Patents Examined by Antoinette T Spinks
  • Patent number: 10455136
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing system comprising: circuitry configured to acquire information indicating whether at least one of plurality of areas included in a captured image captured by a capturing device are focusable; and to issue a signal to control a display to display first information indicating whether each of the plurality of areas are focusable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akifumi Mizukami
  • Patent number: 10447944
    Abstract: An object is to provide an imaging apparatus which can output image data whose aspect ratio or the like has not been changed, and can perform processing for setting parameters for imaging control, on the basis of image data whose aspect ratio or the like has been changed. This imaging apparatus is provided with a transformation unit that transforms image data based on an output signal of an imaging element, a processing unit that performs processing for obtaining a value to be used for a parameter for imaging control, on the basis of the image data transformed by the transformation unit, and an output unit that can output the image data based on the output signal of the imaging element to an output destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetaka Uemura
  • Patent number: 10447914
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus, to which a lens apparatus can be attached, includes an imaging unit that executes charge accumulation in synchronization with a reference signal and generates an imaging signal, a control unit that controls the data communication with an attached lens apparatus and executes focus detection by using data received from the lens apparatus. The control unit executes data communication with the lens apparatus in a first communication mode in which predetermined data is periodically communicated in synchronization with the reference signal. When a predetermined operation that instructs preparation for still image shooting is being carried out by a user, the control unit changes the first communication mode to a second communication mode in which the control unit executes data communication with the lens apparatus out of synchronization with the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyasu Hongu, Atsuya Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 10431608
    Abstract: Example comparators as discussed herein may include a second stage coupled to provide an output in response to an intermediate voltage, a first stage coupled to provide the intermediate voltage in response to an input. The first stage including a pair of cascode devices coupled to a current mirror, a low gain input coupled to inputs of the first stage via first switches, and further selectively coupled to the pair of cascode devices via second switches, and a high gain input coupled to the first and second inputs of the first stage via the first switches, and further selectively coupled to the pair of cascode devices via fourth switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ebihara
  • Patent number: 10425591
    Abstract: There is a demand for increasing the dynamic range of an imaging unit. Provided is an imaging unit comprising a pixel section that outputs a pixel signal corresponding to a reset potential after a reset and a signal potential after charge accumulation; an amplifying section that amplifies the pixel signal with a first amplification ratio or a second amplification ratio that is different from the first amplification ratio; and a control section that causes the amplifying section to amplify the pixel signal corresponding to a change from the reset potential to the signal potential with the first amplification ratio, and then causes the amplifying section to amplify the pixel signal corresponding to a change from the signal potential to the reset potential with the second amplification ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru Funamizu
  • Patent number: 10419672
    Abstract: In various embodiments a camera with multiple optical chains, e.g., camera modules, is controlled to operate in one of a variety of supported modes of operation. The modes include a non-motion mode, a motion mode, a normal burst mode and/or a reduced data burst mode. Motion mode is well suited for capturing an image including motion, e.g., moving object(s) with some modules being used to capture scene areas using a shorter exposure time than other modules and the captured images then being combined taking into consideration locations of motion. A reduced data burst mode is supported in some embodiments in which camera modules with different focal lengths capture images at different rates. While the camera modules of different focal length operate at different image capture rates in the reduced data burst mode, images are combined to support a desired composite image output rate, e.g., a desired frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Light Labs Inc.
    Inventors: Rajiv Laroia, Nitesh Shroff, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Patent number: 10412296
    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: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC
    Inventors: Wayne E. Prentice, Robert J. Parada, Tetsuji Uezono, Kenichi Nakajima, William V. Fintel
  • Patent number: 10412284
    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: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: In Jae Yeo
  • Patent number: 10404930
    Abstract: Provided are a pixel processing apparatus, and an image signal processing apparatus and an image processing system each including the same. The pixel processing apparatus includes a bad pixel processing unit configured to determine whether a target pixel is a bad pixel based on pixel data of an image sensor, output a bad pixel detection signal according to a result of determining whether the target pixel is a bad pixel, compensate for a pixel value of the target pixel based on the pixel data, and output the compensated pixel value; and a noise removal unit configured to remove noise from the pixel value of the target pixel, based on the bad pixel detection signal, the pixel value, the compensated pixel value, and weight information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Deok Ha Shin, Kyeong Jong Lim, Jung Hoon Jung, Young Sung Cho
  • Patent number: 10388322
    Abstract: The present technology is a video recording system and method of recording a video while applying special effects in real time prior to and/or while recording. The system includes a processing unit in communication with a camera and a memory unit. The processor receives a raw video data at a native speed rate from the camera or remote video stream, and an input from an interface. The system determines if the native speed rate of the raw video data is to be changed, and if so then modifies at least one frame in the raw video data to create a modified video data at a modified speed rate that is different to the native speed rate. The system then generates an output video recording data and writes it to memory. This allows for the continuous recording of video from the camera or video feed at different speed rates without altering camera operations or settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Inventors: Henry M. Pena, Thomas F. Bryant, III
