Patents Examined by Ahmed Berhan
  • Image sensor with vertical transfer gate and square reset and source follower layout
    Patent number: 11417701
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor has an array of photodiode cells, the photodiode cells each include four buried photodiodes coupled by vertical transfer gate transistors to a single floating node diffusion. Each cell also has a reset transistor coupled to the floating node diffusion, a source follower transistor having gate coupled to the floating node diffusion, and a read select transistor coupled to the source follower transistor. The reset transistor, source follower transistor, and read select transistor have predominately gate and shape edges oriented at an angle greater than 30-degrees and less than 60-degrees from a line extending along an entire horizontal row of photodiodes of a photodiode array of the image sensor and are formed vertically above, and in the same integrated circuit as, the photodiodes of the photodiode array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui Zang, Gang Chen
  • Increasing dynamic range of a virtual production display
    Patent number: 11418724
    Abstract: The processor obtains a first pixel value and a second pixel value of the display. The processor determines a desired pixel value range that exceeds the second pixel value of the display. The processor obtains a threshold between the first pixel value of the display and the second pixel value of the display. The processor obtains a function mapping the desired pixel value range to a range between the threshold and the second pixel value. The processor applies the first function to an input image prior to displaying the input image on the display. The display presents the image. Upon recording the presented image, the processor determines a region within the recorded image having a pixel value between the threshold and the second pixel value. The processor increases dynamic range of the recorded image by applying an inverse of the function to the pixel value of the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Unity Technologies SF
    Inventors: Joseph W. Marks, Luca Fascione, Kimball D. Thurston, III, Millie Maier, Kenneth Gimpelson, Dejan Momcilovic, Keith F. Miller, Peter M. Hillman, Jonathan S. Swartz
  • Single-control image-taking apparatus
    Patent number: 11412131
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image-taking apparatus wherein a first actuation of a control element locks image-taking parameters and a subsequent actuation of this control element causes a picture to be taken. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a cellular telephone equipped with a camera wherein a first press on the volume up button locks focus and exposure. The photographer can then recompose the picture according to the ‘half-press’ technique and take a picture with a subsequent press on the volume up button. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Inventor: Oliver Markus Haynold
  • Systems and methods for providing feedback for artificial intelligence-based image capture devices
    Patent number: 11403509
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods that provide feedback to a user of an image capture device that includes an artificial intelligence system that analyzes incoming image frames to, for example, determine whether to automatically capture and store the incoming frames. An example system can also, in the viewfinder portion of a user interface presented on a display, a graphical intelligence feedback indicator in association with a live video stream. The graphical intelligence feedback indicator can graphically indicate, for each of a plurality of image frames as such image frame is presented within the viewfinder portion of the user interface, a respective measure of one or more attributes of the respective scene depicted by the image frame output by the artificial intelligence system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Michael Donsbach, Christopher Breithaupt, Li Zhang, Arushan Rajasekaram, Navid Shiee
  • Automated camera mode selection
    Patent number: 11399136
    Abstract: A camera mode to use for capturing an image or video is selected by estimating high dynamic range (HDR), motion, and light intensity with respect to a scene of the image or video to capture. An image capture device includes a HDR estimation unit to detect whether HDR is present in a scene of an image to capture, a motion estimation unit to determine whether motion is detected within the scene, and a light intensity estimation unit to determine whether a scene luminance for the scene meets a threshold. A mode selection unit selects a camera mode to use for capturing the image based on output of the HDR estimation unit, the motion estimation unit, and the light intensity estimation unit. An image sensor captures the image according to the selected camera mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Nicolas Emmanuel Veit, Sylvain Leroy, Heng Zhang, Ingrid Cotoros
  • Image recognition apparatus and image recognition method
    Patent number: 11394889
    Abstract: An image recognition apparatus includes a processing circuit and a control circuit. The processing circuit receives a first image obtained by performing multiple-exposure image capturing of a first subject. The processing circuit uses the first image to calculate a recognition accuracy of the first subject. The control circuit changes a condition of the multiple-exposure image capturing in a case where the recognition accuracy is lower than a recognition accuracy threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuo Miyake
  • Image capture apparatus and control method thereof
    Patent number: 11388331
