Patents Examined by Daniel M Pasiewicz
  • Patent number: 11800233
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a neuromorphic vision unit, an array, and a controller. The neuromorphic vision unit includes a plurality of pixels to photoelectrically produce data based on light received from an object in a scene. The array includes a plurality of light sources. The controller controls the plurality of light sources at one of a plurality of granularities, at least in part based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Erkan Diken, Arjen Gerben Van Der Sijde, Nicola Bettina Pfeffer, Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier, Marcus Hendrikus Adrianus van Steen, Rob Jacques Paul Engelen
  • Patent number: 11768423
    Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes a camera, a flash array adjacent to the camera, and a flash driving circuit connected to the flash array. In the process of image acquisition based on the image acquisition apparatus, a driving signal provided by the flash driving circuit may be used to drive corresponding flashes in the flash array to be lighted, a driving current for controlling each of the flashes may be adjusted to control the brightness of a respective one of the flashes. The number of lighted flashes in the flash array or the light supplement brightness of the lighted flashes may be adjusted adaptively according to different shooting scenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xuanzhao Wang
  • Patent number: 11770597
    Abstract: A heating device for a camera module comprises: a resistance heating film formed on a lens through which external light is introduced for generating heat by electric current; a power applying member for supplying the electric current to the resistance heating film; and a connecting member for electrically connecting the resistance heating film and the power applying member in close contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyun Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 11758304
    Abstract: An image sensor capable of obtaining a high dynamic range without reducing a frame rate. An image sensor includes a pixel region where a plurality of pixels each including a sensor element that detects a naturally occurring physical quantity and converts the physical quantity into an electric signal are arranged in a row direction and a column direction, a row selection unit that selects any of the pixels in the pixel region in units of rows and contributes to readout of the electric signal from each of the pixels and resetting of an accumulated charge, a pixel readout unit that reads out the electric signal from each of the pixels selected by the row selection unit in column-parallel, and a column selection unit that selects the pixel in any column from a pixel row selected by the row selection unit and controls a charge accumulation amount of the selected pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TECH IDEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Matsuzawa, Hirofumi Sumi
  • Patent number: 11758302
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a controller, a power supply, a regulator, and a switch. The controller is configured to control an imaging unit, on the basis of a command and data that are received from a host in accordance with an I2C/I3C communication protocol. The power supply is configured to supply a voltage to a digital block of the controller. The digital block is configured to be subjected to dynamic voltage frequency scaling within one-frame operation. The regulator and the switch are provided between the digital block and the power supply, and coupled in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Chiaki Takano, Toshimasa Shimizu, Yuki Takizawa, Mark Pude, Hirotaka Murakami, Kevin Fronczak
  • Patent number: 11750931
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a memory and a processor. The memory may comprise first parameters for an image sensor and second parameters for a LED. The processor may be configured to receive a first temperature from the image sensor, receive a second temperature from the LED, present a first adjustment to the image sensor and present a second adjustment to the LED. The first adjustment may be configured to scale the first parameters based on a difference between the first temperature and the predetermined temperature. The second adjustment may be configured to scale the second parameters based on a difference between the second temperature and the predetermined temperature. The processor may scale the first parameters and the second parameters in order to compensate for performance degradation of the image sensor caused by changes in the first temperature and the LED caused by changes in the second temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: VEONEER US INC.
