Patents Examined by Twyler Haskins
  • Patent number: 9942460
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a camerawork determination unit configured to determine camerawork at a time of imaging and set a determination start timing of a main subject in image data on the basis of the determination, and a main subject determination unit configured to determine the main subject among subjects contained in the image data from the image data from the determination start timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9942459
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to solid state image sensors in digital imaging systems, more particularly to an image quality learning method and system for solid state image sensors. One of the advantages of the method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is to allow the implementation of a digital machine vision system with a faster convergence of an Image Quality algorithm, which results in a shorter delay for the user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method is performed as a recursive algorithm which tends to converge to an Image Quality setting satisfying image quality criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT) LIMITED
    Inventor: William Foote
  • Patent number: 9942471
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: an expectation condition information acquisition section; a requisite condition information acquisition section; a photographing apparatus state information acquisition section; an object state information acquisition section; and a photographing apparatus selection section as defined herein, the requisite condition requires that the plurality of objects are not overlapped with each other, and the photographing apparatus selection section has: an expectation condition determination section that carries out expectation condition determination processing to determine whether a photographic image captured by each of the plurality of photographing apparatuses satisfies at least one of the plurality of expectation conditions or not; and a requisite condition determination section that carries out requisite condition determination processing to determine whether or not a photographic image that has been determined to satisfy at least one of the plurality of expectation
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Shingu
  • Patent number: 9936173
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for processing an image and an apparatus thereof, applicable to an electronic device including an image acquisition unit corresponding to an image acquisition area, wherein the method includes: generating a first image and a second image according to an object to be acquired in the image acquisition area at a first instance of time, wherein both the first image and the second image are images corresponding to the object to be acquired, and the amount of data of the first image is larger than the amount of data of the second image; and storing the first image and the second image and setting the second image as an associated image of the first image, to thereby improve the convenience and efficiency of processing the generated image in the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd., Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Diandian Qian
  • Patent number: 9933690
    Abstract: The lens drive adapter is detachably attachable to a lens barrel on which an operation member and a lens electric contact portion are provided. The adapter includes a drive unit including a drive member configured to transmit a driving force to the operation member, an adapter electric contact portion configured to contact the lens electric contact portion to be electrically connected therewith, and two adapter coupling portions configured to couple with the lens barrel at its two circumferential locations to fix the adapter to the lens barrel. The adapter electric contact portion is provided, in a first direction corresponding to an optical axis direction of the lens barrel, at a position different from that of the drive member and between the two adapter coupling portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 9934252
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing metadata-based photo and/or video animation. For instance, multiple images (e.g., still images) of a scene may be combined into an image sequence. An image may be selected from the multiple images to represent the scene. Such an image may be referred to as a primary image. Metadata may be associated with the primary image. The metadata may include a reference to the image sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Sauvé, Jeffery G. Arnold, Kathryn C. Lemson
  • Patent number: 9930266
    Abstract: A method for generating HDR (High Dynamic Range) images, performed by a processing unit, is introduced to at least contain: acquiring a frame 0 and a frame 1; calculating a first MV (Motion Vector) between the frame 0 and the frame 1; acquiring a frame 2; predicting a second MV between the frame 0 and the frame 2 according to the first MV, a time interval between shooting moments for the frames 0 and 1 and a time interval between shooting moments for the frames 0 and 2; generating a first MD (Motion Detection) matrix comprising a plurality of first MD flags according to the second MV; and fusing the frame 0 with the frame 2 according to the first MD flags.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: VIA ALLIANCE SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xu Wang
  • Patent number: 9921409
    Abstract: Provided is an image pickup apparatus, including: an image pickup optical system including a protection lens, which is arranged closest to a light incident side and has a convex-shaped surface on light incident side; and a housing houses the image pickup optical system, in which the image pickup optical system includes an aperture stop, and an optical systems A and B, which are arranged on an image side of aperture stop to be selectively placed in an optical path of image pickup optical system, the optical systems A and B having mutually different optical characteristics, and in which the housing separates a medium outside of housing and an inside of housing, and in which the image pickup apparatus further includes a switching unit selectively places one of optical systems A and B in optical path of image pickup optical system depending on a medium outside housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9924121
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that includes a photoelectric conversion element that generates signal charges by photoelectric conversion, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and an amplifier transistor. At least a part of charges of the signal charges generated by the photoelectric conversion element are held by the first capacitor and are not held by the second capacitor. The amplifier transistor outputs a first signal based on the part of the charges that the first capacitor holds. The part of the charges of the first capacitor are reset, and a combined capacitor of the first capacitor and second capacitor holds other part of charges of the signal charges generated by the photoelectric conversion element. The amplifier transistor outputs a second signal based on the other part of the charges that the combined capacitor holds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoya Onishi
  • Patent number: 9924133
    Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus includes a down-converter unit configured to down-convert an image signal having a first resolution into an image signal having a second resolution lower than the first resolution, a high-frequency-band-edge detection unit configured to perform filtering on the image signal having the first resolution to extract components in a higher frequency band than a frequency corresponding to the second resolution and to perform down-conversion on an edge detection signal obtained through the filtering to obtain an edge detection signal having the second resolution, and a combination unit configured to combine the edge detection signal obtained by the high-frequency-band-edge detection unit with the image signal having the second resolution generated by the down-converter unit so as to obtain an image signal having the second resolution and being to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Gomita, Koji Kamiya
