Patents Examined by Jason Chan
  • Patent number: 8477227
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information display apparatus including a wireless reception section configured to receive image data and position information acquired and sent by a plurality of imaging apparatuses constituting a wireless network; an image display section configured to display images; and a display control section configured to display on the image display section thumbnails derived from the acquired image data received by the wireless reception section, a map covering the positions of the imaging apparatuses, and icons indicating the imaging apparatuses as they are positioned on the map based on the position information received by the wireless reception section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Akimitsu Hio
  • Patent number: 8395670
    Abstract: An apparatus capable of capturing a still image in a moving image capturing mode includes an instruction unit configured to instruct still image capturing, a vibration detection unit configured to detect vibration applied to the apparatus, a control unit configured to control driving of a correction member in a driving range according to whether still image capturing or moving image capturing is performed, based on an output from the vibration detection unit, a position detection unit configured to detect a position of the correction member, and a determination unit configured to determine a reference position of a range in which the correction member is driven, wherein, if the instruction unit instructs image capturing in the moving image capturing mode, the detected position is set as the reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8379116
    Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus includes an image pick-up device, a noise reduction processing portion, and a level difference correction portion. The image pick-up device includes at least three kinds of color filters and photoelectric conversion elements formed under the color filters respectively. The noise reduction processing portion applies noise reduction processing to image pick-up signals output from the image pick-up device. The level difference correction portion executes correction to reduce a level difference between first and second ones of the noise reduction-processed image pick-up signals obtained from the photoelectric conversion elements formed under two color filters which are of the same kind but different in arrangement pattern of color filters arranged around the two color filters. The level difference correction portion changes correction strength in accordance with strength of noise reduction processing executed by the noise reduction processing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Satodate
  • Patent number: 8379098
    Abstract: Method and apparatus of interaction with and control of a video capture device are described. In the described embodiments, video are presented at a display, the display having contact or proximity sensing capabilities. A gesture can be sensed at or near the display in accordance with the video presented on the display, the gesture being associated with a first video processing operation. The video are modified in accordance with the first video processing operation in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Rottler, Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8379094
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Hwa Oh, Won-Hee Choe, Seong-Deok Lee, Hyun-Chul Song, Sung-Chan Park, Young-Jin Yoo, Jae-Hyun Kwon, Kang-Eui Lee
  • Patent number: 8379130
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of processing images is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a selection of a first image from a plurality of images stored at a memory device and displaying the first image. The method also includes receiving image modification data to modify processing of the first image displayed and providing an adjusted value of an image processing parameter to an image processor. The adjusted value of the image processing parameter is determined based at least in part on the image modification data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Babak Forutanpour, David L. Bednar, Ying X. Noyes, Szepo R. Hung
  • Patent number: 8373777
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a region extracting section that extracts a first predetermined region including a target pixel in a current frame and a second predetermined region including a pixel located at the same position as the target pixel in a previous frame, a motion vector calculating section that calculates a motion vector of the first predetermined region with respect to the previous frame based on part or all of the pixels in the first predetermined region and part of the pixels in the second predetermined region, a filter coefficient determining section that determines a filter coefficient for a plurality of pixels in the second predetermined region based on the motion vector, and a noise reducing section that reduces noise in the target pixel based on the plurality of pixels in the second predetermined region and the filter coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8368786
    Abstract: To provide an inexpensive image pickup lens ensuring mass productivity and preventing deterioration of images due to fluctuation of a paraxial image-point position caused by water absorption, image pickup device, digital apparatus, and a manufacturing method of the image pickup lens, the image pickup lens includes: at least one lens block including a lens substrate, and a lens portion or lens portions formed on at least one of an object-side surface or an image-side surface of the lens substrate. The lens portion is formed of an energy-curable resin material which is different from a material of the lens substrate. At least one lens portion has a dimension change rate caused by water absorption which is larger than a dimension change rate caused by water absorption of the lens substrate, and satisfies the predetermined expression about a change in refractive index the energy-curable resin material caused by water absorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasunari Fukuta
  • Patent number: 8369022
    Abstract: A variable magnification optical system of the present invention and an image pickup device and a digital apparatus including this are provided with a four-component optical system of negative-negative-positive-negative arrangement, wherein a first lens group thereof includes only one negative lens as a lens having an optical power, and a third lens group thereof satisfies a conditional expression of 1.4<?3t/?3w<4 when ?3t and ?3w respectively denote image magnifications of the third lens group at a telephoto end and at a wide-angle end. The variable magnification optical system, the image pickup device and the digital apparatus having such a construction can be further downsized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiji Matsusaka
  • Patent number: 8368764
    Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus capable of precisely and immediately performing autofocusing on a person being photographed, and a method of controlling the same are provided. The digital photographing apparatus comprises a face detecting unit that detects a face, a body detecting unit that detects a body, which may or may not exclude the face, an autofocus information obtaining unit, and an autofocus object determining unit. The autofocus object determining unit analyzes face autofocus information obtained from the face by the autofocus information obtaining unit and body autofocus information obtained from the body, and then selects the face part and/or the body as an object of autofocusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Yi, Byung-kwon Lee
  • Patent number: 8368803
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, a calibration module in a projector platform establishes an initial configuration of settable exposure attributes for a digital camera. The calibration module projects a preview image onto a surface and captures the projection of the preview image with the digital camera and receives input from a user identifying regions of interest in the capture of the preview image. Next the calibration module projects an exposure image onto the surface. The calibration module then computes a final configuration of exposure attributes for the digital camera by iteratively: (a) capturing the projection of the exposure image with the digital camera; (b) measuring descriptive statistics relating to the color channels of pixels in the regions of interest in the capture of the exposure image; (c) evaluating the descriptive statistics with an evaluation function determined by a calibration process; and (d) establishing a revised configuration of exposure attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Victor Ivashin
