Including Noise Or Undesired Signal Reduction Patents (Class 348/241)
  • Patent number: 11947115
    Abstract: An imaging light emitting device, and an optical unit configured to guide imaging light emitted from the imaging light emitting device are included, and the imaging light emitting device emits the imaging light at different densities according to a distortion generated in an optical system constituting the optical unit and an image position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Takeda, Takeshi Koshihara
  • Patent number: 11928799
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a plurality of cameras, and at least one processor connected to the plurality of cameras. The at least one processor is configured to, based on a first user command to obtain a live view image, segment an image frame obtained via a camera among the plurality of cameras into a plurality of regions based on a brightness of pixels and an object included in the image frame; obtain a plurality of camera parameter setting value sets, each including a plurality of parameter values with respect to the plurality of regions; based on a second user command to capture the live view image, obtain a plurality of image frames using the plurality of camera parameter setting value sets and at least one camera among the plurality of cameras; and obtain an image frame by merging the plurality of obtained image frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ashish Chopra, Bapi Reddy Karri
  • Patent number: 11918422
    Abstract: A system and method for a teleoperational medical system is provided is provided that can include one or more processors, conductors can extend through a shaft with an interface positioned at a proximal end of the shaft and a sensor(s) positioned at a distal end of the shaft, and the conductors can electrically couple the sensor(s) to the processor via the interface. Signals can be transmitted over the conductors between the sensor(s) and the processor(s). The signals can include power and control signals transmitted in one direction over the conductors and sensor data transmitted in an opposite direction over the same conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operation, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Shafer, John A Barton
  • Patent number: 11915671
    Abstract: Techniques for providing adaptive assistive technology for assisting users with visual impairment can be used on a computing device. These techniques include displaying content to a user, capturing a series of images or video of the user using a camera, analyzing the series of images or video to determine whether the user is exhibiting behavior or characteristics indicative of visual impairment, and rendering a magnification user interface on the display configured to magnify at least a portion of the content of the display based on a determination that the user is exhibiting behavior or characteristics indicative of visual impairment. The magnification user interface may be controlled based on head and/or eye movements of the user of the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason A. Grieves, Eric N. Badger, Grant M. Wynn, Paul J. Olczak, Christian Klein
  • Patent number: 11915394
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to identify, correct, and/or replace anomalous pixels. In one example, a method includes receiving an image frame comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The pixels comprise image data associated with a scene and fixed pattern noise introduced by an imaging device. The method also includes performing a first process on a first set of the pixels to determine associated correction terms configured to reduce the fixed pattern noise, and applying the correction terms to the first set of the pixels in response to the first process. The method also includes performing a second process on a second set of the pixels to determine whether to replace the second set of the pixels to reduce the fixed pattern noise, and replacing at least a subset of the second set of the pixels in response to the second process. Additional methods and systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Teledyne FLIR Commercial Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Julie R. Moreira, Stephanie Lin
  • Patent number: 11908111
    Abstract: Image analysis and processing may include a first sensor readout unit receiving first Bayer format image data corresponding to a first input image, a second sensor readout unit receiving second Bayer format image data corresponding to a second input image, a first Bayer-to-RGB unit obtaining first RGB format image data based on the first Bayer format image data, a second Bayer-to-RGB unit obtaining second RGB format image data based on the second Bayer format image data, a high dynamic range unit configured obtaining high dynamic range image data based on a combination of the first RGB format image data and the second RGB format image data, an RGB-to-YUV unit obtaining YUV format image data based on the high dynamic range image data, and a three-dimensional noise reduction unit obtaining processed image data based on the YUV format image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Guillaume Matthieu Guerin, Bruno Faure, Vincent Vacquerie, Bruno César Douady
  • Patent number: 11900845
    Abstract: A system and method for display distortion calibration are configured to capture distortion with image patterns and calibrate distortion with ray tracing for an optical pipeline with lenses. The system includes an image sensor and a processor to perform the method for display distortion calibration. The method includes generating an image pattern to encode display image pixels by encoding display distortion associated with a plurality of image patterns. The method also includes determining a distortion of the image pattern resulting from a lens on a head-mounted display (HMD) and decoding the distorted image patterns to obtain distortion of pixels on a display. A lookup table is created of angular distortion of all the pixels on the display. The method further includes providing a compensation factor for the distortion by creating distortion correction based on the lookup table of angular distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yingen Xiong, Christopher A. Peri
  • Patent number: 11902533
