Patents Examined by Nhan T. Tran
  • Patent number: 11968318
    Abstract: In a control method for an electronic apparatus according to the present invention, in which a mobile terminal comprises a camera comprising a plurality of lenses and a first display unit combined to a case, the case comprising a first body where the mobile terminal is accommodated and a second body where a second display unit is arranged, the control method for an electronic apparatus comprises the steps of: displaying first screen information on the second display unit and displaying a preview screen on the first display unit in response to driving of the camera; detecting a pre-set touch input received by the first display unit; executing an expanded preview mode in response to the pre-set touch input, generating a control signal for displaying, on the second display unit, second screen information corresponding to a camera function related to the preview screen of the first display unit, and transmitting the control signal to the second display unit; and while the preview screen of the first display unit
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Kyungrak Choi, Hyerim Ku, Eunyoung Noh, Seungmin Yang, Jieun Lee
  • Patent number: 11968466
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device, a method for driving a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus are provided that are capable of reducing memory circuits of a column reading system, so that the column reading system can achieve a reduced layout area and eventually a reduced size. A column reading circuit includes an AD converting part and a calculating part. The AD converting part is configured to analog-to-digital convert a read-out reset signal and a read-out signal of a pixel signal read to a vertical signal line into an n-bit digital pixel signal. The calculating part includes an n-bit asynchronous counter including a retention circuit with a control logic function, which is configured to obtain a difference between an n-bit read-out reset signal and an n-bit read-out signal produced by the AD conversion performed by the AD converting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BRILLNICS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Abe, Keita Murase, Takahiro Matsuzawa, Shinichiro Matsuo, Shingo Sanada
  • Patent number: 11968456
    Abstract: A method for computing a total weight array includes receiving an image frame captured by a content capture device and identifying a plurality of objects in the image frame. Each object of the plurality of objects corresponds to one of a plurality of pixel groups. The method also includes providing a plurality of neural networks and calculating, for each object of the plurality of objects, an object weight using a corresponding neural network of the plurality of neural networks. The method further includes computing the total weight array by summing the object weight for each of the plurality of objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Keith Smith, Ilya Tsunaev
  • Patent number: 11956557
    Abstract: A given pixel of a pixel array includes various operation modes with each of the operation modes having a different conversion gain for the charge received from the photodetector of the pixel. When the modes are used in conjunction with one another, the dynamic range of the pixel can be increased. A readout circuit coupled to a photodetector within a given pixel includes a transfer gate between the photodetector and a gain mode select block that includes capacitors of different sizes and one or more switches to control which capacitors are to receive the charge from the photodetector. Depending on the state(s) of the one or more switches, different operation modes with different conversion gains can be selected to increase the dynamic range of the pixel. The adaptability of the readout circuit can allow for a high dynamic range even in extreme temperature environments by lowering the dark current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BAE Systems Imaging Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Xianmin Yi, Alexander Lu
  • Patent number: 11954875
    Abstract: A method for determining a height of a plant, an electronic device, and a storage medium are disclosed. In the method, a target image is obtained by mapping an obtained color image with an obtained depth image. The electronic device processes the color image by using a pre-trained mobilenet-ssd network, obtains a detection box appearance of the plant, and extracts target contours of the plant to be detected from the detection box. The electronic device determines a depth value of each of pixel points in the target contour according to the target image. Target depth values are obtained by performing a de-noising on depth values of the pixel points, and a height of the plant to be detected is determined according to the target depth value. The method improves accuracy of height determination of a plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tzu-Chen Lin, Chih-Te Lu, Chin-Pin Kuo
  • Patent number: 11943561
    Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a photodiode to generate a charge in response to light within an exposure period having a first duration; a charge sensing unit to accumulate at least a part of the charge within the exposure period; a quantizer; and a controller to: determine, using the quantizer and within a measurement period having a second duration, whether a first quantity of the at least a part of the charge accumulated at the charge sensing unit exceeds a threshold, and a time it takes for the first quantity to exceed the threshold, wherein the first duration and the second duration are individually programmable; and based on whether the first quantity exceeds the threshold, output a first value representing the time or a second value representing a second quantity of the charge generated by the photodiode within the exposure period to represent an intensity of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tsung-Hsun Tsai, Xinqiao Liu
  • Patent number: 11936999
