Patents Assigned to FotoNation
  • Publication number: 20200005739
    Abstract: A dynamically reconfigurable heterogeneous systolic array is configured to process a first image frame, and to generate image processing primitives from the image frame, and to store the primitives and the corresponding image frame in a memory store. A characteristic of the image frame is determined. Based on the characteristic, the array is reconfigured to process a following image frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Corneliu ZAHARIA, Petronel BIGIOI, Peter CORCORAN
  • Publication number: 20200007791
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for processing at least a portion of an input digital image comprising rows of pixels extending in two mutually perpendicular directions over a 2D field. The method comprises defining a kernel for processing an image, the kernel comprising at least one row of contiguous elements of the same non-zero value (such rows being referred to herein as equal-valued kernel regions), the equal-valued kernel regions, if more than one, extending parallel to one another. For each pixel in at least selected parallel rows of pixels within the image portion, the cumulative sum of the pixel is calculated by adding a value of the pixel to the sum of all preceding pixel values in the same row of the image portion. The kernel is convolved with the image portion at successive kernel positions relative to the image portion such that each pixel in each selected row is a target pixel for a respective kernel position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Cosmin PIT RADA, Cosmin STAN
  • Patent number: 10515439
    Abstract: A method of correcting an image obtained by an image acquisition device includes obtaining successive measurements, Gn, of device movement during exposure of each row of an image. An integration range, idx, is selected in proportion to an exposure time, te, for each row of the image. Accumulated measurements, Cn, of device movement for each row of an image are averaged across the integration range to provide successive filtered measurements, G, of device movement during exposure of each row of an image. The image is corrected for device movement using the filtered measurements G.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 10514529
    Abstract: A portrait lens configuration for meeting handheld device form factor constraints. First and second meniscus lenses each have a reflective surface to provide internal reflections for transmitting light toward a focal plane. A third lens is positioned between the meniscus lenses and the focal plane. The first lens includes an anterior concave surface having a reflective material extending over a portion thereof. Light received by the first meniscus lens can be transmitted therethrough. The reflective material is positioned along the anterior concave surface to receive light transmitted therethrough and reflected back from the second lens. In an associated method the first meniscus lens is positioned to receive light through a first of two opposing refractive surfaces. After each lens provides an internal reflection, reflected light is transmitted through the second of the two opposing surfaces and then through a bore positioned within the second lens to the third lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Dainty, Alexander Goncharov, Conor J. Sheil
  • Publication number: 20190385184
    Abstract: A method of responding to a criterion-based request for information collected from users meeting the criterion while complying with a user-requested privacy requirement. In one embodiment a request is received for data comprising facial or audio expressions for users who meet the criterion. A program monitors activities indicative of user attention or user reaction based on face tracking, face detection, face feature detection, eye gaze determination, eye tracking, audio expression determination, or determination of an emotional state. When a user requests a high level of privacy, the timestream data collected for the user is aggregated with timestream data collected for other users into a statistical dataset by processing the timestreams to ensure the high level of privacy in the statistical dataset which is provided to a content provider without providing data collected for the user who has requested the high level of privacy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Petronel BIGIOI, Peter CORCORAN
  • Publication number: 20190385019
    Abstract: Systems and methods for training a conditional generator model are described. Methods receive a sample, and determine a discriminator loss for the received sample. The discriminator loss is based on an ability to determine whether the sample is generated by the conditional generator model or is a ground truth sample. The method determines a secondary loss for the generated sample and updates the conditional generator model based on an aggregate of the discriminator loss and the secondary loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Shabab Bazrafkan, Peter Corcoran
  • Patent number: 10511786
    Abstract: An image acquisition method operates in a hand held image acquisition device with a camera. A first image of a scene is obtained with the camera at a nominal exposure level. A number of relatively bright pixels and a number of relatively dark pixels within the first image are determined. Based on the number of relatively bright pixels, a negative exposure adjustment is determined and based on the number of relatively dark pixels, a positive exposure adjustment is determined. Respective images are acquired at the nominal exposure level; with the negative exposure adjustment; and with the positive exposure adjustment as component images for high dynamic range (HDR) image of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Ruxandra Vranceanu, Razvan G. Condorovici
