Patents Examined by Lin Ye
  • Patent number: 11881497
    Abstract: An image sensor, which stores electric charge overflowing from a photoelectric conversion layer, includes: (1) a substrate including a first surface and a second surface, which is opposite to the first surface and upon which light is incident, (2) a photoelectric conversion layer in the substrate, (3) an isolation film disposed on the substrate, along the photoelectric conversion layer, (4) a storage conductive pattern disposed in the isolation film, (5) a transfer gate disposed on a first surface of the substrate, (6) a first impurity-injected area disposed between the photoelectric conversion layer and the isolation film, and (7) a second impurity-injected area disposed on the first surface of the substrate and connected to the transfer gate. The first and second impurity-injected areas are electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventors: Young Gu Jin, Young Chan Kim
  • Patent number: 11875475
    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: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Adeia Imaging LLC
    Inventors: Dan Lelescu, Gabriel Molina, Kartik Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 11874482
    Abstract: A camera module includes a lens holder having a hollow region; a first lens unit disposed in the hollow region and including at least one lens; a second lens unit disposed above the lens holder; a circuit board disposed under the lens holder; an adhesion unit disposed between a lower surface of the lens holder and an upper surface of the circuit board and configured to couple the lens holder and the circuit board to each other. The adhesion unit includes an opening and a portion of an internal space formed by a coupling of the circuit board and the lens holder is to be open to an outside through the opening of the adhesion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ji Hwan Park, Myoung Jin An, Dong Wook Park
  • Patent number: 11867908
    Abstract: A digital imaging system is provided with direct view of an object, having: an optical element configured to allow visible light to pass therethrough to a user's eye and to redirect light of non-visible wavelengths away from the user's eye; a display disposed between the user's eye and the object; a digital camera mounted outside a field of view of the user's eye and configured to obtaining imaging data from the light of non-visible wavelength; a redirection optic disposed so as to redirect the light of non-visible wavelength to the digital camera; and an image processor configured to process the imaging data from the digital camera and output the data to the display such that an image generated from the imaging data from the digital camera overlays an image produced by the impingement of visible light on the user's eye following the visible light's passing through the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventor: R. Daniel McGrath
  • Patent number: 11871125
    Abstract: The method processes a series of events received asynchronously from an array of pixels of an event-based light sensor. Each event of the series comprises an address of a pixel of the array from which the event is received, and an attribute value depending on incident light sensed by that pixel. The method comprises: storing a data structure in a first memory, the data structure including event data for at least some of the pixels of the array, the event data for a pixel being related to at least one event most recently received from said pixel; during a timeslot, building, in a second memory having a faster access than the first memory, a map for the pixels of the array as the events of the series are received, the map including an information element for each pixel of the array, the information element having one of a plurality of values including a nil value indicating an absence of event during the timeslot; and updating the data structure after the timeslot using the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PROPHESEE
    Inventors: Daniele Perrone, Xavier Lagorce, Vitor Schambach Costa, Ludovic Chotard, Sylvain Brohan
  • Patent number: 11871105
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for field of view adjustment for image capture devices. For example, methods may include receiving a field of view selection; oversampling, using an image sensor, to obtain an image at a capture resolution that is greater than an encode resolution; determining a crop setting based on the field of view selection; cropping the image using the crop setting to obtain a cropped image; down-scaling the cropped image to obtain a scaled image at the encode resolution; encoding the scaled image at the encode resolution; and storing, displaying, or transmitting an output image based on the scaled image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Ojas Gandhi, Naveen Chinya Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 11871102
    Abstract: A device, system, and method of automatically managing a recording device is described. The device includes a sensor monitoring assembly comprising a receiver, a controller, and a transmitter. The sensor monitoring assembly can be in communication with a sensor and a recording device and automatically instruct the recording device to begin recording when the sensor is detected by the sensor monitoring assembly to be in an activated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LensLock, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Lynch, Jack Madrid, Patrick Felsted, Benjamin Christian Boynton
  • Patent number: 11870944
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including: an image processing unit; a face recognition processing unit; a storage unit; and a composition processing unit for generating composite data by a composition process so that persons photographed in each of a plurality of image data are included in one image data. The face recognition processing unit recognizes a first person by performing a face recognition process on first image data. When second image data obtained by photographing a second person at the different photographing timing of the first image data, with the same background as the first image data, is recorded in the storage unit, the composition processing unit generates composite data in which the first person and the second person are superimposed on the same background.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirabayashi, Yasunobu Hashimoto, Hiroshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11868038
    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 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Keun Park, Tae Min Ha
  • Patent number: 11871133
    Abstract: An imaging system including: image sensor including pixels arranged on photo-sensitive surface; and processor configured to: obtain information indicative of gaze direction of user's eye; identify gaze position on photo-sensitive surface; determine first region and second region on photo-sensitive surface, wherein first region includes and surrounds gaze position, while second region surrounds first region; read out first pixel data from each pixel of first region; select set of pixels to be read out from second region based on predetermined sub-sampling pattern; read out second pixel data from pixels of selected set; generate, from second pixel data, pixel data of remaining pixels of second region; and process first pixel data, second pixel data, and generated pixel data to generate image frame(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Varjo Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Mikko Ollila
  • Patent number: 11863862
    Abstract: A display device (100) obtains (S210) an image, obtains (S220) a current measure of inclination of a screen (110) of the display device (100), rotates (S230) the image to compensate for the inclination to render the image parallel with the horizon, scales (S240) and displays (S250) the image entire and horizontally on the screen. The image can be part of a video for which other images are processed to be displayed horizontally. The image can be scaled to maximise the size of the image when displayed on the screen (110); this can be performed after a period of unchanged inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings, SAS
