Patents Examined by Twyler L. Haskins
  • Patent number: 11843014
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, a floating diffusion, an amplifying transistor, first and second contact plugs, a wire, and a metal portion. The semiconductor substrate has a first plane and a second plane to be entered by light, and includes a photoelectric conversion element. The amplifying transistor includes a first gate electrode. The first contact plug is connected to the floating diffusion. The second contact plug is connected to the first gate electrode. The wire is configured to electrically connect the first gate electrode and the floating diffusion to each other. The metal portion, which is arranged between the first plane and a third plane, covers at least a part of the photoelectric conversion element in a planar view, and has an opening over which at least a part of the wire is superimposed in a planar view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Onuki, Fumihiro Inui
  • Patent number: 11838608
    Abstract: An image capture device, including: a heatsink, an integrated sensor and lens assembly (ISLA), and a battery cage. The heatsink includes a mounting flange. The ISLA extends through the heatsink. The battery cage being in communication with a finger mounting flange of the mounting flange to support the battery cage within the image capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Kielan C. Crow, Akshay Shinde, Nicholas Vitale, Eduardo Hernandez Pacheco
  • Patent number: 11838665
    Abstract: A disclosed comparator includes a comparison circuit that performs comparison between an input signal and a reference signal and changes a level of a signal to be output to a first node in accordance with a result of the comparison; and a positive feedback circuit including an amplifier unit that includes a current source load and outputs a signal in accordance with a potential of the first node to a second node and a feedback unit that positively feeds back a signal in accordance with a potential of the second node to the first node. The feedback unit includes a first transistor to which output of the amplifier unit is fed back and a switch that controls turning on or off of the first transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Kobayashi, So Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11838675
    Abstract: A depth imaging system in a vehicle includes a lens that includes a polarization-coded aperture. The polarization-coded aperture includes a perpendicular polarization portion to pass incident light entering the perpendicular polarization portion of the polarization-coded aperture as perpendicularly polarized light. The polarization-coded aperture also includes a parallel polarization portion to pass the incident light entering the parallel polarization portion of the polarization-coded aperture as parallel polarized light. An image sensor provides a perpendicularly polarized image based on the perpendicularly polarized light and a parallel polarized image based on the parallel polarized light. A controller processes the perpendicularly polarized image and the parallel polarized image to identify one or more objects in a field of view of the depth imaging system and to determine a range to each of the one or more objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Emanuel Mordechai
  • Patent number: 11831986
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a camera with image sensor shifting capabilities and a flexure arrangement. In various embodiments, the flexure arrangement may include an upper flexure and a lower flexure. The upper flexure may include a suspension wire that extends between two sheets. The lower flexure may include one or more flexure arms that connect a moveable platform to a stationary platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Shashank Sharma
  • Patent number: 11825225
    Abstract: An imaging element comprising: an imaging unit that has: a plurality of groups each including at least one pixel; and a plurality of signal readout units that are each provided to each of the groups and read out a signal from the pixel; and a control unit that controls the signal readout unit in at least one group among the plurality of groups is provided. Each of the plurality of groups may include a plurality of the pixels. The control unit may select at least one group among the plurality of groups and control the signal readout unit by using a control parameter that is different from a control parameter that is used for another group among the plurality of groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kuriyama, Hironobu Murata, Shiro Tsunai, Tetsuya Konishi, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11822211
    Abstract: A focus adjustment device obtains a correction value for correcting a result of autofocus, from aberration information regarding at least one of an astigmatism, a chromatic aberration, and a spherical aberration of an imaging optical system, and focus detection information regarding the autofocus. The focus adjustment device then controls a position of a focusing lens that the imaging optical system has, based on a result of the autofocus corrected using the correction value. By correcting the result of the autofocus while considering at least a focus condition of a photographic image, a focus detection error caused by an aberration of the optical system can be accurately corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yumi Watanabe, Hideyuki Hamano
  • Patent number: 11825196
