Patents Examined by Christopher K Peterson
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Patent number: 11134197Abstract: Provided is an image blur correction device, including a driven member configured to hold a correction target member; a plurality of actuators configured to move a driven member within a plane; a first movable member configured to guide a movement of the driven member in a first direction; a second movable member configured to guide a movement of the driven member in a second direction different from the first direction; and a fixing member configured to movably hold the driven member, the first movable member, and the second movable member, wherein the fixing member is sandwiched at least between the driven member and the first movable member or between the driven member and the second movable member.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2020Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinsuke Yoshida, Shunsuke Ninomiya
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Patent number: 11134190Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging device, an imaging method, an electronic device, and a signal processing device capable of reducing an amount of information of a set value to be stored in an image processing block for reducing noise according to a noise amount and an interpolation operation amount thereof. Signal processing is performed on an image captured by an image sensor on the basis of a Gain value of the image sensor offset according to a temperature value of the image sensor. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging device.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventor: Masakatsu Fujimoto
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Patent number: 11128822Abstract: An “Adaptive Exposure Corrector” performs automated real-time exposure correction of individual images or image sequences of arbitrary length. “Exposure correction” is defined herein as automated adjustments or corrections to any combination of shadows, highlights, high-frequency features, and color saturation of images. The Adaptive Exposure Corrector outputs perceptually improved images based on image ISO and camera ISO capabilities in combination with camera noise characteristics via exposure corrections by a variety of noise-aware image processing functions. An initial calibration process adapts these noise aware image processing functions to noise characteristics of particular camera models and types in combination with particular camera ISO settings. More specifically, this calibration process precomputes a Noise Aware Scaling Function (NASF) and a Color Scalar Function (CSF).Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2016Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Lu Yuan, Sing Bing Kang, Chintan A. Shah
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Patent number: 11122207Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a first selection unit which selects one of items in a first layer, a second selection unit which selects one of items in a second layer which become selectable when one of the items in the first layer is selected, a display controller which performs control such that the items in the first layer are displayed in a first direction and the items in the second layer are displayed in the first direction in a first display unit, and a controller which performs control such that, even when the first selection unit selects one of the items in the first layer, the items in the first layer are not shifted and the selected item in the second layer is displayed in a position corresponding to a display position of a corresponding one of the items in the first layer in the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2020Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takuro Miyajima, Ryu Wakui, Takeshi Kikkawa, Naomi Mori, Mayu Asano
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Patent number: 11102389Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is configured to change a shooting process based on data on a shot image. The image pickup apparatus is configured to, when the image pickup apparatus changes the shooting process, assign greater weights to the data on the shot image based on an instruction from a user than to the data on the shot image automatically processed.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobushige Wakamatsu, Shinnosuke Osawa, Ryota Ogawa, Yuki Tsuihiji, Yusuke Shimizu
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Patent number: 11102398Abstract: Approaches are described for managing the processing of images or video on a computing device. A portable computing device can include one or more dedicated components, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other dedicated processor component, to be integrated into the computing device to perform at least a portion of the imaging processing of captured images or video. For example, the dedicated processor component can enable the offloading of basic image signal processing, as well as higher level or “machine vision” processing from the device processor of the device. In this way, the dedicated processor component can perform signal processing for which the input is an image (or video), and where image or video data can be analyzed, interpreted and/or manipulated to generate an output, the output of image processing being either an image or a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image. The output can be provided to a device processor for further processing.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Smita Neglur
