appropriate circuitry into electrical signalsindicative of the parameter quantities. The signals maybe used to control the performance of a musical compo-sition (or the evolution of some other dynamic system),or may instead convey information. The signals may, forexample, be provided to an interpreter that dynamicallyinfers control commands from the gestures on a real-time basis in accordance with the generally acceptedcanon of musical conducting, directing the controlledsystem in accordance therewith. The invention may alsosense one or more additional conducting parameterssuch as the speed and/or velocity, direction (i.e., trajec-tory) in three dimensions, absolute three-dimensionalposition, the “size” of a gesture in terms of the spatialdistance between successive beats, and the “placement”of a beat pattern in space.

Efficient synthesis of complex, driven systems is accom-plished using a probabilistic framework according towhich the physics of system behavior are modeled interms of the effective degrees of freedom relevant toobserved behavior, instead of modeling the physicalconfiguration or the output waveform. A replica of thesystem’s behavior in response to external stimulus isdeveloped computationally, and the model used toreplace (or facilitate replacement) of the system with, forexample, a physical representation programmed tobehave in accordance with the model. The invention maybe applied to develop a model capturing the behavior ofa complex musical instrument such as a violin; the modelthen may be embodied in any physically appealing format(e.g., as a plastic replica of the original violin that would,absent the implemented model, produce no sound ifbowed; or a keyboard or other musical instrument whoseresponse to being “played” is to generate the sounds ofthe original violin).

An electrophoretic display has a substantially two-dimensional arrangement of microcapsules each havingtherein an electrophoretic composition of a dielectric fluidand a suspension of particles that visually contrast withthe dielectric liquid and also exhibit surface charges; apair of electrodes, at least one of which is visually trans-parent, disposed on and covering opposite sides of themicrocapsule arrangement; and means for creating apotential difference between the two electrodes, the po-tential difference causing the particles to migrate towardone of the electrodes. The display may be powered byone or more piezoelectric elements, which are also suit-able for powering other types of nonemissive displays.

Apparatus for Controlling Continuous Behaviorthrough Hand and Arm Gestures


Inventors Teresa Marrin, Joseph Paradiso, Tod Machover,Christopher Verplaetse, Margaret Orth

Efficient Synthesis of Complex, Driven Systems

Filing Date January 17, 1997MIT Case Number 7523TU.S. Patent Number 6,000,833Issue Date December 14, 1999

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Bernd Schoner, Eric Metois

Nonemissive Displays and Piezoelectric PowerSupplies Therefor

Filing Date October 25, 1996MIT Case Number 7514TU.S. Patent Number 5,930,026Issue Date July 27, 1999

Inventors Joseph Jacobson, Barrett Comiskey

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Method and Apparatus for Quantum InformationProcessing

Filing Date October 8, 1996MIT Case Number 7490TU.S. Patent Number 5,917,322Issue Date June 29, 1999

Inventors Neil Gershenfeld, Isaac Chuang

Program-listing Appendix

Filing Date August 22, 1996MIT Case Number 7333TSU.S. Patent Number 6,353,822Issue Date March 5, 2002

Inventor Henry Lieberman

According to the theory of quantum computation, aquantum computer can implement many algorithmssignificantly faster than a conventional classical computer.In particular, it can find prime factors in polynomial timeinstead of exponential time, breaking classical cryptogra-phy. For this reason, there has been a significant experi-mental effort to build a quantum computer. These effortshave all failed to date, because of the difficulty in manipu-lating a system so that it performs the desired quantumcomputation, and simultaneously is sufficiently isolatedfrom its environment so that it does not decohere. Priorefforts have all been based on isolating individual quan-tum degrees of freedom, through means such as iontraps, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and nano-fabricated dots. All of these approaches suffer from sig-nificant problems with decoherence, and with the abilityto scale up to larger systems.

This invention teaches a new entirely different approachbased on bulk samples. It is based on using multiplepulse resonance techniques on a sample such as a liquidcontaining an enormous number of identical molecules.The quantum degrees of freedom are contained incoherences in the small deviations of the density matrixfor the ensemble from its thermodynamics limit. The initialcondition is loaded by applying a pulse sequence basedon knowledge of the thermodynamic equilibrium. Thenthe computation proceeds with further pulses that usespin interaction terms (such as dipole coupling) as thenonlinearity required for gates such as the controlled-NOT. Finally, readout is performed by sequences thatmake the desired terms of the density matrix observable.Not only does that method permit any conventional spinresonance apparatus to be used as a quantum com-puter, the enormous redundancy protects the systemfrom errors and permits continuous observation of thequantum state.

