Patents Examined by Gary C. Vieaux
  • Patent number: 11006031
    Abstract: A camera 200 and accessory devices 100 and 300 perform communication via channels including a data communication channel used for data communication and a notification channel for notifying timing of communication performed via the data communication channel. Each of the accessory devices 100 and 300 performs switching from a first communication mode to a second communication mode upon receiving communication-partner designation data via the data communication channel with communication in the first communication mode, the communication-partner designation data indicating that the relevant accessory device has been selected as a communication partner with the camera 200.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaka Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10992853
    Abstract: An image capture control apparatus comprises a touch detector being capable of detecting a touch operation, a tracking unit that tracks a tracking target in a live view image captured by an image capturing unit, and a display control unit that, in response to the touch detector detecting a movement operation of moving a touch position, carries out control to display an indicator at a position, in a display, that is based on a movement amount of the movement operation, and a control unit configured to, in response to a predetermined amount of time elapsing after the touch for making the movement operation has been released, carry out control such that a tracking target determined on the basis of the position of the indicator is tracked by the tracking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10986287
    Abstract: A method of capturing a photo using a mobile device is described. The method comprises detecting a signature motion of the mobile device; capturing video using a camera of the mobile device upon detecting the signature motion; and automatically identifying a start frame and an end frame of the captured images using neural networks. A mobile device for capturing a photo is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: David Liu, Michael Polley, Youngjun F. Yoo, Hamid Rahim Sheikh, Kaimo Lin, George Chen, Chenchi Luo
  • Patent number: 10979592
    Abstract: An electronic device that is capable of using a plurality of wireless communication units and communicates wirelessly with an external device using one of the plurality of wireless communication units, is disclosed. The device comprises a storage device that stores one or more sets of settings used in past wireless communication with one or more external device, the settings being stored separately as settings pertaining to a network used in the wireless communication and settings pertaining to communication with an external device over the network. The device also extracts a set of settings that can be used from the one or more sets of settings stored in the storage device, in accordance with a combination of a type of an external device with which wireless communication to be performed and a wireless communication unit to be used for the wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideaki Ohshima
  • Patent number: 10979699
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an electronic display assembly includes a microlens layer and a pixel array layer. The microlens layer includes a plurality of cells. The pixel array layer is adjacent to the microlens layer. The pixel array layer includes a plurality of pixels. Each cell of the plurality of cells includes a transparent lenslet and one or both of: a plurality of opaque walls configured to prevent light from bleeding into adjacent cells; and a filter layer on one end of each cell of the plurality of cells. The filter layer is configured to limit light passing through the filter layer to a specific incident angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Lamkin, Kyle Martin Ringgenberg, Jordan David Lamkin
  • Patent number: 10979652
    Abstract: A camera module includes: a base plate; and a plurality of cameras disposed on the base plate and spaced apart from one another. The plurality of cameras include: fixed cameras that are immovable with respect to the base plate; and movable cameras that are each configured to move with respect to the base plate and rotate around a fixed camera among the fixed cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Woo Jun, Chul Choi
  • Patent number: 10972637
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a computing device of a first sensor receiving synchronization information from a controller. The synchronization information being generated based on a clock of the controller. The method also includes determining, based on the synchronization information, a first offset between a first clock of the first sensor and the clock of the controller; storing the first offset; and synchronizing, based on the stored first offset and the first clock of the first sensor, a first data capture by the first sensor with a second data capture by a second sensor. The first data capture and the second data capture being requested by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Lyft, Inc.
