Patents Examined by Dennis Hogue
  • Patent number: 9420159
    Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus includes: an image pickup lens; an image pickup device that generates an image signal; an iris that controls an amount of the light transmitted through the image pickup lens; a shutter that controls exposure; a focus detector that detects focus using light transmitted through a predetermined exit pupil region of the lens; and a timing unit that controls a time for closing and/or opening the shutter, when the image pickup device outputs image information, where regardless of the time for closing and/or opening the shutter, the focus detector detects a focus when the iris has an iris value for ensuring transmission of a light flux used to detect the focus, after the exposure is finished. To precisely perform auto focus (AF), the digital photographing apparatus performs continuous AF or simultaneously displays a live view in consideration of timing for adjusting the iris and timing for controlling the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Hamada
  • Patent number: 9411128
    Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus includes a position detecting unit for a focus unit, a driving unit for the focus unit, a focus detecting unit using a phase difference method, a contrast acquiring unit for picking up an image of object, and a focusing determining unit based on a contrast, a cyclic pattern determining unit for an object based on focus information obtained by the focusing detecting unit, a target position setting unit for driving of the focus unit, and a focusing direction determining unit, and, when the object has a cyclic pattern, the apparatus determines a direction of an in-focus point, sets a target position in the determined direction of the in-focus point, drives the focus unit toward the target position, and determines whether or not in-focus state is achieved by using the focusing determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shingo Isobe
  • Patent number: 9407815
    Abstract: Aspects provide for location and time aware photographic scene matching and recommendations by identifying a location of a target scene displayed within a field of view of an electronic display screen of a camera device. A repository is searched for picture(s) related to the identified location and indicated in a social network as attractive. Recommendation information is generated from picture(s) retrieved from the repository search as related to the identified location and indicated in the social network as attractive. Thus, the camera device electronic display screen is driven to present the recommendation information within the field of view of the target scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Bostick, John M. Ganci, Jr., Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Craig M. Trim
  • Patent number: 9407842
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus including an image sensor including a plurality of phase difference detection pixels that each perform pupil division of a photographing lens, a gain acquisition unit for acquiring a gain used to correct an output of the phase difference detection pixels, and a correction processing unit for correcting the output of the phase difference detection pixels using the gain acquired by the gain acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Miyatani, Kazuki Akaho
  • Patent number: 9398226
    Abstract: A zoom magnification calculation device associates a plurality of delay times with a plurality of zoom magnifications. The zoom magnification calculation device inputs, from the image-capturing device, i) an instruction for capturing the image of the object with one of the plurality of zoom magnifications, ii) a first relative distance from the object to the transportation vehicle at a time, iii) a moving speed of the transportation vehicle. The zoom magnification calculation device calculates, based on the inputting of the instruction using i) one of the plurality of the delay times associated with the one of the plurality of the zoom magnifications, ii) the first relative distance, and iii) the moving speed, a second relative distance in which the transportation vehicle becomes closer to the object than the first relative distance, and calculates an adjusted zoom magnification corresponding to the second relative distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kazutaka Furuta, Teruyuki Takizawa, Hiroya Kusaka, Taro Imagawa
  • Patent number: 9395605
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus reduced in the number of components without impairing the operability of an unlocking operation part and an adjacent other operation part of a grip part. A digital video camera has a camera body and a grip part rotatable with respect to the camera body. A lock member within the grip part is rotatable in unison with the grip part, and is pivotally moved between a locking position for locking the grip part and an unlocking position for unlocking the same. A spring member urges the lock member toward the locking position. An operation knob formed on the lock member pivotally moves the lock member to the unlocking position against the urging force of the spring member. A recording start/stop button is formed in the lock member adjacent to the operation knob. The knob and the button are operated in respective different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norikazu Hirota
  • Patent number: 9332168
    Abstract: A photographing device includes a main body, a first video capturing unit, a second video capturing unit and a rotatable electrical connection portion. The first video capturing unit is disposed on the main body, a center of a first video capturing range of the first video capturing unit is located on a first axis. The second video capturing unit is rotatable about the first axis to be pivoted on the main body, the second video capturing unit and the first axis are separated by a distance. A second video capturing range of the second video capturing unit overlaps the first axis. The rotatable electrical connection portion includes a first and a second connection component pivoted and connected to each other. The second video capturing unit is disposed on and connected to the first connection component. The second connection component is disposed on and connected to the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: VIVOTEK INC.
