Patents Examined by Lin Ye
  • Patent number: 11423513
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that use super-resolution (SR) processes to use information from a plurality of low resolution (LR) images captured by an array camera to produce a synthesized higher resolution image. One embodiment includes obtaining input images using the plurality of imagers, using a microprocessor to determine an initial estimate of at least a portion of a high resolution image using a plurality of pixels from the input images, and using a microprocessor to determine a high resolution image that when mapped through the forward imaging transformation matches the input images to within at least one predetermined criterion using the initial estimate of at least a portion of the high resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Gabriel Molina, Kartik Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 11418697
    Abstract: The technology disclosed in this patent document can be implemented in embodiments to provide an image sensor that includes a first phase difference detection pixel having a light receiving region shifted by a first displacement distance, and a second phase difference detection pixel having a light receiving region shifted by a second displacement distance in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the first and second phase difference detection pixels are structured to detect phase difference information of incident light for controlling focusing of incident light at the imaging pixels for image sensing by the imaging pixels, and each of the first phase difference detection pixel and the second phase difference detection pixel includes an antireflection layer structured to partially cover a microlens, in the light receiving region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventor: Sung Woo Lim
  • Patent number: 11418747
    Abstract: An imaging sensor comprising: an imaging chip in which a plurality of pixel are arranged in a matrix; and a signal processing chip that is each provided for one or more pixel columns or one or more pixel rows, has a device that performs signal processing on a pixel signal output from a pixel, and is stacked with the imaging chip is provided. For example, the device that performs signal processing is an A/D converter that converts a pixel signal output from the pixel into a digital signal, and when a pixel signal output from the pixel is converted into a digital signal, at least two or more A/D converters among the A/D converters are controlled in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Murata
  • Patent number: 11418735
    Abstract: An image processing device is provided. The image processing device includes a vision sensor including a plurality of pixels, each pixel configured to generate a plurality of events per frame by sensing a change in intensity of light and configured to generate a plurality of timestamps indicating event occurrence times of the plurality of events, and a processor configured to correct an event data packet based on a response time and to output the event data packet based on the response time, the response time determined by a position of the pixel and an illuminance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Seok Seo, Jeong Seok Kim
  • Patent number: 11418721
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor configured to capture an object image, a shutter unit configured to move a shutter blade in a first direction and to control an exposure time to the image sensor, and a shake sensor configured to detect a shake of the image pickup apparatus. When viewed from an image plane side, the shake sensor is disposed away from the shutter unit in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshifumi Urakami
  • Patent number: 11418746
    Abstract: In a solid-state image sensor that transfers electric charges to a floating diffusion layer, exposure is started before transferring the electric charges to the floating diffusion layer. Electric charges are generated by photoelectric conversion in a photodiode and they are accumulated in an accumulation unit. An exposure end transfer transistor transfers the electric charges from the photodiode to the accumulation unit when a predetermined exposure period ends. A reset transistor initializes a voltage of a floating diffusion layer to a predetermined reset level when the exposure period ends. When a new exposure period is started after the electric charges are transferred to the accumulation unit, a discharge transistor discharges electric charges newly generated in the photodiode. When processing of converting a predetermined reset level into a digital signal ends, a conversion end transistor transfers the electric charges from the accumulation unit to the floating diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Shin Kitano
  • Patent number: 11412165
    Abstract: An image sensor is presented which includes a pixel array including a plurality of image sensing pixels in a substrate, a phase detection shared pixel in the substrate, the phase detection shared pixel including two phase detection subpixels arranged next to each other, a color filter fence disposed on the plurality of image sensing pixels, and the phase detection shared pixel, the color filter fence defining a plurality of color filter spaces, a plurality of color filter layers respectively disposed in the plurality of color filter spaces on the plurality of image sensing pixels, and the phase detection shared pixel, a first micro-lens disposed on each of the plurality of image sensing pixels to have a first height, and a second micro-lens disposed to vertically overlap the two phase detection subpixels of the phase detection shared pixel and to have a second height greater than the first height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongki Kim, Minkyung Kim, Minkwan Kim, Minho Jang, Insung Joe
  • Patent number: 11409186
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to a camera module comprising: a housing; a bobbin arranged inside the housing; a first magnet arranged on the bobbin; a first coil arranged in the housing and facing the first magnet; a plurality of lenses attached to the bobbin; and an iris unit coupled to the bobbin, wherein the plurality of lenses comprises a first lens and a second lens distanced from each other, and at least a portion of the iris unit is positioned between the first lens and the second lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Keun Park, Tae Min Ha
  • Patent number: 11411031
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup element including a non-planar layer having a non-planar light incident surface in a light receiving region, and a microlens of an inorganic material which is provided on a side of the light incident surface of the non-planar layer, and collects incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Ootsuka, Atsushi Yamamoto, Kensaku Maeda
  • Patent number: 11402725
    Abstract: An assembly is disclosed. In an embodiment an assembly includes a light source configured to illuminate a field of view, a control circuit configured to operate the light source and a camera configured to record a scene in the field of view, wherein the light source comprises at least one semiconductor component having at least one semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chip has an semiconductor layer sequence with an active region, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels are configured to generate radiation of the light source, wherein the control circuit has a memory configured to store operational data of the light source, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the pixels on basis of the operational data, and wherein the arrangement is configured to perform an adaptation of at least a part of the operational data in the memory during operation of the arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH
    Inventors: Dominik Schulten, Michael Schumann, Dominik Scholz
  • Patent number: 11405573