  • Patent number: 8368775
    Abstract: A digital camera has a live-view image shooting mode in which a process of shooting a subject, generating image data from imaging signals acquired by the shooting, and displaying a live-view image based on the image data on a display section is repeatedly performed. The digital camera includes a solid-state imaging device 5 that shoots the subject, a live-view processing section 26 and a display control section 22. The live-view processing section 26 performs different image processings for imaging signals of two groups to generate two pieces of image data. The imaging signals of the two groups are obtained when imaging signals, which are output from the solid-state imaging device 5 in single shooting in the live-view image shooting mode, are divided into the two groups. The display controller displays, on the display section, a screen which includes two live-view images based on the two pieces of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Funamoto
  • Patent number: 8363135
    Abstract: A method for reconstructing a color image from a sensor which comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix of rows and columns is provided. The sensor is provided with a color filter array such that each pixel corresponds to one of three basic colors. The three basic colors are provided on the sensor in a predetermined pattern. The sensor outputs a detected value for each of the plurality of pixels. The method comprises the steps: for each of the plurality of pixels: accepting a detected value obtained for the corresponding one of the three basic colors and, for each of the respective two other basic colors, calculating a vertical interpolation value and a horizontal interpolation value and selecting either the vertical interpolation value or the horizontal interpolation value; outputting the accepted detected value and the selected interpolation values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Andreas Dicks
  • Patent number: 8363158
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a buffer unit, an image processing unit, a processing determining unit and a power control unit. The imaging unit has an imaging sensor converting a subject image into an electrical signal and generates an image data of a photographed image. The buffer unit has a terminating resistor and temporarily stores the image data. The image processing unit performs image processing on the image data. The processing determining unit determines whether or not high-speed processing requiring a high-speed data transfer is performed. The power control unit disables the terminating resistor of the buffer unit and sets a clock supplied to the buffer unit at low speed compared to a case in which the terminating resistor is enabled when the high-speed processing is not performed. As a result, it is possible to reduce power consumption in the imaging device supporting the high-speed processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Kawano, Koji Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8363116
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a motion vector receiving unit configured to receive, from frame image data made up of frame images, motion vectors representing motion of the frame images; a modeling unit configured to model the motion vector, received from the motion vector receiving unit, to a component separation expression in which a camera motion component and a focal plane distortion component are separated, using component parameters respectively representing camera motion which is motion of a camera, and the amount in change in focal plane distortion; and a component calculation unit configured to calculate the component parameters used in the component separation expression, thereby calculating the focal plane distortion component in the motion vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8363122
    Abstract: An image taking apparatus includes an image taking system, and a display system, and has a CPU implementing a process to detect subject faces from image frames produced by the image taking system, a process to acquire coordinates of detected subject faces, a process to determine a face detected state or a face undetected state, whichever is concluded in accordance with results of face detection, a process to have, for a determination for the face detected state, a detected-face indicator displayed on the display system in accordance with the coordinates of the acquired subject faces, a process to have, for a determination for the face undetected state, a detected-face indicator having been displayed in a last face detected state till the last displayed on, and a process to execute a shooting control in accordance with a detected-face indicator displayed on the display system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Onozawa
  • Patent number: 8358350
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a first detection part which detects one or more subjects in an image captured by the image capturing part capturing an image continuously; a second detection part which follows the one or more subjects detected; and a system control part which includes a setting part setting a part of the image as a limited region, and causes, after the first detection part detects the one or more subjects in the captured image, the second detection part to follow and detect a subject in an image captured subsequently to the captured image, and causes the first detection part to detect a subject in the limited region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8355055
    Abstract: A method for real-time adjusting image capture frequency by an image detection apparatus comprises: sensing the frames consecutively by an image detection unit; setting a value for a counting variable; selecting a testing frame from the frames and comparing an image displacement between the testing frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain a motion reference signal by a processing unit; providing a plurality of adjustable values for a capturing frequency variable by a memory unit and corresponding either one of the capturing frequency variable values to the motion reference signal; comparing the value of the counting variable to that of the capturing frequency variable by the processing unit; capturing and recording the testing frame as a sampling frame while the counting variable value reaches that of the capturing frequency variable; comparing an image displacement between the sampling frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain an ultimate motion speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lite-On Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Jau-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 8350929
    Abstract: When picked up images picked up by an image pickup apparatus are accessed, the contents of the picked up images are grasped readily. A dynamic picture storage section 200 stores image data produced by an image pickup section 110. A metadata storage section 210 stores transformation information regarding a first picked up image and a second picked up image. An image memory 180 retains images as history images. An image transformation section 150 transforms the second picked up image based on the transformation information. An image synthesis section 170 synthesizes the transformed second picked up image with the history images to form a synthesized image. An operation acceptance section 160 accepts a designation operation which designates a display magnification of the second picked up image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 8350924
    Abstract: There is provided a method for performing digital processing on an image signal output from CCD image sensors with a CMYG color filter array, the method including converting a digital CMYG signal of 10 bits each into a first YCbCr signal of 10 bits each, by using color interpolation, converting the first YCbCr signal of 10 bits each into an RGB signal of 8 bits each by using interpolation, performing color correction on the RGB signal of 8 bits each and converting a color-corrected RGB signal of 8 bits each into a second YCbCr signal of 8 bits each in a format which complies with the ITU-601 format, encoding the second YCbCr signal of 8 bits each and converting an encoded second YCbr signal of 8 bits each into an analog video signal, and adjusting automatic exposure and automatic white balance, using the RGB signal of 8 bits each and the second YCbCr signal of 8 bits each.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Semisolution Inc.
    Inventor: Jung won Lee