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Patent number: 11095812Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention discloses an image processing method, an apparatus, and a device. The method is applied to a terminal having two specially manufactured cameras. A first sub-image that is of a to-be-photographed object and that is photographed by a first camera is obtained, where a corresponding field-of-view range is [0, ?1]; a second sub-image that is of the to-be-photographed object and that is photographed by a second camera is obtained, where a corresponding field-of-view range is [?2, ?3], and quality of the first sub-image and the second sub-image satisfies a definition requirement of an extra-large aperture; and the first sub-image and the second sub-image are spliced and fused to obtain a target image that has a larger field-of-view range and satisfies the extra-large aperture.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: An Li, Qingping Wang, Tizheng Wang
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Patent number: 11095843Abstract: An imaging device includes a first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion region disposed in a first substrate and that converts incident light into first electric charges, and a first readout circuit including a first converter that converts the first electric charges into a first logarithmic voltage signal. The first converter includes a first transistor coupled to the first photoelectric conversion region and a second transistor coupled to the first transistor. The imaging device includes a wiring layer on the first substrate and includes a first level of wirings arranged in a first arrangement overlapping the first photoelectric conversion region and in a second arrangement overlapping the first and second transistors, the second arrangement being different than the first arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventors: Pooria Mostafalu, Sungin Hwang, Frederick Brady
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Patent number: 11095836Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel array with rows and columns of pixels. Each row of the pixel array has a first end that is opposite a second end of each row of the pixel array. Control circuitry is coupled to the first end of each row of the pixel array to provide control signals to each row of the pixel array from the first end of each row of the pixel array. Far end driver circuitry coupled to the second end of each row of the pixel array to selectively further drive from the second end of each row of the pixel array the control signals provided by the control circuitry from the first end of each row of the pixel array. The control circuitry is further coupled to provide far end control signals to the far end driver circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Rui Wang, Hiroaki Ebihara, Zhiyong Zhan, Liang Zuo, Min Qu, Wanqing Xin, Xuelian Liu
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Patent number: 11086109Abstract: A digital camera comprising a digital image sensor and at least one corrective lens element configured to reduce a blurring of an image in a horizontal or vertical dimension on the digital image sensor. The digital image sensor may be larger than a 28 millimeter diagonal.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2020Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Panavision International, L.P.Inventors: Daniel Keith Sasaki, Haluki Sadahiro
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Patent number: 11074679Abstract: A method includes photographing a first image, where the first image comprises a document. A first area of the document is obscured by a first obstruction. The method further includes determining a location of the first area based on depth data. The method further includes photographing a second image. The method further includes restoring the obstructed information in the first area based on the second image. The method further includes displaying a third image, wherein the third image comprises the document and the first obstruction s removed from the first area of the document.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2017Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Yahui Wang, Xin Chen, Yunchao Zhang
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Patent number: 11070740Abstract: A camera device includes a first IR illuminator that is configured to irradiate a first irradiation range in a capturing area with first IR light, a second IR illuminator that is configured to irradiate a second irradiation range narrower than the first irradiation range in the capturing area with second IR light, and a controller that is configured to obtain a zoom magnification of the lens and controls the irradiation of the first IR light and the second IR light in a case where the zoom magnification is equal to a predetermined zoom magnification. The controller changes a supplied current of the first IR illuminator for the irradiation of the first IR light over a first predetermined time period, and changes a supplied current of the second IR illuminator for the irradiation of the second IR light over a second predetermined time period.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.Inventors: Tatsuya Tamaru, Satoshi Kataoka, Daisuke Hara, Hiroki Yamanaka
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Patent number: 11070760Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional array. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element that converts incident light into electric charge, and a charge holding element that receives the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion element, and transfers the electric charge to a corresponding floating diffusion. The charge holding element further includes a plurality of electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Takeshi Takeda
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Patent number: 11064106Abstract: Disclosed herein are electronic device display interface embodiments for controlling a camera and for reviewing images captured in the device from the camera. For example, in some embodiments, a device is provided with a display for viewing images to be captured by the camera and to provide a display interface for controlling camera operation, wherein the display interface, when in an image capture mode, is to provide an image capture button with two or more smaller image mode buttons disposed adjacent to the image capture button.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Peter W. Winer, Krishna Kaza, Russell Scott Love, Jim Granger, Jeff Solari, Edwin Van Dalen