    Abstract: A code rate control method and apparatus, an image acquisition device, and a readable storage medium are provided. The method includes: acquiring the gain and exposure time of an image to be encoded from an image processing module of an image acquisition device; obtaining corresponding reference distortion degree according to the gain and exposure time of said image; calculating the difference between the distortion degree in a characteristic region of said image and the reference distortion degree; calculating a distortion tolerance degree of macro blocks constituting said image according to the difference between the distortion degree in the characteristic region of said image and the reference distortion degree; performing macro block predictions on the respective macro blocks in said image, to obtain an optimum macro block prediction mode; and encoding said image, which corresponds to the optimum macro block prediction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVIEW TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hui Wu, Kesen Yan, Qiong Xu
  • Patent number: 11895420
    Abstract: In an example embodiment, a ramp generator includes a ramp circuit that receives a first ramp enable signal from a control circuit during a first ramp period, the first ramp period including a first reset period and a first sensing period, and the ramp circuit being configured to output a first ramp signal to a correlated double sampling circuit; an emphasis circuit that increases a voltage level of the first ramp signal during the first reset period, based on a first enable signal received from the control circuit; and a pre-emphasis circuit that further increases the voltage level of the first ramp signal during a first pre-emphasis period in the first reset period, based on a second enable signal received from the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myeongjin Oh, Jaejung Park, Hyosang Kim, Sukho Shin, Haneul Jung
  • Patent number: 11891075
    Abstract: A redundant hardware and software architecture can be designed to enable vehicles to be operated in an autonomous mode while improving the reliability and/or safety of such vehicles. A system for redundant architecture can include a set of at least two redundant sensors coupled to a vehicle and configured to provide timestamped sensor data to each of a plurality of computing unit (CU) computers. The CU computers can process the sensor data simultaneously based on at least a time value indicative of an absolute time or a relative time and based on the timestamped sensor data. The CU computers provide to a vehicle control unit (VCU) computer at least two sets of outputs configured to instruct a plurality of devices in a vehicle and cause the vehicle to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Frederic Rocha, Zehua Huang, Xiaoling Han, Ruiliang Zhang, Esayas Naizghi, Changyi Zhao
  • Patent number: 11889170
    Abstract: An imaging device, electronic equipment, and an imaging method capable of controlling a temperature rise are provided. The imaging device (CIS 2) according to the present disclosure includes an imaging unit (22), an information processing unit (DNN processing unit 23), a temperature detection unit (25), and a control unit (CIS control unit 21). The imaging unit (22) captures an image and generates image data. The information processing unit (DNN processing unit 23) performs processing with respect to the image data read from the imaging unit (22). The temperature detection unit (25) detects temperature. The control unit (CIS control unit 21) changes the processing performed by the information processing unit (DNN processing unit 23) according to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Goshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11887282
    Abstract: A noise removing circuit includes an image combiner suitable for generating a high dynamic range (HDR) image by combining images having different exposure times; a detailed image generator suitable for generating a detailed image from the HDR image; an image strength evaluator suitable for evaluating strength of the detailed image; and a noise coring component suitable for performing a noise coring operation for removing noise from a region of the detailed image in which a signal to noise ratio (SNR) has decreased using a low threshold and a saturation threshold when the strength of the detailed image is less than a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Ik Kim, Jin Su Kim, Chang Ki Min, Seong Hee Park
  • Patent number: 11869129
    Abstract: A learning apparatus for image generation includes a preprocessing module configured to receive text for image generation and generate a sentence feature vector and a word feature vector from the received text, a first generative adversarial network (GAN) configured to receive the sentence feature vector from the preprocessing module and generate an initial image based on the received sentence feature vector, and a second generative adversarial network configured to receive the word feature vector generated by the preprocessing module and the initial image generated by the first generative adversarial network and generate a final image based on the word feature vector and the initial image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: RESEARCH COOPERATION FOUNDATION OF YEUNGNAM UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Gyu Sang Choi, Jong Ho Han, Hyun Kwang Shin
  • Patent number: 11861762
    Abstract: This disclosure describes methods, non-transitory computer readable storage media, and systems that generate synthetized digital images using class-specific generators for objects of different classes. The disclosed system modifies a synthesized digital image by utilizing a plurality of class-specific generator neural networks to generate a plurality of synthesized objects according to object classes identified in the synthesized digital image. The disclosed system determines object classes in the synthesized digital image such as via a semantic label map corresponding to the synthesized digital image. The disclosed system selects class-specific generator neural networks corresponding to the classes of objects in the synthesized digital image. The disclosed system also generates a plurality of synthesized objects utilizing the class-specific generator neural networks based on contextual data associated with the identified objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Adobe Inc.
