Patents Examined by Antoinette Spinks
  • Patent number: 9883087
    Abstract: The invention relates to an objective for an image recording device for reproducing an image, which is created by a far-optical device. A housing, which is detachably connectable to an eyepiece of the far-optical device, has a greater inner diameter than the exterior diameter of an eyepiece housing. Both an exit pupil of the far-optical device and an entrance pupil of the objective are situated inside the housing. The objective has at least one lens, the optical axis of which is arranged to be parallel to the optical axis of the eyepiece of the far-optical device and to the middle axis of the eyepiece housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Swarovski-Optik KG.
    Inventors: Clayton Taylor, Verena Annina Bagusat
  • Patent number: 9876972
    Abstract: Multiple mode, multiple waveband detector systems and methods are provided. A first window selection signal is received. Based on the first window selection signal, a first read-out pixel window comprising a first subset of pixels of a plurality of pixels of a detector array is determined. A plurality of first image portions of a scene are generated over a first period of time by iteratively, for each iteration of a plurality of iterations over the first period of time, integrating photons on the detector array, reading out only the first subset of pixels in the first read-out pixel window, and storing a first image portion of the scene of the plurality of first image portions of the scene based on the read-out of the first subset of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Calvin L. Powell, Trisha A. Fish, Mark T. Myers
  • Patent number: 9866743
    Abstract: An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9860432
    Abstract: Disclosed is a camera module. The camera module includes: a lens barrel disposed in a housing to receive a lens assembly; an elastic member in at least one of the housing and the lens barrel; a driving unit moving the lens barrel relative to the housing; and a sensor unit fixed to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: In Jae Yeo
  • Patent number: 9854173
    Abstract: A viewfinder and operating unit for a video camera is configured separate from the video camera and comprises a main body, an electronic viewfinder and an operating device pivotably fastened to the main body for the configuring and/or controlling of the video camera. The electronic viewfinder has a viewfinder display as well as an eyepiece having an optical axis. The operating device has an areal operating field display and is pivotable into at least two different positions relative to the main body. The operating device projects from the main body in a cameraman operating position and an observation axis aligned perpendicular to the areal operating field display extends in parallel with the optical axis of the eyepiece as well as laterally offset therefrom. The observation axis of the operating field display is aligned perpendicular to the optical axis of the eyepiece in an assistant operating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Inventors: Tom Faehrmann, Michael Koppetz, Timo Sperber
  • Patent number: 9854198
    Abstract: Provided is a method capable of performing bi-directional communication by only a memory card device and without depending on the environment of the connecting device and the like. This memory card device has a housing in which a wireless communication module and memory module are mounted, and in the this memory module are provided a system area that cannot be access by a digital device in which the memory card device is mounted, and a user area that can be accessed by the digital device; wherein an operation system (OS), a file server program that operates together with the operation system to control data that is stored in the user area, and a communication module that connects the server program to a virtual network by way of a relay server on the Internet, and makes it possible to control the data that is stored in the user area from the Internet side by way of the server program are installed in the system area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Freebit Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Oizumi
  • Patent number: 9848147
    Abstract: The solid-state imaging device of the present disclosure includes a signal processing unit including an AD converter that digitizes an analog pixel signal read from each pixel of the pixel array unit to a signal line, the signal processing unit transferring digitized pixel data at a first speed higher than a frame rate; a memory unit that stores the pixel data transferred from the signal processing unit; a data processing unit that reads pixel data at a second speed lower than the first speed from the memory unit; and a control unit that, when the pixel data is read from the memory unit, controls to stop operation of a current source connected with the signal line and operation of at least the AD converter of the signal processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hayato Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 9843750
    Abstract: Methods of calibrating a linear-logarithmic image sensor pixel include performing a reset of the pixel in advance of establishing a leakage current between a photodiode and a floating diffusion region of the pixel. A first voltage of the floating diffusion region is then read through a source follower and selection transistor, after the leakage is terminated. A step is then performed to transfer charge between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region of the pixel so that a voltage of a cathode of the photodiode is increased. Thereafter, a second voltage of the floating diffusion region is read. The first and second read voltages are then used to perform a calibration operation. These steps may be repeated to establish another leakage current of different duration/magnitude and yield third and fourth read voltages, which support further calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoel Yaffe, Claudio G. Jakobson, Shemi Prazot, Uzi Hizi
  • Patent number: 9838623
    Abstract: A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to accumulate image charge in response to light. A global shutter transistor is disposed in the semiconductor material and is selectively resets the image charge in the photodiode in response to a global shutter control signal. A global shutter control signal generator circuit is coupled to generate the global shutter control signal to have a first value, a second value, and a third value. The first value of the global shutter control signal is coupled to turn on the global shutter transistor to reset the photodiode. The third value of the global shutter control signal is coupled to control the global shutter transistor to be in a low leakage off mode. The second value of the global shutter control signal is between the first and third values and is turns off the global shutter transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Liping Deng, Zhiqiang Song, Pengting Zhang, Yi Liu
