Patents Examined by Wesley J Chiu
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Patent number: 11962914Abstract: Methods and integrated circuits to process image data from single or multiple digital overlap (DOL) wide dynamic range (WDR) sensors, in which first received pixel data associated with a first exposure of a sensor image is stored in a DDR memory circuit, second received pixel data associated with a second exposure of the image is stored in the first buffer, third received pixel data associated with a third exposure of the image is stored in a second buffer, and fourth received pixel data associated with a fourth exposure of the image is provided to a merge circuit, and merged pixel data is stored in a dynamically partitioned line buffer for processing by an image pipeline circuit to facilitate interfacing multiple DOL WDR sensors in an interleaved fashion.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventor: Shashank Dabral
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Patent number: 11950010Abstract: This technology relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging system for improving the accuracy of distance measurement performed by use of SPADs. The imaging apparatus includes a pixel array section having pixel sections arrayed therein. Each pixel section includes: an SPAD (single photon avalanche photodiode); a resistance component configured to be connected serially with the SPAD; an output section configured to output a light reception signal indicating photon incidence on the SPAD; and a pulse generation section configured to output a pulse signal in synchronism with the output of the light reception signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Tatsuki Nishino
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Patent number: 11943553Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of image sensor pixels. Pixel control circuitry may provide control signals to the array of image sensor pixels. The pixel control circuitry may include a plurality of driver units that each generate a control signal for a different set of image sensor pixels. The control signal generated by each of the driver units may be delayed relative to each other. A voltage-controlled delay line may provide delayed outputs to each of the driver units. Delay lock circuitry coupled to the voltage-controlled delay line may fix the delay exhibited across the delay line using corresponding global and local bias voltages provided to each of the inverters in the delay line.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLCInventor: Gal Fadida
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Patent number: 11921285Abstract: Method and system for on-chip processing to obtain an EDOF image combines interferometry and imaging so the two operations do not interfere with one another but, rather, work together to create an in-focus, true color image of a three-dimensional object. This image has no significant artifacts and requires only limited processing. In addition, a coarse depth map is created in the process which may also be helpful in subsequent usage of the acquired image. A CMOS pixel-array sensor includes circuitry to implement processing at the pixel level.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAInventors: John Koshel, Emma Landsiedel
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Patent number: 11902650Abstract: There is provided an image capturing apparatus. A shooting control unit carries out continuous shooting. A detection unit detects, from an image obtained through the continuous shooting, a plurality of object classes. The object classes are organized hierarchically according to a hierarchical structure in which an object class in a higher hierarchy level contains an object class in a lower hierarchy level. A selection unit selects a specific hierarchy level on the basis of a predetermined selection criterion. A notification unit notifies a user of one or more of the plurality of object classes, with priority given to an object class belonging to the specific hierarchy level.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Shin Takagi
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Patent number: 11895409Abstract: Examples are described for applying different settings for image capture to different portions of image data. For example, an image sensor can capture image data of a scene and can send the image data to an image signal processor (ISP) and a classification engine for processing. The classification engine can determine that a first object image region depicts a first category of object, and a second object image region depicts a second category of object. Different confidence regions of the image data can identify different degrees of confidence in the classifications. The ISP can generate an image by applying a different settings to the different portions of the image data. The different portions of the image data can be identified based on the object image regions and confidence regions.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Eran Pinhasov, Scott Cheng, Eran Scharam, Anatoly Gurevich
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Patent number: 11843014Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 20, 2021Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yusuke Onuki, Fumihiro Inui
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Patent number: 11838608Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 2, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Kielan C. Crow, Akshay Shinde, Nicholas Vitale, Eduardo Hernandez Pacheco
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Patent number: 11825196Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 4, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shunichi Wakashima, Kohei Okamoto
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Patent number: 11818479Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: Rongrong Wang, He Lyu
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Patent number: 11791363Abstract: An element includes a plurality of light-receiving elements to photoelectrically convert light received from an object, a convolution processing unit to perform convolution operation on signals that are output from the plurality of light-receiving elements, and a pooling processing unit to sample a signal that is output from the convolution processing unit, based on a predetermined condition. The convolution operation of the convolution processing unit and the sampling of the pooling processing unit are repeated.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Shigeru Matsumoto, Sota Nakanishi, Tomohisa Ishida, Atsushi Miyamoto, Kiyoshi Uchikawa
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Patent number: 11763554Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that has a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged and reads and outputs a pixel signal from the pixels included in the pixel region; a unit-of-readout controller that controls a unit of readout set as a part of the pixel region; a first unit-of-readout setting unit that sets a first unit of readout that is used for reading out the pixel signal from the pixel region for a recognition process that has learned training data for each of the units of readout; a second unit-of-readout setting unit that sets a second unit of readout that is used for reading out the pixel signal from the pixel region so as to output the pixel signal to a subsequent stage; and a mediation unit that performs mediation between the first unit of readout and the second unit of readout.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2019Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Ryuta Satoh, Suguru Aoki, Keitaro Yamamoto, Ryoji Eki
