Attitude Sensing Patents (Class 396/50)
  • Patent number: 11902658
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing an instant auto-focus mechanism with distance estimation are disclosed. A camera includes at least an image sensor, one or more movement and/or orientation sensors, a timer, a lens, and control circuit. The control circuit receives first and second images captured by the image sensor of a given scene. The control circuit calculates a distance between first and second camera locations when the first and second images, respectively, were captured based on the one or more movement and/or orientation sensors and the timer. Next, the control circuit calculates an estimate of a second distance between the camera and an object in the scene based on the distance between camera locations and angles between the camera and the object from the first and second locations. Then, the control circuit causes the lens to be adjusted to bring the object into focus for subsequent images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Po-Min Wang, Yu-Huai Chen
  • Patent number: 11619866
    Abstract: A plate provides clearance between a camera and a quick-release receiver securing the camera to a support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Really Right Stuff, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph M. Johnson, Sr., Matthew L. Burk
  • Patent number: 11490032
    Abstract: Devices and methods for formatting visual content to produce a visual content format that may adapt to and fill the dimensions of a viewer display screen are provided. The visual content is circularized and linked to a horizon line defined by a motion sensor of an associated device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventor: Sulaiman Mustapha
  • Patent number: 11483465
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automatic image capture are described herein. A user device may determine a reference orientation of the user device. The user device may monitor orientations of the user device as the user device is moved and/or rotated. Based on the reference orientation and the monitored orientations, the user device may determine to automatically capture images. The user device may organize captured images into a file for storing and/or sharing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Lei Cao
  • Patent number: 11438509
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a detection unit that detects orientation of the imaging apparatus, a control unit that implements control such that a still image or a moving image captured by the imaging unit is recorded in a recording medium, a first setting unit that sets whether orientation information based on the orientation detected by the detection unit is recorded together with the still image captured by the imaging unit, and a second setting unit that sets whether the orientation information based on the orientation detected by the detection unit is recorded together with the moving image captured by the imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichiro Matsushima, Naomi Mori
  • Patent number: 11348334
    Abstract: A system that recommends cosmetic, dermatological, or fashion items based on photos taken of a person based in part or entirely on their skin color and other defining characteristics like hair color, eye color, and/or face shape. The system includes a device with a camera and a light source capable of producing multiple intensities of light, the device running a program that instructs the user with real time feedback on how to adjust their face, phone positioning or location in order for the application to capture a set of two or more optimal photos of their face. When optimal ambient lighting is found, the program captures multiple photos, varying the light source over the different captures. Calibrated color data is calculated by comparing how the brightness and color of the diffuse reflection on the skin of the user changes compared to the brightness and color of the specular reflection of the light source in the user's eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: George Douglas MacEwen
  • Patent number: 11190675
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value for each of a plurality of areas in an image, and a controlling unit configured to detect an in-focus position of a focus lens for each of the plurality of areas based on the contrast evaluation value. The controlling unit determines whether or not the focus lens approaches the in-focus position of each of the plurality of areas based on the contrast evaluation value. The controlling unit determines a driving direction of the focus lens based on a result of a determination. When detecting the in-focus position of one area of the plurality of areas, the controlling unit determines the driving direction of the focus lens based on the contrast evaluation value of another area of the plurality of areas other than the one area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryo Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 11126275
    Abstract: An apparatus for presenting a panoramic photo in a mobile terminal receives a trigger instruction that is used to instruct the mobile terminal to enter an immersive browsing mode, where the immersive browsing mode is a browsing mode in which a panoramic photo moves as the mobile terminal rotates; and if the trigger instruction is detected, a rotation angle of the mobile terminal is detected and determined, and a panoramic photo that is presented in a normal mode in the mobile terminal is moved and presented according to the determined rotation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaojuan Li, Wenmei Gao
  • Patent number: 10834311
    Abstract: An electronic device according to the present invention includes: an assigning unit capable of assigning respectively different functions to a plurality of operating portions of an operating member, the plurality of operating portions indicating respectively different directions; and a control unit configured to, in response to a predetermined function indicating a corresponding direction being assigned to any one of the plurality of operating portions from a state where the predetermined function is not assigned to any of the plurality of operating portions, perform control for also assigning the predetermined function indicating a corresponding direction to the other operating portion of the plurality of operating portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuko Izaki
