Patents Examined by Daniel M Pasiewicz
  • Patent number: 11595578
    Abstract: The invention provides an image processing apparatus which comprises a controller which causes an image sensing device to execute either a first mode in which outputs image data of a first resolution, or a second mode in which outputs image data of a second resolution lower than the first resolution; and an evaluating circuit which, by outputting image data of the second resolution in relation to acquired image data, obtains an index value that relates to a spatial frequency of a frequency band in which a signal level decreases in image data of the second resolution more than in image data of the first resolution, wherein the evaluating circuit detects, by machine learning, the index value of image data of the second resolution, and the controller, based on the detected index value, selects either the first or second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Kumaki
  • Patent number: 11589138
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in a digital imaging device for correcting image blur in digital images by combining plurality of images. The plurality of images that are combined include a main subject that can be selected by user input or automatically by the digital imaging device. Blur correction can be performed to make the main subject blur-free while the rest of the image is blurred. All of the image may be made blur-free or the main subject can be made blur-free at the expense of the rest of the image. Result is a blur corrected image that is recorded in a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: CLEAR IMAGING RESEARCH, LLC
    Inventor: Fatih M. Ozluturk
  • Patent number: 11563887
    Abstract: Provided in various embodiments are an electronic device and a method therefor, the electronic device comprising: a first image sensor; a second image sensor electrically connected through a designated interface to the first image sensor; and a processor, wherein the processor is set to determine parameter information, for controlling the first image sensor and the second image sensor, in relation to photographing and transmit the determined parameter information to the first image sensor and the second image sensor, and the first image sensor is set to transmit a reflection signal through the designated interface to the second image sensor such that the second image sensor uses the parameter information in response to the reflection signal. In addition, other embodiments are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangmin Lee, Hwayong Kang, Dongsoo Kim, Minyoung Park, Hyeon-Cheol Jo, Youngkwon Yoon, Jonghoon Won, Kihuk Lee
  • Patent number: 11553103
    Abstract: An image capture device continuously generates time-lapse video frames to be included within a time-lapse video using a time-lapse video frame rate, with the value of the time-lapse video frame rate changing based on activation of a trigger to change the time-lapse video frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicolas Rahmouni, Maxim Karpushin, Thomas Derbanne
  • Patent number: 11546491
    Abstract: The various implementations described herein include a camera device that includes: (1) a housing; (2) an image sensor positioned within the housing and having a field of view corresponding to a scene in the smart home environment; (3) at least one infrared (IR) illuminator positioned with the housing, the IR illuminator configured to selectively illuminate the scene; and (4) a front face that is at least partially concave-shaped and coupled to the housing, the front face positioned in front of the image sensor such that light from the scene passes through the front face prior to entering the image sensor, and the front face positioned in front of the IR illuminator such that IR light from the IR illuminator is directed through the front face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Mark Kraz, Kevin Edward Booth, Tyler Scott Wilson, Nicholas Webb, Jason Evans Goulden, William Dong, Jeffrey Law, Rochus Jacob, Adam Duckworth Mittleman, Oliver Mueller
  • Patent number: 11539886
    Abstract: A camera has a shutter trigger connected to the body, a controller operably connected to the trigger, and a shutter operably connected to the trigger. The shutter is operable at a plurality of frame rates and the controller is responsive to the shutter trigger in the first condition to operate the shutter at a first frame rate. The controller responsive to the shutter trigger in the second condition to operate the shutter at a different second frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Bulletproof Property Management, LLC
    Inventors: Bennet Langlotz, Ken Rockwell
  • Patent number: 11539888
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for processing video data, apparatus, electronic equipment, and storage medium. The method for processing video data can include switching to a target anti-shake shooting mode in response to acquiring a switching operation in a video shooting interface; acquiring a video editing operation corresponding to the target anti-shake shooting mode; obtaining target video data by processing video data collected in real time based on the video editing operation; and outputting the target video data in the video shooting interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING DAIJA INTERNET INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qian Li, Ying Shu, Shanshan Mao
  • Patent number: 11539902