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus that detects a position of a gazed point in an image based on a line of sight of a user is disclosed. The image capture apparatus also detects at least one characteristic area from the image and sets a determination area to each characteristic area having a size that is greater than or equal to a predetermined lower limit value. Then the image capture apparatus selects the characteristic area corresponding to a determination area including the position of the gazed point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Matsuo
  • Imaging device that generates multiple-exposure image data
    Patent number: 11388349
    Abstract: An imaging device including a pixel, and a controller that sets a sensitivity of the pixel according to an external signal, where the external signal includes sound, vibration or inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Satou, Yasuo Miyake, Yasunori Inoue, Tokuhiko Tamaki
  • Automatic camera guidance and settings adjustment
    Patent number: 11388334
    Abstract: An image capture and processing device captures an image. Based on the image and/or one or more additional images, the image capture and processing device generates and outputs guidance for optimizing image composition, image capture settings, and/or image processing settings. The guidance can be generated based on determination of a direction that a subject of the image is facing, based on sensor measurements indicating that a horizon may be skewed, another image of the same scene captured using a wide-angle lens, another image of the same subject, another image of a different subject, and/or outputs of a machine learning model trained using a set of images. The image capture and processing device can automatically apply certain aspects of the generated guidance, such as image capture settings and/or image processing settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Muhua Li, An Chen
  • CMOS image sensor with pixel power supply noise suppression circuit
    Patent number: 11381765
    Abstract: An image sensor pixel noise suppression circuit having a source follower transistor based pixel circuit, a power supply voltage and noise mirror circuit, a power supply voltage and noise gain circuit, and a comparator circuit. An output of the comparator circuit provides an image related output signal wherein the noise component of the source follower signal has been suppressed. The invention further includes a CMOS image sensor containing the image sensor pixel noise suppression circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SmartSens Technology (HK) Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Chen, Yue Li, Jinjian Hou, Guanjing Ren, Yaowu Mo
  • Camera module and vehicle camera
    Patent number: 11381718
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to a camera module comprising: a housing comprising a through hole; a lens module disposed in the through hole; a connector penetrating the housing and extending to an outside from an inside of the housing; a first substrate unit located inside the housing and having an image sensor mounted thereon; a second substrate unit disposed inside the housing and connected to the connector; and a flexible substrate for electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate unit, wherein the flexible substrate is coupled to a lower surface of the first substrate unit and a side surface of the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Wook Ahn, Sun Min Hwang, Je Kyung Park, Kyung Mok Yoon, Chul Ho Lee, Jong Chul Choi
  • Thermal compensation in an integrated image sensor and lens assembly
    Patent number: 11375094
    Abstract: A camera including a lens barrel, lens elements, and an image sensor. The lens barrel includes a first subsection, a second subsection, and a spacer located between the first subsection and the second subsection. The lens elements are located in the first subsection and other lens elements located in the second subsection. The image sensor is aligned along an optical axis that extends through the first subsection and the second subsection of the lens barrel. The first subsection and the second subsection are separate pieces that are in communication by the spacer being sandwiched between the first subsection and the second subsection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Emilio Graff
  • Image sensor with pixel structure including floating diffusion area shared by plurality of photoelectric conversion elements
    Patent number: 11375148
    Abstract: An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged along rows and columns; and a row driver which drives the plurality of pixels for each of the rows, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels, each of the plurality of sub-pixels includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements sharing a floating diffusion area with each other, and a micro lens disposed to overlap the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, a readout area is defined on the pixel array in accordance with a preset readout mode, and the row driver generates a drive signal for reading out signals provided from a photoelectric conversion element included in the readout area from among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and provides the drive signal to the pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun Sub Shim, Kyung Ho Lee
  • Image processing apparatus and image processing method
    Patent number: 11368630
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a detection unit configured to detect region information of an object in an image, an acquisition unit configured to detect a predetermined object region that is a part of the object from the region information of the object, and to acquire luminance information of a periphery of the predetermined object region, and a relighting unit configured to perform processing for correcting brightness of the object in the image by adding an effect of virtual light. The relighting unit corrects the brightness of the object including the predetermined object region in accordance with luminance of the periphery of the predetermined object region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoko Watazawa
