Patents Examined by Christopher K Peterson
  • Patent number: 11017012
    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: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Laura Ling Javier, Sachin Monga, Kristina Varshavskaya, Daniil Burdakov, Ittai Sean Barzilay, Volodymyr Giginiak, Harshdeep Singh, Connor C Hayes
  • Patent number: 11013105
    Abstract: An image pickup unit includes an image pickup element and a wiring board. The image pickup element includes an analog circuit. The analog circuit includes an analog ground wiring. The image pickup element is mounted on the wiring board. The wiring board includes a first ground wiring that is connected to the analog ground wiring and forms a closed loop with the analog ground wiring in a side view of the image pickup unit, and a second ground wiring that is connected to the first ground wiring via only a first via conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wenying Ye, Yasuhiko Sano, Shinichi Nishimura, Takafumi Kishi
  • Patent number: 11012607
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus capable of capturing an in-focus image while moving, and an image composition apparatus capable of generating a high detail composite image are provided. A camera 100 is mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle 10, and imaging is performed while moving. During imaging, a focusing mechanism included in the camera 100 is controlled, and a focus position is periodically scanned. In addition, during imaging, movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is controlled such that at least one scanning is performed during movement to a position shifted by an imaging range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shuji Ono
  • Patent number: 11006039
    Abstract: A system and method for determining occlusion are presented. The system receives camera data generated by at least one camera, which includes a first camera having a first camera field of view. The camera data is generated when a stack having a plurality of objects is in the first camera field of view, and describes a stack structure formed from at least an object structure for a first object of the plurality of objects. The system identifies a target feature of or disposed on the object structure, and determines a 2D region that is co-planar with and surrounds the target feature. The system determines a 3D region defined by connecting a location of the first camera and the 2D region. The system determines, based on the camera data and the 3D region, a size of an occluding region, and determines a value of an object recognition confidence parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: MUJIN, INC.
    Inventors: Jinze Yu, Jose Jeronimo Moreira Rodrigues, Xutao Ye
  • Patent number: 10999495
    Abstract: An internet of things-based indoor selfie-supporting camera system includes: sensing units respectively disposed in a plurality of indoor photographing stages to receive personal information from a portable terminal of a user using a radio-frequency identification (RF) tagging method; image capture units configured to capture an image with any one indoor photographing stage selected from the plurality of indoor photographing stages in the background, based on positional information transmitted from the sensing units and the personal information of the user; and a data server configured to store image data transmitted from the image capture units and the personal information of the user in a database, and transmitting the image data using the personal information of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: VALUEDATA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sunmee Lee, Sangchun Jung, So Hyun Jin
  • Patent number: 10992868
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a receiver that receives image data of an image taken with a camera by wireless communication, a touchscreen that displays a camera image of the camera, and a controller that, when the touchscreen is tapped, gives the camera instructions on a capturing direction so that a tapped position of the image displayed on the touchscreen moves to the center of the touchscreen, and displays on the camera image an operation image for receiving an operation to instruct the capturing direction of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Takahashi, Takanobu Machida
  • Patent number: 10992923
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and techniques related to matching features between a dynamic vision sensor and one or both of a dynamic projector or another dynamic vision sensor are discussed. Such techniques include casting a light pattern with projected features having differing temporal characteristics onto a scene and determining the correspondence(s) based on matching changes in detected luminance and temporal characteristics of the projected features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Richmond Hicks
  • Patent number: 10979067
    Abstract: An image pickup device, comprises: a pixel configured to output a signal based on a light reception amount; and an AD conversion unit. The AD conversion unit includes: an amplifier circuit configured to amplify a signal that is output from the pixel; a comparator circuit including an output node for outputting a comparison result signal generated by using an output signal from the amplifier circuit and a ramp signal; a memory configured to hold a digital value corresponding to the output signal, based on a result of the comparator circuit; a gain switching circuit configured to switch a gain of the amplifier circuit; and a ramp signal switching circuit configured to switch a slope of the ramp signal. The gain switching circuit and the ramp signal switching circuit are electrically connected to the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiichirou Sakai
  • Patent number: 10979639
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an imaging control apparatus, an imaging control method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The imaging control apparatus including a controller having a state detection unit and a mode processing instruction unit. The state detection unit configured to receive a sensing signal from a sensor, detect an imaging environment of an imaging apparatus becoming a first state, and detect a transition of the imaging environment from the first state to a second state based at least in part on the sensing signal. The mode processing instruction unit configured to instruct a first imaging operation in a first mode on a basis of detection of the imaging environment of the imaging apparatus becoming the first state, and instruct a second imaging operation in a second mode on a basis of detection of the transition of the imaging environment from the first state to the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaya Kinoshita, Kentaro Matsukura, Akira Tokuse
  • Patent number: 10979620