    Inventors: Shyh-Yih Ma, Jen-Chih Wu, ChaoTan Huang
  • Patent number: 9324749
    Abstract: A color filter array of a color imaging element is formed with a basic array pattern repeatedly disposed in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The basic array pattern is formed with RGB filters arrayed in an array pattern corresponding to 5×5 pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. A ratio of all pixel numbers of a G pixel is made larger than a ratio of a pixel number of each color of RB. The G filter is disposed in each line in the horizontal, vertical and oblique directions of the color filter array. One or more R and B filters are disposed in each filter line in the horizontal and vertical directions of the color filter array in the basic array pattern. Filters of different colors are adjacently disposed in each of the horizontal, vertical and oblique directions of the R and B filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kenkichi Hayashi, Seiji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9323973
    Abstract: A device for capturing an image representing a print of a part of the body of a person, the capture device may include: a base layer; a reference electrode covering the base layer; electronic capsules fixed in the form of a matrix on the reference electrode, each electronic capsule consisting of a microcapsule filled with a liquid medium and particles with two different colors and opposite electrical charges; a support plate covering the electronic capsules and serving as a support for said part; a camera intended to take an image of the electronic capsules; and an active electrode intended to come into contact with said part and electrically connected to a voltage source delivering a non-zero electrical voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: MORPHO
    Inventors: Denis Dumont, François Rieul, Michel Cruchaga, Sylvaine Picard
  • Patent number: 9319589
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus that includes one or more image sensors configured to capture a plurality of images and store the captured images in a memory. The apparatus also includes a circuitry that detects an input trigger and continues to capture new images in response to the trigger. The numbers of new images captured are equal in magnitude to half the magnitude of the capacity of the memory. The first new image captured after detecting the trigger is tagged as a reference image. In response to the number of new images captured, the sensors are deactivated and the reference image is displayed immediately on a display panel. On detecting an input operation, the apparatus displays a target image from the plurality of images captured in a quick and efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Kosaka, Kenichi Yoneda, Hidehiro Komatsu, Tatsuya Hama, Miyuki Shirakawa, Keiichi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 9298356
    Abstract: An image processing method includes: defining a selection area in a first still image according to a user input; extracting image data that correspond to the selected area from a second still image; combining the image data extracted from the second still image on the selection area of the first still image to create a composite image; and sequentially displaying the first still image and the composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-seok Song, Tae-hoon Kang, Jong-sun Kim, Myung-kyu Choi, Kwang-il Hwang
  • Patent number: 9300876
    Abstract: A content editing application may receive preview image data from a sensor. The preview image data may be displayed within an interface of the content editing application. The content editing application may request that the sensor capture a final image and the final image may be displayed within the interface of the content editing application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas H. Müehrke, Andreas Wurf
  • Patent number: 9294677
    Abstract: An image stabilization control apparatus including a mechanism which causes a vibration when the mechanism moves is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a vibration correction unit configured to correct image shake occurring due to vibration applied to the image stabilization control apparatus. A correction value of an angular velocity of the vibration is calculated based on signals based on the angular velocity and an acceleration of the vibration, frequency bands of the signals are narrowed. During the mechanism is moving, the image shake is corrected by driving the vibration correction unit based on the angular velocity of the vibration which is corrected by the corrected value calculated before the mechanism moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Washisu, Goro Noto, Junichi Saito
  • Patent number: 9274314
    Abstract: An imaging lens includes an aperture stop, first, second, third, fourth and fifth lens elements arranged from an object side to an image side in the given order. The first lens element has a positive refractive power. The second lens element has an image-side surface with a concave portion in a vicinity of a periphery. The third lens element has an object-side surface with a concave portion in a vicinity of a periphery. The fourth lens element has an object-side surface with a convex portion in a vicinity of a optical axis. The fourth lens element and the fifth lens element have an image-side surface with a concave portion in a vicinity of a optical axis. The fifth lens element is made of a plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: GENIUS ELECTRONIC OPTICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chen-Cheng Liao
