Patents by Inventor Roman Lewkow

Roman Lewkow has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11320655
    Abstract: Imaging systems can often gather higher quality information about a field of view than the unaided human eye. For example, telescopes may magnify very distant objects, microscopes may magnify very small objects, and high frame-rate cameras may capture fast motion. The present disclosure includes devices and methods that provide real-time vision enhancement without the delay of replaying from storage media. The disclosed devices and methods may include a live view user interface with two or more interactive features or effects that may be controllable in real-time. Specifically, the disclosed devices and methods may include a live view display and image and other information enhancements, which utilize in-line computation and constant control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Changyin Zhou, Roman Lewkow, Marc Stewart Levoy, Jiawen Chen
  • Patent number: 10674099
    Abstract: An optical system and method may relate to capturing extended dynamic range images. In an example embodiment, the optical system may include a lens element configured to receive incident light and a beam splitter optically coupled to the lens element. The beam splitter is configured to separate the incident light into at least a first portion having a first photon flux and a second portion having a second photon flux. The first photon flux is at least an order of magnitude greater than the second photon flux. A controller may be configured to cause a first image sensor to capture a first image of the first portion of the incident light according to first exposure parameters and cause a second image sensor to capture a second image of the second portion of the incident light according to second exposure parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Mark Shand
  • Patent number: 10598482
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to curved arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes a curved optical element. The device may also include a curved array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the curved optical element. A curvature of the curved array is substantially concentric to at least a portion of the circumference of the curved optical element. The curved optical element is arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Patent number: 10212785
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to staggered arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes an astigmatic optical element. The device may also include an array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the astigmatic optical element. The astigmatic optical element may be arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The example device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Patent number: 10182182
    Abstract: An apparatus is described that includes an image sensor having a first output port and a second output port. The first output port is to transmit a first image stream concurrently with a second image stream transmitted from the second output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Chung Chun Wan
  • Patent number: 10139217
    Abstract: A light emitter is provided to emit, into an environment of interest, a plurality of different patterns of light during respective periods of time. Each of the different patterns of light varies according to angle in a first direction such the location of a light detector disposed in the environment can be determined based on illumination from the light emitter that is detected by the light detector over time. The light emitter includes an astigmatic optical element and a die on which are disposed multiple sets of one or more light emitters, each set corresponding to a respective pattern of illumination emitted from the light emitter. Such a configuration of the light emitter can provide means for producing the different patterns of illumination in an energy-efficient, low-cost, and/or size-constrained manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jason Holt, Roman Lewkow, Sameer Ansari
  • Publication number: 20180255252
    Abstract: An optical system and method may relate to capturing extended dynamic range images. In an example embodiment, the optical system may include a lens element configured to receive incident light and a beam splitter optically coupled to the lens element. The beam splitter is configured to separate the incident light into at least a first portion having a first photon flux and a second portion having a second photon flux. The first photon flux is at least an order of magnitude greater than the second photon flux. A controller may be configured to cause a first image sensor to capture a first image of the first portion of the incident light according to first exposure parameters and cause a second image sensor to capture a second image of the second portion of the incident light according to second exposure parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Mark Shand
  • Publication number: 20180143012
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to curved arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes a curved optical element. The device may also include a curved array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the curved optical element. A curvature of the curved array is substantially concentric to at least a portion of the circumference of the curved optical element. The curved optical element is arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Patent number: 9979906
    Abstract: An optical system and method may relate to capturing extended dynamic range images. In an example embodiment, the optical system may include a lens element configured to receive incident light and a beam splitter optically coupled to the lens element. The beam splitter is configured to separate the incident light into at least a first portion having a first photon flux and a second portion having a second photon flux. The first photon flux is at least an order of magnitude greater than the second photon flux. A controller may be configured to cause a first image sensor to capture a first image of the first portion of the incident light according to first exposure parameters and cause a second image sensor to capture a second image of the second portion of the incident light according to second exposure parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Mark Shand
  • Publication number: 20180097979
    Abstract: An apparatus is described that includes an image sensor having a first output port and a second output port. The first output port is to transmit a first image stream concurrently with a second image stream transmitted from the second output port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Chung Chun Wan
  • Patent number: 9918065
