Patents Examined by Albert H Cutler
  • Patent number: 11710751
    Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix, a transistor in which a channel formation region includes an oxide semiconductor is used for each of a charge accumulation control transistor and a reset transistor which are in a pixel portion. After a reset operation of the signal charge accumulation portion is performed in all the pixels arranged in the matrix, a charge accumulation operation by the photodiode is performed in all the pixels, and a read operation of a signal from the pixel is performed per row. Accordingly, an image can be taken without a distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Takayuki Ikeda, Hikaru Tamura, Munehiro Kozuma, Masataka Ikeda, Takeshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11706542
    Abstract: There is provided a pixel circuit capable of outputting time difference data and image data, and including an image circuit and a difference circuit. The image circuit is used to record and output detected light energy of a first interval as the image data. The difference circuit is used to record and output a variation of detected light energy between the first interval and a second interval as the time difference data. The pixel circuit selects to output at least one of the time difference data and the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Ren-Chieh Liu, Yi-Cheng Chiu
  • Patent number: 11706516
    Abstract: A camera module and array camera module with circuit board unit and photosensitive unit and manufacturing method thereof is provided. The array camera module includes two or more camera lenses and a circuit unit. The circuit unit includes a circuit board portion for electrically connecting two or more photosensitive sensors of the array camera module, and a conjoined encapsulation portion integrally encapsulated on the circuit board portion. The camera lenses are respectively arranged along the photosensitive paths of the photosensitive sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NINGBO SUNNY OPOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mingzhu Wang, Bojie Zhao, Takehiko Tanaka, Feifan Chen, Qimin Mei, Liang Ding, Heng Jiang
  • Patent number: 11700440
    Abstract: An integrated image sensor and lens assembly may include a lens barrel, a collet, and a lens mount. The lens barrel may be coupled to the collet which is coupled to the lens mount. The lens barrel and the collet may each include a fastening structure reciprocal to each other. Alternatively, the collet and the lens mount may each include a fastening structure reciprocal to each other. The optical distance between the set of lenses and the image sensor may be tuned such that the focal plane of the lenses coincides with the image plane. The fastening structures allow the lens barrel to be adjusted relative to the lens mount in order to shift the focal plane in a direction along the optical axis to compensate for focal shifts occurring during assembly/cure and/or temperature cycling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Patrick Campbell
  • Patent number: 11695022
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a first selection unit, and a second selection unit. Each of the photoelectric conversion elements includes an avalanche diode and a counter. The photoelectric conversion elements have a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element. The first selection unit controls the first photoelectric conversion element. The second selection unit controls the second photoelectric conversion element. The first and second selection units are controlled by a first control line and a second control line. In a first mode, the second selection unit controls the second photoelectric conversion element to be brought into a state where no signal is read from the second photoelectric conversion element. In a second mode, the second selection unit controls the second photoelectric conversion element to be brought into a state where a signal is read from the second photoelectric conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yu Maehashi
  • Patent number: 11683607
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a photodiode array to generate charge in response to incident light. The plurality of photodiodes includes first and second photodiodes. A shared floating diffusion receives charge transferred from the first and second photodiodes. An analog to digital converter (ADC) performs a first ADC conversion to generate a reference readout in response to charge in the shared floating diffusion after a reset operation. The ADC is next performs a second ADC conversion to generate a first half of a phase detection autofocus (PDAF) readout in response to charge transferred from the first photodiode to the shared floating diffusion. The ADC then performs a third ADC conversion to generate a full image readout in response to charge transferred from the second photodiode combined with the charge transferred previously from the first photodiode in the shared floating diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chengcheng Xu, Rui Wang, Wei Deng, Chun-Sheng Yang, Xueqing Wang
  • Patent number: 11683586
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for video stabilization. In some implementations, a computer system obtains frames of a video captured by a recording device using an optical image stabilization (OIS) system. The computing system receives (i) OIS position data indicating positions of the OIS system during capture of the frames, and (ii) device position data indicating positions of the recording device during capture of the frames. The computing system determines a first transformation for a particular frame based on the OIS position data for the particular frame and device position data for the particular frame. The computing system determines a second transformation for the particular frame based on the first transformation and positions of the recording device occurring after capture of the particular frame. The computing system generates a stabilized version of the particular frame using the second transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Fuhao Shi, Chia-Kai Liang, Xue Tu