Methods and apparatus for assisting a user in retrievingdocuments or other data items of interest operates intandem with a conventional document-retrievalfacility,such as a web browser, by tracking the choices made bythe user in retrieving and viewing data items. The inven-tion identifies additional items likely to be of interest to theuser. Preferably, the invention operates automously, with-out interruption of the user’s activities, delivering (in real-time or upon request) a set of current recommendations.The recommendations take the form of (or include)links to the recommended items, and the user is free toexecute any of these links to examine the contents of arecommendation.

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System Employing Dissipative PseudorandomDynamics for Communication andMeasurement

Filing Date September 12, 1996MIT Case Number 6781T D1U.S. Patent Number 5,729,388Issue Date March 17, 1998

Inventor Neil Gershenfeld

Method and Apparatus for Automatic Alignmentof Volumetric Images Containing CommonSubject Matter

Filing Date June 3, 1996MIT Case Number 7118TU.S. Patent Number 5,946,425Issue Date August 31, 1999

Inventors V. Michael Bove, Jr., Tamas Sandor

Method and Apparatus for Echo Data Hiding inAudio Signals

Filing Date May 31, 1996MIT Case Number 7115TU.S. Patent Number 5,893,067Issue Date April 6, 1999

Inventors Walter Bender, Daniel Gruhl, Norishige Morimoto

An optical communication and/or measurement systemincludes a transmitter that modulates a pseudorandomnoise signal with a message signal to produce a wide-band signal for transmission. A receiver, which demodu-lates the wideband signal to recover the message signal,includes an “analog” feedback shift register (“AFSR”)that reproduces the noise signal based on samples ofthe received signal. The AFSR is a generalization of alinear feedback shift register (“LFSR”). The AFSR ischaracterized by a function that agrees with the functionthat characterizes the LFSR, at the points at which thatfunction is defined. The AFSR includes beam splittersthat are spaced in accordance with the associatedpseudorandom code. The AFSR’s function has stablefixed points at integer values and unstable fixed points athalf-integer values and, the stable fixed points act asattractors. The AFSR thus produces a sequence thatrelaxes to the nearest integer-valued sequence.

As long as the samples of received signal that are fed tothe AFSR fall within the basins of attraction that surroundthe stable values, the AFSR can accurately determine theexpected next state of the shift register. While this canbe done explicitly, the AFSR merges the symbol parsing,acquisition, tracking and update rules into a simple gov-erning equation. The AFSR will thus entrain and producean optical binary-valued pseudorandom noise signal.

Different tomographic images of the same subject matterare optimally related to one another through a two-stepprocedure whereby, first, movements are plotted on asubregion level, producing a vector map relating subre-gions in a first set of scan frames to subregions in anotherset of scan frames; and then, based on the aggregate ofsubregion movements, the invention characterizes the“global” displacement, relating the volume representedby the first set of scan frames to that represented by thesecond set. More specifically, the invention generatestranslation and rotation vectors that describe the move-ments’ underlying shifts in subject matter from one scanto the other, and which can be applied to one frame setto align it with the other.

A method of hiding information in a host audio signalintroduces one or more echoes into the signal. Theseparation in time between the host signal and an echois associated with the value of a datum embedded inthe signal. The identity of the embedded datum is deter-mined by observing the delay between the host signaland the echo.

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Method and Apparatus for Producing DigitalImages Having Extended Dynamic Ranges

Filing Date May 6, 1996MIT Case Number 7347TU.S. Patent Number 5,828,793Issue Date October 27, 1998

Inventor Steve Mann

Method for Three-Dimensional Positions,Orientation and Mass Distribution

Filing Date May 1, 1996MIT Case Number 7294T CIP1U.S. Patent Number 5,844,415Issue Date December 1, 1998


Bistable, Thermochromic Recording Methodfor Rendering Color and Gray Scale


Inventors Joseph Jacobson, V. Michael Bove, Jr.

Most everyday scenes have a far greater dynamic rangethan can be recorded on a photographic film or electronicimaging apparatus (whether it be a digital still camera,video, etc.). However, a set of pictures, that are identicalexcept for their exposure, collectively show us muchmore dynamic range than any single picture. The darkpictures show us highlight details of the scene that wouldbe washed out in a “properly exposed” picture, while thelight pictures show us some shadow detail that wouldalso not appear in a “properly exposed” picture. We pro-pose a means of combining differently exposed picturesto obtain a single picture of extended dynamic range andimproved color fidelity. Given a set of digital pictures, wemay produce a single picture which is, for all practicalpurposes, ‘undigital’, in the sense that it is a floating pointimage, with the kind of dynamic range we are accus-tomed to seeing in typical floating point representations,as opposed to the integer images from which it wasgenerated.

The method is completely automatic; it requires nohuman intervention, and it requires no knowledge of theresponse function of the imaging device. It works reliablywith images from a digital camera of unknown response,or from a scanner with unknown response, scanning anunknown film type.