  • Patent number: 10816751
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a rotor including a lens and formed with a first driving unit, a stator formed with a second driving unit driving the rotor in response to electromagnetic interaction with the first driving unit, and a base on which the stator is fixed, wherein the rotor is brought into contact with the base, in a case the lens is in a UP posture, and the rotor is distanced from the base, in a case the lens is in a DOWN posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK, CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Ok Park, Hyun Rae Cho, Seong Min Lee, Jun Taek Lee
  • Patent number: 10728437
    Abstract: An image capture control apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory to perform operations including: detecting a manual image acquisition operation in which a user instructs the image capture control apparatus to capture or record an image to a storage unit according to an instruction; acquiring observation information relevant to a trigger for automatically acquiring image data on the basis of the detection of the manual image acquisition operation; setting a threshold value for automatically acquiring the image data on the basis of the observation information acquired by detecting the manual image acquisition operation; and performing control for automatically acquiring the image data on the basis of the threshold value of the observation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Norio Endo
  • Patent number: 10594943
    Abstract: The present invention provides a camera calibration device and a camera calibration system with which it is possible to execute calibration even in a situation where the load-bearing state of a vehicle changes, and also to precisely estimate all of camera parameters and execute calibration without utilizing the parallelism of the vehicle to, e.g., a white line. The orientation of a vehicle is estimated on the basis of a prescribed feature amount extracted from a video, the translation-direction position of a camera relative to ground is corrected on the basis of information obtained from the calibration executed at a time in the past such as the time of product shipment, and a camera parameter pertaining to the orientation of the camera relative to ground is calculated on the basis of the orientation of the vehicle and the translation-direction position of the camera relative to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Morihiko Sakano, Keiji Sato
  • Patent number: 10542215
    Abstract: An instrument executes: generating pieces of setting information for assigning operation functions to respective operating units; assigning the operation functions to the respective operating units based on first one of the pieces of setting information; setting one of the operating units as a setting operating unit to which an operation function for switching the first one of the pieces of setting information to second one of the pieces of the setting information assigned to the setting operating unit is assigned; changing, upon a first operation of the setting operating unit, the operation functions of the operating units based on the second one of the setting information and inhibiting a change in the operation function assigned to the setting operating unit; and returning, upon a second operation of the setting operating unit after the first operation, the operation functions of the operating units to those assigned before the first operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Kunishige, Masashi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10511775
    Abstract: There are provided a shake detection device of an imaging device, a shake correction device, an imaging device, and a shake detection method which are capable of performing high-accurate shake detection and shake correction. A shake detection device subtracts a reference value from a sensor output of a gyro sensor, and extracts a low frequency component and a high frequency component from a sensor output after the reference value subtraction by using an LPF and a BPF. A first determination unit determines whether or not the imaging device is in a fixed-point imaging state based on the LPF output and the BPF output. In a case where it is determined that the imaging device is in the fixed-point imaging state, a reference value shift amount calculation unit calculates a shift amount (reference value shift amount) for the reference value based on the LPF output for a period during which the determination is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutaka Imanishi
  • Patent number: 10447934
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of adjusting an orientation guide with good accuracy includes an orientation detection unit configured to detect an orientation of the imaging apparatus, a control unit configured to perform control to display an orientation guide for indicating an orientation of the imaging apparatus based on the orientation detected by the orientation detection unit, a display control unit configured to perform control to perform 2-area enlargement display for displaying live view images captured in two different areas horizontally or vertically separated from each other by an imaging unit, side by side on a display unit, and an adjustment unit configured to, upon reception of a specific operation while the 2-area enlargement display is being performed, adjust a reference of the orientation guide based on the orientation detected by the orientation detection unit when the specific operation is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yosuke Takagi
  • Patent number: 10277819