    Inventors: Corey Frederick Bangs, Forrest Samuel Briggs, George James Hansel, James Allen-White Hoffacker, Dhruv Lamba, Chi Hoon Lee, Yi Lu, Brian Thomas McGinn, Phillip Sawbridge
  • Patent number: 10965848
    Abstract: A MEMS electrostatic actuator that achieves autofocus and super resolution imaging in cameras is disclosed. The actuator is able to provide multi-degrees of freedom motion (of up to 5-degrees-of-freedom). It consists of a moving and fixed parts. The moving part comprises an inner and outer rotor. The inner rotor contains a load stage and the moving plates of the parallel-plate electrodes and is attached to the outer rotor via a plurality of mechanical springs. The outer rotor holds the inner rotor and contains a plurality of openings or tubes surrounded by walls and are attached to the outer periphery of the actuator via multiple mechanical springs. The present device can be used to achieve super resolution functionality in compact cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Inventor: Faez Ba-Tis
  • Patent number: 10955555
    Abstract: Optical apparatus includes a projector, which directs a sequence of pulses of radiation toward a scene so as to form one or more lines of the radiation on the scene. A receiver includes an array of single-photon detectors, which output, in response to the radiation that is incident thereon, signals indicative of a time-of-flight of the pulses from the projector to the receiver via the points in the scene, and collection optics, which form an image the scene on the array, including the one or more lines of the radiation, such that each single-photon detector receives the radiation reflected from a corresponding point in the scene. A processor receives the signals output by the sensing elements, and derives depth coordinates of the points in the scene from both the time-of-flight of the pulses and triangulation of the one or more lines in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Thierry Oggier, Scott T. Smith, Andrew Herrington
  • Patent number: 10955553
    Abstract: A sensor system mounted on a vehicle includes: a first sensor configured to acquire information on a first area outside the vehicle; a second sensor configured to acquire information on a second area that partially overlaps with the first area outside the vehicle; and a controller configured to change an information acquisition rate of the first sensor and an information acquisition rate of the second sensor, in which when the information acquisition rate of one of the first sensor and the second sensor falls below a predetermined value, the controller increases the information acquisition rate of the other sensor to be higher than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10944903
    Abstract: An electronic device able to adjust for large differences in skin tones and colors in images acquired includes a first camera module for acquiring a first image, a second camera module for acquiring a depth map, and a processor. The processor analyzes the first image and the depth map, and determines whether a face is detected only by the second camera module and not by the first camera module. If any such face is detected, the processor controls the first camera module to focus on the area of the face detected by the second camera module and acquire a second and further images after light-metering the semi-detected face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: En-Chieh Chang
  • Patent number: 10944925
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imager that has a plurality of pixels as defined herein, that includes a plurality of pixel rows including the plurality of pixels arranged in one direction, and that discharges charges of the photoelectric conversion element and the charge holder to a charge discharge region of the readout circuit as defined herein; and an imaging controller that performs a global reset drive, a global shutter drive, a first rolling readout drive, a rolling shutter drive and a second rolling readout drive as defined herein, and the imaging controller performs a first imaging control as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kurahashi, Fuminori Irie, Yoshinori Furuta, Hitoshi Sakurabu, Tomonori Masuda
  • Patent number: 10939047
    Abstract: A method for performing auto-exposure (AE) control in a depth sensing system includes: capturing a first reference image and a second reference image of a scene based on different illumination conditions; calculating a plurality of first block means with respect to first blocks of the first reference frame and calculating a plurality of second block means with respect to second blocks of the second reference frame; calculating a plurality of block mean differences according to the first block means and the second block means; determining a plurality of first region of interest (ROI) blocks from the first blocks and a plurality of a second ROI blocks from the second blocks; and performing an AE control over the depth sensing system according to blocks means of the first ROI blocks and blocks means of the second ROI blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Yu-Hsuan Chu, Yi-Nung Liu
  • Patent number: 10931268
    Abstract: A ramp signal generation device includes a sampling circuit suitable for sampling a ramp current and storing a voltage corresponding to the sampled ramp current; a current maintaining circuit suitable for maintaining the ramp current; a current transferring circuit suitable for transferring a current corresponding to the voltage stored on the sampling circuit; and a current-to-voltage converter suitable for converting and generating a ramp voltage corresponding to the current transferred from the current transferring circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Tae-Gyu Kim