  • Publication number: 20190377409
    Abstract: A neural network image processing apparatus arranged to acquire images from an image sensor and to: identify a ROI containing a face region in an image; determine at plurality of facial landmarks in the face region; use the facial landmarks to transform the face region within the ROI into a face region having a given pose; and use transformed landmarks within the transformed face region to identify a pair of eye regions within the transformed face region. Each identified eye region is fed to a respective first and second convolutional neural network, each network configured to produce a respective feature vector. Each feature vector is fed to respective eyelid opening level neural networks to obtain respective measures of eyelid opening for each eye region. The feature vectors are combined and to a gaze angle neural network to generate gaze yaw and pitch values substantially simultaneously with the eyelid opening values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Joseph LEMLEY, Liviu-Cristian DUTU, Stefan MATHE, Madalin DUMITRU-GUZU
  • Patent number: 10505341
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an optical device including at least one temperature-dependent tunable element for controlling a wavelength of an optical signal, a first sensor configured to indirectly monitor the optical signal, a second sensor configured to directly monitor the optical signal, and a control circuit. The tunable element may be one of (i) a laser for transmitting an outgoing optical signal and (ii) an optical filter coupled to a photodetector for receiving an incoming optical signal. The control circuit may be configured to receive first and second inputs from the first and second sensors, respectively, adjust the tuned wavelength of the tunable element from a first preselected wavelength to a second preselected wavelength based on the first input received from the first sensor, and maintain the tunable element at the second preselected frequency based on the second input received from the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Go!Foton Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Tian, Chi Kong Paul Ng
  • Patent number: 10497089
    Abstract: A convolutional neural network (CNN) for an image processing system comprises an image cache responsive to a request to read a block of N×M pixels extending from a specified location within an input map to provide a block of N×M pixels at an output port. A convolution engine reads blocks of pixels from the output port, combines blocks of pixels with a corresponding set of weights to provide a product, and subjects the product to an activation function to provide an output pixel value. The image cache comprises a plurality of interleaved memories capable of simultaneously providing the N×M pixels at the output port in a single clock cycle. A controller provides a set of weights to the convolution engine before processing an input map, causes the convolution engine to scan across the input map by incrementing a specified location for successive blocks of pixels and generates an output map within the image cache by writing output pixel values to successive locations within the image cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Mihai Constantine Munteanu, Alexandru Caliman, Corneliu Zaharia, Dragos Dinu
  • Publication number: 20190364229
    Abstract: An image processing system comprises at least one image sensor comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, and configured to provide a first image plane from a group of first sub-pixels selectively sensitive to a first NIR light band and a second image plane from a group of second sub-pixels selectively sensitive to a second NIR light band. An NIR light source is capable of separately emitting first NIR light corresponding to the first NIR light band and second NIR light corresponding to the second NIR light band. The system can be configured to operate according to at least a first working mode where a face detector is configured to detect at least a first face in the first image plane and a second face in the second image plane at a spatially non-coincident location to the first face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Piotr STEC, Petronel BIGIOI
  • Publication number: 20190362515
    Abstract: Systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention can perform parallax detection and correction in images captured using array cameras. Due to the different viewpoints of the cameras, parallax results in variations in the position of objects within the captured images of the scene. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an accurate account of the pixel disparity due to parallax between the different cameras in the array, so that appropriate scene-dependent geometric shifts can be applied to the pixels of the captured images when performing super-resolution processing. In a number of embodiments, generating depth estimates considers the similarity of pixels in multiple spectral channels. In certain embodiments, generating depth estimates involves generating a confidence map indicating the reliability of depth estimates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Florian Ciurea, Kartik Venkataraman, Gabriel Molina, Dan Lelescu
  • Patent number: 10491819
    Abstract: A portable system providing augmented vision of surroundings. In one embodiment the system includes a helmet, a plurality of camera units and circuitry to generate a composite field of view from channels of video data. The helmet permits a user to receive a first field of view in the surroundings based on optical information received directly from the surroundings with the user's natural vision. The camera units are mounted about the helmet to generate the multiple channels of video data. Each camera channel captures a different field of view of a scene in a region surrounding the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Peter Corcoran