    Inventors: Yuheng Li, Yijun Li, Jingwan Lu, Elya Shechtman, Krishna Kumar Singh
  • Patent number: 11855651
    Abstract: A multi-stage pipelined Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) has an offset correction circuit embedded in the residue amplifier between stages. The offset corrector has a low-pass filter that filters the output of the residue amplifier, and the filtered offset is amplified and stored on an offset capacitor during an autozeroing phase of the residue amplifier. During an amplify phase of the residue amplifier, switches disconnect the amplifier from the offset capacitor and instead ground the input of the offset capacitor, and other switches connect the output terminal of the offset capacitor to the input of the residue amplifier. The offset stored on the offset capacitor is combined with the residue voltage from the first ADC stage's capacitor array and applied to an input of the residue amplifier to effectively subtract the detected offset. Two offset capacitors and sets of switches can be used to implement a differential offset corrector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Caelus Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Chi Fung Lok
  • Patent number: 11847762
    Abstract: A polarization imaging unit generates, as polarization information, a polarization image including pixels in a plurality of polarization directions. An interpolation processing unit of an information processor performs interpolation processing using the polarization image obtained from the polarization imaging unit, and generates a polarization image for each polarization method. A polarization degree calculation unit calculates, for example, a polarization degree for each pixel as object surface information on the basis of the polarization image for each polarization method. A noise amount calculation unit calculates a noise amount for each pixel on the basis of the polarization image for each polarization method and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teppei Kurita, Shun Kaizu, Yasutaka Hirasawa, Yuhi Kondo
  • Patent number: 11836249
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, devices, and the like for generating an adversarially resistant model. In one embodiment, a novel architecture is presented that enables the identification of an image that has been adversarially attacked. The system and method used in the identification introduce the use of a denoising module used to reconstruct the original image from the modified image received. Then, further to the reconstruction, an adversarially trained model is used to make a prediction using at least a determination of a loss that may exist between the original image and the denoised image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventor: Xiaodong Yu
  • Patent number: 11837180
    Abstract: A low-resolution image is displayed at higher resolution and afterimages are reduced. Resolution is nude higher by super-resolution processing. In this case, the super-resolution processing is performed after frame interpolation processing is performed. Further, in that case, the super-resolution processing is performed using a plurality of processing systems. Therefore, even when frame frequency is made higher, the super-resolution processing can be performed at high speed. Further, since frame rate doubling is performed by the frame interpolation processing, afterimages can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hajime Kimura
  • Patent number: 11833979
    Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a rearward-viewing camera and a forward-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle. Image data captured by the cameras is provided to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit sends respective control data to the cameras, and the respective sent control data is stored in respective memory of the cameras. With the respective sent control data stored in the respective memory of the cameras, the electronic control unit sends a trigger signal to the cameras. Responsive to the sent trigger signal, the cameras load operational parameters of the respective stored control data into respective image sensors of the cameras so that the operational parameters of the respective image sensors of the cameras are synchronized. With the operational parameters of the respective image sensors of the cameras synchronized, image data is captured by the respective image sensors and is sent to the electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Vivek Vaid, Yuesheng Lu
  • Patent number: 11831311
    Abstract: This application relates to control of semiconductor devices, in particular MOS devices, so as to reduce RTS/flicker noise. A circuit (100) includes a first MOS device (103, 104) and a bias controller (107). The circuit is operable in at least a first circuit state (PRO) in which the first MOS device is active to contribute to a first signal (Sout) and a second circuit state (PRST) in which the first MOS device does not contribute to the first signal. The bias controller is operable to control voltages at one or more terminals of the first MOS device to apply a pre-bias (VPB1, VPB2) during an instance of the second circuit state. The pre-bias is applied to set an occupancy state of charge carriers traps within the first MOS device, to limit noise during subsequent operation in the first circuit state. In embodiments, the bias controller is configured so that at least one parameter of the pre-bias is selectively variable in use based on one or more operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: John Laurence Pennock, John Paul Lesso
  • Patent number: 11825216
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel array with pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction, intersecting the first direction. Each of the pixels includes a photodiode, a pixel circuit below the photodiode, and a color filter on or above the photodiode. A logic circuit acquires a pixel signal from the pixels through a plurality of column lines extending in the second direction. The pixels include color pixels and white pixels, the number of white pixels being greater than the number of color pixels. The pixel circuit includes a floating diffusion in which charges of the photodiode are accumulated and transistors outputting a voltage corresponding to amounts of charges in the floating diffusion. Each of the color pixels shares the floating diffusion with at least one neighboring white pixel, adjacent thereto in the second direction, among the white pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventors: Junghyung Pyo, Kyungho Lee