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Patent number: 11741700Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that has a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged and that reads and outputs a pixel signal from the pixels included in the pixel region; a unit-of-readout controller that controls a unit of readout set as a part of the pixel region: a recognition unit that has learned training data for each of units of readout; a first output unit that outputs a recognition result of recognition performed by the recognition unit for each of the units of readout; a second output unit that outputs the pixel signal to a subsequent stage; and a trigger generator that generates a trigger signal for controlling a first timing at which the first output unit outputs the recognition result and a second timing at which the second output unit outputs the pixel signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Ryuta Satoh, Suguru Aoki, Keitaro Yamamoto, Ryoji Eki
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Patent number: 11743607Abstract: The present invention provides an electric apparatus including an image sensor that starts to accumulate electric charges at different timings in different regions, and an optical filter that can be changed between a first concentration and a second concentration higher than the first concentration. The apparatus includes a first mode of executing a global shutter function so as to start exposure for each pixel included in a predetermined region of the image sensor at substantially the same timing, and a second mode of starting exposure for the respective pixels of the image sensor at different timings. A change in a pixel count of image data read out from the image sensor in accordance with information concerning an exposure time set by a user is larger in the first mode than in the second mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takashi Kobayashi
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Patent number: 11716546Abstract: An imaging device includes groupings of photodiodes having four photodiodes. A transfer transistor is between each photodiode and a floating diffusion. Each floating diffusion is coupled to up to two photodiodes per grouping at a time through transfer transistors. A buffer transistor is coupled to each floating diffusion. The buffer transistors may be in a first or second grouping of buffer transistors. A first bit line is coupled to up to two buffer transistors of the first grouping and a second bit line is coupled to up to two buffer transistors of the second grouping of buffer transistors at a time. A color filter array including a plurality of groupings of color filters is disposed over respective photodiodes of the photodiode array, wherein each grouping of color filters includes four color filters having a same color, wherein each grouping of color filters overlaps two groupings of photodiodes.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2022Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Qingfei Chen, Rui Wang, Wei Wei Wang, Zhiyong Zhan, Xin Wang, Qingwei Shan, Kenny Geng
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Patent number: 11716525Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes a lens unit and an imager to image the external environment by forming an optical image, which is from the external environment through the lens unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2019Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhisa Shimizu, Yasuki Furutake, Kensuke Chikata, Kazuma Yamaguchi, Yoichi Kajino
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Patent number: 11715749Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensing device that includes an image sensor including a pixel array, the pixel array including arranged in a predetermined pattern a first group of pixels having a first color filter, a second group of pixels having a second color filter and a third group of pixels having a third color filter, and an image processor suitable for determining, based on pixel values outputted from the image sensor, whether a group having a minimum number of pixels among the first to third groups of pixels are supersaturated and correcting a pixel value of at least one supersaturated pixel according to a determination result.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2020Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Dae Hyun Lee
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Patent number: 11706543Abstract: An image sensing device includes an image sensing circuit, a voltage supply grid, bitlines, and a control circuit. The image sensing circuit includes pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each one of the bitlines is coupled to a corresponding one of the columns. The voltage supply grid is coupled to the pixels. The control circuit is coupled to output at least a row select signal and a transfer signal to the rows. Each one of the rows is selectively coupled to the bitlines to selectively output image data signals in response to the row select signal and the transfer signal. Each one of the rows is further selectively coupled to the bitlines to selectively clamp the bitlines in response to the row select signal and the transfer signal. Each one of the rows is selectively decoupled from the bitlines in response to the row select signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Chengcheng Xu, Rui Wang, Bi Yuan, Liang Zuo
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Patent number: 11699768Abstract: An electrode structure including a top electrode and a bottom electrode located below the top electrode. The top electrode includes a plurality of inner electrodes and an outer electrode connected with the inner electrodes. The inner electrodes are configured to filter a light by wavelength range and filter the light into a polarized light. The inner electrodes extend along a first direction. Each of the inner electrodes includes a metal structure having a first portion and a second portion and a dielectric structure located between the first portion and the second portion of the metal structure. The first portion, the dielectric structure, and the second portion are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2022Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: VisEra Technologies Company Ltd.Inventors: Kai-Hao Chang, Ching-Hua Li, Yu-Chi Chang
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Patent number: 11689790Abstract: An image capture device that includes a housing and a heatsink located partially or completely within the housing. The heatsink comprises a planar surface, a printed circuit board in communication with the heatsink, and a sheet conductor that is a graphite sheet connected to the planar surface of the heatsink and in direct contact with the printed circuit board or components of the printed circuit board.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2021Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Nicholas Vitale, Raul Vargas Gonzalez, Herman Wong