    Abstract: A flicker detection circuit is provided. The flicker detection circuit may include a flicker detection correlated double sampling (FD CDS) circuit including first to sixth switches turned on or off based on a control signal, and first to fourth capacitors, the FD CDS circuit being configured to receive a flicker pixel signal output from at least one pixel, summate with an output offset signal, and amplify the summation based on a gain to form a flicker detection signal; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to quantize the flicker detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangpil Nam, Kyunghoon Lee, Jungho Lee, Youngjae Cho, Michael Choi
  • Patent number: 11525978
    Abstract: A variable focal length lens apparatus is provided with a variable focal length lens in which a focusing position periodically changes in response to a drive signal that is input; a light source that emits detection light at an object via the variable focal length lens; an photodetector that receives the detection light that is reflected by the object, and outputs a light detection signal; a signal processor that, based on the light detection signal that is input, outputs a light emission signal that is synchronized to a focusing time point where the detection light is focused on a surface of the object; an illuminator that provides pulse illumination to the object with illuminating light, based on the light emission signal that is input; and an image capturer that captures an image of the object through the variable focal length lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kubo
  • Patent number: 11523074
    Abstract: In a pixel array unit 11, pixels that generate pixel signals are arranged in a matrix. A control unit 17 performs reading of pixel signals in a first mode in which reading of the pixel signals is performed by thinning out lines from the pixel array unit 11, and reading of pixel signals in a second mode in which reading of the pixel signals is performed by including the lines thinned out in the first mode after the reading in the first mode. A signal processing unit 16 uses a pixel signal read in the first mode and a pixel signal read in the second mode, to set an amount of correction for a pixel of the lines thinned out in the first mode, on the basis of the pixel signal read in the second mode from a pixel in which reading of the pixel signal is performed in the first mode and the second mode, and corrects the pixel signal read in the second mode from the pixel of the lines thinned out in the first mode with the set amount of correction to reduce an influence of leakage light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Luonghung Asakura, Chihiro Okada
  • Patent number: 11523059
    Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus comprises: a first obtaining unit that obtains orientation information of an image capturing apparatus; a determining unit that, on the basis of the orientation information, determines a reference position of an image sensor included in the image capturing apparatus; and a calculating unit that calculates a correction amount for performing image stabilization by moving a position of the image sensor from the reference position in a plane intersecting with an optical axis. The reference position is different between when the orientation information indicates that the image capturing apparatus is in a first orientation and when the orientation information indicates that the image capturing apparatus is in a second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Kimura, Toshifumi Urakami
  • Patent number: 11523062
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus displays a live view image that is based on an acquired image, stores image data that is based on the acquired image, and acquires additional information associated with a predetermined subject included in the live view image. The image capture apparatus superimposes the additional information on the live view image and displays the resulting image before the image data is stored, and stores the image data and the acquired additional information in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeo Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11516379
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is able to perform limit control of limiting a drive range of a focus lens and performing control of the focus lens. When first information regarding an end position of the drive range of the focus lens in the limit control is set, a body control unit drives the focus lens from a position set as one end position of the drive range of the focus lens in the limit control on a near side and a far side to one end position of the movable range of the focus lens on a near side and a far side, and then stores information corresponding to a drive amount during the drive as the first information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidetaka Uemura
  • Patent number: 11516409
    Abstract: A device includes a charge variation sensor having at one or more electrodes. The charge variation sensor, in operation, generates a charge variation signal indicative of changes in an electric or electrostatic charge induced on the one or more electrodes by an alternating current power source. Processing circuitry, coupled to the charge variation sensor, generates a frequency spectrum signal based on the charge variation signal and identifies a frequency of operation associated with the alternating current power source based on the generated frequency spectrum signal. A control signal is generated based on the identified frequency of operation. An image acquisition device sets an image acquisition frequency based on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Federico Rizzardini, Lorenzo Bracco, Roberto Mura, Stefano Paolo Rivolta
