Patents Assigned to FotoNation
  • Patent number: 10027901
    Abstract: A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Amandeep S. Jabbi, Robert H. Mullis
  • Publication number: 20180197035
    Abstract: Systems and methods for storing images synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the images in electronic files in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor and memory containing an encoding application and light field image data, where the light field image data comprises a plurality of low resolution images of a scene captured from different viewpoints. In addition, the encoding application configures the processor to synthesize a higher resolution image of the scene from a reference viewpoint using the low resolution images, where synthesizing the higher resolution image involves creating a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the higher resolution image; encode the higher resolution image; and create a light field image file including the encoded image, the low resolution images, and metadata including the depth map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Semyon Nisenzon, Dan Lelescu
  • Patent number: 10019816
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are configured to render images using light field image files containing an image synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the image that includes a depth map. One embodiment of the invention includes a processor and memory containing a rendering application and a light field image file including an encoded image, a set of low resolution images, and metadata describing the encoded image, where the metadata comprises a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the encoded image. In addition, the rendering application configures the processor to: locate the encoded image within the light field image file; decode the encoded image; locate the metadata within the light field image file; and post process the decoded image by modifying the pixels based on the depths indicated within the depth map and the set of low resolution images to create a rendered image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Semyon Nisenzon, Dan Lelescu
  • Publication number: 20180189767
    Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing payment card information stored on a secure biometric processor on a mobile device in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a process for securely providing payment card information from a portable device to a payment terminal includes receiving a request for payment using a payment interface, triggering a user authentication by capturing a set of biometric information from one or more biometric sensors, calculating, using the captured set of biometric information, a match with a set of stored biometric information that is stored on a secure biometric processor in order to determine a user identifier of an authenticated user, determining a payment card out of a set of payment cards associated with the user identifier, retrieving payment card information for the determined payment card from the secure biometric processor, and transmitting the payment card information to a payment terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Petronel Bigioi
  • Patent number: 10009538
    Abstract: Systems and methods for the generating compressed light field representation data using captured light fields in accordance embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, an array camera includes a processor and a memory connected configured to store an image processing application, wherein the image processing application configures the processor to obtain image data, wherein the image data includes a set of images including a reference image and at least one alternate view image, generate a depth map based on the image data, determine at least one prediction image based on the reference image and the depth map, compute prediction error data based on the at least one prediction image and the at least one alternate view image, and generate compressed light field representation data based on the reference image, the prediction error data, and the depth map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Dan Lelescu, Gabriel Molina
  • Publication number: 20180165439
    Abstract: Systems and methods for authenticating a biometric device using a trusted coordinating smart device in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Peter Corcoran
  • Patent number: 9998675
    Abstract: A rearview imaging system for a vehicle includes at least one video camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a wide angle horizontal field of view (FoV) rearwardly of the vehicle, and a display device in the vehicle at a position viewable by the driver. A video processor subdivides the camera FoV into three horizontally disposed sub-FOVs and displaying said sub-FoVs on visually separated side-by-side regions of the display device screen. The horizontal position and/or extent of at least one sub-FoV is variable as a function of the motion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Peter Corcoran, Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 9995227
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for using negative pressure energy of an engine, comprising: a first cavity (10), which first cavity (10) is in communication with the atmosphere via a first intake port (20); a second cavity (30), which second cavity (30) is in communication with the intake port of the engine (50) for supplying air to the intake port of the engine; a second intake port (40), which second intake port (40) is connected to the second cavity (30), wherein when the second intake port (40) is open, the second cavity (30) is in communication with the atmosphere for supplying the air to the intake port of the engine; and a rotating device (60), which rotating device (60) is located between the first cavity (10) and the second cavity (30), and can be rotated under the action of pressure difference between the first cavity (10) and the second cavity (30). Further disclosed is a method for using negative pressure energy of an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: Belqi Foton Motor Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhi Ke Investment and Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lei Feng
  • Patent number: 9986224
    Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating an array camera are disclosed. Systems and methods for calibrating an array camera in accordance with embodiments of this invention include the capturing of an image of a test pattern with the array camera such that each imaging component in the array camera captures an image of the test pattern. The image of the test pattern captured by a reference imaging component is then used to derive calibration information for the reference component. A corrected image of the test pattern for the reference component is then generated from the calibration information and the image of the test pattern captured by the reference imaging component. The corrected image is then used with the images captured by each of the associate imaging components associated with the reference component to generate calibration information for the associate imaging components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventor: Robert Mullis
  • Patent number: 9983358
    Abstract: An optical signal routing device may include a first lens, second lens and a wavelength division multiplexer (“WDM”) filter positioned between the first and second lenses. The WDM filter may reflect a signal of a first wavelength with a first attenuation and pass the first wavelength signal attenuated by at most a second attenuation to the second lens, the first attenuation exceeding the second attenuation by a first predetermined amount. The WDM filter may reflect a signal of a second wavelength different than the first wavelength with at most a third attenuation, the first attenuation exceeding the third attenuation by at least a second predetermined amount. The device may further include a reflector positioned to reflect the first wavelength signal reflected by the WDM filter toward the WDM filter with at least a fourth attenuation, the fourth attenuation exceeding the second attenuation by at least a third predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Go!Foton Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Haiguang Lu, Kenichiro Takeuchi, Rhaniel Peralta, Glenn Lachica, Marlene Gizelle M. Balinos, Anita L. Lumantes, Erika Mae A. Entico