    Inventor: Mehmet Fatih Yilmaz
  • Patent number: 11747718
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a camera module. A camera module according to one aspect comprises: a lens barrel in which a lens part is disposed; a substrate part including a substrate that is disposed below the lens barrel; a housing coupled to the lens barrel; and a heating member electrically connected to the substrate part, wherein the lens barrel includes a first region in which a lens is disposed and a second region disposed spaced apart from the first region, and the heating member is disposed between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Je Kyung Park
  • Patent number: 11750922
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for operating a multiple camera system. In some embodiments, a primary camera may be selected from a plurality of cameras using object distance estimates, distance error information, and minimum object distances for some or all of the plurality of cameras. In other embodiments, a camera may be configured to use defocus information to obtain an object distance estimate to a target object closer than a minimum object distance of the camera. This object distance estimate may be used to assist in focusing another camera of the multi-camera system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Patrick A. Carroll, Yongjun Li
  • Patent number: 11743583
    Abstract: It is an object to improve usability at the time of photographing or reproducing in an imaging apparatus including a plurality of imaging units. In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus including a plurality of imaging units includes a setting unit that sets a plurality of photographing modes which are settable in advance, a unit that controls a plurality of imaging units in accordance with a set photographing mode, and a manipulation unit. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus with excellent usability capable of controlling a plurality of imaging units independently or simultaneously such that imaging is performed with a simple manipulation when a desired photographing mode is selected by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Nishimura, Susumu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11736822
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining a first plurality of image frames that are provided by an image sensor at a first output rate. The method includes determining a GPU temporal processing value characterizing the GPU processing of the first plurality of image frames. The GPU temporal processing value is a function of an amount of information associated with the first plurality of image frames. The method includes determining an operation value associated with the image sensor based on a function of the GPU temporal processing value. The operation value modifies the operation of the image sensor. The method includes changing, using a controller, the operation of the image sensor as a function of the operation value so that the image sensor provides a second plurality of image frames at a second output rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Bertrand Nepveu, Marc-Andre Chenier, Yan Cote, Yves Millette
  • Patent number: 11706528
    Abstract: A digital graduated filter is implemented in an imaging device by combining multiple images of the subject wherein the combining may include combining different numbers of images for highlights and for shadows of the subject. The imaging device may present a user with a set of pre-defined graduated filter configurations to choose from. A user may also specify the direction of graduation and strength of graduation in a viewfinder. In an alternative implementation, combining may include scaling of pixels being added instead of varying the number of images being combined. In an alternative implementation, the combining of multiple images may include combining a different number of images for highlights of the subject than for shadows of subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: CLEAR IMAGING RESEARCH, LLC
    Inventor: Fatih M. Ozluturk
  • Patent number: 11689785
    Abstract: Provided are a dual-spectrum image automatic exposure method and apparatus, and a dual-spectrum image camera. This method includes acquiring an original image collected by the image sensor; performing logical light splitting processing on the original image to obtain an infrared image and a visible light image; determining whether to use infrared cutoff filter; if it is determined to use the infrared cutoff filter, performing exposure processing on the visible light image by using a single-spectrum exposure algorithm to obtain a visible light image that conforms to a target exposure effect; and if it is determined not to use the infrared cutoff filter, performing the exposure processing on the infrared image and the visible light image by using a dual-spectrum exposure algorithm to obtain a visible light image that conforms to a first exposure effect and an infrared image that conforms to a second exposure effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG UNIVIEW TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yulin Chen, Yue Sun
  • Patent number: 11683574
    Abstract: A camera module comprises an image sensor having a size greater than or equal to 1/3.06 inch and less than or equal to 1/2.78 inch and a lens module comprising at least five lenses disposed in sequence between an object side and an image side of the camera module. A ratio between a half-image height of the lens module and a total track length of the camera module is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.6. A field of view of the lens module is greater than or equal to 100 degrees. An aperture of the lens module is greater than or equal to F1.8 and less than or equal to F2.4. An equivalent focal length of the lens module is greater than or equal to 10 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haiyan Wang, Haishui Ye, Wei Su
  • Patent number: 11683575
