Patents Examined by Carramah J. Quiett
  • Patent number: 9900501
    Abstract: An image collecting method and apparatus are provided, where the image collecting method includes enabling an image collecting unit in an electronic device, when it is identified that after a first specific motion, a gesture of the electronic device changes to a specific device gesture; monitoring whether the electronic device performs a second specific motion in the specific device gesture; and when it is detected that the electronic device performs the second specific motion in the specific device gesture, controlling the image collecting unit to obtain an at least first image by means of collection within motion time in which the electronic device performs the second specific motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongrui Jiang, Yunbin Wang, Kunpeng Li
  • Patent number: 9900498
    Abstract: A glass-type mobile terminal including a frame body configured to be worn as glasses by a user; a camera mounted on the frame body and configured to capture an image; and a controller configured to control the camera to capture at least one image of an object currently viewed with the glass-type mobile terminal based on at least one of linguistic expression information of the user and emotion information of the user on the currently viewed object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Taeseong Kim, Yujune Jang, Jeongyoon Rhee
  • Patent number: 9893101
    Abstract: A solid-state image pickup unit includes: a p-type compound semiconductor layer of a chalcopyrite structure; an electrode formed on the p-type compound semiconductor layer; and an n-type layer formed separately for each pixel, on a surface opposite to a light incident side of the p-type compound semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirotsugu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9888171
    Abstract: By grading preview images of original images for the purpose of filtering eye blink patterns off and/or introducing face smile patterns, a result image can be generated with least eye blink patterns and most face smile patterns for satisfying image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Chou, Drew Bamford, John C. Wang, Sung-Hao Lin, Jr-Ben Tian, Hao-Wei Miao
  • Patent number: 9876958
    Abstract: The interchangeable lens includes: a shake correction processing unit configured to calculate an amount of shake correction for the correction lens and an imaging device; and a lens driving unit configured to perform image blur correction by moving the correction lens in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis based on an output from the shake correction processing unit. The camera body includes a device driving unit configured to perform image blur correction by moving the imaging device in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The lens driving unit moves the correction lens to a predetermined center position and the device driving unit shifts the imaging device by an amount corresponding to an amount of the movement of the correction lens to the center position at a beginning of exposure. The lens driving unit drives the correction lens during a period of the exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mikio Sakurai, Michio Kishiba
  • Patent number: 9866735
    Abstract: A camera module of the present invention, provided by adhering a glass substrate to the cover body so that the glass substrate covers an opening of a sensor cover for covering an image pickup element mounted on a wiring substrate, which opening is provided above the image pickup element, the camera module includes: an image pickup package having an internal space provided by the glass substrate, the sensor cover, and the glass substrate; and an image pickup lens provided above the glass substrate of the image pickup package, wherein at least one ventilation groove (G) for allowing the internal space to communicate with open air is provided on an adhesive surface of the glass substrate of the sensor cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Mitarai, Shohgo Hirooka
  • Patent number: 9857663
    Abstract: An optical system is provided that uses unwanted light to perform autofocus functions. More particularly, one or more optical elements may be used to reflect unwanted light to one or more secondary image sensors associated with an autofocus function. Such unwanted light may include, for example, IR, UV, or visible light not necessary for creating a resulting image detected by a primary sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Iain Richard Tyrone McClatchie
  • Patent number: 9854151
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging device and a focusing control method capable of enhancing accuracy of moving subject estimation while reducing the computation of the moving subject estimation used in a case of continuously performing focusing with respect to the moving subject. A system control unit (11) predicts a subject distance in an imaging process of a third frame from information about subject distances obtained in an imaging process of a first frame and an imaging process of a second frame, calculates an error with respect to the predicted subject distance from information about a maximum error with respect to a focus lens position to be calculated, and performs lens driving based on a predicted focus lens position instead of a focusing control based on the predicted subject distance in a case that the error of the subject distance is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hisashi Endo
  • Patent number: 9832373
    Abstract: A digital recording device is configured to automatically capture digital images. In the digital recording device, a camera module operating in a live preview mode generates a video stream comprising digital images. A content analyzer generates a trigger signal based on an initial image-capturing template. The camera module captures and stores digital images responsive to receiving the trigger signal. A user interface component receives from a user one or more selections among the stored digital images, a template adjuster adjusts at least one target pose specified by the image-capturing template based on the one or more user selections, wherein the content analyzer generates the trigger signal based on the adjusted image-capturing template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: CYBERLINK CORP.
