Patents Examined by James M. Hannett
  • Patent number: 11190707
    Abstract: The present invention provides a motion ghost resistant HDR image generation method and a portable terminal. A normally exposed image and an underexposed image are mapped to an overexposed image and are fused in the overexposed image, such that the values of the underexposed image are more considered to be used in the fused image in a bright place and the values of the overexposed image are more considered to be used in a dark place; therefore, both the dark place and bright place have abundant information and a motion ghost resistant HDR image is finally generated, thus improving the visual effect of a ghost-removed high-dynamic range image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ARASHI VISION INC.
    Inventor: Liang Xie
  • Patent number: 11184557
    Abstract: A control station manages a set of a plurality of camera groups to which a plurality of cameras belong, determines respectively different reference times for the plurality of camera groups, and controls the plurality of cameras such that the cameras that respectively belong to the plurality of camera groups execute capturing according to the determined reference times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eito Sakakima
  • Patent number: 11178322
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to a camera module and an automobile comprising the same, the camera module comprising: a first housing in which a lens module is disposed; a second housing including a base and a support portion extending upward from the base; and a substrate on which an image sensor is mounted and which is disposed on the support portion, wherein the substrate and the support portion are disposed in the first housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong Hyun Park, Sung Deok Moon, Ok Hyeon Park
  • Patent number: 11172112
    Abstract: An imaging system positioned relative to a three-dimensional area for capturing an image includes an image sensor having an X-Y plane and an aspect ratio defined by the quantity of pixels in the X-Y plane; and a non-linear light focusing element constructed with a profile to form an altered view of a three-dimensional desired zone of the area with a desired pixel distribution. The non-linear light focusing element redirects the pixels of the image sensor from an undesired zone of the area to within a frame that encompasses the three-dimensional desired zone of the area to form the altered view of the desired zone. The image sensor captures the altered view of the desired zone to match the aspect ratio of the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: EMBEDTEK, LLC
    Inventor: Kent Tabor
  • Patent number: 11172151
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a light-receiving circuit that outputs a pulse signal in response to incidence of a photon and a counting circuit configured to count the pulse signal, is disclosed. The image capture apparatus further comprises a detection circuit that detects whether or not a flickering light source is present in a field of view, based on an output frequency of the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki, Nobuhiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 11163144
    Abstract: The present subject matter includes a method of focusing of an optical imaging apparatus. The method comprises causing illumination of an object using an illuminating beam to thereby cause generation of a scattered beam. A first set of luminous parameters are derived from a first detected position of a luminous representation formed by the scattered beam from the object. The illumination-beam is focused upon the object by triggering a movement of the object along an optical-axis in a first direction, the first direction being based a numerical-representation of the first set of luminous parameters. A second set of luminous parameters are derived from a second detected position of the luminous-representation of the object, the second detected position being related to the first detected position and the movement of the object. The focusing of the illumination beam is ceased based at-least on a numerical-representation of the second set of luminous parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: APPLEJACK 199 L.P.
    Inventors: Mihail Mihaylov, Wojciech J Walecki, Jae Ryu
  • Patent number: 11165943
    Abstract: A camera module includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) installed with an image sensor, a base mounted on the PCB, and a bobbin reciprocatingly mounted above the base. A bottom elastic member is fixed to the base to support the bobbin, and a terminal is installed at the base, one end of which is conductively connected to the PCB and the other end of which is conductively connected to the bottom elastic member at a solder part. A solder cut-off part is formed at the base to cut off movement of overflowing solder from the solder part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Ok Park, Seong Min Lee, Jun Taek Lee, Byung Wook Son
  • Patent number: 11159715
    Abstract: A system for capturing images of damage to an object configured to (i) store an orientation model associated with an object; (ii) receive, from a user, a request to analyze damage to the object; (iii) instruct the user to position a camera at a first position relative to the object; (iv) receive an image of the object from the camera; (v) determine whether the received image is properly framed; (vi) if the received image is not properly framed, instruct the user to adjust the position of the camera; and (vii) if the received image is properly framed, instruct the user to position the camera at a second position relative to the object. As a result, obtaining images of sufficient quality for proper processor analysis may be facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
    Inventors: Holly Lambert, Shane Tomlinson, Daniel J. Green, Bradley A. Sliz, Marigona Bokshi-Drotar, Holly Kay Sanderson, Derek Lawless, He Yang, Jennifer Malia Andrus
  • Patent number: 11159701
    Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a camera module comprising a front body, a lens, a rear body, a first substrate, an image sensor, a second substrate, a connector and a cover, wherein the cover includes a bottom plate having a hole in which the connector is to be disposed, side plates extending from the bottom plate, and pressing unit disposed at the bottom plate and elastically supporting the connector, the connector includes a first surface facing the inner surface of the bottom plate of the cover, and a second surface extending from the first surface and disposed in the hole, and the pressing unit includes a first pressing part for pressing the first surface of the connector, and a second pressing part for pressing the second surface of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang Yeal Han
  • Patent number: 11153487
    Abstract: An image capture device may include a microphone, a vibration sensor, and a processor. The microphone may obtain a microphone signal that includes an acoustic signal portion and a mechanical noise portion. The vibration sensor may obtain a vibration signal. The processor may upsample the vibration signal. The processor may determine a correlation value. The correlation value may be based on the microphone signal, the upsampled vibration signal, or both. The processor may determine filter coefficients. The filter coefficients may be determined on a condition that the correlation value is above a threshold. The filter coefficient may be based on the upsampled vibration signal. The processor may filter the vibration signal based on the filter coefficients to remove the mechanical noise portion and obtain a processed microphone signal. The processor may output the processed microphone signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Dick, Eric Penrod, Erich Tisch
  • Patent number: 11153464