    Abstract: Example embodiments may help multi-camera devices determine disparity information scene, and use the disparity information in an autofocus process. An example method involves: (a) receiving image data of a scene that comprises at least one image of the scene captured by each of two or more image-capture systems of a computing device that includes a plurality of image-capture systems; (b) using the image data captured by the two or more image-capture systems as a basis for determining disparity information for the scene; and (c) performing, by the computing system, an autofocus process based at least in part on the disparity information, wherein the autofocus process provides a focus setting for at least one of the image-capture systems of the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Geiss, Roman Lewkow
  • Publication number: 20180067312
    Abstract: Imaging systems can often gather higher quality information about a field of view than the unaided human eye. For example, telescopes may magnify very distant objects, microscopes may magnify very small objects, and high frame-rate cameras may capture fast motion. The present disclosure includes devices and methods that provide real-time vision enhancement without the delay of replaying from storage media. The disclosed devices and methods may include a live view user interface with two or more interactive features or effects that may be controllable in real-time. Specifically, the disclosed devices and methods may include a live view display and image and other information enhancements, which utilize in-line computation and constant control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Changyin Zhou, Roman Lewkow, Marc Stewart Levoy, Jiawen Chen
  • Patent number: 9909862
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to curved arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes a curved optical element. The device may also include a curved array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the curved optical element. A curvature of the curved array is substantially concentric to at least a portion of the circumference of the curved optical element. The curved optical element is arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Publication number: 20180041721
    Abstract: An optical system and method may relate to capturing extended dynamic range images. In an example embodiment, the optical system may include a lens element configured to receive incident light and a beam splitter optically coupled to the lens element. The beam splitter is configured to separate the incident light into at least a first portion having a first photon flux and a second portion having a second photon flux. The first photon flux is at least an order of magnitude greater than the second photon flux. A controller may be configured to cause a first image sensor to capture a first image of the first portion of the incident light according to first exposure parameters and cause a second image sensor to capture a second image of the second portion of the incident light according to second exposure parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Mark Shand
  • Patent number: 9866740
    Abstract: An apparatus is described that includes an image sensor having a first output port and a second output port. The first output port is to transmit a first image stream concurrently with a second image stream transmitted from the second output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Chung Chun Wan
  • Patent number: 9854188
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that may reduce pixel noise due to defective sensor elements in optical imaging systems. Namely, a camera may capture a burst of images with an image sensor while adjusting a focus distance setting of an optical element. For example, the image burst may be captured during an autofocus process. The plurality of images may be averaged or otherwise merged to provide a single, aggregate image frame. Such an aggregate image frame may appear blurry. In such a scenario, “hot” pixels, “dead” pixels, or otherwise defective pixels may be more easily recognized and/or corrected. As an example, a defective pixel may be removed from a target image or otherwise corrected by replacing a value of the defective pixel with an average value of neighboring pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Marc Stewart Levoy, Roman Lewkow
  • Publication number: 20170359883
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to staggered arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes an astigmatic optical element. The device may also include an array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the astigmatic optical element. The astigmatic optical element may be arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The example device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Publication number: 20170356740
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to curved arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes a curved optical element. The device may also include a curved array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the curved optical element. A curvature of the curved array is substantially concentric to at least a portion of the circumference of the curved optical element. The curved optical element is arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Sameer Ansari, Roman Lewkow, Jason Holt
  • Patent number: 9835862
    Abstract: Imaging systems can often gather higher quality information about a field of view than the unaided human eye. For example, telescopes may magnify very distant objects, microscopes may magnify very small objects, and high frame-rate cameras may capture fast motion. The present disclosure includes devices and methods that provide real-time vision enhancement without the delay of replaying from storage media. The disclosed devices and methods may include a live view user interface with two or more interactive features or effects that may be controllable in real-time. Specifically, the disclosed devices and methods may include a live view display and image and other information enhancements, which utilize in-line computation and constant control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Changyin Zhou, Roman Lewkow, Marc Stewart Levoy, Jiawen Chen
  • Patent number: 9746896
    Abstract: A computing device is described that includes a display unit. The display unit includes an array of pixels defined by N rows and M columns and at least one row select unit configured to select one or more of the N rows. The display unit further includes a first column control unit configured to drive a first contiguous group of pixels from the array of pixels, and a second column control unit configured to drive a second contiguous group of pixels from the array of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Roman Lewkow, Philipp Schmaelzle