Capacitance sensing is one of the oldest technologiesused for detecting the presence of a person, in applica-tions such as touch-switches and computer pointingdevices. The prior art has covered proximity detectionand two-dimensional position measurement. It does notrecognize the distinct current transport pathways thatcontribute to such a measurement (loading from a trans-mitting electrode into a body, the screening of a receiveelectrode due to shunting from a body into the environ-ment, and coupling through a body into a receiving elec-trode). An understanding of these physical mechanisms,along with knowledge of the field geometry, can be usedto invert a set of displacement current measurements todetermine the absolute three-dimensional mass distribu-tion in the field. This invention describes the means toperform such a measurement, interpret the signals,and apply the results.

The invention involves printing with thermochromic pig-ment materials. These materials are typically binary innature, colored or fully transparent, and can be caused tochange state through application of heat. Current mater-ial, therefore, are monochromatic. By utilizing recordingconstructions having particles with different temperatures,the invention facilitates production of full color imageshaving multiple gray scales. For example, in one embodi-ment, a recording construction has multiple adjacentrecording layers each having particles that undergo trans-ition at a different characteristic temperature. A thermalwriting head selectively heats the construction in an

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Method and Apparatus for Data Hidingin Images

Filing Date February 9, 1996MIT Case Number 7116TU.S. Patent Number 5,689,587Issue Date November 18, 1997

Inventors Walter Bender, Norishige Morimoto,Daniel Gruhl

Method and Apparatus for Logo Hiding inImages

Filing Date February 9, 1996MIT Case Number 7117TU.S. Patent Number 6,201,879Issue Date March 13, 2001

Inventors Walter Bender, Norishige Morimoto, Daniel Gruhl

Method and Apparatus for Relating andCombining Multiple Images of the SameScene or Object(s)

Filing Date November 13, 1995MIT Case Number 7113TU.S. Patent Number 5,706,416Issue Date January 6, 1998

Inventors Steve Mann, Rosalind Picard

System Employing Dissipative PseudorandomDynamics for Communications andMeasurement

Filing Date June 19, 1995MIT Case Number 6781TU.S. Patent Number 5,612,973Issue Date March 18, 1997


imagewise pattern, the heating temperature correspond-ing to the desired gray level (since higher temperatureswill cause transition in more of the layers).

A method of hiding a pattern in a host image increasesand decreases parameter values at randomly selectedhost image locations assigned to respective first andsecond groups. The alteration modifies the statisticalbehavior of a test statistic equivalent to a linear combina-tion of a large number of instances of respective func-tions, associated with the pattern, of the parametervalues at first and second group locations. The presenceor absence of the pattern in a test image is determinedby comparing the experimental value of the test statisticassociated with the pattern with the expected value ofthe same sum for an unaltered host image.

A method of hiding a figure in an image replaces informa-tion from a figure-shaped portion of the image with infor-mation from another location having similar texture. Therelative insensitivity of the eye to discontinuities in texturepatterns having a significant high-frequency or randomcomponent minimizes the perceptibility of the replace-ment. The figure is revealed by autocorrelating the imagecontaining the repeated information, and subtracting theimage from a copy of itself shifted according to the argu-ments creating large value of the autocorrelation function.

Digitally encoded images having common subject mat-ter are spatially related to one another and combinedutilizing a projective coordinate transformation, the para-meters of which are estimated featurelessly. For a giveninput image frame, the universe of possible changes ineach image point consistent with the projective coordi-nate transformation is defined and used to find theprojective-transformation parameters which, when ap-plied to the input image, make it look most like a targetimage. The projective model correctly relates images ofcommon (static) subject matter taken by a single cameraat a fixed location, free to rotate about its center of pro-jection (e.g., free to rotate about its optical axis, and topan and tilt) and having a lens free to zoom; and planarscenes recorded by a camera free to move arbitrarily(including translation or other movements of the centerof projection itself).

Linear feedback shift registers (LFSR) are routinely usedas pseudorandom noise sources in spread spectrumsystems to help satisfy many communication problems.Nonlinear chaotic systems have been applied to use en-trainment to eliminate the problem of receiver acquisitionand tracking, but they are not ideal noise sources. Thisinvention generalizes the (mod) function used in an LFSRto a nonlinear continuous function with stable fixed pointsat the (mod) values, in order to provide dissipative exam-

34

Layered Representation for Image Coding

Filing Date May 24, 1995MIT Case Number 5763TU.S. Patent Number 5,706,417Issue Date January 6, 1998

Inventor Edward Adelson

Detection, Recognition and Coding of ComplexObjects Using Probabilistic Eigenspace Analysis