  • Publication number: 20190354864
    Abstract: A method of tracking an object across a stream of images comprises determining a region of interest (ROI) bounding the object in an initial frame of an image stream. A HOG map is provided for the ROI by: dividing the ROI into an array of M×N cells, each cell comprising a plurality of image pixels; and determining a HOG for each of the cells. The HOG map is stored as indicative of the features of the object. Subsequent frames are acquired from the stream of images. The frames are scanned ROI by ROI to identify a candidate ROI having a HOG map best matching the stored HOG map features. If the match meets a threshold, the stored HOG map indicative of the features of the object is updated according to the HOG map for the best matching candidate ROI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Dragos DINU, Mihai Constantin MUNTEANU, Alexandru CALIMAN
  • Publication number: 20190356863
    Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing array cameras configured to perform super-resolution processing to generate higher resolution super-resolved images using a plurality of captured images and lens stack arrays that can be utilized in array cameras are disclosed. An imaging device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes at least one imager array, and each imager in the array comprises a plurality of light sensing elements and a lens stack including at least one lens surface, where the lens stack is configured to form an image on the light sensing elements, control circuitry configured to capture images formed on the light sensing elements of each of the imagers, and a super-resolution processing module configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using a plurality of the captured images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Amandeep S. Jabbi, Robert H. Mullis, Jacques Duparre, Shane Ching-Feng Hu
  • Patent number: 10482618
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hybrid depth regularization in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a depth sensing system comprises a plurality of cameras; a processor; and a memory containing an image processing application. The image processing application may direct the processor to obtain image data for a plurality of images from multiple viewpoints, the image data comprising a reference image and at least one alternate view image; generate a raw depth map using a first depth estimation process, and a confidence map; and generate a regularized depth map. The regularized depth map may be generated by computing a secondary depth map using a second different depth estimation process; and computing a composite depth map by selecting depth estimates from the raw depth map and the secondary depth map based on the confidence map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Ankit Jain, Priyam Chatterjee, Kartik Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20190347768
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that use super-resolution (SR) processes to use information from a plurality of low resolution (LR) images captured by an array camera to produce a synthesized higher resolution image. One embodiment includes obtaining input images using the plurality of imagers, using a microprocessor to determine an initial estimate of at least a portion of a high resolution image using a plurality of pixels from the input images, and using a microprocessor to determine a high resolution image that when mapped through the forward imaging transformation matches the input images to within at least one predetermined criterion using the initial estimate of at least a portion of the high resolution image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Gabriel Molina, Kartik Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 10474894
    Abstract: An image processing method for iris recognition of a predetermined subject, comprises acquiring through an image sensor, a probe image illuminated by an infra-red (IR) illumination source, wherein the probe image comprises one or more eye regions and is overexposed until skin portions of the image are saturated. One or more iris regions are identified within the one or more eye regions of said probe image; and the identified iris regions are analyzed to detect whether they belong to the predetermined subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan Andorko, Alexandru Drimbarean, Peter Corcoran
  • Patent number: 10467469
    Abstract: An optical system for an image acquisition device comprises an image sensor comprising an array of pixels including pixels sensitive to IR wavelengths for acquiring an image. A lens assembly includes a collecting lens surface with an optical axis, the lens assembly being arranged to focus IR light received from a given object distance on the sensor surface. The lens assembly includes at least a first reflective surface for reflecting collected light along an axis transverse to the optical axis so that a length of the optical system along the optical axis is reduced by comparison to a focal length of the lens assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Alexander Goncharov, Christopher Dainty, Istvan Andorko, Peter Corcoran
  • Publication number: 20190333237
    Abstract: A method for providing depth map information based on image data descriptive of a scene. In one embodiment, after generating an initial sequence of disparity map data, performing a smoothing operation or an interpolation to remove artifact introduced in the disparity map data as a result of segmenting the image data into superpixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Hossein JAVIDNIA, Peter CORCORAN