Patents Examined by Dwight Alex C Tejano
  • Patent number: 11490031
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to image capture systems and methods. The image capture method may include obtaining first color image data including color information with an infrared light source off. The image capture method may also include obtaining first luminance image data including luminance information with the infrared light source on. The image capture method may also include generating a first enhanced image based on the first color image data and the first luminance image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG DAHUA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Erli Lu, Jun Zhao, Naiying Ding, Mingzhu Chen, Zhiyong Xu
  • Patent number: 11483507
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup element including: a photodiode configured to convert incident light into a photocurrent; an amplification transistor configured to amplify a voltage between a gate having a potential depending on the photocurrent and a source having a predetermined reference potential and output the amplified voltage from a drain; and a potential supply section configured to supply an anode of the photodiode and a back-gate of the amplification transistor with a predetermined potential lower than the reference potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solution Corporation
    Inventor: Atsumi Niwa
  • Patent number: 11477359
    Abstract: A device, which complies with a predetermined standard and is mounted in an image capturing apparatus including a mounting part capable of attaching/detaching the device, comprises a storage capable of storing an image captured by the image capturing apparatus and a processing function for executing image analysis processing for image data based on the image. The device obtains, from the image capturing apparatus in accordance with the predetermined standard, the image data and a command used by the image capturing apparatus to output the image data to the device, and controls, based on whether a value associated with the image analysis processing is stored in the obtained command, whether to cause the processing function to execute the image analysis processing for the image data or cause the storage to store the image data without executing the image analysis processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kentaro Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 11477361
    Abstract: A camera microcomputer receives first accessory attribute information of the accessory attribute information through the third communication channel by using a first communication method and then switches from the first communication method to a second communication method different from the first communication method, and controls communication so as to receive second accessory attribute information of the accessory attribute information through the third communication channel by using the second communication method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoki Tanaka, Hideya Takanashi
  • Patent number: 11470268
    Abstract: A sensor device includes an array sensor having a plurality of detection elements arrayed in one or two dimensional manner, a signal processing unit configured to acquire a detection signal by the array sensor and perform signal processing, and a calculation unit. The calculation unit detects an object from the detection signal by the array sensor, and gives an instruction for making a frame rate of the detection signal from the array sensor variable on the basis of the detection of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Takatsuka, Hiroki Tetsukawa
  • Patent number: 11463625
    Abstract: An electronic appliance, includes: an imaging apparatus; a display apparatus; and a control apparatus, the control apparatus being configured to: extract, from a moving image captured by the imaging apparatus, subjects included in the moving image and information items each on one of the subjects; generate enlarged-view target information for selecting an enlarged-view target from among the subjects, with reference to the information items; select the enlarged-view target from among the subjects, with reference to the enlarged-view target information; and enlarge a region including the enlarged-view target, and cause the display apparatus to display the moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Haneda, Noriaki Murakami, Shohei Takai, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 11462582
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device, a manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus, which can obtain high charge transfer efficiency from a photoelectric conversion unit to a floating diffusion layer. The floating diffusion layer is arranged in a rectangular shape so as to surround a gate electrode of a vertical transistor whose groove portion is rectangular. A reset drain is formed so as to be adjacent to the floating diffusion layer through a reset gate. A potential of the floating diffusion layer is reset to the same potential as that of the reset drain by applying a predetermined voltage to the reset gate. It is possible to apply the present disclosure to, for example, a CMOS solid-state image pickup device used in an image pickup device such as a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Hatano, Hideaki Togashi
  • Patent number: 11457150
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a first detector configured to detect a moving operation of moving an operating object while touching an operation surface with the operating object; a second detector configured to detect a pressing force of the operating object on the operation surface; and a control unit configured to control so that in a case where the moving operation is in a first length and the pressing force is in a first magnitude, an item displayed on a display is moved in a first distance; and in a case where the moving operation is in the first length and the pressing force is in a second magnitude that is different from the first magnitude, the item displayed on the display is moved in a second distance that is longer than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuki Sugaya
  • Patent number: 11457166
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology provide a method and apparatus for an image sensor. In various embodiments, the apparatus provides a driver circuit connected to a plurality of electrically distinct pixel groups to provide the pixel groups with a control signal. A delay measurement circuit is connected to the driver circuit and at least one of the pixel groups to measure a time delay of the control signal. A row control circuit is connected to the delay measurement circuit to receive the measured time delay and, in turn, deliver, via the driver circuit, the control signal to all pixel groups in a single row substantially simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Paul Cowley, Andrew David Talbot
  • Patent number: 11451751
    Abstract: To acquire a color image. A solid-state image pickup device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of light receiving portions, each of which receives light of a specific wavelength to generate an electric charge corresponding to an amount of the received light, a detector that detects a photoelectric current based on an electric charge generated in at least one of the plurality of light receiving portions, a generator that generates a voltage signal based on the electric charge generated in each of the plurality of light receiving portions, and a driving circuit that causes the generator to generate voltage signals based on electric charges generated in at least two of the plurality of light receiving portions, respectively, on the basis of a detection result of the photoelectric current by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koya Tsuchimoto
  • Patent number: 11451724