Filing Date April 20, 1995MIT Case Number 6567TU.S. Patent Number 5,710,833Issue Date January 20, 1998

Inventors Baback Moghaddam, Alex Pentland

Method and System for Facilitating Wireless,Full-Body, Real-Time User Interaction with aDigitally Represented Visual Environment

Filing Date August 1, 1994MIT Case Number 6773TU.S. Patent Number 5,563,988Issue Date October 8, 1996

Inventors Pattie Maes, Bruce Blumberg, Trevor Darrell,Thad Starner, Michael Johnson, Kenneth Russell,Alex Pentland

Method and Apparatus for Three-Dimensional,Textured Models from Plural Video Images

Filing Date January 18, 1994MIT Case Number 6499TU.S. Patent Number 5,511,153Issue Date April 23, 1996

Inventors Ali Azarbayejani, Tinsley Galyean, Alex Pentland

entrainment along with optimal noise characteristics.An example is a suitably scaled and normalized (cos)function.

This patent describes a moving image representationformat and encoding and decoding techniques. In theformat, the image is represented as a series of layers,each layer comprising one or more maps containinginformation about the image. In decoding the information,the maps are combined in an order dictated by theirordinal depth in the image. Each layer comprises (1) anintensity map representing the intensity of the pixels inthat layer, (2) an attenuation map by which the imageintensities of the layers below it are multiplied while theintensity map corresponding to its layer is multiplied by itscomplement, (3) a delta map that describes the temporalderivative of the points in the corresponding intensitymap, and (4) a velocity map which describes how allpoints in the layer are warped over time.

Methods and apparatus for detecting instances of aselected object or object feature in a digitally representedscene utilize analysis of probability densities to determinewhether an input image (or portion thereof) representssuch an instance. The invention filters images of objectsthat, although in some ways similar to the object understudy, fail to qualify as typical instances of that object.The invention is useful in the detection and recognitionof virtually any multifeatured entity such as human faces,features thereof (e.g., eyes), as well as non-rigid andarticulated objects such as human hands.

The cumbersome nature of the equipment and thelimited nature of the interaction has so far limited therange of applications of virtual environments. The designand implementation of a novel system, called Alive,allows wireless full-body interaction between a humanparticipant and a rich graphical world, inhabited byautonomous agents. Based on results obtained with realusers, this kind of system can provide more complex andvery different experiences from traditional virtual realitysystems. The Alive system significantly broadens therange of potential applications of virtual reality systems,particularly in the areas of training and teaching, enter-tainment, and digital assistants or interface agents.

We present a formulation for recursive recovery of mo-tion, pointwise structure, and focal length from featurecorrespondences tracked through an image sequence.In addition to adding focal length to the state vector,several representational improvements are made overearlier structure from motion formulations, yielding aremarkably stable and accurate estimation frameworkwhich applies uniformly to both true perspective andorthographic projection. An extensive set of experimental

35

System for Encoding Image Data into MultipleLayers Representing Regions of CoherentMotion and Associated Motion Parameters

Filing Date December 27, 1994MIT Case Number 6262T C1U.S. Patent Number 5,557,684Issue Date September 17, 1996

Inventors John Wang, Edward Adelson

Method of Creating a High Resolution StillImage using a Plurality of Images andApparatus for Practice of the Method

Filing Date October 30, 1992MIT Case Number 5717TU.S. Patent Number 5,657,402Issue Date August 12, 1997

Inventors Walter Bender, Laura Teodosio

Computer Method and Apparatus for MatchingBetween Line Drawings

Filing Date September 9, 1992MIT Case Number 5831TU.S. Patent Number 5,325,475Issue Date June 28, 1994

Inventors Tomaso Poggio, Stephen Librande

results using controlled synthetic input demonstrate theperformance of the estimator under various noise levelsand biases, under various degrees of initial conditionuncertainty, under various extents of motion, and in adegenerate case. Additional experimental results usingreal imagery demonstrate the stability and accuracy ofthe estimator under conditions of real feature tracking.

This patent application describes methods for represent-ing video sequences as a set of layers, one moving overanother. This representation, similar to that used in celanimation, can be applied to television sequences toallow efficient coding, special effects, and frame-rateconversion. We describe methods of motion analysisthat achieve the decomposition. We perform local affinemotion analysis and then do cluster analysis in affineparameter space to identify regions that are moving co-herently. We then extract layers corresponding to thesecoherent motions. For example, in the MPEG flowergarden sequence, a camera in a moving car views a treein front of a flower garden. The moving tree forms onelayer, the flower bed another layer, and so on. After thedecomposition is performed it is possible to resynthesizethe sequence from the components.