  • Patent number: 11678081
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels, respectively including photoelectric converters and charge accumulation nodes that accumulate signal charge. The imaging unit outputs image data based on signals corresponding to the signal charge accumulated in the charge accumulators. The imaging device includes an image processing unit that processes the image data output by the imaging unit. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a plurality of pieces of image data in one frame period by performing readout nondestructively. The image processing unit generates difference image data by determining a difference between two pieces of image data, selects output image data from initial image data and the difference image data, and combines the output image data and normal readout image data included in the plurality of pieces of image data, to generate combination-result image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEVENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yusuke Okada
  • Patent number: 11678074
    Abstract: A sensor control apparatus includes a readout control circuit and a region setting circuit. The readout control circuit controls an event-driven vision sensor including a sensor array that includes sensors that generate event signals when a change in incident light intensity is detected, in such a manner that the event signals are read out at a first frequency in a first region on the sensor array and that the event signals are read out at a second frequency higher than the first frequency in a second region on the sensor array. The region setting circuit changes at least part of the first region to the second region on the basis of the number of first event signals acquired by the readout in the first region within a given period of time or changes at least part of the second region to the first region on the basis of the number of second event signals acquired by the readout in the second region within the given period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromasa Naganuma
  • Patent number: 11670648
    Abstract: A flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate includes a semiconductor substrate and a metal layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a small-photodiode region. A back surface of the semiconductor substrate forms a trench surrounding the small-photodiode region in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a first back-surface region of the back surface above the small-photodiode region. The metal layer covers the first back-surface region, at least partially fills the trench, and surrounds the small-photodiode region in the cross-sectional plane. A method for fabricating a flicker-mitigating pixel-array substrate includes forming, on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate, a trench that surrounds a small-photodiode region of the semiconductor substrate in a cross-sectional plane parallel to a first back-surface region of the back surface above the small-photodiode region. The method also includes forming a metal layer on the first back-surface region and in the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanliang Liu, Hui Zang
  • Patent number: 11671692
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a display device including an optical film including a through hole; a display panel disposed on a surface of one side of the optical film, wherein the display panel includes a transparent area corresponding to the through hole; a camera including a camera lens, wherein the camera is inserted into the through hole and faces the transparent area; and a plurality of LED chips evenly arranged around the camera lens, wherein the LED chips are disposed in the through hole and between the camera and the transparent area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shaojun Hou, Xindong Mei, Chao Wang, Guanghui Liu, Zhifu Li
  • Patent number: 11665451
    Abstract: An operating method of an image sensor, including performing a first sampling operation corresponding to first illumination in at least one pixel; performing a second sampling operation corresponding to second illumination in the at least one pixel; and outputting a first pixel voltage corresponding to the first sampling operation, or outputting a second pixel voltage corresponding to the second sampling operation, in the at least one pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minwoong Seo, Daehoon Kim, Seungsik Kim, Dongmo Im
  • Patent number: 11659304
    Abstract: An object is to reduce a circuit scale in a solid-state imaging element that detects an address event. The solid-state imaging element is provided with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a signal supply unit, and a detection unit. In this solid-state imaging element, each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements photoelectrically converts incident light to generate a first electric signal. Furthermore, in the solid-state imaging element, the detection unit detects whether or not a change amount of the first electric signal of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements exceeds a predetermined threshold and outputs a detection signal indicating a result of the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Atsumi Niwa, Yusuke Oike
  • Patent number: 11659290
    Abstract: A system that can acquire a larger amount of information is provided. In the disclosure, calculation processing is performed on a data set including a plurality of pieces of data each including light amount distribution information on a two-dimensional plane that is acquired by a detection unit and time information indicating a time at which the light amount distribution information is acquired. In the calculation processing, among vectors in traveling directions of observation target light, a vector component in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane is estimated from the data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sekine, Kazuhiro Morimoto