    Inventors: Goulven Querre, Thomas Morin, Karine Jegou, Sebastien Fraleu
  • Patent number: 11857155
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a processor, an imaging device, and a light source. The processor is configured to determine whether or not the imaging device has gone out of space of which at least part is surrounded by an object when the imaging device is performing imaging after the imaging device is inserted into the space. The processor is configured to execute power-saving control when the processor determines that the imaging device has gone out of the space. In the power-saving control, the processor is configured to make power consumption of a control target less than power consumption of the control target before the power-saving control is executed. The control target is at least one of the imaging device and the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuya Totsuka, Kotaro Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 11863885
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a time delay integration (TDI) sensor using a rolling shutter. The TDI sensor includes two pixel arrays each having multiple pixel columns. Each pixel column includes multiple pixels arranged in an along-track direction, wherein two adjacent pixels or two adjacent pixel groups in every pixel column have a separation space therebetween. The separation space is equal to a pixel height multiplied by a time ratio of a line time difference of the rolling shutter and a frame period, or equal to a summation of at least one pixel height and a multiplication of the pixel height by a time ratio of the line time difference and the frame period. The TDI sensor doubles a number of times of integrating pixel data corresponding to the same position of a scene by arranging two separately operated pixel arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Ren-Chieh Liu, Chao-Chi Lee
  • Patent number: 11852895
    Abstract: An image capturing module receives a predetermined number of a first set of frames by calibration of the image capturing device. An image processing module calculates focal values of each of the predetermined number of the first set of frames using a focal value calculation technique, identifies a predefined threshold of the focal value among each of the focal values calculated, determines a reference frame among each of the predetermined number of the first set of frames. An image comparison module compares focal value of one or more live frames with the focal value of reference frame, selects an optimal live frame from the one or more live frames when the focal value of the one or more live frames is greater than predefined percentage of the focal value of the reference frame. A notification module notifies an achievement of an optimal focal value range corresponding to the optimal live frame to an operator through one or more notification means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Inventors: Krithika Gurumurthy, Naresh Rajasekar
  • Patent number: 11849238
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first substrate including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a second substrate layered on the first substrate and including an AD conversion portion including a plurality of AD conversion circuits configured to convert a signal output from the first substrate into a digital signal, wherein the second substrate further includes a plurality of signal processing units including a first signal processing unit and a second signal processing unit both configured to perform machine learning processing, wherein each of a plurality of sets includes a plurality of AD conversion circuits that differ between the plurality of sets, wherein the first signal processing unit is arranged to correspond to one of the plurality of sets, and wherein the second signal processing unit is arranged to correspond to another one of the plurality of sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kei Ochiai, Yoshiaki Takada, Masaki Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Daisuke Kobayashi, Tetsuya Itano, Nao Nakatsuji, Yasuhiro Oguro
  • Patent number: 11849230
    Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter comprising: a plurality of capacitances and a plurality of switches. A capacitance among the plurality of capacitances, of which the number corresponds to the resolution of the analog signal to be output, is used as a voltage value generation capacitance, so as to generate a voltage value based on the reference voltage to be added or subtracted, by switching a node to which the second terminal is connected by a corresponding switch. A remaining capacitance, which is not used as the voltage value generation capacitance among the plurality of capacitances, is used as a gain adjustment capacitance, so as to adjust gain of a voltage value based on the reference voltage to be added or subtracted, by holding a node to which the second terminal is connected by a corresponding switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takaharu Tani
  • Patent number: 11846542
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel and a counter circuit. The pixel includes a first avalanche photodiode and a second avalanche photodiode having different sensitivity to light. The counter circuit is configured to count a first signal based on charges generated in the first avalanche photodiode, and a second signal based on charges generated in the second avalanche photodiode. Processing on the count value is different between a case where a count value output from the counter circuit is larger than a threshold value and a case where the count value output from the counter circuit is smaller than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuo Yamazaki, Yukihiro Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11848338
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of first photodiodes included in a first area of a unit pixel, and configured to generate electric charges, a second photodiode included in a second area of the unit pixel, and configured to generate electric charges, a first microlens disposed above the first area, a second microlens disposed above the second area, a first floating diffusion region included in the first area, a second floating diffusion region included in the second area, a plurality of first transfer transistors configured to provide the electric charges generated by the plurality of first photodiodes to the first floating diffusion region, and a second transfer transistor configured to provide the electric charges generated by the second photodiode to the second floating diffusion region. A sum of light-receiving areas of the plurality of first photodiodes is greater than a light-receiving area of the second photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eunji Park, Hyungjin Bae, Moosup Lim, Seungho Shin, Kangsun Lee
  • Patent number: 11849234
    Abstract: An imaging device with a novel structure is provided. The imaging device includes an imaging region provided with a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels included in the imaging region include a first pixel and a second pixel. The imaging device has a function of selecting a first region or a second region. The first region includes the same number of pixels as the second region. The first region includes at least the first and second pixels. The second region includes at least the second pixel. The pixels included in the first region or the second region have a function of outputting imaging signals obtained by the pixels. The imaging device generates first image data by concurrently reading the imaging signals output from the pixels included in the first region and performing arithmetic operation on the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Yoneda, Hiromichi Godo, Yusuke Negoro, Hiroki Inoue, Takahiro Fukutome
  • Patent number: 11848344
    Abstract: The present application provides a pixel structure, an image sensor, a device, an image processing method and a control method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SMARTSENS TECHNOLOGY (HK) CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Shengxin Zhang, Chen Xu, Guanjing Ren, Xiaoyong Wang, Jiaqing Hou