Patents Examined by Chan Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9041825
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a video input section to which live video obtained by picking up an image of an object is inputted; a frame interpolation processing section which, by inserting an interpolated image between images of frames constituting the live video, performs processing for generating and outputting interpolated video of a frame rate set in advance; and a control section which, when an instruction for freezing video displayed on a display section is made, operates so as to cause a still image of a frame constituting the live video to be displayed on the display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Numata
  • Patent number: 9036049
    Abstract: In an image capturing apparatus, a subject image is converted into an image signal, which undergoes automatic correction processing including white balance correction processing, and further undergoes image quality change processing. A first evaluation value indicating a largest value of an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal of the image signal undergone the image quality change processing and a second evaluation value indicating a luminance of the image signal undergone the image quality change processing are detected. A control evaluation value is calculated using weighted average of the first evaluation value and the second evaluation value according to at least one of an amount of image quality changing effect due to the image quality change processing and a reliability of the automatic correction processing, and exposure control is performed based on the control evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinya Urisaka
  • Patent number: 9036056
    Abstract: In an image communication system of the present invention, the transmission and reception of images are performed between a mobile phone, which combines a base image (character) with an accessory image and displays the composite image, and a server device via a communication network. When an image of a subject is captured by an imaging section, the mobile phone recognizes the subject in the captured image as an image for distinguishing a character. Subsequently, the server device generates an accessory image based on the recognized distinguishing image. Then, the mobile phone combines the generated accessory image with the base image (character), and displays the composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Toshihiko Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 9030603
    Abstract: The invention provides a prompting apparatus comprising a foldable prompting box which includes two symmetrical opposite walls which can be open and closed, a bottom board which can be folded up and released, and a rear wall, which jointly define a space for housing a two-way see-through mirror and the lens of the camera. The cover defines a space for a user to slide in a tablet device which runs a prompting software application. The pre-designed text is displayed on the tablet device's screen at a speed that the speaker feels comfortable to read. When the apparatus is not in use, the prompting box can be easily folded into a flat compact for the user's convenience to carry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Inventor: Linda Vito
  • Patent number: 9025047
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes an exposure difference value calculator that calculates an exposure difference between a flash turned-off image and a flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio calculator that calculates first flash mixture ratio in blocks, a subject area selector that selects a block having maximum first flash mixture ratio and selects an area including the selected block and a block having first flash mixture ratio ranging between the maximum value and a threshold value, a flash light color balance calculator that calculates color balance of the selected area from the flash turned-on image, a flash mixture ratio correction unit that calculates second flash mixture ratio by multiplying the first flash mixture ratio by a coefficient, and a white balance gain calculator that calculates white balance gain in the blocks based on the second flash mixture ratio, the calculated color balance, and a color balance of normal light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9013629
    Abstract: The invention provides a prompting apparatus comprising a collapsible prompting box and a mounting and adjusting assembly. The prompting box includes two symmetrical opposite walls, a bottom frame, a bottom, a top frame and a cover, which jointly define a space for housing a two-way see-though mirror and the lens of the camera. The two symmetrical opposite walls can be folded inwardly when the mirror can be folded up to the top frame. The cover defines a space for a user to slide in a tablet device which runs a prompting software application. The pre-designed text is displayed on the tablet device's screen at a speed that the speaker feels comfortable to read. The mounting and adjusting assembly couples the prompting box with the camera. When the apparatus is not in use, the prompting box can be easily folded for carrying convenience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Inventor: Linda Vito
  • Patent number: 9001231
    Abstract: In an image sensor pixels in an array of binary pixels are sampled with a first oversampling factor during a first frame interval, and then sampled with a second oversampling factor during a second frame interval, the second oversampling factor exceeding the first oversampling factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Yue Lu, Feng Yang, Martin Vetterli
  • Patent number: 9001217
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an information processing apparatus which receives a live view image from an imaging apparatus and displays the live view image by overlaying a predetermined overlay image thereto on a screen and the live view image when various operations regarding shooting processing are performed by the imaging apparatus. The information processing apparatus sets whether to display the overlay image by overlaying it onto the live view image or not for each type of an instruction to the imaging apparatus. When the information processing apparatus receives an instruction in response to a user operation, it detects the type of the instruction. When the overlay image is set to be displayed for the detected type of the instruction, the information processing apparatus displays the overlay image by overlaying it onto the live view image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 8988572
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units to convert radiation signals into charge signals and store the charge signals is located; a storage control unit configured to control the storage of the charge signals executed by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; a reading control unit configured to control reading of the charge signals stored by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a control unit configured to fix an indefinite potential generated at the radiation detection unit while at least one of the storage control of the charge signals by the storage control unit and the reading control of the charge signals by the reading control unit is not carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kanako Dowaki, Kazumasa Matsumoto, Hidehiko Saito, Takashi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8976290
    Abstract: A positionable mechanism includes a base unit, a frame unit, an optical image stabilizing (OIS) unit and a positioning unit. The frame unit and the OIS unit are mounted on the base unit. The frame unit is retractable with respect to the base unit between a storage position and a working position, and has a first surface. The OIS unit includes a movable carrier that has a second surface facing the first surface, an optical element that is mounted on the movable carrier, and a driving element that is operable to drive the movable carrier to move with respect to the base unit. The positioning unit is disposed between the first surface and the second surface, and is configured to position the movable carrier with respect to the frame unit when the frame unit is at the storage position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Asia Optical International Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Tse Chen, Chia-Lin Hung, Huo-Wang Chou
  • Patent number: 8970724