  • Patent number: 11653080
    Abstract: An optical member driving device is provided. The device includes a fixed portion with an accommodation space for accommodating a lens device and a movable portion which includes a holding portion for holding an image sensor and is supported by a suspension wire at a position on a rear side of the lens device. The fixed portion has a case surrounding a periphery of the movable portion, and the movable portion has a coil substrate on which a coil is formed. The coil substrate has a main body portion and stopper portions projecting outward from a circumference of the main body portion, and the stopper portions are directly opposed to an inner surface of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: NEW SHICOH MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventor: Tatsuki Wade
  • Patent number: 11653120
    Abstract: A sensor system includes a sensor array configured to include a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor detecting with a first sensitivity a variation in a quantity of light at a first pixel address, the second sensor detecting with a second sensitivity a variation in a quantity of light at a second pixel address, the second pixel address being adjacent to or coinciding with the first pixel address, the second sensitivity being lower than the first sensitivity, and an event signal processing section configured to output information indicative of a difference between times at which the first sensor and the second sensor each have generated an event signal in response to a luminance variation event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Koizumi, Jun Horie
  • Patent number: 11653086
    Abstract: One or more systems and/or methods for capturing an image are provided. In an example, an application interface (e.g., a weather application interface), within which the image is to be populated, may be identified. The application interface may be evaluated to identify display context (e.g., a temperature label, weather visual effect, a weather icon, etc.) of the application interface. A camera user interface, associated with a camera of a device, may be displayed to a user. The display context may be overlaid a real-time image capture preview provided by the camera user interface so that the user may preview how the image may appear when used as a background image for the application interface (e.g., how a scene of a park may appear when the temperature label, weather icon, etc. are displayed over the background image). The image may be captured through the camera user interface utilizing the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Shenglong Gao, Adam Mathes, Gregory Choi, Dongeun Lee, Luiz Fernando da Silva Pereira, Yuhuan Tang
  • Patent number: 11647300
    Abstract: A pixel array for a high definition (HD) image sensor is disclosed. The pixel array includes a number of split pixel cells each including a first photodiode and a second photodiode that is more sensitive to incident light than the first photodiode. The first photodiode can be used to sense bright or high intensity light conditions, while the second photodiode can be used to sense low to medium intensity light conditions. In the disclosed pixel array, the sensitivity of one or more photodiodes is reduced by application of a light attenuation layer over the first photodiode of each split pixel cell. In accordance with methods of the disclosure, the light attenuation layer can be formed prior to the formation of a metal, optical isolation grid structure. This can lead to better control of the thickness and uniformity of light attenuation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Omnivision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Seong Yeol Mun
  • Patent number: 11637979
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a photodiode generating a charge in response to light, a transfer transistor connecting the photodiode and a floating diffusion, a reset transistor connected between the floating diffusion and a power node, a boosting capacitor connected to the floating diffusion, and adjusting a capacity of the floating diffusion in response to a boosting control signal, and a bias circuit having first and second current circuits for supplying different bias currents to an output node to which a voltage signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in the floating diffusion is output. The boosting control signal decreases from a high level to a low level after the transfer transistor is turned off, and the reset transistor is switched from a turned on state to a turned off state when the bias currents of the first and second current circuits are simultaneously provided to the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyungho Lee, Eunsub Shim, Jungbin Yun, Sungsoo Choi, Masato Fujita
  • Patent number: 11637982
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel part, a reading part for reading a pixel signal from the pixel part and a response data generating part including a fuzzy extractor. The response data generating part generates response data including a unique key in association with at least one selected from among variation information of pixels and variation information of the reading part. The response data generating part generates, when regenerating a key, a unique key using helper data acquired in generation of an initial key, variation information acquired in the regeneration of the key, and reliability information determined based on the variation information acquired in the regeneration of the key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignees: BRILLNICS JAPAN INC., THE RITSUMEIKAN TRUST
    Inventors: Shunsuke Okura, Masayoshi Shirahata, Takeshi Fujino, Mitsuru Shiozaki, Takaya Kubota