Patents Examined by Christopher K Peterson
  • Patent number: 11609361
    Abstract: A lens assembly includes a lens including an optical portion refracting light and a flange portion extending along a portion of a circumference of the optical portion, a blocking member disposed in front of the lens and having an opening to allow light to be incident on the lens, and a lens barrel accommodating the lens. The optical portion is noncircular and a portion of the blocking member facing the optical portion in an optical axis direction is located to be higher than a portion of the blocking member facing the flange portion in the optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Shin Yang, Tae Su Choi, Sot Eum Seo, Ju Sung Park
  • Patent number: 11609945
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for ranking media effects. For example, systems and methods described herein enable a user to select and apply one or more media effects to a media communication such as a digital photograph or video. Systems and methods described herein identify and rank media effects based on characteristics associated with the user and the user's client-computing device. Furthermore, systems and methods described herein automatically present the top-ranked media effects to the user such that the user can easily select and apply one or more media effects that are tailored specifically to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Laura Ling Javier, Sachin Monga, Kristina Varshavskaya, Daniil Burdakov, Ittai Sean Barzilay, Volodymyr Giginiak, Harshdeep Singh, Connor C Hayes
  • Patent number: 11606516
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for image processing. The method comprises generating a first image having a first resolution, searching, by processing circuitry, the first image to determine whether a target object can be identified in the first image, specifying, when it is determined that the target object can be identified in the first image, a region-of-interest in the first image, generating, when it is determined that the target object cannot be identified in the first image, a second image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution, searching, by the processing circuitry, the second image to determine whether the target object can be identified in the second image, and specifying, when it is determined that the target object can be identified in the second image, a region-of-interest in the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Takahashi, Hiroshi Tayanaka
  • Patent number: 11606501
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a camera including a plurality of lenses, a display, and a processor, in which the processor is configured to display a plurality of icons corresponding to the plurality of lenses, based on first position information in a first photographing mode, and upon selection of a first icon by a first gesture from the plurality of icons in the first photographing mode, switch to a second photographing mode and display a zoom control region including a plurality of zoom levels having a first zoom level of a first lens corresponding to the first icon as a reference zoom level and the plurality of icons rearranged based on second position information corresponding to the plurality of zoom levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaehan Lee, Jiyeon Kim, Woojin Jung, Nari Choi
  • Patent number: 11595583
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for capturing digital video includes displaying a preview of a field of view of the imaging device in a user interface of the imaging device. A sequence of images is captured. A main subject and a background in the sequence of images is determined, wherein the main subject is different than the background. A sequence of modified images for use in a final video is obtained, wherein each modified image is obtained by combining two or more images of the sequence of images such that the main subject in the modified image is blur free and the background is blurred. The sequence of modified images is combined to obtain the final video, which is stored in a memory of the imaging device, and displayed in the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: CLEAR IMAGING RESEARCH, LLC
    Inventor: Fatih M. Ozluturk
  • Patent number: 11595563
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a first camera and a second camera, and performing photography using the first camera and the second camera, and generating a composite image from a plurality of images acquired by the photography, the imaging apparatus comprising at least one memory and at least one processor which function as: an acquiring unit configured to acquire two images by performing a first photography and a second photography, which is performed after a time lag from the first photography; and a generating unit configured to generate a composite image having a visual field range of 360 degrees by compositing a first image acquired by performing photography for a first range in the first photography and a second image acquired by performing photography for a second range in the second photography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Genjiro Shibagami
  • Patent number: 11595631
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging element, and an image capturing optical system configured to generate an image of an object on the imaging element. The image capturing optical system has a gradient decreasing region in which a change of a gradient of an image magnification rate with respect to an angle of view of the image generated on the imaging element decreases as a concerned position deviates farther away from an optical axis of the image capturing optical system, and a gradient increasing region in which the change of the gradient of the image magnification rate with respect to the angle of view of the image generated on the imaging element increases as the concerned position deviates farther away from the optical axis of the image capturing optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kento Nakamura, Hiroyuki Satoh, Jun Kishiwada, Issei Abe
  • Patent number: 11588974