    Abstract: An image sensor comprising a plurality of microlenses, and a pixel array having, with respect to each of the microlenses, a pair of first regions formed at a first depth from a surface on which light is incident, a pair of second regions formed at a second depth deeper than the first depth, and a plurality of connecting regions that connects the pair of first regions and the pair of second regions, respectively. A direction of arranging the pair of second regions corresponding to each microlens is a first direction, and a direction of arranging the pair of first regions is either the first direction or a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunichi Wakashima, Kohei Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11822215
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus that is improved in performance for cooling an apparatus body and a recording medium. The image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor, a circuit board disposed substantially parallel to the image sensor, and a cooling unit configured to cool at least one of the image sensor and the circuit board. The cooling unit includes a duct having an air flow passage crossing an optical axis of the image sensor, and a fan that causes air to flow in the air flow passage in the duct. An air inlet port and an air outlet port of the duct are disposed adjacent to each other such that the air outlet port does not face toward the air inlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hayato Mano, Ryoma Yoshimori
  • Patent number: 11823802
    Abstract: An example system for monitoring an occupant of a room includes an enclosure, a speaker plate, a speaker, an infrared illuminator, a camera, and a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) splitter. The enclosure is mountable within an interior surface of the room. The speaker plate is removably positionable within the enclosure, and includes a speaker opening and an illuminator opening. The speaker is positioned within the speaker opening and mounted to the speaker plate. The infrared illuminator is positioned within the illuminator opening and mounted to the speaker plate. The PoE splitter is configured to: receive power and data over a first Ethernet cable, provide power to the speaker, the infrared illuminator, and the camera; and output the data to the camera over a second Ethernet cable. The camera is configured to send an audio signal to the speaker over an audio cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Laux/Arnold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael O. Mansfield, Christopher L. Rose
  • Patent number: 11818479
    Abstract: A technique is presented for quantizing pixels of an image using Sigma Delta quantization. In one aspect, pixel values for an image are segmented into columns of pixel values; and for each column in the matrix, pixel values of a given column are quantized using sigma delta modulation. The pixel values in a given column are preferably quantized as a whole, thereby minimizing accumulated quantization error from a starting pixel value in the given column to a current pixel value in the given column. In another aspect, the pixels of an image are quantized using a 2D generalization of Sigma Delta modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Rongrong Wang, He Lyu
  • Patent number: 11812161
    Abstract: A flicker measuring device of the present invention: receives light emitted from an object to be measured and outputs a light reception signal corresponding to an amount of received light; acquires the output light reception signal a plurality of times from a measurement start time point to a steady time point at which the object to be measured is in a steady state, obtains a flicker value of the object to be measured for each of the plurality of times on the basis of the acquired light reception signal, and stores the flicker value obtained for each of the plurality of times in a storage in association with an acquisition time point of the light reception signal; and performs an arithmetic processing of obtaining a flicker shift time by using each flicker value stored, in which in the arithmetic processing, an amount of overall change is obtained that is an amount of change of the flicker value from the initial flicker value to the steady flicker value, a predetermined ratio time point is obtained at which a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 11812142
    Abstract: An appropriate user interface corresponding to a use state of an apparatus is provided. An imaging system includes an imaging apparatus and an information processing apparatus. The imaging apparatus has a control related to an imaging operation performed based on an operation input performed in the information processing apparatus by connecting to the information processing apparatus by using wireless communication. The information processing apparatus performs a control for switching a display state of a display screen related to an imaging operation of the imaging apparatus, based on a connection number of imaging apparatuses and information processing apparatuses connected by using wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Ryogo Ito, Shiro Eshita, Megumi Takagi, Kazuma Akamatsu, Ayumi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11810436
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a security system including an outdoor security device. In some embodiments, the outdoor security device comprises a housing, a light coupled to the housing and located within a hollow inner portion of the housing, and a camera and a lens coupled to the housing. In some embodiments, the security device comprises at least one directional microphone communicatively coupled to the camera and configured to determine a location of a detected sound whereby the camera performs a frame lock to capture an image associated with the detected sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SkyBell Technologies IP, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph Frank Scalisi