This invention relates to a method for creating a highresolution still image, using a plurality of images of variedfocal length and an apparatus therefor. In particular, theinvention relates to a method for creating a still highresolution, fixed focal length image, using a plurality ofimages of various focal lengths, such as a zoom videosequence. The invention also relates to creating a stillpanoramic image from a plurality of images of a field ofview less than that of the still panoramic image.

Computer apparatus and method determines correspon-dence between two shapes or drawings. Included is acomputer matcher which determines point by pointmatches/correspondence between a source object ordrawing and a target object or drawing. As applied tothe generation of animation sequences, the computermatcher is given as input a source drawing, a targetdrawing and at least four working points on the firstdrawing matched to four working points on the seconddrawing. The matcher defines a transform vector fromthe initially given working points of the first drawing andworking points of the second drawing and their associa-tion. With the transform vector, the matcher performs avector transformation of each of the remaining points onthe first drawing to a respective point on the seconddrawing. This generates a correspondence and thusmatch between remaining points on the first drawingwith respective remaining points on the second drawing.Additional processing with a ranking function provides asingle match from possible multiple matches for each of

36

Fractal-Based Image Compression andInterpolation

Filing Date October 10, 1991MIT Case Number 5189TU.S. Patent Number 5,148,497Issue Date September 15, 1992

Inventors Alex Pentland, Eero Simoncelli,Thomas Stephenson

Method and Apparatus for ElectromagneticNon-Contact Position Measurement withRespect to One or More Axes

Filing Date October 9, 1991MIT Case Number 5677TU.S. Patent Number 5,247,261Issue Date September 21, 1993


Noise Reduction System

Filing Date September 24, 1991MITCase Number 5684TU.S. Patent Number 5,526,446Issue Date June 11, 1996

Inventors Edward Adelson, William Freeman

Antialiasing Apparatus and Method forComputer Printers

Filing Date May 31, 1991MIT Case Number 5651TU.S. Patent Number 5,185,852Issue Date February 9, 1993

Inventors V. Michael Bove, Jr., Christopher Mayer

the remaining points on the first drawing with a respec-tive remaining point on the second drawing. The rankingfunction also confirms matches made by the vectortransformation.

This technique, based on the use of a fractal mathema-tical model, may be used for image compression, en-hancement, or restoration. On standard test images(256 x 256 eight-bit gray-scale images) the techniqueachieves compression ratios of 60-to-1 (0.12 bits-per-pixel) with approximately 40dB peak signal-to-noise ratio.For color or larger size images compression ratios aresignificantly higher.

This invention offers a simple, robust and inexpensivesolution to the problem of non-contact position measure-ment with respect to multiple (possibly non-linear) spatialaxes. This information is retrieved by analyzing the RFpropagation between flexible antennas fabricated from avery resistive thermoplastic. The method was developedto solve the problem of tracking the bow of the cellist YoYo Ma in order to interface him to computers in real-timeduring live performance, but it has obvious applicationsfor problems such as machine-tool positioning or userinterface sensing. The electromagnetic design of thesensors can easily scale from lengths of millimeters totens or hundreds of meters.

We describe a new class of techniques to remove noisefrom images and to enhance their visual appearance.The general approach we describe is to (1) convert animage into a set of coefficients in a multi-scale imagerepresentation; (2) modify each coefficient based on itsamplitude, and the amplitude of coefficients of relatedorientation, position, or scale; and (3) convert the modi-fied coeffiecients back to a pixel representation to makethe enhanced image.

Given a laser printer mechanism that permits the laservoltage to be modulated, this process enables the print-er to accept a standard binary image and efficiently toproduce an antialiased, grayscale print. To accomplishthis, the printer uses a sliding window on the binary imageas an address into a lookup table which outputs gray-scale pixel values. The process encompasses both thecircuitry for accomplishing the antialiasing function, andthe method of generating the contents of the lookup table.

37

Automobile Navigation System UsingReal-Time Spoken Driving Instructions

Filing Date August 9, 1990MIT Case Number 5088TSU.S. Patent Number 5,177,685Issue Date January 5, 1993

Inventors James Davis, Christopher Schmandt

Method and Facility for Dynamic VideoComposition and Viewing

Filing Date February 9, 1990MIT Case Number 5170TU.S. Patent Number 5,101,364Issue Date March 31, 1992

Inventors Glorianna Davenport, Hans Brondmo

Multiscale Coding of Images

Filing Date July 11, 1989MIT Case Number 4789TU.S. Patent Number 4,987,480Issue Date January 22, 1991

Inventors Andrew Lippman, William Butera

An automobile navigation system which provides spokeninstructions to the driver of an automobile to guide thedriver along a route is disclosed. The heart of the systemis a computing apparatus comprising a map database,route finding algorithms, a vehicle location system dis-course generating programs, and speech generatingprograms. Driver input means allows the driver to enterinformation such as a desired destination. The routefinding algorithms in the computer apparatus calculate aroute to the destination. The vehicle location systemaccepts input from a position sensor which measuresautomobile movement (magnitude and direction) con-tinuously, and using this data in conjunction with the mapdatabase, determines the position of the automobile.Based on the current position of the automobile and theroute, the discourse generating program compose driv-ing instructions and other messages according to adiscourse model in real-time as they are needed. Theinstructions and messages are sent to a voice generatingapparatus which conveys them to the driver.