    Abstract: Power consumption in realizing a convolutional neural network (CNN) is reduced. A solid-state imaging element according to the present technology includes a photoelectric conversion element that photoelectrically converts received light into signal charge corresponding to the amount of received light, a floating diffusion that holds the signal charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion element, a transfer control element that controls transfer of the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion element to the floating diffusion, and a control unit that controls application of a drive voltage to the transfer control element on the basis of a convolution coefficient in a CNN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Haruyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11937001
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a sensor that detects an event which is a change in electric signal of a pixel and a control method, with which it is possible to suppress a situation where an unnatural image is obtained. An event which is a change of an electric signal of a pixel that receives light and performs photoelectric conversion to generate the electric signal is detected, and the electric signal of the pixel is read according to a voltage change in a capacitance reset to a prescribed voltage, the change being based on the electric signal of the pixel. In this case, the electric signal of an event detection pixel, among the pixels, where the event has been detected and the electric signal of a peripheral pixel, among the pixels, disposed on the periphery of the event detection pixel are read. The present technology is applicable to a sensor for detecting an event which is a change of an electric signal of a pixel, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Futa Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11936994
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that enable simultaneous acquisition of a signal for generating a high dynamic range image and a signal for detecting a phase difference. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixel sets each including color filters of the same color, for a plurality of colors, each pixel set including a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes PD. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a solid-state imaging device that generates a high dynamic range image and detects a phase difference, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Kozo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 11930274
    Abstract: This application relates to the field of electronic technologies, and relates to a camera module, an anti-jitter component, and a terminal. The camera module includes an optical folding element, a lens group, and an image sensor that are sequentially arranged along an imaging light beam transmission direction. The camera module further includes a front-end anti-jitter component and a back-end anti-jitter component. The front-end anti-jitter component is connected to at least one of the optical folding element and the lens group. The back-end anti-jitter component is connected to the image sensor. The front-end anti-jitter component is configured to perform first jitter compensation on the imaging light beam and the back-end anti-jitter component is configured to perform second jitter compensation on the imaging light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Li-Te Kuo
  • Patent number: 11910115
    Abstract: An imaging element incorporates a reading portion, a storage portion, a processing portion, and an output portion. The reading portion reads out image data obtained by imaging from a photoelectric conversion element at a first frame rate. The storage portion stores the image data read out from the photoelectric conversion element. The processing portion processes the image data. The output portion outputs the image data processed by the processing portion at a second frame rate. The processing portion detects first image data indicating a specific image from the image data stored in the storage portion. The output portion outputs second image data based on image data different from the first image data detected by the processing portion in the image data of a plurality of frames. The second frame rate is a frame rate lower than the first frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazufumi Sugawara, Makoto Kobayashi, Tomoyuki Kawai, Hitoshi Sakurabu, Ryo Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11910110
    Abstract: A transfer control device includes a difference identifying section which identifies, for a first and second images sequentially captured by synchronous scanning, a difference region of the second image, on the basis of an event signal indicating a change in intensity of light generated in one or a plurality of pixels of each of the first and second images during a time period from capturing of the first image to capturing of the second image; and a transfer control section which executes data transfer different between the difference region and regions other than the difference region, for the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Kurihara, Hiromasa Naganuma, Masakazu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11889207
    Abstract: The computation time in a solid-state imaging element that performs a convolution operation on image data is shortened and the power consumption is reduced. A plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional lattice pattern in a pixel array unit. A coefficient holding unit holds a predetermined weighting coefficient correlated with each of a pixel of interest among the plurality of pixels and a predetermined number of adjacent pixels adjacent to the pixel of interest. A scanning circuit performs control so that the adjacent pixel generates an amount of charge corresponding to the weighting coefficient correlated with the adjacent pixel and transfers the charge to the pixel of interest and performs control so that the pixel of interest generates an amount of charge corresponding to the weighting coefficient correlated with the pixel of interest and accumulates the charge together with the transferred charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasumasa Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11877079
