Patents Examined by Daniel M Pasiewicz
  • Patent number: 11950009
    Abstract: In a solid-state image sensor that compares an amount of change in light amount and a threshold, time required to adjust the threshold is shortened. The solid-state image sensor includes a voltage comparison unit and a count unit. In the solid-state image sensor, the voltage comparison unit compares an analog signal according to an amount of change in incident light with a predetermined voltage indicating a boundary of a predetermined voltage range, and outputs a comparison result as a voltage comparison result. Furthermore, in the solid-state image sensor, the count unit counts a count value every time the voltage comparison result indicating that the analog signal falls outside the voltage range is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Hongbo Zhu
  • Patent number: 11949998
    Abstract: A photographic paddle and process of use thereof are provided. The photographic paddle is used for photographing interior or close-up vehicle exterior region features of a subject vehicle, and to rapidly produce high-quality images that are reflection-free and glare-free. The photographic paddle has the ability to produce wide-angle high-quality images and stereoscopic three-dimensional images that are reflection-free and glare-free. The photographic paddle has additional utility to photograph interior and close-up vehicle exterior region features of a subject vehicle in-situ in a densely arranged inventory lot without having to move the vehicle to and from a staging area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventor: Davo Scheich
  • Patent number: 11924572
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first amplifier comparing and amplifying a first voltage signal received from a first column line, and a ramp signal; a second amplifier amplifying an output of the first amplifier; a third amplifier comparing and amplifying a second voltage signal received from a second column line, and the ramp signal; and a fourth amplifier amplifying an output of the third amplifier, wherein the second amplifier and the fourth amplifier output a decision signal at different points in time by dummy switch control split.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sunyool Kang, Kyungtae Kim, Yunhwan Jung, Yongjun Cho, Heesung Chae
  • Patent number: 11924532
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include a video camera assembly that includes: (1) a housing; (2) an image sensor positioned within the housing and having a field of view corresponding to a scene in the smart home environment; and (3) a concave-shaped front face positioned in front of the image sensor such that light from the scene passes through the front face prior to entering the image sensor; where the front face includes: (a) an inner section corresponding to the image sensor; and (b) an outer section between the housing and the inner section, the outer section having a concave shape that extends from an outer periphery of the outer section to an inner periphery of the outer section; and where the concave shape extends around an entirety of the outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Mark Kraz, Kevin Edward Booth, Tyler Scott Wilson, Nicholas Webb, Jason Evans Goulden, William Dong, Jeffrey Law, Rochus Jacob, Adam Duckworth Mittleman, Oliver Mueller
  • Patent number: 11910086
    Abstract: An information handling system camera captures visual images of light directed by a lens towards an image sensor. The camera has an active illumination privacy shutter that disables the image sensor from capturing visual images by introducing illumination between the lens and image sensor, such as with a red light emitting diode that is seen as a red dot at the lens when viewed from in front of the camera. In one embodiment, the illumination is directed towards a light diffuser, such as a sheet of acrylic, that extends between the lens and image sensor when the camera is commanded to a privacy mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Chien-Chih Liao, Chih-Hao Kao, Ghee Beng Ooi, Yi-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 11863874
    Abstract: A method for controlling an autoexposure function of a camera to a gray level setting, the method including establishing a critical exposure time of an image sensing device of the camera, wherein the critical exposure time of the image sensing device of the camera is an exposure time at which a first sensed gray level of the image sensing device of the camera is disposed at a target gray level, the sensed gray level is disposed in a trend of decreasing sensed gray level values; exposing the image sensing device of the camera to light to obtain a second sensed gray level and comparing the second sensed gray level at the critical exposure time to the target gray level, if the second sensed gray level is disposed at least at the target gray level, limiting the exposure of the image sensing device of the camera to the critical exposure time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: MLOptic Corp.
    Inventors: Wei Zhou, Nathan Yang, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 11863890
    Abstract: A pixel circuit comprising: a light-sensing element; a first transistor having its control node coupled to a sense node and its source coupled to a readout path of the pixel circuit; and a reset voltage correction circuit comprising: a first switch configured to selectively couple an input node of the reset voltage correction circuit to a correction node, the input node being connected to the sense node or to the source of the first transistor, the correction node being coupled by a capacitance to the sense node; and a second switch configured to selectively couple the correction node to a reset voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
    Inventor: Gaelle Palmigiani
  • Patent number: 11863899
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a CMOS image sensor, which includes a plurality of image sensor units and a resistance-to-digital converting unit. Each image sensor unit includes a pixel unit and a resistive random access memory unit connected to the pixel unit, the pixel unit is configured to convert a received optical signal into an analog signal and the resistive random access memory unit is configured to convert the analog electrical signal into a resistance value. The resistance-to-digital converting unit is connected to the plurality of the image sensor units, and is configured to convert the resistance value into a digital signal. The resistive random access memory unit is adopted in the present disclosure to replace a transistor device and is configured to convert resistance information of the resistive random access memory unit into a digital signal and output. Thus, digital quantization of image information is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: Shanghai IC R&D Center Co., Ltd., Shanghai Integrated Circuit Equipment & Materials Industry Innovation Center Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yuhang Zhao, Jianxin Wen, Changming Pi, Xi Zeng, Ling Shen
  • Patent number: 11862649
    Abstract: An imaging device that can obtain imaging data corresponding to high-resolution images in a short period of time is provided. The imaging device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and n (n is an integer more than 2 inclusive) retention circuits. The photoelectric conversion element and the n retention circuits are stacked. One electrode of the photoelectric conversion element is electrically connected to the first to n-th retention circuits. The retention circuits include OS transistors with an extremely low off-state current feature, and can retain imaging data for a long time. In the first to n-th periods, the imaging device obtains the first to n-th imaging data and retains it in the first to n-th retention circuits. Then, the first to n-th imaging data retained in the first to n-th retention circuits are read out. The read imaging data is output outside the imaging data through AD conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Yoneda, Hidetomo Kobayashi, Takashi Nakagawa, Yusuke Negoro, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11856306