  • Patent number: 11821845
    Abstract: A method of managing cleanliness of an interior of a vehicle includes: detecting indoor contamination using a contamination detector including at least a camera; receiving information on the next user including information on at least one user scheduled to ride in the vehicle; determining at least one harmful substance based on the result of detection of the indoor contamination and the information on the next user; and transmitting information on the determined at least one harmful substance to the external entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Seung Hyun Woo, Min Jae Park, Anastasia Yarygina
  • Patent number: 11825217
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensing device including a pixel array, wherein the pixel array includes a first sub-pixel array including pixels each having a green filter and disposed in a first diagonal direction, and pixels each having a white filter and disposed in a second diagonal direction, a second sub-pixel array including pixels each having the green filter and disposed in the first diagonal direction, and pixels each having the white filter and disposed in the second diagonal direction, a third sub-pixel array including pixels each having a red filter and disposed in the second diagonal direction, and pixels each having the white filter and disposed in the first diagonal direction, and a fourth sub-pixel array including pixels each having a blue filter and disposed in the second diagonal direction, and pixels each having the white filter and disposed in the first diagonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Su Ram Cha, Jong Heon Kim, Woo Young Choi
  • Patent number: 11824072
    Abstract: Techniques for implementing and/or operating an electronic device that includes or utilizes a display panel. The display panel includes an organic light-emitting diode layer, an encapsulation layer disposed over the organic light-emitting diode layer, and a color filter layer disposed over the encapsulation layer. The color filter layer overhangs the organic light-emitting diode layer and comprises a first color filter cell of a first color component sub-pixel that at least partially overlaps an organic light-emitting diode of a second color component sub-pixel that is a different color compared to the first color component sub-pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shengchang Cai, Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov, Chaohao Wang, Sheng Zhang, Giovanni Carbone, Igor Stamenov
  • Patent number: 11818478
    Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of image pixels. The array of image pixel may be coupled to control circuitry and readout circuitry. One or more image pixels in the array may each include a coupled-gates structure coupling a photodiode at one input terminal to a capacitor at a first output terminal and to a floating diffusion region at a second output terminal. The coupled-gates structure may include a first transistor that sets a potential barrier defining overflow portions of the photodiode-generated charge. Second and third transistors in the coupled-gates structure may be modulated to transfer the overflow charge to the capacitor and to the floating diffusion region at suitable times. The second and third transistors may form a conductive path between the capacitor and the floating diffusion region for a low conversion gain mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Manuel H. Innocent, Robert Michael Guidash, Tomas Geurts
  • Patent number: 11810338
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a first determination section and a first output section. First output data is obtained from a trained model, which has being trained beforehand, by input of first input data to the trained model. Second output data is obtained from the trained model by input of second input data to the trained model, in which second input data a perturbation of a specified perturbation amount is applied to the first input data. The first determination section makes a determination as to whether a change amount of the second output data relative to the first output data is not more than a pre-specified threshold. The first output section outputs information representing the first input data and a perturbation amount for which the change amount is determined by the first determination section to be not more than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Fukushima, Takeyuki Sasai
  • Patent number: 11798151
    Abstract: A system for determining image capture degradation of a camera sensor is disclosed. The system is configured to capture a series of image frames by a camera of a vehicle over time. The system is configured to generate a latent image from a series of images captured by the camera. The system generates a plurality of frequency layers based on the latent image by, for example, performing a high frequency multiscale fusion transform. The system generates a plurality of frequency layers, each corresponding a spectral sub-band frequency, and each frequency layer includes the coefficients. The system generates a degradation map based on the processed activation map and generates an output based on the activation map. The output may be provided to an output system to wash the camera lens, notify a user or the vehicle of blockage, or modify image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Utkarsh Deshmukh, Martin Fritz Mueller, Angelo Anthony Stekardis, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11798224