    Abstract: An imaging device includes pixels each including a photoelectric converter, and a control unit that controls an accumulation period for charge in the pixels. The pixels are divided into pixel blocks, the control unit is configured to control the accumulation period for each pixel block, the pixel blocks include first and second pixel blocks and a third pixel block arranged between the first and second pixel blocks, and the control unit includes a mode to commonly control the accumulation period in the first and third pixel blocks and control the accumulation period in the second pixel block independently of that of the first and third pixel blocks, and a mode to commonly control the accumulation period in the second and third pixel blocks and control the accumulation period in the first pixel block independently of that of the second and third pixel blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11431872
    Abstract: A computer vision processing device is provided which comprises memory configured to store data and a processor. The processor is configured to store captured image data in a first buffer and acquire access to the captured image data in the first buffer when the captured image data is available for processing. The processor is also configured to execute a first group of operations in a processing pipeline, each of which processes the captured image data accessed from the first buffer and return the first buffer for storing next captured image data when a last operation of the first group of operations executes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Radhakrishna Giduthuri, Michael L. Schmit
  • Patent number: 11418728
    Abstract: An imaging system may comprise: a lens including one or more lens elements; a programmable liquid crystal light modulator disposed adjacent to the lens; an imaging sensor; and a processing system comprising at least one processor and memory. The processing system may be configured to control the imaging system to: capture an image through the lens using the imaging sensor; analyze the image to determine at least one characteristic of the lens; and based on the analysis of the image, control the programmable liquid crystal light modulator to set an effective aperture for the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Yew-Kwang Low
  • Patent number: 11418736
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a unit pixel, a first clamp circuit, and a second clamp circuit. The unit pixel outputs a voltage having an output voltage level at a first output voltage level in a first time interval and at a second output voltage level in a second time interval different from the first time interval. The first clamp circuit is configured to clamp the output voltage level from the unit pixel to a first voltage level responsive to the first output voltage level being not greater than the first voltage level in the first time interval. The second clamp circuit is configured to clamp the output voltage level from the unit pixel to a second voltage level responsive to the second output voltage level being not greater than the second voltage level in the second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Moo Young Kim, KyoungMin Koh, Woong Joo, Mira Lee, Kyung-Min Kim
  • Patent number: 11412164
    Abstract: A method, an image processing apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with software for residual row noise removal in digital images are provided. The residual row noise is removed by dividing color plane images into vertical stripes and for each vertical stripe masking out the stripe pixels, determining a row means profile, determining a smoothed row means profile, determining row offset values for each of the horizontal stripe rows, determining corrected row offset values for horizontal stripe rows based on corresponding row offset values of adjacent vertical stripes and subtracting the corrected row offset value from the stripe pixel values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG
    Inventor: David Abreu
  • Patent number: 11412140
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising: a line-of-sight detection unit configured to receive line-of-sight input from a user and detect a viewed position of the user; an acquisition unit configured to acquire first distance information that corresponds to a distance to an eye of the user; and a control unit configured to 1) set determination time based on the first distance information, and 2) determine that gaze has occurred, in a case where determination is made that the viewed position does not continuously change longer than the determination time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keita Nagai
  • Patent number: 11399145
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a image processor that reads out image data which is captured by an imaging element and transferred to a memory and on which optical noise is superimposed, as region image data for each of a plurality of divided regions of the memory, and that reads out data of a predetermined region again after reading for each region image data is finished, and an display processor that outputs corrected image data obtained by correcting captured image data for each of the plurality of regions in accordance with optical noise decided in accordance with the data read out again by the image processor, the captured image data being captured by the imaging element and stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kawai
  • Patent number: 11394935
    Abstract: A pixel array for reducing image information loss and an image sensor including the same are provided. The pixel array includes a plurality of color filter array (CFA) cells having a certain size and each including a plurality of CFA blocks in width and length directions of the CFA cell, wherein each of the CFA blocks includes a sub block, which is at a central region of each of the CFA blocks and includes m*n color pixels, and an outer region, which is other than the sub block and includes color pixels, wherein the m*n color pixels of the sub block include color pixels sensing first through third colors, and the outer region includes a relatively high number of first pixels sensing the first color and a relatively low number of second pixels sensing at least one selected from the second color and the third color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Soyoun Park, Byungwook Jung
  • Patent number: 11394874
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises: an imager that captures an image of a subject to generate image data; a first detector that detects a face region corresponding to a face of the subject in the image data; a second detector that detects a subject region corresponding to at least a part of the subject in the image data; and a controller that controls exposure based on metering for the image data, wherein the controller performs, when the face region is detected by the first detector, exposure compensation according to metering in the detected face region, and continues the exposure compensation according to the metering in the detected face region, when the detected face region is lost by the first detector and the subject region corresponding to the subject of the detected face region is detected by the second detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hashigami, Koji Shibuno, Takaaki Yamasaki, Kyosuke Osuka
  • Patent number: 11393870
    Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device including: a pixel including a plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a select unit configured to control each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units to be in an active state or an inactive state. The plurality of photoelectric conversion units has a first group including a first avalanche diode and a second group including a second avalanche diode. The select unit controls the second group to be in the inactive state in a first case of controlling the first group to be in the active state, and the select unit controls the first group to be in the inactive state in a second case of controlling the second group to be in the active state. The pixel has no photoelectric conversion unit which is in the active state in both the first case and the second case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumihiro Inui, Junji Iwata