  • Patent number: 11516414
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device in which a subject moving within a visual field can be freely expressed with a simple configuration. This imaging device is an imaging device which acquires an image by dividing one imaging period into a plurality of periods for exposure to add for each pixel, and includes an imaging element which includes a photoelectric conversion unit configured to generate a signal charge, and a control unit configured to control an accumulation time of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The control unit changes the accumulation time in each period obtained by dividing the one imaging period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kosuke Kiyamura
  • Patent number: 11503177
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including: a signal processing unit configured to cause a series of picture data being continuously acquired to be temporarily stored in a buffer memory area in a signal processing process, read out the series of picture data from the buffer memory area, and perform a subsequent signal processing; and a control unit configured to perform control for deleting at least a part of the picture data stored in the buffer memory area, on a basis of detecting a predetermined operation while the signal processing is being performed on the series of picture data by the signal processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Kawaguchi, Koji Ozaki, Masaya Kinoshita, Akira Iwase
  • Patent number: 11496685
    Abstract: The present invention is to realize a simple communication connection. A shooting system S includes: a display device 2 configured to change identifiers periodically so as to present an identifier; a management server 1 configured to share the identifier with the display device 2; and a user terminal 4 configured to acquire the identifier presented on the display device 2 when an identifier acquisition operation by a user is detected, and to transmit, to the management server 1, the acquired identifier and an operation instruction to operate a camera 3 identified by the acquired identifier. The management server 1 includes an information control block 114 which performs control to associate image data acquired with the camera 3 based on the operation instruction transmitted by the user terminal 4 with the identifier presented on the display device 2 when the identifier acquisition operation by the user is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taku Koreki, Kazuaki Hagiwara, Kazunori Yanagi, Kunihiko Ohnaka
  • Patent number: 11470272
    Abstract: Techniques are described for sampled bandgap reference generation for CMOS image sensor (CIS) applications. For example, the CIS includes a pixel array, one or more pixel analog to digital converters (ADCs), and a sampled bandgap reference generator, all integrated in close proximity on a chip. The ADCs rely on stable reference levels from the bandgap reference generator for performing pixel conversions for the pixel array. Embodiments of the sampled bandgap reference generator can operate according to reference generation cycles. Each cycle can include a first portion, in which an active core dynamically stabilizes the bandgap reference level; and a second portion, in which the core is deactivated, and the bandgap reference level is output based on a sampled level obtained during the preceding first portion of the cycle. The cycle timing can be controlled to achieve sufficient dynamic stabilization of the reference levels, while mitigating photon emissions from the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinwen Xiao, Scott D Willingham
  • Patent number: 11463616
    Abstract: An automatic mirror mode system determines when a user is facing a display device and is close to the display device, and when the intent of the user is to activate a mirror mode of the computing device. In response to determining that the user is facing the display device and is close to the display device, and that the intent of the user is to activate a mirror mode of the computing device, the computing device automatically enters the mirror mode. In the mirror mode, one or more images are captured using a front-facing camera and are displayed on the display device. This allows the user to, for example, check his teeth or hair before meeting someone, entering a meeting, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Alexandre Neves Creto, Olivier David Meirhaeghe, Rahul Bharat Desai, Amit Kumar Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11457169
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and electronic equipment that make it possible to sufficiently secure a time width of a pulse signal. In an AD converter for each unit pixel, a pulse generation circuit feeds back a delay signal obtained by delaying an output signal of the comparator to the comparator and arithmetically operates the output signal and the delay signal to generate a pulse signal. A latch circuit latches the pulse signal generated by the pulse generation circuit. The present disclosure can be applied to a solid-state imaging element of a stacked type and a back side illumination type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryohei Kawasaki