  • Patent number: 10389972
    Abstract: In a video signal transmission device, a camera control device includes: a compression unit for compressing a return video signal; a compression/expansion unit for compressing/expanding a prompter video signal; a frame synthesis unit for synthesizing the video signals; an encoding unit for encoding the synthesized video signal; and a modulation unit for modulating the encoded video signal and transmitting the modulated video signal to the camera adaptor. A camera adaptor includes: a demodulation unit for demodulating the video signal from the camera control device; a decoder unit for decoding the demodulated video signal; an expansion unit for separating one video signal from the decoded video signal, expanding the video signal, and restoring the video signal to the return video signal; and an expansion/compression unit for separating one video signal from the decoded video signal, compressing/expanding the video signal, and restoring the video signal to the prompter video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventor: Akihiro Kato
  • Patent number: 10386546
    Abstract: A camera module according to an embodiment includes a liquid lens unit including a cavity, a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid disposed in the cavity, ā€œnā€ individual electrodes (n being an integer of 2 or more), and a common electrode, an interface being formed between the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid, a main board including an element constituting a control circuit for controlling the operation of the liquid lens unit, and a holder coupled to the main board such that the open area of an insertion hole for insertion of the liquid lens unit is disposed along a first side of the main board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Bok Choi
  • Patent number: 10390436
    Abstract: An image surface-side group lens (18) is mounted on a flexible printed board (FPC) (2) by appropriately adjusting a height from the FPC (2) to the image surface-side group lens (18). A camera module (1) includes a sensor mounted on the FPC (2) and the image surface-side group lens (18) arranged on the sensor (14), in which the image surface-side group lens (18) is mounted on the FPC (2) with an adhesive (22) being interposed between the FPC (2) and an edge portion of the image surface-side group lens (18) on a side opposing the sensor (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norimichi Shigemitsu, Fuminori Okada, Hiroyuki Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 10379338
    Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a display screen on a terminal housing and a periscope optical zoom lens. The display screen and the periscope optical zoom lens are arranged in a non-overlapping manner in a thickness direction of the terminal, and the periscope optical zoom lens is located in a top area of the terminal. Additionally, the periscope optical zoom lens is configured to collect an image in an optical signal form by means of optical zoom, so that an optical-to-electrical conversion chip converts the image in an optical signal form into an image in a digital signal form and the display screen is configured to display the image in a digital signal form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yufei Sun, Hang Yin, Xinlu Peng, Haitao Duan
  • Patent number: 10375295
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is an imaging device having an imaging optical system, the device including: an imaging element configured to include a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged along a predetermined direction; a first processor configured to execute focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of second pixels; and a second processor configured to execute specific processing based on charge signals obtained from the plurality of first pixels, the specific processing being different from the focal detection processing by a phase difference detection system and being necessary for a function of the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinichi Fujii
  • Patent number: 10375310
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying, by a computing system and using first and second frames of a video, a transformation that indicates movement of a camera with respect to the frames. The computing system generates a modified transformation so that the transformation is less representative of recent movement. The computing system uses the transformation and the modified transformation to generate a second transformation. The computing system identifies an anticipated distortion that would be present in a stabilized version of the second frame. The computing system determines an amount by which to reduce a stabilizing effect. The computing system applies the second transformation to the second frame to stabilize the second frame, where the stabilizing effect has been reduced based on the determined amount by which to reduce the stabilizing effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Wei Hong, Rodrigo Carceroni
  • Patent number: 10375309
    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: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hayato Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 10362245
    Abstract: An image acquisition system 1 includes: a light source 3 which outputs illumination light; an optical scanner 7 which scans a sample S with the illumination light; an optical scanner control unit 9; a detection optical system 15, 17 which focuses fluorescence from the sample S; an imaging device 19 which has a light receiving surface 19c in which a plurality of pixel rows 19d are arranged, and an imaging control section 19b, and which can perform signal readout of each of the plurality of pixel rows 19d from the light receiving surface 19c; and a calculation unit 21 which calculates an interval of signal readout between adjacent pixel rows 19d, based on a moving speed of an illuminated region on the light receiving surface 19c; the imaging control section 19b controls signal readout of each pixel row 19d, based on the interval of the signal readout thus calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Eiji Toda, Takuo Kameyama
  • Patent number: 10356966
    Abstract: An electronic module is provided. The electronic module includes a bracket, a first electronic component and a second electronic component. The bracket includes a housing and a barrier rib, and a conductive paste is coated on the barrier rib. The first electronic component and a second electronic component, are accommodated in the bracket and spaced from each other by the barrier rib, and electrically connected to each other through the conductive paste. A terminal device and a bracket are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp., LTD.
    Inventors: Yi Wei, Yong Li, Peiju Chen
  • Patent number: 10356339
    Abstract: A frame memory and a computing processing unit are provided within an image pickup device having a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate mutually stacked and electrically directly connected, and digital image data having undergone resize processing are output from the image pickup device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Ise, Shinobu Watanabe