  • Patent number: 10931865
    Abstract: Provided are an imaging device, an imaging device main body, and a focusing control method of an imaging device capable of adjusting a focus with high accuracy by appropriately supporting the focus adjustment in a manual manner. An image sensor movement driver (220) that moves an image sensor (210) along an optical axis (L), and an image sensor movement controller (250a) that controls the movement of the image sensor (210) by controlling the image sensor movement driver (220) are provided. In a case where a subject is focused, the image sensor movement controller (250a) starts the tracking, and controls the movement of the image sensor (210) such that a focusing state is maintained based on a defocus amount detected by the phase difference AF processing unit (132).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsu Wada
  • Patent number: 10917597
    Abstract: An imaging device that has a structure where a transistor is used in common by a plurality of pixels and is capable of imaging with a global shutter system is provided. A transistor that resets the potential of a charge detection portion, a transistor that outputs a signal corresponding to the potential of the charge detection portion, and a transistor that selects a pixel are used in common by the plurality of pixels. A node AN (a first charge retention portion), a node FD (a second charge retention portion), and a node FDX (the charge detection portion) are provided. Imaging data obtained in the node AN is transferred to the node FD, and the imaging data is sequentially transferred from the node FD to the node FDX to be read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuro Ohmaru, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 10911668
    Abstract: Provided an imaging system, an imaging apparatus and an image processing apparatus constituting the imaging system, an image processing method used in the image processing apparatus, and a non-transitory recording medium for causing a computer to implement the image processing method. According to the imaging apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, an image of high image quality can be acquired (reconstructed) in the imaging system configured to include the imaging apparatus by acquiring first and second projected images using Fresnel zone plates having different phases of local spatial frequencies. In addition, the design parameters (pitches and the areas of the Fresnel zone plates, the number of pixels of image sensors, a distance between the Fresnel zone plates and the image sensors, and the like) can be selected without considering an effect of a noise component, and the number of restrictions on the design parameters is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Naruse, Yasunobu Kishine
  • Patent number: 10908324
    Abstract: An array imaging module includes a molded photosensitive assembly which includes a supporting member, at least a circuit board, at least two photosensitive units, at least two lead wires, and a mold sealer. The photosensitive units are coupled at the chip coupling area of the circuit board. The lead wires are electrically connected the photosensitive units at the chip coupling area of the circuit board. The mold sealer includes a main mold body and has two optical windows. When the main mold body is formed, the lead wires, the circuit board and the photosensitive units are sealed and molded by the main mold body of the mold sealer, such that after the main mold body is formed, the main mold body and at least a portion of the circuit board are integrally formed together at a position that the photosensitive units are aligned with the optical windows respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mingzhu Wang, Bojie Zhao, Takehiko Tanaka, Nan Guo, Zhenyu Chen, Heng Jiang, Zhongyu Luan, Fengsheng Xi, Feifan Chen, Liang Ding
  • Patent number: 10896923
    Abstract: An imaging device that has a structure where a transistor is used in common by a plurality of pixels and is capable of imaging with a global shutter system is provided. A transistor that resets the potential of a charge detection portion, a transistor that outputs a signal corresponding to the potential of the charge detection portion, and a transistor that selects a pixel are used in common by the plurality of pixels. A node AN (a first charge retention portion), a node FD (a second charge retention portion), and a node FDX (the charge detection portion) are provided. Imaging data obtained in the node AN is transferred to the node FD, and the imaging data is sequentially transferred from the node FD to the node FDX to be read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuro Ohmaru, Naoto Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 10893210
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging apparatus including: a plurality of pixels; a scan unit configured to perform a first scan that outputs, from a first pixel of the plurality of pixel, a first signal based on a light flux that has passed through a first region of an exit pupil of imaging optics and a second scan that outputs, from a second pixel of the plurality of pixels, a second signal based on a light flux that has passed through a second region that is a part of the first region; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not to set a second exposure time of the second pixel to be shorter than a first exposure time of the first pixel; and an exposure time setting unit configured to set the first exposure time and the second exposure time based on a determination result of the determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Sakaguchi, Koji Inoue