  • Image exposure device, image exposure method, and program
    Patent number: 11361412
    Abstract: The image exposure device includes an image display device that has a plurality of pixels and radiates light according to a display image represented by the plurality of pixels; a support portion that supports a photosensitive recording medium for recording a recorded image according to the display image in a state in which an exposure surface of the photosensitive recording medium faces the image display device; a louver film that is provided between the image display device and the support portion, and limits an angle of the light radiated from the image display device to the photosensitive recording medium; and a controller that controls the image display device to display the display image in which an image quality of an input image represented by input image data is deteriorated by emphasizing a density difference of a high-frequency component of the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Yoshizawa, Shinichiro Sonoda
  • Image management apparatus, image management method, communication apparatus, control method, and storage medium
    Patent number: 11363150
    Abstract: There is provided an image management apparatus. A first receiving unit receives an image from a communication apparatus. A sending unit sends the image and an evaluation request for the image to an image evaluation apparatus configured to perform evaluation with respect to likelihood that another user will purchase the image. A second receiving unit receives an evaluation result for the image from the image evaluation apparatus. A registering unit registers the image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, in a case where the evaluation result indicates that the likelihood satisfies a predetermined standard and information, which indicates that a user consents to having the image registered in the server apparatus, is set in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Matsushita, Tatsuya Nakamura
  • Electronic apparatus, method for controlling electronic apparatus, and control program
    Patent number: 11356629
    Abstract: To divide an image capture region into multiple regions for which different image capture conditions are set and to generate multiple moving images corresponding to the multiple regions. An electronic apparatus includes an image sensor that captures first and second moving images in first and second regions of an image capture region on different image capture conditions, the second region differing from the first region, and a moving image generation unit that generates the first and second moving images captured in the first and second regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Tsuchiya
  • Solid-state imaging device and electronic device
    Patent number: 11350046
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device including an imager that acquires image data, a processing unit that performs a process based on a neural network calculation model for data based on the image data acquired from the imager, and a control unit that switches between a first process mode of performing a first process at a first frame rate and, based on a result of the first process, a second process mode of performing a second process at a second frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryoji Eki
  • High dynamic range point spread function generation for image reconstruction
    Patent number: 11343440
    Abstract: A method includes capturing, by a camera disposed behind a display panel of an electronic device, a plurality of point spread functions (PSFs) through a semi-transparent pixel region of the display panel. Each of the plurality of PSFs is captured at a different exposure time. The method further includes determining, for each of the PSFs, pixel intensity data for each of a plurality of pixel locations of the PSF. The pixel intensity data is associated with the exposure time of the respective PSF. The method further includes calculating, for each pixel location, a weighted average pixel intensity value based on the pixel intensity data and the exposure time for the respective pixel location over the plurality of PSFs, and generating a high dynamic range (HDR) PSF utilizing the weighted average pixel intensity values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ye Zhao, Changgeng Liu, Ernest Rehmatulla Post, Brian R. Patton, Congzhong Guo
  • Image sensing device and electronic device comprising the same
    Patent number: 11343459
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes a pixel circuit, a readout circuit, and a row driver. The pixel circuit is configured to output a pixel signal in response to a selection signal. The readout circuit is configured to output a digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal, generate a gain control signal based on a first pixel signal received from the pixel circuit, provide the gain control signal to the pixel circuit, receive a second pixel signal output by the pixel circuit using the gain control signal, and output a digital signal corresponding to the second pixel signal. The row driver is configured to provide the selection signal to the pixel circuit while maintaining the selection signal at a first level while the readout circuit provides the gain control signal to the pixel circuit and the pixel circuit outputs the second pixel signal to the readout circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Yong Jung, Min Woong Seo