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises at least one processor which function as: an obtaining unit configured to obtain an image; a scaling unit configured to generate a scaled image obtained by scaling at least a portion of the obtained image; and a display control unit configured to display the obtained image or the scaled image and defocus information including a shift amount and a shift direction of a focal point in a superimposed manner on a display, wherein in a case where displaying the obtained image, the display control unit superimposes defocus information of a first defocus range that includes a range to be focused, and in a case where displaying the scaled image, the display control unit superimposes defocus information of a second defocus range that includes at least a portion of a defocus range of the scaled image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shingo Mori
  • Patent number: 10969659
    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: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Ok Park, Tae Young Kim, Hyun Ah Oh, Youn Baek Jeong
  • Patent number: 10971539
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a photon detector that operates in a Geiger mode and outputs an output signal in accordance with incidence of a photon, a quench element that causes the photon detector to transition to a non-Geiger mode in accordance with the output signal, a control unit that, when the photon detector transitions from a Geiger mode to a non-Geiger mode, switches the quench element from a detection mode, in which the quench element is in a relatively low resistance state and the photon detector detects a photon, to a hold mode, in which the quench element is in a relatively high resistance state and holds the output signal, and a signal processing circuit that performs a predetermined process on the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Maehashi, Yasuji Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10965859
    Abstract: Disclosed by the present invention is a smart watch-based mobile terminal camera control method and control system, the method comprising: detecting whether a mobile terminal has been connected to a smart watch when a camera of the mobile terminal is turned on; if yes, generating a camera control notification and sending the same to the smart watch; the smart watch receiving and displaying the camera control notification, and sending a camera control broadcast to the mobile terminal; and the mobile terminal controlling the camera to capture an image or record a video according to the camera control broadcast, and sending a preview of the captured image and recorded video to the smart watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: HUIZHOU TCL MOBILE COMMUNICATION CO., LTD
    Inventor: Ming Lei
  • Patent number: 10958817
    Abstract: A method for determining camera module assembling quality is provided. The method includes a step of determining whether the shooting position and the shooting posture of and under-test camera module are correct according to a result of judging whether a relationship between the world coordinate of at least one chart characteristic point of a reference chart and the image coordinate of a corresponding image characteristic point of an image plane coordinate system complies with a standard relationship. Then, the under-test camera module at the correct shooting position and with the correct shooting posture is used to shoot the reference chart. Consequently, an assembling information of the under-test camera module is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD.
    Inventors: Hsiu-Wen Wang, Chih-Wen Lin
  • Patent number: 10951832
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of setting shooting conditions suitable for continuous flash shooting. The image pickup apparatus is connected to a light-emitting apparatus and causes the light-emitting apparatus to emit light when shooting. A light emission mode of the light-emitting apparatus is obtained from the light-emitting apparatus. Exposure control values including at least a shooting sensitivity for use in shooting in a first light emission mode in which automatic light control are determined. In a case where the light emission mode of the light-emitting apparatus is a second light emission mode in which automatic light control for continuous shooting is performed, the determined shooting sensitivity is changed to a greater value before the automatic light control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazunori Gouji
  • Patent number: 10939083
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus is disclosed. The electronic apparatus includes a communicator, a camera, a memory storing a reference image including a plurality of gradation regions that have different gradation values, and a processor to photograph the display device that outputs the reference image and a background of the display device, through the camera, obtain correction data for correcting a gradation value of the photographed image based on a plurality of gradation regions included in the photographed image and a plurality of gradation regions included in the stored reference image, correct a background image corresponding to the background from the photographed image based on the obtained correction data, and control the communicator to output the corrected background image on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bongjoe Kim, Jongho Kim, Gimun Eom
  • Patent number: 10917588
    Abstract: Image sensors may include pixel circuitry to enable per-pixel integration time and read-out control. Two transistors may be coupled in series for per-pixel control, with one of the transistors being controlled on a row-by-row basis and the other transistor being controlled on a column-by-column basis. The two transistors in series may be coupled directly to each other without any intervening structures. Two transistors in series between a photodiode and a power supply terminal enables per-pixel control of starting an integration time, two transistors in series between a photodiode and a charge storage region enables per-pixel control of ending an integration time, and two transistors in series between a charge storage region and a floating diffusion region enables per-pixel control of read-out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Tomas Geurts
  • Patent number: 10916036
    Abstract: A method, system, and article is directed to generating multi-exposure camera statistics for image processing by rearranging and sampling image data of multiple exposure images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jarno Nikkanen, Rastislav Lukac
  • Patent number: 10917629
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and techniques related to matching features between a dynamic vision sensor and one or both of a dynamic projector or another dynamic vision sensor are discussed. Such techniques include casting a light pattern with projected features having differing temporal characteristics onto a scene and determining the correspondence(s) based on matching changes in detected luminance and temporal characteristics of the projected features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Richmond Hicks
  • Patent number: 10914869
    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 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Shin Yang, Tae Su Choi, Sot Eum Seo, Ju Sung Park