  • Patent number: 9270840
    Abstract: The present invention in one aspect is directed to systems and methods for capturing a digital image, and preferably a collection of digital images, of a customer in a defined location, such as a museum, a garden, a zoo, a religious institution, a theme park, or any such site known in the art, or in a defined time period, such as a vacation. The systems and methods provide a customer with a customized pictorial souvenir, physical and/or electronic, of a visit or vacation. The souvenir can include other elements, such as “stock” images, alone or having had an image of the customer digitally inserted thereinto, and informational material. Embodiments are also provided that employ devices such as “smart,” interactive devices and read only or read/write devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Freeze Frame, LLC
    Inventor: Clifford R. David
  • Patent number: 9270841
    Abstract: Automated systems and methods for capturing digital images of a customer with multiple high-definition video cameras mounted in a venue such as a stadium, interactively communicating with venue customers to receive customer requests for images and information regarding customer locations in the venue and in response identify camera images containing the requested images and pixel groups therein containing images requested by customers, processing the requests to generate preview and send to customers for approval and ordering, and generating and sending final images in response to purchase requests and calculating and automatically applying charges to customers and third parties for promotional material sent to customers and making payments to third parties having rights in image content sent to customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: FREEZE FRAME, LLC
    Inventor: Clifford R David
  • Patent number: 9264679
    Abstract: A mobile device, such as a smart phone, is provided with a camera and a projector. A user may select a still image or a video sequence and project it onto a viewing surface using the mobile device. Once the viewer selects a preferred perspective view frame, the image frame may be pinned to the viewing surface. After that, the viewer may move the projector to different positions while holding the projector, or sit the projector on a table and the viewed image will be maintained in the same perspective view frame as the initial selected view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Manasvi Tickoo, Vinay Sharma
  • Patent number: 9247142
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing the operation state of an external device and an apparatus using the method. A method for providing the operation state of an external device according to the present invention comprises displaying a preview image of a camera; identifying an external device displayed on the preview image; generating an indicator corresponding to the operation state of the external device; and displaying the indicator by matching the indicator to an area in the preview image to which a component related to the operation state belongs. According to the present invention, information about the operation state of a component disposed inside of an external device can be checked by making use of augmented reality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Ji Hea Kim, Jong Ook Kim, You Sook Eun, Ji Sun Lee
  • Patent number: 9247125
    Abstract: An auxiliary light projection system employed by a camera having an auto-focus detection unit, comprises a light pattern generator configured to generate an auto-focus detection pattern. The auto-focus detection pattern comprises a first pattern region and a second pattern region that is denser than the first pattern region, and a center of the first pattern region and a center of the second pattern region are separated by a distance determined in response to difference in visual characteristics of the auto-focus detection pattern between when viewed from (i) from an axis through the lens of a camera and (ii) from an axis through a focus pattern projection source. A light pattern projection source configured to project the generated auto-focus detection pattern onto a subject enabling auto-focus detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Kimura
  • Patent number: 9247306
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite multimedia product pertaining to a digital image captured of a scene. The method includes sharing the digital image with a remote user, and facilitating a conversation with the remote user across a communication network. A portion of the conversation that is relevant to the shared digital image is automatically extracted and combined with the digital image to form the composite multimedia product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
    Inventors: Brian Joseph O'Keefe, Kenneth Alan Parulski