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for generating marker and comb indicia in an optical environment using a Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) modulator. High speed recording devices are configured to record image or other data defining a high speed event. To calibrate and establish time reference, the markers or combs are indicia which serve as timing pulses (markers) or a constant-frequency train of optical pulses (comb) to be imaged on a streak camera for accurate time based calibration and time reference. The system includes a camera, an optic signal generator which provides an optic signal to an M-Z modulator and biasing and modulation signal generators configured to provide input to the M-Z modulator. An optical reference signal is provided to the M-Z modulator. The M-Z modulator modulates the reference signal to a higher frequency optical signal which is output through a fiber coupled link to the streak camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: National Security Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Edward Kirk Miller
  • Patent number: 8957983
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes pixels, vertical signal lines, a high-order AD converter configured to convert M bits, a low-order AD converter, and first and second selection circuits. The first selection circuit is configured to output, in a normal mode, voltage of the selected vertical signal line and to output correction voltage in a correction mode. The high-order AD converter calculates 2M residual voltage values each corresponding to a difference between a signal voltage value and each of 2M threshold voltage values; outputs, in the normal mode, a high-order bit digital value corresponding to the maximum one of the 2M threshold voltage values in a range below the signal voltage value, and outputs voltage having a residual voltage value corresponding to the maximum threshold voltage value; and outputs, in the correction mode, voltage having a residual voltage value corresponding to a selected threshold voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motonori Ishii, Shigetaka Kasuga
  • Patent number: 8947547
    Abstract: Digital media can be automatically transferred between a digital capture device or storage device and one or more other devices with little or no user intervention. Media can be selected for automatic transfer based on one or more media-content or media-context characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Inventor: Thomas Nathan Millikan
  • Patent number: 8941773
    Abstract: A lens module includes a lens body; a lens holding member that movably holds the lens body along an optical axis of the lens body without tilting the optical axis; a displacement element that has a flat-plate shape of which one end edge on a side of the lens body along the optical axis is disposed as a free end and the free end is displaced to freely approach the lens body by applying a voltage; and a push-up member that is disposed on the free end of the displacement element and is inserted on one end surface side of the lens body, which is perpendicular to the optical axis, by the approach towards the lens body of the displacement element so as to push up the lens body in the optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiteru Kamatani, Yoshihito Higashitsutsumi, Yoichiro Fujinaga, Junichi Muramoto, Shuji Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8941753
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a pixel generating a photoelectric conversion signal; a comparator comparing a base signal based on the pixel at a reset state with a time-changing first reference signal, and comparing an effective signal based on the pixel at a non-reset state with a time-changing second reference signal, the second reference signal having a larger time-changing ratio than that of the second reference signal; a counter counting a first count value until an inversion of a magnitude relation between the base signal and the first reference signal, and counting a second count value until an inversion of a magnitude relation between the effective signal and the second reference signal; and a correcting unit configured to correct the difference of resolutions of the first and second count values, and configured to correct the difference between the corrected first and second count values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Hashimoto, Yasushi Matsuno
  • Patent number: 8937668
    Abstract: To provide an image including no blur from a plurality of images acquired by a camera array image capturing device. An image processing device of the present invention is characterized by including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of images captured by a camera array image capturing device having a plurality of image capturing units the exposure conditions of which are different from one another, an overlap region calculation unit configured to calculate an overlap region in which field angles overlap in the plurality of image capturing units from the acquired plurality of images, and a blurred image detection unit configured to detect an image including a blur using a region image of the plurality of images corresponding to the overlap region calculated by the overlap region calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shohei Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8928786
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix; a plurality of amplifier circuits each arranged correspondingly to each of columns of the pixels, for amplifying a signal from the pixel; and a current source transistor whose source is supplied with a power source voltage and which supplies the amplifier circuit with a bias current. When the current source transistor is operating in the saturation region, the gate voltage of the current source transistor that is supplied from the bias line is sampled and held. The gate voltage of the current source transistor with respect to the power source voltage is controlled to the sampled voltage, thereby suppressing variation. This suppression can, in turn, suppress occurrence of line noise and a lateral smear due to difference of drop in voltage of a power source line concerning a column circuit on each row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichiro Iwata, Hiroki Hiyama, Tetsuya Itano, Kohichi Nakamura, Kazuhiro Saito
  • Patent number: 8917352
    Abstract: A lens frame drive apparatus for an image pickup apparatus includes: a first lens frame that moves along a plurality of guide shafts; a second lens frame that moves along the plurality of guide shafts; and a drive shaft with a cam portion for driving the first lens frame, a nut for driving the second lens frame, a feed screw portion threadably connected to the nut, and a driven portion that upon receipt of a driving force from a motor, simultaneously rotates the cam portion and the feed screw portion, formed thereon, wherein the cam portion and the feed screw portion are driven by the nut so that a total amount of movement of the second lens frame is extremely smaller than a total amount of movement of the first lens frame and the second lens frame corrects the amount of movement of the first lens frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventors: Koji Okano, Junya Harada, Kazuhiro Morisaki
  • Patent number: 8917330
    Abstract: Cinematic motion blur and other cinematic effects are enabled during image capture through exposure timing manipulation. The resulting captured images and videos include one or more cinematic effects without the need for a user to impose the cinematic effects post-capture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Patrick Campbell
  • Patent number: 8913141
    Abstract: An image stabilization system applies a “pinned-edge” or “soft pinned edge” image stabilization technique to digital video to compensate for unwanted camera motion in a captured video. In these stabilization techniques, a warping function is applied to an image frame to achieve a non-uniform shifting of depicted points in the image frame such that a reference point is stabilized with respect to a reference frame. In pinned-edge image stabilization, the final stabilized output video has the same dimensions as the pre-stabilized input video captured by the image sensor. In soft pinned-edge image stabilization, the pre-stabilized input video has slightly larger dimensions than the stabilized output video but these larger dimensions are still reduced compared to traditional electronic image stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Patrick Campbell