Patents Examined by Luong T. Nguyen
  • Focus detection apparatus, and focus detection method which performs blinking detection
    Patent number: 11431913
    Abstract: An apparatus that moves a focus lens, performs a scan operation of sequentially acquiring a focus signal, acquires a focus position of the focus lens based on the focus signal, and includes: a determination unit configured to determine whether an object is blinking at a predetermined period, and a processing unit configured to perform a filtering process in a time axis direction on the acquired focus signal where the object is blinking at the predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kurisu, Naoki Iwasaki
  • Imaging device having polarizer part, user equipment including the same, and method and storage medium for acquiring ambient light using the same
    Patent number: 11425294
    Abstract: An imaging device, to be installed under a display having a first polarizer part, includes: at least one first light sensor element; at least one second light sensor element; and a second polarizer part provided upstream of the at least one second light sensor element along a direction in which light is incident on the at least one second light sensor element, wherein polarization orientation of the first polarizer part is at a preset angle with respect to polarization orientation of the second polarizer part; the at least one first light sensor element receives screen light emitted by the display and first polarized ambient light incident through the first polarizer part; and the at least one second light sensor element receives the screen light emitted by the display and second polarized ambient light incident through the first polarizer part and the second polarizer part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Longlong Zhou
  • Image capture device in which the focal length of the image capture device can be expanded without increasing the size of lenses
    Patent number: 11425307
    Abstract: An image capture method and an image capture device are disclosed. The device includes a first chip, zoom lenses, image sensors, zoom motors, and focus motors. The number of the first chip is one; and the number of the zoom lenses are two, comprising a first short zoom lens and a second long zoom lens, wherein the two zoom lenses have different zoom ranges, and there is an overlap range between the zoom ranges of the two zoom lenses. The number of the image sensors is two, and the two image sensors correspond to the two zoom lenses respectively, and the two image sensors are communicatively connected to the first chip respectively. The number of the zoom motors is two, the number of the focus motors is two, and the two zoom motors and the two focus motors are communicatively connected to the first chip respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: HANGZHOU HIKVISION DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jian Ren, Qi Gong
  • Autoexposure method
    Patent number: 11425311
    Abstract: A method for controlling an autoexposure function of a camera to a gray level setting, the method including exposing an imaging device of the camera for a first exposure duration and obtaining a first gray level of the imaging device of the camera, exposing the imaging device of the camera for a second exposure duration within the first exposure duration and the maximum exposure duration and obtaining a second gray level of the imaging device of the camera, determining whether the first gray level and the second gray level are upward-trending from the first exposure duration to the second exposure duration and if the first gray level and the second gray level are determined to be upward-trending, interpolating for a target exposure duration based on the gray level setting, the first exposure duration and the first gray level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MLOptic Corp.
    Inventors: Wei Zhou, Nathan Yang, Wei Wang, Tang Song
  • Lens assembly and camera module capable of performing a zoom-up function
    Patent number: 11425288
    Abstract: A lens assembly includes a base, a first lens group disposed in the base, a first body coupled to the first lens group, and a first wheel rotatably coupled to the first body, the first wheel being configured to move the first lens group on the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sung June Park
  • Image processing program, and image processing system causing a server to control synthesis of a real space image and a virtual object image
    Patent number: 11425312
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium including an image processing program is provided. To control synthesis of a real space image and a virtual object image, the image processing program causes a server to: obtain positional information of a real space image and a user terminal with a photographing device from the user terminal; refer to a storing unit storing information defined in advance as light source related information and positional information so as to be associated with each other, to specify the light source related information corresponding to positional information of the user terminal; set a virtual light source for a virtual object on a basis of the specified light source related information; generate a virtual object image on a basis of the set virtual light source; and output a synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the generated the virtual object image and the real space image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Ikumori
  • Dual sensor imaging system and calibration method which includes a color sensor and an infrared ray sensor to perform image alignment and brightness matching
    Patent number: 11418719
    Abstract: A dual sensor imaging system and a calibration method thereof are provided. The dual sensor imaging system includes at least one color sensor, at least one infrared ray (IR) sensor, a storage device, and a processor. The processor is configured to load and execute a computer program stored in the storage device to: control the color sensor and the IR sensor to respectively capture multiple color images and multiple IR images of an imaging scene by adopting multiple capturing conditions; calculate multiple color image parameters of the color image captured under each capturing condition and multiple IR image parameters of the IR image captured under each capturing condition to be used to calculate a difference between a brightness of the color image and a brightness of the IR image; and determine an exposure setting suitable for the color sensor and the IR sensor according to the calculated difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Altek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Shih-Yuan Peng, Shu-Chun Cheng, Hsu-Lien Huang, Yun-Chin Li, Kuo-Ming Lai