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a driving amount of an actuator configured to correct blurring of an image taken by a camera attached to a device includes: taking an image of a mark by a camera to generate a first image, the mark reflecting a predetermined posture of the device; detecting a tilt of the mark in the first image; and based on the tilt of the mark, correcting the driving amount of the actuator that is predetermined according to a sensing result of a sensor for sensing a change in a posture of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Murakami, Mitsumasa Murakami
  • Patent number: 10222579
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a rotor including a lens and formed with a first driving unit, a stator formed with a second driving unit driving the rotor in response to electromagnetic interaction with the first driving unit, and a base on which the stator is fixed, wherein the rotor is brought into contact with the base, in a case the lens is in a UP posture, and the rotor is distanced from the base, in a case the lens is in a DOWN posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Ok Park, Hyun Rae Cho, Seong Min Lee, Jun Taek Lee
  • Patent number: 10070046
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable storage device includes a storage medium having a downloaded application stored therein. The downloaded application has instructions that when executed by processing circuitry configure the processing circuitry to receive sensor data from a sensor. The sensor is attached to a person or attached to an item used by the person. The processing circuitry also analyzes a motion pattern in the sensor data to identify a predetermined event in the motion pattern, the predetermined event captured in an image or series of images by an image capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takaomi Kimura, Hideyuki Matsunaga, Kosei Yamashita, Naofumi Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 9883104
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a first angle calculating unit configured to calculate a first angle based on an acceleration detected by an acceleration detector, an analyzing unit configured to analyze a vibration state based on at least one of the acceleration and an angular velocity detected by an angular velocity detector, a second angle calculating unit configured to calculate a second angle based on the angular velocity, the first angle, and the vibration state, and a correcting unit configured to perform tilt correction based on the second angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobushige Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 9800790
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject and output an image signal; a control unit configured to control a current supplied to the image capturing unit; and an azimuth direction acquisition unit configured to detect geomagnetism, and acquire azimuth direction information indicating a direction in which the image capturing apparatus is oriented, based on the detected geomagnetism, wherein the azimuth direction acquisition unit detects the geomagnetism while a current is supplied to the image capturing unit, and acquires azimuth direction information in which an influence on the detected geomagnetism, the influence being caused by the supplied current, has been corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Matsui
  • Patent number: 9497395
    Abstract: A night-vision device is provided with a projection unit, an image pickup unit, a luminance ratio determining unit, and a projection control unit. The luminance ratio determining unit determines whether a determination luminance ratio in a set region is within a predetermined luminance range as a luminance ratio at which a subject to be detected forms an emphasized image, said set region having been set at least in a part of an image obtained by means of the image pickup unit. In the cases where the determination luminance ratio is out of the predetermined luminance range, the projection control unit controls the intensity of near-infrared light emitted from the projection unit such that the determination luminance ratio is within the predetermined luminance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazushige Hattori, Hirotaka Suzuki, Nobuhiko Inoue, Kazuhide Ohta
  • Patent number: 9363428
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to output an image signal of a captured image, a display unit configured to display the image signal as an image, a swing detection unit configured to detect a component of acceleration of a swinging operation, an operation detection unit configured to detect the swinging operation, and a control unit to change the image to be displayed on the display unit based on the swinging operation, wherein the operation detection unit is configured, if the acceleration signal reaches a first and a second threshold values, to determine that the apparatus has been swung.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Teruhiko Ueyama
  • Patent number: 9215375
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes an image pickup section configured by a photographing optical system for aiming at a target, and an image pickup device, a display section for receiving an image signal outputted from the image pickup section, and for displaying an image, a display control section for controlling display on the display section, a main object setting section for setting the target based on the image signal outputted from the image pickup section, and a zoom control section for performing zooming with respect to the target, wherein auxiliary displaying for clearly indicating a position of the target set by the main object setting section is performed, being superimposed on the image displayed on the display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Shintani, Shinsuke Homma, Takayuki Matsuhashi, Takehiko Tabata
  • Patent number: 9195119