A video composing and viewing facility and method thatallows representation and arbitrary association of dis-crete image segments, both to create final compositionsand to permit selective viewing of related segments isdisclosed. The user represents an image segment by asingle frame or series of frames that acts as a mnemonicreference. Information regarding image segments isretained in data structures that facilitate relational desig-nations there among and sorting of image segments.Display of a segment may be interrupted and a newsegment initiated on command, and provision maintainedfor return to the original segment when display of the newsegment is completed.

This invention describes a complete video coder basedon a combination of subband decomposition of the inputsequence followed by vector quantization. The design ofthe subband’s decomposition and subsequent codingare optimized for scalable decoding.

38

Finite-Element Method for Image Alignmentand Morphing

Filing Date May 7, 1993MIT Case Number 6160TU.S. Patent Number 5,590,261Issue Date December 31, 1996

Inventors Stanley Sclaroff, Alex Pentland

Video Image Compositing Techniques

Filing Date June 4, 1992MIT Case Number 5529TU.S. Patent Number 5,262,856Issue Date November 16, 1993

Inventors Andrew Lippman, Walter Bender,Patrick McLean, Henry Holtzman

In a morphing system for creating intermediate imagesthat, viewed serially, make an object in a source imageappear to metamorphose into a different object in atarget image, correspondences between feature points inthe source and target images are determined by simulat-ing the modes of motion of respective elastic sheets inwhich are embedded nodal points that correspond torespective feature points in the images. For each featurepoint, a generalized-feature vector is determined whosecomponents represent the associated nodal point’sparticipations in the various motion modes. Correspon-dences between feature points in the source and targetimages are determined in accordance with the closenessof the points’ generalized feature vectors. Correspon-dences thus determined can additionally be used foralignment and object-recognition purposes.

One of the problems in using normal television imageson HDTV sets is that the aspect ratio of HDTV is widerthan that of a normal television set. This invention appliesdirectly to the problem of widening the image for viewingon an HDTV system, or for any application where awidened image is desired. It also has advantages forcompact coding and efficient transmission of the storedimage. Using this method, actors and moving objects,together with a small surrounding area of background,are removed from the image. The images of the back-ground set are then merged to capture detail from allangles, which creates a widened scene of the unmovingset objects. The moving objects are then reinserted intothe picture. The areas of background that were clippedwith the original images serve both to ensure properplacement and to eliminate the problem of blurry edgesthat occurs when actors are cut cleanly, ensuring that theresulting scene looks completely natural. A second effectof this method of image processing is that the coding isvery efficient, since the detail of the background needonly be transmitted once. Only the moving objects needto be transmitted repeatedly for reconstruction on theother end.

Media Lab U.S. PatentsTransferred to PublicDomain(listed by filing date)

39

Face Recognition System

Filing Date November 1, 1990MIT Case Number 5404TU.S. Patent Number 5,164,992Issue Date November 17, 1992

Inventors Matthew Turk, Alex Pentland

Optical Ranging Apparatus

Filing Date August 28, 1990MIT Case Number 5222TU.S. Patent Number 5,076,687Issue Date December 31, 1991

Inventor Edward Adelson

Method for Estimating Solutions to FiniteElement Equations by Generating PyramidRepresentations, Multiplying to Generate WeightPyramids, and Collapsing the Weighted Pyramids

Filing Date August 21, 1990MIT Case Number 5349TU.S. Patent Number 5,287,529Issue Date February 15, 1994

Inventor Alex Pentland

Three-Dimensional Display System

Filing Date April 12, 1990MIT Case Number 4942TU.S. Patent Number 5,172,251Issue Date December 15, 1992

Inventors Stephen Benton, Joel Kollin

A recognition system for identifying members of anaudience, the system including an imaging system whichgenerates an image of the audience; a selector modulefor selecting a portion of the generated image; a detec-tion means which analyzes the selected image portion todetermine whether an image of a person is present; anda recognition module responsive to the detection meansfor determining whether a detected image of a personidentified by the detection means resembles one of areference set of images of individuals.