    Abstract: A light detection device detects an incident position of light. The plurality of pixels are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix and individually have a first photosensitive portion and a second photosensitive portion. The first circuit connects a plurality of first photosensitive portions to each other for every row. The second circuit connects a plurality of second photosensitive portions to each other for every column. The first reading unit reads signal data through the first circuit. The second reading unit reads signal data through the second circuit. The first circuit includes row switches arranged to switch electrical connection and disconnection between first photosensitive portions adjacent to each other in the same row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Matsui, Munenori Takumi, Haruyoshi Toyoda, Kazutaka Suzuki, Kazuhiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11405562
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a first acquisition unit configured to acquire an image shot by continuous shooting while emitting a flash; a second acquisition unit configured to acquire light emission information of the flash in the continuous shooting; a detection unit configured to detect a light emission variation of the flash based on the light emission information; a setting unit configured to set a parameter of a virtual light source for correcting a variation of brightness of the image shot by the continuous shooting due to the light emission variation based on a result of detecting the light emission variation; and a correction unit configured to correct the image shot by the continuous shooting based on the set parameter of the virtual light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Ouchi
  • Patent number: 11405568
    Abstract: A first and second pixel units that perform FD addition are provided. The first pixel unit includes: a first switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to an FD; and a reset transistor that is connected between another source/drain electrode of the first switch transistor and a power supply node. The second pixel unit includes: a second switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to an FD; a third switch transistor of which one source/drain electrode is connected to another source/drain electrode of the second switch transistor; and a capacitive element that is connected between another source/drain electrode of the third switch transistor and a reference potential node. The respective other source/drain electrodes of the first switch transistor and the second switch transistor are electrically connected with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Luonghung Asakura
  • Patent number: 11394893
    Abstract: The image generation apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a base image, a reference image, the respective exposure values associated with the base image and the reference image, and a pseudo-exposure value different from the respective exposure values associated with the base image and the reference image; an estimation unit configured to estimate a conversion parameter; and a generation unit configured to generate a pseudo-image regarded as an image photographed with the pseudo-exposure value by converting the luminance value of the base image for each of the pixels based on the respective exposure values associated with the base image and the reference image, the pseudo-exposure value, and the conversion parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Morpho, Inc.
    Inventor: Michihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11394915
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image sensing device and an operating method thereof, and the image sensing device may include a charge sensing element suitable for generating first charges, which correspond to incident light, based on a photo control signal; a reset element suitable for resetting the charge sensing element based on a reset signal; a floating diffusion node suitable for accumulating the first charges; a compensation element suitable for selectively supplying a compensation current to the floating diffusion node based on a compensation control signal; and a selection element suitable for outputting a pixel signal, which corresponds to a voltage on the floating diffusion node, to a readout line based on a selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Jin Park, Nam Ryeol Kim, Kang Bong Seo, Sung Uk Seo, Jung Soon Shin
  • Patent number: 11394895
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for generating a digital image. The method comprises receiving a shutter release command and causing a camera module to sample a first image of a photographic scene based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command. Next, the first image within an image set is stored and a camera module is caused to sample a second image of the photographic scene based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command. Additionally, the second image within the image set is stored, and a strobe intensity value is specified based on a measured exposure for images in the image set. Lastly, a strobe unit is configured based on the strobe intensity value, and in response to configuring the strobe unit, the camera module is caused to sample a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: DUELIGHT LLC
    Inventors: William Rivard, Adam Feder, Brian Kindle
  • Patent number: 11394890
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of selecting whether to carry out a subject detecting process while achieving a balance, thus preventing execution thereof from increasing shutter release time lag and excessively decreasing continuous shooting speed. Based on conditions as to shooting, whether or not to carry out a detecting process for detecting an area of a subject from an image generated by a sensor is selected for each of a first image generated based on a signal from the sensor when no flash is fired, and a second image generated based on a signal from the sensor when a pre-flash is fired. The amount of main flash output is computed based on luminance information on the area of the subject from at least one of the first and second images for which it has been determined that the detecting process is to be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshifumi Osawa
  • Patent number: 11388337
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical sensor configured to capture a plurality of input images. The apparatus also includes an analog circuit configured to produce a difference of Gaussians image for each of the input images. The apparatus further includes at least one processor configured to (i) determine motion error in the input images based on comparing the difference of Gaussians image and (ii) adjust at least some of the input images based on the determined motion error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Mark A. Massie, Chaffra A. Affouda, Richard J. Peralta
  • Patent number: 11381768
    Abstract: An image sensor operating in multiple resolution modes including a low resolution mode and a high resolution mode includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel in the plurality of pixels comprises a micro-lens, a first subpixel including a first photodiode, a second subpixel including a second photodiode, and the first subpixel and the second subpixel are adjacently disposed and share a floating diffusion region. The image sensor also includes a row driver providing control signals to the pixel array to control performing of an auto focus (AF) function, such that performing the AF function includes performing the AF function according to pixel units in the high resolution mode and performing the AF function according to pixel group units in the low resolution mode. A resolution corresponding to the low resolution mode is equal to or less than ΒΌ times a resolution corresponding to the high resolution mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eunsub Shim, Kyungho Lee
  • Patent number: 11380004
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a pixel and a signal processor configured to apply a first set of control signals to the pixel to generate a first pixel signal, a second pixel signal, a third pixel signal, and a fourth pixel signal based on light reflected from an object. The signal processor is configured to apply a second set of control signals to the pixel to generate a fifth pixel signal, a sixth pixel signal, a seventh pixel signal, and an eighth pixel signal based on the light reflected from the object. The signal processor is configured to calculate a distance to the object based on comparisons between selected ones of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth pixel signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Sa Xiao, Tom Schneider, Ping Wah Wong