  • Patent number: 9922410
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a saturation judgment section adapted to judge whether or not saturation of individual pixels making up image data of plural images falls within a high saturation area, the image data being acquired by picking up images of an object in time sequence; and an image combining section adapted to perform high-saturation comparative bright combination processing on the image data of plural images, where the high-saturation comparative bright combination processing involves replacing only pixels judged to fall within the high saturation area with a pixel value of a pixel which has a larger index including a luminance component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinao Shimada
  • Patent number: 9924101
    Abstract: The apparatus displays a standard image capturing screen for capturing an image using a first image capturing unit in the case where an operation of a release member has been detected while a standard playback screen for performing playback using a first playback unit is being displayed, and, in the case where an operation of the release member has been detected while a predetermined image capturing screen for capturing an image using a second image capturing unit is not being displayed and a screen of the predetermined application is being displayed, displays the predetermined image capturing screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeki Hirooka
  • Patent number: 9917120
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor may have back-side illuminated pixels and operate in a global shutter scanning mode. The CMOS image sensor may be implemented using three-layer chip stacking. The chip to chip electrical connections between the upper chip and the middle chip may be formed via hybrid bonding. Two bonding pads may be included in each pixel. The electrical connections between the middle chip and the lower chip may be formed at the periphery of the array. Using three-layer chip stacking with hybrid bonding allows for the transferring and storing of signals from the upper chip on the middle chip. A signal from low light level illumination and a charge overflow signal from high light level illumination may both be transferred to the middle chip. The image sensor may be able to use a global shutter scanning mode having high dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Jaroslav Hynecek
  • Patent number: 9917972
    Abstract: An image processor executing a predetermined image process on an input image including a plurality of pixels to generate an output image includes an image-processing unit reading the input image required for generating the output image into an internal storing circuit as a reference image to execute an image process, a storing capacity determination unit determining whether or not a data size of the reference image is within a storing capacity range of the internal storing circuit, and a reference image division unit dividing the data size of the reference image when the data size of the reference image exceeds a storing capacity of the internal storing circuit by the storing capacity determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeo Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9918032
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: an imaging section in which a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element are arranged in a matrix shape; a clock generator that generates a plurality of phase signals having different phases; a reference signal generator that generates a reference signal which increases or decreases with a lapse of time; a comparator that is disposed to correspond to each column of an array of the plurality of pixels, performs a comparing process of comparing a pixel signal output from each pixel with the reference signal, and outputs a first comparison result signal and a second comparison result signal indicating a result of the comparing process; a latch section that is disposed to correspond to the comparator and latches logic states of the plurality of phase signals; and a latch controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshio Hagihara
  • Patent number: 9912871
    Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring a post print processing machine through which printed products are successively transported. An image recording device is assigned to the post print processing machine and connected to a computer unit for recording during each operating cycle an image series with at least two images of a printed product, spaced apart by a time interval. The images of the image series are transmitted to the computer unit and the images are displayed in real time on a display device that is connected to the computer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: MUELLER MARTINI HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Hanspeter Duss, Christoph Gysin
  • Patent number: 9912905
    Abstract: Provided in embodiments of the present invention are a method and device for implementing high-definition image capturing, comprising: collecting and acquiring image data of a first set format by using an image sensor, image processing the image data then encoding into modulated data of a second set format, converting the modulated data into an analog electric signal of a third set format by using a synchronous clock, and filtering the analog electric signal by using a filter circuit then transmitting via a coaxial cable. The above series of operations is capable of implementing the collection and processing of a high-resolution video, and solves the problem that existing high-definition camera are incapable of ensuring timeliness during a video transmission process and provides poor stability and reliability, while at the same time, employment of the present invention also allows an existing analog camera to use a cable device for video transmission, thus implementing full utilization of existing resources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG DAHUA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jun Yin, Xingming Zhang, Liquan Fu, Jiangming Zhu, Jun Wu, Jian Wu
  • Patent number: 9912889
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor (107), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9912893
    Abstract: A driving method for an image pickup apparatus includes accumulating a signal generated during a first charge accumulation period by a first sub pixel, accumulating a signal generated during a second charge accumulation period partially overlapped with the first charge accumulation period by a second sub pixel, and controlling column circuits such that, after processing of the signal generated during the first charge accumulation period is performed, processing of the signal is performed which is generated during the second charge accumulation period of the second sub pixel included in the pixel where the signal processing of the first sub pixel is performed, and the column circuits are put into a non-operating state during at least part of a period after the processing of the signal generated during the first charge accumulation period is ended until the second charge accumulation period is ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kei Ochiai, Tetsuya Itano, Mineo Uchida
  • Patent number: 9904355
    Abstract: This application discloses a display method and an electronic device, where the method is applicable to a first electronic device including a sensing unit and a display unit, and the method includes: obtaining first posture information of the first electronic device by the sensing unit when the first electronic device satisfies a first predetermined condition; determining a first picture according to the first posture information; displaying the first picture by the display unit; detecting second posture information of the first electronic device by the sensing unit when there is a change in posture of the first electronic device; determining a second picture according to the second posture information; and displaying the second picture by the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignees: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd., Lenovo (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bo Xu