This invention is a range camera that delivers a depthmap of objects in a scene. It uses a single lens ratherthan the multiple lenses used in stereoscopic systems.The image falls on a lenticular array, which allows lightentering through different parts of the lens to be sepa-rately analyzed. Image processing techniques allow oneto determine how the image changes as the viewingposition shifts left and right or up and down, and fromthis information the depth can be determined for eachpixel. Only a single image from a single lens is required,and the image processing is quite simple. The system iscompact and works best for examining small objectsthat are at short distances, such as one might encounterin manufacturing.

A new method is described for solving finite elementmethod (FEM) and/or interpolation (lofting) problems withgreatly reduced computational cost. This method useswavelet functions to compute solutions to FEM andinterpolation at a cost proportional to the number ofnodes defining the problem, whereas previous solutionshave a cost proportional to the square of the number ofnodes. For large problems, therefore, this solution can bemany orders of magnitude cheaper (or faster) thanstandard methods.

A three-dimensional display system includes a laser forgenerating a laser light signal. The signal is expanded andcollimated using a traditional lens system and is directedto an acousto-optic modulator wherein it is modulated togenerate a three dimensional image such as a holo-graphic image. The modulation signal for the modulatoris provided by a data processing system. The data pro-cessing system applies signals to the modulator thatencode a diffraction pattern. The diffraction pattern isrealized by the modulator upon application of the signalsand the three-dimensional image is produced by themodulated light signals.The image is demagnified by ademagnifier, and subsequently, imaged by a viewing lens.A horizontal scanner continuously multiplexes segmentsof the holographic image and compensates for themotion of segments across the modulator. A verticalscanner is provided to properly vertically position horizon-tal lines of the holographic image.

40

Multidimensional Range Mapping with PatternProject and Cross Correlation

Filing Date November 7, 1989MIT Case Number 5025TU.S. Patent Number 5,003,166Issue Date March 26, 1997

Inventors Edward Adelson, William Butera

System for Ascertaining Direction of Blurin a Range-from-Defocus Camera

Filing Date November 7, 1989MIT Case Number 5025TU.S. Patent Number 4,965,442Issue Date October 23, 1990

Inventors Bernd Girod, Edward Adelson

Holographic Color Control Systems

Filing Date October 30, 1989MIT Case Number 5040TU.S. Patent Number 4,986,619Issue Date January 22, 1991

Inventors Julie Walker, Stephen Benton

A range camera is provided for the determination ofrange to an object through the utilization of a systemwhich projects a limited depth of field light pattern ontoan object and measures the blurring of the pattern on theobject. In one embodiment an anisotropic aperture orastigmatic optics are used in combination with an iso-tropic pattern to eliminate system error introduced by thecamera. The anisotropic aperture provides that blurringtakes place only in a given direction, with measurement ofblurring in an orthogonal direction providing an outputonly responsive to the blurring associated with the cam-era. This blurring can then be subtracted out to eliminatesystem error from the range measurement. The rangecamera is operative to produce a range picture or map,with optional outputs providing localized albedo and aconventional brightness image. In another embodiment,the direction of the blur, either in front of or in back of theplane of best focus of the projected pattern, is providedthrough the utilization of astigmatic optics.

A range camera is provided for the determination ofrange to an object through the utilization of a systemwhich projects a limited depth of field light pattern ontoan object and measures the blurring of the pattern on theobject. In one embodiment an anisotropic aperture orastigmatic optics are used in combination with an iso-tropic pattern to eliminate system error introduced by thecamera. The anisotropic aperture provides that blurringtakes place only in a given direction, with measurementof blurring in an orthogonal direction providing an outputonly responsive to the blurring associated with the cam-era. This blurring can then be subtracted out to eliminatesystem error from the range measurement. The rangecamera is operative to produce a range picture or map,with optional outputs providing localized albedo and aconventional brightness image. In another embodiment,the direction of the blur, either in front of or in back of theplane of best focus of the projected pattern, is providedthrough the utilization of a mask having an aperture de-void of point symmetry. In a further embodiment, directionof blur can be ascertained through the utilization ofastigmatic optics.

Holographic color control systems are disclosed forproduction of pseudocolor holograms by in-situ sequen-tial swelling of an emulsion and exposure to three colorseparation images with a single wavelength referencelight source. The resulting holograms yield images inthree color primaries with excellent color registration andmixing, producing a full gamut of mixed colors, pastelsand neutrals with three-dimensional perspective.