    Abstract: A case or support accessory system for a camera device, such a photo or video personal camera, that includes a base constructed to removably cooperate with the camera device. In a preferred embodiment, the case system generally encloses the camera device without interfering with operation of one or more of the control features associated with operation of the camera device. The base includes a plurality of mount arrangements that are each shaped to selectively removably cooperate with one of a plurality of mount adapters. The mount, adapters are constructed to magnetically or physically interact with a variety of accessories that support or augment operation, such as via a flash or light device, associated with hands-free use of the camera device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: GeckoGear LLC
    Inventor: Peter M. Wendt
  • Patent number: 9113078
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed to correct for tilt and/or perspective distortion in image capture devices. In some embodiments, the method may include reading an orientation measurement associated with a relative position of an image capture device with respect to an object, determining if the orientation measurement is less than a threshold, and in the event that the orientation measurement is less than the threshold, correcting an image obtained by the image capture device. In some embodiments, the apparatus may include an image sensor, a memory coupled to the image sensor, an orientation measurement device coupled to the image sensor, and a distance measurement device coupled to the image sensor, where the image data may be stored in the memory along with a measurement from the accelerometer and along with a measurement from the distance measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Hau-Ping Chen, Brandon Dean Slack, David I. Simon
  • Patent number: 9071724
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus perform a video call service. A transmission communication device provides information on a rotation angle of a video call image transmitted during a video call to a reception communication device corresponding to a counterpart of the video call. Then, the reception communication device renders the received video call image by using the information on the rotation angle of the received video call image, and displays a rendered video call image. Accordingly, an image of a counterpart of the video call can be normally provided during the video call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-Won Do, Ki-Choon Gong, Dong-Won Lee, Sang-Ki Kang, Kwang-Soo Jung
  • Patent number: 9031393
    Abstract: An electronic system for enhancing camera focusing on a portable electronic device is disclosed. The system comprises a body, a bus, and a camera module coupled to the bus and comprising a photosensitive substrate and a lens assembly wherein the lens assembly comprises a lens capable of being selectively moved to a distance from the photosensitive substrate for light focus thereon. Further, it comprises an accelerometer coupled to the bus and configured to generate orientation information, said orientation information indicating contemporaneous orientation of the body with respect to a predetermined reference. It also comprises a memory and a processor coupled to the bus. The memory comprises instructions that when executed implement an autofocus program configured to automatically determine the distance based on: 1) image data captured by said camera module; and 2) the orientation information generated by the accelerometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Guanghua Gary Zhang, Katharine Ip, Michael Lin
  • Patent number: 9031394
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprises an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the image capture apparatus, a display unit which displays the inclination of the image capture apparatus, and a predetermined reference orientation set for the image capture apparatus, a still state determination unit which determines that the image capture apparatus is in a still state, if a variation of the inclination falls within a predetermined range, and a reference orientation setting unit which sets the reference orientation of the image capture apparatus, wherein the reference orientation setting unit does not set the reference orientation if the still state determination unit determines that the image capture apparatus is not in the still state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Teruhiko Ueyama
  • Patent number: 8957944
    Abstract: This disclosure pertains to devices, methods, and computer readable media for perforating positional sensor-assisted panoramic photography techniques in handheld personal electronic devices. Generalized steps that may be used to carry out the panoramic photography techniques described herein include, but are not necessarily limited to: 1.) acquiring image data from the electronic device's image sensor; 2.) performing “motion filtering” on the acquired image data, e.g., using information returned from positional sensors of the electronic device to inform the processing of the image data; 3.) performing image registration between adjacent captured images; 4.) performing geometric corrections on captured image data, e.g., due to perspective changes and/or camera rotation about a non-center of perspective (COP) camera point; and 5.) “stitching” the captured images together to create the panoramic scene, e.g., blending the image data in the overlap area between adjacent captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Doepke, Jianping Zhou
  • Patent number: 8931968
    Abstract: A portable device has a display, a display processor displays a magnification image on a screen of the display, and an input device. The portable device further has a display-area shift processor that shifts the magnification-image-display area in accordance to an input operation administered to the input device, and a position sensor that detects an angle of inclination of the body. Then, The display processor changes the magnification-image-display area to an image area that is inclined by an angle corresponding to the angle of inclination, and the display-area shift processor changes shift directions of the magnification-image-display area from vertical and lateral directions of the original image to directions that are perpendicular to each other and correspond to inclined vertical and lateral directions rotated by the angle of inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuaki Kato
