Patents Examined by Gary C. Vieaux
  • Patent number: 11546495
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a camera module mounted in a display device, comprising: a lighting lens configured to collect light; a photoelectric sensor configured to convert the light collected by the lighting lens into a corresponding electrical signal; and a reflector arranged to be capable of reflecting the light from the lighting lens towards the photoelectric sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiyong Chen, Haiwei Sun, Jian Sang, Zhihui Zeng, Lu Yu, Heling Zhu, Zhiyuan Wang, Wei Gong, Jinpeng Li, Zongying Shu, Xiangyu Ji, Zhonghua Li
  • Patent number: 11537027
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using a controllable filter, e.g., an liquid crystal panel, in front of a camera are described. The filter is controlled based on the luminosity of object in a scene being captured by the camera to reduce or eliminate luminosity related image defects such as flaring, blooming or ghosting. Multiple cameras and filters can be used to capture multiple images as part of a depth determination processes where pixel values captured by cameras at different locations are matched to determine the depth, e.g., distance from the camera or camera system to object in the environment. Pixel values are normalized in some embodiments based on the amount of filtering applied to a sensor region and sensor exposure time. The filtering allows for regional sensor exposure control at an individual camera even though the overall exposure time of the pixel sensors may be and often will be the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Blue River Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Atul Maharshi, Pablo A Anigstein, Rajiv Laroia
  • Patent number: 11531151
    Abstract: A polarization filter effect is prevented from being changed due to a change in orientation of an imaging apparatus. An imaging apparatus according to the present technique includes an imaging section including a first pixel capable of receiving light in a first polarization direction and a second pixel capable of receiving light in a second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction, a detection section detecting an orientation of the imaging section, and an image generating section generating, on the basis of signals for the first and second pixels, an image corresponding to a polarization direction corresponding to a detection result from the detection section. Thus, as an image corresponding to a particular polarization direction, that is, an image corresponding to application of a polarization filter effect, an image can be generated that corresponds to a polarization direction corresponding to a change in the orientation of the imaging section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Mitani, Masafumi Wakazono
  • Patent number: 11522986
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device that includes a display and a camera module. The display includes a camera exposure area. The camera module is disposed on the camera exposure area and includes a housing. The camera module includes a lens housing that is fixed to the housing and at least one lens that is disposed in the lens housing and includes an optical axis facing toward the camera exposure area. The camera module includes a first printed circuit board that moves in the housing in an optical axis direction of the lens and an image sensor that faces the lens and that is mounted on the first printed circuit board. The camera module includes a second printed circuit board disposed on an opposite side to the image sensor. The camera module includes a connecting member disposed between the first and second printed circuit boards for transferring an electrical signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youngbok Yu
  • Patent number: 11516393
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens apparatus attachable to an imaging apparatus configured to move an image sensor in an image stabilization includes an imaging optical system, a storage unit configured to store image circle information including a relationship between an imaging condition and position information of an image circle of the imaging optical system, and a transmission unit configured to transmit at least part of the image circle information to the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigenobu Sugita, Kenji Saitsu, Masakazu Kodaira
  • Patent number: 11509846
    Abstract: There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a substrate having a pixel array unit sectioned into a matrix, a plurality of normal pixels, a plurality of phase difference detection pixels, and a plurality of adjacent pixels adjacent to the phase difference detection pixels, each provided in each of the plurality of sections, in which each of the normal pixel, the phase difference detection pixel, and the adjacent pixel has a photoelectric conversion film, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode that sandwich the photoelectric conversion film in a thickness direction of the photoelectric conversion film, and the lower electrode, in the adjacent pixel, extends from the section in which the adjacent pixel is provided to cover the section in which the phase difference detection pixel adjacent to the adjacent pixel is provided, when viewed from above the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinpei Fukuoka, Hideaki Togashi, Yoshihiro Ando, Masashi Nakata
  • Patent number: 11503191
    Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus comprises a board configured to hold an image sensor, a holding member configured to hold an optical member so as to be insertable into and removable from an optical path, the holding member being held between a lens barrel and the image sensor, and a sealing member configured to surround a periphery of a light receiving surface of the image sensor, the sealing member being provided on a side of the image sensor with respect to the optical member, wherein the sealing member includes a first sealing portion which contact the board and a second sealing portion which contacts the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Fujiwara, Tomoya Onaka