    Abstract: An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes an execution lane array coupled to a two dimensional shift register array structure. Locations in the execution lane array are coupled to same locations in the two-dimensional shift register array structure such that different execution lanes have different dedicated registers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Ofer Shacham, Jason Rupert Redgrave, Albert Meixner, Qiuling Zhu, Daniel Frederic Finchelstein, David Patterson, Donald Stark
  • Patent number: 11134188
    Abstract: An electronic device, method, and computer program product provide detecting entry of an image capturing device of the electronic device into an image capture mode. In response to detecting entry, a controller of the electronic device detects, via at least one of: (i) the image capturing device; and (ii) the microphone, a first external input that alerts a subject that an image of the subject is about to be captured by the image capturing device. In response to detecting the first external input, the controller enables the electronic device to monitor for detection by one of: (i) the image capturing device; and (ii) the microphone of a second external input. The second external input is associated with the subject being ready to have an image of the subject captured. In response to detecting the second external input, the controller activates recording of image data via the image capturing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: Zhengping Ji, Olivier D. Meirhaeghe, Rachid Alameh, Amit Kumar Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11128800
    Abstract: An image blur correction device includes an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a system control unit that calculates rotational acceleration components which are included in detected accelerations and are generated by rotation of a digital camera around a rotation axis parallel to an optical axis, and corrects blurs of the captured image signal in directions based on accelerations obtained by subtracting the rotational acceleration components from the accelerations detected by the acceleration sensor. The system control unit selects one of rotation axes based on a usage state of the digital camera, and calculates the rotational acceleration components generated by the rotation of the digital camera around the selected rotation axis based on an angular velocity and distances in the directions from the selected rotation axis to the acceleration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Tanaka, Fuminori Irie, Junya Kitagawa, Kouhei Awazu
  • Patent number: 11122226
    Abstract: An imaging unit of an imaging apparatus comprises an imaging element having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units that converts an optical image of an object formed by an imaging optical system into an image signal. A focus detection unit reads out a plurality of image signals that has been pupil-split by the imaging element and performs focus detection. If an accumulation time of the imaging element or a signal-to-noise ratio of the image signal changes, a system control unit controls a readout line that obtains the image signals in a focus detection region with respect to the imaging unit to change the readout line of focus detection pixels in accordance with an accumulation time or a sensitivity setting of the imaging element. In a low shutter speed and a high sensitivity, the readout control of the image signal is performed by reducing the number of readout lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Okubo
  • Patent number: 11122212
    Abstract: An image recording method (2) and an image recording apparatus (1) are provided for recording a sequence of individual images of a scene (3), wherein, in a first control loop (6), an exposure parameter (8) is set in dependence on a respective brightness value (21) of an individual image, wherein the scene (3) is illuminated using an illumination device (4), wherein, in a second control loop (7), a maximum value (10) of a control range (9) of the exposure parameter (8) in the first control loop (6) is set, wherein the setting of the maximum value (10) is effected in dependence on an exposure variable (11), which indirectly stands for an expected quantity of light incident on an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Schölly Fiberoptic GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim Jauss
  • Patent number: 11115609
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus and a driving method that can perform imaging at lower power consumption. By providing the solid-state imaging apparatus including a pixel array section on which a plurality of SPAD pixels is two-dimensionally arranged, in which in a case where illuminance becomes first illuminance higher than reference illuminance, a part of the SPAD pixels of the plurality of pixels arranged on the pixel array section is thinned, it is possible to image at lower power consumption. The present technology can be applied to an image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Fumiaki Sano
  • Patent number: 11108962
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a detector configured to detect a moving amount of an object image on an imaging plane based on shake information acquired from a shake detector and motion vector information acquired from an image signal, a calculator configured to calculate an object angular velocity based on the moving amount of the object image, the motion vector information, and a cycle of acquiring the object image, and a corrector configured to perform an image stabilization based on the object angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 11108944
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises at least one processor which function as: an obtaining unit configured to obtain one or more images; and a display control unit configured to display the one or more images on a display in a different display mode and to superimpose, on an image, information indicating a defocus range of the image on a basis of the display mode and defocus information. The display control unit changes, depending on whether a first number of images are displayed or a second number of images are displayed, displaying that uses information indicating a defocus range of focus or non-focus and information indicating a defocus range in which a focus position is changeable or a defocus range of a case where an aperture value is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Onuki
  • Patent number: 11102397
    Abstract: A method for capturing images, a terminal, and a computer-readable storage medium are provided, relating to the technical filed of electronics. The method includes the following. A preview image is acquired through a capturing component of a terminal and an exposure parameter value corresponding to the preview image is acquired, when the capturing component is enabled. An image capturing parameter value in a current blurred scene is forecasted according to the preview image, the exposure parameter value, and an image capturing parameter related pre-trained forecasting model with an image data parameter, an exposure parameter, and an image capturing parameter as variables, where an image capturing parameter in the current blurred scene includes the number of images for synthesis. An image is captured according to the image capturing parameter value forecasted, upon receiving a capturing instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Yan Chen
  • Patent number: 11095762
    Abstract: A display is provided and includes a screen and an image or video capture device. The screen has a total surface area and an interactive area. The interactive area occupies a substantial entirety of the total surface area and is configured to display information and to be interacted with by a user. The image or video capture device is embedded beneath a section of the screen in a portion of the interactive area. The image or video capture device is configured to capture images and videos through the section of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Adaoha Onyekwelu