  • Method of improving image quality in zoom scenario with single camera, and electronic device including the same
    Patent number: 11412148
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electronic device (e.g., a camera) for improving image quality in a zoom scenario, and a control method thereof. The electronic device may display a preview image including an image generated from information acquired through the image sensor, perform a zoom-in operation or a zoom-out operation for the preview image, determine whether it is necessary to change an output mode of the image sensor in response to the zoom-in or the zoom-out operation, and generate an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) instruction for changing the output mode of the sensor. Upon determining that it is necessary to change the output mode of the image sensor, control the sensor to change the output mode of the sensor by executing the generated I2C instruction while the image sensor maintains an active state, and change a sensor index recorded in a register to have access to information on a sensor mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sangmin Moon
  • Imaging apparatus and monitoring system for performing a focus control and an angle control
    Patent number: 11399126
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a focus controller, an image sensor, an angle controller configured to change an angle of an imaging plane of the image sensor, an evaluation value acquirer configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value in a first evaluation area of the image sensor during a focus control, and to acquire a contrast evaluation value in a second evaluation area different from the first evaluation area during an angle control, and an exposure controller configured to control an exposure condition of the image sensor. The exposure controller determines a first exposure condition so as to provide a correct exposure value to the first evaluation area during the focus control, and determines a second exposure condition different from the first exposure so as to provide a correct exposure value to the second evaluation area during the angle control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Content capture service
    Patent number: 11394875
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for a content capture application and/or service. In one example embodiment, an application/service can determine a project definition for a media project that can include a video that is to be captured via a user device having a camera. The application/service can determine a device capability of the user device including a video capability and a networking capability. The application/service can determine, based on the project definition and the device capability, a capture suggestion. The capture suggestion can include instructions relating to content to be included in the video. The device can provide the capture suggestion to the user device, obtain media content based on the video, assemble the media project including the media content, and output the media project to a recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Eric Zavesky, Lee Begeja, David Crawford Gibbon, Jean-Francois Paiement, Tan Xu, Terrel Lecesne
  • Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus including transistors with differently sized gate terminals
    Patent number: 11394914
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel region in which shared pixels which share pixel transistors in a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are two-dimensionally arranged. The shared pixel transistors are divisionally arranged in a column direction of the shared pixels, the pixel transistors shared between neighboring shared pixels are arranged so as to be horizontally reversed or/and vertically crossed, and connection wirings connected to a floating diffusion portion, a source of a reset transistor and a gate of an amplification transistor in the shared pixels are arranged along the column direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Kido, Atsuhiko Yamamoto, Akihiro Yamada
  • Method of processing image based on artificial intelligence and image processing device performing the same
    Patent number: 11385526
    Abstract: In a method of processing an image, a first image including a plurality of objects and image information associated with the first image are obtained. Image processing information associated with an image operation to be performed on the first image is obtained based on an object among the plurality of objects included in the first image and a user command specified in at least one of voice information of a user and touch information from the user. A second image is generated by performing the image operation on the first image based on the image information and the image processing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hansol Kang, Thomas Byunghak Cho
  • Image capture apparatus and control method for generating a time-lapse moving image
    Patent number: 11381755
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprises a photometry unit that acquires photometric information that indicates brightness of a captured image of a subject, a control unit that controls exposure based on the photometric information, and a correction unit that, at a time of acquiring a plurality of images, which are to be used when generating a time-lapse moving image and are obtained by consecutive image capturing of a subject, obtains a difference between first photometric information acquired prior to a first image capturing in the consecutive image capturing and second photometric information based on an image obtained by performing the first image capturing in a state in which exposure control has been performed, and corrects photometric information at the time of second and subsequent image capturing in the consecutive image capturing using the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yukihiro Matsumoto