  • Patent number: 8811808
    Abstract: A camera lens assembly comprising a lens assembly housing and a compound lens and a motion sensor arrangement within the lens assembly housing, wherein the motion sensor arrangement comprises: angular rotation sensors configured to detect angular rotation about three orthogonal axes of rotation; and linear acceleration sensors configured to detect linear acceleration in three orthogonal directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Cooke Optics Limited
    Inventors: Les Zellan, Steve Pope, Huiyang Wang, Ian Sheret
  • Publication number: 20140147103
    Abstract: A camera lens assembly comprising a lens assembly housing and a compound lens and a motion sensor arrangement within the lens assembly housing, wherein the motion sensor arrangement comprises: angular rotation sensors configured to detect angular rotation about three orthogonal axes of rotation; and linear acceleration sensors configured to detect linear acceleration in three orthogonal directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Cooke Optics Limited
    Inventors: LES ZELLAN, STEVE POPE, HUIYANG WANG, IAN SHERET
  • Patent number: 8676047
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprises an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the image capture apparatus, a display unit which displays the inclination of the image capture apparatus, and a predetermined reference orientation set for the image capture apparatus, a still state determination unit which determines that the image capture apparatus is in a still state, if a variation of the inclination falls within a predetermined range, and a reference orientation setting unit which sets the reference orientation of the image capture apparatus, wherein the reference orientation setting unit does not set the reference orientation if the still state determination unit determines that the image capture apparatus is not in the still state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Teruhiko Ueyama
  • Patent number: 8649675
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens mountable to a camera body includes a zoom lens configured to adjust an angle of view of a subject image, a driver configured to move the zoom lens in an optical axis direction, a plurality of operating members configured to generate an operation signal for driving the driver according to operation performed by a user, a communication unit configured to receive, from the camera body, setting information for setting valid/invalid of at least one of the plurality of operating members, and a controller configured to control the driver. The controller drives and does not drive the driver based on the operation signal from the operating member having been set to valid and invalid, respectively, by the setting information received through the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Junji Takahata, Takahiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8644694
    Abstract: To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Narihiro Yasuda, Masaharu Hara
  • Patent number: 8639102
    Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus for automatically rotating an image and a display unit, and an information storage medium storing image information. The apparatus including a photographing unit which generates image data and a rotation sensing unit which generates rotational information of a rotation state of the photographing unit. When an object is photographed, the rotation information of the image is obtained and stored together, and when the image is displayed, the rotation is analyzed and the image and display unit are automatically rotated. When an image including moving picture information is watched, an image always optimized to be horizontal without additional work by a user can be seen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-kyu Seo, Kil-su Eo
  • Patent number: 8639103
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Koji Yokoyama, Mayu Takano, Hiroshi Morohoshi
  • Patent number: 8588550
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for generating a reference line or a virtual level enables tilt correction of an image. A user is able to utilize the reference line to see how an image should be oriented for the objects within the image to be level. The user is able to then correct the tilt of the image as desired using the reference line for assistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Ming-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 8509608
    Abstract: A photographing method displays a photographed object and displays a graphic for the user to estimate the real size of the object based on a calculated real size of the object. Accordingly, the user can evaluate the real size of the object, which is being photographed by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Se-min Kim
  • Publication number: 20130194309
    Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus for automatically rotating an image and a display unit, and an information storage medium storing image information. The apparatus including a photographing unit which generates image data and a rotation sensing unit which generates rotational information of a rotation state of the photographing unit. When an object is photographed, the rotation information of the image is obtained and stored together, and when the image is displayed, the rotation is analyzed and the image and display unit are automatically rotated. When an image including moving picture information is watched, an image always optimized to be horizontal without additional work by a user can be seen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8494352