  • Patent number: 11812171
    Abstract: An electronic device (200) having an array of pixels (210; 400; 500; 810), and pixel modulation drivers (D1 to D8), each pixel modulation drivers (D1 to D8) being configured to drive a sub-array (R1 to R8) of the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Victor Belokonskiy
  • Patent number: 11805307
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus which is capable of communicating with an external device mounted thereon, and the external device. An external engagement unit of the external device is capable of being mounted into an apparatus engagement unit of the electronic apparatus. A plurality of apparatus wireless communicators is located in the apparatus engagement unit so as to face respective ones of a plurality of external wireless communicators located in the external engagement unit mounted into the apparatus engagement unit. The plurality of apparatus wireless communicators is arranged in the apparatus engagement unit such that radiation characteristics of all of the plurality of apparatus wireless communicators are at least not parallel. The plurality of external wireless communicators is arranged in the external engagement unit such that radiation characteristics of all of the plurality of external wireless communicators are at least not parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Okano, Keita Hirayama
  • Patent number: 11804320
    Abstract: Provided is a camera device including a housing having accommodation cavity; an optical imaging part placed in the accommodation cavity and including lens having optical axis and drive mechanism; and an anti-shake mechanism placed in the accommodation cavity and including first movable part, first fixed part, first coil, first magnet, filter and photosensitive sensor. The drive mechanism includes second magnet to drive the lens. The first magnet, the first coil and the second magnet are successively arranged at intervals along optical axis direction, and the first coil is simultaneously under action of the first and second magnets to drive the first movable part. Compared with the related art, the first coil can utilize the magnetic fluxes of the first and second magnets at the same time, so that the first movable part fixed with the first coil can receive larger driving force, thereby improving efficiency of shake correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: AAC Optics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuo Shikama
  • Patent number: 11805332
    Abstract: An image signal processor that generates a display signal receives an input image signal having a first pedestal level from an image sensor, generates a first signal from the input image signal, the first signal including a second pedestal level, the second pedestal level being different from the first pedestal level and being determined in accordance with the first pedestal level and a processing gain of the image signal processor, generates a second signal having the second pedestal level by amplifying the first signal in accordance with the processing gain, generates a third signal having the second pedestal level by removing a noise signal from the second signal; and generates a fourth signal by subtracting the second pedestal level from the third signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Bum Choi, Hyunyup Kwak, Jaeho Lee, Ildo Kim, Seongwook Song
  • Patent number: 11800245
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of keeping a focus on a subject even when a moving direction of the subject changes in time series is provided. The image pickup apparatus comprising at least one processor and/or circuit configured to function as following units, an image pickup unit configured to pick up a subject image formed by an image pickup optical system and generate image data, a subject detecting unit configured to detect a subject included in the image data generated by the image pickup unit and obtain a subject detection result, a focus detection unit configured to obtain a focus detection result of a focus detection area, which is set based on the subject detection result, and a control unit configured to perform a predictive calculation, which predicts a position of the subject detected by the subject detecting unit at a time after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from a focus detection time, and perform focus control of the image pickup optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiko Kanda, Hideyuki Hamano
  • Patent number: 11800211
    Abstract: A camera module includes a housing defining an internal space; a reflection module disposed in the internal space and including a reflective member and a holder movably supported by an inner wall of the housing; and a lens module provided in the internal space, and including lenses aligned in an optical axis direction so that light reflected by the reflective member is incident to the lenses. The lens module includes lens barrels accommodating the lenses, and the plurality of lens barrels move in an approximate optical axis direction in the internal space while being supported by ball bearings. At least two of the lens barrels share a guide groove to guide movements of the ball bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ta Kyoung Lee, Young Hwan Kwon