    Abstract: To make it possible to obtain a natural virtual viewpoint image in which a structure or the like existing within an image capturing scene is represented three-dimensionally so as to be the same as a real one while suppressing a network load at the time of transmission of multi-viewpoint image data. The generation device according to the present invention generates a virtual viewpoint image based on three-dimensional shape data corresponding to an object, three-dimensional shape data corresponding to a structure, background data corresponding to a background different at least from the object and the structure, and information indicating a virtual viewpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Umemura
  • Patent number: 11798189
    Abstract: Computer implemented methods and devices for determining dimensions or distances of head features are provided. The method includes identifying a plurality of features in an image of a head of a person. A real dimension of at least one target feature of the plurality of features or a real distance between at least one target feature of the plurality features and a camera device used for capturing the image is estimated based on probability distributions for real dimensions of at least one feature of the plurality of features and a pixel dimension of the at least one feature of the plurality of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH
    Inventor: Ben Hoyle
  • Patent number: 11798140
    Abstract: A head-up display installed in a movable body includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image including a graphic, a vibration information acquisition unit that acquires vibration information indicating vibration of the moving body, an image correction unit that generates a corrected image by performing, on the image, a blurring correction for blurring a contour of the graphic in the image based on the vibration information, and a display unit that displays the corrected image in a space as a virtual image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: LAPIS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Imatoh
  • Patent number: 11781533
    Abstract: A shape memory alloy actuator assembly (2) is disclosed. The actuator assembly comprises a support (21), a first stage (22) moveable in at least two different non-parallel directions in a first plane relative to the support, a first set of at least two shape memory alloy wires (271) configured to move the first stage in the first plane, a second stage (23) moveable in at least two different non-parallel in a second plane parallel to or coplanar with the first plane relative to the first stage, and a second set of at least two shape memory alloy wires (272) configured to move the second stage in the second plane. The first stage is coupled to the support via the first set of shape memory alloy wires and the second stage is coupled to the first stage via the second set of shape memory alloy wires such that movement of the second stage in the second plane with respect to the support is a combination of movement of the first stage relative to support and the second stage relative to the first stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: CAMBRIDGE MECHATRONICS LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrew Benjamin Simpson Brown, Konstantinos Pantelidis, Robin Eddington
  • Patent number: 11777515
    Abstract: A column analog-to-digital converter and the local counting method is provided. The column analog-to-digital converter includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters in parallel. Each of the analog-to-digital converters includes a comparator and a counting circuit. The comparator compares the ramp voltage with one of the plurality of column signals to generate a comparator output signal. The counting circuit generates a local clock by means of a voltage-controlled oscillator of the counting circuit according to the base clock and the comparator output signal, counts the base clock and the local clock respectively to generate a first counting output and a second counting output, and combines the first counting output with the second counting output to generate the counting output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chih-Peng Hsia, Cho-Hsuan Jhang, Su-Wei Lien
  • Patent number: 11765466
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an imaging control method, an electronic device, and a non-transitory readable storage medium. A pixel unit array of an imaging device is exposed for multiple times with the same exposure duration to generate second images, based on a preview image generated by the imaging device satisfying a first preset condition. A composited image is obtained by performing a compositing and noise reduction process on the second images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Jiewen Huang
  • Patent number: 11765467
    Abstract: Provided is an image sensor including: a pixel array including a plurality of pixel groups each including first pixels to which a first conversion gain is applied and second pixels to which a second conversion gain is applied; a readout circuit configured to receive a first pixel signal corresponding to the first pixels and a second pixel signal corresponding to the second pixels through a single readout with respect to each of the plurality of pixel groups, generate first image data, based on first pixel signals of the plurality of pixel groups, and generate second image data, based on second pixel signals of the plurality of pixel groups; and an image signal processor configured to generate output image data by merging the first image data and the second image data in units of a pixel group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeongguk Lee, Yunseok Choi, Dochang Ahn, Soyoung Jeong
  • Patent number: 11764799
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters and conversion methods thereof. One embodiment includes a slope analog-to-digital converter. The slope analog-to-digital converter includes a sample and hold stage configured to sample an analog input signal at a sampling frequency. The slope analog-to-digital converter also includes a comparator downstream to the sample and hold stage configured to compare the analog input signal to a slope signal. Further, the slope analog-to-digital converter includes a digital logic configured to receive a counter value corresponding to a voltage level of the slope signal and to sample the counter value based upon the comparison, thereby generating a digital representation of the analog input signal based upon the comparison. The slope signal is asynchronous to the sampling frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Jan Craninckx, Ewout Martens