    Abstract: A pixel for an image sensor includes a photon sensor, a memory, and an accumulator. The photon sensor element portion outputs a signal to an accumulator, which then may add value stored in memory together and may transfer the result to the memory of another pixel. The pixel may be analog or digital and may be used in a pixel array for compressed sensing imaging. During imaging, a pseudo-random mask may also be used. The data collected during imaging may be used in compressed sensing and may be sent to an offline storage to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yibing Michelle Wang, Lilong Shi, Kwang Oh Kim
  • Patent number: 11877074
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that enable simultaneous acquisition of a signal for generating a high dynamic range image and a signal for detecting a phase difference. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixel sets each including color filters of the same color, for a plurality of colors, each pixel set including a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes PD. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a solid-state imaging device that generates a high dynamic range image and detects a phase difference, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Kozo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 11863891
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus acquires pixel signals for each predetermined-size partial region of an imaging plane and for detecting a region among the regions of the imaging plane in which a subject image has changed, the number of acquired pixel signals being less than the number of pixels included in the partial region, and controls to perform image capturing in response to detection of the region in which the subject image has changed, and to output a captured image based the pixel signals. The imaging apparatus acquires pixel signals from each partial region of the imaging plane by, when pixel signals are to be acquired from a first partial region of the imaging plane, acquiring pixel signals from a second partial region that is adjacent to the first partial region and partially overlapped with the first partial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Oshima
  • Patent number: 11863884
    Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for imaging. An imaging system includes an image sensor with a plurality of photodetectors, grouped into a first group of photodetectors and a second group of photodetectors. The imaging system can reset its image sensor. The imaging system exposes its image sensor to light from a scene. The plurality of photodetectors convert the light into charge. The imaging system stores analog photodetector signals corresponding to the charge from each the photodetectors. The imaging system reads first digital pixel data from a first subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the first group of photodetectors without reading second digital pixel data from a second subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the second group of photodetectors. The imaging system generates an image of the scene using the first digital pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Micha Galor Gluskin, Wesley James Holland, Jiafu Luo, Venkata Ravi Kiran Dayana
  • Patent number: 11849235
    Abstract: Provided are a solid-state imaging device, a method for driving a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus capable of reading signals produced with different conversion gains and having different signal directions. A pixel signal processing part 400 includes a first reading part 410 and a second reading part 420. Of a pixel signal PIXOUT input into an input node ND401, the first reading part 410 inverts the signal direction of a first-conversion-gain signal (HCGRST, HCGSIG) and outputs an inverted first-conversion-gain signal (HCGRST, HCGSIG), which has been subjected to inversion and amplification, to an AD converting part 430 via a connection node ND402. Of the pixel signal PIXOUT input into the input node ND401, the second reading part 420 keeps the signal direction of a second-conversion-gain signal (LCGSIG, LCGRST) unchanged, and outputs a non-inverted second-conversion-gain signal (LCGSIG, LCGRST) to the AD converting part 430 via the connection node ND402.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: Brillnics Singapore Pte. Ltd., THE RITSUMEIKAN TRUST
    Inventors: Shunsuke Okura, Ai Otani, Ken Miyauchi, Hideki Owada, Sangman Han, Isao Takayanagi
  • Patent number: 11849236
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a time delay integration (TDI) sensor using a rolling shutter. The TDI sensor includes multiple pixel columns. Each pixel column includes multiple pixels arranged in an along-track direction, wherein two adjacent pixels or two adjacent pixel groups in every pixel column have a separation space therebetween. The separation space is equal to a pixel height multiplied by a time ratio of a line time difference of the rolling shutter and a frame period, or equal to a summation of at least one pixel height and a multiplication of the pixel height by the time ratio of the line time difference and the frame period. The TDI sensor further records defect pixels of a pixel array such that in integrating pixel data to integrators, the pixel data associated with the defect pixels is not integrated into corresponding integrators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: PIXART IMAGING INC., TAIWAN SPACE AGENCY
    Inventors: Ren-Chieh Liu, Chao-Chi Lee, Yi-Yuan Chen, En-Feng Hsu
  • Patent number: 11838667
    Abstract: A readout circuit for an image sensor having a pixel array with at least one pixel group, in particular pixel column, with a plurality of pixels connected to a group bus comprises a group input for connecting to the group bus and a signal output for connecting to an input of an ADC. The readout circuit further comprises a first and a second reference terminal for receiving a first and a second reference voltage. A sampling bank comprises at least two sample-and-hold elements connected in parallel between the group input and an output of the sampling bank and further comprises a bypass switch connected in parallel to the sample-and-hold elements. A charge store is connected between the output of the sampling bank and the signal output. A first charge switch is connected between the first reference terminal and the signal output, and a second charge switch is connected between the second reference terminal and the output of the sampling bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS BELGIUM BVBA
    Inventor: Wesley Cotteleer