    Abstract: A zoom method, an image processing method of an imaging device and imaging device are disclosed. The zoom method includes: detecting, when determining to zoom, whether a zoom position of the imaging device is currently in a preset optical zoom area or a preset digital zoom area; compressing, if the zoom position of the imaging device is in the preset optical zoom area and a first image containing a specified target is collected by the image sensor, the first image into a second image, and outputting the second image; selecting, if the zoom position of the imaging device is in the preset optical zoom area, a target sensing area from a sensing area of the imaging sensor according, and cropping a third image collected by the image sensor according to the target sensing area to obtain a fourth image and outputting the fourth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: HANGZHOU HIKVISION DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qi Gong, Weimin Ma
  • Patent number: 11588976
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus that has an image capturing device including polarization elements and sets a proper frame rate according to a situation when acquiring a video using polarization information. The image capturing device an image capturing device including polarization pixels that detect polarization information of a plurality of different directions. The polarization information of the polarization pixels is determined by performing first polarization calculation or second polarization calculation which is smaller in calculation load than the first polarization calculation, on video signals output from the polarization pixels. A polarization-processed image is generated by using the polarization information. The first polarization calculation and the second polarization calculation are switched according to a predetermined timing, a mode, or a result of detecting a predetermined state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya Kitamura, Tokuro Nishida, Hiroyuki Hasegawa, Takenori Kobuse, Yusuke Yamashita, Yoshikazu Ishikawa, Takayuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11570362
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes an imaging lens, an image capturing device body including an imaging element that captures an optical image transmitting through the imaging lens, a first correction unit that performs correction of an image shake by a correction lens, and a second correction unit that performs correction of the image shake by the image capturing device body, and performs a control of causing the first correction unit or the second correction unit to correct a first frequency portion of a shake amount of the image shake having a first frequency and causing the first correction unit and the second correction unit to share and correct a second frequency portion of the shake amount of the image shake having a second frequency higher than the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 11563914
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an image encoder. The image encoder is configured to encode an original image and reduce compression loss. The image encoder comprises an image signal processor and a compressor. The image signal processor is configured to receive a first frame image and a second frame image and generates a compressed image of the second frame image using a boundary pixel image of the first frame image. The image signal processor may include memory configured to store first reference pixel data which is the first frame image. The compressor is configured to receive the first reference pixel data from the memory and generate a bitstream obtained by encoding the second frame image based on a difference value between the first reference pixel data and the second frame image. The image signal processor generates a compressed image of the second frame image using the bitstream generated by the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won Seok Lee, Seong Wook Song, Yun Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 11546523
    Abstract: An image processing device is enabled to appropriately restore a contrast of a camera image. An in-vehicle camera has an image capture unit that captures images of surroundings of a vehicle through a windshield of the vehicle. A hood is disposed below the image capture unit and is present within an angle of view of the image capture unit. The control unit includes a luminance acquirer that acquires a luminance parameter indicating a degree of luminance of the hood appearing in a camera image, a whitish blur degree calculator that calculates a degree of whitish blur of the camera image caused by a reflection of natural light by the hood and the windshield in accordance with the luminance parameter, and a contrast corrector that corrects a contrast of the camera image in accordance with the whitish blur degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11539876
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to user interfaces for altering visual media. In some embodiments, user interfaces capturing visual media (e.g., via a synthetic depth-of-field effect), playing back visual media (e.g., via a synthetic depth-of-field effect), editing visual media (e.g., that has a synthetic depth-of-field effect applied), and/or managing media capture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behkish J. Manzari, Graham R. Clarke, Toke Jansen, Joseph A. Malia, Andre Souza Dos Santos, William A. Sorrentino, III, Jeffrey A. Brasket, Wayne Loofbourrow, Seyyedhossein Mousavi, Jens Jacob Pallisgaard, Paul Thomas Schneider, Joshua Blake Shagam, Piotr J. Stanczyk
  • Patent number: 11516407