  • Patent number: 11756283
    Abstract: A system includes an image sensor having a plurality of pixels that form a plurality of regions of interest (ROIs), and configured to operate at a frame rate higher than a threshold rate. The system also includes an image processing resource. The system further includes control circuitry configured to perform operations that include obtaining, from the image sensor, a full-resolution image of an environment. The full-resolution image contains each respective ROI of the plurality of ROIs. The operations also include selecting a particular ROI based on the full-resolution image, and detecting an object of interest in the particular ROI. The operations include determining a mode of operation by which subsequent image data generated by the particular ROI is to be processed. The operations further include processing, based on the mode of operation and the frame rate, the image data comprising a plurality of ROI images of the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Nirav Dharia, Lucian Ion
  • Patent number: 11756171
    Abstract: Image captured through a non-rectilinear lens may exhibit distortions. The distortions may be reduced by warping the image. However, warping the image may degrade the fidelity of the image. The warped image may be enhanced to increase the fidelity of the image. The enhancement may be applied to the portions of the image that were degraded from the warping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert McIntosh
  • Patent number: 11756293
    Abstract: The techniques disclosed herein improve the efficiency of a system by providing intelligent agents for managing data associated with objects that are displayed within mixed-reality and virtual-reality collaboration environments and facilitating communication between the agents and computing devices associated with the collaboration environments. Individual agents are configured to collect, analyze, and store data associated with individual objects in a database associated with the agent. The agents are further configured to receive queries from the computing devices regarding an individual object. Agents can respond to queries by presenting relevant information collected by the agent with a view of the queried object of interest In addition, the data stored by the agents can be shared between different collaboration environments without requiring users to manually store and present a collection of content for each object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Patent number: 11747197
    Abstract: A photometer and a method of performing photometric measurements with this photometer are described. The photometer comprises a photodetector providing a detector signal corresponding to an intensity of light received by the photodetector; and measurement electronics including: an amplifier and a signal processing device configured to determine and to provide a measurement result based on a measurement signal determined by the signal processing device as or based on an amplified detector signal provided by the amplifier. The signal processing device is configured to determine the measurement signal: a) as or based on the amplified detector signal provided by the amplifier being a multistage amplifier including a transimpedance converter and a voltage to current amplifier; and/or b) in form of a noise reduced signal determined by subtracting a previously determined noise offset included in the amplified detector signal from the amplified detector signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Conducta, Inc.
    Inventors: Iouri Kompaniets, Jesus Godinez, Ahmed Fathalla, Budi Komala
  • Patent number: 11748994
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a measurement area setting unit that sets a measurement area in an input image, a small image setting unit that sets a small image in the input image based on the measurement area, a first estimation unit that estimates a flow distribution of a target in the small image, and a second estimation unit that estimates the number of targets to pass through the measurement area based on the flow distribution in the small image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Muta, Kotaro Yano, Yasuo Bamba
  • Patent number: 11750933
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensing device including a first pixel group including at least one first half-shading pixel and at least one first normal pixel, and an image processor suitable for using a first pixel signal, which is generated from the first half-shading pixel during a first period, as phase information, and using a first pixel signal, which is generated from the first half-shading pixel during a second period, as dynamic range information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Jin Park, Jae Hyun Im, Nam Ryeol Kim, Tae Hyun Kim, Seong Hee Park, Kang Bong Seo, Jung Soon Shin
  • Patent number: 11722788
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises reduction unit configured to reduce predetermined disturbance in a frame image shot by an image sensor; estimation unit configured to estimate from at least one first frame image from which the disturbance is reduced, a second frame image of a point of time after the first frame image using a learning model; and addition unit configured to add the disturbance to the second frame image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasushi Ohwa
  • Patent number: 11716537