  • Patent number: 11493831
    Abstract: Breathable membranes for lens assemblies are described. For example, a system may include a lens barrel having an inner channel extending from a first end of the lens barrel to a second end of the lens barrel. The lens barrel can include one or more inner lenses positioned within the inner channel. The lens barrel has a vent hole in a side of the lens barrel that extends from the inner channel to an exterior surface of the lens barrel. The system includes a membrane attached to the lens barrel and positioned to cover the vent hole. The membrane has pores large enough to permit nitrogen gas to flow through the membrane and the vent hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Stern, Matthew Feddersen, Michael Brookmire, Joseph Tucker
  • Patent number: 11496662
    Abstract: The display of information associated with a particular position of a picked-up image is enabled. Image data is transmitted to external equipment. Instruction information regarding the image data is received from the external equipment. A display-use image reflecting the instruction information is generated on the basis of the instruction information. For example, the display-use image is generated by displaying details of the instruction information on an image corresponding to the image data. As another example, position information is added to the instruction information. The display-use image is then generated by displaying the details of the instruction information in an image position indicated by the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chihiro Fukiage
  • Patent number: 11496656
    Abstract: A camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid forming an interface are disposed; a common terminal disposed on the first plate; a plurality of individual terminals disposed below the first plate; a second plate disposed on the common terminal; a liquid lens comprising a third plate disposed below the individual terminals; a lens assembly comprising at least one solid lens and the liquid lens; a sensor substrate disposed below the lens assembly and having an image sensor disposed thereon; a connection substrate for electrically connecting the liquid lens and the sensor substrate; and a control unit for supplying a driving voltage applied to the common terminal and the individual terminals, wherein the control unit may sense the voltage applied between the common terminal and the individual terminals, and supply the compensated driving voltage to the common terminal and the individual ter
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Sung Park
  • Patent number: 11483461
    Abstract: A suspension assembly of a camera, with electrical traces, may be formed using one or more electroforming processes. The suspension assembly may include one or more flexure arms connecting an inner frame to an outer frame of the camera. The inner frame may be moveable relative to the outer frame to implement autofocus and/or optical image stabilization functions for the camera. The electrical traces may be formed at a first side of a substrate, using one or more electroforming processes. Next, one or more cavities in various shapes may be created in one or more dry film photoresist (DFR) layers at a second side of the substrate by exposing the DFR layers to ultraviolet light. One or more electroforming processes may be used to deposit one or more materials in to the cavities to form one or more components, e.g., a flexure arm, of the suspension assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip R. Sommer, Moran Koren, Adar Magen
  • Patent number: 11477376
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to preventing an operation from being performed in an operation mode that is not intended by a user. In an image capturing apparatus, a moving image lever is an operation member for issuing an instruction to change an operation mode to a moving image capturing mode that is a state where a moving image is recordable. In order to avoid unintentional change of the operation mode to the moving image capturing mode due to an erroneous operation on the moving image lever, a setting is made to enable and disable an instruction that is issued by operating the moving image lever. If the setting is changed to “disable” while the image capturing apparatus is operating in the moving image capturing mode, a microcomputer changes an operation mode to a still image capturing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Fukushima
  • Patent number: 11470267
    Abstract: A system includes an image sensor coupled to a first optical distortion element, a processing unit, and an electronic display coupled to a second optical distortion element. The image sensor is configured to receive, using a plurality of sensor pixels, a portion of an incoming light field through the first optical distortion element and generate a distorted digitized image from the received portion of the incoming light field. The processing unit is configured to generate a distorted virtual image and to generate a processed distorted image by mixing the distorted virtual image and the distorted digitized image. The electronic display is configured to display, using a plurality of display pixels, the processed distorted image through the second optical distortion element. The second optical distortion element is configured to undistort the processed distorted image in order to produce a portion of an emitted light field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: FYR, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Andrew Lamkin, Kyle Martin Ringgenberg, Jordan David Lamkin
  • Patent number: 11457131
    Abstract: An actuator of a camera module includes: driving wires to drive a lens barrel in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis; a driver to provide a driving signal in the form of a pulse to the driving wires; and a controller to generate a control signal based on a target position of the lens barrel and a present position of the lens barrel, to control the driver, and to generate resistance offsets between the driving wires based on resistance slope of each of the driving wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyu Won Kim