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pulse shaping circuit that shapes an output from a diode of avalanche amplification type into a pulse, and a pulse conversion circuit that converts a pulse signal output from the pulse shaping circuit. The pulse conversion circuit converts a pulse signal having a first amplitude and output from the pulse shaping circuit into a pulse signal having a second amplitude smaller than the first amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukihiro Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11856171
    Abstract: An image capture device continuously generates time-lapse video frames to be included within a time-lapse video using a dynamic time-lapse video frame rate, with the value of the dynamic time-lapse video frame rate changing based on activation of a trigger to change the dynamic time-lapse video frame rate. The dynamic time-lapse video frame rate alternates between different values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicolas Rahmouni, Maxim Karpushin, Thomas Derbanne
  • Patent number: 11843847
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that comprises a mounting mechanism for detachably mounting a device with an analysis processing executing function, comprises a sending unit that sends, to the device, data for analysis including a plurality of pieces of subdata for analysis processing via a first command and location information indicating a location of each of the plurality of pieces of subdata in the data for analysis via a second command, and an obtaining unit that obtains, from the device, a plurality of results obtained by the device executing the analysis processing on the plurality of pieces of subdata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuji Aramaki
  • Patent number: 11838630
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a capturing device configured to capture an image of a subject; an estimation unit configured to estimate, from the captured image of the subject, a speed of the subject at a time point of image capture of a subsequent image, the estimation being performed using a learned model generated through machine learning, and a control unit configured to, based on the estimated speed of the subject, control an image capturing operation for the image capture of the subsequent image by the capturing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nasu, Shunichi Wakashima
  • Patent number: 11831980
    Abstract: An electronic device and a controlling method of the electronic device are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jaeyeop Lee, Dongchan Kim, Jongmyeong Ban, Hyechan Bae, Dongnam Byun, Seongwo Oh, Haedong Yeo, Jinyoung Hwang
  • Patent number: 11832009
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit and a current source array unit. The pixel array unit includes N pixel units arrayed in a first direction. Each pixel unit includes a photodiode and an amplification MOS transistor. The current source array unit includes N current sources. Each current source includes a first MOS transistor, a second MOS transistor, a third MOS transistor, a fourth MOS transistor, and a setting circuit. The setting circuit sets ON/OFF of the third MOS transistor on the basis of a voltage of the signal line, thereby suppressing fluctuations in an amount of current flowing from a Vr supply line to a ground potential supply terminal via a common node and the first MOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Yoshimura, Yukinobu Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11818492
    Abstract: A communication management apparatus for communicating with a communication terminal, including circuitry that receives from the communication terminal pieces of designated-position information transmitted, each indicating a corresponding one of a plurality of designated positions in an area where the plurality of image capturing devices are provided, and transmits to the communication terminal identification information of a shareable image capturing device and pieces of predetermined-area information of the shareable image capturing device, the shareable image capturing device being an image capturing device for which distances from any two designated positions among the plurality of designated positions indicated by the pieces of designated-position information are shortest and which is capable of sharing images of the two designated positions, each of the pieces of predetermined-area information of the shareable image capturing device indicating a predetermined area in which a corresponding one of the two
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekuni Annaka, Kenichiro Morita, Kyohsuke Kaminushi, Hiroyuki Kanda, Tomonori Aikawa, Yuya Akimoto
  • Patent number: 11800233
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a neuromorphic vision unit, an array, and a controller. The neuromorphic vision unit includes a plurality of pixels to photoelectrically produce data based on light received from an object in a scene. The array includes a plurality of light sources. The controller controls the plurality of light sources at one of a plurality of granularities, at least in part based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Erkan Diken, Arjen Gerben Van Der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier, Marcus Hendrikus Adrianus van Steen, Rob Jacques Paul Engelen
  • Patent number: 11770597
    Abstract: A heating device for a camera module comprises: a resistance heating film formed on a lens through which external light is introduced for generating heat by electric current; a power applying member for supplying the electric current to the resistance heating film; and a connecting member for electrically connecting the resistance heating film and the power applying member in close contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyun Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 11768423
    Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes a camera, a flash array adjacent to the camera, and a flash driving circuit connected to the flash array. In the process of image acquisition based on the image acquisition apparatus, a driving signal provided by the flash driving circuit may be used to drive corresponding flashes in the flash array to be lighted, a driving current for controlling each of the flashes may be adjusted to control the brightness of a respective one of the flashes. The number of lighted flashes in the flash array or the light supplement brightness of the lighted flashes may be adjusted adaptively according to different shooting scenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xuanzhao Wang
  • Patent number: 11758302
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a controller, a power supply, a regulator, and a switch. The controller is configured to control an imaging unit, on the basis of a command and data that are received from a host in accordance with an I2C/I3C communication protocol. The power supply is configured to supply a voltage to a digital block of the controller. The digital block is configured to be subjected to dynamic voltage frequency scaling within one-frame operation. The regulator and the switch are provided between the digital block and the power supply, and coupled in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Chiaki Takano, Toshimasa Shimizu, Yuki Takizawa, Mark Pude, Hirotaka Murakami, Kevin Fronczak