    Abstract: An image system (100) comprising a camera (110), a control unit (120), a processing unit (130), one or more illumination devices (140). The image system (100) is configured to obtain a distance matrix for a scene. Each cell of the distance matrix corresponds to a zone of the scene and a value in each cell represents the distance from an object in the zone to the camera. The image system is further configured to obtain an illumination intensity matrix for the scene. Each cell of the illumination intensity matrix corresponds to a zone of the scene and a value in each cell represents illumination intensity of one or more illumination devices in each zone of the scene. The image system is further configured to generate a compensation matrix based on the illumination intensity matrix and the distance matrix and generate an image of the scene based on the compensation matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: AXIS AB
    Inventors: Malte Bokvist, Simon Preutz
  • Patent number: 11678083
    Abstract: An imaging device including a semiconductor substrate that includes a first impurity region; a photoelectric converter that is coupled to the first impurity region and that converts light into charges; a capacitor that includes a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal coupled to the first impurity region; voltage supply circuitry coupled to the second terminal; a first transistor including the first impurity region as a source or a drain; and control circuitry. The control circuitry is programmed to cause the voltage supply circuitry to supply a first voltage in a first period, and to cause the voltage supply circuitry to supply a second voltage different from the first voltage in a second period continuous to the first period, the first transistor being in on-state in the first period, the first transistor being in off-state in the second period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Satou, Shota Yamada, Masashi Murakami, Yutaka Hirose
  • Patent number: 11678051
    Abstract: A control method of an image pickup device is provided. The image pickup device includes a camera, a display, and a touch panel that is overlapped with the display and detects at least a sliding touch operation. The display displays a video image captured by the camera in first, second and third modes. The control method includes: switching to the second mode by a first sliding touch operation in a first direction on the touch panel in the first mode; switching to the third mode by a second sliding touch operation in the first direction in the second mode; switching to the second mode by a third sliding touch operation in a second direction in the third mode; and switching to the first mode by a fourth sliding touch operation in the second direction in the second mode. The second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ishihara, Kazutaka Yamamoto, Katsuyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 11647132
    Abstract: A communication terminal acquires a captured image from an image capturing apparatus and transfers the captured image to a server. The communication terminal includes: a first communication unit configured to communicate with the image capturing apparatus; a second communication unit configured to communicate with the server; a display unit configured to communicate with the image capturing apparatus, acquire, from the image capturing apparatus, a captured image managed by the image capturing apparatus, and display the captured image; a sound input unit configured to accept sound input for generating a terminal sound memo related to the displayed captured image; a storage unit configured to store the generated terminal sound memo in association with the captured image; and a control unit configured to perform control so that the second communication unit transfers, to the server, the acquired captured image and the generated terminal sound memo associated with the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Mitani
  • Patent number: 11647305
    Abstract: Disclosed are a solid-state imaging apparatus, a signal processing method of a solid-state imaging apparatus, and an electronic device, which are capable of correcting uneven sensitivities generated by multiple factors in a broad area and realizing the higher-precision image quality. A correction circuit 710 weight a sensitivity Pi corresponding to a pixel signal of each pixel related to correction in a pixel unit PU that is the correction target and a sensitivity Pi corresponding to a pixel signal of each pixel related to correction in at least one same color pixel unit PU and adjacent to the pixel unit PU that is the correction target by a weighting coefficient Wi. Consequently, the correction coefficient ? is calculated by dividing a sum of the weighted sensitivities by a total number n of pixels related to correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SUPERBVUE SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Tanaka, Yuki Nobusa, Noboru Yamamoto, Masaaki Tsuruta
  • Patent number: 11641534
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a pixel sensor that senses an incident light and outputs a sampling signal of an analog shape, a sampler that compares the sampling signal and a ramp signal and outputs a comparison signal being time-axis length information, and a gray counter that counts a length of the comparison signal in synchronization with a clock signal and outputs a digital value. The gray counter includes a first flip-flop that divides the clock signal by 2 and generates a first gray code signal, a second flip-flop that delays a first data signal being a four-divided signal of the clock signal and outputs a second gray code signal, and a third flip-flop that delays the second gray code signal being two-divided and outputs a third gray code signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Younghun Han, Jaeha Eom, Seunghoon Jung
  • Patent number: 11627276
    Abstract: An A/D converter and an image sensor are disclosed. The image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels; a ramp signal generator configured to generate a ramp signal; and a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison result signal by comparing a pixel signal output by the pixel array with the ramp signal. The comparison circuit includes: a first comparator stage configured to output a first stage output signal according to a result of comparing the pixel signal with the ramp signal, to a first circuit node; a limiter including an n-type transistor having one end connected to the first circuit node and an opposite end to which power supply voltage is applied; and a second comparator stage configured to generate the comparison result signal by shaping the first stage output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daehwa Paik, Jaehong Kim, Jinwoo Kim, Seunghyun Lim, Sanghyun Cho