    Inventors: Yu-Tung Chuang, Jyun-Kai Syong, Ermin Lin
  • Patent number: 9819868
    Abstract: A gimbal mount for a sensor having an outer and inner gimbal mount to stabilize vibrations in a wide frequency band without having to statically balance the sensor. A direct drive is provided for at least one drive of an outer axis of rotation of the outer gimbal mount and an amplified piezo actuator is provided for at least one drive of an inner axis of rotation of the inner gimbal mount. The at least one outer axis of rotation is provided for vibration stabilization in a first range of the frequency band to be stabilized and the at least one inner axis of rotation stabilization is provided for vibration stabilization in a second range in the frequency band to be stabilized. The outer gimbal mount and the inner gimbal mount are embodied as mechanically rigid constructions which transmit vibrations in the frequency band to be stabilized essentially without damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Dynamic Perspective GmbH
    Inventors: Peter von Borcke-Morawitz, Stefan Morawitz
  • Patent number: 9807328
    Abstract: Provided is an image sensor having a column ADC configuration including, for every pixel row, an analog digital converter (ADC) that converts a pixel signal including an analog signal generated by photoelectric conversion into an output signal including a digital signal. The image sensor includes a plurality of clamp operation units each configured to calculate a reference level based on each output signal of a plurality of ADC groups, and a reference voltage output unit configured to convert a digital signal of the reference level calculated by the clamp operation unit into a reference voltage including an analog signal, and supply the reference voltage to each the ADC that constitutes the ADC group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Chihiro Okada, Nobutaka Shimamura, Atsushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9800744
    Abstract: Systems and methods create labels and include a mobile device including communication circuitry, an imaging device, an object recognition application, and a label creation application. A label printer includes printer memory and printer communication circuitry. The object recognition application is configured to analyze an image of a device taken by the imaging device and generate device data for the device in the image. The label creation application the uses the device data to automatically populate at least a portion of a label data entry screen. Once the label data entry screen is populated, the label creation application creates a print job and, via the mobile device communication circuitry, communicate the print job to the label printer to print at least one label sized specifically for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Brady Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Ardaman S. Grewal, Marlon O. Davis
  • Patent number: 9767539
    Abstract: A hand-held or otherwise portable or spatial or temporal performance-based image capture device includes one or more lenses, an aperture and a main sensor for capturing an original main image. A secondary sensor and optical system are for capturing a reference image that has temporal and spatial overlap with the original image. The device performs an image processing method including capturing the main image with the main sensor and the reference image with the secondary sensor, and utilizing information from the reference image to enhance the main image. The main and secondary sensors are contained together within a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Adrian Zamfir, Petronel Bigioi, Peter Corcoran, Alexandru Drimbarean, Eran Steinberg
  • Patent number: 9762875
    Abstract: Devices and methods for reducing parallax in graphic content captured by a camera array include identifying color fringes that correspond to the parallax in the captured graphic content, determining an amount of displacement of the color fringes and adjusting the parallax in the captured graphic content based on the amount of displacement. The camera array may comprise a two-dimensional array of cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventors: Jonas Gustavsson, Mats Wernersson
  • Patent number: 9754349
    Abstract: A system determines for each color channel of each portion of the image, a corresponding adjustment value to apply to the color channel to correct for a color irregularity. The system determines a corrected adjustment value based on a difference between twice the pixel value and the maximum saturation value. If the adjustment value as applied is larger than the corrected adjustment value, the system applies the adjustment value to the corresponding color channel of the image portion to produce the adjusted color channel. Otherwise, the system applies the corrected adjustment to the corresponding color channel of the image portion to produce an adjusted color channel. The system generates a modified image based on the adjusted color channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno Cesar Douady-Pleven, Michael Serge André Kraak, Guillaume Matthieu Guerin, Thomas Nicolas Emmanuel Veit
  • Patent number: 9749551
    Abstract: A plurality of images of a scene may be obtained. These images may have been captured by an image sensor, and may include a first image and a second image. A particular gain may have been applied to the first image. An effective color temperature and a brightness of a first pixel in the first image may be determined, and a mapping between pixel characteristics and noise deviation of the image sensor may be selected. The pixel characteristics may include pixel brightness. The selected mapping may be used to map at least the brightness of the first pixel to a particular noise deviation. The brightness of the first pixel and the particular noise deviation may be compared to a brightness of a second pixel of the second image. The comparison may be used to determine whether to merge the first pixel and the second pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Geiss, Changyin Zhou, Samuel William Hasinoff
  • Patent number: 9749556
    Abstract: An image sensor may have a pixel array that includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each pixel may include a number of adjacent sub-pixels covered by a single microlens. The adjacent sub-pixels of each pixel may include color filter elements of the same color. Image signals from the sub-pixels may be used to calculate phase information in each pixel in the array. This information may be used to generate a depth map of the entire captured image. The pixels may each be able to detect vertical, horizontal, or diagonal edges. Additionally, the image signals from each photodiode in a pixel may be binned or average to obtain image data for each pixel. The image sensor also may generate high-dynamic-range images using the pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas Fettig, Marko Mlinar, Robert M. Gravelle, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9740090
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a communication unit that is engaged in communication with an external device; a control unit that adds image information into transmission data to be transmitted to the communication unit; and a decision-making unit that makes a decision in correspondence to information indicating a recipient of the transmission data as to whether or not to allow photographing location information included in the image information to be included in the transmission data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chie Sogoh, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9742973
    Abstract: The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for capturing an image using an array camera. A method comprises determining an application associated with capturing an image using an array camera, wherein the array camera comprises a first sensor and at least one second sensor, wherein the first sensor comprises a red filter, a green filter, and a blue filter, and wherein each second sensor comprises a red filter, a green filter, or a blue filter; determining whether the application requires the image to have a first resolution equal to or greater than a predetermined resolution; determining whether the application requires depth information associated with the image; and in response to determining the application does not require the image to have the first resolution and does not require depth information, activating the first sensor, and capturing the image using the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Linåker, Johannes Elg, Jonas Gustavsson, Mats Wernersson
  • Patent number: 9729786
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image capture apparatus can efficiently use a plurality of integrated circuits for image processing. Image processing ICs are integrated circuits that deal with different formats of image data. A programmable logic IC converts a data format of image data output from one image processing IC into a format of image data that is dealt with by the other image processing IC, and outputs the result of conversion to the other image processing IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tokuro Nishida