  • Patent number: 11457135
    Abstract: The present invention provides a camera unit with a light steering mechanism and application thereof, wherein the camera unit includes a long-focal-length camera module and a wide-angle camera module, wherein the wide-angle camera module provides a wide-angle image, and a ratio between an equivalent focal length of the long-focal-length camera module and an equivalent focal length of the wide-angle camera module is not less than 4, wherein the long-focal-length camera module includes a light steering mechanism, a long-focal-length lens and a long-focal-length photosensitive assembly, wherein the light steering mechanism is used for turning the light to pass through the long-focal-length lens to be received by the long-focal-length photosensitive assembly, wherein a height dimension of the long-focal-length camera module does not exceed 5.6 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: NINGBO SUNNY OPOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mingzhu Wang, Yinli Fang, Lifeng Yao, Ang Ji, Yurong Wu
  • Patent number: 11438494
    Abstract: A viewing device adapted to support an imaging device includes a panel defining an imaging aperture to facilitate a capture of an image, by a camera sensor of the imaging device, of solar phenomena, and a viewing window to facilitate a view, by one of the human eyes, of the solar phenomena. The viewing window is arranged distally from a first longitudinal end of the panel relative to the imaging aperture and is arranged laterally offset from the imaging aperture. The viewing device also includes an optical filter attached to the panel and arranged covering the viewing window to filter parasitic light rays, and an engagement member adapted to releasably engage with the imaging device and retain the imaging device with the panel such that the camera sensor is aligned with the imaging aperture. The viewing device uses an authentication identification to eliminate the risk of counterfeiting and preserve safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Graphic Arts Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan Katz, Stewart Nozette
  • Patent number: 11425286
    Abstract: A housing assembly for an image capture device is disclosed. The housing assembly includes: a front housing portion defining an opening; a rear housing portion that is connected (secured) to the front housing portion so as to form a watertight seal therebetween; a mounting structure, which is configured as a discrete component that is separate from the front housing portion and the rear housing portion and connected (secured) to the front housing portion adjacent to the opening; a first sealing member that is positioned between the mounting structure and the front housing portion and configured to form a watertight seal therebetween; an integrated sensor-lens assembly (ISLA) that is connected (secured) to the mounting structure such that the ISLA extends through the opening in the front housing portion; and a second sealing member that is positioned between the ISLA and the mounting structure and configured to form a watertight seal therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas Vitale
  • Patent number: 11418727
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first image of a scene through a static coded aperture onto a sensor with the static coded aperture in a first position relative to the sensor, shifting the coded aperture to a second position relative to the sensor, and forming a second image of the scene through the static coded aperture onto the sensor with the static coded aperture in the second position. Two or more images can be formed in this way. The method includes forming a combined image by deconvolving the two or more images and combining data from the two or more images into the combined image. The combined image can be a more accurate representation of the scene than either of the first and second images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Graham
  • Patent number: 11402726
    Abstract: A camera has a lens mount and an image sensor for sensing images. A holder of the camera can captively hold the image sensor such that the image sensor is moveable relative to the lens mount when the image sensor is not attached to the holder. The holder is further operable to fixedly hold the image sensor such that the image sensor is unmoveable relative to the lens mount at an aligned position of the image sensor when the image sensor is attached to the holder. The image sensor may be attached to a printed circuit board. The holder may include first and second rails comprising first and second printed circuit boards, respectively. The holder is then operable to fixedly hold the image sensor by the printed circuit board being soldered to at least one of the first and second printed circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Lucid Vision Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bull, Alexander Rybolov, Roderick A. Barman, Masahiro Takada
  • Patent number: 11394860
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an apparatus including multiple image sensors sharing one or more optical paths for imaging. An example method includes identifying whether a device including a first aperture, a first image sensor, a second image sensor, and an optical element is to be in a first device mode or a second device mode. The method also includes controlling the optical element based on the identified device mode. The optical element directs light from the first aperture to the first image sensor in a first optical element mode. Light from the first aperture is directed to the second image sensor when the optical element is in the second optical element mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael Kramer, Seyfullah Halit Oguz