  • Dual camera module and optical device
    Patent number: 11378772
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a dual camera module comprising: a first camera module including a first lens module and a first image sensor disposed below the first lens module; and a second camera module including a second lens module and a second image sensor disposed below the second lens module, wherein the second camera module has a wider angle of view than the first camera module, and the second image sensor is disposed at a position higher than the first image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Don O, Sang Yeon Han
  • Imaging element, and imaging apparatus which changes frame rate of output image data based on derived focus evaluation value
    Patent number: 11375113
    Abstract: An imaging element includes a storage portion that stores image data obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate and is incorporated in the imaging element, a processing portion that is incorporated in the imaging element and configured to perform processing using the image data, and an output portion that outputs output image data based on the image data at a second frame rate depending on a processing result of the processing portion and is incorporated in the imaging element, in which the first frame rate is greater than or equal to the second frame rate, and the processing portion performs processing of deriving an evaluation value indicating a degree of focusing for the image data stored in the storage portion and changing the second frame rate based on the derived evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Hasegawa, Tomoyuki Kawai, Hitoshi Sakurabu, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Image capturing method and display method for recognizing a relationship among a plurality of images displayed on a display screen
    Patent number: 11367158
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a capture part acquiring image data, and a display displaying an image on a display based on the image data. First information acquired includes at least either an azimuth angle or an elevation angle as a direction of the image and at least either an angle of view of the image or angle-of-view related information calculating the angle of view. When a second direction of a second image is included within a range of a first angle of view in a first direction of a first image, the second image is associated with the first image, and the first image is displayed within the display, and display is performed in a state in which the second image to be associated with the first image is overlapped on the first image within the display as the second image or second information indicating the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Okuyama, Ryuji Nishimura, Susumu Yoshida
  • Information processing device and method, program and recording medium for identifying a gesture of a person from captured image data
    Patent number: 11360571
    Abstract: An information processing device includes: an outline extraction unit extracting an outline of a subject from a picked-up image of the subject; a characteristic amount extraction unit extracting a characteristic amount, by extracting sample points from points making up the outline, for each of the sample points: an estimation unit estimating a posture of a high degree of matching as a posture of the subject by calculating a degree of the characteristic amount extracted in the characteristic amount extraction unit being matched with each of a plurality of characteristic amounts that are prepared in advance and represent predetermined postures different from each other; and a determination unit determining accuracy of estimation by the estimation unit using a matching cost when the estimation unit carries out the estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keisuke Yamaoka, Jun Yokono
  • Imaging apparatus and recording medium operating in a first mode or a second mode based on determined brightness of an image
    Patent number: 11343428
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device and a processor. The processor is configured to determine brightness of an image when the imaging apparatus is operating in a second operation mode. The processor is configured to increase imaging sensitivity of the imaging device when the processor determines that the brightness is darker than or equal to a first brightness. The processor is configured to cause the imaging apparatus to operate in a first operation mode when the processor determines that the brightness is darker than or equal to a second brightness darker than the first brightness after the processor increases the imaging sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Totsuka
  • Reducing power consumption for enhanced zero shutter lag
    Patent number: 11343437
    Abstract: An image capture device includes a processor that is configured to set the image capture device to a zero-shutter-lag (ZSL) mode in response to a capture of a first image; start a timer; restart the timer when a second image is captured while the timer is active; and, in response to detecting an event indicating that no image was captured before the timer expired, set the image capture device to the non-ZSL mode. The processor is configured to set the image capture device to a non-ZSL mode when the timer expires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Ojas Gandhi, Naveen Chinya Krishnamurthy
  • Method and apparatus having a function of constant automatic focusing when exposure changes
    Patent number: 11336826
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for focusing are provided. The method includes: determining that imaging mode switches from a third imaging mode to a fourth imaging mode, wherein the third imaging mode comprises a mode in which a non-depth camera is used to take a picture, and the fourth imaging mode comprises a mode in which a depth camera is used to take a picture; creating a third feature template, wherein the third feature template is used to record depth information of a target object; and searching for an image of the target object according to the third feature template in the fourth imaging mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ArcSoft Corporation Limited
    Inventors: Lin Naiyang, Xi Wenxing