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Patent number: 11064183Abstract: A multi-lens based capturing apparatus and method are provided. The capturing apparatus includes a lens array including lenses and a sensor including sensing pixels, wherein at least a portion of sensing pixels in the sensor may generate sensing information based on light entering through different lenses in the lens array, and light incident on each sensing pixel, among the portion of the plurality of sensing pixels may correspond to different combinations of viewpoints.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Yang Ho Cho, Dong Kyung Nam, Hyoseok Hwang, Young Ju Jeong, Jingu Heo
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Patent number: 11063072Abstract: The present technology relates to an image capturing apparatus and an electronic device that are capable of reducing noise. A photoelectric conversion element, a conversion unit configured to convert a signal from the photoelectric conversion element into a digital signal, and a control unit configured to control current flowing to an analog circuit on the basis of an output signal from the conversion unit are provided. The conversion unit converts the signal from the photoelectric conversion element into a digital signal by using a slope signal having a level that monotonically decreases as time elapses. The control unit performs control to increase or reduce current flowing to the analog circuit in a case where the output signal has a large level. The present technology is applicable to, for example, an image capturing apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2017Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Masaki Sakakibara
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Patent number: 11057554Abstract: Disposing a functional device such as a camera on a display surface widens a frame. A display device (2) includes a display panel (DP) including a first substrate (5). The display panel has a transparent section (TS) from which display light does not go out and which has a partial region (5s) of the first substrate. In plan view, the transparent section which is larger than a pixel (PX) is disposed on an inner side of an edge of a display area (3) or is disposed to cut out the display area. The display panel has a back surface on which a functional device (FD) configured to perform at least one of light reception or light emission is disposed to overlap the transparent section.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jin Nakamura, Nobuhisa Nakajima, Isao Takahashi, Hiroyuki Watatani
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Patent number: 11057564Abstract: Some embodiments may include a multi-layer flexure that may be used in an optical image stabilization voice coil motor (OIS VCM) actuator of a camera. The multi-layer flexure module may include a dynamic platform and a static platform along with multiple layers of flexure arms that mechanically connect the dynamic platform to the static platform. In some examples, the multi-layer flexure may include electrical traces configured to convey signals from the dynamic platform to the static platform. The electrical traces may be routed from the dynamic platform to the static platform via the flexure arms. In some embodiments, a multi-layer flexure may have a greater stiffness in a Z-direction aligning with an optical axis of a camera and may have a lower stiffness in X and Y directions corresponding to optical image stabilization directions of an OIS VCM actuator.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2020Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Brad V. Johnson, Hao Zheng, Scott W. Miller
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Patent number: 11050908Abstract: Please replace the original abstract paragraph with the following new paragraph. A mobile terminal includes a housing and a camera. The camera is rotatably coupled to the housing and configured for locking at a specified position. When the camera is locked at a first specified position, the camera is located inside the housing and one side of the camera is exposed outside the housing, and when the camera is locked at a second specified position, a lens of the camera is exposed outside the housing. The mobile terminal further includes a drive apparatus and a touch apparatus. The drive apparatus is configured to drive the camera to rotate, and the touch apparatus includes a touch sensor and a control chip. After receiving a touch signal from the touch sensor, the control chip controls the drive apparatus to drive the camera to rotate to the second specified position.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Haitao Zhen, Qingzhi Yang, Jun Yang, Teng Long, Tao Meng, Xuesong Tian, Weichuan Chen
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Patent number: 11050984Abstract: A method and instructions for operating an image quality system can comprise: obtaining an original image; sensing a subsequent image with an image-capturing device, comprising: testing a focus of the subsequent image with the image-capturing device implementing a blur test, informing a user to retake the subsequent image based on the subsequent image failing the blur test, evaluating a histogram for the subsequent image, informing the user to retake the subsequent image based on the histogram including a value exceeding a saturation threshold, and informing the user to retake the subsequent image based on the histogram including the value exceeding an underexposure threshold; compressing the histogram with an adjustment curve; and color matching the subsequent image to the original image.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: CAPTUREPROOF, INC.Inventors: Jaroslaw Walery Winniczek, David Chocron, Meghan Patricia Conroy