  • Patent number: 9832356
    Abstract: A camera module, in particular for a vehicle, the camera module having at least: an objective having a lens mount and at least one lens, an image sensor for acquiring and converting optical signals into electrical signals, a bearer device on which the image sensor is mounted and contacted, and a camera housing for accommodating the objective and the bearer device. The objective is connected to the camera housing, in particular to a first housing part, and is borne by the camera housing. The bearer device can in particular be fixed on the objective or on the first housing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Steffen Fritz, Uwe Apel, Ulrich Seger
  • Patent number: 9826161
    Abstract: A system and camera wherein the camera comprises in the light path a diffuser (4). The system or camera comprises a means (6) to modulate the diffusing properties of the diffuser (4) on an image projected by the lens on the sensor during exposure of the image. To the captured blurred image (10) an inverse point spread function is applied to deconvolute (24) the blurred image to a sharper image. Motion invariant image can so be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Dmitry Nikolayevich Znamenskiy, Ruben Rajagopalan, Rifat Ata Mustafa Hikmet
  • Patent number: 9819852
    Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image sensor for providing initial sensor image data and final sensor image data; a lens for exposing the image of a scene onto the image sensor; an exposure control system for adjusting an exposure level of a final image on the image sensor in response to a scene type; and a processor for processing the initial sensor image data to select one of a plurality of scene types, and to process the final sensor image data in response to the scene type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: MONUMENT PEAK VENTURES, LLC
    Inventors: Wayne E. Prentice, Robert J. Parada, Tetsuji Uezono, Kenichi Nakajima, William V. Fintel
  • Patent number: 9819869
    Abstract: In an image shake correction device in which a lens holder holding an image shake correcting lens is supported by a ball, the image shake correcting lens is driven in such a manner that the ball does not make sliding contact with the lens holder or does not contact a ball restriction portion during still image capturing. The image shake correction device permits the ball to contact the ball restriction portion during moving image capturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kaori Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 9813602
    Abstract: A miniature camera module that achieves autofocus (AF) by applying actuation to the image sensor using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) actuators comprising of a piston-tube electrostatic actuators. The camera comprises of a MEMS piston-tube actuator, an image sensor die, an IC package, a housing, and a lens barrel. The image sensor die is attached and is electrically bonded to the moving rotor of the MEMS electrostatic piston-tube actuator, which is, in turn, attached and electrically bonded to a semiconductor device package. The packaged piston-tube actuator with the image sensor attached to it is covered with a transparent protection lid which could be an IR filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Inventors: Faez Ba-Tis, Ridha Ben-Mrad
  • Patent number: 9813616
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Ankit K. Jain
  • Patent number: 9807263
    Abstract: A method and device for aligning an image of a printed substrate using a mobile device. The method includes receiving, by an image capturing device, an image stream of a printed substrate; determining, by a processing device operably connected to the image capturing device, a location and a geometry of the printed substrate from the image stream; displaying, on a display operably connected to the processing device, the image stream; overlaying, by the processing device, at least a first visual marker onto the printed substrate as displayed in the image stream using the location and geometry; and instructing, by the processing device, a user of the mobile device to move the mobile device to align the mobile device and the printed substrate. The device includes the various hardware components configured to perform the method of aligning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Raja Bala, Lina Fu, Hengzhou Ding
  • Patent number: 9807286
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, a housing arranged on an upper surface of the PCB and including therein at least one or more lenses, an actuator positioned on the housing, and an electronic circuit pattern layer formed at an non-exposed surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hack Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 9800806
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an intermediate image generating unit configured to input an image which has been shot with differing exposure times set by region, generates a plurality of exposure pattern images corresponding to differing exposure times based on the input image, and generates a plurality of timing images which are difference images of the plurality of exposure pattern images; and a distortion correction processing unit configured to generate a corrected image equivalent to an exposure processing image at a predetermined exposure time by synthesizing processing of the plurality of timing images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Kaizu, Tomoo Mitsunaga
  • Patent number: 9800257
    Abstract: In a first sensitivity level, an AD converter performs AD conversion selectively using, in accordance with the level of the analog signal, any one of a first reference signal and a second reference signal that have mutually different slopes, and in a second sensitivity level that is different from the first sensitivity level, the AD converter performs AD conversion only using a third reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Hashimoto, Daisuke Yoshida, Makoto Ise
  • Patent number: 9800772
    Abstract: There is provided a focus adjustment device including an image sensor including a plurality of phase difference detection pixels that each perform pupil division of a photographing lens, a correction value acquisition unit for acquiring a correction value for a focus position in a spatial frequency of a subject which is obtained by the image sensor, and a focus adjustment unit for adjusting a focus position of the photographing lens based on the correction value acquired by the correction value acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORTAION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Miyatani, Norihiko Akamatsu, Genta Yagyu