41

Method and Apparatus for Image Processingto Obtain Three-Dimensional Motion and Depth

Filing Date October 13, 1989MIT Case Number 5156TSU.S. Patent Number 4,980,762Issue Date December 25, 1990

Inventors David Heeger, Allan Jepson

Self-Contained Compact Multi-Color Edge-LitHolographic Display

Filing Date August 9,1989MIT Case Number 4901TU.S. Patent Number 5,121,229Issue Date June 9, 1992

Inventors Stephen Benton, Sabrina Birner

Video-Graphic Arthroscopy System

Filing Date July 27, 1989MIT Case Number 4730TU.S. Patent Number 5,005,559Issue Date April 9, 1991

Inventors Ernesto Blanco, Pascal Chesnais,Phyllis Kristal, Andrew Lippman

Receiver-Compatible Enhanced DefinitionTelevision System

Filing Date February 2, 1989MIT Case Number 4851TU.S. Patent Number 5,010,405Issue Date April 23, 1991

Inventors William Schreiber, Andrew Lippman,Edward Adelson, Aran Netravali

This patent describes an image processing system thatextracts three-dimensional motion information from two-dimensional images. It allows recovery of the position,structure, and velocity of three-dimensional objects andrecovery of camera motion. The method has beencompared to the best previous systems and found to bemuch less sensi-tive to noise and measurement error,and therefore much more accurate. The system haspotential applications in film and video production, inrobotics, and in autonomous vehicle guidance.

A three-step process is combined with an edge-lit systemto provide a self-contained, maximally-compact holo-graphic display. In one embodiment, a hologram is affixedto an upstanding transparent plate mounted through thetop of a housing in which the hologram is edge-illumi-nated with white light from a source in the housingimmediately beneath the plate to generate brilliant, sharpand deep multi-color images which straddle the holo-gram plane.

A position sensing system which allows the arthro-scopist to readily determine the location of an arthro-scope’s tip in relation to the point of entry has beendeveloped. The position sensing apparatus can be em-ployed in conjunction with a graphics module to displaythe location of the arthroscope in real-time and provideperspective views of the instrument’s location.

This patent describes a new method of adding informa-tion within an NTSC signal for the purpose of compatibleimprovement of image quality. The altered signal can betransmitted through a normal channel and appears on astandard receiver virtually unchanged, but on a specialreceiver the added information can be extracted andused for any desirable purpose. This includes improve-ment in spatial and/or temporal resolution, improvementin sound quality (for example by digital audio), stereo TV,a second TV channel, increase in image size, etc. Theamount of information that can be added appears to bemuch larger than that of previously proposed methods.The added information does not make the signal moresusceptible to channel degradation, although it does notactually improve the quality on NTSC receivers in the faceof degradation. The enhancement information is relativelyimmune to channel degradation on the special receivers.

42

Methods and systems for adding additional informationto broadcast motion picture signals so that an advancedreceiver can decode that information to provide improvedpicture quality, while a standard receiver will display animage with minimally visible impairments. In particular,chrominance information can be generated at a fractionof the frame rate and the alternate frames then used toencode additional data, such as high definition luminanceinformation in the chrominance signal.

Methods and devices for recording and projecting holo-graphic stereograms are disclosed. In one aspect of theinvention, a concave semi-cylindrical (“alcove”) displaysystem is disclosed in which an image is projected infront of the alcove. The display system provides a verywide angle of view approaching 180 degrees (comparedto the 30 degrees of a typical flat hologram) that allowsthe viewer to look around most of the image content.This type of display is particularly useful in computeraided design projects where designers wish to presentan overall three-dimensional display of their work. Inanother aspect of the invention, a holographic printer andprocedures for recording a stereogram are disclosed aswell as techniques for producing “predistorted” imagesfor the sub-holograms. A digital processing technique isdisclosed which effectively predistorts the source two-dimensional image set for the stereogram to compensatefor the effects of the display geometry. This predistortiontechnique relies upon anamorphic ray tracing. A crossedslit model for the holograhic optical system is used todetermine the direction and origin of the rays of light fromwhich each sub-hologram of the stereogram is made.

This patent describes a technique for handling videosignals so as to permit such signals to be satisfactorilydisplayed on video display devices, such as TV receiversor monitors, but to prevent such signals from beingsatisfactorily recorded by video recording devices. In aparticular embodiment thereof the video frame time baseis altered in a selected manner, as by lengthening orshortening the time bases of successive video frames,or successive groups of video frames. The alterationsthereof can be in discrete steps and be performedcyclically so that during each overall cyclical time periodthe cumulative error is zero.

Extended Definition Television Systems

Filing Date January 12, 1989MIT Case Number 4906TU.S. Patent Number 5,003,377Issue Date March 26, 1991

Inventors Andrew Lippman, Edward Adelson,William Butera

Real Image Holographic Stereograms

Filing Date January 12, 1988MIT Case Number 4509TU.S. Patent Number 4,834,476Issue Date May 30, 1989

Inventor Stephen Benton

Unrecordable Video Signals

Filing Date March 23, 1984MIT Case Number 3858TU.S. Patent Number 4,673,981Issue Date June 16, 1987

Inventors Andrew Lippman, V. Michael Bove, Jr.,Jerome Wiesner