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a three-axis acceleration detector, an inclination calculator to calculate an amount of inclination of the imaging device according to an output value of the acceleration detector, a determining element to determine whether or not the imaging device is dropping or receiving an impact according to the output value of the acceleration detector, a mode switching element to set the acceleration detector to be in either an electronic level mode or an impact detection mode by changing at least one of a measuring range and a sampling rate of the acceleration detector, and a storing element to store detected acceleration data in time series. When the determining element determines that the imaging device has dropped or received an impact in the impact detection mode, the storing element stores acceleration data detected at a time when the drop or impact has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuro Yasuda, Koichi Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8472796
    Abstract: A photographing device includes a geomagnetic sensor which detects an intensity of geomagnetism, an image capture unit which captures an image, and a lens tube including a part that exerts magnetic influence on the geomagnetic sensor, wherein a position of the part is shiftable. In addition, the photographing device includes a detection unit which detects a current shifted position of the part in the lens tube, an obtaining unit which obtains a magnetic field that exerts magnetic influence on the geomagnetic sensor from the lens tube corresponding to the current shifted position detected by the detection unit, and an orientation calculation unit which calculates an orientation by correcting an output of the geomagnetic sensor based on the magnetic field obtained by the obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohei Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20130142501
    Abstract: To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Narihiro YASUDA, Masaharu HARA
  • Patent number: 8451296
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a display unit, a classification unit configured to classify a plurality of images into a landscape-oriented image and a portrait-oriented image, a detection unit configured to detect whether the apparatus is in the landscape orientation or in the portrait orientation, and a control unit configured to display a plurality of images in one orientation of the landscape-oriented image and the portrait-oriented image on the display unit in response to an instruction, and thereafter display a plurality of images in the other orientation on the display unit. The control unit determines the orientation of the image to be displayed first based on a detection result upon receiving the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tachio Ono
  • Patent number: 8422873
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Corporation, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Koji Yokoyama, Mayu Takano, Hiroshi Morohoshi
  • Patent number: 8422872
    Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus for automatically rotating an image and a display unit, and an information storage medium storing image information. The apparatus including a photographing unit which generates image data and a rotation sensing unit which generates rotational information of a rotation state of the photographing unit. When an object is photographed, the rotation information of the image is obtained and stored together, and when the image is displayed, the rotation is analyzed and the image and display unit are automatically rotated. When an image including moving picture information is watched, an image always optimized to be horizontal without additional work by a user can be seen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joon-kyu Seo, Kil-su Eo
  • Patent number: 8391697
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and if a 360-degree rotation of the main body about a predetermined axial direction is detected, operating the camera in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the mobile terminal from one camera mode to another camera mode in accordance with the movement of the main body of the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hye Youn Cho, Yea Eun Kwon
  • Patent number: 8346071
    Abstract: A camera system includes a detection unit that detects fitting errors of a camera as displacement quantities in a first direction, a second direction and an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera, a selection unit that selects a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction from plural rotation correction maps prepared in advance, a computation unit that computes the correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction respectively based on the detected displacement quantities in the first direction and the second direction using linear equations; and a correction unit that corrects the displacements in the first direction, the second direction and the optical axis rotating direction of the picked up image based on the selected rotation correcting quantity and the computed correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Higashibara, Daisuke Sugawara, Kazuhiko Sakai, Akihiro Kanaoka
  • Publication number: 20120230662
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Junichi Shinohara, Koji Yokoyama, Mayu Takano, Hiroshi Morohoshi
  • Publication number: 20120177351
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a three-axis acceleration detector, an inclination calculator to calculate an amount of inclination of the imaging device according to an output value of the acceleration detector, a determining element to determine whether or not the imaging device is dropping or receiving an impact according to the output value of the acceleration detector, a mode switching element to set the acceleration detector to be in either an electronic level mode or an impact detection mode by changing at least one of a measuring range and a sampling rate of the acceleration detector, and a storing element to store detected acceleration data in time series. When the determining element determines that the imaging device has dropped or received an impact in the impact detection mode, the storing element stores acceleration data detected at a time when the drop or impact has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Takuro YASUDA, Koichi Sugiura