    Abstract: A vibration driving device that achieves low cost and high accuracy while reducing driving load. A drive unit has a vibrator with a projection and generates driving force by vibrating the vibrator. A first unit has a contact portion with which the projection is in pressure contact in a first direction. A second unit rotates relative to the first unit around a rotation axis parallel to the first direction by the driving force. Three or more support members are between the first and second units in the first direction to support the first and second units rotatably. The support members are positioned such that, during relative rotation of the first and second units, a contact point at which the projection contacts the contact portion is always located in at least one of triangular areas formed by connecting any three support members with straight lines when viewed in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasufumi Yamamoto, Ayumu Nemoto, Kaori Tomura
  • Patent number: 11513424
    Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a dual camera module comprising: a rigid first substrate having a first image sensor arranged thereon; a rigid second substrate spaced apart from the first substrate and having a second image sensor arranged thereon; a third substrate connected to the first substrate and the second substrate; and a flexible connection unit for connecting the first substrate to the second substrate, wherein the first substrate includes a first side surface, the second substrate includes a second side surface facing the first side surface, and the connection unit connects the first side surface of the first substrate to the second side surface of the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Ok Park, Tae Young Kim, Hyun Ah Oh, Youn Baek Jeong
  • Patent number: 11514561
    Abstract: A storage medium stores correction data for obtaining a correction amount for correcting image data, obtained from an image formed by a lens apparatus, with respect to a distribution of a light amount in the image, wherein the correction data includes a coefficient of an n-th order polynomial (where n is a non-negative integer) with respect to an image height h, the coefficient corresponding to a state of the lens apparatus. The coefficient satisfies a first inequality ?0.15?dD?(h)?dDlens(h)?1.98, where dDlens(h) represents a change amount of the light amount at the image height h per an increase amount dh of the image height h, and dD?(h) represents a change amount of an inverse of a value of the n-th order polynomial at the image height h per the increase amount dh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Yamada, Kazufumi Goto
  • Patent number: 11516394
    Abstract: Some embodiments may include a multi-layer flexure that may be used in an optical image stabilization voice coil motor (OIS VCM) actuator of a camera. The multi-layer flexure module may include a dynamic platform and a static platform along with multiple layers of flexure arms that mechanically connect the dynamic platform to the static platform. In some examples, the multi-layer flexure may include electrical traces configured to convey signals from the dynamic platform to the static platform. The electrical traces may be routed from the dynamic platform to the static platform via the flexure arms. In some embodiments, a multi-layer flexure may have a greater stiffness in a Z-direction aligning with an optical axis of a camera and may have a lower stiffness in X and Y directions corresponding to optical image stabilization directions of an OIS VCM actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brad V. Johnson, Hao Zheng, Scott W. Miller
  • Patent number: 11496657
    Abstract: A camera assembly is provided. The camera assembly comprises: a frame comprising a first side wall, a second side wall facing the first side wall, and a base formed between the first side wall and the second side wall; a linear driving portion comprising a first movable member coupled to the first side wall to be able to slide and a second movable member coupled to the second side wall to be able to slide; a lens module arranged on the base, the lens module comprising at least one lens and an image sensor; a reflective member comprising a first surface onto which external light is incident and a second surface formed at a predetermined angle with the first surface so as to face the lens; and a holder on which the reflective member is disposed, the holder comprising a support portion supported on the base so as to rotate around a first rotational axis perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens and around a second rotational axis perpendicular to the optical axis and to the first rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seunghwan Lee
  • Patent number: 11490015
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for capturing digital video includes displaying a preview of a field of view of the imaging device in a user interface of the imaging device. A sequence of images is captured. A main subject and a background in the sequence of images is determined, wherein the main subject is different than the background. A sequence of modified images for use in a final video is obtained, wherein each modified image is obtained by combining two or more images of the sequence of images such that the main subject in the modified image is blur free and the background is blurred. The sequence of modified images is combined to obtain the final video, which is stored in a memory of the imaging device, and displayed in the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CLEAR IMAGING RESEARCH, LLC
    Inventor: Fatih M. Ozluturk
  • Patent number: 11483469
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for controlling imaging operations in electronic image capture devices are disclosed. In some aspects, a device includes processor coupled to a camera module, a user input surface, and a memory. The processor can be configured to receive, from the user input surface, a continuous user input. The continuous user input can include, at least, a first portion and a second portion. The processor can be further configured to control a first imaging operation based on a first input type received during the first portion and control a second imaging operation based on a second input type received during the second portion. The first input type can include movement of an input element relative to the user input surface, for example, and the second imaging operation can be different than the first imaging operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Nitin Srivastava, Lucky Bagaria