  • Patent number: 9977985
    Abstract: A method for producing a histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) for at least a portion of an image comprises dividing said image portion into cells, each cell comprising a plurality of image pixels. For each image pixel of a cell, a horizontal gradient component, gx, and a vertical gradient component, gy, is obtained based on differences in pixel values along at least a row of said image and a column of said image respectively including the pixel. A gradient is allocated to one of a plurality of sectors, each sector extending through a range of orientation angles. At least some of said sectors are divided from adjacent sectors along lines including gx=2n·gy, where n is any integer value with a magnitude greater than or equal to 1. At least one sector is associated with a bin; and a count of each instance of a pixel gradient of a cell associated with a bin is performed to provide a HOG for said cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Mihai Constantin Munteanu, Vlad Georgescu, Corneliu Zaharia, Iulia Suciu
  • Publication number: 20180139382
    Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing array camera configurations that include a plurality of constituent array cameras, where each constituent array camera provides a distinct field of view and/or a distinct viewing direction, are described. In several embodiments, image data captured by the constituent array cameras is used to synthesize multiple images that are subsequently blended. In a number of embodiments, the blended images include a foveated region. In certain embodiments, the blended images possess a wider field of view than the fields of view of the multiple images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Jacques Duparré
  • Publication number: 20180136410
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes an adapter, a housing device, a ferrule assembly, and a sensor. The housing device is received by the adapter and has a bore, a front end, and a rear end opposite the front end. A ferrule of the ferrule assembly is within the bore of the housing device and has a mating end extending beyond the front end of the housing device. The sensor is mounted on the rear end of the housing, the rear end of the ferrule assembly, or on the adapter confronting and spaced apart from the housing device or the ferrule assembly. The sensor is configured for detecting a force applied by the housing device or the ferrule assembly, respectively. An electrical characteristic of the sensor changes to indicate a predetermined force has been applied by the housing device or the ferrule assembly, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: Go!Foton Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Takeuchi, Haiguang Lu, Chi Kong Paul Ng
  • Publication number: 20180131852
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving image data captured by an imager array including a plurality of focal planes are described. One embodiment of the invention includes capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in a camera module, where an image is formed on each active focal plane by a separate lens stack, generating lines of image data by interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes, and transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventor: Andrew Kenneth John McMahon
  • Publication number: 20180124311
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention enable feature based high resolution motion estimation from low resolution images captured using an array camera. One embodiment includes performing feature detection with respect to a sequence of low resolution images to identify initial locations for a plurality of detected features in the sequence of low resolution images, where the at least one sequence of low resolution images is part of a set of sequences of low resolution images captured from different perspectives. The method also includes synthesizing high resolution image portions, where the synthesized high resolution image portions contain the identified plurality of detected features from the sequence of low resolution images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Ankit K. Jain
  • Patent number: 9955070
    Abstract: Systems and methods for synthesizing high resolution images using image deconvolution and depth information in accordance embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, an array camera includes a processor and a memory, wherein an image deconvolution application configures the processor to obtain light field image data, determine motion data based on metadata contained in the light field image data, generate a depth-dependent point spread function based on the synthesized high resolution image, the depth map, and the motion data, measure the quality of the synthesized high resolution image based on the generated depth-dependent point spread function, and when the measured quality of the synthesized high resolution image is within a quality threshold, incorporate the synthesized high resolution image into the light field image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Thang Duong
  • Publication number: 20180109782
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defective camera arrays, optic arrays and/or sensors are described. One embodiment includes capturing image data using a camera array; dividing the captured images into a plurality of corresponding image regions; identifying the presence of localized defects in any of the cameras by evaluating the image regions in the captured images; and detecting a defective camera array using the image processing system when the number of localized defects in a specific set of image regions exceeds a predetermined threshold, where the specific set of image regions is formed by: a common corresponding image region from at least a subset of the captured images; and any additional image region in a given image that contains at least one pixel located within a predetermined maximum parallax shift distance along an epipolar line from a pixel within said common corresponding image region within the given image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Jacques Duparre, Andrew Kenneth John McMahon, Dan Lelescu, Kartik Venkataraman, Gabriel Molina
  • Patent number: 9940519
    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 analysed to detect whether they belong to the predetermined subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan Andorko, Alexandru Drimbarean, Peter Corcoran
  • Patent number: 9942470
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting facial expressions in digital images and applications therefore are disclosed. Analysis of a digital image determines whether or not a smile and/or blink is present on a person's face. Face recognition, and/or a pose or illumination condition determination, permits application of a specific, relatively small classifier cascade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Catalina Neghina, Mihnea Gangea, Stefan Petrescu, Emilian David, Petronel Bigioi, Erik Zarakov, Eran Steinberg
  • Patent number: 9942474
    Abstract: High speed video capture and depth estimation using array cameras is disclosed. Real world scenes typically include objects located at different distances from a camera. Therefore, estimating depth during video capture by an array camera can result in smoother rendering of video from image data captured of real world scenes. One embodiment of the invention includes cameras that capture images from different viewpoints, and an image processing pipeline application that obtains images from groups of cameras, where each group of cameras starts capturing image data at a staggered start time relative to the other groups of cameras. The application then selects a reference viewpoint and determines scene-dependent geometric corrections that shift pixels captured from an alternate viewpoint to the reference viewpoint by performing disparity searches to identify the disparity at which pixels from the different viewpoints are most similar. The corrections can then be used to render frames of video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Yusong Huang, Ankit K. Jain, Priyam Chatterjee