    Abstract: An image processing device performs shake information adjustment processing for adjusting shake information at the time of imaging when input image data constituting a moving image is captured and generating adjusted shake information, shake modification processing for changing a state of shake of the input image data using the adjusted shake information to obtain shake-modified image data, and association processing for associating at least one of the input image data and the shake-modified image data, the shake information at the time of imaging, and shake modification information capable of specifying a processing amount of the shake modification processing with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozone, Ryuichi Tadano, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11709283
    Abstract: A radiography system comprising a radiography device and a power supply device is provided. The radiography device includes a sensor unit for obtaining a radiographic image and is capable of non-contact power reception, and the power supply device is capable of non-contact power supply to the radiography device. In a period in which a fluctuation in a power supply frequency of the power supply from the power supply device to the radiography device affects a signal obtained by the radiography device from the sensor unit, the power supply device supplies power to the radiography device at a constant power supply frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirokazu Ohguri
  • Patent number: 11710298
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for training an event detector. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of obtaining frames of a video, determining whether an object of interest is detected within the frames, determining whether motion is detected within the frames, determining whether the frames correspond to motion by an object of interest, generating a training set that includes labeled inter-frame differences based on whether the frames correspond to motion by an object of interest, and training an event detector using the training set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: ObjectVideo Labs, LLC
    Inventors: Narayanan Ramanathan, Allison Beach
  • Patent number: 11706539
    Abstract: An image sensing device and an operating method thereof. The image sensing device includes a ramp signal generation circuit suitable for generating a ramp signal which corresponds to an analog gain, based on a main bias voltage, a cascode bias voltage and a plurality of ramp code signals, a bias voltage generation circuit suitable for generating the main bias voltage and the cascode bias voltage according to the analog gain, and a boost circuit suitable for boosting an output terminal of the cascode bias voltage according to the analog gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Eun Jun Kim, Jin Seon Kim
  • Patent number: 11706536
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel configured to generate a pixel signal, using an analog signal processing voltage, a ramp signal generator configured to generate a ramp signal, using the analog signal processing voltage, a bias voltage generator configured to generate a bias voltage, using the analog signal processing voltage, and a noise compensator configured to generate a noise component, using a digital signal processing voltage and the analog signal processing voltage, and add the generated noise component to the generated bias voltage. The image sensor further includes a conversion circuit configured to generate a reference voltage, based on the generated ramp signal and the bias voltage to which the noise component is added, and generate an image signal by performing analog-to-digital conversion on the generated pixel signal, based on the generated reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yun Hong Kim, Kyung-Min Kim, Hee Sung Chae
  • Patent number: 11705468
    Abstract: Image-capturing device includes: an image sensor that includes a first pixel and a second pixel, each having a filter unit that can be switched to a light-shielding state in which light is blocked or to a transmissive state in which light is transmitted, a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light transmitted through the filter unit and an output unit that outputs a signal based upon electric charge generated at the photoelectric conversion unit, and; a correction unit that corrects a signal output from the output unit of the first pixel while the filter unit of the first pixel is in a transmissive state, based upon a signal output from the output unit of the first pixel with the filter unit of the first pixel set in a light-shielding state and with the filter unit of the second pixel set in a transmissive state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11699207
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to assessing operation of two or more cameras. These cameras may be a group of cameras of a perception system of a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode. A first image captured by a first camera and a second image captured by a second camera may be received. A first feature vector for the first image and a second feature vector for the second image may be generated. A similarity score may be determined using the first feature vector and the second feature vector. This similarity score may be used to assess the operation of the two cameras and an appropriate action may be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Carl Warren Craddock, Andreas Wendel
  • Patent number: 11696049
    Abstract: A system for dark current compensation in SPAD imagery is configurable to capture an image frame with the SPAD array and generate a temporally filtered image by performing a temporal filtering operation using the image frame and at least one preceding image frame. The at least one preceding image frame is captured by the SPAD array at a timepoint that temporally precedes a timepoint associated with the image frame. The system is also configurable to obtain a dark current image frame. The dark current image frame includes data indicating one or more SPAD pixels of the plurality of SPAD pixels that detect an avalanche event without detecting a corresponding photon. The system is also configurable to generate a dark current compensated image by performing a subtraction operation on the temporally filtered image or the image frame based on the dark current image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Kirk Price, Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds